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View Full Version : Reaaaally slow growers come vent with me!



Marjolein
August 5th, 2010, 06:14 AM
Ok, so I'm a little frustrated with people complaining that their hair has only grown 2,5/4/8 (insert random number here) inches in 6 months. I would kill for that kind of growth!!

Is there anybody (anybody?!?) else out there whose hair also grows about 0,5 centimeters (0,2 inch) a month? Who's hair, despite all their best efforts, just WILL NOT grow any faster? Who's idea of a grow spurt is seeing 1 cm a month and only see that kind of growth once a year, tops? For who scalp massages, dietary changes, vitamins, miconazol etc don't seem to add even a millimeter?

Please come here and vent with me.

Oh, and if you have been in this situation and found a miracle cure, please feel free to tell me all about it :cool:.

clichepithet
August 5th, 2010, 06:41 AM
Hmm. I experienced something akin to this, but it wasn't natural. I was on lithium for a time and one of the side-effects I had was a retardation of my hair growth. In two years I had <2". I can say that for certain as my head was shaved prior to starting the medication. Needless to say I ceased taking that drug as I wanted none of the side effects it gave me. It's been coming on 3 years that I've been off the lithium and my hair still doesn't grow as fast as it "used to", though the growth rate has slowly sped up during that time.

Soo... yeah. That's all I got. :shrug:
Maybe I'll think of something else after I've had my pot of coffee. :coffee:

Marjolein
August 5th, 2010, 07:03 AM
Thanks for your reply, clichepithet! Must be frustrating not to have you normal growth rate back. But nice to be off lithium, right?

My slow growth is purely natural though. It's been this way for all my 28 years of living.

Curlsgirl
August 5th, 2010, 07:48 AM
Yeah mine grows really slow now. It is slower as I have gotten older. Sigh. :( I try to just not think about it and enjoy it at whatever length it is since I can't really do anything about it. Also mine has a lot of curl and that makes it seem even slower.

Angeletti
August 5th, 2010, 07:56 AM
I'm a slow grower as well it seems lately. So far taking extra Biotin and even trying the miconazole nitrate hasn't helped. Maybe it has something to do with my eating habits (I usually eat a lot of unhealthy food) or my anxiety condition, but if that has nothing to do with it then who knows.

New Choppy Cut
August 5th, 2010, 05:18 PM
Whenever I've tried to grow my hair (once for length, other times to grow out colours, parts of fringe), it seemed to take ages. Since joining this site I've been taking note.
I had an idea that if I could grow my hair faster (rather than longer) I might be more adventurous with the styles/cuts.
Despite twice daily use of chlorella (at recommended dose), vitamin B complex ( at more then recommended dose on occasions), evening primrose oil, occasional iron (because I'm vegetarian), attempts to find a dose of horsetail that doesn't make me feel ill, and regular scalp massages, it still grows at just under the usual half an inch per month. I am so disappointed. I have really tried. Yet I know many people who change their hair styles regularly because theirs grows fast. I'm so pleased I've just discovered wigs!

Quezie
August 5th, 2010, 06:49 PM
I think I'm a slower grower too. ):

Sigh, I can't really tell though. Henna seems to make it more difficult to see my growth.

Tabihito
August 5th, 2010, 09:03 PM
My roommate falls into this group. In the year I've known her, I've seen her hair go from just above her shoulder, to just barely at it. She got about 2 inches in the entire time, no damage, no major breakage, no trims, just... extremely slow growth. Last August, my hair was a lot shorter than hers. Now it's longer. So I'll definitely be watching this thread, she's been trying a lot of things and wants to grow it long, but just doesn't get much growth.

Autumns Veil
August 5th, 2010, 09:05 PM
Hair growth really slows down after 30, I guess I have a really long wait ahead of me....sigh

Jules diamond
August 6th, 2010, 12:52 AM
I feel your pain. It's been a year and a half and my hair has only grown an inch and a half. I'd kill to have a solid five inches a year!

Marjolein
August 6th, 2010, 05:56 AM
Ha, great to know I'm not alone! As they say: A problem shared is a problem halved (is a growth rate doubled ? :p)

I wonder to what extent genetics have a influence on growth rate. My mother is also a pretty slow grower, but my father's hair grows like weed.

Also, I've had health issues for all my life. These may ofcourse have a profound influence on hair growth. But then again, I don't see any difference in growth rate (or strength, or shine) between the healthy and the ill times :confused:.

mariika
August 6th, 2010, 06:39 AM
wait, Marjolein, 0,5 centimeters (0,2 inch) a month is 6 cm per year, I guess normal human rate is 12 cms per year so you are not extremely slow grower, just on the extreme side of the average. my hair grows REAL slow. I don't think I get even 10 cms per year, I used to not cut my hair for 5 years straight, not even a trim (I know, I know, a trim would be fine but I just didn't bother). and what was the result? from a not so short bob (maybe cbl) I got to hardly an apl! my hair is curly and you can't see if it's growing at all because it just jumps up

Marjolein
August 6th, 2010, 07:01 AM
Aw Mariika, you are the first person I've met in my whole life who has an equally slow natural growth rate as I do!! I'm so sorry for you!

I went from just below shoulder to just above BSL in four years, having only trimmed perhaps 1,5 cms in that time. I understand your frustration.

I do consider myself to be a very slow grower, though. Half the regular growth rate isn't anywhere near regular anymore. If you were to look me up in a normal distribution, I would be hanging out somewhere in the left tail, far away from the middle.

Do you have any chronic health problems or does this slowness run in your family? Just wondering.

chopandchange
August 6th, 2010, 07:06 AM
Hair growth really slows down after 30

Do you speak from personal experience, or is this some kind of generalised widely-known fact?

I didn't know that growth rate slowed down. All I knew about was balding, greying, and thinning.

wahmof9
August 6th, 2010, 08:12 AM
Slow grower here...APL to BSL in 16 plus months! And I wanted to be at waist, but since being at LHC I decided TB...I'll take YEARS!

dropinthebucket
August 6th, 2010, 08:28 AM
Mine always grew less than the average half-inch per month - probably right around .3-inch per month - I know, because I tried to grow out colour, twice, and made it to exactly one year, each time, with 5 inches growth (just about at my ears). It's also slowed down as I get older. After shoulder-length hair for the last 20 years, I suddenly realize, maybe I can grow my hair!! I've always wanted long hair, but slow growth, and fine, thin hair always made me think I couldn't have it! So ... started the growing this year. It's never too late, right? Yes, it is discouraging to see others racing ahead, yes, it's discouraging to see others getting so much growth so quickly and not even trying or taking care of their hair, yes, it's discouraging to think how long it will take me to get to the length I'm aiming for. BUT, taking biotin, B-complex, MSM, and DE (diatomaceous earth) has gotten me up to a half-inch per month - ok, it's still not miracle growth or anything, but it's better! And when all else fails, I tell myself the story of the tortoise and the hare. :D

LouLaLa
August 6th, 2010, 08:44 AM
Do you speak from personal experience, or is this some kind of generalised widely-known fact?

I didn't know that growth rate slowed down. All I knew about was balding, greying, and thinning.



Yes Id like to know if this suggestion that hair slows growth after 30 is true too. Ive seen alot of over 30s on this site, some people in their 50s who are still growing their hair and its looking fabulous, many have commented in other threads that they still get good growth and my mum is 60 and her hair grows in rivers at a supremely speedy rate and she dosent take vitamins or anything.

x0h_bother
August 6th, 2010, 08:51 AM
Mine grows .3-.4in a month, but that is on average based on 4 months of growth. So it grows slower than that when it isn't in a growth spurt. It was growing even less than that last year, with all of my damage and breakage. I suspect now it's diet (not enough fat) or stress.

xxjanie182
August 6th, 2010, 09:02 AM
my hair is pretty long, but it hasn't grown any longer in the last year or so. I just want to grow it out a few more inches!

goldenoak
August 6th, 2010, 09:05 AM
Hair growth really slows down after 30, I guess I have a really long wait ahead of me....sigh

When I was in my mid-20s with WL hair a close-cropped woman in her 30s told me not to ever cut it because "it would never grow back," with an ominous dose of "believe me, I know" thrown in there. ;)

I'm in my mid 30's now, aiming to go from scalp-buzzed (2008) to at least BSL over the next few years. (Yah, I've ignored her advice, and no regrets.) I agree with you that it's growing slower than when I was young, but it is growing, at least. And look at all the lovely Renegrays who are growing out. We can do it! :joy:

goldenoak
August 6th, 2010, 09:08 AM
Errr... that was supposed to read 2008, but I must have inadvertently used a smiley code!

Nera
August 6th, 2010, 09:15 AM
I'm a really slow grower too and all my growth dissapears in my curls:(

Marjolein
August 6th, 2010, 09:23 AM
Well that's just great. So, in two years I'll start growing even slower? What will it be like when I'm 60, inverted growth?!?

Elbereth
August 6th, 2010, 09:27 AM
I didn't use to be a slow grower. But now that my fine hair is hip length, my grow has slowed down next to nothing. Or nothing. I grow a cm or two in the period of a few months, then my ends are so fragile and splitted that I need a trim. I've been in this rut for well over a year and am beginning to think that maybe my growing is done.

Not that I am that miserable- hip length is long, it is nice and flattering. But still...I wouldn't mind if I saw some real growth happening ;)

mali
August 6th, 2010, 09:29 AM
Mine grows 10 inches a year.I always thought that was slow.Is it?

Golden Lady
August 6th, 2010, 09:30 AM
Sorry to hear that. I think im a normal grower though.

squiggyflop
August 6th, 2010, 01:32 PM
um i noticed that this thread appeared right after my progress thread.. im sorry if my constant whining bothered the OP.. i didnt mean to hurt anyone's feelings.. *hugs*

bte
August 6th, 2010, 01:41 PM
Mine grows 10 inches a year.I always thought that was slow.Is it?
Six inches a year is considered average. Ten inches is fast!

I have had slow growth since I was about 30, so I have reached a terminal length that is a lot less than my original goal. So I have not had a trim for 16 years and don't intend to again.

It is certainly frustrating having slow (or in my case zero) growth, but it makes choices very easy!

Marjolein
August 7th, 2010, 02:29 AM
um i noticed that this thread appeared right after my progress thread.. im sorry if my constant whining bothered the OP.. i didnt mean to hurt anyone's feelings.. *hugs*


Hey Sguiggy, no hurt feelings here! Just a need to whine for a moment. Everybody is allowed to whine a little bit from time to time, right? You as well.

mariika
August 7th, 2010, 07:20 AM
chopandchange, it's a known fact, hair growth does slow down with age, google it
Marjolein, no, no chronic illnesses, god forbid, I think my mom has slow hair growth rate
LouLaLa, hair growth does not stop, it just slows down. and it's not that it suddenly starts growing much slower the day you turn 30, it happens gradually
dropinthebucket, here is one more discourager for you - hair has length limit, normally single human hair is between 60 and 120 cms (yes, it's a fact, google this one too, I just read it somewhere in a wikipedia). those growing longer hairs are deviations.

also, guys, hair grows faster in summer and spring

with Elbereth's post we are back to human hair length limit. guess what is mine. right, I've already reached it. and since my hair is curly what people see is hardly an apl when it basically reaches bsl. mom and me sat down recently to talk about my hair and we realized we never actually cut it, accept those two times once in high school and later midway my bachelor degree. all other times where really short trims, and even those were done real rarely. my hair just doesn't grow any longer.

and also when we are talking 'zero growth', guys, it's not zero, you hair still grows, new hairs grow and you lose the old ones, but your single hair length probably just doesn't get any longer than what you got so you just see no progress although there very well is and if you'd cut your hair it would've grown out again. to that your terminal length you've got now. this is actually the basis for the myth about how you cut your hair and it grows faster. ILLUSION.

CurlAhead
August 7th, 2010, 07:54 AM
My hair grows about 0,5 cm too! I eat vitamins, CO and so much more, it just grows really slow. Hate it! And since I have curly hair, it looks shorter than it is. So it grows slow AND looks shorter. :(

Unipeg
August 7th, 2010, 10:52 AM
Hi, I get about 2inches a year. I always blamed it on my thyroid. but now i am wondering if stress might be slowing it down too. The only thing that helped was a prescription supplement to support thyroid function and Seboriac derm. , but it gave me terrible acne. Probably the biotin in it. I did see growth though. It is good to know i am not alone in my slow growing journey. maybe we will find something else that works.

Kirali421
August 7th, 2010, 01:41 PM
my hair grows really slowly as well but on the bright side, when I dye my hair, I can wait like 5-6 weeks between dyes. That way I'm not spending as much on hair dye. So slow growth can be a good thing for me anyway. :) My sis's hair grows very fast and hers is super thick and she has been bleaching it blonde for years. So after a week or so, she already has roots showing!

New Choppy Cut
August 7th, 2010, 01:49 PM
Good point, Kirali241, it's my recent use of colour that has made me able to measure my slow growth so precisely. Yes, I have roots showing from a colour I did six weeks ago- but you have to look closely!

mariika
August 7th, 2010, 02:04 PM
my hair is curly too and it looks so short:( it's just unfair

Autumnberry
August 7th, 2010, 02:09 PM
I fit into this category in terms of length progress. Although my hair grows .5 inches per month, and I only trimmed about 2 inches off in a year, I gained no length. I did get some extreme fairytale ends that got trimmed off recently. My baby fine hair is extremely prone to breakage. So, although I have normal growth, I can't gain length. I really thought I would make it from APL to waist in two years, with just a little raggled hemline. Instead, the breakage is too extreme to allow it. This is disappointing, but I'm accepting and am always trying to improve my routine.

LouLaLa
August 7th, 2010, 02:11 PM
Mariika I appreciate that growth slows down gradually but it still dosent fully explain why my mother who is 60 has hair that still grows amazingly quickly, she is at least 1.5 maybe 2 inches a month and I dont think its grown quicker that than when she was younger or in my living memory, she gets it cut every 4 weeks and if she goes any longer she has her bangs in her eyes to keep it in a long bob. She had her hair cloured about 4 weeks ago and today she booked a touch up as she already has about 1 and 1/4 inches of grey root. Maybe some people are just lucky?

mariika
August 7th, 2010, 02:13 PM
Autumnberry, you do know there is a limit to the length of a single human hair, right? meaning you might not be able to grow your hair any longer than you have it just because it's long enough already and your body does not produce single hairs longer than that.

LouLaLa, it's not like I made that up. look it up for yourself. you cannot rely on memory, you have to really document the rate of a particular human hair growth to know for sure if it changed over the years. I've read about this research somewhere - they know for sure that human hair growth slows down with age.

LouLaLa
August 7th, 2010, 02:38 PM
LouLaLa, it's not like I made that up. look it up for yourself. you cannot rely on memory, you have to really document the rate of a particular human hair growth to know for sure if it changed over the years. I've read about this research somewhere - they know for sure that human hair growth slows down with age.

I wasnt questioning you or your research. I have to "rely" on memory as my mother would think me odd if I followed her about with a tape measure, I was just saying she is maybe one of a very lucky few.

Anyway I dont want to argue, LHC is meant to be fun :(

UltraBella
August 7th, 2010, 04:08 PM
Not everyone's hair growth slows with age, but in general, the average person will experience slower growth as they get older. It is usually after menopause. Most women have thinning of the hair after menopause as well. For those of us with thick hair it can go unnoticed, but for those with thin hair it can be upsetting.
I wish everyone well in their growing and although I do not have slow growth, I do know how frustrating things of this nature can be. Good luck !

Marjolein
August 9th, 2010, 12:34 AM
Well, this venting was kinda fun ;). Somehow, it's good to know that I'm not the only one with such slow growth. It makes me feel less like Remi.

And I like it that some of you even gave a positive spin to it. I indeed needn't spend much time and money on dye and hair cuts :D.

Cupofmilk
August 9th, 2010, 10:30 AM
Mine is very very slow growing right now. I think growing back the 18 inchs I chopped off could take 5-6 years with no trims.

deko
August 9th, 2010, 11:51 AM
My hair is so slow growing that it's almost funny. I have to henna my roots every two months and I can't stand the root growth so it's just visible then. Maybe 0.5 cm? Not even a 1/4 inch per two months.

I blame unhealthy eating, genetics and a few illnesses.

Stalling at full BSL and maybe hitting waist around year 2015... I also have to trim away at least 10 cm / 4 inches damaged hair so I might be around 50 years old before I have a reasonable longish hair. Or not.

I have to make sure that at least the growing journey will be fun :)

Katurday
August 9th, 2010, 12:02 PM
As a person who had all sorts of funky hair colors and cuts, I used to ENVY slow growers. It meant they could wear a color/style for longer without showing roots!

lhangel9
August 11th, 2010, 08:57 PM
Hair growth really slows down after 30, I guess I have a really long wait ahead of me....sigh

I'm over 30 and my hair has never grown faster. However it still grows very, very slow. So you can imagine how slow it was before:(

Coriander
August 11th, 2010, 09:42 PM
I maybe get 1/2" a month. There have been months where I had 1/4" and some months where I had no growth at all.

Luckysock
August 11th, 2010, 09:53 PM
I'd liek to hope on this bandwagon. I'm not exactly sure how slow mine is going, because I'm not a very diligent measurer, but I know it ain't fast :s

lhangel9
August 12th, 2010, 08:26 PM
I maybe get 1/2" a month. There have been months where I had 1/4" and some months where I had no growth at all.


Same here. What's up with that? Especially when there doesn't seem to be any growth at all?

x0h_bother
August 12th, 2010, 08:33 PM
I'll probably shed all of the longest hair after 6 years or so and stay at BSL all my life because of how slow I grow :rolleyes:

Marjolein
August 13th, 2010, 12:55 AM
I'll probably shed all of the longest hair after 6 years or so and stay at BSL all my life because of how slow I grow :rolleyes:

Yes, that's what I'm afraid of also. My hair is barely touching BSL, but it's OLD. I'm afraid it will continuously fall out due to old age before I'll ever reach my goal length. But who knows, perhaps my hair doesn't grow very quick, but it does grow very old ? :shrug: Fingers crossed.

frost pattern
August 13th, 2010, 01:43 AM
Same here - I can see my colour grow out, so I know my hair does 0,6 cm/month continuously. I can see my layers getting longer, but I can't see any progress regarding general length :(. This will take a lot of patience!

I've tried dietary supplements such as biotin, hair oil ... no success at all for 8 months!

Jessica Trapp
August 13th, 2010, 03:09 AM
I joined LHC in 2005 with 33 inch hair. 5 years later, no haircuts and I'm "close" to my goal--which is classic. That's... um... less than 2 inches a year...

Its been a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooow journey.

I'm very grateful for my friends here at LHC because before I joined, my hair broke off. Slow growth is better than no growth. :)

jes

mariika
August 13th, 2010, 06:25 AM
wow, Jessica Trapp, you are PATIENT

Marjolein
August 13th, 2010, 06:35 AM
Wow Jessica, you are officially my new hair idol!! It's sooo good to know that there's someone out there who did it!

Jules diamond
August 27th, 2010, 03:03 AM
Ditto. If you can do it I can. I just hope it takes a bit less time... :uhh:

RedheadMistress
August 27th, 2010, 06:08 AM
- My hair grows extremely slowly and to make it worse it's really curly so nobody would even notice until it's grown for a year or the curls are more relaxed one day . .

Siava
August 27th, 2010, 07:36 AM
Slow grower here, too. Every blue moon I'll have a growth spurt, but it's rare. My growth has been slow all of my life, too.

Quahatundightu
August 27th, 2010, 07:52 AM
My hair has been growing at glacial speed.... aaah. Actually it might be slower than a glacier :P

x0h_bother
August 27th, 2010, 10:38 AM
What has everyone tried for faster growth? I'm interested in hearing stories, even if it's about what doesn't work :)

Marjolein
August 27th, 2010, 02:14 PM
My hair has been growing at glacial speed.... aaah. Actually it might be slower than a glacier :P

Well, the glaciers do seem to be melting faster than ever :?. Perhaps global warming has one pro: faster hair growth? :p

@ x0h_bother: I've personally tried lot's of things: vitamins, the you know what cream, diet changes, massages, co, you name it. My hair wouldn't grow 1 mm faster. Sorry, I don't seem to be of much help :(

deko
August 27th, 2010, 02:26 PM
I'm starting the biotin next week, again. It doesn't help much, but I'm hoping to get at least some placebo effect. I'm also using zink and multi-vitamin and D3. Would it really help if I started to drink more water?

Please grow grow grow!

Marjolein
August 27th, 2010, 02:30 PM
I haven't seen any results from taking biotin either, Deko. But a placebo effect would certainly be nice. If I told you that eating chocolate makes your hair grow really really fast, would you, and more importantly your hair, believe me? :D

Not sure if water will make your hair grow any faster. But it's so good for so many things that it's a very good habit to get into, I think.

MClass
August 27th, 2010, 02:42 PM
I took biotin and pre-natal pills for about 6 months and I think it helped but only *slightly*.

I'm a real sucker because I bought Hair Formula 37, I am only two weeks in though I will report my hair growth after one month.

My hair grows slowly too, thats how I even found this forum lol by looking for tips for better growth! My hair is so baby fine and since February I have gotten 2 inches of growth total (by measuring my roots). In the winter I am lucky to get 1/4".

New Choppy Cut
August 28th, 2010, 08:01 PM
Tonight I have measured and calculated - recently my hair has been growing at the rate of 1 cm every thirty days. I have been taking chlorella for a while, and can take horsetail in small doses only at present as the recommended dose makes me feel ill.
Maybe there is no way to make my hair grow faster. I had thought about a shorter style for my milestone birthday next year (not because I think you have to go short at a particular age, but because I've now realised you can grow it at any age too, and I fancied a change). But I would hate to be stuck with a style that takes ages to grow out.
So, looks like I'm going to try to go longer now (even thinking about "no trimming") and will buy a new wig for my birthday.

SapphiraSilver
August 28th, 2010, 09:05 PM
My hair never grows faster then 1cm a month. When I hear people say that they grow an inch a month, I get so frustrated. I would say 1cm a month is probably pretty normal growth, but when I hear things like an inch and a half a month, I just don't understand how hair can actually grow that fast!?