why isnt my hair growing

[Breezy]

I've been stuck at a couple of inches above bsl now for 6 months! It's not growing! I don't know what is happening why it isnt growing. Has anyone had a stall like this before. It is very frustrating.

[lunalocks]

Here are some questions. Have you been trimming? S and D ing? Do you have a blunt hemline or fairytails? What about split ends? Have you colored/straightened/permed your hair? Do you dry it with heat or use hot rollers? Are you keeping it up as much as you can? Do you use elastic bands or hair damaging items in your hair?

Some people only grow to this length, but would not have an even hemline, as hairs all grow at different rates. Prior damage to hair can result in the ends breaking off or splitting. Hair is growing but appears not to as it is constantly breaking off.

I have had stalls before, but at 36 inches and 56 inches. And they lasted a year or longer, so it could be stall.

Hope this helps.

[Jane99]

When my hair has stalled, it was because of damage. Washing too often, rough brushing, blow drying daily, hard water, having it down all the time, sleeping with it down, not conditioning it properly. Maybe something like this is contributing. Prepoo oiling, gentle detangling, less frequent washing, leaving my hair up most of the time, and even with damaged length I’m retaining most of my growth even though my hair is far from perfect

[foreveryours]

Breezy, I'd like to add be sure you're getting enough protein in your diet. Hair is LOW PRIORITY on your physiological scale so it's the first to go and last to grow. For a guy constantly unable to find enough hours in a day, I find the big bags of whey protein from Costco a particularly convenient "supplement". Hope that helps.

[Finda]

Is it possible to maybe have your blood checked for any deficiancies where you live? Unless you can detect a mechanical reason for breakage, like lunalocks suggested. I think my hair stalled in the wintertime, but I don't meassure on a regular basis and my hemline is pretty uneven and I have waves, so this might all just be observation bias and impatience.

[lapushka]

Here are some questions. Have you been trimming? S and D ing? Do you have a blunt hemline or fairytails? What about split ends? Have you colored/straightened/permed your hair? Do you dry it with heat or use hot rollers? Are you keeping it up as much as you can? Do you use elastic bands or hair damaging items in your hair?

Some people only grow to this length, but would not have an even hemline, as hairs all grow at different rates. Prior damage to hair can result in the ends breaking off or splitting. Hair is growing but appears not to as it is constantly breaking off.

I have had stalls before, but at 36 inches and 56 inches. And they lasted a year or longer, so it could be stall.

Hope this helps.

Yep, yep and yep, all those came to mind!

Standard questions. Do you still heat style, at all; how? Blow dryer? Hot irons?
Color? Cut it / dust it (even that is asking for trouble).


By the by... I follow someone on YT who is supposedly growing her hair out, yet she keeps "dusting" the ends every month to couple of months and takes 1cm off, and then she complains she stays at the same length. I mean... :shrug: Not saying one bit you do that, but it just sprang to mind.

Or, are you still going to a hairdresser on the regular?

Any damaging stuff you're doing? Like tight elastics? Braiding and knotting it off too tightly (causing fragile ends to break off). It happens!

[Breezy]

Yep, yep and yep, all those came to mind!

Standard questions. Do you still heat style, at all; how? Blow dryer? Hot irons?
Color? Cut it / dust it (even that is asking for trouble).


By the by... I follow someone on YT who is supposedly growing her hair out, yet she keeps "dusting" the ends every month to couple of months and takes 1cm off, and then she complains she stays at the same length. I mean... :shrug: Not saying one bit you do that, but it just sprang to mind.

Or, are you still going to a hairdresser on the regular?

Any damaging stuff you're doing? Like tight elastics? Braiding and knotting it off too tightly (causing fragile ends to break off). It happens!




The only thing I do that is damaging is the flat iron. Recently my waves started to come is more curly and frizzy, my hair does not lay right any more even after trying so many moisturizing products and really working with the new texture. Also I have gone through a big hair shed and sad that my hair isnt as thick as it was. So I have decided to use the flat iron to make it look better and I use a heat protectant. Believe me, I don't like to use it. I want my old hair back. I just don't know what to do. Maybe once it grows longer is my hope that it will look better with the tighter curl and new texture, but it needs to grow and that is my dilemma. I suppose I could just wear it up, but I don't look very good with it up, or a half up half down may work. Thanks for your response and help.

[ravenheather]

The only thing I do that is damaging is the flat iron. Recently my waves started to come is more curly and frizzy, my hair does not lay right any more even after trying so many moisturizing products and really working with the new texture. Also I have gone through a big hair shed and sad that my hair isnt as thick as it was. So I have decided to use the flat iron to make it look better and I use a heat protectant. Believe me, I don't like to use it. I want my old hair back. I just don't know what to do. Maybe once it grows longer is my hope that it will look better with the tighter curl and new texture, but it needs to grow and that is my dilemma. I suppose I could just wear it up, but I don't look very good with it up, or a half up half down may work. Thanks for your response and help.

That very well may be your culprit. I would ditch it.

[Breezy]

Is it possible to maybe have your blood checked for any deficiancies where you live? Unless you can detect a mechanical reason for breakage, like lunalocks suggested. I think my hair stalled in the wintertime, but I don't meassure on a regular basis and my hemline is pretty uneven and I have waves, so this might all just be observation bias and impatience.

It is very possible that it is impatience, like watching waiting for water to boil.

[aloewurly]

Also a possible culprit: hair goes through cycles of growth and fall. Not a sign of anything terrible, just the life cycle of it. Maybe for now your growth has slowed down, but it'll pick the pace up by itself. Similar to how pregnant women's hair looks thicker and fuller because they're not shedding the hair they'd normally do, and then after pregnancy it catches up with them. It's a cycle!

[aloewurly]

my hair does not lay right any more even after trying so many moisturizing products
Also, this sounds like you could have buildup worsening the appearance of your hair, especially if you're using a heat protectant regularly (which require silicones to function properly, which often causes buildup on people with wavy or curly hair).

[sipnsun]

I would take an accurate measurement of your length, give up the flat iron for a month or two, keep your ends oiled and put your hair in protective styles everyday and then measure again at the end of that time. If you have some growth, it's not a stall but mechanical damage causing you to lose your gains. If you haven't grown any, I would consider blood work to be sure your levels are okay. I used to have my husband measure me monthly and I have gone through several stalls. I always try to eliminate things to see if I can make improvements when it's happening. It's frustrating and I'm sorry you are dealing with it.

[lapushka]

It is very possible that it is impatience, like watching waiting for water to boil.

If you say you still use a hot iron? I would scratch impatience.

Look up close at the last 4/5 inches, if you see any white dots with sharp angles, that is heat damage and breakage waiting to happen. And what's the worst thing, these can be all up over a strand even to where you start to insert your iron (so close to the root, ask me how I know) which can even take very long strands out!

[lunalocks]

I would take an accurate measurement of your length, give up the flat iron for a month or two, keep your ends oiled and put your hair in protective styles everyday and then measure again at the end of that time. If you have some growth, it's not a stall but mechanical damage causing you to lose your gains. If you haven't grown any, I would consider blood work to be sure your levels are okay. I used to have my husband measure me monthly and I have gone through several stalls. I always try to eliminate things to see if I can make improvements when it's happening. It's frustrating and I'm sorry you are dealing with it.

This. And embrace your waves.

[Zesty]

Obviously I don't know your medical history, but I very much doubt it's stopped growing from the root. My guess would be breakage from flat iron + wearing it down. Flat iron would be the first thing I'd ditch, but I would wager that if you did that *and* started wearing protective styles, you'd see more length gains after giving it some time.

I also agree with what sipnsun said.

[Obsidian]

If you are wearing it down all the time, it will rub on chairs, clothing, get caught on handbag straps, etc. This all leads to breakage.
Try wearing it up or in braids. The ends need to be protected

[GordonMurphella]

Flatiron. It's almost always the flatiron.

[lapushka]

Flatiron. It's almost always the flatiron.

:( Sad even just using it once can do it, and it goes to where you insert it, which can be high up next to the root. Everywhere that iron goes damage can go. If you think about it that way, you don't even want to touch it again.

[queenbee1]

Im going through a stall as we speak, after a growth spurt. I feel your pain

[Breezy]

If you say you still use a hot iron? I would scratch impatience.

Look up close at the last 4/5 inches, if you see any white dots with sharp angles, that is heat damage and breakage waiting to happen. And what's the worst thing, these can be all up over a strand even to where you start to insert your iron (so close to the root, ask me how I know) which can even take very long strands out!

fortunately I do not have the white dots showing breakage. I am very careful with the flat iron. but I am going to try to not use it.

[Breezy]

Im going through a stall as we speak, after a growth spurt. I feel your pain

its so frustrating!
best of luck to you in your hair journey!

[lapushka]

fortunately I do not have the white dots showing breakage. I am very careful with the flat iron. but I am going to try to not use it.

I was careful with it too, and I still got damage. :flower:

Sometimes it doesn't matter how careful you are. If you really can't do without it, maybe accept that there will be breakage and less growth?

[Dark40]

I remember 2 years ago I also suffered a growth stall for 6 months, and that was from stress. So, I do agree with the OP from the beginning from foreveryours that you may need to incorporate protein in your diet. At first, when I was going through my stall I was afraid that I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet as well. Or, even some other mineral like vitamin D. But I'm no longer going through that stall.

[Breezy]

I was careful with it too, and I still got damage. :flower:

Sometimes it doesn't matter how careful you are. If you really can't do without it, maybe accept that there will be breakage and less growth?

I am really going to try to work with my hairs natural texture. Thank you Lapushka for your help, I know you are right about the damage no matter how careful I am. I want my hair to grow. I really do!

[Breezy]

I remember 2 years ago I also suffered a growth stall for 6 months, and that was from stress. So, I do agree with the OP from the beginning from foreveryours that you may need to incorporate protein in your diet. At first, when I was going through my stall I was afraid that I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet as well. Or, even some other mineral like vitamin D. But I'm no longer going through that stall.

Thank you Dark40 for your input. I will eat more protein for certain. I have been good that way I usually have fish, chicken or steak for dinner every night, so that is a start. I take good hair vitamins. My hair used to grow fast. Before this stall, back in December I trimmed 2 inches off my ends and it took 6 months for that to grow back. Hopefully I will get 3 inches more by this December, 6 more months! Hope you are reaching your hair goals.

[lapushka]

I am really going to try to work with my hairs natural texture. Thank you Lapushka for your help, I know you are right about the damage no matter how careful I am. I want my hair to grow. I really do!

From seeing your avatar from afar, I think your texture is really pretty.

[Breezy]

From seeing your avatar from afar, I think your texture is really pretty.

thank you, my texture has changed and become more curly, so it is harder to work with. I hope it pulls out some of that when it grows.

[lapushka]

thank you, my texture has changed and become more curly, so it is harder to work with. I hope it pulls out some of that when it grows.

Odd that, how we see things so differently. I had my hair permed on multiple occasions, because my waves were so odd (not loose enough to pull out, not tight enough to matter) and so a perm gave me nice defined curls when I worked with it. All I had to do was the LOC/LCO method and it was perfect every single time.

I wonder, have you ever tried LOC/LCO after washing to style curly?

[Breezy]

Odd that, how we see things so differently. I had my hair permed on multiple occasions, because my waves were so odd (not loose enough to pull out, not tight enough to matter) and so a perm gave me nice defined curls when I worked with it. All I had to do was the LOC/LCO method and it was perfect every single time.

I wonder, have you ever tried LOC/LCO after washing to style curly?

Hi Lapushka, no I dont know what LOC/LCO is, sorry, can you explain, or send my to the thread to read on it? Thanks!