Hi I am new and need some advice!

[Princess Mom]

Hi ladies I am new here, I been struggling with my hair for two years, I always had long hair but two years ago before my wedding, my hair was awful I chopped it all off to my shoulder and it still kept breaking off. I had my 3rd child this year and while being pregnant my hair grew but after I had my son I cut it again to APL.
I been trimming my hair for past two years and FINALLY my hair is growing and is some what long BSL!
I FINALLY stop dying my hair and cutting it. Last time I trimmed it was 2 months ago.
I am trying to get my front layers even with the back, but I decided to let it just grow out and once my hair is in the middle of my back I might trim my hair to get it one length.

i recently started to use coconut oil and I now wash my hair every 2 days and I typically will straighten it with my instyler once a week. Letting my hair air dry it looks really frizzy and curly.
Here is some pics of my hair air dryed

My hair look crappy when it isn't straighten but my hair is really soft it hasn't been this way long
what else can I do to make it grow faster?

http://i62.tinypic.com/2ngzxig.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2wn350h.jpg

[Princess Mom]

http://i62.tinypic.com/2wm350h.jpg

[DreamSheep]

I suspect your hair might be breaking off because you are using heat on it.
If your hair is naturally curly, there are special regimes for curly hair (curly girl method I think) which helps preserve your curl pattern and avoids frizz. :)
I'm sure your wave or curl pattern is lovely, so no need to straighten it!

[Princess Mom]

http://i62.tinypic.com/2wn350h.jpg

[Princess Mom]

There a photo lol I must of did it wrong the first time lol.
My hair has grown a lot since July, I am believing it is because I no longer die or trim it any longer

[Madora]

Welcome to LHC, Princess Mom! If you want healthy, beautiful hair, keep away from the straightening. It kills hair. You might try daily scalp massage, in the bent at the waist position, to help stimulate your hair follicles. If you ARE a curly (I can't see the pictures), then using a wide tooth comb would be best for your hair type.

Here's a little story I wrote, which might help you understand what different steps you need to understand in growing healthy, beautiful hair:
Hi, fellow long hair! Do you want to grow your hair longer? To protect what you have now? Do you know what you need? You need...P A T I E N C E! However, patience is not available: over the counter - on the Internet - in dispenser or pill form - or in a foam or spray - and NOT available on Amazon! * But I need it/want it! Do you really? Then dig down deep and repeat after me: I want: healthy, beautiful long hair/I want to run my fingers through silky strands of shimmering beauty/I want to turn heads when people see my hair/I want hair that glows with good health/I want hair that swishes seductively/I want hair that shines in the sunlight/I want hair that doesn't snap and break off easily! I want to enjoy my hair like I used to! Then you need....P A T I E N C E! /// But (indignantly!), I AM patient! Oh? HOW are you patient?/// I use This n That for my hair (its very gentle!) and Stressles Messes for conditioning it after every shampoo, and I only wash my hair when it needs it! I wear it up daily and at night I braid it loosely and use silk pillow case covers. I air dry only and never blow fry/use hot curlers/straighteners/bleach/back comb or tease my hair. I'm trying to stretch my shampoos to once every two weeks! /// That's excellent! And do you detangle regularly with a wide tooth comb? /// Of course! Every day! ...But you know, my hair isn't growing much...and it's breaking off too. I don't know why! I'm so carefull when I detangle it! /// How do you use your comb when you detangle with it? /// Well, I just kinda finger comb first. /// Fine! /// Then I start to detangle with my comb. /// HOW do you detangle with that comb? /// You mean, there is a CERTAIN way to detangle your hair? /// Yes, there is, if you want to minimize breakage. /// How do you minimize damage? My comb never seems to work properly. My hair breaks combs! My comb is stiff and doesn't like my hair. I'm always fighting my hair when I comb it. /// You need to use a more gentle approach when you detangle with a wide tooth comb. /// A more gentle approach???? ///Yes. /// What's this "gentle" technique? /// It's called P A T I E N C E...and you do it like this: The detangling process is one of gentle steps:
1) finger comb your hair first. Do it slowly
2) Take SMALL, THIN section of hair. About pinkie size. Start at the ends and slowly comb up the strands, little by little, until you reach the roots.
3) Use a small one piece clip (or a scrunchie) to keep the detangled hair separate from the undetangled hair.
4) Take another SMALL, THIN section of hair and do as before
5) Work you way around your head in this fashion. (Actually, it is easier to do if you first make a center part and divide your hair in two sections. Detangle all the hair on the right and confine it. Repeat for hair on the left.
Now you may think this is way too much effort and time consuming. If you want to have beautiful, healthy hair, you must TAKE THE TIME. Small, fine sections let you do a more thorough "search" of the strands.
6) Don't have the grip of death on your comb! you are not fighting your hair! Hold your comb gently and lightly, as if you were holding a living bird in your hand and you were afraid to crush it.
7) When you are detangling, go SLOWLY! If you feel a tangle, STOP IMMEDIATELY! Isolate the tangle and take it apart with your fingers (hold the tangle horizontally and take it apart with your fingers). If you hold the tangle vertically, it just tightens the tangle and makes it about impossible to save. /// But that's SO time consuming! /// If you want beautiful, healthy hair, you'll make time to be patient, OR take precautions to keep your mane from being damaged. you need to be disciplined and proactive and avoid unfriendly hair practices, wear your hair up to diminish the probability of tangles. /// But I do all those things already!! ///Good for you! But remember, you can do all those things, use the best products, but if you are not gentle and slow when you detangle with your wide tooth comb, your hair will show it...with mechanical damage. /// So if I want healthy hair, I should detangle more slowly and carefully? /// Yes! THE End! I am Madora. I'm 68. My hair is now at knee. Genetics aside, how do you think I attained that length? By gentle detangling practices...every single day. You can too, if you're willing to take the time.

Good luck!

[Princess Mom]

Thanks I just posted a photo, my hair is wavy not curly I did brush it out in the photo.
I do agree with what you said. I totally cut back on heating tools. I am actually proud of myself. I seen a photo of myself in July and my hair has grown a lot. I am excited to let it grow to wsl is my goal. It took put 2 years to realize I need to stop cutting and dying my hair.

[Madora]

Thanks I just posted a photo, my hair is wavy not curly I did brush it out in the photo.
I do agree with what you said. I totally cut back on heating tools. I am actually proud of myself. I seen a photo of myself in July and my hair has grown a lot. I am excited to let it grow to wsl is my goal. It took put 2 years to realize I need to stop cutting and dying my hair. Judging from your photo (thank you) I'd say you were on your way to your goal length. Brushing every day with a pure bbb will help keep your hair healthy, shiny, soft and clean. Just be patient and you will reach your goal. Don't forget to learn how to put your hair up (if you don't know already). Learning new hairstyles is a great way to pass the time as you reach your goal, and keeps your hair free of tangles. Check out the hairstyling tutorials of Torrin Paige on You Tube! She is very creative!

[Princess Mom]

this is my hair right now after sleeping in a pony

http://i59.tinypic.com/2s1kxu9.jpg

[Princess Mom]

Thanks I would love to learn some new styles, I am awful at fixing my hair lol.
What is a bbb?

[lunalocks]

A bbb is a boar bristle brush. Some of us love to brush our hair daily (when hair is dry) and others of us use only a wide toothed comb that has no seams between the teeth. And still others of us finger comb only.

I second DreamSheep that the best thing you can do is to stop using heat (straighteners, curling irons, hot air hair dryers etc.) and embrace your waves and curls. For me, if I comb my hair while wet and air dry, it helps it to turn out straighter. But I love my new found waves too.

Read some of the curly threads for more guidance.

[Madora]

Thanks I would love to learn some new styles, I am awful at fixing my hair lol.
What is a bbb?

Here's a lovely style that uses only two strands of hair to create a lace crown braid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

For your further reference regarding boar bristle brushes: not all of them are the same. Some are large and oval, some square and squat. Some have bristles that are too closely packed together (making it hard to get thru your hair), others have nicely placed bristle clumps. Some bristles are long and stiff, others are thinner and more flexible. The best boar bristle brush is one that contains ONLY boar bristles and nothing else. Boar bristles are the closest thing in nature that mimic human hair. A bbb needn't cost you an arm and a leg either! Target has them for sale..the Conair Classic Wood Natural Shine Booster boar bristle brush is under $10.00 and is a very nice brush for the price (I liked it so much I bought two of them). Next to detangling properly, a boar bristle brush can do so much for your hair, provided you use the right brush, and use the right technique.

[Princess Mom]

Here's a lovely style that uses only two strands of hair to create a lace crown braid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPHEzUr5bWQ

For your further reference regarding boar bristle brushes: not all of them are the same. Some are large and oval, some square and squat. Some have bristles that are too closely packed together (making it hard to get thru your hair), others have nicely placed bristle clumps. Some bristles are long and stiff, others are thinner and more flexible. The best boar bristle brush is one that contains ONLY boar bristles and nothing else. Boar bristles are the closest thing in nature that mimic human hair. A bbb needn't cost you an arm and a leg either! Target has them for sale..the Conair Classic Wood Natural Shine Booster boar bristle brush is under $10.00 and is a very nice brush for the price (I liked it so much I bought two of them). Next to detangling properly, a boar bristle brush can do so much for your hair, provided you use the right brush, and use the right technique.


Thank uou!! I'm going to check it out

[LauraLongLocks]

I just want to second the advice to stop all heat tools. Permanently. I think heat styling tools should be used about once a year at most... for special one-time occasions, like a wedding or similar fancy event. If you use them on a regular basis, your hair will be damaged and will need more frequent trimming. There's no way around it.

Also, on the BBBing, I am rather new to BBBing, but I am in love with it. I started just over two weeks ago brushing my hair twice a day bent at the waist and my hair is getting softer and lovelier every day. I'm getting fewer tangles, and losing a lot fewer hairs. I highly recommend giving the BBB a try. I like the Spornette Deville available at Amazon. It feels amazing on my scalp.

As Madora said, detangling and combing carefully makes a big difference. The sound of a snapped off broken hair is one that I abhor, and I do all I can to prevent it.

Prevent tangling as much as possible. The best way I have found to prevent tangles is to wear my hair up. I take it down at night to comb and brush, then it goes into a braid or nautilus bun to sleep. In the morning I take it down, comb and brush it, and put it into a daytime style of my choice. This prevents a lot of damage. I can and do wear my hair down sometimes, but it is for special occasions. Not for everyday. I sort of like having my hair length a secret so that when people see it down they are surprised by how long it is.

So the top things I believe you can do for your hair is to quit heat permanently, learn how to gently detangle and comb it, and wear it up. The BBB might also be a great idea for you, but your mileage may vary. Good luck to you!