Despite my mother being blessed with perfect genes that in her legacy include lusciously long hair, I struggled with growing my hair for the longest time. I’ve tried practically every trick in the book to speed up the process of hair growth. One of them is trimming my hair regularly, a tip/trick/hack suggested by any hairstylist I would speak to. Like clockwork, I would schedule an appointment at the salon and get the ends trimmed every three months expecting longer hair after every trim. It didn’t happen, and the only thing that grew were my salon expenses.
Much to my dismay, I found out that hair trimming doesn’t directly promote hair growth. Most of us have been perpetrating this myth, haven’t we? That’s why I spoke to Dr Sravya C. Tipirneni, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetologist and Trichologist at Manipal Hospitals, who had a lot to say about hair trimming and its benefits.
The Process Of Hair Growth
It’s no secret that hair growth depends on a lot of factors, not just a specific one. “Growth of hair takes place in four phases. The first three phases— anagen, catagen and telogen, are responsible for the maturation and growth of hair follicles. This includes the activity of the hair follicles that go on to form strands. The final phase is called exogen, where the old hair sheds and concurrently, a new hair is ready to take its place,” explains Dr Sravya.
Trimming Of The Hair
Trimming is the process of chopping off the frayed and dry ends of hair in order to make them appear healthier. The ideal trim cycle should be every six weeks. Trimming certainly doesn’t directly impact the growth of your hair, but it’s a factor that contributes to healthy hair which in turn impacts its growth. “When one trims her hair, the lifeless ends are chopped hence making the process of combing so much easier. Having smoother ends ensures that your hair isn’t being tugged at roots while combing, thus causing less breakage,” says Dr Sravya.
When your hair isn’t trimmed for far too long, it leads to split ends. I went without trimming my hair for eight months and I observed that it was much more prone to breakage and thinning. I wasn’t even able to style my hair the way I wanted to because the ends were constantly tangled! Dr Sravya also says that “Regular trims are highly beneficial for making sure your hair seems shinier and feels stronger. This will also help you style your hair easily.”
Boosting Hair Growth
Throwing some light on the process of hair growth, Dr Sravya tells us, “Hair growth is a multi-factorial process. It’s dependent on the physiological, hormonal and nutritional status of the individual in particular.” Your stress levels, genetic predispositions and eating habits together are responsible for how quickly and well your hair grows. If you’ve been experiencing incessant hair fall along with thinning, you may want to look at your lifestyle and manage stress levels along with consuming Omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, and biotin.
Being cognizant of scalp health will go a long way in helping you boost hair growth. Hair care trends lately have been focusing on scalp care which plays a massive role in guaranteeing you stronger hair. Scalp care focuses on getting rid of excessive buildup caused by pollution and hair products along with infusing nourishing ingredients into your hair. The ideal scalp care routine should involve a deep cleanse of the scalp followed by moisturisation and treatment if necessary.
Dr Sravya also advises that “Regular hair massages using nourishing oils that target the scalp are extremely crucial for stimulating hair growth since this directly focuses on the scalp, stimulating hair follicles and promoting hair growth.” Take it as a way to relax after a long day.
