EP 303: The Truth About Hair Growth: Debunking Common Myths with Scientific Facts

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Ever heard that cutting your hair makes it grow faster? Or maybe you've diligently brushed your hair 100 times every night hoping for Rapunzel-like results? The truth about hair growth is far more fascinating than the myths we've all been told.

Hair growth follows a predictable biological pattern through three distinct phases – the anagen (growth) phase lasting between two and seven years, followed by the short catagen (transition) phase, and finally the telogen (resting) phase when hair stops growing and eventually sheds. Understanding this natural cycle is the first step toward healthier hair management. While most hair grows about half an inch monthly, genetics largely determine your personal growth rate, making comparison with others largely pointless.

As someone who personally experienced alopecia due to stress, I've learned that hair loss often appears months after stressful events – not immediately. This delayed response frequently confuses people about the true cause of their thinning hair. Similarly misleading are claims about miracle products promising overnight results when even effective treatments take at least three months to show visible improvement. What genuinely supports healthy hair growth is proper nutrition (especially protein, biotin, and omega-3s), gentle scalp stimulation to improve circulation, and avoiding damage from heat styling and harsh chemicals. Quality hair products matter tremendously – inexpensive shampoos containing waxes can actually clog follicles and prevent new growth over time.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you've ever wondered whether trimming your
hair makes it grow faster or ifstress really causes hair loss,
then this episode's for you.
Welcome to All About Hair andso Much More.
I'm your host, denise Kylitz,and I'm so excited to have you

(00:20):
here.
If you love hair, beauty andall the ways to feel amazing
inside and out, you're in theright place.
But here's the twist we're notjust talking hair anymore.
We'll dive into everything LifeAfter 50 brings Health,
hormones, relationships, fitnessand so much more.
This is a space for women whoare embracing change, building

(00:42):
confidence and living withcreativity and grace.
So let's get started.
Hey there, and welcome back tothis week's podcast episode
where we're going to talk aboutthe truth about hair growth
myths versus science.

(01:03):
This is where we're going totalk about the truth about hair
growth myths versus science.
This is where we're going tobreak it all down for you.
We're going to separate thefact from the fiction.
We'll discuss some commonbeliefs about hair growth and
what science actually says.
Okay, let's start byunderstanding how our hair grows
.
And before we get into that,let me just say this episode

(01:25):
really, really does hit home forme, because I don't know if you
know it or not, but I had atime where I had alopecia, which
is when you lose your hair inalmost like bald spots and
various places on your head, andthat is caused by many factors
or could be, but in my case itwas caused, I think, by stress.

(01:48):
So anytime that you have astressful event happen anything,
a death of a loved one, divorce, any kind of stress it could be
financial stress, whatever youmight experience some hair loss
a couple of months beyond that.
So just know that, but we'lltalk about that today.

(02:09):
But that's why this episodereally hits home for me.
I do know a lot of people whoare really concerned with their
hair growth, and if I can helpanybody with that, even a little
bit, you know then that's whatI want to do.
Okay, let's understand how ourhair grows first.

(02:32):
So your hair grows fromfollicles that's located in your
dermis, which is your skinlayer of your scalp.
Oh, actually, hair grows allover your body, but in this case
we're talking about the hair onyour scalp.
So there's actually threecycles that growth happens.
Growth happens in the growthphase, which is the antigen

(02:53):
phase, and this lasts betweentwo and seven years.
The longer it lasts, the longerhair can grow Okay, it's
different on everybody.
The longer hair can grow Okay,it's different on everybody.
Then we have our catagen stage,which is the transition phase.

(03:16):
This is a very short phase whenyour growth slows down.
And then we have our telogen,or resting phase, and this is
when hair stops growing andeventually sheds.
Every single hair on your headgoes through these three phases
of hair growth and each hair isdifferent.
Okay, the growth phase, thetransition phase and the resting

(03:38):
phase are all different onevery single hair on your head
and it's different on everysingle person.
Okay, on average, hair growsabout half an inch a month,
that's about six inches per year.
But your genetics play a hugerole in how much your hair grows

(03:58):
per month.
Some are a little faster, someare a little slower.
A little faster, some are alittle slower.
Okay, now that we've got thatout of the way, let's talk about
some common hair growth myths.
This is kind of the fun part,okay.
Myth number one trimming yourhair makes it grow faster.
Okay, I think I gave that awayat the beginning, but hair grows

(04:23):
from your scalp, not the ends.
Trimming prevents split endsfrom traveling up the hair shaft
.
This keeps your hair healthierand fuller, but it does not
speed up hair growth.
If you've been told in the pastthat, hey, you got to come in
more often to trim your hair tomake it grow faster, no, no, no,
no, no.
That is not how it works.
Your hair grows from your scalp, not the ends.

(04:46):
Now you can skip your six weektrims If you're taking proper
care of your hair.
So if you are not not usingheat appliances on it every
single day, if you're using theright shampoo and conditioner,
things like that, you might beable to go longer in between

(05:06):
trims.
But most of the time, anywherebetween six and eight weeks is
about the proper time to getyour hair trimmed, depending on
the length of your hair.
If you have shorter hair, itactually you have to get it
trimmed more often becauseyou'll notice it the outgrowth a
little bit more.
Does that make sense?
If you have a pixie cut and itgrows half an inch, it's going
to mess up your look.

(05:27):
If you have long hair past yourshoulders and it grows half an
inch, you're probably not goingto notice, right, right, okay.
Myth number two an inch you'reprobably not going to notice,
right, right, okay.
Myth number two brushing yourhair 100 times a day boosts hair
growth.
Wrong, brushing too much canactually cause mechanical damage
and breakage.

(05:47):
Now, gentle, scalp massageswithout hair brushing can help
improve circulation, butbrushing won't make your hair
grow faster.
So if you want your hair togrow faster, you can actually
manipulate your scalp by goingin there with either your
fingers, or they do have scalpmassage like little rubbery

(06:10):
brush things that you can use.
They also have different serumsthat you can put on your scalp
that actually help to improvecirculation on your scalp, and
some of those have really beenproven, really, really effective
.
If you need somerecommendations, I'll put that
in my show notes, because I knowof a few that really are super,

(06:33):
super good.
Okay.
Myth number three know of a fewthat really are super, super
good, okay.
Myth number three cutting hairduring a full moon affects
growth.
This is a new one to me.
I actually hadn't heard thisbefore, but really there's no
scientific evidence thatsupports lunar hair growth
cycles.
No matter what you believe,hair grows based on biology,
hormones and genetics, not themoon.

(06:55):
The moon affects a lot ofthings, but I don't think it
affects how our hair grows.
Myth number four hair productscan make hair grow overnight.
Hmm, well, no product canoverride genetics or hair cycles
.
Now there's some treatmentslike minoxidil, rogaine, which

(07:17):
may help with certain types ofhair loss, but there's no
shampoo and no serum that willmake your hair grow instantly.
I know we all want instantresults and I know there's also
some red light therapy out theretoo, and we want it to.
We want results, we want thatmagic potion, right.

(07:38):
But there's nothing out there,nothing that's going to work
overnight.
It takes about three monthsbefore you see any hair product,
any vitamin supplement,ointment, shampoo.
It takes about three months foryou to notice new hair growth
if it's going to work.

(07:59):
And myth number five stressmakes your hair fall out
instantly.
Well, chronic stress, like Itold you in my case before, it
can contribute to hair lossconditions.
But hair doesn't just fall outovernight from a bad day.
No, it typically happens monthsafter a stressful event and it

(08:21):
has something to do with thestress hormone in your body
actually disturbing that growthcycle that we talked about
before, and it I don't reallyknow how it really really works.
I'm not a scientist I but I doknow that it does happen.
So, again, like maybe you'vejust gone through something very

(08:43):
stressful in your life.
A loved one died, um, a divorce, financial hardship, um I don't
know.
I mean, there's a lot of thingsin the world these days that
can stress us out.
We don't need to have thatconversation, but if you did
have some stress in your lifeand a couple months later you're

(09:05):
noticing your hair's gettingthinner that's probably normal I
wouldn't be real, realconcerned.
I would take care of yourself.
I'd get proper nutrition, usegood shampoos, conditioners, you
know, take care of yourself,and that'll really really help
regrow your hair and get it intoits normal state.

(09:26):
Now, if you've gone throughsomething like, you know, cancer
treatment, that's a little bitmore harsh and that's a whole
other conversation, but the samestill goes after cancer
treatment, if you really justtake care of yourself with
proper nutrition, proper, um,shampoo conditioners, you can

(09:52):
use some of those serums we weretalking about.
You can do scalp massage, youcould do red light therapy.
There's all kinds of thingsthat you can do to help you get
through this.
Okay, so, with that said, let'stalk about what actually works
for hair growth.
Like we said, nutrition anddiet.
Your hair needs protein, iron,biotin and omega-3s for strong

(10:17):
growth.
I do have a YouTube video onthis specifically going through
what every supplement does forhair growth.
So if you want to take a lookat that, I will put the link in
the show notes Deficiencies inthese nutrients.
This can actually lead to slowhair growth or shedding.
So just really look at yourdiet Now.

(10:40):
You might not have to havesupplements to do this, but if
you feel like you're lacking,especially biotin, omega-3s.
And as we grow older, past 40,we need protein.
We need a lot of protein in ourdiet and most of us don't get
enough protein.
So if you want to supplementwith protein bars or protein mix

(11:05):
, that's what I do every morningafter I get back from the gym,
I have a protein drink.
That and it just helps.
They actually sell proteinpowders now that have no flavor
at all, so you can add them towhatever you make your coffee,
your pancakes, your casseroles,your oatmeal, I mean because it
doesn't have any flavor.
So again, I can link that in myshow notes as well.
Let me make a note of that, sodon't forget.

(11:31):
Okay, another thing thatactually works for hair growth
is your scalp health.
Take a look at that.
A clean, well-moisturized scalpencourages healthy growth of
your hair.
So what does that mean you wantto avoid buildup from products
that clog follicles.

(11:51):
This is a big one, especiallywith men.
Okay, I'm saying this becausemy husband's guilty of this, so
I want to use him as an example.
He has an oily scalp.
He doesn't like an oily scalp,he actually wants to feel nice
and clean and uh, so he likes touse a very cheap shampoo.

(12:12):
I'm not going to tell you what,which one it is, but he likes
how this cheap shampoo I'm notgoing to tell you which one it
is, but he likes how this cheapshampoo makes his hair feel
squeaky clean.
I'm not going to throw thisshampoo under the bus, but what
has happened?
What I believe has happened?
Yes, heredity too but he's usedthis shampoo and it is actually

(12:35):
.
It's got waxes in it, believe itor not, and those waxes and
some of the other ingredientsthat's in the shampoo has
clogged his follicles, his hairfollicles, yes.
So if you're not okay, back up,what does that mean?
You clog the follicles, yousuffocate the hair from growing

(12:57):
and then it can't grow new hair.
So if you're using cheapproducts, thinking that you're
saving money and it's justshampoo, it's just conditioner,
how bad can it be?
Well, it can be pretty bad.
Okay, think about the waxesthey put in it.
So, okay, think about the waxesthey put in it.
Think about some of thosethings they put in it to make

(13:19):
your hair shiny and I'm doingthat in air quotes.
Those things can, yeah, makeyour hair shiny, but it can also
clog your hair follicles.
Just think about it.
Okay, all right, let's talkabout blood circulation and
scalp stimulation.
Scalp massages, exercise and ahealthy lifestyle support hair

(13:39):
growth.
Just like every everything elsein your body.
You need blood circulation forhair growth.
So that could be from takingjust your fingertips or they do
have those um scalp massagebrushes out there.
They're like little rubberizedthings that have fingers on them

(14:00):
and um massage your scalp acouple of times a day.
You could also use essentialoils like rosemary oil, and that
has been studied to promotecirculation, so you could put
rosemary oil on your scalp andthen stimulate your scalp that
way.
There's also, like I said, someserums that you can use for

(14:24):
helping blood circulation in theareas that you put the serum,
like on your scalp.
Okay, another thing thatactually works is to really
reduce the breakage and thedamage of your hair.
So, with that, try to use heatprotectants every day and avoid

(14:46):
harsh chemical treatments likebleach, high lifts, high lift
tints, high developers, and justbe really gentle with your wet
hair.
Wet hair is super fragile, sodon't take a brush to it.
Make sure you're using a widetooth comb.
And then another suggestion tohelp reduce friction and

(15:07):
breakage is to sleep with a silkpillowcase.
That could help.
Again, check my links in theshow more notes.
If you need any helpresearching any of this, I'll
make sure I put all the linksdown there.
And then the last thing is justreally have patience and
consistency.
Hair growth takes time andthere is no magic trick that's

(15:30):
going to make it grow overnight.
I know we all want it and wecheck for little new growth hair
every day, but it's going totake time.
You know what I would suggest?
I would suggest to take apicture of your hair today and
then, whatever you're using,maybe once a month the first of
the month, maybe, say the firstof the month take the same

(15:51):
picture of the same part of yourhair, like your, your hairline
or your part line, and see ifall your good habits, your good
healthy habits, are paying off.
Okay, and because there's noquick fixes, we all want it, but
I think just consistencyconsistency on everything, just

(16:13):
like working out rightConsistency with your hair care
will really really help.
Okay, I hope the things thatwe've shared today will really
help you understand about hairgrowth and some of the common
hair growth myths that we talkedabout.
Hopefully we've debunked those,I guess, and and I hope that we

(16:37):
gave you some ideas on how toget healthy hair.
Pretty easy and sounds likecommon sense, but you know, a
lot of us take take it forgranted.
So I do um encourage you, ifyou wanted to, to share your
hair growth experiences.
If you've had hair loss in thepast and you've tried something
that's really worked for you,hey, I would love to hear about

(16:58):
it.
So just shoot me an email,shoot me a message on my
Instagram or, heck, just leaveit in the text on this podcast
episode.
There's a little box rightthere that you can um text me
and I get it right away.
So, and again, make sure you'resubscribing to and following us
on this podcast and share itwith your friends who you think

(17:19):
might like this talk about hairand all the other things that
come along with that, and ifyou'd leave us a review, I'd
super, super appreciate it, andif you'd leave us a review, I'd
super super appreciate it.
So you might want to thinkabout tuning in next week and
see if you subscribe and youfollow us.
You get a little like reminder,I think, and it'll tell you

(17:40):
when our next episode airs.
But how to strengthen weak,brittle hair?
I'm going to give you someexpert tips on how to do that.
So again, thank you so much forlistening this week.
Until next time, remember, whenyou know better, you do better,
and I'll see you next time.
Thanks for tuning into allabout hair and so much more.
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(18:02):
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