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View Full Version : Help! How do I get my hair to grow back the way it was?



starshinedarkly
April 26th, 2009, 03:30 PM
Hi everyone,
I've been feeling a bit upset with my hair recently, seeing how thin its gotten.

This is long and maybe all the info below isn't exactly necessary, but I'm fairly new and I don't think I've ever told my hair story, so here it is. Feel free to skip the next 2 paragraphs if you want, or you can just navigate from this page altogether if it all just seems too daunting. If you read all of this, then really, you deserve a medal!

All my hair troubles started about 2 and a half years ago when I started straightening my hair (surprise, surprise...). It basically got very very damaged, to the point where pretty much every hair on my head was split multiple times and covered in white dots. It was horrible and I knew what I was doing to my hair which was somewhere between BSL and waist at the time but if I left it natural it was so much more obvious and besides, my hair didn't curl the way it used to and it was just a dull frizzy mess of half formed, undefined waves so I did the worst thing and kept straightening it. I was quite rough with my hair, I used sulphates and cones and when I saw a bit knot (I had lost of tangle back then) I just ripped it apart impatiently (I know...). Around this time my hair started to thin very badly and my hair which was once healthy and very thick was a damaged and thinning mess. I had a blood test as I was shedding a lot and my results said that my iron levels were only very slightly below par (my mum is quite badly anemic) so the doctor didn't give me anything for it.

Last summer I just knew what had to be done, and as much as I loved my long hair I had to cut it off to shoulder length. That wasn't too bad - I knew it was for the best. What was bad was that my previously curly hair had gone stick straight in most places due to all the straightening damage. There were no split ends and the hair felt healthy but I guess the damage was too bad for it to curl. Transitioning was horrible. As my curly hair grew back in it looked terrible - half my hair was very curly and the rest was straight. I tried everything to get the hair to curl again but it just wasn't happening so I starting straightening again (people do stupid things when they're desperate). My hair didn't even look nice straightened though, it looked flat and thin - my hair still hadn't grown back in. Finally, in october I went sulphate and cone free, unplugged my straighteners and I've never looked back. It honestly saved my hair, and it became softer and shinier than it's ever been. But there were still those horrid straight ends. I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere if I kept straightening my hair so I endured the not-so-good hair days so it would be better in the long run. I was never tempted to use the straighteners again, and I haven't used them since (7 months!! :D) I found this site and a few others which have taught me so much about my hair and how to look after it (Thank you!!!). I got the straight bits cut off at the beginning of this month, and my hair is now just past shoulder length and curly again. I then joined this site, as I didn't want to join until I could be dedicated to growing my hair and I knew that I wouldn't have to have another big chop.

My hair is healthy and it seems to be growing well, though its not been that long, the only problem being the thinness. My hair isn't shedding anymore but it doesn't seem to be getting better either. I had another blood test and again, my iron levels were only slightly less than they should be and its not even a proper defficiency, but I told the doctor about the thinning so he prescribed me iron tablets and for the past month or so I've been having 400 mg of Ferrous Sulphate everyday. I know its early but I'm feelng worried about this especially as my mum keeps warning me that if I don't get my hair to grow back the follicles will close up and my hair will be thin forever. I just hate that when I put my hair up you can see bits of my scalp and that my pony tail seems so tiny compared to what it used to be. I've made a complete turn around with my hair and I've even converted my mum and even HER hair is starting to grow back and she's 30 years older than me. My hair isn't seriously thin but its thin all the same - I'm only 15 and it just doesn't feel right for my hair to be this thin. The curls just make it worse, as they curl to the roots and sometimes bits of my scalp are visible.

I know this is very very long, and I'm sorry. I commend if you've managed to get through even half of that, but I've run out of ideas of what to do and this site has helped me before and I'm just hoping it can help me again. :)

Its not so much the idea of having thin hair that I hate, its just that only two years ago I had thick hair and it just seemed to go so quickly.

Thanks in advance. x

nitecitten
April 26th, 2009, 03:42 PM
Well I read what you had to say and it was a lot :) Maybe try biotin, henna, or HSN vitamin.

Silverlox
April 26th, 2009, 04:15 PM
First of all, welcome to LHC! :flower:

I'm sorry you have had this awful experience, but you've done very well to stop the hair-abusing behaviour and your hair in your avatar looks absolutely lovely! :D

There are several things around here that people have tried to enhance their growth after a big shed, or even after having bald spots due to chemotherapy.

One thing is using Monistat on your scalp, or a generic brand containing the same substance. Yes, the thrush medication generally used to treat Athlete's Foot or a fungus infection of the private parts.
You will find all the information you need about this method here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=156&highlight=monistat).
Be aware though, that this is one monster of a mammoth thread! That's how popular it is.

Another method is using different oils or herbs, also on your scalp. You can find a list of various oils and their uses in this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=25) article.

You can also try massaging your scalp, to increase blood flow and thereby nutrients to the hair follicles. It is important, though, that you are gentle when massaging, as you don't want to harm your hair further. The basic method goes like this:
Sit comfortably, either with your head hanging down between your knees, or leaned back on a head rest. Having your head hanging down will increase the blood flow to your head, which might make the massage more efficient. But most of all, be comfortable!
Place the pads of your fingers on your scalp. If you want to be practical and methodical about it, start at the front hairline and work your way through to the nape. Or vice versa, after what suits you best.
Gently move your hands in little circles to massage the scalp. Please not that your finger pads should not rub the scalp, as that pulls on the roots. Instead you should keep your pads on the same spot and kind of rub your scalp against your skull bone.
Work your way through all of scalp.
This massage method also works very well to combine with either one of the two methods mentioned above.If you can convince someone else to massage your scalp, even better. Perhaps you and your mother can massage each other?

The massage should feel very pleasant, with no tugging of hair.

While the massage is wonderful relaxation, the outcome of any of these methods vary on different people. Unfortunately, there is no one-method-fits-all as people's hair and scalp react differently to different methods.

My suggestion, with the exception of the massage, is to try only one thing at the time. For several reasons. The most important being that if you have a negative reaction to the treatment, it makes it easy to find the culprit and discontinue that particular treatment. Another reason is, if you try several things at once and get a good result, you won't know which one actually helped. Furthermore, there's always the possibility that two different methods do not work well together and are not meant to be combined.

Choose one. If you get an instant bad reaction, stop immediately! Otherwise keep it up for several weeks, preferably a month, before you evaluate. It takes time for new little baby hairs to show and without them you won't know if the method simply doesn't work for you or if you just didn't give it enough time.

After you evaluate the result, you then decide whether to continue (if it works), or whether to stop and try another method in the hopes of better results.

Good luck!

Ha! You thought your OP was long! What do you call this then? :eyebrows:


PS I have no idea why the font in the bullet points is larger than the ordinary text. I didn't change size. :confused:

Michele
April 26th, 2009, 04:18 PM
I agree on the biotin and vitamine thing, since healthy hair begins from within.
I think you're already doing the best you can for your hair! When it comes to hair growth patience is key.. Just keep treating your hair as good as you're doing now and wait it out.
Btw: Your hair looks gorgeous in your avatar!

Fantak
April 26th, 2009, 04:23 PM
I suggest giving it time. If you have naturally thick hair it will grow back, I wouldn't worry.

In the meantime don't stress about it (stress increases shedding, I'm speaking from experience) and eat a high protein diet, especially at breakfast. You could also pop over to the natural care board and have a look at oils that decrease shedding/encourage growth.

Good luck :) Let us know how you do!

Lamb
April 26th, 2009, 05:44 PM
I did the worst thing and kept straightening it. I was quite rough with my hair, I used sulphates and cones and when I saw a bit knot (I had lost of tangle back then) I just ripped it apart impatiently (I know...). Around this time my hair started to thin very badly and my hair which was once healthy and very thick was a damaged and thinning mess.
It is very possible that a lot of hairs just broke off very near the scalp, hence the thinning. Which means you probably have a lot of very short hairs which will take time to catch up with the rest.


my mum keeps warning me that if I don't get my hair to grow back the follicles will close up and my hair will be thin forever.
:confused: I have never heard of such a thing. It takes some serious harm/disease for a follicle to die. I'm pretty sure it takes more than a hair straightening habit.

Hang in there! You are doing all the right things. Take vitamins, get blood tests regularly (no hormonal imbalance, I assume?), and relax. Stress certainly won't help your hair.

Scalp massages can be wonderful, btw. They help me de-stress and I noticed some growth improvement with them. Good luck!!

starshinedarkly
April 27th, 2009, 09:55 AM
Thank you for the very informative replies. :)

The scalp massage sounds like a good idea; I never knew how to do it properly before you described it and the few times I tried my hair became really frizzy and tangled so thanks for that!

I'll probably try to get some vitamins - I tried the Hair, Skin and Nails formula but though it made my nails grow like crazy I didn't take it long enough for it to show any effect on my hair. They're just so expensive here!

I've read about monistat and it sounds like a lot of people get good results but I'm a bit nervous about the side effects, but I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks everyone!

SimplyLonghair
April 29th, 2009, 02:14 AM
Well, your story sounds alot like the shed that my DD dealt with only her's was not caused by straightening but stress and health issues.

I second the scalp massages as well as using the iron.
The problem is that it takes time if you have low iron levels to get hair to grow back, in some cases. Some people have quick growth and others slow. Iron levels to grow thick hair are higher than those needed just to sustain life, so keep the iron going.

Try to not stress, hard I know! As a teen you have alot of stress and hormones going on that could also be causing your hair to not thicken up as quickly as your mom's.

Remember that your hair is different. It is yours. My hair is different than my dd's even though we do have some similarities.
My hair has thickened up some faster than hers. But her's is getting so much thicker. It just takes being consistant. Don't give up, ask your mom not to make negative remarks. Point her to this post if needed! That is so harmful! You need positive images not negativity! Her words could actually slowing your recovery!
I know that she wouldn't intend to but the words cause worry that causes more stress and that is hard on your body and your hair.


Your straightening may have caused your hair to go into resting, but it hasn't caused it to die. Just let it rest and you will start seeing baby hairs all over the place.

There are EO's that help with regrowth, you might want to look into those with the scalp massages.

Good luck on your journey, may you find joy on the trip!