For many, long hair is the ultimate beauty goal. With Rapunzel-like tresses the style du jour all over Instagram, it’s hard not to yearn for the same. However, some of us find that our strands get to a certain point and then stop growing, with no rhyme or reason.

Read on for some of the reasons your hair might not be going to great lengths and a few suggestions that could help.

Vitamin or mineral deficiency

When it comes to growing long, lustrous hair, maintaining good nutrition is imperative. Meeting your optimal requirements for iodine, zinc, B vitamins, omega-3s and iron are a must, so consider popping a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement every day for three months and see if it makes a difference. Collagen is also a great idea, and our Imbibe Miracle Collagen also works to plump and refine your skin from within.

Check your diet

Just like it affects your physical health, your diet also affects the health of your hair. For healthy hair, you need a diet rich in iron, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B, and collagen. Enjoying good fats and protein is also essential as the amino acids in protein work to build strong hair cells, while good fats nourish those cells, making your hair appear shinier on the outside. 

You’re not taking care of your scalp

When trying to maintain length, we have a tendency to become so preoccupied with our strands that we forget to nourish the scalp they’re growing from! Products, sweat, and oil build up on your scalp over time, and this impedes your hair’s growth and your chances of gaining length. You want to start doing things that take care of your scalp, like using the right shampoo and conditioner and protecting your scalp from sunburn. Brushing also stimulates healthy hair growth by bringing blood to the surface, shifting sweat and oils away from the follicle and allowing your scalp to breathe.

You have split ends

If your hair is growing (and for those of you with coloured hair, your regrowth will usually tell you if it is!) but you’re not actually seeing it fall past the same point it was at months ago, split ends could be the culprit. Split ends are caused by damage to the hair shaft, usually from colouring or excessive heat. One strand of hair will split and then split again, causing frayed ends that taper out to nothing. While it might seem like taking a step backwards, getting a regular trim is the only way to ensure that you’re getting rid of those nasty ends that are working their way up the strand and weakening the hair. Keeping ends blunt will help stop them from splitting, and avoid rough towel drying and the overuse of hot tools, both of which can also cause breakage and split ends. A leave-in conditioner or oil – like Chloe Zara Hair’s Hair Crème and Hair Oil – is also really important to hydrate and protect hair around the clock.

Aggressive styling

Being too aggressive with your hair when you style it can also cause your strands to break off. Brushing or combing too forcefully, wearing tight hairstyles, or using uncovered elastics all cause breakage to your hair. Add treatments into your routine in between trims to keep your hair healthy, and invest in a few silk scrunchies to keep your tresses feeling loved.

Genetics 

This one could be a hard pill to swallow, but genetics could be playing a role in stopping your hair reach your tailbone. You might be surprised to learn that your hair doesn’t actually stop growing at a certain length, it stops growing at the end of your hair growth cycle. Your hair’s growth phase is determined by your genetics and can last anywhere between two and six years. So once the hair reaches the end of its growth cycle, it stops growing and will either break off or shed. Genetics can also play a role in determining the concentration of your thyroid hormone, which can also affect your hair’s ability to grow.

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