Hair Pulled Out

Shaver and pulled out hair — Photo: Dreamstime

Q: Hello. As of a month ago, my sister gave me a haircut with an electric shaver, and when she pushed down too hard it pulled a small portion of my hair out. My hair is growing back very slowly, and you can still see the patch. How long does hair that is pulled out take to grow back completely?

A: Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but it's possible that your hair may NOT grow back. Whether or not it will and the length of time it will take depends largely on:

A) whether or not the follicles were damaged when your hair was pulled out, and

B) the rate at which your hair normally grows. The reason plucking hairs is used as a method to remove unwanted hair is that sometimes you can pull enough of the root of the hair out to damage the follicle and prevent any re-growth. This may be what was accidentally done to you.

The average rate of hair growth is 1/2 an inch per month. Your hair growth may be a little faster or slower than average. It all depends on genetics. However, most people's hair grows close enough to the 1/2 inch per month as to be indistinguishable in difference.

As for the patch of your hair that was pulled out: If the follicles were damaged, they could still heal, but that will take extra time. I would estimate that if you still haven't seen any growth from the area where the hairs were pulled out after about 3 months, you will probably need to assume that the hairs are gone for good.

For now, try to be patient before you assume the worst.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Is there any medication that can be used to help restore damaged follicles?

Will hair that got burned close to the scalp grow back?

How can I accelerate my hair growth?