Lots of questions...

[lyssymay]

Hi! FIrst and foremost, this thread is long, so if you like long hair but not long threads, this next period signals the end of your reading. Onto my questions!

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?

6. Thank you so much for all answers! I'm sorta kinda a newbie, so I still need some help. Thanks again, and happy hair-growing!:D

Almost forgot! Good ways to rid your hair of chlorine or salt (ocean)?

[Hotrox]

Have a look at this article http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39

It really helped me when I was getting started, and all the info here seemed a bit overwhelming.

Hope you enjoy your new hair journey :D

[Coan-Teen]

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?
I can only give answers for myself but I saw instant improvement with my changes. I started doing Condition-Only washes, started applying a bit of protective lotion and stopped heat styling so I made a few drastic changes right away, all of which have contributed immensely to my hair health. I don't have long term results to share with you yet but the profusion of long hair on this forum tells me they must be doing something right. ^_^

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?
The average growth rate (in people, not just on this forum) is about half an inch per month. Sometimes people have had higher growth rates with supplements. There's a great article about it.

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.
I already answered this with question one.

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?
It sounds like your hair is long enough for a sock bun at 27 inches. That's a really easy one. Just google it and you'll find tutorials.

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?
Just have fun with the process. ^_^

6. Thank you so much for all answers! I'm sorta kinda a newbie, so I still need some help.
Any time. You should read through the articles section to start your base of hair knowledge and then search for threads about your interested topics.

7. Almost forgot! Good ways to rid your hair of chlorine or salt (ocean)?
Not sure myself. I'll keep an eye on this thread for the answer from more knowledgeable persons.

[jojo]

Hi! FIrst and foremost, this thread is long, so if you like long hair but not long threads, this next period signals the end of your reading. Onto my questions!

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?id say a good 3 months to see improvement due to changing your routine ie no heat, taking vitamins, going more natural

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?its taken me exactly 47 months to grow from pixie/short bob to waist

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.sounds pretty good to me, remember your hairs needs will change the longer it gets

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?from shoulder to apl peacock twists, ponys, french braids, from apl to bsl scrunchie buns, braids, number 8 buns and the above, from bsl to waist the worlds your oyster

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?sleep well, eat well, take vitamins biotin, msm or even just a multi vit, stressfree (if only!) silk pillow cases to prevent friction and breakage, keep hair up, weekly DC, cut splits off as you find, pre oil before shampoos, i use oil lightly each day on ends, keep hydrated, dont fret hair grows period!

6. Thank you so much for all answers! I'm sorta kinda a newbie, so I still need some help. Thanks again, and happy hair-growing!:Dyour very welcome, hope i was of help good luck and welcome to LHC

Almost forgot! Good ways to rid your hair of chlorine or salt (ocean)?pre oil and wash with conditioner only after

[lhangel9]

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health? It's really on an individual basis. For me it's usually within 1-3 months.

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now? Average is supposed to be 1/2" per month. Since I cut off 3" (leaving me at 19") in Feb and I'm currently at 24.5" - it took me 9 months to gain 5 1/2".

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo. I wash my hair once per week (too much of a pain otherwise) and co-wash 1-2 times per week, depending upon my laziness :D

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?
I generally wear it in a ponytail/pinned up. It's so thin that I always add hair accessories to hide the thinness.

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health? Exercise (to get the blood circulating) at least 3 times per week, drink at least 1/2 your weight in water each day, take vitamins/supplements, massage your scalp (for more blood circulating) at least 3 times per week, eat healthy i.e. fruits, smoothies, veggies, etc.

6. Thank you so much for all answers! I'm sorta kinda a newbie, so I still need some help. Thanks again, and happy hair-growing!:D

Almost forgot! Good ways to rid your hair of chlorine or salt (ocean)? Not sure about this one - sorry....good luck!!

[obscuranox]

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?
I'm not sure exactly. It depends on what you do, I guess. I just remember years ago I didn't pay attention to my hair at all even though it was longish and it was pretty beat-up, but not horrible. I just know that it definitely makes a difference and it doesn't take THAT long. It helps to start out fresh and healthy. If your ends are split and dry, cut them and start your hair care then :)

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?
I used to get semi-regular trims, but I don't anymore. It probably took about 4 years from my hair to go from just below shoulder length to where it is now (27 inches.. a few inches above my tailbone). It would probably be longer if I didn't get as many drastic haircuts (2-3 inches off). Never agaaaain :D

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.
I don't use a cone-free shampoo because cone shampoos seem to work well with my hair and not cause any damage that I can see. I tried using a cone-free one for a while and my hair would not stop greasing up :( I use a very small amount of Bioluxe shampoo ONLY on my scalp, and then wash it out. Then, I dilute ACV with water and rinse my hair out with it. Before I rinse the vinegar out of my hair, I stick a ton of Bioluxe conditioner on my hair and massage it in. I let it sit that way for 2-3 mins while I finish the rest of my shower. Then I wash everything out :) I usually let my hair air dry and don't comb it, but sometimes I can't resist combing it while it's wet (not a good thing). Before bed, I braid it and put Organix Shea Butter Liquid Serum all over it from the neck down. Oh, and I shampoo/condition my hair about 3 times a week. That includes ACV rinse.

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?
I am bad with these. I try and leave my hair down, but if I don't, it's in a braid or I put it in a bun on my head.

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?
Try not to tear it out. Once you start paying attention to your hair, you notice how many times a day you can snag it on all sorts of things. Rings.. combs.. other people's hands, etc. I also suggest braiding it at night. It has helped my hair a lot since I started doing that.

[McFearless]

First of all welcome to the lhc:D

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?It really depends. If you're looking for improvement in your virgin hair it'll take around 3 months to see enough of the new hair to judge. BUT if you wuit heat styling and hair dye until your hair has improved you can see loads of improvement in a short about of time.

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?The average growth rate is .5 inches per month. I'm currently at BSL. My hair was around APL for years because I flat ironed it twice a week for a few years. It never stopped growing but it would break faster than it gained length. Once I quit that my hair got longer.

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.

Your routine sounds good. Its simple and effective, exactly like mine expect I do a vinegar rinse everytime I CO.

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?
No suggestions here, I'm awful with updos. I do ponytails almost everyday with the tail wrapped around my hair scunchie.

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?
A balanced, healthy diet with loads of protein is ideal for strong healthy hair. Exercise is AMAZING for hair growth. I can't boast it enough. Hair growth=increased blood circulation to the scalp.

A lot of folks on this forum use hair oils, me included. Before a shampoo(once a week) I do a heavy coconut oiling for hours prior to my wash. The shampoo gets it all out. I also rub a few drops of coconut oil into my length when its damp.

[starlights]

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?Maybe as little as a month! Thats roughly how long it took me to see changes

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now? Around half an inch per month. I was apl in march 09, currently in nov 10 my longest layer is reaching hip

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo. wash with regular shampoo every 2 days. Before washing i would heavy oil massage and keep it overnight

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos? i normally do braids, and buns to keep my hair out of my way :) there's lots of styles on this forum

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?
take vitamins, eat healthy, use an oil suitable to your hair , s&D, use a good shampoo (this is what i do but for each person here its different) . Have alot of patience too!

[RachieBaby]

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?
Its taken me about 2 -3 months so far. I guess it depends how damaged you hair is in the first place. I stopped using heat on my hair in July but I didn't find this site till the end of August and that when I started changing my routine to CWC, coconut oil and using henna & biotin. My hair looks even more healthy now but im sure it's still not at its healthiest.

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?
Well I was Shoulder length in May and im now APL

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.
I CWC everyday/ two days and do a deep condition once a week. I use Aussie mega shampoo and conditioner but for my deep conditioner I often change to find what works best. When I deep condition I normally leave it on for 30 minutes. I also put coconut oil on damp hair as I find my hair soaks it up really well.

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?
My favorites at the moment are just braids or a chignon bun. Chignon bun will protect you ends better though :)

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?
Give up heat if you haven't already done so, be extra gentle with your hair and maybe take a multivit if you want and maybe find out if biotin (or other things like MSM) work for you :) make sure to drink plenty of water and just be healthy generally (exercise, eat right, get plenty of rest too etc) and your hair will reflect this :)

6. Thank you so much for all answers! I'm sorta kinda a newbie, so I still need some help. Thanks again, and happy hair-growing!

Almost forgot! Good ways to rid your hair of chlorine or salt (ocean)?
Sorry I can't really answer this one! Im not sure but I think I would probably put some coconut oil on before I go swimming and then after I would put plenty of conditioner on then a little shampoo and carry on doing this till I thought i'd got it all out



Hope this helps you a bit :) Happy growing!

[HintOfMint]

1. How long does it normally take to see improvement on hair health?

Depends on how bad the damage was in the first place. If your hair is a bit dry, has buildup, or has had a protein overload, then a clarification or two, followed by an SMT or other deep conditioning treatment sorts things out, or a couple oiling sessions. If it is actual damage, like frayed and split ends, white dots and the like, then it takes about 15 to 45 minutes, in the form of a haircut. Or a few hours here and there for S&D (Search and Destroy: snipping away individual damaged and split ends with a pair of hair scissors)

2. Average growth rate, also, how long did it take you to get where you are now?

I grow about half an inch a month. It's hard to say how long it took because I had a few setbacks in the form of layers, hacking off said layers, too frequent haircuts... etc. Basically I have been trying (often failing) to grow my hair for the past two and a half years. It is now waist length, the longest it has ever been for me.

3. Hair care routine, tell me if its good? :Every other day, CO. Once a week, vinegar rinse and cone-free shampoo.

If it works for you, that is all that matters.

4. Protective hairstyles. I know my hair rubs way too much on clothes and chairs, but am terribly uncoordinated. Easy updos?

Cinnabuns (or a ballet bun), french twists, braided buns are all pretty easy to do without much margin of error.

5.Suggestions. Any ideas to help with overall hair growth and health?

Take your time and pay attention to what your hair likes and doesn't like. If something doesn't work, don't try to make it work just because it worked for someone else.

Best of luck!