I have stalled at APL.. For a year now.

[PrincessTieflin]

I would guess that your curls are preventing you from seeing a lot of progress; they certainly eat up the length. On the other hand, it seems I remember you talking about bleaching, and that can stall your hair, too. Mine can't take it, and that's for sure.

I just saw that you aren't trimming, but your ends might be breaking off, so teeny trims on a regular basis may help.

Good luck!

I did bleach over the summer, did it three times up until NOv, then I went dark again, I am going to henna so perhaps I wont have to use such harsh stuff my hair is apparently more deicate then I thought. But I love the copper red I have now.

l.. Had a bad time with a salon last time I was there (2009).. maybe I will try self trimming..

I also had surgery last year.. could that be affecting my hair as well? I wonder because next month I will be having surgery agian.

[Lianna]

I agree with spidermom, since isn't about curls, I think you could benefit from dusting, maybe 1-2mm every month, since there's bleach in your hair. My hair has bleach too, I do it and don't even notice length changes. The hair looks a lot better after even if there isn't any damage. How about you put it up with other kind of hair tools too, like combs, ficcares and such.

[PrincessTieflin]

Lianna-- I agree it is time for me to break out the sticks and forks!

[pepperminttea]

I've heard of surgeries (or perhaps the stress from them?) causing shedding before, so who knows. Personally I'd put my bets on the bleach damage, but curls hiding growth too. A friend of mine has beautiful 3A/3B curls, and her hair just seems to hover between shoulder and APL - no matter how long it's been since her last trim. It just curls more as it grows longer. (It's actually kind of cool, but I'd imagine insanely frustrating too.)

[jojo]

Are you growing out bleach damage? I ask because of the difference in your signature pictures. I've been stalled/maintaing at BSL for a while now and it's because I'm cutting off some really bad ends. I know you say you're not trimming, but even when I wasn't trimming I wasn't growing, or just growing super slow. Now, that I've made myself trim a bit more, I'm seeing some more progress. I realize there's no correlation between damage and growth, but trimming helps.

Other than that, are you using a cheap comb brush? I didn't think my plastic cheap comb was causing me any troubles and now I'm not so sure. I'm looking at replacing it with something gentler.

there is a correlation between damage and growth, damaged hair breaks, therefore cannot retain length, trimmed hair is more likely to gain length. therefore although cutting doent make hair grow quicker, it allows it to gain in length as it isnt snapping.

A lot of people think they have reached terminal when really there hair just isnt retaining the length grown.

[Speedbump]

Folks have given you lots of good answers here, and it is possible your hair is suffering from a combination of things brought up here. I want to add one more possibility:

Do you work at an office where you sit in a chair all day? Are you a student and -- you guessed it -- sit in a chair all day?

I am asking because I had horrible breakage right around APL/BSL for years and didn't even know it. I just thought the hair in front grew faster than the hair in the back! I learned later that my growth pattern is actually a natural "V" and the back grows faster.

If any chair you're in for a reasonable length of time -- wherever it is and for whatever reason -- has nubbly or rough material, then you could literally be rubbing your hair into oblivion just like I did.

I fixed the problem at work by doing updos to keep it off the chair. At home, where I also had a nubbly fabric chair, I made a satin slip cover.

Another thing that REALLY helps with friction damage is a silk or satin pillowcase. You can take it with you when you travel, too. Hotel workers won't take it; they'll just leave it right on your pillow or fold it up by the bed.

Another thing you should consider, since you do have what appears to be pretty deeply wavy or somewhat curly hair, it giving up your hair brush. Brushes are eebil to curly hair, pretty much without exception. Especially if you are brushing it while it's wet, that is just a curly hair killer. (Ask me how I know! ) It isn't just about curl formation, either; we're talking breakage and lots of it. So yeah, BBB = eebil!

Anyway, I hope this helps. I honestly think you are having a temporary setback, and that when you figure out everything that is damaging your hair and slowly cut it out of your routine (literally and figuratively!), you'll find that you are NOT at terminal length at all.

Speedy

[PrincessTieflin]

Speedbump, you have brought up a good point. No I dont work outsied the home.. But do have a couch that now pulls on the ends.. I do spend alot of time driving.. so I am sure the car seat isnt helping at all..

I will send the BBB bye bye LOL. and Try a few microtrims and wearing it up and tucking the tassle of my braid as well