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View Full Version : Hmmm...kinda bummed



lambhair
October 2nd, 2009, 12:18 PM
This past February, I made a decision to seriously start taking care of my hair, in order to see how long I could get it to grow. I have been using coconut oil, a boar bristle brush, doing conditioner-shampoo-contitioner washes, regular henna applications, wearing it braided or up all the time and using no cones. When I began, my hair was 36" long. About 2 months ago I measured it myself and thought I had reached 37" and I was happy. I don't measure every month, just whenever I get curious and I'm not in a big hurry to see growth-or so I thought.
Last night I asked my DH to measure my hair for me (since it had been around June when I had measured last) and just about fell over when he said, "the longest hair is just about 36 1/2 inches.". What is up with THAT? I use henna and I do get roots so I know that it is growing (or else I'd be saving a lot of money on henna) but where is it going? I only do very mild end trimming of individual hairs and I'm very careful with that. I am bummed to think that I have reached my terminal length already, I was hoping for classic and dreaming of reaching knee someday. Doesn't look like that will be happening. I am grateful though that I do have very healthy really long hair (by average social standards) and I am happy that it is in good condition and if this is as long as it it going to get then I am pleased that at least it got this far. I am in good physical shape, excercise routinely and eat a balanced diet...plus I haven't been under any extra stress or anything this summer that would possibly account for this-I'm stumped.
Anyone else run into this kind of thing? Could it just be a looooooong cycle of slow growth? I have noticed that I don't seem to be shedding much lately, could that be tied in with slow growth?

DragonLady
October 2nd, 2009, 12:22 PM
I would guess it's breaking off. I suggest looking around for hidden sources of damage. I was stuck at a single length for years because my office chair was trimming my hair for me.

SimplyLonghair
October 2nd, 2009, 12:26 PM
Could your hair be getting wavier?

Mine gets curlier and wavier as it gets longer so it measures shorter. I know that I am getting growth, but the hair looks shorter unless it is very wet.

Just a suggestion.

AND folks go through stalls, but you haven't reached terminal until you know that it hasn't grown at all for at least a year in my opinion and for some even longer.

I know that we have folks that didn't grow for several years, and then suddenly it started growing again.

Good luck.

lambhair
October 2nd, 2009, 12:40 PM
Could your hair be getting wavier?

Mine gets curlier and wavier as it gets longer so it measures shorter. I know that I am getting growth, but the hair looks shorter unless it is very wet.

Just a suggestion.

AND folks go through stalls, but you haven't reached terminal until you know that it hasn't grown at all for at least a year in my opinion and for some even longer.

I know that we have folks that didn't grow for several years, and then suddenly it started growing again.

Good luck.

SimplyLongHair-I wish it was getting wavier! LOL, no it is still the same straight texture that it always has been. That would be cool though. :)
I'm not going to give up and do anything crazy like cut it-I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing now and if it grows thats cool and I guess if it doesn't then, well thats ok too. Eventually then (if it hasn't grown anymore in a year or so) I might trim the hemline to make it look thicker since it does taper a lot.
Thanks for the info!

spidermom
October 2nd, 2009, 01:05 PM
Yes, this has happened to me. I think that most of my longest hairs shed out all at once, leaving me with temporarily shorter hair. It kept growing.

Anje
October 2nd, 2009, 02:18 PM
Hang in there. It's possible that the longest ones broke off, and it's possible that you're stuck in a stall right now.

Right after I joined here, my hair growth stalled for about 5 months (just when I was trying to take better care of my hair, it stopped growing! Major argh!) Despite that, I think I got 4 inches of growth with a few significant trims over the rest of the year, so I think it caught up. Hair stalls can be followed by sprints, and hair can have some nice growth spurts at times.

Amara
October 2nd, 2009, 02:21 PM
I agree with the responses to wait at least a year before thinking you've gotten to terminal. Either way your hair is lovely! :) :flower:

Sheltie_Momma
October 2nd, 2009, 02:37 PM
Could it possibly, maybe just be due to differences in measuring? Since it was your measurement on your own once and your husband's the second time, maybe just angling things a tad differently could explain it?

lambhair
October 2nd, 2009, 03:41 PM
Could it possibly, maybe just be due to differences in measuring? Since it was your measurement on your own once and your husband's the second time, maybe just angling things a tad differently could explain it?

I'm sure thats part of it, I'm positive that I was inaccurate when I did it myself. I only measured it once-the 2nd time (when I thought it was 37"). He helped the first time back in February and is just about as puzzled as I am with its seeming lack of growth.

Amara-I agree...I'm just going to let things be for right now and not trim or cut or anything. Thank you for you kind words!!!