Hello Lovelies!
Lisa K. sent in a question that I’ve heard quite a bit, and perhaps I’d even believed myself at one point, and her question is:
Why does it seem like guys have an easier time growing hair? There are quite a few guys at my school who are going through a long hair phase in which they have decided to grow long hair sort of like all these guys trying to grow long beards now thanks to Duck Dynasty, lol. Well their hair grows so fast! Much faster than any of the girls at my school. Is testosterone making the guys hair grow faster? How come guys can grow hair faster than women?
Thank you so much Lisa for your question! To answer your question, it doesn’t. Men do not grow hair faster than women. Women and men have the same hair growth rate. Gender has no effect on the hair growth rate of humans. Testosterone does make individual male hair strands thicker (thicker hair strands have an easier time retaining length), but the key reason men are able to grow longer hair much easier in comparison to women is actually quite simple. Men and women handle and style their hair in very different ways, and these differences ultimately lead to disparities in the amount of hair men and women are able to retain.
Think about this; most men aren’t blow drying, curling, dyeing, or styling their hair everyday, if at all. When most guys decide to grow their hair long, the most they do is wash and condition it, then leave it alone. Most young ladies and women are applying heat to their hair and manipulating it on a frequent basis, which increases our odds of damaging our hair, getting split ends, and not retaining as much length as we grow.
So, no, Lisa, men do not grow hair faster than women. However, in an effort to grow longer hair we can take a cue from long haired guys and K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, sista. I never liked the stupid part of that saying, lol). We need to learn to just let our hair be and treat it like the beautiful crowned jewel that it is. Pamper it, protect it, and give it a rest! We can do this by putting down the heat styling tools, and crafting a hair care regimen that includes the proper hair care practices for our hair type to mitigate the chances of us damaging our beautiful tresses. Then and only then will we realize gains in hair growth and finally achieve our long hair goals.
