What are the secrets to make my hair grow longer without breakage?

[pamela_07]

What is the real deal to make hair grow longer without needing to cut it every month?:rolleyes::rolleyes:
My hair grows uneven,more on top and on the bottom close to my neck its another lenght.

[Saldana]

Here are some ideas:

Wash gently, only the scalp, no more than 2x week
No Heat Ever. No blow dryer, curling iron, hot curlers....nothing. Towel dry GENTLY, then air dry.
Moisturize. Use a good conditioner that your hair likes.
Don't cut it. If you must cut, do only microtrims (1/16" or less), no more than every 3 months.
Keep it in an updo, using gentle hair toys that don't snag or break hair.
Protect it when you sleep. Braid or bun it on top of your head, use a satin pillow case or wrap your hair in a silk scarf to reduce rubbing and friction.
Good nutrition - lots of fruits, vegetables, and high quality protein. Drink water.

Do all those things, and your hair will grow.

[lapushka]

What is the real deal to make hair grow longer without needing to cut it every month?:rolleyes::rolleyes:
My hair grows uneven,more on top and on the bottom close to my neck its another lenght.

Have you got any heat damage of some sort? Bleach, or dye damage?

[LadyCelestina]

Wear it up! If it's breaking around the neck area it is likely it's rubbed on collars or on your chair when you sit. Also, it's normal to have some shorter hairs at the nape and temples, not necessarily breakage :) they are just annoying and tangle a lot.

[Anje]

Pretty much what you've already seen. Wear it up (ends tucked in, held with something gentle, not an elastic), don't use heat on it, don't perm it, don't dye it with peroxide-containing dyes. Be prepared to cut off hair that has received that sort of treatment eventually, because it might be less resiliant than the more gently-treated hair. Comb/brush gently with smooth, seamless implements that don't snag or break your hair. Protect it from friction.

[littlestarface]

Wear it up keep it oiled/conditioned really good.

[Melisandre]

I agree with all that's been said above, BUT, don't forget your overall health. What you eat is important for healthy and strong hair: no processed sugars, an intake of healthy fats, veggies and protein etc etc. Maybe a high quality multi vitamin and no soda drinks but loads of water and tea.. Your skin, nails and hair will show when you take care of your body :)

Edit: just saw Saldana already mentioned this, my bad :p

[Suze]

I stopped eating sugar and eat a lot more healthy in general now. I eat healty fatty acids and protein and I never eat fast food and always prepare my food fresh. I drink a green smoothie every other day and it really shows in my hair growth, skin and nails. Other things like alcohol and medication can also be a (big) factor.

[pamela_07]

Hey, thank you so much!! Loved your tips and advice, and your hair is gorgeous!:)

[pamela_07]

Hey yes I recently bleached my hair cause I love sun kissed blonde hair, my ends don't have much movement they look stiff especially after
bleaching. but hopefully I wont shampoo for a week, That's what I heard that's best when hair got recently bleached!.

[Anje]

If you have issues with your hair now that it has been bleached, protein treatments tend to add strength and resilience to hair that's overly soft or stretchy. Moisture treatments (think things like conditioner and honey soaks, not oil) are good for when hair is stiff and crispy. They sort of balance each other, so don't be afraid to go back and forth between the two to try to maintain an ideal balance of soft and strong hair. That holds for undamaged hair as well, but the balancing is a little more crucial when you've got damage. Oils like coconut can be good too, both for softening hair and holding in moisture, but pay close attention to whether it works for you.

[lapushka]

Hey yes I recently bleached my hair cause I love sun kissed blonde hair, my ends don't have much movement they look stiff especially after
bleaching. but hopefully I wont shampoo for a week, That's what I heard that's best when hair got recently bleached!.

I don't know where you heard that but I don't think that's... quite right.

I agree with Anje. Protein treatments after bleach can be very beneficial. But do keep the moisture balance!

[Annalouise]

If you have issues with your hair now that it has been bleached, protein treatments tend to add strength and resilience to hair that's overly soft or stretchy. Moisture treatments (think things like conditioner and honey soaks, not oil) are good for when hair is stiff and crispy. They sort of balance each other, so don't be afraid to go back and forth between the two to try to maintain an ideal balance of soft and strong hair. That holds for undamaged hair as well, but the balancing is a little more crucial when you've got damage. Oils like coconut can be good too, both for softening hair and holding in moisture, but pay close attention to whether it works for you.

So, are oils moisturizing or not? I was wondering if putting oils directly on the hair for a couple hours and then washing them out, if that is actually adding moisture or not? I'm confused about this. My guess is you need a conditioner with the oils to add moisturizing effects but I don't know? Would you clarify this? Please..:puppy: :)

[lapushka]

So, are oils moisturizing or not? I was wondering if putting oils directly on the hair for a couple hours and then washing them out, if that is actually adding moisture or not? I'm confused about this. My guess is you need a conditioner with the oils to add moisturizing effects but I don't know? Would you clarify this? Please..:puppy: :)

Largely depends on whether it is a penetrating oil or not. If not, you will not get much "moisture" from it.

[Annalouise]

Well, moisture is water? correct? And oil is not water. So I would think for something to be moisturizing it would have to combine water and oils. Would not the water deliver the oil into the hair? Otherwise the oil would sit on top of the hair, just hanging out... My guess is this is why deep conditioners are put on clean wet hair. :hmm:

[pamela_07]

@anje, Hey thanks I never though of honey and conditioner for stiff/crispy ends, before I bleached I belived I had a protein overload( cause I did and egg,olive oil and honey Mask and left it a little to long and hair got super hard and unmanageable), but now I am not sure, maybe I was
confusing it with buildup because when I wash my hair I scratch my scalp and gunk stays in my fingernails, so I really don't know if its build up or protein overload.

I love love the Aussie 3 minute miracle deep treatment. I will do a blue/purple toning mask with this, since my hair came out brassy/yellow :(

[Anje]

Best word for oils is "emollient", I think. They can lubricate hair and replace oils that the hair loses, so they are useful for creating supple hair in many cases. But the moisture from oils and the moisture from water/humectants is different. They don't seem to replace each other well, at least in my personal experience with my own hair.

Protein isn't the only thing that can cause stiff, crispy ends. (For me, protein overload has been stiff but grippy and super-tangly hair, really.) Hair that's overly dry can be crispy, some hair reacts to oils it doesn't like (especially in the absence of water-based moisture) by becoming crispy, and product buildup can make hair stiff and weird in all sorts of unpleasant ways. My usual "when in doubt" reaction to crappy-feeling ends is to start by clarifying with a sulfate clarifying shampoo applied full-strength to the length and ends of the hair, and follow up with a moisture treatment like an SMT. Maybe 90% of the time, that fixes the trouble or at least improves the situation and gives you a direction for continued treatment. If it doesn't, it's time to start looking into things like chelating, try skipping oils, consider whether there's protein overload, whether hair reacts really badly to some specific ingredient, etc. For me with my hair, cutting hasn't ever really helped to eliminate problems caused by stuff on my hair, because that stuff just accumulates on the fresh ends.

[Anya15]

So, are oils moisturizing or not? I was wondering if putting oils directly on the hair for a couple hours and then washing them out, if that is actually adding moisture or not? I'm confused about this. My guess is you need a conditioner with the oils to add moisturizing effects but I don't know? Would you clarify this? Please..:puppy: :)

I am confused about this too. Scientifically, oils would probably seal the moisture if applied on damp hair. But then, my mother managed to grow healthy mid-thigh length hair in her younger days by using zero hair products (just shikakai for washing and daily oiling). I myself grew TBL hair when I was younger (shampoo, no conditioner, daily oiling) with a lot of split ends though (benign neglect :p ) So...I'm wondering what is it that oil does.

Even now, sometimes I oil dry hair when it looks too dry and it feels soft and moisturized for a long time after that.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I feel the same.
Recently when I coconut oil my hair. The next morning my hair feels soft and moisturised, but not oily to touch.
Yet in July when I first tried to oil with coconut oil my hair became crispy.

[LadyCelestina]

oils don't moisturize as they don't contain water, but they can make your hair more supple. It doesn't matter if it's a penetrating oil or not :) just like shoe polish or something - it makes the leather supple, but not moisturized.

[Annalouise]

I have old shoes, old hair...:p and I bought a natural oil product for my shoes to "condition" them. But when I put the oil on them it doesn't sink in. I thought it would help to resurrect my old leather shoes but in fact, it really hasn't improved them. Granted, my shoes are not brand new. Once the leather starts to dry out, putting oil on it doesn't seem to do any good. :shrug::)

[Annalouise]

I am confused about this too. Scientifically, oils would probably seal the moisture if applied on damp hair. But then, my mother managed to grow healthy mid-thigh length hair in her younger days by using zero hair products (just shikakai for washing and daily oiling). I myself grew TBL hair when I was younger (shampoo, no conditioner, daily oiling) with a lot of split ends though (benign neglect :p ) So...I'm wondering what is it that oil does.

Even now, sometimes I oil dry hair when it looks too dry and it feels soft and moisturized for a long time after that.

I think like Anje pointed out, you need both. If there is no moisture in the hair, for instance if the hair is damaged and dried out, then putting oil on it cannot possibly make it better?
I did some reading on the hair and according to L'oreal it is only 3% oil/fat. It is 15% water, and the rest is protein. Just based on those ratios I would think you would need to retain the moisture in the hair. When the hair is healthy, and you seal it with oil then it makes sense that it seals the moisture in the hair. But oil does not add moisture. So putting oil on damaged hair would be useless I'm guessing.

Some reports suggest that oiling the hair can help repair damage. But I can't speak to that because I don't know how that would work.
So I think in your case, if the hair was oiled from the beginning, the good healthy hair, then it would help to protect the hair's moisture content and preserve it. This is different from applying oil to dry damaged ends.:)

[LadyCelestina]

I wipe the excess oil off after oiling my shoes... It doesn't fully sink in because I like to apply a lot. I sometimes apply body lotion or rich hand cream, but tbh the oil works better, lotion is just better than nothing. ETA : editing because you posted in the meanwhile - some oils can penetrate the hairshaft, like coconut, other just sit on top, like silicones, and help seal in moisture (which is water)... and yes if you just apply oil your hair can wind up oily but dry underneath the oil, kind of like when you apply too rich hand lotion.

[pamela_07]

So basically what are some good moisture Treatmens in the store or home remedy wise, the only moisture treatment I have now is the aussie 3 minute miracle moist deep treatment. a lot of people swear by it!, I have heard that egg,olive oil and honey is great great for hair( A lot of people say it leaves there hair super silky,soft and shiny), but for some reason the times that I have done this mask it makes my hair hard and stiff, I suppose is all the protein of the egg and the time I leave it on,

[Anje]

So basically what are some good moisture Treatmens in the store or home remedy wise, the only moisture treatment I have now is the aussie 3 minute miracle moist deep treatment. a lot of people swear by it!, I have heard that egg,olive oil and honey is great great for hair( A lot of people say it leaves there hair super silky,soft and shiny), but for some reason the times that I have done this mask it makes my hair hard and stiff, I suppose is all the protein of the egg and the time I leave it on,

Sounds like it's not for you, then. That's OK, most of this is trial and error. I'm a big fan of the SMT as a moisture treatment. There's a link to it in my signature.

[lapushka]

So basically what are some good moisture Treatmens in the store or home remedy wise, the only moisture treatment I have now is the aussie 3 minute miracle moist deep treatment. a lot of people swear by it!, I have heard that egg,olive oil and honey is great great for hair( A lot of people say it leaves there hair super silky,soft and shiny), but for some reason the times that I have done this mask it makes my hair hard and stiff, I suppose is all the protein of the egg and the time I leave it on,

Egg molecules are in fact too big to penetrate the hair for protein benefits. You'd be better off doing a gelatin mask, but meteor has the full rundown on that!

[pamela_07]

I have a box of knox gelatin, I have done it before and hair gets tacky too, but Since I don't know a lot about hair, now I know that after a protein treatment one should always follow with a good moisture conditioner or masque.

[pamela_07]

@anje btw when you said honey and conditioner soaks what did you mean exactly, I understood soaking my ends in conditioner and honey, like saturing them!!?

[spidermom]

Here are some ideas:

Wash gently, only the scalp, no more than 2x week
No Heat Ever. No blow dryer, curling iron, hot curlers....nothing. Towel dry GENTLY, then air dry.
Moisturize. Use a good conditioner that your hair likes.
Don't cut it. If you must cut, do only microtrims (1/16" or less), no more than every 3 months.
Keep it in an updo, using gentle hair toys that don't snag or break hair.
Protect it when you sleep. Braid or bun it on top of your head, use a satin pillow case or wrap your hair in a silk scarf to reduce rubbing and friction.
Good nutrition - lots of fruits, vegetables, and high quality protein. Drink water.

Do all those things, and your hair will grow.

All good, except ACK! Don't use something as rough as a towel on your hair, even gently. I prefer very soft flannel pillowcases to wrap my hair in.

[Anje]

@anje btw when you said honey and conditioner soaks what did you mean exactly, I understood soaking my ends in conditioner and honey, like saturing them!!?

Yeah, like a mask or deep conditioning treatment. Apply to length and ends, cover with a plastic cap or a baggy, wrap a warm towel, and leave it in for like 30-40 minutes. Then rinse it out.

[pamela_07]

@anje Since I had bleached my hair on Tuesday, today I washed my hair but only with conditioner and the results hae been amazing, my hair feels like silk, I love this co-wash method at least for bleached hair, I don't recommend anyone that is bleaching to shampoo,wait a week or more, just co-wash and you will see an amazing difference!!

Btw do you know of any good growth hair tonic to leave-in your scalp? it could be homemade.

[lapushka]

Btw do you know of any good growth hair tonic to leave-in your scalp? it could be homemade.

Something w/ castor oil, maybe? :) I know argan oil can stain light hair, I have no idea about castor oil (because it is a dark oil as well).

[missmelaniem]

Turbie Twist is a good alternative to a towel as well.. although I still use a towel I no longer scrub my hair dry :D

[pamela_07]

How can I co wash correctly if I have oily scalp,which is prone to buildup? is there any method, since i said before I have bleach hair.

[Anje]

How can I co wash correctly if I have oily scalp,which is prone to buildup? is there any method, since i said before I have bleach hair.

Do most of your washing just at the scalp, without piling your hair up. When you wash the length (which you'll want to do occasionally, but quite possibly not every wash), just squeeze some of the suds down the length of your hair. That greatly helps reduce tangling.

You'll probably have to mess around with different products, see if shampoos with or without sulfates work better for you. My scalp seems to get oilier with harsher washing methods, so I'm fighting the slippery slope of washing too often or too harshly because it's oily and then getting it even oilier. Other people don't seem much affected by what they wash with, so they just try to get it clean. I rather like diluting my shampoo in an old bottle with a bunch of water, then I just squeeze some on my scalp directly. It seems to distribute better than the thick gel of shampoo, and I go through it more slowly as a bonus.

[pamela_07]

@anje thanks, That sounds a great idea, diluting shampoo in water,less damage, But mostly I will try to keep the washing on the scalp, since I hate the smell of dirty scalp LOL.
Btw do you know why a hair can change its texture ,my hair is wavy but for some reason when I co-wash the other days it looked super wavy not loose waves but really wavy and now I look like crazy frizzy hair. I wonder if this is still part of the bleaching? what can I try?

[pamela_07]

@anje thanks, That sounds a great idea, diluting shampoo in water,less damage, But mostly I will try to keep the washing on the scalp, since I hate the smell of dirty scalp LOL.
Btw do you know why a hair can change its texture ,my hair is wavy but for some reason when I co-wash the other days it looked super wavy not loose waves but really wavy and now I look like crazy frizzy hair. I wonder if this is still part of the bleaching? what can I try?

[lapushka]

@anje thanks, That sounds a great idea, diluting shampoo in water,less damage, But mostly I will try to keep the washing on the scalp, since I hate the smell of dirty scalp LOL.
Btw do you know why a hair can change its texture ,my hair is wavy but for some reason when I co-wash the other days it looked super wavy not loose waves but really wavy and now I look like crazy frizzy hair. I wonder if this is still part of the bleaching? what can I try?

Maybe check out the CO-washing thread for a lot of tips & tricks. There are others who CO-wash with an oily scalp, and you'll find them there. Ask your questions there, so the CO-washing gurus will see them. ;)

[Anje]

Folks with wavy and curly hair often find that more moisture (such as from CO washing) intensifies their texture. I can't say what's going on at a microscopic level, but it's definitely a thing that happens. We have a LOT of people around here who thought they had straight, frizzy hair, but when they moisturized it and stopped brushing it after washing, discovered that they had wavy or curly hair instead.

[pamela_07]

Yes it did intensify the texture indeed, I wonder what is the real scientific explanation for this, to me its interesting!!

[Lavendersugar]

Henna and air drying. Be as gentle as possible. I damage my hair more trying to wear it up than I do with it down.

[Stars]

Castor Oil is clear. It is Jamaican Black Castor Oil specifically that is dark. I agree with the others...low-manipulation, conditioning frequently with a balance of moisture and protein and wearing your hair up will help the broken areas grow out. You may need to trim the other areas back until the shorter areas catch up if you're aiming for an even hemline. I found these helpful when I was growing out breakage and excessive hair thinning as a result of postpartum and post-surgical shedding (telogen effluvium).

Also, there are few people who manage to have very long, thick, healthy hair while bleaching. However, it does depend on how light you go and how many shades you lift. Also depends on how frequently you bleach. If you bleach monthly, you may have to give up your desires for long, healthy hair or give up the bleach so frequently. It's pretty well-known that women with the longest and healthiest hair don't use bleach or ammonia hair dyes too frequently, if at all.

Some people's hair is just fine or fragile, and cannot take bleaching and also manage the rigors of staying on the head for years and years, which inevitably happens as hair which is past bra-strap can be years old. The longer it gets, the older the ends, and the more care that must be taken. My hair is hip length and I have given up dye altogether years ago. I realized I probably wouldn't get to my goal length using drying dyes considering how fine my hair is. There's a lot of it (high density), but the strands are baby-fine.

I also only texturize my hair once every 8-12 months now instead of once every 4 months. The chemical run off was wreaking havoc on my ends eventhough they were coated with Vaseline the entire length of the strand. My texture has also become softer and wavier due to MSM and balancing my hormones, so I don't need a mild relaxer/mild texturizer as often. I would give up the mild relaxer altogether if I didn't have to worry about single strand knots or fairy knots and poor retention due to tangling. My hair is very, very curly and so thick when in it's natural state I can barely pull it into a bun.

This run-off hurting your ends may be what is happening with your bleaching. Maybe try Roux Porosity Control Shampoo and Conditioner because your hair is probably highly porous from bleach and therefore loses moisture to the air easily (hence the stiff, dry feeling). You will need to really up the ante with moisturizing masques and protein treatments (start with mild or medium protein as hard protein like Nexxus Emergencee or Aphogee 2-step Protein Treatment can be too hard for some people). Avoid egg for protein. The molecules are too large and also it causes many people breakage and straw-like hair.

Redken Anti-Snap Leave-In is excellent, as is Redken Extreme CAT protein masque. Always follow protein with moisture like Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm or Biolage or any good moisturizing conditioner. Aussie Moist 3MM is amazing and I have used it for 20 years...the regular Moist conditioner is great too. You might want to use heat with protein treatments...ideally DRY heat like from a hooded dryer or blow dryer. It helps the cuticle open and accept the protein molecules instead of it just sitting on the surface. Dry heat also helps to "bind" or seal protein to the hair strand.

It takes the hair 20 minutes to absorb most treatments. So d/c'ing for hours or overnight is not usually needed unless using herbs like henna, methi (fenugreek) or cassia.

Moist heat for moisture like under a cap using a warm wet towel or using a steamer.

Here is a website which profiles evening the hemline via trimming without losing a lot of length:. http://longhairedatheart.blogspot.com/2010/03/even-hemline-without-loosing-length.html

If you have splits they have to be trimmed. There is no such thing as repairing a split. You can S&D also if you find a few.