Why Does My Hair Not Grow?

Have you been trying to grow your hair out, only to find that it's stuck at the same length no matter how long you wait? If this sounds familiar, we’re here to tell you that it's not all in your head! Unfortunately, many people may struggle with hair that grows unevenly or seemingly not at all. So, in this article, we’ll take a look at a few different reasons why your hair has stopped growing and walk you through what you can do to fix it.

Nutritional Deficiencies

A nutritional deficiency is one of the most common causes of stunted hair growth. Hair growth starts from the inside out. So, if you aren’t feeding your scalp with all of the necessary vitamins and minerals, there’s a good chance your hair growth will slow down dramatically. While improving your diet is the best way to address nutritional deficiencies, you can also take supplements to ensure you get the essential nutrients.

Medical Conditions

A sudden drop in hair growth may be a symptom of an underlying condition, as some medical conditions can slow, or even stop, your hair growth. If you think a medical condition is behind your stunted growth, reach out to a medical professional as soon as possible. In addition to helping you nurse your hair and scalp back to health, they can help you treat the issue before it worsens and leaves you with potentially permanent hair loss.

Stress

High or sustained levels of stress can affect virtually every part of your body, and your scalp and hair are no exception. Stress can throw off your hormones and force your hair follicles to switch from the growing phase to the resting phase. Luckily, this is almost always reversible. Just find new ways to lower or manage your stress levels! Need some examples? Here are some practical ways you can reduce stress.

• Throw yourself a self-care or spa day.

• Get regular exercise.

• Take up meditation or yoga.

• Try aromatherapy.

Genetics

Another potential reason your hair has stopped growing is that you have reached your genetically determined terminal length. Your terminal hair length is the maximum length that the hair on your head can grow without factoring in things like haircuts and breakage. Once a strand reaches its predetermined terminal length, it sheds, and a new strand takes its place.

Breakage

Sometimes, a lack of hair growth is actually a sign of breakage. When your hair breaks off as quickly as it grows, it can look like your hair has stopped growing. If you think breakage is behind your lack of growth, try to prioritize length retention. Go over your hair care routine, identify what is causing the breakage, and do your best to address it. In the meantime, treat your hair gently, and use plenty of strengthening and hydrating products like:

• Protein treatments

• Deep conditioners

• Hair creams

• Leave-in conditioners

There are a number of reasons why your hair may stop growing. But the good news is that most can be fixed by making a few minor adjustments to how you care for your hair. That said, we hope this article provided you with all the information you were looking for, and we wish you luck in your hair growth journey!

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.