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Lassie
December 31st, 2009, 06:19 AM
Hi All!

Im aching for faster growth and thickness after i foolishly detroyed my own head of hair with hair extensions.

I had BSL hair, got extensions, had them for 6 months, removed them and had to chop back to just under chin lenght - and literally lost 2/3rds of my own hair.

Am currently at just under shoulder lenght.

Am desparate for more lenght and thickness and am unsure what i should try
monistat?
de? (having trouble finding this in australia?)
mega tek?

I know everyone is different...but what have you had astounding succes with? and how?

I need some inspiration and advice

hanne jensen
December 31st, 2009, 06:30 AM
I've doubled my monthly growth rate with monostat. I also use Snowy's massage method every day. I wear my hair up all the time to prevent damage. I avoid salons as if they were the plague. My DH dusts my hair. I never use any kind of heat on my hair. In freezing temperatures I wear a woolen cap that covers all my hair. Eat a healthy diet, get your beauty sleep and drink water.

I think in Australia monostat is called Daktarin.

CrisDee
December 31st, 2009, 06:38 AM
I'm still very much of a newbie, would you mind explaining what it is about hair extensions that ruins your hair? I've seen that a few times and am curious - thanks!

Fiferstone
December 31st, 2009, 06:39 AM
I second the wear your hair up and change up your style as much as possible (don't wear it the same way every day) advice. At your current length, you should be able to do a french twist/peacock twist, gibson tuck, and possibly a sock bun as well. Point is, keep your hair protected and be mindful of how you treat it. Now that it's shoulder length you're starting to get some length, and you should look into oiling just the ends to protect them and keep them from splitting. As my own hair got longer I had the "oily scalp/straw length" problem until I tried CWC and oiling. Definitely look at Nightshade's article (in the articles section) http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79 on growing long after bad damage (her's was dye damage, but the same principles apply). Also look at Ursula's standard newbie advice if you haven't found it already, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39

Good luck, and happy growing. Stay AWAY from the extensions, they are so not worth it.

For the record, I'm a finey, my hair is now hip-length, I've had long hair for 20 years (mostly between BSL and waist), this is the longest it's ever been.

ETA: The damage from extensions results from the methods by which they are affixed to your own hair (glue beads, clips, sewing in), from the weight (your hair follicle is not intended to support more than the weight of your own hair) and the tangles that result as your own hair grows. You have to move the clipped on extensions as your hair grows, for example.

CrisDee
December 31st, 2009, 06:44 AM
The damage from extensions results from the methods by which they are affixed to your own hair (glue beads, clips, sewing in), from the weight (your hair follicle is not intended to support more than the weight of your own hair) and the tangles that result as your own hair grows. You have to move the clipped on extensions as your hair grows, for example.

Thanks for the info - I've always wondered what these things were all about, sounds about as healthy for your hair as acrylics are for your nails... ewww....:(

Dreams_in_Pink
December 31st, 2009, 06:46 AM
eh, i just got extensions removed but there's barely any damage on my hair. Actually, i noticed my hair started to grow at a rocket speed once i took them out. (went from chin to your length in about 2 months!) Your might not be that much damaged from extensions, so stop worrying about that :)

as far as i know, there's no way your hair can grow 1 inch a day but, as mentioned above eating healthy, exercising and scalp massage can help maximize the growth. (I'm not sure bout monistat thing, i wouldn't want to put a drug on my head just to increase growth)

oh and BTW, i heard that castor oil encourages growth when massaged onto scalp. Not tried it though.

2peasinapod
December 31st, 2009, 07:26 AM
I take a multi vitamin that has biotin everyday. I also take fish oil supplements. I think a lot of people here have has success with biotin.

Also, there's a thread on here about millet. I've been eating it about twice a week. I don't know if it has anything to do with my growth, but it's very healthy for you anyway.

Lassie
December 31st, 2009, 08:06 AM
thanks all :)

i just feel like i will never have my own beautiful long hair again..

the extensions ruined my hair i dare say becuase of the weight. i had the highest quality that money could buy - attached with micro clips, but when i had them removed i lost a great deal of my own hair as it thinned out... it does have a lot to do with hair type, i know people that have worn extensions and then removed them with no damage....i guees my hair and scalp did not take to extensions well...it was so thinned out when the extensions were removed that i had to get a huge chop.

i currently take multivitamins and fish oil - so will keep that up.

i shampoo and conditions once a week with a product called FAST from the uk which has given me a noticable increase in new hair growth (i have tried going all natural with hair washing in the past and my hair does not agree with it)

i dont really use heat products (will blow dry maybe once a month)

i think i am going to give the monistat a go - i did try that once about 18 months ago, i just always had a tricky time spreading it evenly on my scalp...

anyone fromm australia obtainded DE? and how do you use it?

spidermom
December 31st, 2009, 08:13 AM
Patience and good health habits work the best.

Dreams_in_Pink
December 31st, 2009, 08:53 AM
thanks all :)

i just feel like i will never have my own beautiful long hair again..

... but when i had them removed i lost a great deal of my own hair as it thinned out...

I lost lots of hair too, but there are factors to it:
- Normally, a person can shed 100 strands a day. Those shed hairs are trapped inside microrings. Do some math to see how many strands should fall once extensions are removed ;)
- BESIDES, there's a big possibility that your hairdresser thinned out hairs at the crown to provide smooth transition. That really cuts down on volume. Once those "layers" grow out you'll be fine.
- When you have extensions on, your ponytail circumference kinda "doubles" or "triples". You get used to the new weight of hair, so much that your own weight seems to be very little compared to extensions. It takes a while to remember your own hair :D

Don't worry about your "lost hairs"; it takes A LOT to stop a hair follicle from producing hair.

Kristin
December 31st, 2009, 10:19 AM
I just started using the Monistat myself. It does not necessarily have to be the Monistat brand for this method to work; I've heard of people using Neosporin AF and Daktarin as well. I've only applied the Monistat twice this week so it's too soon to notice any growth.

I also take a multi-vitamin specifically for hair growth and also began taking extra biotin. Definitely protect your hair by wearing it up, deep condition, aviod shampoo, and oil regularly. And try to be patient (believe me, I know how hard it is!)

Coriander
December 31st, 2009, 10:29 AM
I try to ignore my hair. :D

I take vitamins, flax oil, biotin, and try to remember to use my Mega-Tek (which did help growth when I actually used it!)

Congratulations on taking steps to healthy hair. :flower:

redneckprincess
December 31st, 2009, 11:05 AM
BIOTIN has worked wonders on my growth rate!!

Honestwitness
December 31st, 2009, 02:21 PM
Hey, Angie! That's a cool new signature pic!! So tell us more about biotin. How much do you take and how often? For how ong have you taken it? What was your growth rate before and what is it now?

30isthenewblack
December 31st, 2009, 04:52 PM
Hi Lassie,

I'm from Australia as well :waving:The replacement for Monistat in Australia is Daktarin but you may want to read the Monistat thread before you use it. It started affecting my skin so I stopped using it but I may have been using the wrong one.

What has worked well for me is drinking Qsilica and taking Figaro Hair Food tablets. I think either product is good but given a choice, I'd choose the Qsilica over the Figaro Food Tablets.

A huge contributing factor to my growth was trimming my own hair. I found hairdressers in Australia were very scissor happy and trimming away my growth. Most people here use this method (http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim). I bought a $30 pair of hairdressing scissors at Hairhouse Warehouse and Salon.

You may find this thread useful as well - http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46 Your hair will grow but as Spidermum says, it will take patience and time. I thought my hair would never grow before I found this board but it has grown from BSL straight to hip straight in one and a half years.

30

Forever_Sophie
December 31st, 2009, 04:55 PM
That very thing happened to an actress, Kristin Chenoweth. I hadn't considered extensions but wrote them off after hearing what happened to her!

Anyway, what had helped with my growth is biotin...Not at all original LOL Just 2000 mcg. I like the hair pills, "Mega Vitamins for the Hair" from Vitamin World, it contains that dose of biotin and I get noticable results. Hope this helps! :)

redneckprincess
December 31st, 2009, 06:05 PM
Hey, Angie! That's a cool new signature pic!! So tell us more about biotin. How much do you take and how often? For how ong have you taken it? What was your growth rate before and what is it now?

thanks...(remember the ponytail is a fakie!!) I take ALOT of biotin i dont even remember the dosage, like 10,000mcg i think, I have taken it for over a year but not quite a year and a half it has helped take me from getting > (less than) 1/8" a month (and I knew because I was knewly growing out bleach) to about 1/2 to one full inca per month

whiteisle
December 31st, 2009, 07:07 PM
I agree with the advice of time and patience (hard, I know) and also healthful living. Eat right, drink lots of water, try to get enough sleep.

Back when I first found LHC I had started exercising for the sole purpose of increasing growth (better circulation, more oxygen and nutrients, better growth, blah, blah, blah...). I do think it contributed and I got in shape as a side note! Ha! In fact, I gotta get back on that...I've been so slack since having my third babe. :rolleyes:

*New Year's mental note to myself - get your butt back in gear!*

I tried Monostat, too. I think it definitely did something since I got a wad of baby hairs around my hairline not long after using it. But I'm weary of using it at this point. I'm still nursing and I don't like the idea of using drugs unnecessairily while doing so.

But I do take supplements when I can remember - multi (prenatal) vitamin, Biotin (total consumption is probably 5300 mg), Omegas when I have them.

I don't think there's one magic solution but a combination of good and healthy habits can definitely help to maximize your growth........and of course the dreaded "p" word....patience. :)