You've probably heard that your hair grows faster in the morning—maybe while someone justified a dawn haircut appointment. It sounds plausible enough. After all, our bodies do all sorts of weird stuff while we sleep, so why not turbocharge hair growth?

Here's the twist: your hair actually grows fastest in the late afternoon and early evening, typically between 4-6 PM. Morning? That's when growth is at its slowest, fresh off the overnight slump.

Your Hair's Internal Clock

Hair follicles follow circadian rhythms—the same 24-hour biological cycles that make you sleepy at night and (hopefully) alert during the day. These rhythms control cell division in your follicles, which is what makes hair grow.

Research shows that cell division in hair follicles ramps up during late afternoon and peaks in early evening. By the time you're asleep, growth has significantly slowed down. So while you're dreaming, your hair is basically taking a break.

Why the Morning Myth Persists

The confusion might stem from general beliefs about morning vitality—we wake up "refreshed," so surely our bodies are firing on all cylinders, right? Not quite. While some biological processes peak in the morning (like cortisol production), hair growth isn't one of them.

Another factor: you might notice your hair more in the morning. After lying down all night, hair can stick up or look different, creating the illusion something dramatic happened overnight.

What This Means for You

Practically speaking? Not much. The difference between peak and slow growth periods is minimal on a daily scale—hair grows an average of about 0.4 millimeters per day, or roughly 6 inches per year, regardless of these fluctuations.

But it's a fascinating reminder that nearly every part of your body dances to circadian rhythms. Your hair follicles are just tiny, patient dancers waiting for their evening performance.

So next time someone schedules a 7 AM haircut claiming "it grows back faster," you can politely inform them they've got it backward. Evening appointments are technically optimal—though your stylist's availability probably matters more than a few follicle cells.

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