Most of us will have been here at some point in our hair journey – you're dreaming of Rapunzel-esque hair, but, those pesky strands of yours have other plans. Fear not! Today, we're diving into the mysteries of why your hair might be taking its sweet time to grow.

As always, individual hair journeys may vary, but let's break down some common culprits together. And remember, if in doubt, your friendly neighbourhood healthcare pro or dermatologist is just a call away!

It's in the Genes, Baby!

Ever feel like you inherited more than just your mum’s hair colour? Genetics play a huge role in your hair growth journey. Here are a few ways your genes can influence your hair growth (this might get a bit sciencey, so pop your reading glasses on)…

Anagen Phase Duration: The anagen phase is the active growth phase of your hair follicle. Genes can influence how long this phase lasts as well as how quickly your hair grows within the anagen phase. If your genes create a shorter anagen phase, your hair may not grow as long as someone with a genetically longer anagen phase - those lucky people.

Hair Density: Your genes can actually impact the number of hair follicles you have on your scalp *eek* which in turn will impact how many hairs you have on your head!

Pattern Hair Loss: Genetic factors contribute significantly to pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. If your parents or close relatives have experienced hair loss, you may be more prone to it as well, but don’t worry, this isn’t set in stone.

Hair Growth Response to Hormones: Hormones, such as androgens, influence hair growth. Genes can determine how sensitive your hair follicles are to these hormones, which can affect hair growth and potential hair loss.

If slow growth runs in the family, your locks might be following suit. So, make sure to blame it on the DNA, not your styling skills!

Age Is Just a Number... Except for Hair Growth.

As we age a lot of things change in our lives and our bodies and our hair isn’t excluded from that. The rate at which our hair grows often slows down as we age. Along with this we can also often see a decrease in hair follicles as we age, or some hair follicles can stop producing hairs altogether *eek*.

Don't worry your pretty little head though (pun intended), it is all part of the natural hair growth journey.

Hormones: The Ruler of Hair Growth.

Throughout our lives, we will all experience and go through a whirlwind of hormonal changes from pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause – these life chapters can throw our hormones into a spin and in turn really shake things up in the hair department. Hormones like to tango with your hair growth patterns, so know that this is a normal part of life and if you are experiencing hormonal changes in your life, you might be noticing a difference with your hair too.

If you would like to take a deep dive into How Hormonal Changes Affect Our Hair Growth check out our other super helpful blog.

Feeling Under the Weather?

Life can be tricky sometimes and at times throughout our lives, we will go through bouts of illness, some of which can impact our hair health.

Autoimmune diseases, thyroid troubles, and chemotherapy can all, unfortunately, hijack your hair growth plans.

If you are having issues with any of these please seek professional advice for a tailored action plan and know that you are not alone!

Stress: The Uninvited Guest.

Stress can be quite an unexpected visitor, right? *Sigh* Whether it's sneaking up on us physically or emotionally, it can throw a little curveball into our hair growth journey.

Stress might sometimes lead to a situation called telogen effluvium. It's like our hair deciding to take a little break earlier than usual, and as a result, we might notice a bit more shedding than we'd like.

Then there is cortisol, the stress hormone… When it decides to party a little too hard, it can disrupt our usual hair growth, possibly leading to some thinning.

Now, here's the good news, not everyone will experience stress-induced hair loss. But for those times stress does show up uninvited, taking a moment for some lifestyle tweaks and reaching out for support can work wonders in keeping those potential hair hurdles at bay.

So, let's all take a collective deep breath – your hair will appreciate the TLC!

Styling Shenanigans and Heat Havoc.

We get it, who doesn’t love a big bouncy blowout that makes you feel like you’re on a head and shoulders advert?

But sadly, your styling tools and that sizzling straightener might be causing more harm than good. Excessive styling, chemical treatments, and heat exposure can lead to hair breakage.

If you are living for the clean girl aesthetic and love a slick back pony, I’m sorry to say this could also be bad news for your hair *cry*. Tight ponytails and braids that pull like they're in a tug-of-war can do some damage to your lovely locks and can actually bring on a condition called traction alopecia.

Your hair sometimes needs a little break, so try wearing it down more often and always make sure you are using heat protection when using styling tools.

Scalp Drama: The Unsung Hero.

A healthy scalp is the unsung hero of hair growth and is often overlooked when we are looking after our locks. It is important to think of our scalp as the home where our hair lives and that a healthy home = happy hair.

The scalp can our multiple hair issues such as dandruff, psoriasis, or oil overload – take a look at our blog, Scalp Care 101, to see how your scalp affects your hair growth and learn all the best ways to support scalp health.

Nutrients: The VIP Pass to Hair Growth.

We know you’ve heard it all before, it all starts from the inside, but we promise that it is true. How healthy we are in general and what we consume in our day-to-day lives have a huge impact on how healthy we look on the outside and that includes our hair.

A lack of essential vitamins and minerals can leave your hair looking and feeling less than 100%. So keeping a balanced diet will help your hair flourish.

If you're feeling like your hair needs a little extra TLC, remember GLOWWA hair food is here to help, we are recommended by trichologists worldwide and made with natural ingredients like biotin, l-lysine, and folic acid, GLOWWA hair food supplements really do nourish hair from the inside out. A little helping hand to support you in your hair journey.