The Skin Nerd: How to grow your hair and why the pH of your shampoo matters
Skin Nerd: Struggling to grow your locks? Jennifer finds out about the surprising factors that could be halting your hair growth process...
As hair and beauty frustrations go, getting your hair past a certain length is a challenge that affects many of us. The lengths (excuse the pun) that I have gone to in the pursuit of Rapunzel style locks, only to see my strands stagnant at the same measurement for years has baffled me and seen me pour lots of money into anything labelled "hair growth".
Because I am a Nerd, and because I spend a high percentage of my time investigating the science behind the skin, I decided to finally get some answers by talking Deborah Whelan, resident Trichologist at The Skin Nerd, about how you can really help your hair grow...
The first thing to get clear was how the hair grows and according to Deborah, this occurs in multiple stages.
"The four phases of hair growth are anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen," explains Deborah.
"Each phase usually lasts for a predetermined length of time and this growth cycle normally results in each individual hair having a growth cycle of 2-7 years. However, this growth can be interrupted by poor diet and poor general health or scalp health problems, resulting in hair thinning or shedding excessively."
It makes sense that like the skin, the hair is affected by overall health, but what are the most important nutrients when it comes to healthy hair?
"A healthy and balanced diet and a healthy scalp are essential for optimal hair length, growth rate and density," Deborah continues.
"A lack of protein in the diet, a very low carbohydrate intake or vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common causes of hair loss, difficulties growing longer hair and dull and brittle hair."
Deficiencies can occur due to naturally poor absorption of nutrients or chronic poor gut health, and constipation can even be a cause of sub-optimal hair growth.
"Frequent constipation can lead to low levels of nutrients that are important for optimal hair growth. A visit to a GP for a blood test can provide answers to suspected deficiencies," Deborah recommends.
For those thinking of investing in hair vitamins to top up their nutrient levels, Deborah suggests finding out what you are lacking first.
"Taking hair vitamins without checking for a cause of hair loss or a specific deficiency and not understanding why there is a deficiency may well be unhelpful at best.
"A trip to your GP or trichologist can help to give you these answers and helps you to avoid wasting money on ingredients that may have insignificant effect."
Along with diet, ageing influences the rate at which our hair grows.
"As we age, it is normal to have a reduced percentage of active hair follicles," Deborah explains. "Changing hormone levels can also change the quality and quantity of the hair and gradually, this results in a more visible scalp, finer hair and a shorter growth cycle.
"Smaller hair follicles produce poorer quality hair. Again, if you are concerned about this, book an appointment with a trichologist, who is trained to treat these problems and can provide effective clinic and home use treatments."
More surprisingly, the pillowcase you sleep on can affect this process.
"Pillowcases can affect hair strength and appearance. To avoid frizziness and reduce tangles (and therefore reduce hair breakage) a silk pillow is a great choice. Silk pillowcases reduce friction, they are incredibly smooth, less porous than cotton or linen and will not absorb moisture from the hair."
And what is Deborah’s expert opinion on the ever-popular fast fix that are hair extensions? We are expecting some push back on this one...
"Hair extensions are becoming increasingly popular in disguising thin and short hair – and used as a short-term solution, they can be a great answer to the stress of worrying about hair thinning. Some types cause minimal hair damage, but repeated applications over long periods of time can exacerbate thinning hair."
Whilst I look for the silkiest pillowcase this side of Dublin, here are Deborah’s top tips for growing out your locks...
- Choose a shampoo with a pH less than 7, preferably around 5 -5.5 to avoid drying out the scalp. Most shampoos are between 3.5 to 9 on the pH scale, which is a wide range. If you are using a shampoo that is too high or too low on the pH scale, then you might be interfering with your scalp’s natural pH balance, causing hair damage and scalp irritation. (Check out our nerdie knowledge below for guidance).
- Treat yourself to a weekly hair mask. A regular treatment will improve hair appearance and strength by reducing split ends and breakage.
- Keep up with the trims. The ideal frequency for having your hair trimmed varies depending on hair type, density health and style. It can be anywhere between six and twelve weeks. Colour treated, fine or damaged hair may need to be cut more often.
- Remove accumulated dead skin cells on the scalp, ideally with a trichological scalp treatment cream or a gentle desquamating scalp masque and to control the level of bacteria on the scalp. A clear and healthy scalp is important for normal and healthy hair growth as a flaky scaly scalp can cause a loss of vellus hairs (baby hair) and over time chronic scaliness can cause a loss of hair length, density, and dull hair.
- Scalp inflammation hinders growth and can be treated using a mild calming and hydrating antipruritic shampoo. Shampoos containing Thyme oil, Rosemary oil and Juniper are usually highly effective in treating problem scalps and can significantly improve scalp health. I like Aveda Scalp Benefits Balancing Shampoo (€25.50, theskinnerd.com) which contains a nurturing blend of plant essences to balance the scalp and build a great foundation for hair growth.
Seeking professional advice on which shampoo you should use regularly could be the difference between unhealthy and healthy hair.
"The pH of hair naturally lives between 4.5-5, which is in the acidic level, whilst the natural oil secreted from the scalp is responsible for the pH of our hair," Deborah says.
"Scalp oil is naturally more acidic as this is helpful at fighting off bacteria and the growth of fungus but when we use a hair product such as a shampoo that has a pH of 7 or higher, that high alkalinity can cause irritation to the scalp and can leave the hair feeling dry.
"It is helpful to note that the pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 pH. Any liquid that is between zero and 6.99 pH is acidic.
"Any liquids that are between 7.01 and 14 pH are basic, or alkaline. When you use a shampoo with a very high pH, your scalp and hair will feel very clean, and your hair may appear fuller but after time your hair will become dry and dull from a lack of oil.
"Shampoos with a very high pH will begin to lift the follicle’s outermost layer (known as the cuticle). This is what gradually leads to split ends, frizz, and breakage over time".
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