Many people want to know how long it takes for hair to grow back for a number of reasons. Perhaps you got a bad haircut and are hoping for the hair to grow back. Or maybe you got a wax or shave and are hoping the hair doesn’t grow back quickly. Whatever the reason, I’ll address in this post how long it takes.
How long does it take for hair to grow back? The amount of time it takes for hair to grow varies depends on the individual and their overall health.
Hair grows only about 1.5 inches per month. This is equal to about 6 inches a year.
After waxing or chemotherapy, it can take 3 to 5 weeks for the hair to start growing back. It grows slowly in the first two weeks, and then the growth speeds up after.
The same goes for if you just want to grow your hair out longer or if you got a bad haircut – expect it to take about 3 to 5 weeks for the hair to grow about an inch or two.
After a clean shave of a beard, it takes only about 24 to 48 hours for stubble to start growing back.
So if you hate your haircut or are planning your visit to the salon for your next waxing session, knowing how long it takes for hair to grow back is very useful.
Read on to learn more about how long it takes hair to grow back.
What Determines Hair Growth?
Everyone is different in many ways, including how fast their hair grows back. Some people may need to wax every three weeks, while others can go without for as long as six weeks.
Here are five factors that can affect hair growth:
1. Genes and Hormones
Genetics and hormones are important for hair growth and a person’s well-being in general. Any hormonal imbalance or the consumption of medication that can cause such a reaction can affect hair growth. Your ethnicity also determines how long it takes for hair to grow back. Some people are simply predisposed to having more hair than others.
2. Stress
Stress can cause hair to grow back slower and sometimes can even cause hair loss. This is, however, only a temporary condition. So as soon as you manage your affairs and minimize stress, it should stop affecting your hair.
3. State of Nutrition and Health
A healthy, balanced diet helps promote growth. If we are fueling our bodies properly, it ensures that our bodies are also functioning properly and everything is well both inside and out.
4. Crash Diets and/or Diets Low in Protein
Protein is often referring to as the building block of our cells. If you are on a diet that is low in protein or if you follow fad crash diets, it means you have fewer of these building blocks than what your body needs. This affects your skin and hair condition.
5. Condition of Your Hair
If you frequently get your hair treated, it can affect your hair’s condition and cause it to age faster than it should. Frequent sun exposure can also cause dryness and damage. If your hair is not in a healthy state, it will not grow back fast.
How Long Does Hair Take to Grow Back After a Haircut?
If your hair is colored, it’s actually easier for you to see when it grows because the roots will be your hair’s natural color. If it’s not, don’t worry! Give it around two to three weeks, and you’ll see fuzzy hair growing on your head. After a month, this fuzzy hair will look like the rest of your hair, and you should have about an inch of new hair after two months.
The hair on our heads grows around half an inch per month, so that’s approximately six inches of new hair growth every year. It’s been said that men’s hair grows faster than women’s, but this isn’t always the case. It still depends on how healthy your scalp is and how you take care of your hair.
Also, nutrition and your current state of health also play important roles in determining how long your hair will grow back after a haircut.
Korean vs. Japanese vs. Singaporean Perm
How Long Does Hair Take to Grow Back After Shaving?
Shaving is a temporary solution to removing hair in unwanted areas of our bodies. Since it’s temporary, your hair will grow back after you shave it since the follicle bulb is still there.
Shaving your Beard
If you shave your beard, you should know that it can take around four to six weeks before you can grow a short beard again. If your beard is really long, then it will take longer before it can go back to its previous length.
As mentioned previously, hair grows at a rate of half an inch every month. With beards, this isn’t always the case. The wider you grow your beard, the longer it takes for it to grow. However, this doesn’t always apply as not everyone is the same.
Genetics and the length and thickness of your facial hair all play a role in determining how long your beard will grow back after you shave it.
Shaving your Head
As mentioned before, hair grows at a rate of about half an inch every month. So if you shave your hair bald, you can expect to see that amount of hair regrowth over time.
There is an old wives’ tale that claims that if you shave your head completely bald, your hair will grow back thicker. Some claim that the hair grows back darker and even that the diameter of your current hair follicles increases. Even if you shave your head regularly, these are not guaranteed to happen as these things are often determined by genetics.
Shaving Your Legs and Arms
If you shave your legs and arms, be prepared to do this regularly; otherwise, you’ll end up with visible stubble. It takes around two weeks before the hair you shaved off of your arms and legs begin to look normal and a little longer for it to look like it used to before you shaved it off.
Like the rest of the hair in your body, hair in your legs and arms will look fuzzy as it grows back before it starts to look like regular hair.
How to Properly Shave
Regardless of what body part you’ll be shaving hair off of, there are things you should do so that you can shave properly. Doing these helps avoid any nicks and cuts, and also helps ensure that when your hair grows back, it grows back properly and helps avoid any ingrown.
- Wet your skin and hair before shaving. This softens your skin and hair, and helps make the shaving process easier. The best time to shave is immediately after a shower.
- Apply shaving cream or gel. This makes the shaving process smoother and avoids any nicks and cuts.
- Shave your hair following the direction of your hair growth. Doing so helps prevent razor burns.
- Dry and store your razor properly. Do not leave your razor on top of a wet sink or in the shower. Make sure you dry your razor so that bacteria does not grow on it.
- Take extra care when shaving if you have acne. Shaving can cause skin irritation, which can make your acne worse. If you suffer from acne and you’re shaving your face, be sure to use a razor with a sharp blade. You should also shave lightly and try to avoid the areas where you have acne.
How Long Does Hair Take to Grow Back After Waxing?
Hair takes longer to grow back when you wax versus when you shave. The reason why it takes longer to grow back is that waxing removes hair from the root, helping you to be hair-free longer.
With waxing, results can last anywhere between three to six weeks. Of course, this depends on how fast your hair grows back. After a week, hair regrowth is very minimal and will noticeably increase in around the third to fourth week.
Hair grows back at different rates depending on the part of the body it’s on. The hair on your face and arms should grow back within 6 weeks when you wax it. The results from waxing your legs can last anywhere from two to six weeks. Of course, your age, hormones, and genetics play a role in determining how fast the hair grows back.
Waxing Vs Shaving
Waxing and shaving are the most popular hair removal methods. Whichever is better for you between the two depends on you and your needs.
- Waxing lets you be hair-free longer compared to shaving. With that said, you will have to remove your hair a lot more often if you were shaving than if you were waxing.
- Both waxing and shaving can be done at home, however, if this is your first time to wax, it’s easy to make mistakes. To get waxed by a professional does cost significantly, but if you take into consideration the frequency of the treatment, it is still a justifiable expense.
- Shaving is a painless process whereas waxing hurts. People with low pain tolerance may find it extremely uncomfortable especially if they are getting certain parts of their body waxed.
- Anyone can shave, but it takes practice to properly wax.
- Waxing also offers skin exfoliation, while shaving only cuts the hair from the shaft.
Waxing Vs Sugaring – What’s the Difference?
Sugaring is a natural method of removing hair that is similar to waxing in that it removes hair from the roots. It can take an average of two weeks before hair grows back after sugaring.
A simple sugaring paste does not have chemicals, preservatives, and additives which are commonly found in commercial waxes. If any ingredients in waxing give you an allergic reaction, sugaring may be the treatment for you.
After sugaring, it’s easy to just rinse off any residue with water. Compared to wax that needs to be removed with oils or other post-wax treatments, sugaring is very easy to remove once you’re done.
Sugaring is safer compared to waxing because there is no risk of you burning yourself. Sugaring paste only needs to be warm, while wax needs to be hot when applied. You also need to wait for the wax to cool before you remove it.
Another difference between waxing and sugaring is that the sugaring paste is applied against the direction the hair grows, which is the opposite of waxing.
How to Help Hair Grow Back Faster
Below are 3 tips to help your hair grow back faster:
1. Take proper care of your hair.
- Do not shampoo your hair every day, but condition it daily.
- Only use cool water when rinsing your hair.
- Try to keep hair styling and coloring as minimal as possible.
- Massage your scalp.
- Do not pull your hair in a ponytail that is too tight.
2. Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Make sure your diet has enough protein for your daily needs.
- Eat a variety of foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Make sure to consume good fats.
- Take a vitamin supplement if needed.
3. Make changes to your daily routine.
- Brush your hair properly.
- Avoid wrapping your hair in a towel after a shower.
- Minimize stress.
- Use satin pillowcases when you sleep.
- Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, and make sure to protect your hair.
There is no harm in trying supplements that claim to help hair grow back faster, like minoxidil, for example. It is a topical solution that is used to treat baldness and thinning hair. Results are said to be seen with regular use for over four months.
Taking supplements like vitamins A, C, D, E, B-vitamins, iron, and zinc are also said to improve hair condition and promote hair growth. Before taking any supplements, ask your doctor to make sure there are no contraindications with your existing medicine, if any.
Conclusion: How Long Does It Take for Hair to Grow Back?
Knowing how long it takes for hair to grow back is important. It is particularly useful if you’re deciding on getting waxed, sugared, or just shaved. So to revisit our initial question: How long does it take for hair to grow back?
It takes about two to three weeks before you can see a visible amount of regrowth. This usually appears like a soft fuzz over your head. After a month, the regrowth will start to look like the rest of your hair. After two months, you should be able to see approximately an inch of new hair.
A healthy, well-balanced diet and plenty of rest should help you keep your hair and skin healthy and help promote hair growth.
Read next:
