Trouble growing long hair

[Annalouise]

:)Hi, does anyone have any advise for me? My hair is fine and I live in the desert and my hair is really prone to dryness. What happens is that my hair gets almost to my waiste, and the ends are so dry that I trim back to bsl. Then I grow it to my waiste and same thing, the ends are dry and so I cut it back to bsl. And on and on it goes.

Why can't I grow hair from bsl to waiste that isn't all dried out?

Do you think its impossible for me? Should I resign myself to having bsl hair?

What do you think?

Anna:)

[Bast]

What is your current routine like? Have you tried using any oils, leave-in conditioners, wet bunning?

There are quite a few options, but no one "cure," especially with not getting a lot of information.

(Personal experience, and here where I live...my hair loves it when I use some 'cone free conditioner as a leave-in, I also don't wash more than 3 times a week, keep it up when going out, and have experimented to find just what exactly my hair prefers to keep it soft and moisturized.)

[embee]

Another question: do you leave your hair down, loose, most of the time? That might contribute to some damage of the ends - where they rub against the car seat, where they brush against your clothing, all those places they're hitting all day long. So the ends look damaged - which often looks very much like dry.

For many years I could not grow past BSL until I put my hair up in a bun. Then over a few year span I bunned it every single day before work. And one day I noticed that it was really getting long! wow!

[mellie89]

Try using oil. I had REALLY dry ends and they feel like completely normal hair now. I use coconut oil, which is a popular one around here.

If your hair is just dry, there's no reason it can't grow long. If it's damaged, on the other hand, you may have to baby your hair and do small trims more often until the damage is gone.

Let us know what your routine is like and you can get better, more specific advice! :)

[Annalouise]

Sorry:), my routine, I forgot. Over the years its been mostly shampoo and condition every two days. (natural cone and chemical free products). I have tried other methods like herbs and oil but I'm on a septic and it didn't like the herbs. I found the oils were too heavy for my fine hair and I gave up on them. I recently did 2 months of water only but that didn't work for me although my hair is really silky and soft (the healthy hair) from not washing it. The dry hair just got drier.
I'd like to settle in to washing my hair once a week with shampoo and conditioner.
I haven't found a leave in conditioner that is wheat and gluten free.


Bast - the wet bunning works pretty good but I wear hats and I can't wear a hat when I have a bun so I gave up bunning. I want to use a leave in. Can I use my regular wheat free conditioner as a leave in?
Embee - Yes, I almost always leave my hair down. Even when hiking in the hot sun. I know thats bad but I wear hats and so I can't have a bun or pony tail. When I braid my hair the hair that rubs on my shoulders gets matted and tangled.
I want to bun it or wear it up somehow. I've tried doing modified bun with a hat by putting my hair in a low pony tail, and then taking the length and folding it several times and then wrapping a hair elastic around that. So it won't tangle or be over exposed to the sun.
Mellie - I could try oils again. I've found that on my thin fine hair it looks quite obvious. I have coconut oil. I might give it another try. I trim my hair every 2 months and it is more dry than damaged. When I pull my hair in a pony tail, and then run my hands down the length, its silky smooth until bsl, and then after that it is rough and dry.

[Annalouise]

Embee - Hi again, thinking about what you said and you might be right, it might be damaged as well as dry. I do have split ends which is why I trim it regularily. It might be getting damaged. Hmmmm..... yeessss, you might be on to something.
Especially sinse my hair type is fine and more delicate.

I always assumed it was just dry, but I think its both dry AND damaged.

Do you think I should cut off the damaged and dry hair, and then put it up everyday for say, six months or so, and then see if it comes out differently?

Anna:)

[spidermom]

I will often put on my hat, then do a low bun just underneath it. I don't like the feel of a low bun on my neck, but I'll put up with it while I'm working in the sun or walking the dogs. I will also braid my hair, then pull the end of the braid up to the top of my head and put the hat over it. If your hair isn't long enough to stay like that, you could use a couple of bobby pins to secure the ends in place. I notice ends stay better if I curl them around like I'm making a pin-curl before I put the bobby pins in.

You can certainly use a little of your regular conditioner as leave in. I do this on a regular basis and have used all kinds of conditioners for this. Some have better results than others, of course, but they all work.

Try diluting your shampoo. It will still clean even though you won't get much lather, and it doesn't dry out your hair as much as full-strength shampoo can. Put conditioner on your ends before you shampoo your scalp.

If you try oil again, use 1 drop only, distributed over several fingers, then pinch-apply to ends.

[Bast]

From what I've seen, people here do use regular conditioner as a leave-in, generally diluted with some water.

What I do is dilute a very small amount of conditioner and put it on my ends, before bunning it for bed. I'll also do the same as the last step in my showers, and if I feel like it, before putting it up for the day. I have two conditioners that I use in my routine, one more expensive than the other, so it's the uber-cheap one that gets used as the leave-in.

While I'm not the ultimate in knowledge, cutting out the damage and then babying it while it grows again seems to be a very good option. Wearing it up, while difficult with hats, is also seen as a good thing around here.

[ButterCup02]

What kind of hat do you wear? I wear my hair down often but for riding my horse, exercising, and definitely stuff like hiking it's up. I wear a ball cap all the time when I am outdoors in summer, I can still bun it out the back of the hole if you know what I mean LOL Helps keep my hat on too when riding through the bush too.

I'll either do that or braid it. Both work well with a ball cap :)

I also use my regular conditioner as a leave in. After I rinse my hair in the shower and get out I will massage a bit more into my length and leave it. Works great for my hair.

[Annalouise]

Hi Spidermom, I don't like the feel of a low bun either, especially when its scrunched against a hat. I will try that with the braid under the hat. My husband tells me that my hair in a single braid is the LEAST attractive hairstyle and he hates it. It reminds me of the way I wore my hair years ago, two single braids on each side and then take the braid and take it over the head so you sortof have a headband of braids. Maybe I should do that again.

The diluted shampoo idea is a good one. I recently started that because after I was water only for two months I was scared to put full strength shampoo on my head so I diluted it and it works very nicely. I'll keep doing that.

Thanks for the tip with the hair oil too. That makes sense to apply it that way.:)

[Annalouise]

Hi Bast - thanks for the tips on the leave in conditioner. I'm definately going to try that.

Hi Buttercup - Nice picture of you on your horse. I wear all kinds of hats but a drivers cap is my favorite. A baseball cap is the easiest for the hair. I usually put it in a pony tail and then braid the ponytail and that slides through the hole in the back easily. But, they leave the side of my face exposed.
Thanks for the tip with the leave in conditioner.

[mellie89]

Mellie - I could try oils again. I've found that on my thin fine hair it looks quite obvious. I have coconut oil. I might give it another try.

I also have fine hair which is a bit on the thinner side of normal. I just oil overnight before wash days and no one ever has to see me with mega-greasy hair. :) Definitely give it another go if you want, it's been really helpful for my dryness!

[anthonyswife]

I've read where some ladies around here use a catnip soak on their ends to help with dryness and prevent new damage. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I want to.

This is a good thread on the subject: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=49442&highlight=catnip