We all want thick, luscious hair. Unfortunately, we can’t always get what we want, can we? Just like taxes and life opportunities, the sad truth is that hair growth is really not the same for everyone.

But rest assured, we’re here to clear up all misconceptions regarding hair growth. In this article series, we’ll answer the following:

How fast does hair grow?
When does hair grow most?
“Help! My hair doesn’t grow past a certain length”
Medical reasons why hair won’t grow
Factors that contribute to hair growth
Best food for fast hair growth
Secrets to fast hair growth

How fast does hair grow?

Let’s get this out of the way first: speed of how fast hair grows differs from person to person. Some people grow strands very fast, while other people see very slow growth. In addition to this, there are many factors that contribute to hair growth, some of which we can control, others, we cannot.

Generally speaking though, the average speed of natural hair growth is about 0.5 inches or 1.25 centimeters per month. This translates to an average hair growth of about 6 inches per year.

When does hair grow most?

There are three stages of hair growth. The first stage is called the anagen phase. This is an active growth phase that can last anywhere from 2-8 years. The next stage is called the catagen phase. At this point, the growth slows down, eventually stopping altogether. It lasts for about 4-6 weeks. The last stage is called the telogen phase. During the telogen phase, all the strands that are no longer growing will start to fall out within 2-3 months, therefore starting the cycle all over again.

The speed of how fast each phase goes through varies from person to person. But here’s a fun fact: did you know that according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health, most people experience a 10% increase in hair growth during summer months as compared to winter months. Strands in the anagen phase, where the hair is still growing, typically peak with a 60% increase at the start of summer, and it slows down once the weather starts cooling down.

Nobody knows the exact scientific reason for this, but one of the most probable theories is that our blood circulation is much better during the summer, which means more blood can flow to our scalp, thus encouraging hair growth.

“Help! My hair doesn’t grow past a certain length”

Does it seem like your hair has been that length since forever? Don’t worry, there’s no such thing as ‘forever’ when it comes to hair.

One of the things that you should actively look out for when you’re growing out your hair is breakages. We don’t notice it a lot of times, but breakages can cause our hair to appear to stop growing since most damages happen at the ends. Since hair only grows about 6 inches a year, then it’s no wonder that our hair ‘won’t grow past a certain length’ if the ends keep breaking off. Make sure to take care of your hair properly to avoid this from happening.

In the next part of this series, we’ll talk about the many reasons why your hair won’t grow as well as different factors that contribute to hair growth. Stay tuned here on the ZALA blog!

PUBLISHED 19TH FEBRUARY 2020

Factors That Contribute To Healthy Hair

Are you curious about what makes some people’s hair look amazing naturally? In this article, we’ve listed down some of the most common factors that contribute to healthy hair. Keep this in mind if you want to have gorgeous tresses!

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle can greatly affect the condition of your hair. Do you often stay out late? Are you getting enough sleep? Do you party every night? Do you have any vices like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol? Are you always stressed out, maybe at work or at home? Do you never get any exercise?

Bad lifestyle habits can do more than just affect your hair, it can also ruin your health. If you really want to look and feel healthy, you have to live healthy too. Start by trying to become more active every day. Avoid too many vices. Incorporate meditation techniques or other methods to calm you down whenever you’re feeling stressed.

Diet

You have to make sure that your diet is sufficient in all the vitamins, minerals, and basically nutrients that your hair needs.

Hair is mostly made of a kind of protein called keratin, which means that a diet with plenty of protein is important to keep your hair healthy and strong. Without sufficient amounts of protein, your hair could become brittle and frail.

Other important foods to keep in mind include healthy food like nuts, beans, and fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout. These fish all contain a lot of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which help in improving your hair’s shine and luster.

Meanwhile nuts and beans have zinc, in addition to a bunch of other important nutrients. Zinc is very good at repairing your air and aiding to prevent hair loss.

Haircare Routine

Do you have a regular hair care routine? If you don’t have one yet, we recommend that you start one right now. Having a regular hair care routine can help set up habits that are good for your hair in the long run.

It doesn’t have to be a particularly expensive one either, especially if you’re just a beginner at this. You can start with just the basics, like shampooing only a few times a week, conditioning your hair every chance you get, and using deep conditioning masks every now and then. From there, you can add hair serums and hair sunscreens. Those can make things a bit more expensive, but definitely not as expensive as an emergency salon visit.

Medication

Did you know that medication can also affect your hair health? And not always in a good way either. Some forms of medication could turn healthy hair dry, limp, and brittle after just a few doses.

This kind of hair loss and change in hair make-up is usually seen in patients who are prescribed medications for illnesses like cancer, arthritis, high blood, and other heart problems. The good thing about it is that this kind of hair problem is typically temporary, rarely lasting longer than the duration of time that the medication is taken. Once people stop taking their medications, the hair problems also tend to stop.

Hormones

Hormones change more things in your body than you can ever imagine . Obviously, this change includes hair. It’s not uncommon to see women experiencing hair problems during pregnancy or during menopause. Even women who normally have healthy thick hair can find their hair change into dry, thin, and brittle strands.

Genetics

Sadly, as with anything that has something to do with our body, genetics also plays a big role in how our hair appears to be. For instance, some have naturally thin hair. Others have had thick hair since they were born. Some people struggle with making their hair smooth and shiny, while others appear to be able to style their hair effortlessly. Some people seem to take forever to get gray hairs, while others get not only that but also receding hairlines at an earlier point in life.

If you’re curious about whether your hair issues are genetic or something else, then it’s probably best to look around your family and see how their hair is. If your parents don’t have bald patches yet or gray hairs, then congratulations, the future’s looking pretty good for you.

For more hair articles, don’t forget to check out our ZALA blog!

PUBLISHED 9TH FEBRUARY 2020

Can You Cure Alopecia?

Do you wake up and see hair strands on your pillow or on your bed? It could be just a simple hair fall, of course, nothing to worry about. Then again, it could also be something worse, like alopecia areata, for example.

What exactly is this disorder? What causes it? Can you cure alopecia?

What is alopecia?

Alopecia areata, also known as just alopecia, is a disorder that causes you to lose your hair in various parts of the body, typically your head. It’s thought to be a kind of autoimmune disorder where your immune system mistakenly attacks your own hair follicles, thus preventing hair growth.

Alopecia takes many forms, although the main form, alopecia areata, typically refers to the kind that causes patchy bald spots, usually on the head. The kind that occurs only and completely on the head is called alopecia totalis, while alopecia that occurs on the entire body is called alopecia universalis. Meanwhile, the kind that causes weirdly-shaped patches is called ophiasis alopecia.

What causes alopecia?

There are many different reasons why people experience alopecia. Most of the time, sufferers start to see symptoms before the age of 30. In some cases, it happens gradually. In others, it happens in just a few days.

Some sources claim that alopecia could be caused by prolonged and severe stress. While there isn’t enough evidence to prove this, we do know that stress has the power to mess up several things in our bodies, and that could include our immune system.

One of the biggest proven factors to alopecia is genetics. One out of every five people suffering from alopecia actually has a family member who’s also suffering from alopecia. This means that the tendency for alopecia to run in families is very high.

On the upside, alopecia isn’t contagious, so there’s no need to worry about catching it from somebody else.

Can you cure alopecia?

Sadly, there is no cure for alopecia, at least not at the time of writing. For people diagnosed with alopecia, there’s no way to prevent the formation of new bald spots, or to prevent total hair loss in some cases.

The good news is that there is still hope for those who suffer from alopecia. Aside from medications that help grow hair back, it’s also not too uncommon to hear of hair growing back naturally after months or even years of bald spots.

Alopecia can be a rather cruel disorder, but believe us, you’re strong enough to take it head on. There are various creams and medications nowadays that can help you deal with it. And of course, you can always use hair extensions and wigs to temporarily gain back your beautiful locks, while waiting for the real treasure to emerge once more: your crowning glory.

For more hair articles, don’t forget to check out our ZALA blog!

PUBLISHED 5TH FEBRUARY 2020

Hairstyle Terms You Need To Know

Nothing feels better than a fresh new hairstyle from our favorite salon. However, it’s also not uncommon to experience instances where you get a hairdo that wasn’t to your liking. Of course, it’s important to remember that if you want to get the exact hairstyle that you want, you have to know the exact terminology to use.

Here are some hairstyle terms you need to know for your next salon visit!

Highlights, Ombre, Balayage

These three terms all refer to the style of your hair color. Highlights typically mean variations in your hair color, sometimes even just a single streak. Ombre hair is darker at the roots and lighter at the ends. Balayage means that some sections of your hair are a different color from the others.

Layered, One-Length, Asymmetrical

Layered hair means that your hair will be of different lengths. Having your hair layered is a good way to make your hair look thicker and add some volume. One-length hairstyles are equally cut at the ends. Asymmetrical, on the other hand, means that your hair length is not equal for either side. For instance, your hair is asymmetrical if the left side is longer than the right side.

Dusting, Thinning, Trimming

Have you ever experienced going to a salon for a trim and then coming out with hair that’s 4 inches shorter?

That’s because ‘trimming’ doesn’t mean what a lot of people think it means, which is “just cutting off the ends”. Trimming means the regular cutting needed to remove and prevent split ends. It can be anywhere from an inch to 5 inches and even more, depending on how much your hair needs to be cut.

If all you want is to cut off the very ends, you should probably request for dusting rather than trimming. Dusting refers to a quarter-inch cutting of your hair. The term comes from how the cut ends look more like dust than actual trimmings. Meanwhile, if you want to just reduce the bulkiness of your hair, you can also request for thinning. Hair stylists use thinning shears in order to create fine layers that can add dimension to your locks.

Overdirecting

Overdirecting can mean a few things, but they all include lifting the hair and then flipping it over to one side to create volume and body. It can be used to refer to a method in blow-drying or even in cutting, for example.

Choppy, Chunky, Wispy

These terms are all used as descriptors for your haircut. You can use these terms in order to help your hairstylist understand what you want better.

Choppy describes a cut that has short layers, think shoulder-length cuts and bob cuts. Chunky, meanwhile, is when your hair is cut into large pieces rather than even and straight. Wispy means textured hair that has ends pointing in different directions. It could also refer to a style of bangs that is cut very soft and thin.

Blunt, Graduated, Wedge, Gamine

The next terms refer to the type of cut that you want. A blunt cut is one that is cut at 0 degrees angle, which means every single strand is just one length. A graduated cut has layers, oftentimes cut at no less than 90 degrees. Wedge haircuts also have layers, although they can’t be greater than 90 degrees. Lastly, gamine is used to refer to cuts that are quite short but sassy. For example, a pixie cut could be described as gamine.

These are just some of the terms used, but they’re certainly some of the most important hairstyle terms you need to know.

For more hair tips and tricks, don’t forget to check out our ZALA blog!

PUBLISHED 28TH JANUARY 2020

Grey Hair Remedies

Just like we discussed in our last blog post, we know that grey hair is completely normal. Everybody over the age of 40 experiences the occasional grey hair. Some, maybe a little earlier than others. But regardless of the time, it’s a natural phenomenon that we’ll all going to go through as we get older.

Nevertheless, it’s only normal to want to keep grey hair strands at bay for as long as possible. In this article, we’ll list some grey hair remedies to help you do just that.

Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals are extremely helpful in keeping your hair always healthy and youthful. For vitamins, the most essential ones are vitamins A, B (specifically B12 and biotin), D, and E. For minerals, we have copper, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

You don’t always have to supplements to get these vitamins and minerals, too. All these can be found in the foods you eat, so make sure you choose your diet wisely.

Avoid vices like smoking and alcohol

There’s nothing inherently wrong with vices like smoking and alcohol, provided that you only indulge in them every now and then. However, smoking a pack and drinking a couple of bottles daily is sure to do serious harm to your body, including your hair.

Smoking, especially, can damage your hair follicles. It’s not uncommon to hear smokers experiencing hair fall and of course, early greying. That’s because smoking can affect your hormones as well as decrease blood circulation to your scalp.

Protect your hair from damage

There are many ways your hair can be damaged For example, subjecting your hair to too many chemical hair treatments like bleaching, perming, and rebonding can do irreversible damage to your strands. Daily styling using hot tools such as curling irons and straightening irons can also damage your hair if you’re not using proper protection.

Even if you don’t do any of these things, you should still be careful of accidentally damaging your hair. Damaged hair ages very quickly, which means you’ll be seeing more instances of grey hair if you don’t take care of your hair. Don’t use hair products with paraben or sulfate. Stop washing your hair so much. Avoid combing still-wet hair. Cover up with a hat or scarf if you’re going out.

Try natural grey hair remedies

If you’re still experiencing an onslaught of grey hair despite living cleanly and taking care of your hair religiously, the bad news is that it may be due to genetics. Sadly, there’s nothing that we can do to prevent the problem if it comes from your genes.

However, there are some things we can do in order to at least help your hair keep its color through natural DIY remedies. No need to resort to chemical dyes that could potentially harm your hair further!

Black tea. Steep 3 bags in 1 cup of boiling water. Once the water cools down, add it to your conditioner and leave on your strands for 1 hour. Black tea can help make your hair softer, shinier, and of course, darker than before. Take note, this can only be used if you have dark hair. If you’ve got light hair, this remedy might stain your hair.
Onion. First, juice the onion using a blender, then leave on your hair. Make sure to do a patch test first as some people may be allergic to onion. This remedy will not only make you experience fewer grey hairs, but it also promotes new hair growth.
Curry leaves. Blend curry leaves and your favorite oil together and apply to hair. According to a report in the International Journal of PharmTech Research, curry leaves can greatly help you retain your dark hair and even help slow down early greying.

Always remember, grey hair or none, you’re still beautiful in your own way!

For more hair tips and tricks, don’t forget to check out our ZALA blog!

PUBLISHED 24TH JANUARY 2020

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