Is my hair growing?

[ItalianFlower]

I've been feeling like my hair has been the same length for a long time...is it really not growing? Is it because it's curly?

This is from April.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/OneItalianFlower/April.jpg?t=1221577812

June.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/OneItalianFlower/2008_0620Hair0121.jpg?t=1221577919

And these are a few from August.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/OneItalianFlower/August.jpg?t=1221578190

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/OneItalianFlower/Photo27-1.jpg?t=1221578474

The last picture is the one most true to my hair color. :)

[Dientje]

ItalianFlower, I must say your hair doesn't really look much longer, but it definately looks much healthier, shinier and also curlier. I love the color!

[lora410]

I think you may be in the dreaded stall:grouphug:. I go through them and once one lasted for 7 months. I started taking vitamins (multi, msm, fish oil, and biotin) and all the sudden my hair started growing again. Hopefully I was just lacking something and don't through a stall again.

[Kittee]

Curly hair...what can I say. It feels like it is NEVER growing because of the curls! Don't worry, I assure you, unless you are trimming it too often, it is growing!

[ItalianFlower]

Just making sure I'm not going crazy. ^_^. I love it now--it's all soft and shiny. I guess I can live through a stall. How many stalls do people usually go through during the hair growing process? Do I wait it out, or do I have to do something?

[yogachic]

Your color is very pretty.
It doesn't look much longer, but the curls can be deceptive.

[Samikha]

Doesn't look any longer at all to me, sadly. I looked three times and still none. Don't know what you'd do about it either. I'm just being unhelpful here:lol: Have you measured by pulling straight? It looks in very good shape, growth or no.

[ItalianFlower]

How often of trims is too much? I go once every three months and get a half-inch or less trimmed (my ends get trashed, no matter how gentle I am, how much I S and D...) I used to have my hair dresser straighten it each time (haven't done this in a year or so). It's only once, and my hair is a lot healthier; I don't even remember what it looks like straight! Maybe if I did that though I could take pictures right after my trims and see the difference a little better?

[Nes]

Sorry to disagree but I think it is a little longer.

Granted it appears to be the same length in the first and last photo, but the curls really are much more ringlety in the last photo and they're probably eating up the length a bit.

Try pulling it straight and you might see some progress?

Nes x

BTW the condition looks fab and I love your natural colour!

[ItalianFlower]

I guess I'll need to start pulling it straight starting next trim! ^_^ My hair has never been curly like this before (also never grown my hair out) so simple things kind of don't occur to me.

Thanks for the compliments though! /blush.

[bunnii]

I think its a little longer but the curls look more defined so maybe it is growing but the curls have eaten up the growth :)

P.S I love your curls oh and the colour :)

[ItalianFlower]

So my best course of action is to basically wait it out, right?

[FrannyG]

I agree that the curls are eating up the perceived growth. I have no doubt that it's grown.

Yes, just wait it out. Perhaps from time to time you could take a length shot while you stretch out your curls. That would be the only accurate way to see the progress.

As your hair gets longer, you'll hit a stage where suddenly the growth becomes really apparent.

I've seen that with a lot of the curlies here.

Don't give up! :blossom:

[Curlsgirl]

I agree it's the curls! It takes mine forever to show growth and so I know how frustrating it can be. Also remember even if you stretch it to measure, it can still be hard to be accurate. Just keep treating it well and enjoy the different lengths. It's beautiful!

Oh yes, and make sure they aren't taking off more than you tell them to!

[FrannyG]

I agree it's the curls! It takes mine forever to show growth and so I know how frustrating it can be. Also remember even if you stretch it to measure, it can still be hard to be accurate. Just keep treating it well and enjoy the different lengths. It's beautiful!

Oh yes, and make sure they aren't taking off more than you tell them to!

Yes, you were one of the curlies to whom I was referring. One day your hair just looked superlong!

[Manako]

There is definitely a length difference between the first two pictures, the pictures from august don't look that much different, aside from the hair being curlier and healthier looking. Sometimes having curly hair can be annoying, but once you're at your target length it will be that much more sweet (at least that is the way I look at it.)

[lora410]

How often of trims is too much? I go once every three months and get a half-inch or less trimmed (my ends get trashed, no matter how gentle I am, how much I S and D...) I used to have my hair dresser straighten it each time (haven't done this in a year or so). It's only once, and my hair is a lot healthier; I don't even remember what it looks like straight! Maybe if I did that though I could take pictures right after my trims and see the difference a little better?

keep in mind that hair can grow as little as 1/4 inch a month. So if you are chopping off 1/2 inch ever few months you are most likely cutting all your growth away.

[Curlsgirl]

Yes, you were one of the curlies to whom I was referring. One day your hair just looked superlong!

Awwwwwwwwww I always liked you FrannyG!!! :D

[Ohio Sky]

I think, as is often the case with curly hair, yours is liking growing out instead of down. It looks much fuller and thicker and healthier, so maybe the curl definition has changed and stopped you from having obvious growth.

[Reptilia]

Yes! haha I love how you have such drastic colour changes from each picture, lol.

[lilalong]

Yes, it has definitely grown. It doesn't look longer from the first to the last picture, but the curls are definitely tighter. They are eating up the new growth.

I'd also suggest measuring - maybe when soaking wet, so the curls are stretched out?

[BlndeInDisguise]

Yes, it has definitely grown. It doesn't look longer from the first to the last picture, but the curls are definitely tighter. They are eating up the new growth.

I'd also suggest measuring - maybe when soaking wet, so the curls are stretched out?

I noticed that as well. It looks so much healthier in the last picture--you're definitely doing something right! :)

[Kirin]

I've looked over the pictures a while, and it has grown, its just in the last picture, the curls have gotten tighter. Or, so it seems. You may have had two inches of growth, but the curl is shrinking up about that much in tightness.

Yes, wait it out, and I'd go definately LONGER between trims, maybe an extra month (more if you can stand it)

[Starr]

It looks like your curl pattern has become more defined and your hair looks a lot healthier as well- so I'll venture to guess that the curls are eating up the length. . . such is the nature of the beast. Try not to let it frustrate you though and focus on keeping up the health of you hair instead. . .you'll get 'visual' length later.

[ItalianFlower]

Thank you guys so much! ^_^ Reptilla, I agree that the color changes are strange. I'm thinking outdoor pictures from now on...but I think that part of it is a change in shine and health. I knew curls ate up length...I guess I just never realized how MUCH. So if I'm getting quarterly trims, should I cut down to twice a year? /shudder

[RavennaNight]

ItalianFlower, its hard to tell! You are a curly and a glorious one at that. What I do notice on close inspection of your pics, you have become curlier as you progressed. Its possible that has camouflaged your actual growth. It looks very healthy! :)