Hair Not Growing? These 5 Things Could Be the Culprit

If you're reading this, it's not too late. To grow your hair that is. In honor of our new Thick & Full Supplements—vegan, daily supplements  clinically proven to support healthy hair and promote thicker, fuller looking strands in as early as 60 days—we're sharing five things that could be stopping or preventing your hair growth.

1. Buildup On Your Scalp
Think of your scalp as a garden and all the oil, dirt, and product buildup as weeds. If you don’t get rid of the weeds, your garden can’t flourish.  For example, if you tend to use dry shampoo more than you care to admit in a week or go heavy on the styling product, you could be clogging your hair follicle. This could in turn block new hair growth. For a weekly deeply cleaning refresh, keep our best selling Detox Shampoo and Allure award-winning Scalp & Body Scrub on hand. 

Our clarifying Detox Shampoo is made with apple cider vinegar to lift away oil, dirt, and product buildup while keratin strengthens your hair. For squeaky-clean but never stripped strands. Mix a little in with our Scalp & Body Scrub, a foaming sugar scrub and itchy scalp treatment powered by sugar crystals and coconut oil for gentle exfoliation and moisture restoration. Not sure if your scalp is healthy? These are the signs to look for.

2. Too Many Tight Ponytails
Love the OUAI you look in a snatched ponytail? We’re kinda obsessed too. The bad news is wearing hairstyles that tug at your hair follicles (think high, tight ponytails and buns) can prevent hair growth. Not saying to stop altogether but space out your snatched looks more often to give your scalp some downtime and room to breathe. Another way to reduce the tension caused by a tight hairstyle is using a loose silk scrunchie or a claw clip instead of your go-to hair band.

3. Medical Conditions & Hormonal Changes
If you’ve ever experienced hair loss or thinning hair, have alopecia, a receding hairline, or a bald spot – you're not alone. About 50% of women and 80% of men experience some form of hair loss in the course of their life. Sometimes hair loss can be a result of a genetic condition, like alopecia, or a shift in your hormones— pregnancy, menopause, and intense levels of stress can all be contributing factors to a hormone change. For in-depth information about the different genetic and hormonal causes of hair loss, read our hair loss guide here.

4. Heat, Color, & Chemical Process Overdose
A sleek look, a freshly painted coat of balayage, bouncier curls. Sometimes our #hairgoals require help from a flat iron, hair colorist, and chemical treatments like keratins, perms, and Brazilian blowouts. But all of these can hinder your hair’s growth—especially if you overuse or over-indulge in them. Not only can applying high temperature frequently to hair cause breakage but frequent bleach, dye, and chemical processes can weaken your hair and suck all the moisture out of your mane. Between these treatments, restore moisture and repair damage with our Fine to Medium Hair Treatment Masque and Thick Hair Treatment Masque and best selling Leave In Conditioner which has 450 degree thermal heat protection and reduces breakage by 52% when used with heat.

5. Poor Diet
Foods, vitamins, and herbs can pave the OUAI for strong, luscious strands and a healthy scalp. If you’re missing key nutrients and vitamins, you may not be giving your locks a fair shot at healthy growth. We asked a nutritionist which foods and herbs she swears by for healthy hair and scalp—here’s what she said.