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LadyMantis
May 15th, 2015, 11:08 PM
Ok, so at the risk of sounding totally self-indulgent, I want to share my progress with growing out my hair. I already have fairly long hair (it's in layers, but the longest part reaches the back of my bra). I want to grow it out to my lower back. Not to my butt though because I don't like the idea of sitting on my hair! LOL ouch! :mad:

My biggest problem with growing out my hair is that I have previously needed to trim it regularly because I got dead ends so easily. Thanks to much of the advice you guys have given me about hair care though, it has been almost a month and I have had maybe THREE split ends, which I snipped off.

This post is also maybe to tell people who have had my problem what I have done.

1. No heat EVER
My main problem was that I was using a blow dryer to dry my hair. Not like straightening blowing, just waving it around and drying my hair. Even that made my ends dead.

2. Always wore my hair up
Maybe someone can answer this for me, but I was told by countless people on the forum to ALWAYS wear my hair up. Is it because you are less likely to play with your hair and therefore get split ends? No matter, it really helps

3. Washed my hair less
I previously washed my hair every other day, but I actually wash it every 2 days now. Well, my hair DOES get greasy if I wait an additional day to wash my hair, but like I said above, I wear my hair up all day ANYWAY, so no one can really tell.

4. Used a wide tooth comb to comb my hair and NEVER combed my hair when it was wet
I was told by people on the forum both to use a pure boar bristle brush or to use a wide-tooth comb. I actually have a (really expensive) Mason Pearson bristle and nylon combo brush that my mother got for me a while ago. However, I found that it made my hair REALLY frizzy. Maybe it's just because I have wavy hair and it just does that to my hair type. (2amii)

(For those of you who are curious about the brush I have, it's this one-- http://www.amazon.com/Mason-Pearson-Popular-Mixture-Brush/dp/B001N444JK)

So I got a Mason Pearson nylon comb. It was the most expensive comb I have ever bought, but it is WORTH it. I actually got it at a beauty store where the people know me so they gave me a discount. Basically I didn't pay this much. But yeah, it's an AMAZING comb and it's an AMAZING company. I can't tell you how great it feels to NOT break hair when combing my hair!

Comb--http://www.amazon.com/Mason-Pearson-MPC-RAKE-Rake-Comb/dp/B001N444FY/ref=sr_1_2?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1431752118&sr=1-2&keywords=mason+pearson+comb
They tell you to comb your hair with it when it's wet, but the guy at the beauty store said to NEVER do that because it will break your hair.

5. Used a hair mask
When I DID wash my hair, I used a moisturizing conditioner and put a hair mask on, slapped on one of those disposable shower caps, and slept in it. I put a towel on my pillow and I rinsed it out of my hair in the morning. It was AMAZING. My previously parched hair was HEALTHY.

After the rinse, I put some Moroccan Oil (http://www.amazon.com/Moroccan-Hair-Treatment-Bottle-Blue/dp/B001AO0WCG/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1431752385&sr=1-1&keywords=Moroccan+oil) in my hair (because my hair has a tendency to be on the frizzy side).

Then I spray some leave-in conditioner and let my hair air dry. As soon as it's dry, I comb it and put it up again.

6. Tried to take my supplements
I have to eat a very limited diet anyway (very few carbs for health reasons), so I don't think I get as much nutrition from food as I should. So it's important that I take vitamins ANYWAY. I'm told it really helps with hair growth and hair health though. The number one supplement I take for hair is Biotin. My hairdresser said it makes your hair grow faster.

Any other suggestions for supplements for hair growth would be appreciated! I want to grow my hair out longer as fast as possible! :eek:

7. Tried to stay hydrated
I don't know if this actually helps, but I've read on a few websites that it's important to stay hydrated if you want your hair to be healthy. Sounds logical, but who knows? It definitely doesn't hurt to stay hydrated! :eek:

8. Used hair-trimming scissors to snip off any split ends (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W3QDJ2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
On the occasions my hair WAS down, I would occasional inspect the ends. When I found some split ends, I would just snip them off as close as possible so it didn't alter the overall length of my hair. I mean obviously I'm not going to spend HOURS looking, but I figure just a quick inspection now and then is a good thing.

OK!! That's it!! Phew! Sorry. This post was WAY longer than I thought it was going to be. Anyway, hope you guys have a good evening! And thanks for being patient and answering all my questions!

gthlvrmx
May 16th, 2015, 12:10 AM
About the "dead ends" thing, hair is already "dead" so you wouldn't call what you had "dead ends". Maybe split ends is what you mean? Or damaged ends? Either way, yes I get you, it was not a favorable thing going on for your hair.
The reason why wearing your hair up more often helps out is because you are protecting the more delicate ends (and a good portion of the hair while you are at it). You can get mechanical damage from your hair simply rubbing on your shirt, on a chair, with a purse/bag strap, and other things that we do in everyday life. It prevents you from getting tangles (for most people) which then means you have less chance of getting breakage. Have you read this biotin page? http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html
Your hair growth rate is pretty much mostly determined by your genes. If you are deficient in biotin, then biotin may increase your hair growth rate. Biotin deficiency is not super common so you may be taking more biotin than needed. You get most of the biotin from your food you eat, which includes leafy greens.

The extra care you have been doing for your hair is working though since you got results! Only getting around 3 splits in a month is magical. Good job, go you!

ovalgal
May 16th, 2015, 07:01 AM
I am also new to the forum (new to posting)... And I have learned these things too! My hair has gotten quite long since I started reading all the advice on LHC. I had trouble growing out my hair due to damaged ends and I found stopping heat styling, washing hair less and combing gently drastically improved my mane. Now that LHC inspired me toward healthier habits, I am just growing out the last bit of damaged hair. One thing that has really helped is microtrimming! Here is the link: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=75468

Illryeth
May 16th, 2015, 07:59 AM
I am taking biotin for one month and I dont notice a big difference in growth because I cut it :D *shy*... but I do notice improvement in my skin!!! :D I used to have a lot of pimples but now my skin is sloooooowwwwwwwwllllly clearing up and I dont have that many of those annoying red pimples coming out!
Also my hair seems to have a lot more volume but that may be again because I cut those split ends!
I have tried two other hair supplements and I wouldnt suggest them, as when I stopped taking them all that new and very fine hair that grew fell off xD.
Have you also tried a deep oil treatment yet?
:grouphug:

Madora
May 16th, 2015, 08:06 AM
In answer to number 7, hair is always worn up to protect it from getting caught in things. It also helps to wear your hair up to keep it tangle free (very important to minimize any damage from getting it detangled when you take it down. The less you have to mess with tangles (and resulting damage if you're not careful) the better. This is not saying that you have to wear your hair up ALL the time..but wearing it up really helps with growth (over time, of course).

LillithTheFirst
May 16th, 2015, 08:45 AM
Sounds like you're doing a lot of the right things. I will suggest trying to wash your hair even less. Twice a week at most. Means less chance of more breakages and hairless. Also for getting those natural oil distributed around. you're hair will get used to being washed less. Your hair is so stripped of moisture that its over compensating by getting really greasy - just like your face!. Try washing your hair every 3 days, then every 4. Hair down on day 1, hair braided on day 2, hair in a bun day 3, hair with dry shampoo in a braided bun day 4. Also try finger combing and using carved wooden combs. :)

lapushka
May 16th, 2015, 08:58 AM
Sounds like you're doing a lot of the right things. I will suggest trying to wash your hair even less. Twice a week at most. Means less chance of more breakages and hairless. Also for getting those natural oil distributed around. you're hair will get used to being washed less. Your hair is so stripped of moisture that its over compensating by getting really greasy - just like your face!. Try washing your hair every 3 days, then every 4. Hair down on day 1, hair braided on day 2, hair in a bun day 3, hair with dry shampoo in a braided bun day 4. Also try finger combing and using carved wooden combs. :)

Some people, though, can't stretch washes to twice a week. If you can, more power to you, but it's not a strict necessity.

LadyMantis
May 16th, 2015, 11:13 AM
Sounds like you're doing a lot of the right things. I will suggest trying to wash your hair even less. Twice a week at most. Means less chance of more breakages and hairless. Also for getting those natural oil distributed around. you're hair will get used to being washed less. Your hair is so stripped of moisture that its over compensating by getting really greasy - just like your face!. Try washing your hair every 3 days, then every 4. Hair down on day 1, hair braided on day 2, hair in a bun day 3, hair with dry shampoo in a braided bun day 4. Also try finger combing and using carved wooden combs. :)

Yeah, I'm one of those people that simply CAN'T stretch it or more than every 2 days. Also, I tried dry shampoo and it made my dandruff come back with a vengeance. I haven't had dandruff since HIGH SCHOOL and I'm 28 now! Apparently, it can make seborrheic dermatitis flare up if you are genetically predisposed to it, which I am. Total bummer. :( But I've been told by other people on this forum who have seborrheic dermatitis that dry shampoo does that to them, too.

And yes, I did mean split ends. Also extremely dry and brittle ends.

LadyMantis
May 16th, 2015, 12:06 PM
About the "dead ends" thing, hair is already "dead" so you wouldn't call what you had "dead ends". Maybe split ends is what you mean? Or damaged ends? Either way, yes I get you, it was not a favorable thing going on for your hair.
The reason why wearing your hair up more often helps out is because you are protecting the more delicate ends (and a good portion of the hair while you are at it). You can get mechanical damage from your hair simply rubbing on your shirt, on a chair, with a purse/bag strap, and other things that we do in everyday life. It prevents you from getting tangles (for most people) which then means you have less chance of getting breakage. Have you read this biotin page? http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html
Your hair growth rate is pretty much mostly determined by your genes. If you are deficient in biotin, then biotin may increase your hair growth rate. Biotin deficiency is not super common so you may be taking more biotin than needed. You get most of the biotin from your food you eat, which includes leafy greens.

The extra care you have been doing for your hair is working though since you got results! Only getting around 3 splits in a month is magical. Good job, go you!

I actually DID originally start taking biotin because my hair dresser said I was losing hair and it was becoming thin. I was EXTREMELY depressed and stressed at the time, too. I've heard you can lose hair when you're stressed. Anyway, it was like within months, my hair dresser said it was back to normal. She was the one who recommended I take biotin in the first place.

lapushka
May 16th, 2015, 12:09 PM
Hmm yeah, but are hairdressers *the* people to listen to when it concerns supplements. I don't know. I don't think so. Igor's blog post on it is spot on!

LillithTheFirst
May 16th, 2015, 06:12 PM
Yeah, I'm one of those people that simply CAN'T stretch it or more than every 2 days.

I used to think I was one of those! In victorian times they only washed their hair once a week (usually on Saturday so it was fresh for church on sunday) and set it with rag curls. Which is interesting.

longsword
May 17th, 2015, 12:14 PM
My grandma would go to the hairdresser every Friday to get it washed and set with curls. I don't remember ever seeing her do her hair on her own. Of course when I was little I thought "Ewwww! only once a week you wash your hair?"

LeMimi13
May 17th, 2015, 12:40 PM
Welcome!
I think putting your hair up all the time is subjective. Mine breaks a lot kore when up, as it's heavy.

longsword
May 17th, 2015, 01:05 PM
Hi fellow newbie! Looks like we are both doing the same things (although I dont take vitamins and I do a different type of deep conditioning) My hair has improved drastically by not combing it wet, doing deep conditioning, and washing it less. I have recently since joining this forum wore a bun more often and changed the washing technique a bit.

Aderyn
May 18th, 2015, 12:48 AM
I want to grow it out to my lower back. Not to my butt though because I don't like the idea of sitting on my hair! LOL ouch! :mad:

Hehehe, so said many other newcomers to LHC. Spend too much time on here and you'll start eyeballing knee-length.

Glad to see you've resolved some of your issues, though!