If you are waiting for your hair to grow out of a terrible cut, the foremost thing on your mind must be how to make your hair grow faster so that you can quit looking like a lawn mower was let loose on your head!

Speaking of lawns, our heads are very much like the verdant patches that grace our yards. Given the proper care and the right conditions, your follicles will produce strong, healthy strands with all the speed the tiny little things can muster.

Thing is, that they can’t actually muster very much.

Human hair grows about a half inch a month, more or less. Usually less.  Is it going to double that rate? Not likely. Not even close. But you can give it the conditions – remember the lawn analogy above – that can pave the way toward making your hair grow faster. Even just a little bit will make a big difference, especially if the quality of the strands have improved.

So what can you do? The first thing to tackle is your health. Certain medical conditions and medications can slow down hair growth. But if your health is good, and there’s nothing unusual going on, consider your diet. Chances are you are not consuming as many luscious leafy greens, revitalizing vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods as you should. Look around you – you have a lot of company in that regard! Feed your hair protein-rich legumes, nuts, veggies and grains such as quinoa. Fill up on fruit and other whole foods, and forego processed, chemical-laden garbage. Supplement with high quality hair vitamins, like biotin, zinc and saw palmetto, among others.

Treat yourself to a scalp massage several times a week, or every day if you can. Increased blood flow to your scalp is like a feast for follicles, and they will reward you by picking up production of new hair. Massage is also great for another hair killer – stress. If you are under stress, it basically means that you are under attack. Stress damages your body from inside and out, and your hair is no exception. So if you want to make your hair grow faster, reducing stress is a must.