When you desperately want longer hair—whether trying to grow out a haircut you're not feeling anymore or dealing with hair loss, a problem that affects 40 percent of women—looking in the mirror can get depressing and waiting can feel like an eternity. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to speed up the process, like incorporating special shampoos into your routine.
Before you try to give your hair a nudge, it's essential to understand the science. Diet, genetics, stress, and age can all cause thinning and breakage. "Hair growth is a cycle and many issues can disrupt this, such as hormonal shifts, medications, diseases, and illnesses," explains New York City dermatologist Dendy Engelman, M.D., adding that life changes, like pregnancy, menopause, and weight loss can interfere with hair growth. And chemical treatments, hot tools, brushes, and other styling tools can reduce or damage the hair. What's more, "as we age, most hair is reduced either in the form of balding, receding, or thinning."
Best Scalp Saver: NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Smooth Shampoo
The common thread: healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, and this shampoo tackles concerns from the ground-up. "This shampoo contains argan stem cells," Fitzsimons explains. "[These] work at the scalp to stimulate hair follicles to promote growth and renewal at a cellular level, which in turn produces better quality hair."