The quick answer is, on average, hair grows about ¼ inch to ½ inch a month, according to Bridgette Hill, certified trichologist and founder of Root Cause Scalp Analysis. Of course, this may vary from person to person, but if your hair (and scalp) are healthy, your hair should and will grow each month.
To better understand hair growth, professional hairstylist, Sophia Porter breaks down the four main stages: Anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen. Anagen is the growth stage, “where your hair grows and the maximum length is determined,” Porter says. This can last 2 to 7 years, depending on the person and is the longest stage in the hair growth process. Next up is catagen or the regression and transition stage. In this phase that lasts about 7 to 10 days, hair growth slows and the follicles shrink.
According to Porter, 10-15% of hair on the scalp are going through the telogen stage at a time. During this chapter of growth, old hair is resting and new hairs are growing. And finally, exogen is when the hair is shed from the follicle. “On average, a person loses about 50 to 150 hairs a day,” Porter says. So, don’t be alarmed if you see a few strands in your hair brush.
Don’t worry if this seems overwhelming to understand. The most important thing to note is that hair growth, like all things in life, is a process and you should, in fact, see growth if your hair and body are healthy (more on this below).