Introduction
The journey of growing and maintaining curly hair is often described as a unique odyssey, one that requires both patience and persistence. There are few properties of curly hair which makes them unique in every way such as coiling, shrinkage, susceptible to dryness and frizz. All these factors affect the curly hair growth.
There are few ways in which we can achieve healthy and vibrant curls-
- Understand the process of curly hair growth
- Be ready with shrinkage process of curl
- Handle your curls gently
- Keep them moisturized
- Trim your hair for healthy curls.
Let’s understand all the above points in detail-
Chapter 1: The Basics of Hair Growth
Everything revolves in a cycle, be it our aging or our hair growth cycle. Let’s understand the curly hair growth journey-
a. The Hair Growth Cycle
1. Anagen: Growing Phase-
This is the first phase of hair growth cycle. It is considered as the active growth phase of hair follicles. In this phase hair follicles takes on an onion like shape and works to produce hair fiber.
Anagen phase is further divided into Proanagen and Metanagen. This is one of the longest phase, which lasts for about 3-4 years depending on your hair quality and texture.
Features: –
- First phase of hair growth.
- Active phase for hair growth.
- Further divided into- Proanagen and Metanagen
- Longest phase from all three.
- Cells in the hair root divide rapidly, and new hair is formed.
2. Catagen: Transition Phase-
After Anagen phase gets over, your hair starts itself in Catagen phase. This is the transitional phase between active growth and resting phase. It lasts only for about 10-20 days.
In this phase the hair follicles shrink and hair growth becomes slow. The hair also separates itself from bottom of the hair follicle, but remains in place.
Features: –
- Transitional phase between Anagen and Telogen
- Relatively shorter phase than Anagen.
- In this, hair follicles shrink and detaches itself from dermal papilla.
3. Telogen: Resting Phase-
The last phase of the hair growth cycle, which lasts for about 3months. Around 10-15 % of the scalp hair are in this phase. In this phase, neither the new hair grow, nor they fall out.
In this phase, the follicles are getting prepared for the anagen phase again.
After this phase, when again Anagen phase comes, it pushes the old hair, to make space for new hair.
Features: –
- This is the resting phase of hair growth cycle.
- Existing hair remain in the follicle but are not growing.
P.O.V. Some researchers believe there’s one more phase called as Exogen phase i.e. the shedding phase. But some, have merged this Exogen phase in the Telogen phase.
b. Genetic Influences
Apart from the above three phases, there are other factors which influence the hair growth, and those are-
- Genetics- This plays the major role in deciding how long will one phase last. If there’s a family history of extreme hair loss, then chances are you too will get it. Your hair growth characteristics depends a lot on your family genetics.
- Hormonal Changes- Hormones like testosterone, play a major role in hair growth cycle. There will be extreme hormonal changes during pregnancy, puberty and menopause and this change will affect the hair growth.
- Nutrition- If you do not take a balanced diet with all the nutrients, then this will affect your hair health in one or the other way. Your hair requires proper nutrition for the healthy hair growth.
- Age- As you age, your hair follicles weaken causing lot more of hair fall. Hair growth becomes slow and diameter of hair also decreases.
Chapter 2: Factors Influencing Curly Hair Growth Journey
After understanding the hair growth cycle, it is necessary to know what are the factors that influence curly hair growth-
- Texture Matters- Texture of the hair, refer to the hair porosity. Hair porosity decides whether the hair products can easily enter the hair strands or not, and this affects the hair texture.
- Maintenance and Hair Care- How do you maintain your curls? what shampoo and hair products do you use? All these things matter in the curly hair growth.
- Nutrition and Lifestyle- Your lifestyle and nutrition value affects the curly hair growth a lot. It is necessary that you have a healthy lifestyle and provide all kinds of nutrients to your hair, for the healthy growth of hair.
- Hormones- Hormonal changes, like puberty and pregnancy has a great influence on curly hair growth. It can affect the hair texture and growth.
- Environmental Factors- If you are constantly exposed to harmful UV rays, dust and pollution, then this can weaken your curls. Environment has a great effect on curly hair growth. It is necessary to protect your curls from harsh environment.
- Stress Levels- Chronic stress levels can affect your health and also your hair health. High stress levels result in hair loss or change in hair texture. You should practice stress-reducing activities like meditation and exercise, to keep the stress in control.
Chapter 3: Setting Realistic Expectations
a. Understanding Growth Rates
The hair growth rates depend on a lot of factors, which we have discussed in above sections. We often discuss the hair growth rates monthly, and yearly. So, let’s see what is the general estimate for average monthly and yearly hair growth rates-
- Average Monthly Hair Growth- Avg. monthly hair growth rate lies at about 0.5- 1.5 inches. Well, this is the normal growth rate for any hair, now it may vary for different hair type. Also, the hair growth rate is influenced by hair growth cycle and genetic factor.
- Average Yearly Hair Growth- Now, according to the avg. monthly hair growth rate, avg. yearly hair growth rate is decided and this varies from 6-18 inches.
b. The Illusion of Length
Yes, it is true that curly hair growth looks more like an illusion. Curly hair appears to grow slower than straight hair, and this is due to the shrinkage phenomenon.
Let’s see some key factors that contribute to the perception of slower hair growth-
- Natural Coiling- The coiled or spiral nature of curly hair causes the hair strands to wrap around themselves, creating a zigzag or helical pattern. Due to this coiling, curly hair appears shorter than they are.
- Shrinkage- Getting shrink when they are dry, is the characteristics of the curls. Shrinkage refers to the difference between actual length of the curls and the length when they get dry. Depending on the curl type, there can be 50% shrinkage.
- Tight Curl Pattern- Curl type 4 have tighter curls in the curl spectrum. And this tight curl pattern tends to exhibit more shrinkage.
- More Volume- Curly hair, when they are healthy and properly moisturized tend to have more volume. They look more voluminous then having a length. The fullness of the curls can make it challenging to perceive the actual growth.
Chapter 4: Curly Hair Growth Journey
a. Teenage Years and Puberty
After discussing the hair growth cycle in the above section, let’s understand what affects the hair growth most. Hormonal changes are one the most important factor, which plays a major role in hair growth.
Let’s understand how teenage years and puberty impact hair growth stages-
- Increased Androgen Level- During puberty, both boys and girls have increased androgen level, including testosterone. Now this hormone level affects the hair growth cycle both on scalp and face.
- Hair Growth Patterns- We know androgen phase of hair growth is affected by genetics and hormones. In males, this often involves the development of a more pronounced facial and body hair pattern. In females, the change in androgen levels can affect the thickness and texture of scalp hair.
- Sebaceous Gland Activity- Androgen affects the activity of sebaceous gland, which leads to increase in sebum production. The increase in sebum production leads to oily hair.
- Changes in Hair Texture- You may also find that your hair texture changes when you hit puberty. It can change from fine, straight hair to thick, curly hair.
b. Adult Maintenance
We understood what are the factors that affect hair growth, and in that teenage years and puberty is the main. Now, let’s have a look at how to maintain the hair growth in adulthood.
How to grow curly hair faster
- Do not over wash your scalp. It is necessary that you maintain a balance between scalp and hair, a healthy scalp helps in better hair growth. Over washing of hair, leads to stripping of natural oil from the scalp.
- Use sulfate-free and moisturizing shampoo to cleanse your hair strands. This way your hair stays away from chemicals and you scalp gets healthy.
- Minimize the use of heating tools, such as curler or straightening. Heating tools damages the hair cuticles and make reduces the growth of hair.
- Going for a regular trim, helps to keep the curls fresh and defined properly. It reduces split ends and also prevent them from travelling up.
- Try hydrating and moisturising your curl a much as you can. Curly hair tends to be dry. A hydrated curl is soft and smooth, promoting hair growth.
- Detangle your hair gently. Use a wide-toothed comb or fingers to detangle your hair gently. This helps to minimize the hair breakage.
Chapter 5: Tips for Maximizing Curly Hair Growth
If you want to grow your curls real long, here are some curly hair growth tips-
- Protective Styling-
It is necessary that you embrace the protective styling which helps to keep your curls away from getting tangled and also reduce the exposure to environmental factors.
Try styling your curls in braids, twists and bun.
2. Proper Hydration and Nutrition-
Curls are dehydrated in nature, they need immense hydration and nutrition. Hydration can be given from within the body too. It is necessary to keep your curls hydrated properly.
Drink adequate amount of water, to keep your body and hair hydrated.
3. Right Use of Products-
You cannot use any haircare product. It is necessary to use chemical-free, organic products, this helps to make the curls soft, smooth and defined and also contribute in hair growth.
4. Gentle Detangling-
This is the most common issue which many of the curly haired people faces. Curls gets easily tangled, you need to be patient while detangling them. Use wide toothed comb and fingers to detangle your hair. This way it won’t get weak and will continue growing.
5. Scalp Massage-
Massaging your scalp with hot oil gently helps to stimulate the blood flow. An increased blood flow helps to promote healthier hair follicles and also encourage hair growth.
6. Moisturization-
Moisturizing your hair strands helps to keep the curls soft and smooth. It locks the moisture within the hair strands and helps to provide nourishment.
7. Deep Condition-
Once in a week, deep condition your curls. This helps to keep the curls soft and defined properly. Deep conditioning treatment removes dryness from the curls and helps to nourish and strengthen them, promoting a healthy hair growth.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Can Curly Hair Really Grow Long?
Yes, curly hair can grow really long. The growth of curly hair depends on lot of factors discussed above. The only issue with curly hair is, it gets shrink once they are dry and this is the reason the actual length of curly hair cannot be determined fully.
2. How Often Should I Trim Curly Hair for Growth?
Curly hair should be trimmed every 3-4 months, and this is to keep your curls fresh and defined properly. Trimming your hair helps to get rid of split ends, and makes your hair strong.
3. Are Hair Growth Products Effective for Curly Hair?
Hair growth products are effective for curly hair, they help to improve the texture of curls, and make them healthy. Healthy curls grow faster.
Conclusion
Understanding the above factors of hair growth helps us to be prepared for what to expect in curly hair growth. Curly hair growth depends on a lot of factors such as- genetics, environment, age and nutrition. There is a hair growth cycle which makes us understand, in which phase the hair grows and in which they rest.
The most important thing to remember is hair growth is affected most by the hormonal changes experienced during puberty. There are factors which help in taking care of curls and its hair growth.
How do you take care of your curly hair growth?
