Hair Growth Shampoos?

[rustycotton]

Hi, I recently brought some Lee Stafford Hair Growth shampoo and conditioner just to try it out and see what happens more than anything.
I'm just wondering has anyone else used anything like this or have any advice on these things? Are they good for your hair and have you found any problems with them?

Not sure if there is another thread with this on if there is sorry.

Thanks :)

[akurah]

The general consensus is there's not really anything you can do to make your hair grow faster unless you're medically deficient in something (it's my understanding that most people are not).

The shampoos won't "work" in making it grow faster (does work at making your hair clean at least). They're not necessarily going to be bad for your hair, but you'll find various camps on shampoos (SLS vs non-SLS, CO washing vs WO washing, etc...) I've found that people with hair on the longer side (past waist) generally don't wash their hair daily, if at all. I wash usually only once a week, rarely, twice.

The hair/skin/nails vitamins won't work either, they make expensive pee. Biotin can also cause acne to flare up.

[rouxlala]

The general consensus is there's not really anything you can do to make your hair grow faster unless you're medically deficient in something (it's my understanding that most people are not).

The shampoos won't "work" in making it grow faster (does work at making your hair clean at least). They're not necessarily going to be bad for your hair, but you'll find various camps on shampoos (SLS vs non-SLS, CO washing vs WO washing, etc...) I've found that people with hair on the longer side (past waist) generally don't wash their hair daily, if at all. I wash usually only once a week, rarely, twice.

The hair/skin/nails vitamins won't work either, they make expensive pee. Biotin can also cause acne to flare up.

Well, that is disappointing news. lol.

[akurah]

Well, that is disappointing news. lol.

Yes, yes it is. I made the mistake two years ago of cutting back to waist (after an episode of rolling over my hair with an office chair....), then a horrible horrible hairdresser who thought she knew better did it again about a year ago, basically nuking around 5 inches of hair.
Lost over a foot of hair the first time, probably close to two feet if you combine both. Still very irritated about it, that was probably three or four years worth of growth there.

[lunasea]

Not exactly the same thing but I've been using Pura D'or for about month. The stuff is supposed to help with thinning. I've seen nothing. At this point I'm just using up the bottle. :disgust:

[arelrios]

Not exactly the same thing but I've been using Pura D'or for about month. The stuff is supposed to help with thinning. I've seen nothing. At this point I'm just using up the bottle. :disgust:

No way!!! I just got a bottle this weekend ... ugh :/

[rouxlala]

Up until about a month ago, I'd been using Bioterra (from Sally's) Long and Healthy. I thought it was working, slowly, but it totally could have just been psychosomatic.

[rustycotton]

Ok thank you, I literally picked it up cause it was on offer and just wanted to see what happens. I don't wash my hair every day only once every 7 - 10 days depending if I can get away with it. I've heard people swear by different shampoos at the moment I'm just trying to find one that works for me.

[lapushka]

You'd be better off buying a cheap(er) drugstore shampoo. Shampoo = shampoo. It is meant to clean your hair, no more, no less. It can't "make" hair do a thing, but get cleaner. ;)

I just use Pantene, generally. I am now using up shampoos and have to switch up with H&S because of it (milder shampoos make me flake).

The only difference that you can possibly get is sulfate vs. sulfate-free. That's a decision you have to make for yourself.

But again, it has *zero* to do with growth.

[ChloeDharma]

I've used that Lee Stafford range in the past. From what I remember it's marketed as being for hair that won't grow past a certain length rather than making it grow faster.
Now the deep treatment in the tub I adore, it leaves my hair super silky and smells lovely but I wouldn't be able to confirm that it increases growth. The shampoo seemed a bit drying and the rinse out conditioner seemed a bit meh, not that conditioning. Bear in mind I used it a long time ago and my memory of it is foggy but the DT certainly is one I noticed a huge effect with.
What I also remember is my scalp seemed to react badly to the shampoo and conditioner by developing painful swollen acne, I can't say for certain that it was caused by the shampoo and conditioner, it could have been a coincidence but I'm not sure I want to risk trying it again. Of course that's just me, your scalp might love it so please don't be put off by what I said.
I would not hesitate to recommend the DT, in fact I might treat myself to some more soon but in terms of growth I think the effect it might have is to reduce breakage and help growth that way but there are many products and handling techniques that achieve this.

I would be interested to hear your experiences with this though.

[Cotisa]

Hello,
I am new to this forum.
I used to wash my hair every two days, i read here I should wash it less if I want it to grow. I have started doing that last week ( it is so hard).
When i was a kid my mother wash my hair once a week and my hair was long and healthy.
My problem is that my hair smells the third day after washing it, do you know how to prevent that please? will essential oils help?
I have another question: I color my hair ( I have lots of gray) is the hair color breaking my hair? what hair color do you use?

Thank you.

[lapushka]

Hello,
I am new to this forum.
I used to wash my hair every two days, i read here I should wash it less if I want it to grow. I have started doing that last week ( it is so hard).
When i was a kid my mother wash my hair once a week and my hair was long and healthy.
My problem is that my hair smells the third day after washing it, do you know how to prevent that please? will essential oils help?
I have another question: I color my hair ( I have lots of gray) is the hair color breaking my hair? what hair color do you use?

Thank you.

Where did you read that, exactly? No, it's about what your scalp wants. Scalp health is the most important, and if that means you need to wash more frequently then so be it. It has *nothing* whatsoever to do with growth.

Welcome, BTW.

[akurah]

Hello,
I am new to this forum.
I used to wash my hair every two days, i read here I should wash it less if I want it to grow. I have started doing that last week ( it is so hard).
When i was a kid my mother wash my hair once a week and my hair was long and healthy.
My problem is that my hair smells the third day after washing it, do you know how to prevent that please? will essential oils help?
I have another question: I color my hair ( I have lots of gray) is the hair color breaking my hair? what hair color do you use?

Thank you.

In short, wash your hair as frequently as you, your scalp, and your hair are happiest with. every two days isn't bad.

For your scalp, it's in your best interests to wash your scalp as frequently as it wants. The reasons why some people with long hair don't wash as often are varied, and not everyone has the same reason. Most of the time, the reason is that their hair and scalp simply doesn't mind not being washed that often (or don't want to be). For me? It's cause I'm laaaaaaaaaaazy. Okay, not entirely true--it's because my hair takes about 2 days to dry, and even if I try to dry with a blowdryer, I will still have wet spots the 2nd day. And because my hair doesn't seem to mind. My scalp's a jerk, but it's unrelated to hair frequency washing, I'm having the same problem with my scalp as I'm having on the skin of the rest of my body.

The longer hair gets, the more fragile it can become due to weather exposure. As such, you'll probably eventually want to change your washing style the longer it gets. For example, little to no combing unless it's with your fingers when wet, no "scrubbing" the long parts or piling it on your head, etc. When I do wash, i generally don't even bother with the long parts, I just wash my scalp, then when rinsing, I'll pick up the long parts to make sure the water can rinse through all of it without leaving soap behind. But you may also find you do not need to do this, and that's ok too.

There are "non-commercial" ways to color grey depending on the color you want. (ie, not box dye) It's possible the color is contributing, but depending on what you're using and how, it might not. Also depends on color you want/need for what you could use to replace it with, and how frequently you are willing to touch up. For example, if you're a blonde, you could use cassia. Redhead, you could use henna. If you're a dark brunette or black haired, you could use henna and indigo.I believe those herbs are relatively permanent. For less permanent options, I have heard (have not tried) that black tea works for brunettes of varying shades, and hibiscus tea works for redheads of varying shades.
be careful with henna, on most people that is permanent so strand test and what have you. indigo is also "risky" if you ever want to bleach your hair for any reason, bleached indigo tends to turn a icky green. fine otherwise.

I could have sworn we had a threat on this discussing herbal hair dyes that don't include henna, but I can't find it to save my life!

the henna thread is here:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=45

I can't find the cassia thread either, which is puzzling to me.

ETA: found the cassia thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=406

[rouxlala]

Hello,
I am new to this forum.
I used to wash my hair every two days, i read here I should wash it less if I want it to grow. I have started doing that last week ( it is so hard).
When i was a kid my mother wash my hair once a week and my hair was long and healthy.
My problem is that my hair smells the third day after washing it, do you know how to prevent that please? will essential oils help?
I have another question: I color my hair ( I have lots of gray) is the hair color breaking my hair? what hair color do you use?

Thank you.

A lot of people use natural coloring herbs and stuff... like henna/ indigo/ black walnut/ etc. Those don't destroy your hair. What color do you like to dye it?

[rustycotton]

I've used that Lee Stafford range in the past. From what I remember it's marketed as being for hair that won't grow past a certain length rather than making it grow faster.
Now the deep treatment in the tub I adore, it leaves my hair super silky and smells lovely but I wouldn't be able to confirm that it increases growth. The shampoo seemed a bit drying and the rinse out conditioner seemed a bit meh, not that conditioning. Bear in mind I used it a long time ago and my memory of it is foggy but the DT certainly is one I noticed a huge effect with.
What I also remember is my scalp seemed to react badly to the shampoo and conditioner by developing painful swollen acne, I can't say for certain that it was caused by the shampoo and conditioner, it could have been a coincidence but I'm not sure I want to risk trying it again. Of course that's just me, your scalp might love it so please don't be put off by what I said.
I would not hesitate to recommend the DT, in fact I might treat myself to some more soon but in terms of growth I think the effect it might have is to reduce breakage and help growth that way but there are many products and handling techniques that achieve this.

I would be interested to hear your experiences with this though.

I have found my hair doesn't want to grow past chin length its one of the reasons I have picked it up. I have found it has helped a bit but its just makes my hair dry and annoying as you say, I have found I was getting scalp acne but as my acne in general is flaring up i couldn't say whether is was the cause are it helped it on its way. It seems to help my hair get some motivation to grow but not sure how long it will last.

[ChloeDharma]

I have found my hair doesn't want to grow past chin length its one of the reasons I have picked it up. I have found it has helped a bit but its just makes my hair dry and annoying as you say, I have found I was getting scalp acne but as my acne in general is flaring up i couldn't say whether is was the cause are it helped it on its way. It seems to help my hair get some motivation to grow but not sure how long it will last.

If you notice your scalp acne flaring up I would stop using the range for a while and go back to something you know your scalp tolerates for a while. If your scalp clears up you could try out the range again if you wish to risk it and then if you get the acne again then you can probably assume that range it's causing it.
If you are looking for growth aids you could try caffeine shampoo or a green tea rinse when you wash, I find my scalp gets on with caffeine really well and when my scalp has developed the spots usually alpecin anti dandruff shampoo tends to fix it. I don't suffer from acne on my face so for me it seems that when my scalp gets it it means I'm reacting to something dodgy in a product or I've stretched a way for too long. I do suspect the Lee Stafford stuff has some irritant in it though and I did find the shampoo drying and the conditioner weak. I still love the treatment though and didn't find that as bad on my scalp but still would advise caution to anyone considering it.

[rustycotton]

If you notice your scalp acne flaring up I would stop using the range for a while and go back to something you know your scalp tolerates for a while. If your scalp clears up you could try out the range again if you wish to risk it and then if you get the acne again then you can probably assume that range it's causing it.
If you are looking for growth aids you could try caffeine shampoo or a green tea rinse when you wash, I find my scalp gets on with caffeine really well and when my scalp has developed the spots usually alpecin anti dandruff shampoo tends to fix it. I don't suffer from acne on my face so for me it seems that when my scalp gets it it means I'm reacting to something dodgy in a product or I've stretched a way for too long. I do suspect the Lee Stafford stuff has some irritant in it though and I did find the shampoo drying and the conditioner weak. I still love the treatment though and didn't find that as bad on my scalp but still would advise caution to anyone considering it.

yeah depending on the weather and hormones I can full body acne so but its around the time it start flaring up again so, I've been just keeping an eye on things and only using the products once a month just to use them up, I do use caffeine shampoo but at the moment just getting through the bundles of cheapish shampoo I have. I find the best treatment that works for me is osmo deep conditioner. I LOVE the stuff. aha. even though my scalp did flare up i found when my hair was being wash with it every time i need to it did help with the thickness and speed of the growth so i guess it kind of helped.
I'm not going to buy it again but I'm glad i at least tried it. Its a learning curve in the long run and helps me find out which works for me.

[lottiealice]

A lot of people use natural coloring herbs and stuff... like henna/ indigo/ black walnut/ etc. Those don't destroy your hair. What color do you like to dye it?

Isn't black walnut awfully toxic?

[akurah]

Isn't black walnut awfully toxic?

Yes it is! This article doesn't explain it as clearly as I would have preferred, but it does touch on it.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/145740-black-walnut-hull-side-effects/

And the walnut dust from the wood isn't good either, here's what some woodworkers had to say.
http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/general-discussion/symptoms-black-walnut-poisoning


I would stay far, far away from it, nothin' but bad news.

[Aredhel]

Yes it is! This article doesn't explain it as clearly as I would have preferred, but it does touch on it.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/145740-black-walnut-hull-side-effects/

And the walnut dust from the wood isn't good either, here's what some woodworkers had to say.
http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/general-discussion/symptoms-black-walnut-poisoning


I would stay far, far away from it, nothin' but bad news.

I've never heard of this... definitely good to know. Does it make a difference if the wood is varnished? I don't have any myself, but I've seen many hair toys made out of black walnut.

[akurah]

I've never heard of this... definitely good to know. Does it make a difference if the wood is varnished? I don't have any myself, but I've seen many hair toys made out of black walnut.

If the wood itself is a completed product, you're probably fine. It's when you're working with wood (or the walnut powder) is where it's dangerous.

Obviously, even if the wood is finished product, probably unwise to put your mouth on it at any rate. Otherwise would not be terribly worried.

[lizardspots]

There is nothing that will make your hair grow faster, unless you have an underlying health problem that needs fixing. But for thinning hair, there are a few options. Check out the "Thinning Hair" thread in the Mane forum, Reyesuela has done a heap of research.

[rustycotton]

There is nothing that will make your hair grow faster, unless you have an underlying health problem that needs fixing. But for thinning hair, there are a few options. Check out the "Thinning Hair" thread in the Mane forum, Reyesuela has done a heap of research.

Thank you and I wasn't looking for my hair to growth faster just to help get it past mid neck length as it always gets suck here. The shampoo I had picked up said it had extra proteins to help with that, like i said i picked it up to just see how it reacted with my hair, but thank you i will look at the thinning hair thread as my husband worries about his hair that way and it would be nice to help him with some hair issues.

[lizardspots]

Thank you and I wasn't looking for my hair to growth faster just to help get it past mid neck length as it always gets suck here. The shampoo I had picked up said it had extra proteins to help with that, like i said i picked it up to just see how it reacted with my hair, but thank you i will look at the thinning hair thread as my husband worries about his hair that way and it would be nice to help him with some hair issues.

Just found a link to the thread http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=141868 Happy reading! I have already implemented a couple of the treatments from this thread for the sparse areas on my scalp and excessive shedding. Early days to tell if it's made a difference yet, we'll see.

Good luck! :)

[spidermom]

I think that all we can expect shampoo to do is clean our hair and maybe give it a nice scent.