“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” This is true for people, pets, belongings, and especially hair!
Whether you’ve chosen to chop it all off in a failed attempt at a short pixie cut, or just shaved your entire head for the lulz, now you have to wait for it to grow back!
Let’s find out how long you have to wait for your locks to grow out and, more importantly, how to make that wait a little shorter.
How long will it take? How long to grow hair to your shoulders from bald?
The length of time will depend on a few factors, which we’ll explain it below!!
Contents
How Long to Grow Hair to Your Shoulders from Bald?
In this section, we’ll do the basic math of hair growth.
You need to figure the growth rate, the length needed to grow, and multiply it out. Sadly, these are all rough approximations.
Growth Rate
Hair grows at an average rate of 0.2 to 0.7 inches every month. You can’t feel it grow, but it’s slow and steady.
Let’s take the middle range and assume it grows 0.5 inches each month.
Now we’ll need to work out the distance from your head to your shoulders. This will vary depending on your size and where on your head you measure.
Length Needed
Let’s say the distance from the top of your head to your shoulders is one foot, or 12 inches.
Carry the 1
If the distance from the top of your head to your shoulders is 12 inches, and your hair grows a half inch per month, it will take about 24 months to get to your shoulders.
So you’re looking at two years!
If the distance from the top of your head to your shoulders is 12 inches, and your hair grows a half inch per month, it will take about 24 months to get to your shoulders.
But there are a whole bunch of variables and asterisks in there. Let’s look at the variables below.
Hair Growth Rate Variables
Many factors affect the rate of hair growth—for example, gender.
Men have a faster rate of hair growth than women.
Age is another factor. Between the ages of 15 and 30, your hair grows the fastest, and then it slows down. Some hair follicles even stop working entirely as people age. And there’s a factor we’ve all heard of genetics.
All of the above factors are things you can’t change. But don’t worry! Here are even more factors that are in your control.
- Nutrition: Your hair follicles also have some nourishment requirements, and a balanced diet is very beneficial for healthy and long hair. The most important nutrients for hair growth are iron, vitamins, zinc, and protein.
- Sleep: Your body needs sleep! You need a good, long night’s sleep to release the enzymes and growth hormones needed for healthy, long hair. Sleep is also necessary for the protein synthesis of hair.
- Cleanliness: The buildup of dirt, grime, sweat, and chemicals on our scalp damages hair roots. Washing your hair regularly will reduce the risk of bacterial and fungal infections, keeping your hair healthy, strong, and also smelling nice!
- Exercise: Exercise increases blood flow throughout the body. Increased circulation helps hair grow since more oxygen and nutrients reach every part of the body, including your scalp. Working out at least 90 minutes a week can do wonders for your hair and mental and physical health.
- Stress: Stress causes hair follicles to go into a “resting” phase. This leads to them not producing new hair strands. So, try to do some stress-relieving activities like exercise or yoga. It will not only improve your hair but also your overall health and well-being.
Getting on the right side of as many of these bullets as you can will speed up that growth rate!
How Can You Stimulate Hair Growth?
Does a two years seem too long to wait for? Here are a few ways to cut down on that long wait by stimulating hair growth.
1. Take Supplements
We just looked at how nutrition plays a big role in hair growth. If you think you’re lacking in any of the needed nutrients, you can take supplements. The most popular and trusted supplements for hair growth are collagen peptides and the B vitamin biotin.
2. Massages
A nice soothing massage helps hair growth in two ways. It stimulates blood circulation of your scalp, which helps the nutrients to be absorbed by the hair roots. It also relieves stress. So a relaxing head massage is always a win!
Massage stimulates blood circulation of your scalp, which helps the nutrients to be absorbed by the hair roots.
3. An egg mask
Yes, it’s gonna get smelly.
But eggs have many vital nutrients like lecithin and proteins that can help with hair growth. Also, their high sulfur content will help get rid of dandruff. Make the egg mask by mixing two eggs with two tablespoons of olive oil.
Add half a cup of water to the mixture to dilute it. Apply the mask to dry, untangled hair and leave it on for half an hour. Then you can go and rinse it off and follow up with your normal shampooing and conditioning.
4. Rice Water
Rice water promotes hair growth as it has amino acids that support hair growth and hair regeneration. The carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins in rice water create a balanced environment on the scalp.
This keeps your follicles healthy. You can apply rice water in your hair and rinse it after about 30 minutes. No need to keep it in over night.
Conclusion
There are many variables that determine how fast your hair will grow down to your shoulders. You could be a quick grower, and get there in a year. But it could also take three, if your hair is damaged.
Everyone has different hair textures, different hair colors, different hair types, and also different growth rates of hair. Don’t fret too much if your hair isn’t growing at the pace you’d like it to.
The journey of hair health and hair growth is often a slow one.
Make sure to make it fun, too, by trying out different hairstyles for short hair, like the pixie bob and the short shag!