Frustrated with slow growth

[amaiaisabella]

I know, I know, I have BARELY started growing, and I am very impatient. I'm not going to cut my hair off if I get frustrated or anything like that, but my poor, sad hair isn't growing!!! :(

I try to baby it and I have been given some great advice but I fear I am just a slow grower. I tried the Monistat and biotin suppliments for a few months, but nada. No growth whatsoever, not even a 1/2 inch or anything. Am I doing something wrong or have I stalled at this length after having cut it short for so many years?!:confused:

[missy60]

Is your hair damaged? It could be breakage making it seem like your not getting any growth. Sometimes it seems like Im not getting any growth either but my hair is sort of curly so it doesnt show growth. I dont measure because it would be to upsetting for me.

[amaiaisabella]

Yes, the last couple of inches are pretty damaged from coloring and heat. From the top to a bit past my ears it is really healthy and full. After that, it looks pretty depressing :(

[Red_Wednesday]

I'm totally there with you, Hun!! Some days I look at my hair and want to cry because it seems there is no growth at all - NOTHING:mad:!! Patience it hard to come by when you want something sooo bad, like I do. But unless you've got a major ailment, I'd guess your hair really is growing - perhaps not as fast as some right now, but I'm sure it's growing. Rather than measuring it - have you ever just taken pictures to track your growth? I suggest pictures rather than measuring because I always get a wrong measurement, and month to month, I'd think someone was literally cutting my hair off in the night because my measurements go up and down so much:rolleyes:.

When I really feel frustrated, I try not to think about my hair - I just tuck it away and get my mind off of it. Give it a try - it might help - and just remember, barring something really, really serious - your hair probably is growing and this time next year you'll be posting awesome comparison pics showing just how much :flowers:.

[QueenBea]

Mine grows really slow right now too! If you're not taking pictures, take one every month or so. I've only taken two, but I am promising myself to do it every month. Pictures tell the real story that you can't see sometimes :)

Bea

[Elenna]

What is your diet like? Do you have any health problems, stress, lack of sleep, etc.

Hair normally grows about a half inch per month. But modern hair appliances and products are very harsh on hair.

The best solution is to get the damaged hair trimmed off (say a quarter of an inch) every 3-4 months. This way you won't be losing length while growing it out.

Then baby your hair with deep moisture treatments. Snowy, Fox and SarieQ have moisture treatments, etc.

And finally patience, it takes years to grow hair long!

[someonesfaerie]

you should consider not measuring it, hair growth is affected by stress and if you keep stressing about it growing . . . well you get the idea.

[aisling]

When you're new and not very used to measuring your hair, it's pretty hard to get a correct result every time. You need to measure several times every time you measure and there's still a chance for mistakes.

Half an inch or a little less is very normal, not slow at all. If you have very damamged ends, you should be really happy you can even get that much growth.

[Carina]

My hair grows very slowly too:( but at least it grows.My hair grows in spurts and then it stalls.I usually wear it up alot so I don't obsess over it to much.

[manderly]

I've never measured my hair. Why? I don't give a rat's behind if it's 2" or 200", the numbers are meaningless.

Who would ever walk up to me and say "What beautiful 30" hair you have! It's certainly grown an inch since I last saw you!"?

Ignore your hair. Do not measure. Use landmarks on your body. I am coming up on my year anniversary in August. When I started, I had above-shoulder length. I just posted tonight about my hair getting stuck in my armpit and getting icky deodorant goo on it :D

I know, it seems like it's taking forever and will never grow, but it will, I promise.

[Pegasus Marsters]

If you've used colours and heat I'll bet you're getting breakage at the ends. Your hair is growing, but it's also breaking off. Do some deep treatments, they're always going to be helpful. I will say though, the expanse between shoulders and bsl is long and it often feels like your hair is going nowhere. There's this sort of no-mans-land there and it seems your hair will never grow past it, but it will :flowers:

[MissHair]

How many months have you been growing? I understand your frustration when you feel like you arent getting anywhere with the hair but the first few months tend to be hell, especially if your hair is slighly damaged. But it will catch on, I promise. It takes alot of time and patience. Try to avoid mirrors.

[April1]

I think my hair is about to 17" so I know how frustrating it can be. I think maybe giving the measuring a miss for me too may be a good idea, as when trying to get an accurate result with short hair, I can never get it right, it does go up and down all over the place. I think I'll take others advice too and just start to phtograph from month to month. One thing I am happy about though, is that my hair feels like there is more to it than say a few months ago, when I run my hands through it, so it must be doing something.

[Katze]

oh my gosh, your post sounds JUST like one of mine. I can totally relate. :flower:

others who joined at the same time I did have waist and beyond now; my hair is just barely BSL. As you describe, it's quite thick at the scalp where all the baby hairs are. The ends taper down to nothing and are dry and frizzy.

Several people have suggested that damage is your culprit; I agree, having used color and heat regularly.

Yes, your hair is growing, but it might be breaking off too. YOu might want to measure several times, but also try something like regular SMTs to moisturize those damaged ends. It may be that you have to trim - as I did - to get rid of the worst, oldest damage. That's OK, then you can join the slow growers' club. :D

hope you find peace and patience with your hair. It IS hard, but it WILL grow.

Katze

[Stagecoach]

Aww, I hope your hair starts growing again soon.

As others have said, be extra careful to prevent damage.

It might just be your hair though. My hair goes through spells... it will not grow a jot for 6 months, then I'll gain 2-3 inches in 2 months, then it stalls again for ages, then grows again like a maniac!

[ladystar]

The same thing happens to me. Do you keep it up? I started keeping it up everyday. When I finally let it loose after a month or so my hair felt like it grew, maybe you are paying attention to it to much, I know the feeling. It feels like forever to get to waist. Hang in there, your hair is pretty and shinny very soon it will get longer!!!

[paper]

I have to agree with everyone else. Stop measuring! Sometimes my hair feels longer and I'll measure it and nothing. Or I'll have DH measure it couple times for me. Still nothing, and I get discouraged. I like to take a pic 1st of every month, and I can really see the growth.

Good luck *hugs*

[amaiaisabella]

Thank you guys for all your responses!

I will put my hair up 2-3 days a week, but it gets pretty boring when you are limited by your styles. I can sort of do a french twist, but some days it will stay and others, not so much.

I did go through it yesterday and try to S&D and it feels a bit thicker, so hopefully I got rid of a lot of those dead ends. The length has remained the same, though :)

That's a good idea about the pictures rather than the measuring tape. I had taken a picture at some point and was surprised to see the sides growing rather quickly, though the overall length hadn't changed much. My last cut was in February of this year, but my hair tends to grow rather slow due to the coloring and damage I've inflicted on it for the past few years.

It would be wonderful if I could figure out more styles in which to put my hair back, but my buns are about an inch wide and look ridiculous. I can do the french twist and low pigtail braids, but I wouldn't go out of the house in those :)

[Lilibet]

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not alone.... I know mine has grown but because it's so slow it feels like it hasn't and it's so, so frustrating, especially when seeing photos of people on here with long flowing locks... I'm glad to find some kindred spirits!

[spidermom]

In my early years of growing, I only took a picture once a year on my niece's birthday. I could always see progress (of course), although it only looked like about 3 inches one year. I think taking a picture once a month might be too much; you won't see progress that quick. Try every 3 months.

[lora410]

I just got out of that hideous stall that lasted 7 months!!! hang in there it will grow again :)

[Siava]

The same thing happens to me. Do you keep it up? I started keeping it up everyday. When I finally let it loose after a month or so my hair felt like it grew, maybe you are paying attention to it to much, I know the feeling. It feels like forever to get to waist. Hang in there, your hair is pretty and shinny very soon it will get longer!!!

Exactly! I was getting soooo frustrated thinking it wasn't growing at all. Now I leave it up most of the time so when it's down it's like...WOW! It really did grow! Outta sight. Outta mind.

[Curlsgirl]

My SIL has shoulder length hair and colors it sometimes pulling it through to the ends :shudder: . It is very fine and it absolutely will not grow past that point for breaking off. So that very well may be what is happening if you have pretty severe damage. I also second the getting 1/4 inch trims maybe every couple of months while treating it nicely and getting your ends in better shape. Moisture moisture moisture is what helped me and protecting my ends.

[shellblue1]

I am a super slow grower too. It sucks when you see people on the board who started off around the same length as you did or even shorter and then you see their pics and they are around waist...while I'm not even at BSL yet! I have to take into account though that since I joined I probably trimmed more than I should have and put highlights in and then went back dark again. I did go out to eat with a friend a couple of months ago who hadn't seen me in about a year and she said that my hair is getting really long. So I must have had some growth since I joined LHC!

[n3m3sis42]

First of all, I'm sorry you are so frustrated with your slow growth. I guess my growth is about average (I'm getting around 1/2" to 3/4" a month right now), but even that seems awfully slow (and I think it used to grow faster when I was younger).

If I missed it, I apologize... but did you ever answer the questions another member asked about how you are eating? Your dietary habits can affect not only the speed that new hair comes out of your head, but also the amount that falls out and how strong your hair and nails are.

Regardless, I wish you continued patience and lots of new growth. Maybe your damaged ends are breaking, as someone else suggested? If so, the good news is that when you grow them out, your growth should speed up. :)

[Fencai]

Im only just starting, and havent measured since signing up- but i just wanted to pass you a hug and tell you to hang in there!! It will grow!

[amaiaisabella]

Thank you all :) I will take a picture soon. I think the sides of my hair have grown more than the overall length, but growth is growth, right?