Whether you’ve been missing your long hair after an impulsive bob cut or become a victim of a regrettable TikTok hair trend, wondering how to grow your hair faster is a universal question we’ve all experienced at least once in our lives. How to go about promoting healthy hair growth depends on your specific wants and needs, but one thing is certain: There is no quick fix.

“The day you decide to grow out your hair, you have to really start taking care of it,” says hairstylist Mark Townsend, insisting, “to get the length, there are sacrifices.” The reality is there’s no shortcut to an endless, luxurious mane—it’s a months-long, methodical process. One that can feel especially tedious if you’re contending with stress-induced hair shedding.

But don’t feel overwhelmed or defeated just yet. With a little bit of patience, the right products, hair-growth-focused ingredients, and some pivots to your everyday routines, you’ll be on the right track for growing out your hair. Here, Townsend and other sought-after pros weigh in on how to grow your hair faster and maximize your length.

How long does it take for your hair to grow?

Your hair has three stages of growth: the anagen stage, the catagen stage, and the telogen stage. Hadley King, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, explains that during the anagen stage is where the hair does most of its growing. Each strand can spend three to five years in this phase on average, with hair growing around half an inch per month. Once this stage starts to end, it moves to the transitional catagen stage that lasts for about ten days. Then it will enter the telogen phase where strands are released and fall out, and the whole process is repeated.

But Andrew Fitzsimons, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Andrew Fitzsimons haircare, says that while hair will grow around six inches per year, there are still a number of different factors (hair type, daily hair routine, genetics, etc.) all impact hair growth.

What affects hair growth?

According to Marisa Garshick, MD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, hair growth can be influenced by genetics, age, hormones, nutrition, overall health, stress, medication, and the health of your scalp and hair. “Genetics largely determine how long a hair stays in its growth phase, while hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, illness, significant stress, and certain medications can disrupt the hair cycle and lead to increased shedding,” Dr. Garshick says. “Additionally, your hair can be growing normally at the scalp, but breakage from heat, chemicals, tight hairstyles, or friction can cause the hair to seem like it is not growing.”

She adds that hair grows at a similar rate, regardless of your hair type. What differs, she says, is how that growth appears and how well hair retains length. Curly and coily hair, for example, can appear to grow more slowly because of shrinkage and may also be more prone to breakage.

Tips for Growing Hair Faster

All the experts agree that there are a few things to help you grow your hair faster. The most common ways include:

Commit to Regular Micro-Trims

When you go for a “dusting”—taking off just an eighth of an inch—versus a standard trim, you barely see hair on the floor, says Townsend. A carefully calibrated shearing preserves length while getting rid of split ends caused by environmental damage, such as physical stress or hot tools. “If left to their own devices, those split ends can work their way higher up the hair’s shaft,” explains hairstylist Vernon François. “If you wait too long in between trims, you’ll end up having to take off more length in the end.” In order to keep hair healthy, most pros recommend at least three dustings a year and embracing split-end treatments, such as Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Strengthening Treatment oil and Amika’s The Closer Instant Split-End Hair Repair Cream.