Men's Hair Growth

Man and woman — Photo: Luis Molinero/Shutterstock

Q: Please could you tell me if a man’s hair grows faster than women's hair? How long does a man’s hair grow in a month?

A: Men’s and women’s hair grows at equal rates on average – approximately ½-inch per month. Of course, there is some slight variance from individual to individual, but this isn’t significant in determining any superior growth rate in men or women.

It is, however, often believed that men’s hair grows faster, but this is because of a trick of relativity. Typically, men’s hairstyles are significantly shorter than those of women. It is not uncommon for a man’s haircut to include sections that are less than ½-inch in length.

Because of this, a man’s hair will seem to grow faster, since in a month’s time any section of less than ½-inch will effectively double in length. That same amount of growth in a hairstyle that is even 4 inches long becomes barely notable by comparison.

Of course, there are exceptions to this situation in the case of both sexes. For women, there is often a significant increase in the rate of hair growth as a result of pregnancy hormones. (Just as many women experience hair loss as the hormone surges end after pregnancy.)

In men, the sex hormones (the ones that govern the development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics) cause an increase in the rate of growth in the facial hair. The problem is that this can contribute to male pattern baldness.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Does different people's hair grow at different speeds?

Does short hair grow faster than long hair?

Is it true that the pregnancy pill will make your hair grow faster?

Hair and pregnancy