Trying to Grow Your Hair in 3 Months? Start With These Hair Care Changes

Most of us believe to grow our hair out right after a bad haircut. We asked for a trim, we walked out with four inches missing, and by that evening we’re googling how much hair can grow in 3 months, hoping the answer is "by knees."

The right answer is yes, you may see some growth, but not a lot. What three months can do is make a visible difference in how healthy your hair looks and how much of your new length you actually keep. 

So in this article, you will see no miracle tricks. Just the practical changes that do more over 3 months of hair growth, plus a month-by-month plan at the end if you like having a plan.

What Can You Actually Expect in 3 Months?

Facts speak: scalp hair grows about half an inch (around 1.25 cm) a month on average, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. That works out to roughly 1 to 1.5 inches of hair growth in 3 months. Some people grow a little faster, some slower. Genetics decide most of it, with age, hormones, stress, and diet playing their own part.

But truth be told, what no product label will tell you is that no shampoo, oil, or serum can make healthy hair grow dramatically faster than your body's natural rate. What you can control is how much of that inch and a half stays on your head. If your ends break at the same speed your roots grow, your hair will look exactly the same in three months, even though it grew the whole time.

Diet also does matter for the growth side. Low iron, protein or vitamin D can slow things down, and we've covered the key ones in our piece on the nutrients your hair needs to stay healthy. 

Change #1 — Treat Your Scalp First

Hair grows from the follicles in your scalp, so that's where the routine starts. A scalp coated in oil, sweat, dry shampoo and product buildup is not a great place for anything to grow.

What to do- Wash based on your scalp, not your lengths. If your scalp turns greasy in two days, stretching washes to once a week because someone said it's "better for hair" just gets you an itchy, flaky head. When you shampoo, massage with your fingertips for a minute or two. Not your nails.

And if you're dealing with constant flaking, itching, or hair coming out in patches, that's something to show a dermatologist. But using a deep cleansing once a week can smooth it out.

Change #2 — Stop roughly treating Your Hair Lengths 

The hair at your scalp is growing. The length hanging past your shoulders isn't alive at all. It's been through every wash, brushing, ponytail, and summer since it grew out, and it can't repair itself. On long hair, the ends can easily be two or three years old.

What to do - So, put your oil or leave-in on the mid-lengths and ends, since that's where damage builds up. Sleep on a satin pillowcase, or put your hair in a loose braid at night so it isn't rubbing against cotton for eight hours. 

Change #3 — Don't Skip Conditioning

People skip conditioner for two reasons. They think it makes their hair flat, or they're running late. Both make sense. But when you shampoo your hair it lifts the outer layer of each strand (the cuticle), and conditioner smooths it back down. So if you skip it, your hair stays rougher, tangles more, and snaps more easily when you comb it.

What to do - If flatness is the issue, use less amount of conditioner and keep it off your roots. Start around ear level and work down. If time is the issue, one minute is enough. Put it on, and rinse.

Change #4 — Add a Weekly Hair Mask Ritual

Conditioner is daily maintenance. A hair mask is its deeper version: thicker, and meant to stay on for 10 to 20 minutes. Once a week works for most people. Twice a week if your hair is coloured, bleached or very dry.

What to do - If the self-care "ritual" is the part that confuses you. Pick one fixed day, like Sunday morning, so it becomes a habit and not something you remember every third week. Apply it to damp, shampooed hair, pop on a shower cap, and go make coffee.

Herbishh Pro keratin and Argan Oil Hair for exactly this weekly slot. 

Change #5 — Reconsider How You Use Heat

Nobody's asking you to throw out the straightener. The problem is usually how it's used: highest setting, most days, sometimes on hair that's still a bit damp.

What to do - Use the lowest temperature that works for your hair. Fine hair rarely needs the top setting. Use a heat protectant every time. Never straighten or curl wet hair; if you can hear it sizzle, that's water boiling inside the strand. Give your hair a few heat-free days each week, and when you blow-dry, keep the dryer moving and stop once your hair is mostly dry.

Change #6 — Get Mindful About Detangling

A lot of breakage happens right at the comb. If you've ever dragged a comb through a knot from top to bottom, you've probably heard it.

What to do - Start at the ends and work up a few inches at a time. Use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair, because wet hair stretches and snaps more easily than dry hair. Detangle while the conditioner is still in, or with a little leave-in, so the comb slides instead of catching.

Change #7 — Stop Wearing Your Hair in the Same Tight Style Every Day

A tight ponytail in the same spot every day pulls on the same follicles over and over. Over months, this can break hair along the hairline, and with enough constant tension, it can lead to hair loss at the temples and edges.

What to do - Change it up. Low bun one day, half-up the next, a loose braid on weekends. Switch thin rubber bands for fabric scrunchies or spiral ties, and take your hair down when you get home instead of wearing it tied till bedtime.

Change #8 — Stop Changing Your Routine Every Two Weeks

This one is hard, especially when your Instagram feed shows you a new "hair growth oil" every other day. But hair grows slowly, and you need at least six to eight weeks to judge whether anything is working. Switch products every two weeks, and you'll never know what helped, and your scalp keeps having to adjust to something new.

What to do - Pick a simple routine and stay with it for the full three months. If something irritates your scalp, stop using it. Otherwise, be patient with it.

Three Months From Now

Three months won't get you waist-length hair, and anyone promising that is trying to sell you something. What it can get you is an inch or so of new growth that actually stays, healthier ends, and a routine you understand. 

Usually that's the point where growing your hair out stops feeling like waiting and starts feeling like progress.

Take that first photo today. Future you will want the comparison.