Need help! n00b to promoting hair growth + routines

[Neelie]

I had waist long hair up to a few months ago but sadly ended up with a buzzed pixie (long story...) but in a nutshell I'm totally new to promoting hair growth and product etc. and wanted to run this by ye, the experts, to see am I doing things right or if I could improve something to maximize potential... (I'm very depressed with my short hair and really want to do everything I can to have my long hair back, so I'll try anything!) my routine is as follows:
[B]
Multivitamins (Centrum) and separate Silica and Hair complex (Biotin, folic acid, Zink etc) + leave in caffeine serum (Alpecin)
Also, eat fish 1-2x weekly and flax seed for omega3
On wash days: head massage with coconut oil, leave for 1-2 hours and wash with the "FAST" amino shampoo + cond.

I want to now start the inversion method for 7 days in a row each month also.

Should I continue with what I'm doing or has anyone ideas and suggestions for improvement of my routine? Is coconut oil ok to use for me? Is the Alpecin/Caffeine worth the cost? Is there anything else I could do? Any help and tips greatly appreciated :)

[Anje]

Adequate nutrition and sleep and stress avoidance (yeah, about that....) are always key, but for most people, 90% of growing hair is about keeping the length once it comes out of the head. Still, lately, there's some chatter about the "inversion method", which involves daily scalp massage and holding your head low for a few minutes a day one week per month. In the past, putting Monistat (the medication for yeast infections) on the scalp overnight before washing gained a lot of popularity as a way to boost growth. These things come and go around here in regular cycles. :)

Coconut oil is OK if your scalp likes it and doesn't get acne or something. Some people find it makes their hair stiff or crunchy, some find it makes their hair dreamily soft and supple; do what you find works best for your hair, because we're not all the same.

Once your hair gets long enough, get yourself in the habit of wearing it up. First, that'll be gentle ponytails (don't "tighten" them if they feel loose -- that leads to a lot of breakage for many people), then later braids and buns will be your friends. Hair that doesn't get caught under straps, pinched between back and chairs, tangled in the wind, and so on really doesn't break as readily as hair that experiences those things. (Obviously, if you have tougher hair, you'll get away with more than people with fragile hair, but in the end everyone will have healthier length if they keep their hair from being weathered.) Keep trims to the minimum necessary to keep your hair looking OK and from splitting -- trimming more hair away than is strictly necessary will extend the time it takes for your hair to grow. Most people growing their hair don't need haircuts more than every 3-6 months, and tiny trims then, rather than removing several centimeters. If you need more than that, it's probably a sign that you're damaging your hair more than you should be and that your habits need reevaluated.

Anyway, I hope that helps. Be patient and avoid doing crazy things that'll result in you needing to chop your hair off!

[sarahthegemini]

Do you actually have a vitamin deficiency?

[vpatt]

Yes what Anje said. I think she covered it well. I would suggest checking out a micro trim thread to learn about that.

[brickworld13]

Do you actually have a vitamin deficiency?

^This is a really good point. If you don't have a vitamin deficiency, you are probably wasting your money at best. At worst you could get an excess of fat soluble vitamins/minerals and those don't just go away when you urinate. They take time for the body to process out and can make you feel super icky in the mean time. (extreme cases can lead to hospitalization and death) If you have an excess of the water soluble vitamins/minerals, they are literally going down the drain when you flush the toilet. It's not a good idea to take vitamins if you aren't deficient.

[LauraAlaina]

Great thread, im interested to hear advice as well. I've been taking Biotin and I've found it's making my hair grow like crazy! We'll see though when I take my picture after 2 months.

[Neelie]

wow anje thank you! that's some super input and I really appreciate it :) yes the coconut oil seems to be ok so far.
im only 2-3 weeks in atm so ill keep an eye on my scalp. im going to have to wait a while till I can think about ponytails im afraid lol.

yes I take vitamins anyways for my health (I need a bit more iron and vit-c) so it makes no odds to me there :)
the biotin I found really improves hair quality too. I have a healthy diet anyways but I do find certain supplements
do really help :)