Growth Stall?

[LauraLongLocks]

Since I started keeping track, here is my growth/trimming record:


September 28th - 28.5"
October 27th - 29.25"
November 27th - 30"
December 5th - trimmed .5" (or so I thought)
January 1st - inconsistent measurement of 29.5" to 30"
February 1st - consistent measurement of 30"
March 1st - a dismal 30.25"
April 1st - 31"
May 1st - 31.25" (only a quarter inch? Really?)
Jun 1st - 31.5" (Again, only a quarter inch?) ... measurement actually taken a day early, but that's close enough
Jun 1st - trimmed 5 mm, remeasured hair and it was the same as before

Also, I didn't update my signature with my latest length shot from June 1st, because I found it disappointing. My middle seems to have thinned and the sides are longer than the middle, so it looks like an A shape. Not the shape I am striving for! I decided to begin trimming a teeny 5 mm every month until it evens out and thickens up, and did my first self-trim on June 1st.


I have really been hoping that I got a bit of growth this month. It's 2/3rds of the way into the month, so I decided to sneak a measurement, and it's the same. 31 to 31.5 inches. I'm getting really discouraged. What are some possible causes of my growth stall?

[ravenheather]

I wish I knew. My hair has grown maybe a inch to an inch and a half since December. I think maybe the oldest and longest hairs are shedding out leaving the shorter hairs to catch up. I have started misting water with essential oil everyday. It has drastically reduced my shedding. Its too soon to tell if it has boosted growth Or not. Fingers crossed.

[jacqueline101]

I'm sorry you're having a growth stall. I understand growth stalls I had one last summer and the one prior when I was growing out my layers. I don't have any advice but micro trimming your hair hem line grows out evenly.

[kitcatsmeow]

Same boat here! I can't figure it out but I think mine may have to do with medication :(

[lapushka]

To me, you come across as being a tad (don't kill me) impatient. :) :flower: My hair, for instance, grows about half an inch a month, and I have to be glad about it and accept that. Try and measure on the 1st of each month and not before. And take into consideration that you *are* trimming and most of all maintaining length.

[KittyBird]

I agree with Lapushka. :flower: Sometimes hair grows slowly, other times it grows fast. Mine has only grown around 0.3" this month, but I'm happy with any progress. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't think that it's always such a good idea to participate in threads like "Monthly Length Photo", especially not if you're impatient. I think it puts a lot of focus on your hair and on gaining length. I tried to do monthly length photos last year, and it drove me insane because I couldn't see any progress, and it seemed like the waves made my hair look shorter for every picture I took. I eventually gave up, and now I just put it up, never measure, and only do length photos once or twice a year. :)

[ErinLeigh]

The only way to make hair grow fast is to dye it a color that clashes with your roots. Then it will appear to grow at lightening speed! Hehe

I am sorry you are having a slowdown. I know you had a goal of TBL by end of year and I can see being disappointed.
Especially when hair used to grow .75 monthly. :/

Maybe your hair is a type that does strange spurts. Slows down in spring then goes crazy in the fall? Its possible. A new diet or exercise plan, stress, hormones, medication, a resting phase... so many things csn make a difference.
I have no idea what it is...but I will say this...your hair is truly gorgeous and thud worthy right now at this length. It will grow when its ready so may as well enjoy some things about it now that you may miss later. Nothing on life will change when its longer except that it will be longer. May as well start admiring the gorgeous ombré and shine for a while until it behaves and grows :)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Hmmm... I don't know what causes growth stalls or spurts but I do know one thing. Growth stalls come to an end. I have an antique bottle of hair tonic and on the label, it says "While there is life (in the hair follicle) there is growth". So there IS growth - just TEMPORARILY not as much as usual. Be of good cheer!

[LauraLongLocks]

So, hovering at 31 inches for 3 months is just fine and I should not be trying to find a cause?

Really?

ETA: I wasn't asking if I was impatient or what other character flaws I might have. I was asking what reasons there might be for a growth stall.

[lapushka]

So, hovering at 31 inches for 3 months is just fine and I should not be trying to find a cause?

Really?

ETA: I wasn't asking if I was impatient or what other character flaws I might have. I was asking what reasons there might be for a growth stall.

Like I said, don't kill me, it wasn't with ill intent! :)

Sometimes hair just slows down - no reason. It happens to all of us. You just have to broaden your view and see what growth you had in a year. If that's off, then maybe then there's time to worry.

[LauraLongLocks]

So, in ten months, 3.75" presumed to be gained, and .75" of that trimmed off for a net gain of 3 inches. I am not trying to whine, but I would love to optimize my growth rather than getting such little progress in so many months. So if there is some possible cause that I can hunt down and eliminate, great. If not, then I guess this is all I get. I know nothing can be done to change your genetic programming for hair growth, but certainly there are things that could hamper it, or optimize it, right? Or am I completely wrong in my thinking?

[LauraLongLocks]

Sorry for taking offense, Lapushka. The way I see it is this. Anytime someone prefaces (or follows) a statement with "no offense" or "I don't mean this with ill-intent" or "please don't take this the wrong way" they most certainly are about to offend, or have just offended. Anytime I feel the need to use one of those phrases, I have come to realize it is a cue to check myself.

Anyway, the matter at hand wasn't my lack of patience, it was merely to ask what possible causes there could be. It sounds like no one knows. Okay. Great. I'll live with that and just putter along at my poor growth rate.

My responses to my quarter inch months has been a tongue-in-cheek "only a quarter inch? Really?" If only you could see the smirk on my face and my sarcasm you would get it.

[lapushka]

3 inches in 10 months, with trimming the last few... isn't that bad, actually. 6 inches is optimum (because most hair "only" grows half an inch a month - yes truth).

And I really meant no offense, but I felt the need to be real about this instead of just well... what should I have said? Take vitamins? That's not gonna help!

[meteor]

LauraLongLocks, I really wish I knew what could be the reason for that. :( I had the same experiences and I never found an answer. Maybe it was just cyclical, maybe my nutrition wasn't optimal, maybe it's general health issues... I don't know.
I think, since hair growth is not a priority for the body, sometimes the body simply doesn't have the energy for fast hair growth. I know I'd rather take slower growth than some shedding that can also happen when my health isn't at its vibrant best.

Maybe you can bring it up to your doctor at your next visit? In the meantime, I'd focus on getting the best nutrition possible and maybe taking a multi-vitamin as an insurance policy.

I wish you luck! And hopefully, the growth stall will end soon! :blossom:

[julee]

Some of the things that cause my hair to stall are poor sleeping patterns, being too sedentary and not eating well/drinking enough water. My hair grows fairly erratically I think, although I don't measure it that much. Being wavy/wurly I find it hard to get a consistent measurement :)

[LauraLongLocks]

I figured out the yearly growth rate based on my 10 months of keeping track, and it equals out to 4.5" total in a year, without trims. That's 12 cm. So if I trim 5 mm every month from June to December, I can expect that my hair will be about 33.25" or 85 cm by the end of the year, for an overall gain of 3.5" or 9.5 cm. Dismal, but if that's what it is, that's what it is. I do take vitamins, lol!

Another thought that crossed my mind... my baby is 14 months old, and still breastfeeding. I don't ever remember having a postpartum shed, and I never have experienced the awesome thickening and fast growth of pregnancy that women describe, but is it possible I have a lot of hairs reaching their resting phase and will soon start shedding? Or maybe I am shedding in that middle section where it is thin? I thought postpartum sheds occurred much earlier on, like 3-4 months postpartum. I usually get pregnant again before weaning my baby, but I might have a bit of a gap this time around since we are intentionally delaying the next conception until at least October.

[lapushka]

LLL, have you considered that you could have possibly S&D'ed too much, taking too much off the major parts of your hair. It's almost like breakage, growth will hardly register then.

[ErinLeigh]

Laura have you always run it is this a new thing for you? Just a possible theory but sometimes when one starts hearty exercise the body can start using up reserves its not used to using and other things slow while the body regulates and sorts out what is happening.

Reading your statement about breastfeeding, PP and not conceiving caught my eye. If you are usually expecting by now after the birth of another maybe you prevented sheds and stalls in the past where now you seeing it. That really a big one to consider.

One option to start sorting this out is to do a temporary streak at the roots. See if it is truly not growing..or see if the ends are breaking. I guess you can tell by the growth of bangs but they sometimes grow at different rate so its worth considering. Maybe henna the tiniest streak all the way to roots and monitor it for growth.

It really could be seasonal..but what about a resting phase? Is it possible growth is slowing for a while?
If you had spurts chances there could be stalls. You may be a spurter and a staller instead of a steady grower.

The A line growth is puzzling along with what you said about the middle. Try simple updos for a month and see if that helps just in case there is mechanical handling effect it loss. Try shampoo instead of co to see if scalp responds better or try inversion. Hmm what else. Do you oil scalp? Any changes in that routine?

The only thing I can say is you will probably have to wait until the one year mark for total growth and if it is abnormal get a blood panel. It's concerning for sure but with so many factors possible there is no way to guess what will help until certain things are ruled out. Stall, unnoticed mechanical damage, breastfeeding, a false terminal drawing near, clogged scalp, exercise change, hormones, age etc.

What have you noticed ? Anything that stands out? When did the A line start exactly?

[Vanilla]

I also saw a major stall at around hip.

In my case, I had a lot of split ends and damage that was traveling upwards, so I trimmed a lot more aggressively. I don't know if I'll have the same stall again at hip, but you are not alone.

Have you upped your protein intake since starting running? I do know that your body will require more protein when exercising more. Protein helps with hair growth; one of the extremely long haired members (arc961) eats a spoonful of peanut butter a day and she says this really helps with hair growth.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Just a suggestion - could it be that frequent pregnancies could be draining your body's reserves somewhat? When the body is stressed sometimes the hair can suffer as it is last in line for whatever nutrients are being used. Just my humble opinion... and I hope not to offend.

[two_wheels]

As a bit of a data nerd... The thing about measuring an annual average rate of a seasonal thing, is that you really have to wait at least a whole year to see the whole pattern and get an annual average. Summer is here. Lots of people get more growth at this time. You could easily get an inch a month for the next two months, then you are at almost 6" for the year.

Personally I'd wait another 2 months. At least then if you decide to try something, you can compare it with the same month last year. (Though I guess pregnancy confounds things anyway.)

[Nesoi]

Hi Laura,

Did you change your routine at all? Because I have noticed a definite growth slowdown/stall when I stopped making time to massage my scalp regularly. I know you're super busy but do you think massaging more often might help to re-start your growth? Or is it possible you've switched to a different product, or are seeing more of a wave pattern which could eat length?

It's so frustrating when hair doesn't seem to want to grow! I hope it starts up again soon :blossom:

[Squiggy]

Over the winter and early spring I had a fairly long stall - about 4 months or so. In that time I gained barely any length, a quarter inch at most, really, and that's without trimming! Like you mentioned, measurements came out inconsistent, so the quarter inch is my best guess. I had a couple of months in a row where there was absolutely no growth at all! It's okay, it happens, although I have no idea why. Perhaps we are the type who grow in spurts.

Maybe, as a generally fast grower (.75 in/mo is awesome!) you are just "feeling" the stall more than some with a bit slower growth would. Personally, my stall was pretty disheartening as well, and I only grow about 0.5/mo.

I'm sure you've heard it before, but it bears repeating: put it up and forget about it! Even put away the tape measure and camera for awhile. Pay less attention to it and one day you'll realize it feels longer, then you'll measure and see that you've gained more than an inch! That's what happened to me, anyway!

Best of luck, Laura, I know it's not fun, it will end!

[pinchbeck]

So, hovering at 31 inches for 3 months is just fine and I should not be trying to find a cause?

Really?

ETA: I wasn't asking if I was impatient or what other character flaws I might have. I was asking what reasons there might be for a growth stall.

Hmm...the following was said light heartedly and there was even a smiley face and flower given at the end.
To me, you come across as being a tad (don't kill me) impatient.


Anyway, the matter at hand wasn't my lack of patience, it was merely to ask what possible causes there could be. It sounds like no one knows. Okay. Great. I'll live with that and just putter along at my poor growth rate.

I wonder if our hair goes through growth rate stages? This too has affected me and it took me over two years to grow my BSL hair to WL when initially it took a lot less when I reached WL a couple of years before. My age could be a factor.

[Nadine <3]

I'm not sure what could cause it, but I have some suggestions. I used to check my growth every month. It drove me mad, so I stopped. I got tired of checking, not seeing growth, and then getting upset.

So put you hair up and forget about it. Eat well, get enough sleep and BAM in a few months you'll be amazed at the growth.

I put my hair up and out of the way and when I checked I found I had gained an inch of growth. It was a wonderful surprise!

I also do find I get more growth when I remember to do scalp massages.

[Marika]

I've never measured my hair because I don't see the benefits. Just another stress factor which I don't need. But I've always been told that hair grows 12 cm/year. Some months it grows slower and sometimes faster but the average is 12 cm a year (without trims). I would just stop measuring.

[torrilin]

Another thought that crossed my mind... my baby is 14 months old, and still breastfeeding. I don't ever remember having a postpartum shed, and I never have experienced the awesome thickening and fast growth of pregnancy that women describe, but is it possible I have a lot of hairs reaching their resting phase and will soon start shedding? Or maybe I am shedding in that middle section where it is thin? I thought postpartum sheds occurred much earlier on, like 3-4 months postpartum. I usually get pregnant again before weaning my baby, but I might have a bit of a gap this time around since we are intentionally delaying the next conception until at least October.

If you're intending to conceive in October, and that's a "long" interval for you in between kids... that's 18 mo. For singleton pregnancies, you want the kids spaced at least 24mo apart, or your body doesn't have enough time to recover. If the pregnancy was rough or had complications, you may want to go longer. Pregnancy is hard on your body. If a twin birth is involved, add at least 12mo for the extra kid, and unless the babies were super healthy, you can definitely stand to go 48mo.

Frequent pregnancy definitely could be the cause of a stall. And I think you'd rather your body used the energy to grow the baby than your hair...

Breastfeeding is also hard work for your body. Good work, but hard. It might be worth talking with your doctor to see if there are things you can do to help your body handle the work load you're putting on it.

If you're also adding in a new exercise regimen and you haven't always been active in other ways, that's also hard on your body. Muscles take energy to build!

[spidermom]

I agree with Nadine>3 and Marika - don't measure. It's just one more thing that can stress you out, and stress isn't good for hair growth or optimal health. Take as good of care of your health as you possibly can, and hair growth/good condition will follow, although of course it is possible that your hair has reached its genetic limit for length. I really don't know of any way to push past that limit other than doing all that you can possibly do to prevent breakage at the ends.

torrilin has some really good points, too.

[lapushka]

Hmm...the following was said light heartedly and there was even a smiley face and flower given at the end.

I was a bit afraid to say it, still, but... oh, well... can't take it back now. :(

[StellaKatherine]

My own hair grows in general kinda slowly. From the middle of february till now it growed 5cm ( maybe even slightly less hmm..,), that is 4 month time. So in a year it will grow 15cm (5,9 inches) if some sort of dramatic growth spurt wont appear lol. And I do not trim my ends at all ( haven't cut or trim my hair for 2 years now) and I just couple of weeks ago started to do any of S&D. Yes it grows slowly for me, but it grows.... I do not stress about the matter so much, but more focus on the health and the look of my hair. I wish I could give you some advice... For me not measuring my hair is the best thing I do. I will measure next time maybe at the end of this year and not earlier. I do not want to stress myself on how slow it grows :) I want so badly to get to classic, that it would make me go nuts if I start measuring monthly ;)

Anyway you are not alone sweety , /HUGS :blossom:

[T-Red]

I feel my growth has slowed down over the last couple months or so. I had hoped with summertime, spending longer hours outdoors in sunlight, would help. But I suppose its an exercise in patience. Its like watching corn grow.

[neko_kawaii]

If you really want to measure how fast your hair grows, trim to a hemline you enjoy and then don't trim for a year while measuring each month. You will learn what your growth was like over that year and you will find out if your hair grows unevenly or if you were accidentally trimming unevenly. Of course, to really understand your growth, you need to measure periodically for a few years.

[martyna_22]

My hair seems to have stalled as well... but I don't measure, I'm not patient enough. I'd rather just see the progress over the months rather than measure every little bit that grows, be excited that my hair grew faster, then it would stall again, I'd be wondering what it was I did wrong... No, it'd probably drive me insane.
My method is to eat healthy food, exercise, get enough sleep... I won't obsess over it, it's not worth that much.

[chen bao jun]

laura, you are in this for the long haul--I also suggest not measuring--or not more than 1x per year. Measuring is so inconsistent and also at your time of life when you are having children and breastfeeding, your body just does different things at different times. I would say that in fact 3 inches in ten months when you also trimmed and S & D'ed is just fine. In your siggy, your hair visibly grew and looks healthy and great. Being on here can give a person VERY unrealistic expectations, don't get trapped there.

[Sunny_side_up]

I thought I didn't have good growth last year, but seeing the growing out dye gradually work its way down with the lovely virgin growth coming through I measured an average growth rate for the year. New growth looks healthy and thicker. Less shedding from routinely taking my iron tabs me thinks, also increased protein for a good few months and the results are stronger hair. It used to be kinda finer and brittle

[Silverbrumby]

First off sorry for the stall. I'm stalled as well and I've decided to tough it out for six months and no trims and wear up. So far I've gone from 25 to 26 with a few odd runners going to 27.

I've found that trimming always takes more of than I think and I'm sure it's nit because of how much I'm taking off (I measure) but more how my remaining hair reacts. It retracts. Eg I trim 1/2 inch and I lose 3/4 because it springs up a little even with such a small trim. I don't have pin straight hair and I'm sure that's why it does this.





3 inches in 10 months, with trimming the last few... isn't that bad, actually. 6 inches is optimum (because most hair "only" grows half an inch a month - yes truth).

And I really meant no offense, but I felt the need to be real about this instead of just well... what should I have said? Take vitamins? That's not gonna help!

[jeanniet]

I would stop measuring entirely. Take a picture no more than every three months, and don't worry about it. If your priority right now is having children, then your hair can take a backseat for the time being. I really don't think you're going to see a whole lot of growth while your body is busy with other things, and that's OK. Your hair will grow as it grows.

[LauraLongLocks]

Thank you all for the well-thought-out responses. In troubleshooting, I'll try and go through some of the suggested causes, and see if I can narrow down a reason for this stall.

1. Running - I have been running for 5 years. I eat 120+ grams protein most days.

2. Pregnancy - The births of my children have been spaced as close as 18 months and as far apart as 4 years, with most of them being 2 years apart, on average. Waiting until 18 months after the birth of one child to the conception of the next child will give a 27 month spacing, so it is a *little* bit more than I usually get between kids.

3. Change in routine - Yes, I have changed my wash routine, supplement intake, use of oils, sleep cap, and using the Tangle Teezer since joining LHC at the end of October. Before LHC, I was doing CWC every other day. I switched to CO-washing, began using oils more consistently (I did use them before, but not as much as I do now), started using a sleep cap instead of just my satin pillowcase (yay! The tangles are eliminated and no more sleep braids wrapping around my neck at night). I have added MSM, gelatin, collagen, and horsetail (silica) to my supplements as well. I have always taken prenatals with so many years of being pregnant and breastfeeding, and have also taken cod liver oil, brewer's yeast based B-complex, vitamins C and D, probiotics, and bee pollen/propolis/royal jelly. I have taken these supplements for many years. I switched from my comb to a Tangle Teezer, but about 3 weeks ago switched back to the comb. This morning I decided to use the TT again, however. I've used a BBB for years, but have slacked off in using it lately. My CO-washing started out as a daily thing, with shampooing once every 4 days, then 7 days, then 11 days, then monthly or sometimes longer. I have stretched the co-washes from daily to every other day, and sometimes 3 or 4 days. I have noticed some pimples on my scalp, so I think this is a good place to start. I think I will do more frequent shampoos instead of stretching the shampoos so far apart. I will also go back to every 2-3 days co or cwc in case clogged pores/follicles are a problem.

4. Trimming more than I thought... not likely. I used a measuring tape before and after. There isn't much wave pattern in my hair, so not a lot of "spring" when you only cut off 5 mm.

5. I have been feeling depressed a lot this year, and finding my motivation to get out and run, to eat properly every day... it's been really, really hard. Stress? Yes, that too. I often have too much going on for one person to handle properly. The depression has been grief-induced, and though I am functioning, I am not fully myself. I don't think anything will fix my depression, because it's normal to be sad when you have lost two children (one died, and one was legally abducted through adoption because I was exploited by the adoption machinery as a young pregnant teen), and have a third one incarcerated (his own doing... and he'll be on the sex offender's registry when he gets out... wasn't his first offense). I'm not abnormal, don't need medication. I need ALL of my children. So, is that a factor in my stall? Probably. It hit me hard this year, even though it's been 22 years since losing my daughter, and 3 years since losing my son. My other son has been locked up for almost a year now. Because of his issues, I haven't been able to really be his mom since he was 12 (the first time he offended and was locked up). So, ya know what? Though I have some really awesome blessings in my life, and though I love the children I am left with, I still have been dished a crappy load of life to deal with.

6. Seasonal stall... maybe, but it has been through colder and warmer months, so it is hard to say.

7. 12 cm vs 6 inches a year. 12 cm is actually 4.72 inches, not 6". So, maybe my growth is absolutely average over the year. It's just weird to get .75" several months in a row, and then practically nothing after that. So, maybe since I haven't been tracking very long, I am just unaware of my body's ebbs and flows when it comes to hair.

8. Breakage. Well, I don't use heat or chemicals on my hair. I don't do a lot of the same styles. If I wear my hair in a braid, the tassel is not usually allowed to swing and rub against my clothes all day because I usually bun it somehow. I do, however, tend to wear my buns low center on the back of my head and underneath the bun gets itchy sometimes. I am wearing it in twin buns today to get some air to the back of my head in case that's a problem.

9. Hair growth rate experimentation - I tried castor oil, and it was so hard to get washed out that it may have caused some of my scalp pimple issues. It did nothing for my growth that I could tell. I tried the coffee rinses, and that had a nice, clean, astringent effect on my hair, but did nothing for my growth. I tried monistat for a month, and it tingled sometimes, but did nothing for my growth rate. I tried the inversion method, and it also did nothing for my growth rate. I tried biotin, and it did nothing for my growth rate, but I love what it has done for my nails, along with the MSM, collagen, gelatin, and silica. So, I've kept up a little extra biotin until I finish out this bottle, but I may drop it after I am done.

10. Don't measure / don't take pictures every month. Well, I could stop doing that, but I am finding it fascinating, even if it is somewhat aggravating and disappointing sometimes. I came onto hair forums because I wanted to be in a place that I could obsess over my hair, and my appearance in general, where the rest of the world wouldn't understand or care. I figured I was allowed to whine and obsess from time to time. Aren't we all here for the ups and the downs of having, growing, and caring for long hair? I'm glad I am measuring and taking pictures so that I can see what is happening. I plan to continue, even after I push through this slowed growth (and I will, no doubt!), taking photos and measurements. Having a place where I can focus on something "light" instead of the very heavy stuff I mentioned in #5 is good for me. I need a distraction from time to time, and my hair is a great distraction. Yes, I am vain, but it is not harming anyone else, and it isn't harming myself, either. Yay for me! I found an outlet that is non-harmful where I can just forget all about my real life junk for a while, and it isn't demanding like some of my other life ventures/hobbies (family milk cow, running/triathlon, being an amateur singer and violist).

So, I think I'll change up my wash routine and go from there. Thanks again for all the feedback.

[merrow]

Sorry to read you're having a growth stall, those can be so frustrating! From what I can see from the pictures in your signature, your hair still looks long and lovely to me! :)

[StellaKatherine]

Sounds like you have lots of reasons to have your hair growth slow down. My heart is bleeding for you just by reading... Just take good care of yourself and take as many pictures as you feel like needing ! /hugs ! :heart:

[lapushka]

Sorry to read -most of all- that you're having such a hard time right now. *Hugs* Maybe let it surprise you at the end of a full year. If you manage to get to 4 inches, or thereabouts, with trimming included, well it's not been a bad year growth-wise after all. And it will be promising to track the growth for a year to come. I'm sorry I was a little (or maybe more) harsh at the beginning of the thread.

[two_wheels]

I don't have any more suggestions about growth, but huge :grouphug: for #5.

[Nesoi]

Hey Laura I tried to PM you but there's no space! Clear some out if you have a second? Or not, it's up to you of course :)

[Crumpet]

LLL -- This has almost nothing to do with hair, but I wanted to say that as little as I know you (just from the LHC), I think you are an amazing person. It sounds like you have had a lot to deal with and having it come up this year is rough. You're right to remember how many incredible children you have and you certainly should take credit for working so hard to have such an incredible family.

As for the hair, well, we can't be perfect and our bodies don't always do what we WANT for them to do. My suggestion is to focus on your mental and physical health as it sounds like there are lots of variables there that can impact growth. I've suffered from depression before, so I know its rough. Baby steps, treating yourself well, and not beating yourself up, are good starting points.

In sum: you are awesome, give yourself a hug, get your husband to give you a hug, and get them from your kids. You deserve some extra happiness right now!

:blossom:

[Tini'sNewHair]

Awh Laura you have to much going on, stress is inevitable. I hope that your hair can get passed this. I feel that even my hair has slowed down a fair bit. I find taking photos and measuring to be a great experiment which I want to continue for 2 years straight, this way I should get a pretty clear view of any seasonal growth stalls/spurts etc. I also see my hair as a distraction and fun obsession :)

[torrilin]

Honestly, with the stress of having a kid in jail, and another child dying, that might be a good enough explanation all by itself. With all the other stuff too, it's not surprising that you might have growth at the slower end. Stress has a powerful effect on our bodies.

It may be there are things you can do to reduce stress. But you can't fix your son's behavior :).

As far as obsessing... it's definitely something you can do here. But most of us aren't going to recommend continuing with a potentially stressful obsession. Stress isn't good for you on any level. And your body very sensibly prioritizes hair growth dead last. Repairs to you come ahead, and growing muscle, and growing babies or making milk... you're asking a lot of yourself, and it sounds like overall you're very healthy. So while your hair growth may not be the maximum possible with your genes, you're not doing horribly either. Cutting out the stress of obsessing over hair often seems to help, if only in terms of mood.

And yeah, the overall situation sucks. I wish we had some easy answers for you, or an easy way to help. But there's really not an easy answer.

[LauraLongLocks]

I went to bed last night with castor oil on my scalp (did the inversion method while massaging my scalp) and heavy coconut/shea on my length, with a plastic cap over the top for the greenhouse effect.

This morning, I did a CO-wash, followed by a CWC, and my scalp isn't itchy! It feels clean, but not dried out. I found more scalp pimples while I was handling my hair this morning. Maybe the castor oil wasn't a good idea. It's sort of a hassle... I don't think I'll keep it up. If it worked to increase my growth rate, I would be thrilled, but since it doesn't have that effect on me, and might be clogging to my pores/follicles, it's probably just not a good idea for my scalp/hair. Anyway, I'm pleased that my scalp feels so much better. This is a good thing. I guess I didn't realize how itchy it was getting to be and all the gunk that was on it.

[lapushka]

I went to bed last night with castor oil on my scalp (did the inversion method while massaging my scalp) and heavy coconut/shea on my length, with a plastic cap over the top for the greenhouse effect.

This morning, I did a CO-wash, followed by a CWC, and my scalp isn't itchy! It feels clean, but not dried out. I found more scalp pimples while I was handling my hair this morning. Maybe the castor oil wasn't a good idea. It's sort of a hassle... I don't think I'll keep it up. If it worked to increase my growth rate, I would be thrilled, but since it doesn't have that effect on me, and might be clogging to my pores/follicles, it's probably just not a good idea for my scalp/hair. Anyway, I'm pleased that my scalp feels so much better. This is a good thing. I guess I didn't realize how itchy it was getting to be and all the gunk that was on it.

When my scalp isn't shampood enough it gets scales an inch wide. Seborrheic dermatitis. It needs its cleanse, harsh cleanse. Oils are not good for this situation. You might try substituting one CO for shampoo, and see how you go?

[LauraLongLocks]

When my scalp isn't shampood enough it gets scales an inch wide. Seborrheic dermatitis. It needs its cleanse, harsh cleanse. Oils are not good for this situation. You might try substituting one CO for shampoo, and see how you go?

Mine doesn't ever get any scales, just gunk under my fingernails if I scratch, and it makes tiny flakes of waxy/greasy yellow-ish junk. I think I'll definitely swap out a CO once a week for a CWC.

[two_wheels]

I get an itchy scalp if I don't use shampoo- not scales, but definitely unhappy itchy/yuk stuff. That, and reading about people getting sheds from CO, was enough to make me reach for the shampoo bottle again :lol:

CWC sounds good, hope it works for you.

[AmyBeth]

I'm very sorry for all the sorrows you have to deal with. And I'm happy for all the joys in your life, too. I can see by your pictures that you must be doing something right for your hair because it has grown beautifully and looks truly thudworthy and its current length. You should certainly be happy with that, for now. From my own experience, I can tell you that I have absolutely no idea what causes a stall or how to nudge my follicles out of it. Sorry! I had a 6 month stall last summer/fall. How frustrating was that? I was only microtrimming maybe as much as 1/4 inch every three months to get rid of layers. And I could see my hair was growing because of the slightly more than 1/4 in of roots in my hendigo that my hair was still growing, but I did not gain any length at all! It happened at hip length, too, like it seems to for many of us. I actually just accepted that this is my terminal length, and I'll just make it look the best I can. I trimmed about 2 inches off to get rid of residual layers and gave up experimenting with shampoo bars (which I just didn't like) and started using cones again (which my hair needs!) and in 3 months, I regained the length I cut off, plus some. I don't know if it was just coincidence or if I was finally giving my hair what it needed to be able to realize more length. I do believe that I have a shorter terminal than most, but I can't believe that when someone has the length you have with the hemline you have, that you're approaching terminal. Just... no way. And for some of us, gaining length can take more time the longer it gets. It's my very humble and uneducated opinion that if you take the best care of yourself you can, protect your hair the best you can, you will wake up one day soon, look in the mirror and say "Whoa! It grew! When did that happen?" Chin up!:blossom:

[AmyBeth]

PS- there is a conversation on page 52-53 of the "Growing as long as it will go thread" about stalls you may find informative.

[Lyv]

You've really been through a lot, I don't know that I could handle it as well as you seem to be :grouphug:

I know this is a pretty obvious one but I am pretty horrible at it but what about your water intake? When I wasn't drinking enough water it had a huge effect on my hair! Have you tried adding Peppermint EO to your scalp oiling or conditioner? If it doesn't help with growth it at least feels really nice lol.

[Crumpet]

Actually, it occurred to me just know (partially because of what AmyBeth said, but also a TorrinPaige video and some other threads)...that many of us seem to stall or realize our ends need work, or somesuch other issue at about waist length. According to Torrinpaige, this is where she started feeling like she had to work on her ends and trim. Perhaps this is part of your issue? I know that waist was where I felt I had to start maintaining to deal with my poor ends from previous bad behavior.

Just a thought so you can see it might be more normal at your length than it seems...

[LauraLongLocks]

Wow, thanks for all the support and troubleshooting. I usually drink a half gallon of water a day, but sometimes I don't as much. I do have peppermint EO in my scalp oiling stuff, but haven't added it to my CO-wash yet. I should. My ends? Yes, they probably do need more care now than they used to need. Maybe they are breaking off and I am not realizing it. The microtrimming I have begun should help with that I hope, and I have had very nice feeling ends since starting to use shea butter and coconut oil on them every night. I wear my hair up all the time, so as to protect those ends and prevent tangles. I will make sure to pay attention to my water intake better. I know sometimes when I miss a workout, I don't drink near as much. Can't hurt, right?

Thank you, all, for the hugs. I don't like to be a whiner about my life, but I do acknowledge that I have had my share of walking through the refiner's fire. I have been greatly blessed in a lot of ways, too. My faith in God is strong, my relationship with Him is close and dear. In my journal entries, I hope my posterity will find strength, knowing they came from good stock and they can face any trial with resolve and determination, as that is the example I am trying to set for them.