Stalls and False/Shorter Terminal Lengths

[DollyDagger]

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering about stalls and false terminal lengths as well as definitive shorter terminal lengths.

Did your hair stall at a certain length? How long were you stuck there for? What changes did you make that helped get you past the stall?

If your an LHC'r old timer -I know this has been discussed in past years but with those passing years I wonder if your opinions have now changed as far as genetically determined shorter terminal lengths.



TIA
Dolly:blossom:

[trolleypup]

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering about stalls and false terminal lengths as well as definitive shorter terminal lengths.

Did your hair stall at a certain length? How long were you stuck there for? What changes did you make that helped get you past the stall?
I had a years long stall at past Classic/Thigh, then randomly my hair gained about 6-8 inches at something approaching a normal growth rate. Now it is gaining VERY slowly (an inch or less per year).

[spidermom]

Sometimes I feel that I've been at the same length for too long, but then I see a picture that shows my hair has grown. Or I remember the 2 inches I cut off a few weeks ago. So I don't really know why I'm responding, except to say that if you want long hair, let it grow and take care of it. Don't worry about did it grow, will it grow, did it stop, OMG am I at terminal,etc.

[DollyDagger]

Sometimes I feel that I've been at the same length for too long, but then I see a picture that shows my hair has grown. Or I remember the 2 inches I cut off a few weeks ago. So I don't really know why I'm responding, except to say that if you want long hair, let it grow and take care of it. Don't worry about did it grow, will it grow, did it stop, OMG am I at terminal,etc.

Thanks for answering Spidermom I do appreciate it...To be completely honest after I posted my question I wandered off and started reading some way older threads. I do recall seeing your replies there too...so I know youve witnessed the stalled-ones come and go..as well as come and grow. :)
I never even heard of the term terminal before!
Your absolutely right ..just let it grow and take care of it. With the vicious cycle of abuse and the consequent chopping of it ..Im pretty sure thats the reason why I really havent been past BSL in decades. Ive already learned so much. Even though Im not so keen on me with my hair up..Ill do it and Ill do it alot..!hehe and the flat iron and blow dryer I got rid of already 2 years ago. So now..I shall let it grow :)
thnx again for answering :) :blossom:

[DollyDagger]

I had a years long stall at past Classic/Thigh, then randomly my hair gained about 6-8 inches at something approaching a normal growth rate. Now it is gaining VERY slowly (an inch or less per year).

thanks for reply trolleypup..good to know only a temporary stall..it was just having a little rest then back off to the races ! :)

[Upside Down]

My hair grew very slow after waist last time I let it grow. But I worenit down more than up.

Now it is growing past waist at what seems a normal autumn speed, although I am.not a measurer. I just realize that I have another twist around in my bun or that it doesn't fit in this or that towel anymore or that my braid seems to be taking longer than before.

From what I understand false terminal means your hair is breaking at the same speed as growing. I do not believe that hair follicles know what is happening at the ends and whether the ends are at your shoulder, butt or knee.

I've even seen a thread where the hair actually shortened!

If you fear that, look for the cause of breakage.

:blossom:

[DollyDagger]

Thanks upsidedown :) for chiming in...oh dear..actually shortened.!? yikes! So in your case putting it up more helped..This is good to know. I've been putting mine up more than ever before lately after learning how it can be helpful. Im not really worried per se..I just wondered what happened with LHC'rs from older threads who were worried. If it was all for naught for them. I dont measure either..these curls are to wiley to measure..lol Its also hard to tell growth as much too. I havent used heat styling tools for over 2 years and stopped colouring a month or 2 ago so this coming year with no trimming challenge I should be able to get a good idea of growth rate and such.
Thnx again :)

[bte]

Did your hair stall at a certain length? Yes with enough to have an 11 inch ponytail

How long were you stuck there for? 17 years

What changes did you make that helped get you past the stall? I tried to eat as healthily as possible, but my own health was deteriorating anyway, leading to kidney failure.

I put up with it, but as dialysis improved my health, I gained over 2 inches.

[spidermom]

I actually did experience a time when my hair got shorter. I had been cinching a belt around my natural waist, waiting anxiously for my hair to touch my belt. Finally it did! Then the ends overlapped the belt! Yay! I started watching for the ends to pass the belt, and one day the ends weren't even touching the belt, much less overlapping it. This went on for awhile; it wasn't just a one-day fluke. I was taking really good care of my hair at the time, so I don't think I had massive breakage of the ends. The only thing I can figure that might explain it is that maybe all my longest hairs shed out around the same time. In the long run, no matter. My hair kept growing all the way to my legs, then I cut it back to waist and layered. Now I'm growing back to legs, maybe even down my legs this time.

[DollyDagger]

Did your hair stall at a certain length? Yes with enough to have an 11 inch ponytail

How long were you stuck there for? 17 years

What changes did you make that helped get you past the stall? I tried to eat as healthily as possible, but my own health was deteriorating anyway, leading to kidney failure.

I put up with it, but as dialysis improved my health, I gained over 2 inches.
Thnx for replying bte. I'm really glad your health improved ..thats the main thing!! and also that you gained 2 inches afterwards! :)


I actually did experience a time when my hair got shorter. I had been cinching a belt around my natural waist, waiting anxiously for my hair to touch my belt. Finally it did! Then the ends overlapped the belt! Yay! I started watching for the ends to pass the belt, and one day the ends weren't even touching the belt, much less overlapping it. This went on for awhile; it wasn't just a one-day fluke. I was taking really good care of my hair at the time, so I don't think I had massive breakage of the ends. The only thing I can figure that might explain it is that maybe all my longest hairs shed out around the same time. In the long run, no matter. My hair kept growing all the way to my legs, then I cut it back to waist and layered. Now I'm growing back to legs, maybe even down my legs this time.
You were watching them too much ..they decided to pull a fast one on ya :) Ah well..they got back on track after that though so thats good. Ive seen your hair pics here and there..like your mermaid wavey one and the most recent one..very beautiful!

[spidermom]

Thank you; the compliment made me smile.

[DollyDagger]

^
.. yw :)

[chen bao jun]

I think you are suffering from new-person-syndrome. I never heard the word 'terminal' in regards to hair until I got on LHC (three years ago). But I always thought my hair could be bra strap at longest (when straightened), because that was the longest it had ever been. So I was sure I had a terminal that was only that long, no matter how much I read people telling me it was unlikely.

As you are on here longer and see your hair grow, you will forget about worrying about terminal.

Because even a supercurly like me (shrinkage lets me see very slow growth) can see that my hair is actually growing when I follow LHC advice.

The most important advice that I got was to keep my hair up.

that also helps you to not measure quite so constantly...

Spider mom, it is great news that you are growing again. I missed seeing your posts.

[DollyDagger]

Thanks chen boa :blossom:for the kind words and sharing your experience from when you were new..you understand and remember how it was being new.
lol....yes im learning all these new perils and dangers :) and potential issues..along with so much other knowledge and tips.
Mostly I wanted to be assured that the discussions from the threads I had wandered off and got lost in -that those new people from back then eventually grew and everything was okay :) Keeping it up is the prevailing wisdom for a reason..it helps..and I am trying my best to do that.

[Kendrix]

Mine FEELS stalled for sure. I have only gained 3 inches since my micro trim back in february. It's frustrating. I may just be a slow grower.

[Frankenstein]

I stalled at about APL for quite a long time - at least a year. I'm not really sure why; I had bleach-damaged hair at the time but the ends weren't breaking off to cause the stall/any loss of length. Maybe it was because my health was bad at the time. Once I got past APL and around BSL it began to grow at a faster rate - which is also the same time my health improved.

[DollyDagger]

Mine FEELS stalled for sure. I have only gained 3 inches since my micro trim back in february. It's frustrating. I may just be a slow grower.
Hmm...maybe youll have a growth spurt soon then.

I stalled at about APL for quite a long time - at least a year. I'm not really sure why; I had bleach-damaged hair at the time but the ends weren't breaking off to cause the stall/any loss of length. Maybe it was because my health was bad at the time. Once I got past APL and around BSL it began to grow at a faster rate - which is also the same time my health improved.
That's good to hear Frakenstein..Im glad you got your health in order too!

[chen bao jun]

Mine FEELS stalled for sure. I have only gained 3 inches since my micro trim back in february. It's frustrating. I may just be a slow grower.

It is exactly six months since February, so three inches would be on target as average, normal growth. Some do grow faster. there are many who grow slower. This is not a stall.

[ChloeDharma]

Oh my, I've been through some real hair dramas in my time since joining here. At first I was growing out chemical damage and my hair seemed to grow at a snails' pace but it did grow and keeping it up and oiled all the time along with BBBing and twice weekly treatments plus henna helped a lot. Then I had a bit of a health disaster that is part of an ongoing problem but that made loads of my hair fall out, that was in 2007 but it was building up before that too. Since then I've been through hair loss where my length got shorter and my thickness was lost and at times I've not even been able to get to bra strap length despite having bum length hair at other times.

I've given up many times and resigned myself to just not having nice long hair but then I've also managed to really turn it around with certain routines and achieve fast growing hair that has thickened by 150% in a relatively short space of time.
At the moment I'm more focused on thickness and am just around the BSL area but in need of a trim but do seem to be doing better. My health and diet play a big role of course as does sticking to a routine that works for me.

I hear that MSM increases the anagen phase of the growth cycle so keep trying to be consistent in taking it but generally do end up forgetting.

I'm not sure if this really answers your question!

[DollyDagger]

Thnx for sharing your ups and downs Chloe Dharma..:) Great to hear you've turned things around for the better! Continued healthy growing to you:blossom: :) and continued improved health too!

[Kendrix]

It is exactly six months since February, so three inches would be on target as average, normal growth. Some do grow faster. there are many who grow slower. This is not a stall.

That is such a relief! I started BCL on this site and because I am trying to grow over my butt to classic, it doesn't look like I am gaining much length.

How can a person TELL when they are approaching terminal? I have never grown longer than my hair is right now.

[Anje]

For what it's worth, I stalled for something like 7 months (right after I joined!) at about BSL. 27 inches, every time I measured it. I was wearing my hair bunned every day and had never used heat tools on it frequently or done much chemical styling. It wasn't breaking off, but it also wasn't growing longer.

I'm glad I waited it out and didn't stress about it too much. My hair did start growing again after taking its weird little break, and now it's long enough that it swishes into my hands when it falls over a shoulder.

What did I change? Nothing that I can think of. Sometimes, you have to eliminate the reason that your hair is breaking, sometimes you just have to wait and see what your body is going to do next.

[DollyDagger]

thnx Anje..:)
That sort of where I'm at now..just waiting it out. It's good to hear when others went through similar little stalls or breaks and got past them. I don't measure or anything but my eyes can't discern the growth all that much sometimes. Its probably because I see me too often. I should not look at the back of my hair for a solid month or 2..lol
My sister had her hair so short on Easter then I saw her a few months later it already looked like it had grown so much. But then again her hair is pretty straight so its much easier to tell then with my curly wurls. I've always had it my head that my hair grows slow in comparison to my mom and sis who seem to gain inches overnight. This could be true or it could be just perception. Not cutting it for an entire year will shed some light! :)

[Silverbrumby]

Well it had to happen. I'm joining the thread! I have a short terminal as far as I can see. I've been on this site for 4 years and followed most of the advice. Some of it was a fail including oiling the scalp and that monistat thing I did for 2 years which caused a lot of excessive shedding.

In the 4 years I've been here I've mostly bunned my hair, gave up sulfates and switched to organic shampoo. Got rid of heat tools. Gentle handling. I've also blunt cut the ends to thicken them up and it's made zero difference to the thickness of my hair past APL. My hair has a dramatic drop off in thickness past APL. At APL it's around 2' circumference. At my scalp it's now over 3 inches. At BSL it's barely 1/2 a pencil in thickness despite 4 years of micro trims to thicken it up before heading to waist.

Recently I did finally get about 100 hairs that made it to waist when I just stopped trimming for 10 months when it got past BSL. It was a victory but I couldn't stand the look of it so cut back to just above BSL again where it looks like I layer my hair. And as my husband trims it I know it's not some weird salon cutting causing this. I have a short terminal for most of my hair and a few brave souls who can go a little further.

It does run in my family from the looks of it. When I was 8 years old I stopped cutting my hair until I was 14 and it never really got past the area between BSL and waist. It was thicker as a teen but just never got long.

I'd love to be proven wrong and I have seen some folks here actually go past what they think they can achieve. Maybe I'll be one of those people.

BTW, I recently hennaed and for the past year I've been using a dermal roller on my scalp every 3 weeks. This seems to have dramatically reduced my shedding and I am seeing more thickness slowly coming through the length. I hope this works and there has been clinical trials on dermal rollers on the scalp for men stimulating new growth. Unfortunately they added in Rogaine into the experiment and I can't use that so I can only assume it's less effective in me the dermal rolling. I do love the increased thickness of my ponytail from 2.75 to 3.1 now.

Also I do take vitamins, I have normal vit D. and iron and sleep well and drink plenty of water with a mostly organic diet with great oils.


This is my hair today. The Henna took out a lot of the curl

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5633/21088360920_3a22c3f55a.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/y8vmZE)2015-09-09 10.56.09 (https://flic.kr/p/y8vmZE) by Donna Donut (https://www.flickr.com/photos/43043412@N08/), on Flickr

and with the curl encouraged

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5641/21250349416_37e533cb69.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ynPAwL)2015-09-09 11.05.09 (https://flic.kr/p/ynPAwL) by Donna Donut (https://www.flickr.com/photos/43043412@N08/), on Flickr

[DollyDagger]

Hi Silverbrumby-I think I do remember seeing you in the older threads I wandered off into. Sorry to hear about your struggles. It sounds that you've seen some improvements though over the years so that's a good thing. That first picture where your hairs straight looks to me like your just about at waist. The second picture looks like the thickness has moved down in comparison to your avatar. Thanks for sharing you experience :) I can understand your frustrations.
Stranger things have happened and you could be proven wrong yet. In the meantime though keep enjoying your hair. I think that away from the extreme lengths that are found here I would be inclined to still refer to your hair as long. :) :blossom:

[Silverbrumby]

Hi Silverbrumby-I think I do remember seeing you in the older threads I wandered off into. Sorry to hear about your struggles. It sounds that you've seen some improvements though over the years so that's a good thing. That first picture where your hairs straight looks to me like your just about at waist. The second picture looks like the thickness has moved down in comparison to your avatar. Thanks for sharing you experience :) I can understand your frustrations.
Stranger things have happened and you could be proven wrong yet. In the meantime though keep enjoying your hair. I think that away from the extreme lengths that are found here I would be inclined to still refer to your hair as long. :) :blossom:

Awww, you made my day and thank you @DollyDagger. I'm actually happy with this length and thickness now. Two years ago I tried Rogaine and it was a disaster. Losing so much hair it wasn't funny and causing my eyes to puff up like l never slept. It is getting thicker IMO. BTW, I'm at peace with my hair and I like to chime in so that other people don't think they are crazy for not growing to lengths some people say are very achievable like hip. I think it's good for people to hear from others who have a shorter terminal as well as the amazing beautiful heads of long hair here. I don't know. Maybe waist hip is the most common length most women can at least grow to. I have swedish heritage and I have noticed that there are some shorter heads of hair there. Or at least finer.

[diddiedaisy]

I sometimes wonder if I have a shorter terminal length. My ends start getting thinner before I reach apl. However, when I joined here I had been suffering from an extremely long excessive shed. I lost about 30% of my hair. So a lot of my problems have been waiting for that hair to grow back in. What makes me concerned is that my top canopy always seem to have a shoulder length layer that appears not to grow. My shed hairs are also mostly hairs that would fit into that length and have an undamaged tapered end.

The longest my hair has ever been is bsl. Back in April or May when I did reach bsl I had growth at the roots but a no show on the overall length. But then I cut back to just above apl because it was so thin. At the moment I'm refraining from hair elastics in case its breaking the ends, so at some point next year I shall find out if I can get past bsl.

Silverbrumby I think your hair looks great :)

[Mammasaurusrex]

I am so glad I found this thread. I just read all of your posts and its making me feel not so alone. My hair has never in my life been longer than around arm pit length. It starts to thin right there and just doesnt grow anymore. It always has looked so terrible and unhealthy. Im at shoulder-ish area now and it is healthy and thick and shiny. Anything longer than this though and I usually don't have good results. This year is the first year I have actively tried to grow my hair out and been nice to it, no heat and no chemical dyes. Ive seen a lot of growth this year which doesnt surprise me BUT I will be surprised if it continues to grow after March. I should be at what I am assuming is my terminal length at that time and I am anxious to see if it continues to grow during that time.

[DollyDagger]

diddiedaisy

Your hair pics on the other thread show much improvement ! Looks like your back on track..and yes elastics are not the best.


Mammasaurusrex


This year is the first year I have actively tried to grow my hair out and been nice to it, no heat and no chemical dyes. Ive seen a lot of growth this year

That might be your answer right there. I think your hair could very well surprise you now! :)

[Mammasaurusrex]

Yay! Thank you for the encouragement. So for everyone here, I found this shampoo that is specifically for hard to grow hair. It's called biotera long and healthy shampoo and conditioner. It has good reviews and is relatively inexpensive. I'm thinking about giving it a go once I run out of the shampoo I use now or when I have the extra money.

[bte]

Thnx for replying bte. I'm really glad your health improved ..thats the main thing!! and also that you gained 2 inches afterwards! :)
Thank you! Yes, the extra 2½ inches really helped me - as my health improved, I could experience my hair getting longer for the first time in 17 years, and once I was better but still quite weak, I was able to enjoy having enough hair to braid for the first time in my life, which I'm going to enjoy letting folks see in London on Saturday.

Hope you get more growth yourself very soon.

[diddiedaisy]

Dollydagger, yes I've definately made progress but it's a slow game. I hate to keep those bad hair photos but they are good at showing progress. I'd already forgotten how bad my hair was in January, so you do get a boost when you compare them down the line.

I think when you get obsessed with looking at your hair daily you just don't see improvements.

[ChloeDharma]

Silverbrumby I just have to say your hair looks gorgeous! I've seen a few of your posts where you talk about your difficulties growing and really feel for you but I have to say that your hair now is enviable!

[missmelaniem]

Ive had fairly long hair many times both as a kid and adult and I'm pretty sure my terminal is waist length.

When I was a kid (and not as tall) my hair grew to about hip length. Since Ive stopped all of the coloring and wont heat style my hair I'm pretty sure that my terminal length will be healthier but not necessarily longer. I plan to use hair sticks as much as possible over elastics to put my hair up, which I think will also help.

I'm 100% ok with healthy, waist-length hair. :)

[DollyDagger]

Thank you! Yes, the extra 2½ inches really helped me - as my health improved, I could experience my hair getting longer for the first time in 17 years, and once I was better but still quite weak, I was able to enjoy having enough hair to braid for the first time in my life, which I'm going to enjoy letting folks see in London on Saturday.

Hope you get more growth yourself very soon.
Thats great..Im sure you will enjoy that!
Thnx :)



Dollydagger, yes I've definately made progress but it's a slow game. I hate to keep those bad hair photos but they are good at showing progress. I'd already forgotten how bad my hair was in January, so you do get a boost when you compare them down the line.

I think when you get obsessed with looking at your hair daily you just don't see improvements.
I agree its good to keep them to see how far youve come. And yes as they say a watched pot never boils :)


Silverbrumby I just have to say your hair looks gorgeous! I've seen a few of your posts where you talk about your difficulties growing and really feel for you but I have to say that your hair now is enviable!
^absolutely this..:)

[Silverbrumby]

Silverbrumby I just have to say your hair looks gorgeous! I've seen a few of your posts where you talk about your difficulties growing and really feel for you but I have to say that your hair now is enviable!

Thank you so much. I do love my hair now thanks to all the help and encouragement here on the boards. I've embraced my quirky shorter terminal and I'm making the most of the hair that grows between my head and my bra strap. 3 years ago I was despaired of growing out something I'd even like. I am thinking of offering to purchase on amazon and send dermal rollers to a few members here as part of an informal trial to see if others get less shedding and better growth with them. It's a hassle and kind of weird to do this but I'm now curious enough to want to see if it works for others.

[Hairkay]

I've had mine BSL for years. Now that I'm putting it up and leaving it alone I see progress. Oh I also started deep conditioning once a week since last year.

[holothuroidea]

I set my goal as terminal because I was legitimately worried it wouldn't grow at all. I go by the assumption that I'm already there, so every new inch I get is a bonus. For me it was better to have a process goal than an end-point goal.

So I guess, ask yourself: If you're at terminal now, does that change how you feel about your hair? Does it change how you'd maintain it?

[ChloeDharma]

Thank you so much. I do love my hair now thanks to all the help and encouragement here on the boards. I've embraced my quirky shorter terminal and I'm making the most of the hair that grows between my head and my bra strap. 3 years ago I was despaired of growing out something I'd even like. I am thinking of offering to purchase on amazon and send dermal rollers to a few members here as part of an informal trial to see if others get less shedding and better growth with them. It's a hassle and kind of weird to do this but I'm now curious enough to want to see if it works for others.

The dermal roller thing certainly sounds interesting. If you start a thread on it I'd certainly follow that as I'm interested in all things to do with treating hair loss and encouraging growth. I'm glad you are in a happy place with your hair, genuinely, I know how horrible it can be to loose hope and to hear your success story certainly is inspiring to others. Your new photos help with that too!

[Unnamed]

My hair has stalled out (actually it lost length, then stalled out, although it rarely stayed the same length very long, see here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2188&p=286889&viewfull=1#post286889), especially late 2009 through 2011), due to a massive shed (an estimated 70-80% loss), that came only about a year after another less severe shed (~40% loss). Of note, during the massive shed and 'stall'/essentially an artificial terminal, all of my pre-LHC hair (dyed black, which I eventually bleached out, plus every end was broken due to brush damage) shed out. It took several months/close to a year after the huge shed stopped before length really started gaining again.

Then, it gained about 6" fairly quickly, then stalled at 54-54.5", and that was 2+ years ago. Currently, it's trying to gain length again, and it's about an inch or bit more past the top end of the range it was stuck in. Somehow.

My end goal is still terminal, although what that is, who knows! Twenty years ago, I was told repeatedly my hair would never even grow to waist length (it's very, very fine), and it thinned enough by BSL that I kept it trimmed there for a good decade. Then, somehow, it managed to get down to about hip by the time I joined here (when I was dying my hair black--it seemed to have thickened and possibly even strengthened my hair...bah), and I decided to just let it grow, since terminal length had long been the 'goal'. I've just hoped for the next length marker, with the assumption that it'll never make it. Current likely unattainable 'goal': Calf (straight). I just wish I'd stop shedding out massive amounts of hair every 1-3 years. Unless I ever go at least ten+ years without a shed, I don't think I'll ever be able to call 'terminal' length. It'll just be terminal of the moment. :lol:

My mom's hair also hit an artificial terminal. It remained at roughly waist with super thin ends for well over a decade, then abruptly gained length down to mid-thigh before she had me cut it back. She didn't change care at all, but she switched to a different iron supplement and switched thyroid medication (synthroid to Armour). Her hair thickness didn't change, just the length.

[Silverbrumby]

Thank you for sharing your journey here. I like how you have let it grow and its inspired me to try again for waist even if its just a few hundred hairs.

It looks like your ends are close to mid thigh. ;)


My hair has stalled out (actually it lost length, then stalled out, although it rarely stayed the same length very long, see here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2188&p=286889&viewfull=1#post286889), especially late 2009 through 2011), due to a massive shed (an estimated 70-80% loss), that came only about a year after another less severe shed (~40% loss). Of note, during the massive shed and 'stall'/essentially an artificial terminal, all of my pre-LHC hair (dyed black, which I eventually bleached out, plus every end was broken due to brush damage) shed out. It took several months/close to a year after the huge shed stopped before length really started gaining again.

Then, it gained about 6" fairly quickly, then stalled at 54-54.5", and that was 2+ years ago. Currently, it's trying to gain length again, and it's about an inch or bit more past the top end of the range it was stuck in. Somehow.

My end goal is still terminal, although what that is, who knows! Twenty years ago, I was told repeatedly my hair would never even grow to waist length (it's very, very fine), and it thinned enough by BSL that I kept it trimmed there for a good decade. Then, somehow, it managed to get down to about hip by the time I joined here (when I was dying my hair black--it seemed to have thickened and possibly even strengthened my hair...bah), and I decided to just let it grow, since terminal length had long been the 'goal'. I've just hoped for the next length marker, with the assumption that it'll never make it. Current likely unattainable 'goal': Calf (straight). I just wish I'd stop shedding out massive amounts of hair every 1-3 years. Unless I ever go at least ten+ years without a shed, I don't think I'll ever be able to call 'terminal' length. It'll just be terminal of the moment. :lol:

My mom's hair also hit an artificial terminal. It remained at roughly waist with super thin ends for well over a decade, then abruptly gained length down to mid-thigh before she had me cut it back. She didn't change care at all, but she switched to a different iron supplement and switched thyroid medication (synthroid to Armour). Her hair thickness didn't change, just the length.

[DollyDagger]

Thnx for sharing that unnamed..your tenaciousness and will to grow is very commendable :) I hope there are no more severe/major sheds for you in the future!