Growth Problem

[Kelli Kat]

Whenever my hair gets to a certain length, it seems to stop growing. I've been at the same length for at least 2 years. This happens every time I grow my hair out and I end up getting frustrated and cutting. I don't want to do that this time. Any ideas or suggestions would be most appreciated.

[GoddesJourney]

That's because you're at BSL. Everyone stalls out at this length because it's the length at which it starts rubbing between your back and your chair/carseat, everything else. If you want it to stop rubbing off, I would advise wearing it up out of the way. A microtrim might help, too, if you've acquired a lot of damage like split ends, which many people find to travel up the hair shaft.

[Rhiannon7]

Be patient and like GoddessJourney said braid and/or bun it, baby it alot, and it will grow again. I have the same problem right now, feel like my hair is not growing at all, but it just grows slow right now. I always stall at waist and i'm almost at waist.

Can you tell me your type of hair? is it baby fine, straight, curly? what is your routine? do you always wear it down? use heat products? any and all of the above can damage and cause breakage.

[Heidi_234]

Also, it could that it is growing, but it's harder to tell because it's not as evident as shorter length where you can actually tell how well it grows past your ears, chin and shoulders. BSL is very ambiguous and can vary. Maybe it is growing, but you just don't see it yet?

[manderly]

I've been stuck at BSL for about a year now :) It's just a crappy, crappy stage that takes forever, due to the damage and loss of landmarks as others in the thread mentioned. :)

[redneckprincess]

take pictures to prove weather or not it is growing, sometimes thats the only way I can tell its growing, for months at a time

[Elenna]

BSL is kind of an inbetween stage. It's not short and not long. Ideally, I know that hair is growing.

[Kelli Kat]

Thanks everyone for the great advise. And will start wearing it up more.




Be patient and like GoddessJourney said braid and/or bun it, baby it alot, and it will grow again. I have the same problem right now, feel like my hair is not growing at all, but it just grows slow right now. I always stall at waist and i'm almost at waist.

Can you tell me your type of hair? is it baby fine, straight, curly? what is your routine? do you always wear it down? use heat products? any and all of the above can damage and cause breakage.

Its very fine and very very straight. I don't use any heat products ever. My routine is basically shampoo and condition once a week, and brush throughout the day. I do color it. I normally wear it pulled back with a hair clip. So it does hang down. Like this:

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac28/mynails/1-31-10-1.jpg

[Fractalsofhair]

Try wearing it in a bun, or a braid. Do you dye the whole length? You might want to look into more gentle coloring techniques as your hair looks a little frayed at the ends(But otherwise, amazingly healthy! It could just be the photo)

[tinker bug]

I don't know your wash routine, but for me my hair growth often stalls if I've been using cones. Maybe try a clarifying treatment before you cut/trim just to rule it out :D

[Kelli Kat]

Thanks everyone for all of the great advise. Tomorrow starts my new routine of wearing it up.

For my wash I use a clarifying shampoo and then I use Ion Reconstructor Treatment. I do this once a week.

[GoddesJourney]

Clarifying shampoo may be a bit harsh. I bet you can get away with something gentler and clarifying maybe once a month? Also, you might want to start looking at what kinds of things are damaging your hair. For example, I never gave a lot of thought before LHC to how my hair ties/clips were damaging. Damage tends to snowball a little for me. Once there is damage, it's only a matter of time before it gets bad enough to be cut off or starts breaking off. I used to wear a lot of ponytails and this was starting damage and split ends way up on high on my head. By the time that hair got to a reasonable length, it was awful. Your barrettes may be damaging. I know there are some coated in silicone that may be better if you like barrettes. I made some silk miniscrunchies to hold my braids because I found that the "no damage" elastics still cause plenty of damage because they're rough and cause friction.

[lhangel9]

Also, it could that it is growing, but it's harder to tell because it's not as evident as shorter length where you can actually tell how well it grows past your ears, chin and shoulders. BSL is very ambiguous and can vary. Maybe it is growing, but you just don't see it yet?


Oh Heide I hope you're right because I'm experiencing the same thing. Hmmmmm.

[lhangel9]

I've been stuck at BSL for about a year now :) It's just a crappy, crappy stage that takes forever, due to the damage and loss of landmarks as others in the thread mentioned. :)


It's been about a year for me too. And I thought I was the only one. Ok ladies, let's get it growing for the summer. We can do it!:cheese:

[Kelli Kat]

I've trimmed my ends, I'm in my second week of wearing it up, and I got a new shampoo. Hopefully I'll have some noticeable growth by summer.

[jera]

take pictures to prove weather or not it is growing, sometimes thats the only way I can tell its growing, for months at a time

I agree with you. pictures are a great way of tracking progress. :)

Also taking vitamins to help hair grow has benefitted me personally. Biotin, MSM, omega 3s to keep it shiny and healthy. Have you tried that?

[spidermom]

I recommend the CWC method of washing, which is apply conditioner to length, shampoo the scalp (I use diluted shampoo for this; it works great), rinse, then condition the length again. This washing method has made a big difference for me. Alternatively, you could oil the length before washing. In the picture you posted, the ends look dry and frayed, and I think they need more protection.

[xoxophelia]

Your ends look like a direct result of coloring to me. If you keep coloring the length or bleaching it will get quite damaged. So maybe if you aren't, use a method where you don't pull the color through to the ends. Or switch to a more gentle color or henna?

[spidermom]

I wanted to add that coloring your hair might be part of the problem, so whatever you can do to protect your hair, like coat it with coconut oil first or switch to gentler products/methods or stop coloring it, can help to get your hair healthier and growing again. Get a patterned shirt and start getting a length picture once every month or two; you will see for sure whether it's growing or not.

[Kelli Kat]

I've never used oil on my hair before. What kind should I get? How do I use it?

[spidermom]

You should definitely try oil. Two kinds that are absorbed by most hair are coconut oil and olive oil. I recommend that you start out with 1 drop of either kind rubbed between palms, then length caught between palms and smooth them down the hair. Try it on dry hair and try it on damp hair. If it disappears into your hair, try 2 drops next time, and so forth. I'm up to about 1/2 teaspoon at my current length.

If these don't benefit your hair by making it smooth, shiny, and/or soft, there are other choices. Be aware, unfortunately, for various reasons, some hair does not benefit from oil. If that is the case, there are other ways to nurture your hair.

[Kelli Kat]

Thanks. I'm going to get someone this weekend and start using it. How often do you do it?