Hair starts growing and appearing in the human body in the fetal stage. When the fetus is 22 weeks old, hair follicles start appearing on its head and all over the body. A fetus spouts almost one million hair follicles on its head itself. So, you have the advantage of good hair growth even before you are born. But what happens to your hair as you grow older? You start losing the original texture and sheen of your hair, face deteriorating quality and rapid hair fall. Factors like diet, pollution and stress affect our hair almost instantly. So, to make your hair thicker, you should first understand the science behind hair growth.

What Makes Your Hair Grow?

Hair is made up of two parts, the hair follicle and the shaft. The follicle is the living part of the hair which is found under the epidermis of the scalp, in the dermis. The hair follicle is connected to tiny blood vessels that transmit oxygen and blood to the hair. At the end of a hair follicle, is a tiny bulb which gives life to the hair and it regenerates itself by cell division every 30-72 hours which means you have new hair every 72 hours!

The hair follicle is pushed out of the scalp to form the shaft which is the dead part of the hair and also its visible part. The main composition of the hair shaft is keratin which is a type of protein that gives colour, sheen and texture to the hair.

What Makes Your Hair Grow? The hair growth cycle occurs in three stages, i.e. anagen, catagen and talogen. Human hair grows by 0.2-0.3 mm per day or six inches in a year.

Anagen Stage:

The anagen stage is the active growth stage where the hair follicles are dividing and multiplying and hair is rapidly growing. This stage is not cyclic and can occur at any time randomly. People with very long hair have a very long anagen phase while those with short hair who cannot grow their hair beyond a certain length, have a short anagen stage. This is the key fact to know when trying to figure out how to make your hair thicker.

Catagen Stage:

The catagen stage is the transitional stage between the other two stages.

Talogen Stage:

The talogen stage is the passive stage where the hair is at rest and has stopped growing. When you pull out a hair in its talogen stage, you will notice a thick white bulb at the end of it.

For how to make your hair thicker, understanding these three stages and making use of them is very important.

Signs of Hair Damage

How Do You Recognise Damaged Hair? To make your hair thicker you need to first counter the many signs of damage. Here are a few of them:

• Dry and brittle hair
• Breakage
• Rough texture
• Spongy and matted when wet

These signs occur because of over-extension of the hair shaft. Since, it is a dead part of the hair and because it does not repair itself, any damage from environment or chemicals affects it permanently.

Causes of Hair Damage

If you want to know how to make your hair thicker, you need to identify the causes of hair damage in a bid to make your hair thicker. The following are some of the most common causes of hair damage:

Environment:
Whether its summer or winter, your hair is always affected by the weather. On hot days, the sun’s rays and UV rays attack the protein in the hair and break it down. Hair is 88 percent protein and when protein in the hair breaks down, it causes dryness and brittle hair. Humidity and rainfall do more damage to the hair by removing its shine.

During winters, the air is dry and it really affects chemically processed hair that have been straightened, rebounded or permed. Even normal hair is damaged in the cold as there is no moisture to nourish the hair. The roots of the hair become brittle and break.

Heat Styling:
Using any type of heat treatment on the hair is said to be the leading cause of hair damage. Repeated use of items like hair curlers, hot rods and blow drying damage the cuticle of the hair and draw the moisture out if it. This leaves your hair damaged, brittle and dry. An alternative to chemical hair treatments, using ionic process is being developed and used experimentally, but it has still not been confirmed if it will help retain moisture or not.

Chemicals:
Many chemicals like bleach, perms and hair colors temporarily swell up the hair cuticles making them dry and more prone to breakage. These chemicals also attack the protein in the hair and break the bonds making hair dead and listless. If you want to know how to make your hair thicker, this is certainly one thing you need to ditch.

Friction:
Friction is perhaps the most frequent cause of hair breakage. Activities like combing hair too often, or drying hair roughly with a towel can break and damage hair beyond repair. Care should be taken while doing these activities. One should use wide tooth combs and not tie hair too tightly to avoid breakage.

Poor Diet:
Poor diet, low in protein and fats will lead to undernourished hair follicles. This will affect the new hair growth and they will be thinner and softer and more susceptible to breakage. There will be more hair fall and more brittle and dry hair in an undernourished person.

Here 20 Tips for How to Make Your Hair Thicker

Thicker hair is all around sustained hair. You can realize how to make your hair thicker and furthermore influence it to become quicker by utilizing these cures:

Onion Juice:

Onion has a lot of sulphide in it which is very good for damaged hair. Take out the juice of an onion or boil it in water. Apply this on your hair for an hour, covering it with a warm towel. After washing you will notice visibly better hair. Do this regularly for two weeks at least.

The Egg Whites Hair Pack:

Eggs are a rich source of protein and applying them directly on your hair will improve the protein quality in them. Take two egg whites and whisk them in a bowl. Add a drop of vinegar and a tablespoon of milk to form a conditioner for your hair. Apply this on your hair covering the roots and scalp. Cover your hair with shower cap as egg whites drip a lot. Wash off the pack after an hour or two for thicker and shinier hair.

Vinegar Bath:

This is a simple hair treatment. After washing your hair, mix two spoonfuls of vinegar in a mug of water and pour it over your hair. The acetic acid in the vinegar attacks all dirt and grime and you will have shiny hair as a result. If you are ok with your hair smelling like vinegar for a little while, do not wash it off. The smell eventually evaporates.

A mix of Olive and Almond oil:

Mix a small spoonful of almond oil in some olive oil which should be just enough for your hair. Heat the oil till it is warm and apply it on your hair, rubbing the scalp gently. Cover your hair with a warm towel and keep it overnight. Wash your hair in the morning. This treatment nourishes your scalp to encourage hair growth.

Yoghurt Hair Pack:

Gently beat a cup of yogurt and add a bit of salt to it. Apply this on your hair an hour before you wash. This will give moisture and essential proteins to your hair. Do not add a large quantity of salt as it will damage the hair.

Egg Yolk Hair Pack:

Take one large egg yolk and add to it a tablespoon of oil and some water to form a mild paste. Apply this to your hair and shampoo it off after an hour. Do this once a week regularly for thick hair.

Honey Hair Massage:

Mix together some honey with olive oil and massage your scalp with this mixture twice a week before you shampoo. This will make hair grow faster.

Avocado Paste:

Avocado gives you essential fats and moisture which improves the quality of the hair shaft to make your hair grow thicker. Mash one avocado with a banana and a tablespoon of honey. Rub your scalp with this mixture and keep it on for half an hour till you shampoo. You will notice visibly softer hair.

Hot oil Treatment with Castor Oil:

Take castor oil and mix it with a little coconut oil, as castor oil by itself tends to be a bit thick. Warm the mixture and apply it on your scalp in a circular motion. Make sure that the oil is spread evenly all around and cover your hair with a warm towel. After an hour wash this off with shampoo and water. This is one of the best ways to get thick hair naturally. This trick of how to make your hair thicker is ancient remedies but has been forgotten with time.

Fenugreek Seed Paste:

Fenugreek seeds nourish the hair follicles and prevent a dry scalp. Take few fenugreek seeds and soak them overnight. Remove them from the water and make a paste by adding a bit of coconut milk to them. Apply this paste on your hair and scalp for half an hour and wash it off. This will make your hair grow faster and give you a thicker growth.

Indian Gooseberry:

Including Indian gooseberry or amla in your diet is a sure shot way to get thick hair. You can use it with oil to make your hair thick. Take a teaspoon of amla powder and boil it in coconut oil. Strain the mixture and apply it to your hair overnight. Wash it off in the morning to see the results. Do this once a week regularly for best results.

Coconut Oil Hair Massage:

Coconut oil is a good hair massage option during dry winter seasons. Take a bowl of coconut oil and warm water with you. Massage coconut oil into your hair and cover your scalp with a towel dipped in warm water for 15 minutes. Repeat this process at least three times and then leave the towel in your hair for an hour. You can now wash this off or leave it overnight. Regular use of coconut oil will ensure a good quality of thick hair growth.

Hibiscus Flower Treatment:

Take fresh hibiscus petals and crush them. Add coconut oil to the mixture and boil for sometime till the crushed petals change colour. Now, strain the mixture and apply this on your scalp. This will give you thick hair with regular use.

Honey Conditioner:

Honey gives moisture to the hair which counters the dryness due to styling. Mix two tablespoons of honey in olive oil and buttermilk or yoghurt. After shampooing you hair, apply this conditioner and leave it on for an hour. Wash your hair with plain warm water to see results.

Protein Diet:

Instead of using hair masks and treatments, increase the amount of protein in your diet. As a routine eat one whole Indian gooseberry or amla and increase use of protein rich sources like lentils, oily fish and chicken to encourage good quality hair growth.

Exercise:

Exercising will encourage you scalp to breathe better and the sweat will remove all toxins and dirt in the hair. After you exercise, wash your hair with plain water to rid it off the dirt and grime.

Heat Styling Protection:

If you absolutely have to use heat styling for your hair, use protection serums which are available in the market before you proceed to blow dry, curl or iron your hair.

Deep Condition:

Every week, after shampooing, using an organic conditioner to deep condition your hair as harmful chemicals in the shampoo can damage your hair.

Aloe Vera:

Take a two inch thick aloe Vera leaf and squeeze out the paste from it. Apply this on your hair the day before you plan to shampoo. Or if you can eat it, wash it and eat it. Aloe Vera promotes the growth of thick hair.

Hair is a delicate part of the body and requires essential care. Applying lots of beauty products and styling hair too often along with the high pollution levels, heat and dust, cause a lot of damage to your hair. For how to make your hair thicker and shinier, you need to nourish it from the inside out. Increase the intake of protein in your body and protect your hair from external harm and in a month or two you will start seeing results, with our simple-to-follow hair remedies.