Why Is My Hair Not Growing? Check for Breakage First

Often your hair is still growing, about 0.4 inches (1 cm) a month, but the ends are breaking off about as fast as the roots grow. Less often, extra hairs have moved into their resting phase, or your growth phase has gotten shorter.

Your hair has sat at the same spot on your shoulders for two years. You've probably tried the oils, the gummies and the long gaps between trims. None of those touch the real question. Is the length being lost at the ends, or is less hair being made at the root?

How Fast Does Hair Grow?

Scalp hair grows about 0.4 inches (1 cm) a month, or about 6 inches (15 cm) a year. That figure comes from a physiology review from the US National Library of Medicine. Each hair grows for a set stretch, called anagen, which can last several years. Then it rests and falls out, and a new one starts.

The same review says around 10 to 15% of body hairs are resting at any time, and that age and nutrition both affect growth. It also says stem cells in the follicle can divide only a limited number of times. That sets how long anagen lasts, and so how long a hair can get.

So there are only three ways for length to stall. The ends break, more hairs shed, or each hair grows for a shorter time. Each one has a different fix.

Is It Breakage or Is My Hair Not Growing?

Start with how much you lose. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says it's normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. Shedding well above that is called telogen effluvium, and it usually settles on its own.

A wider part or a thinner ponytail points to the root rather than the ends. The AAD lists both as signs of female pattern hair loss, covered further down. If you can't tell which you have, a dermatologist can say whether it's shedding, hair loss or both.

Does Black Hair Grow Slower?

A little, on average. A 2015 review in a Brazilian dermatology journal cites earlier sources for the figures. It puts growth at about 0.35 inches (0.9 cm) a month for Afro-textured hair against 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) for Caucasian hair. It doesn't say who was measured.

The general 0.4 inch (1 cm) figure above comes from a different source. The review also reports lower density, meaning fewer hairs per patch of scalp.

The bigger difference is strength. The same review describes flattened, oval and irregular shafts with lower resistance, which form knots and lengthwise cracks. One dermatologist who compared hairs shed during combing found more knots and partial breaks in African hair.

That's why coily hair can look stuck for years while growing steadily. Shrinkage hides length too, so measure stretched rather than by eye. Pick one section, stretch a strand to its full length, and photograph it against the same spot every three months.

Chemical processing adds to it. The same review says chemical relaxers weaken the hair shaft and make breakage more likely. Why your hair is breaking goes through the everyday fixes one by one.

Do Protective Styles Help Hair Grow?

They don't speed growth, and tight ones can cost you hair. In theory, less combing and heat means less breakage, though there's little research on it. The tension is the proven problem.

A University of Cape Town study looked at nearly 2,000 adults and children in South Africa. It found traction alopecia in one in seven schoolgirls and a third of women. It was most common when braids, extensions or weaves were attached to relaxed hair.

The AAD's advice on hairstyles that cause hair loss is specific. If a style hurts, it's too tight, so change it right away. Loosen braids around the hairline, choose thicker and shorter ones, and take them out after 6 to 8 weeks. For weaves, it suggests sewn-in over bonded with glue.

Watch for broken hairs along your forehead, a hairline moving back or patches where the hair is pulled hardest. The AAD says traction alopecia can become permanent the longer it goes untreated. Protective styles that keep tension low covers which ones to pick.

Why Is My Hair Growing Slower Than It Used To?

If the ends look healthy and the length still won't move, the cause is usually at the root. The AAD says excess shedding usually shows up a few months after a stressful event. Examples include a high fever, surgery, childbirth or losing a lot of weight.

That delay is why the cause rarely seems obvious. Once the stress has passed, the AAD says hair tends to regain its normal fullness within six to nine months. After childbirth, shedding usually peaks about four months in.

Age shifts things more slowly. The AAD says female pattern hair loss usually begins in midlife, in the 40s, 50s or 60s, though it can start earlier. The part tends to get wider rather than the hairline moving back.

Treatment works best when started at the first sign, the AAD says, so a widening part is worth showing a dermatologist now. If shedding rather than slow growth is your main worry, the main causes of hair loss in women covers them in full.

Can an Underactive Thyroid Stop Hair Growing?

It can change it. The NIDDK, part of the US National Institutes of Health, lists dry skin or dry, thinning hair among the common symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Others include fatigue, weight gain, trouble tolerating cold, depression and heavy or irregular periods.

If your hair has changed and you feel run down, ask your doctor for a thyroid blood test. Tell them about any hair supplement first. The NIH says even a single 10 mg dose of biotin has interfered with thyroid function tests. In one case reported to the FDA, a falsely low troponin heart test was followed by the patient's death.

Can Low Iron Stop Hair Growing?

Low iron stores are linked with hair loss in women. A 2021 review of 36 studies found women with non-scarring hair loss had lower ferritin than women without it. Ferritin is the blood test for stored iron.

The studies were observational, so they show a link, not that iron pills regrow hair. Ask your doctor whether your blood test will include ferritin, and get it before you buy iron.

The UK's NHS says doses over 20 mg can cause constipation, nausea and stomach pain. Very high doses can be fatal to children, so keep iron tablets out of reach.

What Actually Speeds Up Hair Growth?

Few things have been shown to change the rate itself in healthy hair. Biotin is the classic example. The NIH says severe deficiency has never been reported in healthy people eating a normal diet. For hair, the only evidence is a handful of case reports in children with a rare hair condition.

Trims don't reach the follicle, where hair is made, so they can't change the rate either. Most of what you can change is how much length you keep.

• Fix the cause at the root first: thyroid, ferritin, a recent illness or a widening part.
• Cut down handling: fewer heat sessions, gentle detangling, no towel rubbing.
• Choose low-tension styles and give your hairline breaks between installs.
• Track length on one stretched section every three months.

The math is slow but honest. At about 0.4 inches (1 cm) a month, keeping most of it adds roughly 6 inches (15 cm) a year. At the review's lower figure for Afro-textured hair, it's closer to 4 inches (11 cm).

When Should You See a Doctor About Hair Not Growing?

See a doctor or dermatologist if your part is widening or heavy shedding lasts more than a few months. The same applies if you also feel tired or have heavy periods. Go soon if you see bald patches or a receding hairline.

See a doctor too if hair loss comes with acne, new facial hair or irregular periods. Cleveland Clinic lists thinning hair, excess hair growth and irregular periods among the symptoms of PMOS, formerly known as PCOS.

Breakage at the crown needs a closer look. The AAD says it may be the first sign of CCCA, a scarring hair loss that often affects middle-aged Black women. It can come with itching, burning or tenderness, though some women feel nothing.

CCCA destroys follicles, but treatment can prevent further loss, so see a dermatologist at the first sign. The same goes for thinning edges. Why your edges are thinning explains the early signs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is My Hair Not Growing Past a Certain Length?

Usually it's breaking at the ends as fast as it grows. If the ends are healthy and it still stops at the same point, you may have reached the length your growth phase allows. That varies from person to person.

How Long Does It Take for Hair to Recover After Stress?

The AAD says shedding usually starts a few months after the event. Once the stress has passed, hair tends to regain its fullness within six to nine months. New growth takes longer to reach any visible length.

Does Hair Grow Faster in Braids?

No. Braids don't change the growth rate. In theory, less combing and heat means less breakage, though there's little research on it. Tight or heavy braids can cause traction alopecia, so take them out if they hurt.