PDA

View Full Version : Growing hair faster or at elast having a healthy scalp and hair?



MorganaLeFae
July 8th, 2019, 05:24 AM
Right so I bleached my hair for years I started when I was around 12-14 and had my hair bleached by a fantastic lady at a salon when there for years until she quit after that I had 2 other people do it but instead decided I was dumb and that I really just wanted "pretty" blonde hair cuz thats what the boys like *throws up in my mouth*. after that I started bleaching and dyeing it myself but needless to say after I found no one that I liked to do my hair that was professional and doing it myself it was worse for wear which I stopped using harsh dyes and only went blonde once every 12 months to I could use like manic panic.

After getting married I went a little nutty and did some heavy bleaching for about a year and a half and tons of dye and temp manic panic type of stuff after having my DD I turned to Henna and while I loved henna (I really like the smell) and the colour it left but my hair never seemed to be able to hold the colour I was recolouring about once every 2 months and using henna conditioning packs on my hair to keep the red but it never really worked and after about 2 years I got tired of spending so much on henna and dyed over it about 3-4 months ago with a nice light brown. It came out a beautiful medium-dark carmel colour with red tint every one liked it great I thought now leave it and go back to natural.

Well that did not go to plan as about 2 months ago I changed to a store brand shampoo and conditioner everything was find at first but then my soft-ish manageble hair started to get dry like straw so I tried a deep conditioner but that did not work if anything it got worse to the point where I could no longer clean my scalp as my hair would turning a odd love child of straw and burnt plastic strands! I tried to solider on in hopes of saving it but about 2-3 days ago I could not stand it my head hurt and it itched and burned and much to my husbands horror he came home to a wife with 1/2" of hair on her head where as when he left that morning most of her hair was below her shoulder blade. He agreed tho that in the last 2 months it was feeling dry and that my har always seemed to look dirty even after washing (thanks for letting me go out in public then dear).

I told him why I finally buzzed it all off so he had a look my scalp is red and inflamed,and has spots (maybe sores) because I could not wash it well. So I believe all the years of bleaching, dyeing etc finally caught up to me.

So now I am starting over with what hair that could be saved and was not fully damaged which would be the roots. Now my questions are what can I do to help my scalp heal while encourging hair to grow faster.. or at least healthier and stronger? my husband thinks my hair grows about 1/2" to a 1" or more or less every month which seems quick compared to him so can I grow my hair faster i.e 1/2" to a 1" on top of my normal growth or is this that a bunch of bull told by various sources to sell more stuff? I already have a multivitamin coming as I'm sure I'm lacking in a lot of them but I do plan on upping my intake of certin foods in the form of fresh juice/smoothies would this help not just me in general but my hair? any other suggestions would be great as I'm depressed I had to cut it all off and I know the hubby is still annoyed I did as well.

lapushka
July 8th, 2019, 06:58 AM
Welcome to the forum.

rosey4exclaim
July 8th, 2019, 07:39 AM
I buzzed my hair off a year and a half ago (last time was in April 2018 ), and it's coming back at a solid shoulder to collar bone length. Before I buzzed it, I think it grew about 6-8 inches a year. I did have to trim the back a bit to prevent the dreaded mullet. My "bangs" are about ear lobe length.

As far as healing your scalp, you'll get a variety of answers on here, but I'm a huge fan of herbs. Calendula and aloe are wonderful soothing, healing herbs (if you can call aloe an herb). Tea tree oil is more stimulating, but it's antimicrobial and antifungal, which could help prevent and heal sores (and dandruff). Some people will put it directly on their skin, but I suggest diluting it in a carrier oil or your shampoo first to see how your scalp likes it. When my scalp is needing a little extra love, I make my own herbal shampoo from Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Otherwise, I would suggest using a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo (I honestly use castile soap, which sounds harsh, but is actually quite gentle) and definitely don't put any cones on your scalp!

And to grow hair faster than usual, I had good luck a couple of years ago with the inversion method. It doesn't work for everyone, but it did for me at the time. Other than that, patience and stalking the forums here seem to help. ;)

EDIT: And because TatsuOni just introduced me to NightBlooming in another thread, here is a link to their Scalp Soother Kit (https://www.etsy.com/listing/461036074/scalp-soother-kit).

MorganaLeFae
July 8th, 2019, 09:11 AM
Welcome to the forum.
Thank you Lapushka!


I buzzed my hair off a year and a half ago (last time was in April 2018 ), and it's coming back at a solid shoulder to collar bone length. Before I buzzed it, I think it grew about 6-8 inches a year. I did have to trim the back a bit to prevent the dreaded mullet. My "bangs" are about ear lobe length.

As far as healing your scalp, you'll get a variety of answers on here, but I'm a huge fan of herbs. Calendula and aloe are wonderful soothing, healing herbs (if you can call aloe an herb). Tea tree oil is more stimulating, but it's antimicrobial and antifungal, which could help prevent and heal sores (and dandruff). Some people will put it directly on their skin, but I suggest diluting it in a carrier oil or your shampoo first to see how your scalp likes it. When my scalp is needing a little extra love, I make my own herbal shampoo from Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Otherwise, I would suggest using a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo (I honestly use castile soap, which sounds harsh, but is actually quite gentle) and definitely don't put any cones on your scalp!

And to grow hair faster than usual, I had good luck a couple of years ago with the inversion method. It doesn't work for everyone, but it did for me at the time. Other than that, patience and stalking the forums here seem to help. ;)

EDIT: And because TatsuOni just introduced me to NightBlooming in another thread, here is a link to their Scalp Soother Kit (https://www.etsy.com/listing/461036074/scalp-soother-kit).

Yes I forgot all about the mullet look LOL I still wonder who thought that was a cool look. Aloe vera totally forgot about that stuff I have a tub of pure aloe that i tried to use in homemade soap. I think I might have candula petals running around wonder if I soak those in the aloe? will have to take a look at the book you mentioned. I have tried castile soap but I live in a hard water area so needless to say my hair felt nasty shame as I hear some people get really nice soft hair from just using that.Will have a look at the NightBlooming product as well. stalking lol well at least here you don't get into trouble for that.

Joules
July 8th, 2019, 10:00 AM
Right so I bleached my hair for years I started when I was around 12-14 and had my hair bleached by a fantastic lady at a salon when there for years until she quit after that I had 2 other people do it but instead decided I was dumb and that I really just wanted "pretty" blonde hair cuz thats what the boys like *throws up in my mouth*. after that I started bleaching and dyeing it myself but needless to say after I found no one that I liked to do my hair that was professional and doing it myself it was worse for wear which I stopped using harsh dyes and only went blonde once every 12 months to I could use like manic panic.

After getting married I went a little nutty and did some heavy bleaching for about a year and a half and tons of dye and temp manic panic type of stuff after having my DD I turned to Henna and while I loved henna (I really like the smell) and the colour it left but my hair never seemed to be able to hold the colour I was recolouring about once every 2 months and using henna conditioning packs on my hair to keep the red but it never really worked and after about 2 years I got tired of spending so much on henna and dyed over it about 3-4 months ago with a nice light brown. It came out a beautiful medium-dark carmel colour with red tint every one liked it great I thought now leave it and go back to natural.

Well that did not go to plan as about 2 months ago I changed to a store brand shampoo and conditioner everything was find at first but then my soft-ish manageble hair started to get dry like straw so I tried a deep conditioner but that did not work if anything it got worse to the point where I could no longer clean my scalp as my hair would turning a odd love child of straw and burnt plastic strands! I tried to solider on in hopes of saving it but about 2-3 days ago I could not stand it my head hurt and it itched and burned and much to my husbands horror he came home to a wife with 1/2" of hair on her head where as when he left that morning most of her hair was below her shoulder blade. He agreed tho that in the last 2 months it was feeling dry and that my har always seemed to look dirty even after washing (thanks for letting me go out in public then dear).

I told him why I finally buzzed it all off so he had a look my scalp is red and inflamed,and has spots (maybe sores) because I could not wash it well. So I believe all the years of bleaching, dyeing etc finally caught up to me.

So now I am starting over with what hair that could be saved and was not fully damaged which would be the roots. Now my questions are what can I do to help my scalp heal while encourging hair to grow faster.. or at least healthier and stronger? my husband thinks my hair grows about 1/2" to a 1" or more or less every month which seems quick compared to him so can I grow my hair faster i.e 1/2" to a 1" on top of my normal growth or is this that a bunch of bull told by various sources to sell more stuff? I already have a multivitamin coming as I'm sure I'm lacking in a lot of them but I do plan on upping my intake of certin foods in the form of fresh juice/smoothies would this help not just me in general but my hair? any other suggestions would be great as I'm depressed I had to cut it all off and I know the hubby is still annoyed I did as well.

The highlighted part sounds like regular product buildup. A clarifying shampoo is a nice remedy for that.

Itching and painful scalp sounds like fungal overgrowth. If your hair was so dry it was hard for you to clean your scalp properly, then I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Head&Shoulders would help with that (if it doesn't then you might need something stronger). Do not use a sulfate-free shampoo. If I'm right and you're experiencing malassezia overgrowth you need sulfates.

Unfortunately there's no miracle pill to make your hair grow faster than it does. All you can do is make sure you're not deficient in anything, take good care of your length to retain it and prevent breakage, and take care of your scalp, because that's where your hair grows from. Taking care of your scalp is very easy: keep it clean (unless of course you have some sort of allergy or sensitivity to chemicals in regular shampoos, but you would know about that if you had it).

MorganaLeFae
July 8th, 2019, 11:16 AM
The highlighted part sounds like regular product buildup. A clarifying shampoo is a nice remedy for that.

Itching and painful scalp sounds like fungal overgrowth. If your hair was so dry it was hard for you to clean your scalp properly, then I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Head&Shoulders would help with that (if it doesn't then you might need something stronger). Do not use a sulfate-free shampoo. If I'm right and you're experiencing malassezia overgrowth you need sulfates.

Unfortunately there's no miracle pill to make your hair grow faster than it does. All you can do is make sure you're not deficient in anything, take good care of your length to retain it and prevent breakage, and take care of your scalp, because that's where your hair grows from. Taking care of your scalp is very easy: keep it clean (unless of course you have some sort of allergy or sensitivity to chemicals in regular shampoos, but you would know about that if you had it).

I thought it was product build up to and did use the last little bit of head and shoulders deep clean my hubby had (use to love the brand but it does not agree with my head anymore as I am senesative to it now) that was the night before I cut it just made it worse all the way around. never had a fungal over growth and I don't think it is as I hear a head can really smell in that case. I have used a shampoo from Natura Siberica the last 2 days and my itching has gone down a bit along with the soreness still itches a lil but nothing like it was. also used coconut oil on my head last night along with a coffee rinse cuz someone said it helps with itching and honestly it seems to have helped a bit. as for normal shampoos I end up having to change after 1-2 bottles as my head starts to react to them.

Joules
July 8th, 2019, 12:02 PM
Fungal overgrowth doesn't smell (maybe if it's overgrown so much it's literally like a cap on your head then it would smell, yeah). I had symptoms of fungal overgrowth for months without even realising what was going on, I just chucked it up to my scalp being sensitive.

Symptoms of fungal overgrowth: itching, sore follicles, shedding.

Honestly, in your case I'd recommend just going to a dermatologist. None of us here is a doctor (at least not that I know of) and we can't even see you. Blind experimenting can hurt your scalp long-term.

Six Seeds
July 8th, 2019, 12:48 PM
I agree with Joules, I would try to see a doctor if you can.

I have a sensitive, itchy scalp and started using the Maxsoft scalp massager shampoo brush when I shampoo. It has helped a LOT. You might want to wait until any sores have healed first, then you use it to gently massage shampoo over your scalp. You can use it again while rinsing. The key is to be gentle and slow, it can cause some hair tangling but feels wonderful and has reduced by tenderness a lot with just one use.

Scalp massage will help get your blood flowing to the hair follicles. Just use the pads of your fingers, no nails! It will also help move your sebum around.

Try to avoid scratching as much as you can. If you use a Boar Bristle Brush or wooden bristle brush to distribute sebum down your hair, make sure that you're VERY gentle as you graze the scalp.

Fish oil is a good supplement for dryness. Flax seed oil will work, too.

MorganaLeFae
July 8th, 2019, 01:14 PM
I had/have itching would not say sore follicles and no extra shedding. I know if it does not improve in the next few days I will need to see a dr but I honestly think it has not gotten to that point but thats me.

I have done some light scalp massage and will admit it's nice not having all the hair atm. hoping this might help reduce the amount of headaches. unsure if a boar bristle brush would work on someone with 1/2" long hair. Defo look into fish oil and flax seed oil supplements.

lapushka
July 8th, 2019, 01:37 PM
Fungal overgrowth doesn't smell (maybe if it's overgrown so much it's literally like a cap on your head then it would smell, yeah). I had symptoms of fungal overgrowth for months without even realising what was going on, I just chucked it up to my scalp being sensitive.

Symptoms of fungal overgrowth: itching, sore follicles, shedding.

Honestly, in your case I'd recommend just going to a dermatologist. None of us here is a doctor (at least not that I know of) and we can't even see you. Blind experimenting can hurt your scalp long-term.

Possibly scales/flakes and redness. But not always.

It wouldn't hurt to see a doctor, for sure. I recommend that as well.

Ylva
July 8th, 2019, 02:04 PM
The fact that coconut oil eased it a bit could also be a hint of fungal overgrowth since coconut oil has some antifungal properties.

MusicalSpoons
July 8th, 2019, 02:07 PM
Head & Shoulders tends to contain silicones, which can disagree with our scalps too. I'd suggest trying a silicone-free medicated shampoo, use it as directed (lather, let sit for however many mins it says on the bottle) and see if it helps - if not, you've most likely eliminated the possibility of it being fungal, and if it does help then great!

Of course the *best thing* is to see a dr, with such short hair they should have no problem seeing your scalp clearly and they have no excuse for not giving a specific diagnosis - if they fob you off with 'it's just dry skin' then push them for an actual explanation, and an explanation of whatever treatment they suggest.

It is also possible to have fungal overgrowth *and* be sensitive to certain chemicals in shampoos - my scalp behaves like a spoilt brat at times with being dehydrated using even the mildest cleaners (yet gets oily fast :crazyq:) but I have also had issues in the past that medicated shampoo cleared up; the two problems are not mutually exclusive, alas!
Edit to add: at the time I had no idea what was going on, but the medicated shampoo helping one part of the problem was very clear. Still trying to solve the rest of it but it's liveable, whereas the insane itching and weeping sores back then were certainly not liveable!

Oh yes, and welcome to the forum! :D

lapushka
July 8th, 2019, 02:17 PM
Yeah, I mean something has to happen. Healthy scalp = healthy hair. And it can't be that you feel the need to shave your head every and any time there's an issue with the scalp.

I have SD, seborrheic dermatitis & classic length. I don't let my scalp dictate my hair and its length, but I take care of my scalp and most importantly thanks to my dermatologist, I know HOW to take care of it.

Believe me, I have been through shaving my head as well. I first tried to buy every shampoo in sight to try and try and try and fail again. Until I went to see a doctor!

It is no solution to just throw whatever on there!
You need to find a way to clear your scalp and keep it under control.

GOOD LUCK to you!

StellaStellitsa
July 9th, 2019, 05:12 AM
A chamomile tea rinse could help. And I agree, you should go to the doctor, it sounds serious enough.

Edit: Chamomile is antiseptic, that's why I recomended it.

MorganaLeFae
July 9th, 2019, 09:04 AM
thanks everyone for the imput i finally got through to my gp have a 1 to 1 appointment with them (in 2 weeks) after a phone consult he says it sounds like a lack of vitamins (I'll admit I don't eat as well or maybe as much as I should) and it sounds specially that I might be low on protien and iron and suggested a multivitamin, also said it sounds like a reaction to what I was using and maybe doing a allergy test. Told me to try a baby shampoo like burts bee's or johnson and johnson or something gentle nothing harsh and told me to keep using the coconut oil if it made my scalp feel better.

Which my head is feeling less sore and the sores are going away. I think I'll stick to the Natura Siberica shampoo the mother-in-law bought me as it says it's 98% natural and thus far no reaction to it. Also made a aloe vera,coconut oil and coffee hair mask and I have no real itching atm so think it might be working. But I now have a multivitamin so on the advice of the dr i'm taking it.

And I guess i'm lucky I have organic pure chamomile tea so another thing to try out!

MusicalSpoons
July 9th, 2019, 10:08 AM
Fair enough, I hope the dr orders blood tests to confirm any vitamin levels for you to be certain :)

May I ask, which Natura Siberia shampoo is it (just out of curiosity)? My usual one is the Neutral shampoo; still not perfect for my scalp but I can rely on it not to make things much worse with repeated use.

NicoleJean
July 9th, 2019, 03:40 PM
I take 5,000mcg biotin in vitafusion gummies and have not had any issues with acne. I also take 2,000mg MSM in NOW brand capsules. With 1,000mg vitamin C in capsule to help absorbing. It took about 3-4 months to see results but my hair went from 1/2" growth a month, to .75" growth a month and now I'm at 1" growth a month. There are lots of threads on here about supplements. You will hear mixed opinions and results but I figured I had nothing to loose by at least trying and I'm glad I did.

MorganaLeFae
August 4th, 2019, 06:43 AM
Right sorry for the late update. Dr took a look said oh your scalp looks irrated (no *coughs*) I had some like pimples on my head thats what he called them he took samples from them and took some skin samples I'm still waiting on the offical results. He said it to him did not look fungal it does not smell fungal (I must of had a wtf face on) cuz he said the people he sees with fungal issues on the scalp have like a smelly head. ya I'm still thinking wtf.

He has not done blood work I have to have a new appt for that which I would have thought he would havedone a blood terst to see if anything else was going on..He said my head maybe itchy cuz I fried my hair and should not properly wash my scalp and with the heat it made it worse. As for now it could be my scalp getting use to being cleaner and might be over producing so it's bothers my scalp coupled with the fact it's been hot here and I'm sweating etc. told me just to keep using what ever shampoo or at home cure I'm using that works as he he did not see the point of me buying new shampoo like t-gel or head and shoulders etc as he saw no point in doing that incase I had to have some special shampoo.

I was using Natura Siberia Scottish wild thistle I still have a little bit of it left but I mix brewed coffee,aloe and mint into it and did the same with the remaining conditioner and use that on really itchy days along with a chamomile and ACV rinse. I'm not just using faith in nature blue cedar and that seems to be fine on my head. ATM it seems to only get itchy if it's really hot so I was using a cold mixture of aloe and mint before or after washing and that seemed to have helped.

I will admit I miss having red hair or should I say any clolour thats not my natural colour. I was wondering what can naturally lighten natural medium brown hair? i know sun can do it but we don't get sun much here in the UK, I hear ACV will and lemon juice will but I'm wondering if anything else will asking once my scalp is better.

lapushka
August 4th, 2019, 07:22 AM
Right sorry for the late update. Dr took a look said oh your scalp looks irrated (no *coughs*) I had some like pimples on my head thats what he called them he took samples from them and took some skin samples I'm still waiting on the offical results. He said it to him did not look fungal it does not smell fungal (I must of had a wtf face on) cuz he said the people he sees with fungal issues on the scalp have like a smelly head. ya I'm still thinking wtf.

Get back to us when you have the results.

I wouldn't "mess" with DIYs in the mean time, though, but that's me.

MorganaLeFae
August 4th, 2019, 09:24 AM
I hope I have the results this week. Wont be messing with the diy lighterns for a lil bit so lol. I tell y'all what I'm so glad I never went with dreadlocks I'm watching youtube videos on people who had dreads and are brushing them out omg just watching them makes my arms and neck ache! some of them look super cute without the dreads.

Sarahlabyrinth
August 5th, 2019, 02:47 AM
Do let us know your results! And by the way, welcome to the forum! :)

CathelinaNicole
August 7th, 2019, 09:04 PM
Keep us updated!! Now might not be the time for DIYs but diluted tea tree oil in coconut oil could help, and using an Apple Cider Vinegar hair rinse. I hope everything clears up. :)

Kalamazoo
August 11th, 2019, 07:45 PM
How are you doing, MorganaLeFae?

Personally, I'm a big fan of witch hazel. Did you see the "Scalp Acne" thread? https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=150532 We had a small discussion of WH over there... Maybe that would interest you? :shrug: