top layer never grows

[Midnighthare]

hi i am new here, I have extremely fine hair that splits and breaks easily it is at apl after 3 years of growth from a layered bob I have also been wearing extensions which have made it thinner :(, the sides are just below chin length so the result is thin ends measuring 22" and the rest catching up . Is it best to wear it up everyday and try to forget about it (which will be difficult!)I s there anyone with similar hair who has got past this, I also need some advice on getting rid of grey hair, my colour is light brown with hi lited ends my hair bleaches itself in the sun as it is so fine.

[julliams]

Welcome to LHC - you are going to love it here!

I'm in the same boat as you lengthwise but my hair is course so although I do have splits, breakage isn't a huge issue for me - so we differ there.

I would recommend taking a photo of your hair from the back each month. I always feel the same way about my top layer - it seems to never grow. But I have been taking photos since November and the proof is in the pud - it has in fact grown.

Find yourself a striped shirt with stripes that aren't too small and not too big. Wear it each time you take the photo. I examine my photos and place a safety pin on my shirt at the length of my ends and have just started putting one at the length of my top layer as well. That way when I take my next picture and place my next safety pin, I can measure the growth I've had each month. My hair is curly too so it's pretty much different every time I wash it but I've had pretty consistent results so far.

I have discovered my average growth rate (which is 5/8"). I am now taking a supplement called Hair Food Plus so I'll be able to see if that has made any difference at all after a couple of months. Plus I'm massaging my scalp twice a day so let's see how that goes. My plan is to grow to waist and then trim every 3 months until the layers are all gone.

As for greys, I'm currently taking 1 tablespoon of Blackstrap Molasses each day in hopes of turning around some of my greying. It's a long shot, but I'm willing to give it a go.

[Midnighthare]

The top idea is good I did have a picture from jan and it has grown but there is no weight to it at all and my ponytail is the width of little finger,depressing!
I would love to henna but I know it would turn orange and my hair has golden tones not red! I am trying a sage and rosemary rinse to darken it will see how that goes.
Molasses does darken hair I used to show palomino horses and would never feed them molasses as the coat would darken so it could work for you.

[Charlotte]

Hello there, my hair is also extremely fine and I found it difficult to grow past a certain length. It would grow well at the roots but it kept breaking at the ends (white dots on the last three inches and splits) resulting in no length. :(

Since joining the LHC, I've been heavy oiling my hair the night before each wash with coconut, avocado or almond oil which seems to have nourished the length and I also now wear buns most of the time I am outside. This helps me avoid the extreme knots and tangles my hair used to get into resulting in even more breakage trying to get them out!! :)

I don't think that my hair has that much growth left in it now though as it passes hip and approaches tailbone - it's just too thin at the ends already (lots of taper). I am hoping that IF I do make tailbone, I can maintain there and gradually thicken the hemline. :)

Good luck growing. The most important thing I've learned over the last year or so is I must be patient and enjoy the better condition of my hair, if not the extreme length (it has only grown a few inches in 12 months). :blossom:

PS I am trying to embrace my silver hairs now as the foiling just takes too much toll on my fine hair - way to much breakage resulting in even thinner hair....sigh....

[Midnighthare]

I am used to washing my hair everyday because it looks lank if I don't should I not wash everyday. I have just taken up running and I have noticed growth from doing this so I do need to wash it after that! I have just bought virgin coconut oil and will wear it up everyday to protect the ends. It does see
much harder to grow hair now I'm older!

[Charlotte]

My hair is also significantly limp after the 2nd day but I'm trying to stretch it out. Have you tried using Dry Shampoo? It sprays on like a very fine powder and absorbs the oils from the scalp - you only need to use a little bit. There are many brands available and it gives you at least another day without washing. I usually spray some at the roots in the evening before bed time. That way any "dustiness" is minimised by the next morning.

I'm finding my hair has thinned out a fair amount also the older I get (I'm two years older than you). :o :blossom:

Another PS When you reach 20 posts, you will be able to see my hair photos (and everyone elses too, of course). :)

[Midnighthare]

Have any of you fine haired ladies got wide partings by that i mean when you part you're hair is it a wide gap. Mine is on the sides but there are lots of baby fine short hairs this could be extension damage with any luck they will grow and thicken up.

[MsBubbles]

Keep a look out for things that might be damaging your canopy. When I first joined I really had no clue about all that, and unfortunately if you do a site search for 'damage' or 'breakage', well you might just as well go back and read every thread ever begun. :)

It might be a good idea, time permitting, for you to blow through the mane forum pages looking at thread titles for a similar situation. So many LHC members over time have chimed in with what was causing their breakage at APL or BSL, and it might help you to eliminate some of those things. I have fine hair too and here are some things that I have found help my hair not to split and break off (excluding old highlights and blowfrying!)...

- sleep on a satin pillowcase
- braid my hair lightly and tie off very loosely to sleep
- Always oil my braid (this is a biggee for me in preventing damage)
- I swear by camellia oil, but you need to find which oil works best for your hair
- Wearing it up does help, but watch what you use to anchor it with (is that causing damage?), and try to vary your updos to prevent repeated mechanical damage.
- In the articles section, Nightshade has a great article on damage which might help you.

Also, how is your thyroid? Thyroid conditions are so often the culprit for hair woes, but obviously that's a long term thing. Mine is hypothyroid but I take the meds religiously!

Welcome.

[jivete]

I have super fine & fragile hair. Mine gets pretty lank after day two, but I just make sure to wear it up or use a little dry shampoo. I'm having a little difficulty getting past long BSL because of breakage so I can sympathize.

Color is an issue. I have medium, ash brown hair but conventional hair color kills my hair so it's difficult to find a hair color that works. I'm going to try some semi-permanent soon (one without ammonia or peroxide) and we'll see how that works. Color usually just falls out of my hair though.

Hang in there. With the right care, your hair will grow. I never thought I'd have hair longer than APL and now I'm closing in on waist.

[rags]

Well, you and I have almost the exact same hairtype. My breakage is due to health problems and medications, though. I can tell you that the best thing I've done for my hair since coming here a year ago was to quit washing it every day. I exercize four to five days a week, but I try only to wash it about three times a week. You would be amazed at how well it can do with just rinsing it in between if needed.

I second all of Charlotte's suggestions. Instead of dry shampoo however, I use cornstarch. Purely because I have asthma and don't like sprays!

You can also do scalp only washes or CWC washes (which I recommend highly at our length! I'm the same length as you). Basically this means you put conditioner on the ends, shampoo only the scalp, rinse, and then condition with a heavier conditioner as needed. This helps protect your fragile ends from the shampoo.

Oh, and you have to have 25 quality posts and moderator approval, then you can view pictures. I highly recommend looking for others with your hairtype and seeing how they take care of their hair for ideas. Things that work for a 3c/C/iii are probably not going to work for you! :p

ETA: My hair absolutely cannot take color. I think a lot of us seriously fine, fragile folks have trouble with it.

[Midnighthare]

I am keeping an eye on thyroid as it runs in family I don't think the test is very reliable though. What I used to do when I had extensions was to put the long hair in a plastic food type bag secure it into a ponytail then the scalp and top could be washed and the length remain dry but mine not long enough for that

[Charlotte]

Exactly what rags said. :)

(Cornstarch sounds great AND cheaper too.) :D

Oh yes, and it's 25 posts. :o (I'm hopeless with anything to do with numbers!)