Is it true that hair stalls at waist?

[crystal_89]

I've been reading that some people say their hair stalls at waist length and that it is common. Has this happened to you? Any reason for hair stalling at waist in particular?

I didn't notice my hair stalling before when I grew it a bit past waist, but since I chopped around 3 inches off a week ago, I'm wondering if it will stall when I grow it out again.

[ljkforu]

I've been reading that some people say their hair stalls at waist length and that it is common. Has this happened to you? Any reason for hair stalling at waist in particular?

I didn't notice my hair stalling before when I grew it a bit past waist, but since I chopped around 3 inches off a week ago, I'm wondering if it will stall when I grow it out again.
Not to be impolite, but I cut my hair back every time it gets to close to the toilet. I have never had my hair stop growing or slow down. I still get 1/2 and inch per month right after the trim. I hope this helps. I'm sure that there is no change because 4-6 months after my trim I start to have problems again. I have Multiple Sclerosis and some twisting mobility problems, that is what my length trim point is based on. Can I or can't I take care of it?

[Arctic_Mama]

Some people really DO have an extremely short anagen cycle for hair growth, sometimes only two to three years but much more common is that the hair isn't well taken care of and breakage makes it seem like it won't grow any longer. If the ends of the hair break every few months it would completely counter the growth from the scalp.

Terminal for most people is usually classic length or longer. If you're hitting your tail bone or thigh and you've given it a good two years with absolutely no growth (because stalls, sometimes lengthy ones, can happen) then you've probably found the max length any one hair on your head can grow before entering the catagenic and telogenic phases (the shedding phase where your hair naturally loses a hair to begin another out of that same follicle.

To answer the question no, I have had no extremely noticeable stall, but my hair growth did slow significantly for several months after the birth of my first daughter. But I just had my second daughter two months ago and I noted in my growth picture tonight that it seemed to have grown more than 1/2 an inch, easily, in one month's time. So I can't definitively say why growth slowed last time.

[darl_in1]

Mine didn't stall at waist, but it did stall for ages at tailbone. I think that stalls are very common, but where and when is individual.

[Pegasus Marsters]

Mine seemed to stall at just above waist, but I think that's more because there's no landmarks on your body for the hair to hit so you don't realise it's growing.

[Hypnotica]

Not on me anyway. I kind of whisked past waist and are currently some inch off hip bone. I think stalls have more to do the current health of your body and mind.

[anna1850]

Mine actually sped up at waist. I hit waist then a month later I was 2" past it. I think it was the summer growth spurt. Some people seem to stall around there but I'm not sure why and everyone's different.

[Long_hair_guy]

I don't think it does. I just think its easier to spot that your hair is growing when shorter.

I think my hair has stalled at my waist but I believed that it stalled at my shoulders before.

[Tressie]

Nope, I didn't notice a stall at waist. My problem was, that I wore my hair down most days (pre LHC lunacy), and at waist that oldest hair was getting dry and a little frizzed. Ergo, I would always have it wacked off when it got down below waist, back to waist or slightly above. Now, I believe anyway, that I am taking better care of my length and at the least am a velcro ends coddler in the extreme. I intend to see IF I can reach classic before I enter the extended care facility and some well meaning individual does a big chop!

I am the master of the "run on sentence"! Sorry Mr. Bakko!

[Anje]

I had a growth stall a bit above waist, but just because it's common doesn't mean it necessarily happens. For some people, it's because at a length around BSL or a bit past, hair experiences new sources of wear and tear that they're not used to, and it often needs to be put up more to avoid this new wear. For others (like me -- my ends were healthy and I was already wearing buns all the time), it just seems to happen.

I doubt you're in for a stall just because you cut your hair back. Follicles don't normally notice when you cut your hair. (If they do, it often seems that they're in a hurry to gain the length back.)

ETA: When I stalled, I was measuring my hair regularly, and it stayed at 27 inches. Strangely enough, the stall was in spring/summer, IIRC.

[savi]

I think it's a combination of no 'landmarks' to compare to, natural growth cycle and possible breakage. It might stall as it might at any other time, but it'll grow. I believe so.

[Chromis]

No stalls for me so far and I'm only a couple inches from classic...of course it seems like it is taking forever to get there, but I blame my big booty, that's a challenge to grow over!

[spidermom]

Mine didn't stall at waist.

[AJoifulNoise]

I didn't stall at waist (when last I was there), but my growth did slow down.

[Euphony]

No stalls for me so far and I'm only a couple inches from classic...of course it seems like it is taking forever to get there, but I blame my big booty, that's a challenge to grow over!
hahaha mine's a few inches shorter than yours so it's just now making the great climb over the mountain and flipping up at the ends. I have these cute curls flipped up at almost the whole hemline.

Mine stalled at waist and I mentioned it on the board and a lot of people said a waist stall was normal. I'm stalled again right now, and realize this is the same time as I stalled last year - it seems to me I stall at this time of year and it was coincidence that it happened at waist since I'm far past that now.

[jel]

Last autumn I felt that my hair had stalled an inch or two before waist. However, it's more likely that I really, really wanted to get to waist after more than a year since BSL, and it couldn't grow fast enough for me! By now, it's at hip, and slowly inching towards my ultimate goal, tailbone.

[Slug Yoga]

I doubt it. After all, your hair follicles don't know when the end of your hair is at your waist! You have a genetically pre-programmed growth cycle, and your hairs will keep growing for however long that is, at which time they'll shed, take a break, and start growing over again.


Mine seemed to stall at just above waist, but I think that's more because there's no landmarks on your body for the hair to hit so you don't realise it's growing.

What she said! I think this might be a reason why hair *seems* to stall at waist length, in addition to any breakage caused by not caring for hair.

[dor3girl]

I have noticed with myself & my long-haired friends--that hair will stall at a length it has never been before. For example: if you have worn shoulder or BSL for years & try to grow it out--it will "stall" at waist. If the longest your hair has ever been is waist, it might stall at hip. Stalls seem most common just a few inches below your longest length. Stalls are also more common among those who are growing out color or highlights (probably from the damage).

[mjm4]

erm... i don't know about anyone else, but my hair is the kind that requires constant 24/7 attention. i swear if i didn't brush it 1 day because i was too busy, it will fall out heavily the next time i try to brush it. forget stalling, it will do a kamikaze and just drop off the top of my head. :confused::(:mad:

but to be honest, when i do fid time to brush it and tie it in different ways everyday for at least three days (after a CO wash) i notice a MAJOR improvement... and i don't know whether it is my brain lying to me or what, but it actually feels that just after 72hours of intense hair care, my hair grows like weed!!! so note to self: CO wash every 2 days and new tying technique daily... you never know, the miracle of reaching APL may happen sooner than i think :cheese:

[Iylivarae]

I haven't cut my hair for more than one and a half year now, I still get the same growth rate. My hair also didn't stall at the waist.

[jojo]

My hair is going through a stall right now, but I don't put it down to it getting to to BSL in my case, more its the natural time for the growth to rest. I would not be at all surprised if I stall again this time next year, personally I think I am just weird and most of my growth happens in winter instead of the normal summer growth spurts!

[freznow]

Μy hair seemed to go through a stall at between waist and hip and then again just shy of classic.

It might be perception - those are major landmarks and sometimes you can fool yourself into thinking things. It might be that for a great number of people it actually does stall - my theory is that it has to do with when you START growing your hair. If you start around shoulder, maybe it's natural that those hairs that have been forever cut at shoulder length have therefore reached the end of their lifespan (terminal, time not length) and that produces the stall.

That's just my theory, though, absolutely no science to back it up. And there are plenty of exceptions, of course, because hair has SO many variables in it. It could be something completely different than what I think.

[magicatt]

hahaha mine's a few inches shorter than yours so it's just now making the great climb over the mountain and flipping up at the ends. I have these cute curls flipped up at almost the whole hemline.

That's the same length mine is at now. I have flips all over the place on the ends. I'm sure I'll have them for quite a few more months as it climbs over the mountain.

My growth has never stalled. I have had the odd month here or there where I got less growth or no growth but never for more than a month and it usually had to do with my health.

[kate46]

My hair is going through a stall right now, but I don't put it down to it getting to to BSL in my case, more its the natural time for the growth to rest. I would not be at all surprised if I stall again this time next year, personally I think I am just weird and most of my growth happens in winter instead of the normal summer growth spurts!

Jojo you are not weird on your own lol, my hair also grows more in the winter than the summer. Perhaps it has something to do with our Uk summers being colder than winter lately ;).

[heidi w.]

I understand your question differently.

It's not about 'stalls' per se.

The cycle of hair growth includes a resting phase, a shedding phase and a growing phase. This process is unique to each hair follicle on your head which accounts for why you don't go bald every so often! (not unlike your body just knowing when to dump progesterone and when to have your mensus -- the whole cycle of the mensus...) This process means that hair is always in a replacement phase. My understanding is that around 30 or so inches of hair growth, typically around year 4 (give or take), hair will be in a larger resting phase and seemingly stop growing. Usually it's in an intense replacement phase. Prior to this time or during this time there may be a larger than normal shed that may go on for a while. For many this can correlate to the approximate zone of waist length.

I had this occur around 2 years ago now. It began around 3 years ago. My hair is considered uber long so it took a longer period of time to replace (even my beau was stunned at the wad of hair I lost almost daily), in a manner of speaking. My shed rate was quite high. My hair didn't grow hardly at all. This continued for nearly 2 years.

But I recalled my hair guru's words. Your hair will seem to stop growing, and it may last a year or so, but don't worry. It'll start again.

He was correct.

So if you ever encounter such a situation, and even shedding is increased, do not fret. The time to fret is if your hair begins to fall out in chunks and clumps! Balls of it. This is a sign of a few possible health concerns, most notably, thyroid issue of some sort. (You can also have a chronic increase in shedding that even lasts a while if your are borderline anemic to full on anemic -- lacking sufficient iron in the blood.)

Also remember we do not maintain our volume of hair from our youth til our very elder years. Over time, as a response to hormone shifts and our genetic DNA, hair thins over time. A long time.

Various things can affect this cycle along the way: health, medications, stress, pregnancy, breastfeeding, to name a few.

heidi w.

[WavyGirl]

Mine has been hovering around waist for ages. I wouldn't call it a stall because I know it's very old damage that is causing breakage, not lack of growth. If I didn't know that then I would have given up long ago believing I was at terminal. I know that for sure because I gave up repeatedly at BSL for years before finding this site.

It seems that many people have periods where their hair just doesn't seem to grow. I think it's more likely related to their overall health (whole body not just hair) than hair length until they actually hit terminal. If you are enjoying good health and treating your hair well then I see no reason why it should suddenly stop growing just because you reached waist length.

[heidi w.]

I should say that I HAVE met some, albeit relatively few, who's hair did seem to stop growing at a shorter length than they might desire. This DOES happen. I would suggest that this is likely caused by genetics, in that case. There ARE some people whose hair just doesn't grow to overly long.

The other fact this may occur is related to hair care. In some of those instances, just by looking at the hair I could tell the hair wasn't being well cared for. This was not true in all instances, however.

To repeat, this is relatively infrequent, but not impossibly so that some reach a certain point and that's it.

Most, though, are not genetically wired to stop growing at waist length.

heidi w.

[vindo]

I've been reading that some people say their hair stalls at waist length and that it is common. Has this happened to you? Any reason for hair stalling at waist in particular?

I didn't notice my hair stalling before when I grew it a bit past waist, but since I chopped around 3 inches off a week ago, I'm wondering if it will stall when I grow it out again.

The reason why people think that is because the average length easily reachable for the average person (damage and all other factors included) is somewhere around the middle of the back.
Past that many expereince that growing is not as easy as it used to be, hair may stall, taper severely or be too damaged to easily grow further.
Good care is the best you can do!

HTH!

[PeaceWithTrees]

I think it may seem that it is not growing as much because there are fewer landmarks to tell easily.

[Starr]

My hair seemed to be stalling once it hit hip, but in reality it just filled out- the longest hairs rested while the shorter ones caught up. Now I'm happily creeping towards classic and it feels like my hair isn't getting any longer, but it's just taking its sweet time getting over the hump (metephorically and physically).

[willowcandra]

I think I classed everywhere between bra and tb as waist so I guess it did seem like I was there for ages. But I could still see the difference on the measure.

I did stall at bra strap though, I was there about a year, and again at tailbone. It could be that I trimmed of accrued damage there. Or that hair does stall a bit. That's why you can't really say you are terminal untill you have been at the same place for about two years. (and you know you haven't cut too much off.)

[jojo]

My hair is going through a stall right now, but I don't put it down to it getting to to BSL in my case, more its the natural time for the growth to rest. I would not be at all surprised if I stall again this time next year, personally I think I am just weird and most of my growth happens in winter instead of the normal summer growth spurts!
Yes it did stall again during Oct just goes to show!

[squiggyflop]

hmmm yes mine stalled.. but that was due to a scalp fungal infection.. as soon as i used monistat it cleared up and grew again.. i think most of the "stalls" are actually the hair breaking off..

[Crysta]

My hair likes to stall at bra length I think.

It's not logical. lol
It might happen with most people -stalling I mean-
because it's harder for them to look after their new length and it breaks alot.

[jel]

i think most of the "stalls" are actually the hair breaking off..

Some stalls can certainly be explained by hair breaking off. However, as I henna, I could clearly see the roots growing - and they were very, very slow during my stall!

[noelgirl]

I actually had the opposite happen - now that I'm trying to maintain at waist, it actually seems to be growing faster! A couple of months in a row, I trimmed an inch and gained that inch right back within the month. Maybe it's been growing this fast all along and I didn't notice because of breakage?

[halo_tightens]

I doubt it. After all, your hair follicles don't know when the end of your hair is at your waist!

Slug Yoga said it for me. :)

A stall would be a personal thing, not a matter of being at a particular length. Your hair doesn't have any idea how long it is!

[82exoticbeauty]

I don't know about that part, since I am already pass waist and at mid-butt length! I haven't experience any stall! Except when I bleach my hair blond and not taking vitamins and caring for my hair! Everybody here has different stalls!

[jojo]

Some stalls can certainly be explained by hair breaking off. However, as I henna, I could clearly see the roots growing - and they were very, very slow during my stall!

same here I have highlights and the roots definatelly where slower in showing. Incidently I also have hardly any split ends so breakage isnt an issue, probably because i oil daily and my ends are normally hidden away in a bun 99% of the time!

[Tangles]

Mine certainly is doing the "right above waist" stall. I actually don't mind, I'm viewing it as a chance to just put as much moisture in it as possible, plus when it starts growing again I have this funny feeling I'll make it to hip really quickly.

[windinherhair]

I thought my hair was stalling at the waist but it was a misconception. It was due to my too frequent trimmings, or the hair salon was cutting off more then what I thought.

[Gingevere]

If this is true, it would explain the extremely slow growth I've experienced the last few months. For the first half of this year, my hair was growing 1/2" to 3/4" per month, but since August I've seen <1" of growth! Perhaps my hair is just stalling. Waist is so close... I thought I was almost there, but if my hair keeps growing at this rate it could take another year or so.

[Gothic Lolita]

I've read that a coulpe of times but mostly this was a misconception. At the earlier growing stages, between chin and shoulder, the distances aren't as far as between BSL to waist and waist to hip. And you also can see your hair at your back so some people believe that their hair doesn't grow for a while.

[Aditi]

My hair did not stall at waist or any length i was at waist length in September and currently i am at low-waist so they are growing.

[heidi w.]

Absolutely can occur. And not uncommon to occur somewhere between BSL and waist, as this typically represents around 4 years of cycling on hair growth, and we can then have a big shed in anticipation of a replacement/growth.

My hair is pretty long now, and I hit around knee/calf length and it seemed to stop, for about 2 years (this was after I was trimming for about a year or so at knee length to deal with a weak spot.

And my hair guru had told me this would occur and to just be patient. It'll start growing again, and darned if he wasn't right. However, I am now 50 and don't have the great growth rate I once had. Hormones can affect that.

heidi w.

[Anje]

Looking back on this thread, I'm glad to see several people mention tailbone-ish stalls. I seem to get the common stall points, and mine lately hasn't wanted to advance past about 38.5 inches. I've trimmed it back again to deal with some scraggly ends, and maybe this time it'll grow past that point. I don't really want to think terminal yet -- my next minimum goal is a nice braid I can wrap fully around my head!

[Sara Smile]

My hair "stalled" at waist length. That was when I decided to get serious about growing it longer, so I went to get a trim ever 6 weeks for two years.

It didn't get any longer until I quit cutting it. Now it's past tailbone. :)

[rach]

I always got the impression many can make it to classic if kept healthy. Any further i believe is down to how good your genetics are............