I have a beauty question: how do I make my hair grow faster than the usual growth?—Raye

We’ve all experienced it: we decide on a whim to get a shorter, sleeker haircut. Then after a week of “feeling out” this new hairstyle, we realize we want our old hair back. We immediately regret trying out this short ’do and count the days until our hair grows back into its old length. For sure this will take a while (a couple of years for some), so in the meantime we desperately search for ways to speed up our hair growth.

Sadly, there is no fast or easy way to do it but to let it grow out. Hair has a growth cycle that almost never changes: in most cases, its only 0.5 to 1 centimeters per month. And yes, we’ve heard many claims that promise to add length to your mane, and while some may appear to work, others are simply myths. Let’s revisit some of the most popular “tried-and-tested” beauty advice:

Cutting your hair will make it grow back faster. This is definitely not true, but it makes sense if you think about it. Going for regular trims still has its advantages as it prevents dryness and split-ends. Remember, the tips of our hair are the oldest part of the hair shaft, so getting regular trims are necessary for hair to feel lighter and look healthier.

Getting scalp massages stimulate hair growth. There is some truth to this, as blood circulation indeed helps hair grow. But we can’t really expect substantial improvement; this can only help hair grow by 10 percent, which isn’t much. But I’m sure most of us are willing to take it. Getting regular hair spas will do the trick, or you may do it at home while you shampoo and condition your hair.

Taking hair vitamins will speed up hair’s growth. We’ve seen these hair vitamins in health food stores. A lot of its users seem to be happy with the results, but again, there is really no significant change in hair growth. What these vitamins actually do is to help increase hair strength, which also makes sense because the stronger your hair, the less prone it is to breakage, and it gets longer quicker. If you do decide to give this a try, look for vitamins that contain vitamin B and antioxidants. These really give hair the right dose it needs.