Why Does My Hair Not Grow Past a Certain Length?

Is your hair stuck at mid-back length, shoulder length, or shorter? That's something that many people go through for one reason or another. If you're wondering why this is the case for you, this article will be super helpful. In it, we'll go over 6 of the most influential reasons why your hair won't grow past a certain length. 

It's In Your Genes

Our genes are responsible for our hair texture, thickness, density, and more. But did you know that genes are also responsible for hair that only grows to a certain length? Our hair grows according to our individual growth cycle. Within the hair growth cycle, there's a phenomenon called the growth phase - yours may be anywhere from 2 to 6 years long. The longer your growth phase is, the longer your hair could presumably grow. If your growth phase is on the shorter side, you're more likely to deal with hair that won't surpass a given length. 

You're Getting Older

If you're over the age of 30, it could be your age that's holding you back from your hair length goals. The prime age range for hair growth is 15 to 30. If your age is outside of this range, you could experience several hair-related issues that can impede your hair's ability to grow quickly and resist premature shedding or breakage.

You Frequently Heat Style

Heat styling your hair is one of the most damaging things you can do to it. Every single time you apply excessive heat to your strands, you wear away the hair's protective layer (the cuticle) and make it more vulnerable to breakage. This makes it harder to reach your hair length goals. Limit heat styling as much as possible to get closer to your hair growth goals.

Your Hair is Chemically Treated

Chemical treatments, like perms, relaxers, and hair color/bleaching sessions, are known to be very high on the harshness scale. They strip your hair of its protein bonds, which makes it more malleable and able to be remolded into a new shape (perms), straightened out entirely (relaxers), or stripped and transformed into a new color (hair dye/bleach). After you put your hair through any sort of chemical processing, it'll never be the same again. Most often, it'll be drier and more prone to tangles, and that means that it'll be more likely to break off. 

You've Been Ignoring Split Ends

Most of us know how important it is to trim split ends, but if you don't, here's the tea. The longer you leave split ends alone, the higher they climb up your hair shaft and the greater your risk of breakage. If you can't remember the last time you had your ends clipped, this could be why your hair is stuck at a certain length. 

You're Rough on Your Strands

You might think you're in the clear if you don't chemically process or heat style your hair, but that would be incorrect. Brushes, elastics, and excessive tension can be damaging as well. Some of us are naturally rougher on our hair than others, so if you're not cognizant of how rough you're being, it can result in premature breakage over time and halt your hair growth progress. 

So, there you have it - several reasons why your hair might be stuck at a certain length. Want to know how to break past your hair growth rut? Baby your hair like it's your job. Keep it moisturized, conditioned, and deep conditioned. And whenever you style it, minimize heat and unnecessary tension. Lastly, stay far away from chemical treatments. Once you've done all that, you may find that you've blown past your loftiest hair growth goals. Give it a try and see how your hair reacts! We hope that this article was helpful to you. Good luck! 

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.