I've been stalling for over 6 months, HELP?

[hime_daruma_88]

Hello there! :blossom:

I am quite frustrated right now cause I haven't gained almost any length for over 6 months. My hair is around waist and I try to do S&D every now and then to avoid trimming too often. I'm using henna regularly and never use straighteners or such devices. Some days I use a blow dryer but not that often really. I braid or sock-bun my hair for most nights. My hemline is layered and tangles easily, not in a dread-forming way but the very ends just stick to each others. I brush with TT and try to do deep oilings every now and then.. I guess I'm paying for being too neglect lately, wearing it down almost all the time and not having the inspiration to make nice-looking updos on a daily basis :(

I definitely can notice my hair growing steady 0.4 inches every month, so it must be breakage causing my stall. Just today I did S&D and didn't find too many splits but it seems that majority of individual hairs have white dots in the tips, blah. I guess it's time to really embrace the updos to minimize the mechanical damage.. Is there something special I could try to heal my ends and make them stronger? Can you recommend any special leave-ins or such?

Please share your tips and experiences if you have been dealing with similar problems and gotten over the stall phase :)

[PetuniaBlossom]

I'm wondering if perhaps you might have reached your terminal length? Has your hair ever been longer than waist?

[lunalocks]

I am having luck with catnip soaks. My splits have decreased over the past month that I have been doing this.

For years I was stuck at mid back and never thought I would get to waist. It was because I had breakage. Once I began to keep it up and take care of it, it "grew". Now I am at hip.

[neko_kawaii]

I'd start with a trim. Just guessing from your description of many white does that the last couple inches are dry and brittle. Once those ends are removed, protect the new ends. Many kinds of buns can be done in 30 seconds and are really pretty. Your ends are tucked in, they aren't brushing against things, they aren't exposed to the sun. What do you use to secure a sleep braid? I found that regular ouchless hair elastics were eating my ends and switched to soft thick terry bands. Other options I've heard work for people are: tiny claw clips, wrapping the braid with a piece of ribbon and putting the elastic over the ribbon, cut sections of panty hoes.

It could also be that you have indeed reached your terminal length. But, it does sound like you are experiencing breakage instead.

[spidermom]

I'd trim, too. I can't stand fighting with Velcro ends.

[Tea Lady]

I once had a stall at classic length. I'm not sure what was going on, but it seemed to take forever to move past that. It might just have been that I was too conscious of it, and just spent to much time looking, so of course nothing changed f I was looking every couple of days. Then I stopped obsessing about it and noticed it actually had grown (quite a bit) after all. It's just a perspective thing, or was, for me.

For hairstyles, I have found the Nautilus bun to be awesome. It took me a long time to have the courage to try it, but now that I have I love it. It uses a single hair stick (although I reinforce top and bottom with two Good Days Magic Hair Clips (http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Grip-Hair-Good-Days/dp/B0041TDMZ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1371080257&sr=1-1&keywords=Good+Hair+Days+Magic-Grip+Hairpins)), and is not stressful on the hair. Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86ZH0J7xtE) and here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVkg9TJDrL4) are links.

Tea Lady

[HairFaerie]

Do you do scalp massages regularly? If not, maybe try that...

[jacqueline101]

Maybe a small trim is in order and I'd clarify it to see if that's a cause for Velcro ends. If mine needs clarified it will get Velcro ends. I'd try benign neglect you will be surprised how fast it grows and we don't realize it because we are always looking and measuring it.

[trolleypup]

I once had a stall at classic length. I'm not sure what was going on, but it seemed to take forever to move past that. It might just have been that I was too conscious of it, and just spent to much time looking, so of course nothing changed f I was looking every couple of days. Then I stopped obsessing about it and noticed it actually had grown (quite a bit) after all. It's just a perspective thing, or was, for me.
Been there, done that. A couple years at mid-thigh...all the markers of terminal length...until people started asking me if my hair was longer!

Keeping it up and not messing with and obsessing about it should help. S&D the white dots to reduce how tangly it is...if that is too daunting microtrims may help.

[spirals]

I am experiencing the same thing. I wish I had advice. Maybe our terminal length is waist.

[furnival]

I don't think it's terminal length- the OP stated her ends are tangly and full of white dots, she hasn't been wearing her hair up and she can see that she's getting growth at the roots every month. Sounds like breakage to me!

I'd echo all the others who have said trim and stop wearing it down. When I used to wear my hair down it just wouldn't get any longer- wearing it up was the single most important thing in getting it to grow.

[bunzfan]

I had this to, it was growing but at a snails pace compared to how it usually grew! so yesterday i just trimmed off all the thin bits i think i possibly had a lot of breakage from pre LHC days now the white dots and splits are gone i'm hoping i may get some good growth now.

[AngryVikingGirl]

Same here. I had a trim in January and yesterday. I'm at the same length, almost waist. I could see my stylist only trimmed off 1'', also, my hair doesn't feel significantly shorter, so she's clear.
I kept it up and braided all these months, it started to feel heavier and thicker, my ends are fine. Just a few splits that I've got rid of now. So it didn't break off. I've also been past this lenght. Only explanation is slow growth. Maybe because of winter and stress. Otherwise it's healthy, stylist complimented.
+one note: I just stopped using my TT. It sounds mysterious, but I swear it pulls more hair out than my older brush. A wide tooth brush.

[Firefox7275]

Trim off above the damage, if you leave any this can snag on healthy hair damaging it also mid shaft splits can travel up the hair.

[lapushka]

I'm with all the posters who said to give it a (micro)trim. White dots equals breakage. I'm betting that's why you haven't noticed any growth. The white dots need to disappear in an S&D session together with the splits. If there's too many white dots / splits, it's better to trim.

[hime_daruma_88]

Thank you guys so much for sharing thoughts! So encouraging to hear that some of you have been dealing with the same thing and eventually managed to continue gaining length. :) It hadn't even crossed my mind that I could have hit terminal, I really hope this is not the case.. (And no, my hair has never been longer than waist.) It looks to me like damage and hairs just being too weak so they break off at the ends. It is still growing as I said, I can see it from the roots.

I'm convinced now that a trim is in order and I just have to do it even though I hate giving up any length ever. And I'm definitely going to wear my hair up all the time from this day on, and the catnip sounds like worth trying as well! That nautilus bun is lovely and quick to do, and super easy even for a clumsy updo-maker like me hehe. Gotta purchase some more hairsticks cause I only have two boring ones right now..

Happy growing everyone! :flower:

[bunzfan]

Thank you guys so much for sharing thoughts! So encouraging to hear that some of you have been dealing with the same thing and eventually managed to continue gaining length. :) It hadn't even crossed my mind that I could have hit terminal, I really hope this is not the case.. (And no, my hair has never been longer than waist.) It looks to me like damage and hairs just being too weak so they break off at the ends. It is still growing as I said, I can see it from the roots.

I'm convinced now that a trim is in order and I just have to do it even though I hate giving up any length ever. And I'm definitely going to wear my hair up all the time from this day on, and the catnip sounds like worth trying as well! That nautilus bun is lovely and quick to do, and super easy even for a clumsy updo-maker like me hehe. Gotta purchase some more hairsticks cause I only have two boring ones right now..

Happy growing everyone! :flower:

I also think braiding it for bed makes a big difference when i tried leaving it down that's when the growth slowed it down. You don't need to trim a massive amount possibly just half a inch depending on the state of your ends ;) also have you tried hair forks?? they work far better for me than sticks :blossom: Glad you are feeling more positive.

[Magalo]

I agree braiding for bed made a whole difference for me. I used to have so, so much breakage, especially at the nape. My hair at the nape wouldn't go past collarbone length and they were a split ends/white dots forest. Now they are slowly going toward the rest of my hemline. :)

[nakima]

I am going thru the same thing right now, I just did some major search and destroy along with a micro trim, Had no choice and it does feel a lot better, plan on continueing to s&d and wear hair up as much as possible. Great advice here! hope everything turns around soon for all of us haveing this problem. happy growing all! never never give up...:)