Advice from a Master Barber: How to improve male hair growth

How can I get my hair to grow faster? 
Is there a way to stimulate more hair growth in men? 

Unfortunately, if hair loss is in your genes, well... fight the good fight.

Tips to encourage male hair growth:

1.  Proper Grooming:  In order for your hair to grow freely, it is very important to get a good scrub and cleanse from time to time.  Clogged or suffocated hair follicles will have a hard time producing maximum hair growth.  Modern hair products are strong and effective.  Make sure that you thoroughly and completely clean your hair and scalp during the week.  Allow your head to breathe fresh air often.   I encourage you to seek out an exfoliating scalp treatment from your local barber a few times a year. 

2.   Diet:  Think about a tree.  If you cut it down you can see the rings inside.  Those rings can tell a story of growth, disease and harsh weather conditions.  Your hair is like a core sample of YOU growing out of your head!  It is a direct reflection of what you put into it (including drugs and medicine).  Put good things in, get good things out.  Hair is not essential to life, if you have a poor diet or are sick, your body will focus attention away from your hair and onto more pressing issues.

3.   Exercise:  Blood carries food to your scalp and hair.  Regular exercise promotes better circulation and food supply to your hair follicles.  Get that blood pumping!

4.  Stress:  Avoid it.  Learn to cope with it in a healthy way.  Sickness, stress or poor nutrition will put priority on other things and hair quality and growth can suffer as a result.

5.  Supplements:  There is no silver bullet.  As a part of good diet, health promoting vitamins and minerals will positively influence the story that grows out of your head.  A healthy body has a healthy scalp... healthy scalp grows good hair.  Biotin aka: vitamin H or B7 is good for hair, skin, nails and heart.  It is relatively inexpensive and since it's water-soluble, you'll just pee out any excess you get.

6.  Hair Product:  If you use heavy products like pomades, take care in how they are applied.  Slather all the product you want on and in your hair, but there is no need to grind styling product onto your scalp.  Fingers and comb can help work product evenly THROUGH hair without gooping up your follicles needlessly. 

Keep your chin up and do the best you can with what you've been given.

- Buster A. Boyd owner/stylist/master barber @ The Absinthe Parlour