Hair Tips - 6 Smart Questions For Faster Hair Growth

What is the average rate of hair growth?
The average rate of hair growth varies from person to person, but typically is about half an inch a month, so 6 inches a year. That is the typical rate and usually most people have that rate of growth, and the reason you might think that your hair is not growing is really just because the ends are damaged and they are just breaking off.
Does cutting your hair make it grow long faster?
There is no truth whatsoever to the rumor that cutting your hair makes your hair grow faster because it stimulates the hair or something like that. That is not true at all. The only way that trimming or cutting your hair might make it seem like its growing faster, like I said, is by it keeping the ends healthy. So, by keeping your ends healthy and trimming them every so often you are going to prevent natural breakage. If your hair is unhealthy at the ends and it is breaking off faster than you are achieving length it going to seem like it is not growing at all.
Does ammonia free dye damage your hair?
Any kind of hair dye and any kind of chemicals that you put in your hair is going to damage your hair a little bit. Even ammonia free hair products are going to dry your hair out a bit, but I do always recommend going with an ammonia free hair color. Basically ammonia is what is causing the hair cuticles to open and causes dryness and damage to hair. So, if you are using an ammonia free hair dye you are definitely reducing that damage.
Do using hot tools on your hair once in a while damage your hair?
Any kind of heat that you are applying to your hair is going to be damaging. But, if you are limiting yourself to once a week, once every two weeks, every time you can limit, it will be better for your hair. If you apply heat every single day you are going to cause severe breakage. Anyway, applying heat to often is not really necessary, because if you style your hair on Monday let's say, you don't need to wash it the same night and style it again on Tuesday. You should at least wash it every other day so you don't need to style it too often and apply heat again and again. So, if you have to heat style your hair because you don't like its natural look, try to wash it as little as possible so that you will also avoid heat styling.
Does a razor haircut make your hair damaged?
Yes, I really don't like using a razor on anyone's hair. What it does is that instead of cutting the hair straight across, it is slicing it (at a diagonal) doing some damage to the ends, especially if you have really fine hair. So, I definitely don't recommend asking your stylist to use a razor.
How do you know if your hair is healthy?
The best way to find out if your hair is healthy is to feel it. Does it feel soft? Does it feel bumpy? Take one little strand of your hair and just run your fingers on it going backwards, from the ends to the root. The cuticles of your hair are like fish scales, all lined up in one way, so if you rub it backwards and it is really rough feeling, like a fish would be, it means that your hair is really damaged. But if it feels almost as smooth as it feels when you are moving your fingers downwards (towards the ends), your hair is pretty healthy, is not over processed.
Here is another cool way to tell if your hair is healthy. Pull out a little strand of your hair and put it in a glass of water. If the hair floats at the top it means that it is doing well and it is hydrated enough. If it doesn't float or the ends don't float it means that it needs more water and moisture.