What should one do when tackling no growth?

[Konstifik]

So now it's concluded -- My hair grows ~1 mm (0.04 inches) or less per month in the winter, which lasts for 7 months here. My normal growthrate of about 1 - 1.5 cm (0.4 - 0.6 inches) returns in may-june and lasts until august, then slowing down again... :(

This explains why it has taken me 10 years to grow from ~chin/shoulder to BSL today, when only doing trims to get rid of split ends. And it annoys me to no end! I want long, pretty hair! And scary thoughts of cutting it appears in my head in these times >.<

The explanation is of course cold, dark winters. In the darkest of winters we only get 3 hours of light per day, and that's from the sunrise and sunset, with no real day in between. And it easily drops down to -30 C (-22 F) during the whole winter.
Is there anyway (except moving :rolleyes:) I could cheat my growth?
I try my best to protect it against the cold, but I don't know where it could get its sunshine from.

I eat D-vitamin, multivitamin/mineral, hair-vitamins and omega oils daily. But that doesn't change anything. I also exercise regulary.

Anyone have a slightest idea what to try on? I know that hair can't grow faster than its genetically coded growth, but since this wintergrowth isn't my fastest growth, it must be possible to manipulate it! Or so I want to believe :D

:flower:

[Roseate]

They are kind of expensive, but there are light-therapy units that people use for seasonal depression- I wonder if that would help you at all? (This kind of thing. (http://www.activeforever.com/p-2211-zadro-sunlight-365-sad-therapy-light-box-with-clock.aspx?CMPID=Froogle_zadro-sunlight-365-sad-therapy-light-box-with-clock)) Here's (http://depression.about.com/od/sad/a/beyondsad.htm) a general information page about light therapy.

My mother used one for depression when living somewhere without sunlight, it really helped her with that, but I'm not sure if it would help your hair.

[Konstifik]

They are kind of expensive, but there are light-therapy units that people use for seasonal depression- I wonder if that would help you at all? (This kind of thing. (http://www.activeforever.com/p-2211-zadro-sunlight-365-sad-therapy-light-box-with-clock.aspx?CMPID=Froogle_zadro-sunlight-365-sad-therapy-light-box-with-clock)) Here's (http://depression.about.com/od/sad/a/beyondsad.htm) a general information page about light therapy.

My mother used one for depression when living somewhere without sunlight, it really helped her with that, but I'm not sure if it would help your hair.

Oh I have heard about light therapy, there was a try-for-free instance here a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I fall into that one small category of people who aren't allowed to get light therapy. I got my real lenses removed in a cataract-surgery, and that light is somehow not good for those plastic lenses you get. :rolleyes:

Do you know if solariums might help?

[Arctic]

Bummer! How about a trip to some sunny latitudes every winter?

[Konstifik]

Bummer! How about a trip to some sunny latitudes every winter?

I would love to do that!
But I have an education to finish first. It'll be at least 4 years more before I can even afford it, let alone have the time for it. :p

[redneckprincess]

before I started on my intence vitiman regime I was only getting less then 1/8" (in the summer months)...untill I started taking prenatels and BIOTIN....then my growth rate shot up to about 1" in the summer and 1/2" in the winter...I have now added some MSM & gluecosimine...and a few other suppliments hoping to stay between 1/2-1" year round...good luck to you

I think CO washing weekly DT and scalp massage help greatly as well

[Xandergrammy]

I'd try and make sure to eat more protein, if you don't already have a protein rich diet.

[Kruller]

I so empathize with you! I had always taken for granted my rapid hair growth and, as a result, I have always enjoyed cutting my hair with abandon. The thrill of the a sharp scissor's crunch was long an unfailingly successful therapy and distraction for whatever ailed me in my social or professional life. I was always tickled (yet somewhat miffed) that I could bleach and color my jet black curls to a bronze or red-gold tint, and see black roots peeping out the very next morning. But, since moving to this far Northern clime, my [head] hair growth has slowed tremendously! Now - of all times - when I have decided to grow my hair long again (as it was until my mid-20s 'escape' from patriarchal rules) for practical purposes, the rapid growth eludes me. It simply is no longer practical to go out daily with damp- or wet-refreshed curls in a climate that is only low-moderate to cold for 10 months of the year; so long hair would enable me to resume the dry-styled French braids, French twists and buns of yore. I maintain (as I have always done) a well-rounded, balanced diet, but does does not seem to be enough. If you find a resolution, please do not forget to share it with the board. :)


So now it's concluded -- My hair grows ~1 mm (0.04 inches) or less per month in the winter, which lasts for 7 months here. My normal growthrate of about 1 - 1.5 cm (0.4 - 0.6 inches) returns in may-june and lasts until august, then slowing down again... :(

This explains why it has taken me 10 years to grow from ~chin/shoulder to BSL today, when only doing trims to get rid of split ends. And it annoys me to no end! I want long, pretty hair! And scary thoughts of cutting it appears in my head in these times >.<

The explanation is of course cold, dark winters. In the darkest of winters we only get 3 hours of light per day, and that's from the sunrise and sunset, with no real day in between. And it easily drops down to -30 C (-22 F) during the whole winter.
Is there anyway (except moving :rolleyes:) I could cheat my growth?
I try my best to protect it against the cold, but I don't know where it could get its sunshine from.

I eat D-vitamin, multivitamin/mineral, hair-vitamins and omega oils daily. But that doesn't change anything. I also exercise regulary.

Anyone have a slightest idea what to try on? I know that hair can't grow faster than its genetically coded growth, but since this wintergrowth isn't my fastest growth, it must be possible to manipulate it! Or so I want to believe :D

:flower:

[FrannyG]

I have no advice to you other than the advice already given. I only will add that patience has to become your best friend. I can understand the urge to chop, at times, but just be patient. No matter how slowly your hair grows, it is indeed still growing. Try not to think about it too much and you'll be surprised where you are a year from now. :grouphug:

[elina333]

Im eating H&#229;rkontroll and that helps a lot! I dont know what kind of vitamins you're taking? And also, are you sure your hair isnt breaking and hence taking so long to get long :) Lycka till ;)

[Konstifik]

I so empathize with you! I had always taken for granted my rapid hair growth and, as a result, I have always enjoyed cutting my hair with abandon. The thrill of the a sharp scissor's crunch was long an unfailingly successful therapy and distraction for whatever ailed me in my social or professional life. I was always tickled (yet somewhat miffed) that I could bleach and color my jet black curls to a bronze or red-gold tint, and see black roots peeping out the very next morning. But, since moving to this far Northern clime, my [head] hair growth has slowed tremendously! Now - of all times - when I have decided to grow my hair long again (as it was until my mid-20s 'escape' from patriarchal rules) for practical purposes, the rapid growth eludes me. It simply is no longer practical to go out daily with damp- or wet-refreshed curls in a climate that is only low-moderate to cold for 10 months of the year; so long hair would enable me to resume the dry-styled French braids, French twists and buns of yore. I maintain (as I have always done) a well-rounded, balanced diet, but does does not seem to be enough. If you find a resolution, please do not forget to share it with the board. :)

I'm sorry you lost your rapid hairgrowth! It must have been fantastic with such hair :) But you still live in Oslo! Almost in the tropics! ;P

I'll of course keep updating the results of whatever I might try to get a faster growth!

[Konstifik]

Im eating Hårkontroll and that helps a lot! I dont know what kind of vitamins you're taking? And also, are you sure your hair isnt breaking and hence taking so long to get long :) Lycka till ;)

I've tried several of those hair-supplements, nothing helps (currently taking silicea and silica). Yes I'm quite sure it isn't breakage. I stopped hennaing last year, so I can also see from the roots that it simply isn't getting that much more blond anymore.

I'll keep on trying new things. I wonder if it helps with some solarium-visits... :)

[Quahatundightu]

Watching this thread eagerly! I also have very poor growth, but don't live in such a wintery place. My hair has always been slow growing though, could definitely be genetics combined with very thin hair!

Have you thought about trying Monistat or growth-promoting herbs etc? I haven't tried it personally yet but considering with trims my hair has only grown 8cm in about 4 years, maybe I should try!

[deko]

Been there. My hair doesn't grow well on wintertime. This year I have taken vitamin D and it seems to help a little. I just try to be nice to my ends and hope that I don't have to trim too much during the year. Two inches growth at wintertime, and I'm hoping that my hair grows like a weed at summer.

[jera]

It sounds like your follicles prefer to hibernate during cold winter weather. Have you thought of taking a sauna bath? The heat and humidity help to urge hair to grow.:)

[spidermom]

You could try a sun lamp or plant grow lights to add a broader spectrum of light to your world. I don't know if it will help, but it might.

[Hiriel]

I vote for moving ;)
I apparently live further south than you, as we have a whopping 4 hours of "daylight" at the winter solstice, but I've also noticed that my hair growth has slowed down. This is the first winter of measuring though, so I can't be sure it's because of the winter, but I hope it is, because at least that means it'll pick up again in April or so. I don't really have any tricks though :(

[Carolyn]

Try not to stress too much about it. I know :D easier said than done! I second the ones who said be sure to get enough protien and add some scalp massages if you aren't doing them already. It's a nice relaxing bedtime ritual. Massage with a little oil of just feel your scalp relax and let go of tension. Your roots need good circulation to grow hair.

[hmmm]

Why don't you try Bhringraj? There's a thread somewhere on the boards about it, started by ktani... you should check it out, it's very interesting.

[curlylocks85]

Since you only get 3 hours of sunlight per day, you should use that to your advantage. On average people should get at least 15 minutes of sunlight a day. So try going outside when it is sunny and just let the sun hit you from the back for 15 minutes. It may not be much but it could help to stimulate your growth. This is what I am doing where I am. I hope that I will see an increase as well as help my natural highlights to show sooner.

Good luck. :)

[elina333]

Hmm Im starting to think that it might be the cold and not the lack of sunlight... Or maybe not..? There was a danish woman on here that said she had better growth in the winter. Prob due to her wearing hats all the time..? Im not sure :hmm:

You say you work out regularly. What kind of workouts do you do? I read somewhere (not on here) that to increase the blood flow and hence stimulate hair growth you have to do at least 30 minutes of cardio, such as running, cycling, aerobics etc., three times a week. Minimum! So maybe if you do weightlifting or yoga, it might not have the same stimulating effect..? :hmm:

[Arctic]

Since you only get 3 hours of sunlight per day, you should use that to your advantage. On average people should get at least 15 minutes of sunlight a day. So try going outside when it is sunny and just let the sun hit you from the back for 15 minutes. It may not be much but it could help to stimulate your growth. This is what I am doing where I am. I hope that I will see an increase as well as help my natural highlights to show sooner.

Good luck. :)

The problem is most people are at work or school etc during the day, and can't go out. AND that there is usually very cloudy during the winter months, so even if one could go outside every day at noon it doesn't quarantee enough light. Many people go through the long winter months without as much as seeing a ray of sun: when they go work/school in the morning it's pit dark, when they come back home it's pit dark. The "day light hours" are more like gray gloom than actual day light.

Here in Finland at least, it's usually aroung January/February when it's starting to be more sunny days than gray days. And it's wonderful to see how fast the light it growing!

OP I was thinking, it might well be that you still would avarage the same amount of length per year if you'd live in lighter lattitudes, maybe it would be just more evenly distributer through out the year?

[curlylocks85]

The problem is most people are at work or school etc during the day, and can't go out. AND that there is usually very cloudy during the winter months, so even if one could go outside every day at noon it doesn't quarantee enough light. Many people go through the long winter months without as much as seeing a ray of sun: when they go work/school in the morning it's pit dark, when they come back home it's pit dark. The "day light hours" are more like gray gloom than actual day light.

Here in Finland at least, it's usually aroung January/February when it's starting to be more sunny days than gray days. And it's wonderful to see how fast the light it growing!

OP I was thinking, it might well be that you still would avarage the same amount of length per year if you'd live in lighter lattitudes, maybe it would be just more evenly distributer through out the year?

I did not think of that. Although the sun is still there even on cloudy days. I guess living in an area like that your hair thinks it needs to sleep more. I know I would think that. :D

[Arctic]

I did not think of that. Although the sun is still there even on cloudy days. I guess living in an area like that your hair thinks it needs to sleep more. I know I would think that. :D

Ha ha, I'd like to sleep more too during the winter! :face:

[elina333]

I was just at the health store and got both H&#229;rkontroll and Silicea. The woman in there told me that you could effectively combine the two to get LOTS of silica but without overdosing. So maybe you could give that a try?

[Centelleo]

I don't know what kinds of fresh foods you have access to but if you can consume the natural forms of foods that contain the necessary hair-growth-inducing vitamins and minerals, your body can effectively process and absorb those nutrients much better than through traditional pill supplements. It's worth a try in addition to your regimen of working out (cardio to get the blood flowing, and yoga for stress reduction and relaxation) and oil scalp massages as someone else suggested.

[Konstifik]

I don't know what kinds of fresh foods you have access to but if you can consume the natural forms of foods that contain the necessary hair-growth-inducing vitamins and minerals, your body can effectively process and absorb those nutrients much better than through traditional pill supplements. It's worth a try in addition to your regimen of working out (cardio to get the blood flowing, and yoga for stress reduction and relaxation) and oil scalp massages as someone else suggested.

Oh yes, I try to eat as "raw" foods as possible. The most recent blood-test (taken just a week ago) showed that I have no deficiency whatsoever in anything, I got values above average (except bloodsugar, yay) :cheese:

Thanks for the tip anyways :D