advice needed

[cat-lady]

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[SerinaDaith]

Stretching washes might help a little, it's tough, I always thought I had to wash every day but I really don't. Your hair is longer than mine and I post all the time, just because we are the long hair community does not mean you have to have super longhair to use your voice here! Hair up check, less heat may help but that's an individual thing, trimming less and focusing on S&D may help too.

[bunnylake]

Try coconut oil treatments overnight. Since your hair is so fine, you will only need a pea-sized amount or even a tad smaller, for the length and ends of your hair. Definitely leave it in as long as possible. It will help prevent damage and split ends.

How do you detangle? It's preferable to use a wide tooth comb very gently on dry hair. Never wet.
Do you rub it vigorously with a towel to dry it? Don't do that, dry it gently by scrunching with a microfiber towel or a smooth fabric like a t shirt.
When you get trims, ask for a "micro trim" that will remove less than 1/2 an inch and be very clear about not having more than that cut. Sometimes stylists will trim much more than it actually needed. You can also learn to self trim or find the split ends and trim only those.

[Not Lynn Merely]

Welcome to the forum! No one minds people with shorter hair posting! Even is here to teach and learn about hair. There are people here who post about growing out from buzzcuts!

What are "hair bobbles"? If they are a sort of hair tie, it might be better for you to switch to super-smooth hairsticks.

Your hair gets greasy quickly in part because you do wash so frequently. Your scalp making lots more sebum (hair and skin oil) to compensate for all that is being stripped out when you wash. Many people here have had success applying a tiny bit of oil to damp hair and leaving it in, which can make your hairs stronger.

If your hair is so very fine, stop using heat completely. Heat protectants may help a little, but they are not perfect. Also, if you are using chemicals to dye your hair now (as opposed to henna, cassia, and indigo), then know that those generally damage hair as well.

With your hemline so even, it is unlikely you have reached your terminal length. If you see a split end, trim that one hair, not all of your hairs. We call this technique Search and Destroy (S&D), because we hunt down and only remove the splits, not the good ends. If you do not want fairytale ends, do just S&D every six weeks, then take off your millimeter or two ever few months. Also, be sure to actually measure what you are cutting! I would guess that you are trimming off all your growth.

[bunnylake]

Something I forgot: You should only use shampoo on your scalp only. If you're scrubbing and shampooing the entire length of your hair, that will cause it to dry out, tangle, split and break. It's a very common mistake. I'm amazed at how many women shampoo their hair incorrectly! Use just enough shampoo to build up the lather needed to massage your scalp with, preferably a sulfate-free shampoo because they are gentler. As you rinse, the excess shampoo in the run off will clean the length of your hair more than enough. Use conditioner on the hair from your ears down only, because conditioner applied too close to the scalp could weigh the hair down and make it greasy faster. Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week or so.
Try a dry shampoo in between wash days. The one that seems to be most popular is Batiste.

[Chiquita Banana]

I have really fine hair (but a pretty good amount of it) and it used to get really greasy if I didn't wash every day. Over the past couple of years I've slowly stretched out my washes to every 4 days and now starting into every 5 days. It's a pain at first to stretch washes, but it's SO worth it in the end. My goal is to get to one week between washes. I've learned how to wear a scarf around my head to hide the greasies right before wash day so no one can even tell. Also, I agree with the don't wash the length advice. Gentle scalp wash only and the suds will travel down the length while you wash it all out.

[Soltimus]

I think if you have fine hair you should avoid heat styling like the plague. I know there are products you can use to make heat styling "better" but in the end the heat will damage your hair, and if your hair is fine and maybe a bit delicate to begin with I just can't imagine it going well.

I was unable to grow my hair longer than BSL up until around the time I joined LHC. I thought that was terminal for me, but I changed a few things as I got really keen on growing it and it worked. First off I stopped balling my hair on top of my head when I washed it and just washed the scalp, like other people have said as well. Then I got my hands on a better brush (Tangle Teezer) as I'd been using one that seemed to not detangle but just rip and tear through my hair. Also I stopped blow drying my hair as well. It all worked and I now have waist length hair :)

[jeanniet]

When you say "heat products," are you using a flat iron or otherwise using heat to straighten your hair, even if only once a month? If so, that could be a main source of the problem because fine hair often just can't stand up to that kind of damage, and even if you're only flat ironing once a month you're still damaging (mostly) the same hair over and over again, which will eventually result in breakage at the ends. Heat protectant will help somewhat, but it's more of a damage reducer, not eliminator. There are other means of straightening that are non-damaging.

You don't have to be a long-hair to be a member here--we have lots of newer members with short hair, and longer term members who've grown out and then cut their hair. Besides, in much of society, BSL hair is quite long! :)

[cat-lady]

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[Fairlight63]

Also - what is your diet like? are you eating enough protein? like milk, meat, some even eat a tab. of peanut butter a day & also some people that drink a whey protein drink say that it increased their hair growth to an inch. a month.

Are you taking any hair vitamins? like biotin, MSM,etc.

[Not Lynn Merely]

Maybe try a smooth, lightweight hairfork, then. Some members have taken aluminum double-pointed knitting needles and bent them into a U-shape. Then gravity should help hold it in. You may have to try a number of different styles before you find some that work for you. The cinnamon bun is the most basic, but I have the most trouble getting that one to stay in with a hairstick.

One no-heat straightening method is hair wrapping: video list (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hair+wrapping+straight&sm=3)
The hair is wrapped around the head when it is damp, then it dries straighter. If you use bobby pins, try to use long, smooth roller pins, or try just using a thin scarf. Or, you could just enjoy your waves! :cheese:

[alexis917]

If you have fine hair, ....why are you using Doo Gro?
From what I've just gathered on Google, it's meant to aid women of color in growing natural hair, which is generally quite thick and coarse!
I have rather thick/coarse hair (1c) and have experimented with products like that, which are generally pretty heavy and creamy/moisturizing.
You might want to consider trying products designed for finer hair!

Also- waves are beautiful, but if you heat style very often, your hair might not even be as wavy as you think.
Two years ago now, I straightened my hair so often that it became very dry/damaged, and was pretty wavy when I allowed it to air dry.
Since growing that hair out, cutting it off, and avoiding heat- I found that in it's natural state, my hair is actually really straight!
Try abstaining from heat for a while, your natural texture might surprise you!

[Firefox7275]

Flat irons cause a huge amount of damage, stop fighting your hair's beautiful natural texture and work with it. Given you are wearing up dos anyway you don't even need your hair to be stick straight. Consider the Curly Girl method: since you have fine hair you will probably want to use a gentle sulphate free shampoo to avoid your hair getting weighed down.

Harsh commercial shampoos are damaging, and can cause the scalp to overproduce sebum in a desperate attempt to protect itself from the daily chemical assault. You probably will need to wash the lengths at least weekly if you use silicone based heat protectants (largely useless aside from the slip).

Try to mix up your styles and your secures: Spin Pins are amazing, also try anything made from silk/ satin, scrunchies, terry cotton ponies, slippy headbands and scarves.

Scientifically proven beneficial ingredients for damaged hair include coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. Fine hair tends to do well with hydrolysed protein.

[jeanniet]

Doo Gro products aren't really meant for your hair type, but they are also heavy on petrolatum (Vaseline) and mineral oil, which may be one reason your hair is getting greasy so quickly. I would do a clarifying wash, and then look into more gentle cleansing methods (sulfate-free or CO) and oiling with pure oils (coconut would probably be best due to your damage).

[browneyedsusan]

I post all the time and have since I joined with a pixie!

1) Quit the heat. It's death by a thousand cuts: you don't see the damage until it's too late.
2) Wear your hair up with the ends tucked in. If you can wear it up 6 days a week for 3 or 4 months, you should see an inch or two of growth?
3) No more trims. Just "S & D". You can't get all of the splits--even with regular trims, some will escape-- but you can get a lot of them this way and you won't sacrifice that hard-earned length.
4) I rarely need to detangle. I fingercomb the conditioner through my ends in the shower, and that seems to do the trick. I sleep in a topknot and wear it up during the day, so it doesn't have a chance to wad itself up.

Everyone's hair is different, so the details of our haircare routines are different, but those basics will probably get you over the hump. Happy growing!

[LauraLongLocks]

Stop fighting your natural texture by heat straightening it. Learn to love it and work with it. Stop getting a trim every 6 weeks, because you might be cutting off all your growth. Do S&D (search and destroy of split ends) missions only for a while as you grow your hair out. Wear your hair up often to protect it from mechanical damage and tangling. Tangles are much easier to prevent than to undo. Try switching to the CWC method of washing your hair (Condition the length, don't rinse it out, wash the scalp only, rinse it out, being careful with your hair so it doesn't get tangled, then condition the length again and rinse). If that goes well, then maybe try the CO-wash (conditioner-only) method.

Good luck. You've grown it to this length. Now with a little tender loving care, you should be able to grow it to great lengths and have healthy beautiful hair.

[lapushka]

I was wondering if anyone could offer me any advice on my hair. It's about just past my bra strap at the moment, my picture isn't very clear. I feel like it has being this length forever! About 2-3 years ago I pretty much destroyed my hair bleaching it so cut it all off to around my shoulders, i'd say there is no damage left that could be preventing my growth. My hair is unbelievably fine which makes my hair quite straggly and I feel it makes it look shorter than it is!

If it's been 2/3 years, then your hair (virgin regrowth) should be between shoulder/BSL or thereabouts. So you probably still have damage in there.

Also trimming every 6 weeks is unnecessary, you could easily just as well do S&D sessions, without losing length. It's not going to grow at all if you keep trimming that much. You are trimming all your growth off. Hair only grows 1/2 inch a month.

You can only treat it well from here on out and be patient. There's not much else you can do. Miracles don't exist. ;)

[Naiadryade]

Lots of great advice has been given here already! I'll reiterate a few that feel particularly important as well as throw in a few new insights.

-Stop trimming so often. Unless you're doing it yourself and measuring every time, it's hard for me to believe that it's really only a mm or two. S&D regularly with sharp scissors that are only ever used for hair. Trim maybe twice a year, and not more than 1/2" each time!
-Quit the heat forever, it is destroying your hair. Embrace your natural waves. Waves are gorgeous, and may even give your hair body and make it feel/appear thicker and less scraggly to you.
-Hair getting greasy within hours after washing definitely sounds like it is being washed too much and stripped of all its goodness! It is trying to compensate by over-producing sebum. Please do try to wash less frequently. Some good methods have already been suggested, and there is a thread kicking around about stretching washes for tips and support. But first, look at your shampoo. Does it contain sulfates? Sulfates are very harsh detergents that are not needed to wash hair. Not only could they be playing havoc on your scalp, but they could be causing undo damage to your hair.
-Detangle slowly and gently. You should not hear snaps while detangling. Do not use a brush to detangle unless it's a Tangle Teezer. If you don't have a TT, use a wide-toothed seamless comb or your fingers.
-You say you wear your hair up a lot with a scrunchie. I do hope you mean you wear it bunned a lot. Ponytails are not protective updos.
-It can be damaging to wear the same style in the same place every day. Get some other hair toys (try spin pins, they stay in well) and have fun with learning different updos!
-Know this: friction is damaging, especially for those of us with delicate hair. When you sit down, does your hair get rubbed between the chair and your back? That is a really common reason for not being able to grow past BSL! Also pay attention to things like seatbelts and bag straps. Always move your hair out of the way first.
-Reduce friction from your pillow by using a silk pillowcase or sleep cap.

Good luck! You are in the right place, and you will solve this problem. :grouphug:

[cranberrymoonz]

I understand that you feel like your hair is not growing. Fine, damage-prone hair is hard to grow, especially if it grows slowly. You may think that you are doing all you can to protect it, but there is still more you could do. Fragile hair needs a great deal of protection. You'll have to make some sacrifices, but it's very well possible to grow your hair to great lengths:)

- It's best to give up heat entirely. Even when it's only once every few weeks, even when you're using heat protectant, it's very damaging.
- It's great that you wear your hair up!! Try some protective, non-damaging styles. Never tease! (bobbies can be rough/sharp and damage hair when you take them out)
- Find yourself a gentle detangler like a tangle teaser. Rough detangling causes a lot of damage.
- Silk pillowcases prevent rubbing(=damage) and tangles(=detangling=damage) while you sleep.
- If you find that you need to wash your hair every day, at least use a sulfate free shampoo (I love Petal Fresh) or another mild cleansing method like CO. Washing with sulfates everyday dries out the hair. (=damage&splits, eventually)

If you don't cause damage, you will have less splits and you won't have to cut that often. (=growth!)

Good luck!

[cat-lady]

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[spidermom]

I suspect that you're getting all your growth trimmed off. Try going longer between trims and make sure only 1/2 inch comes off.

[UP Lisa]

Black hair dye is also the worst for your health.



thanks for all your great advice everyone. I have since purchased a shampoo bar without sulphates, tried it today and left my hair feeling a bit 'frictiony' but I'm sure it'll get used to it :) I'm also not washing my hair as much, down to every other day at the moment but will be stretching further and

further as the time goes on. I have attempted to do buns instead of pony tails, it does not suit my fat fact at all ha but hopefully it will improve my hair a little. I also have started taking some vitamins, not sure about all the science but it's made for hair and includes vitamin c and e so I'm guessing it is better than nothing!
I still preparing myself to quit the dye, I know that is probably the maybe damage I am doing to my hair, I just love black hair so much! I'm currently looking for a healthier alternative to the diy box dye. :)

[animetor7]

You might want to check out the first couple of pages of the shampoo bar thread here in order how to learn how to use a shampoo bar as it is quite different from using regular shampoo.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=74
It's a monster thread, but you only need to read the first couple of pages in order to get the information you need to learn how to use a shampoo bar. First off, make sure that you are using some sort of acidic rinse after you use the shampoo bar as they are alkaline and secondly make sure that said vinegar rinse is suitable for the water you have in your area.

Now, I know everyone else has said this already, but it's so important I'll say it again. STOP USING HEAT! Period, end. Heat is absolutely death for fine hair, as a fellow finey I had to learn this the hard way and it took me years to grow out the damage incurred from using heat, even with a protectant and infrequently. Also as a fellow finey, it is possible to use hairsticks, even at BSL it just takes a bit of practice. Also, you may not be able to do the same buns that someone with coarser hair can. The best bun I've found for fine hair and hairsticks is what I like to call a "hairslide bun". In essence you are using your hair to make a hairslide like you can buy at a store with the hairstick being the pin. Here's what you do:

1) Wrap hair as though you were going to begin a Cinnabun but only wrap one, semi-loose coil.
2) Wrap the rest of the hair, around/underneath that first coil.
3) Spread the initial coil around all of the other hair.
4) Slide a hairstick under on side of the coil underneath all of the hair grabbing some scalp hair and then out and up over the other side of the coil.

All in all this style doesn't take too long and helps the hair hold itself up without requiring tons of inches or coarse hair.

I'm sorry for the uber-long post, I hope that it helps and good luck with your hair journey. :)