Need advice for the new sprouts all over my head.

[chrissy-b]

Hi All! :waving:

I was diagnosed celiac in March of this year. I also discovered I was anemic (borderline; my ferritin is really low). So I've been gluten-free and on an iron supplement since.

Before this diagnosis, I didn't really realize I had thinning hair. I didn't notice shedding and my hair has always been thin and fine. Since I'm getting older and have done damage via trichotillomania, I just figured those thinner areas were gonna stay thin.

I was wrong. I have tons of new growth all over my head. Thin areas have completely filled in, and I have a new set of "bangs" under my regular bangs. The hairs are about 2-3 inches long, but because my hair is still short (chin-length) and so baby fine, I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket. There's so much new growth underneath the chin-length hair that I either have to use a ton of product to smooth everything down (hair spray is really the only thing that works to hold it all down), or wear my hair is this weird brushed back bouffant hairstyle that looks like I backcombed my whole head. Some of it is growing in CURLY too which is unusual for me.

I'm definitely not complaining. I'm super happy about all this new growth, but my question is -- for others who have experienced similar regrowth (like after a postpartum shed) how long did the hairs have to be before they stopped sticking out everywhere? My hair grows between .5-1 inch a month. Maybe once they're five inches they'll stay down better? Maybe I just need to wear a hat.

p.s.
I've tried mousse, gel, and hair paste with minimal success. Alcohol-free hairspray is the only thing that keeps them in place but it's still so drying I would really like to stop using it. CO seems to help but then my scalp gets itchy and I have to wash and that give them the power they need to stand up again. Aha! It looks ridiculous.

[lapushka]

If the hairspray works, just keep using it. I'm thinking it's gonna have to be 3/4 inches at the least to be able to stay down quite well on its own.

[Lady Stardust]

Congratulations on the new growth!

I can’t remember how long my dandelion seed impression went on for following postpartum shed, I think the new growth started to flop over at about 3 inches, but I can’t be sure. I just decided to look at it as much need volume :)

I’m glad everything is on the right track now. It’ll all be blended in before you know it :)

[saff.cel]

Have you considered giving NW/SO a try? My hair was notoriously frizzy the moment there was a single detectably hint of humidity in the air, but now that I'm focusing on making sure all of it is coated in sebum, my hair is not only very shiny and full feeling, but the frizz is completely gone, I can't see ANY breakage at all. My ends have never looked this good. Good luck!

[illicitlizard]

I've got quite stubborn hair that didn't lay flat (without product) until ~3.5-4inches of growth, might be different if it's just patches though I'm not sure.

[Simsy]

As someone who has an endless little halo happening on top (just one of those curly things), it really depends on hair type. My curls will stay near vertical until about 3-4 inches, at which point they will kinda flop in the direction of everything else.

A few solutions I have used in the past,
-very light hold gel, just to smooth everything’s down. I had one that brushed out withtout too much complaining.
-scarves/bandannas. This was probably my favourite since it kept my hair off my face as well. A good scarf for a few minutes can lay everything down properly; and if you are so inclined, you don’t even need to take it off.
-braiding around the hairline. More to try and get some growth at the back of my neck, I use 2 small braids running along my hairline to pull the baby hairs down and into a style. It also protects the ends and occasionally lets me get enough length to skip them.
-moisture. This was the big one, curls tend to pop out a lot more when they are thirsty in my personal experience. I condition my scalp along with my length, and everything sits for approx 5 mins while I wash everything else. The extra soaking time makes the canopy a lot happier and calmer. Regular deep treatments and oiling round out the general love-fest every week or two. I don’t skip shampoo, I just go heavy on the conditioner afterwards.

And finally, if you are going a bit curly; I strongly suggest you get used to a bit of a halo. Trying to lose it completely will drive you mad, and the curls will win in the end. Keep it happy enough and everything will be fine.

[spidermom]

The last time I had this, it took about a year for the new growth to get long enough to be smoothed down. Meanwhile I scrunched my hair for maximum texture and just went with it.

[chrissy-b]

Thanks everyone for the help!


If the hairspray works, just keep using it. I'm thinking it's gonna have to be 3/4 inches at the least to be able to stay down quite well on its own.

Thanks! If that's true it's only a few more months away.


Congratulations on the new growth!

I can’t remember how long my dandelion seed impression went on for following postpartum shed, I think the new growth started to flop over at about 3 inches, but I can’t be sure. I just decided to look at it as much need volume :)

I’m glad everything is on the right track now. It’ll all be blended in before you know it :)

Thank you! Yes, I am so excited that my health is on track (and that a by-product of that is new hair growth). My hair is voluminous for the first time in my life so I think I just don't know how to deal!


Have you considered giving NW/SO a try? My hair was notoriously frizzy the moment there was a single detectably hint of humidity in the air, but now that I'm focusing on making sure all of it is coated in sebum, my hair is not only very shiny and full feeling, but the frizz is completely gone, I can't see ANY breakage at all. My ends have never looked this good. Good luck!

I haven't actually. How does that work if you work out a lot (and sweat a lot) or swim? I use a swim cap, but my hair still gets wet. And I sweat A TON even when I'm just doing yoga. As long as I've been on this board, I've only ever been able to stretch washes 3 days max. My hair gets so stringy and my scalp itches. I worry that NW/SO would be the worst thing for me.


I've got quite stubborn hair that didn't lay flat (without product) until ~3.5-4inches of growth, might be different if it's just patches though I'm not sure.

I've had this before too, but my length was much longer than the newer sprouts so I could kinda do a comb over. I've tried that with my current length and the underneath hairs just poke through! Aha!


As someone who has an endless little halo happening on top (just one of those curly things), it really depends on hair type. My curls will stay near vertical until about 3-4 inches, at which point they will kinda flop in the direction of everything else.

A few solutions I have used in the past,
-very light hold gel, just to smooth everything’s down. I had one that brushed out withtout too much complaining.
-scarves/bandannas. This was probably my favourite since it kept my hair off my face as well. A good scarf for a few minutes can lay everything down properly; and if you are so inclined, you don’t even need to take it off.
-braiding around the hairline. More to try and get some growth at the back of my neck, I use 2 small braids running along my hairline to pull the baby hairs down and into a style. It also protects the ends and occasionally lets me get enough length to skip them.
-moisture. This was the big one, curls tend to pop out a lot more when they are thirsty in my personal experience. I condition my scalp along with my length, and everything sits for approx 5 mins while I wash everything else. The extra soaking time makes the canopy a lot happier and calmer. Regular deep treatments and oiling round out the general love-fest every week or two. I don’t skip shampoo, I just go heavy on the conditioner afterwards.

And finally, if you are going a bit curly; I strongly suggest you get used to a bit of a halo. Trying to lose it completely will drive you mad, and the curls will win in the end. Keep it happy enough and everything will be fine.

Thanks for the tips!

I don't know if I'll ever be a full curly but who knows! I always thought I had my moms hair (which is 1a/F/i) but my dad's hair is like at least a 3c/4a/m/c/iii so maybe some of that is coming through! I have some waves when I plop, but the nape area is curly (for me). I'd have to see some more length to see what it really is though. I've been trying to CO more often and coax them out so we'll see.


The last time I had this, it took about a year for the new growth to get long enough to be smoothed down. Meanwhile I scrunched my hair for maximum texture and just went with it.

Thank you! Aha, yeah, I've been trying to just go with it. I think I'm just not used to it sticking out everywhere. My hair normally just lies there limp unless I really try to do something with it so this is a totally new experience for me. I'm not only growing thicker, but it's a slightly different texture in places too. I have actual volume when I plop and use mousse, which has never happened to me before, and I just don't know quite how to deal with it yet. Not that I have crazy volume or anything, but compared to what I'm used to, it's A LOT.