Can everyone grow long hair?

[uptosomeone]

I've read that it's not possible for everyone to grow long hair. Is this true, or is it a myth? I'm asking because it feels like my hair has never been able to grow much more than what it's at right now and I assumed it was because it simply wasn't capable of it. However, so many people on here with hair types similar to mine have long glorious hair that I'm starting to think that it might actually be possible for me to achieve some real length.

I tried searching for a thread on this already because I'm sure there is one but didn't come up with anything so if anyone wants to even just point me in the right direction I'd be grateful. :D

[JamieLeigh]

Being able to grow long depends on many different factors...

Do others in your family have long hair? Look at your ancestors, did any of them have really long hair? Genetics does play a part in hair growth, the same way genetics plays a part in male pattern baldness.

How do you treat your hair? Are you gentle with it when you brush or comb? Do you use harsh colour treatments or do you heat style many times a week? Since hair is dead once it begins to grow from the scalp, it cannot renew itself the way your skin can. It is up to us to treat it with care, because once it's damaged it can't be repaired. I like the way Igor (one of our former members) put it - You don't wash your broken dishes with a magic soap that will put them back together. Same with hair - there is no magical product that will put your hair back the way it used to be before damage.

How is your diet? Are you drinking plenty of water and taking (a SAFE amount of) vitamins? Do you eat a balanced, nutritious diet when you have a meal? Your intake determines what happens to your body in all ways, inside and out.

[maborosi]

I'm pretty sure most people can.

Thigs like overstyling and using heat can make it tough, especially if you have fine hair. I have fine hair that's almost at waist. I don't really do anything to it that causes significant damage anymore, but old damage is still a pain in the butt. If you bleach, iron, blowdry, or heat curl your hair, stop. If you are trying to get to seriously long hair, doing these things makes it really hard.

I think most people say that classic or near classic is terminal length for most people. Dunno if it's true, though. I have no idea where terminal is for me, since my mom is the one who has had the longest hair ever in my family, at waist-length in college, then she cut it all back. It used to grow like a weed, though, lol

~maborosi~

[Siowiel]

Long... what is long? Depends.
I think not everybody can grow to extreme lengths, as the length of monthly hairgrowth and length of individual hair life cycles come into play, but BSL or waist should be attainable for all healthy folks.

[long.hair.maybe]

I don't know.

I thought after spending some time on here that they could, but I'm currently stuck between chin and shoulder. Part of the problem is that my hair tapers into nothing, not that it's not growing at all, but I can't figure out why it's doing that when I don't do anything to damage it.

Trying to be patient. :)

[leslissocool]

Being able to grow long depends on many different factors...

Do others in your family have long hair? Look at your ancestors, did any of them have really long hair? Genetics does play a part in hair growth, the same way genetics plays a part in male pattern baldness.

How do you treat your hair? Are you gentle with it when you brush or comb? Do you use harsh colour treatments or do you heat style many times a week? Since hair is dead once it begins to grow from the scalp, it cannot renew itself the way your skin can. It is up to us to treat it with care, because once it's damaged it can't be repaired. I like the way Igor (one of our former members) put it - You don't wash your broken dishes with a magic soap that will put them back together. Same with hair - there is no magical product that will put your hair back the way it used to be before damage.

How is your diet? Are you drinking plenty of water and taking (a SAFE amount of) vitamins? Do you eat a balanced, nutritious diet when you have a meal? Your intake determines what happens to your body in all ways, inside and out.

This. However I do think that most people can grow to BSL or waist, all of the factors mentioned above are trivial to trying to grow your hair out. It depends on how long you want it.

However my ancestors don't have long hair. So far I have passed their length (my mom's, grandmother and great grandmother as well as old pictures and drawings of Great great grandaprents and so on) their longest was waist. So even then you never know.

[Kapri]

Longhairmaybe,

My hair used to taper into nothing and hairdressers assumed it was due to rough treatment. I wasn't colouring it at that point and my only vice was blow drying, but not a lot of it. It turned out that when I went to the trichologist Philip Kingsley (London and NY based), I had low stored blood iron (ferritin) levels due to very heavy periods and low b12 and zinc. I was also diagnosed as having mildly polycystic ovaries. Supplemental iron (with regular blood tests because you have to keep the level steady when you attain an optimal amount), hair drops containing minoxidil and good nutrition have helped thicken it up. Sadly, I have caused damage with hair dye because of white streaks across my temples and crown and I have been permanently dyeing the hair now for ten years or so. My hair now grows comfortably to collar bone length but the condition isn't amazing. I'm growing out layers too. My guess is that with a new colouring routine I will be able to have collar bone length hair in good condition.

I'm not sure looking at all the thin, fine hair in my family that I will be able to grow my hair longer and have it look nice.

I personally really like shoulder length and just below shoulder length - bsl. I think that is the most elegant hair length so it is not a big deal for me.

But perhaps you can look at iron levels etc?

[jasper]

Not everyone can grow long hair because some people can't grow hair of any length.

That being said, I have a friend who is convinced her hair won't grow longer than about shoulder length. She does use bleach to achieve a very light blonde for her already fine hair, and uses heat and styling products. I am sure that she has to trim regularly to take off damaged ends. I believe that is why she can't grow longer hair.

She says though, that her young daughter's hair doesn't grow long either. I didn't see the daughter when she was really little, but as an 8 year old, she had hair that had been cut, and I believe had haircuts few times already over her lifetime.

[isabelx]

I'm worried about the same thing, my hair's never grown past shoulders all my life but after joining LHC I'm a little more hopeful that I'll get it to at least APL.

Just be patient! :)

[Anje]

Not everyone. Bald guys, for example, don't have much luck. Folks with alopecia totalis need to figure out what solves it before they can grow hair to much length.

But I'd say that the vast majority of people can grow their hair at least to APL and probably past BSL (or equivalent) at least at some point in their lives. Some people will require more careful handling to get to this point, while others seem to manage it while abusing their hair horribly. Some people will first need to solve problems with their health that are indicated by the fact that their hair is not growing. But if you're healthy and not bald, I'd say your chances of being able to grow long hair are pretty darn high.

[Madora]

Depends on what you mean by "long".

Hair to the floor is very rare but some people have the genes that make it possible.

But possessing good genes is only part of the equation. It is how you care for your hair..your diet, your hair regimen, how you detangle, shampoo, etc. that can determine whether or not your hair will grow long.

The structure of your hair is important too. Curlies have the hardest time achieving long hair because of the structure of their hair. It takes a lot of delicate handling to grow long, curly hair.

Above all, growing long hair takes patience! Hair, on average, grows 6 inches per year. Some folks grow it faster, others not.

[ladylovecraft]

I'd say yes, the vast majority of people can grow their hair to waist/BSL area with minimal problems. As long as you aren't outright abusing your hair (frequent harsh chemical dyes, heat styling, SLS shampoo, etc etc) there's nothing that's going to stop you except cutting it too frequently.

As for exceptionally long lengths (hip+), it might be more difficult and require more diligent care, but I think again the majority of people can achieve these lengths if they are mindful of what they do to their hair and take the best possible care of it.

It always confuses me, honestly, when some people will claim they can't grow their hair long (outside of health problems)... I chemically dye my hair and I'm still gaining length pretty quickly. It's about the only 'bad' thing I do for my hair, other than wearing it down fairly often, but still. You don't have to treat your hair like it's a piece of silk to have it grow, just do logical things like avoiding using a 400 degree piece of metal on it or chemical processes every month.

[sweet*things]

I can easily grow my hair to waist, but have been having a heck of a time getting to tailbone. It starts to thin out, so by the time I meet my goal the ends are sad wisps, and I cut back to waist (again and again) in hopes of thickening them up.

I'm starting to think I should just maintain at waist and stop trying for longer. :/

[Syrena]

I think that with the right hair care everybody is able to grow hair untill classic or tailbone. For longer hair than classic, good family genes are required.

[isabelx]

You all make me, (and probably many other shorties) so much more confident I can grow long hair! :cheese:

[uptosomeone]

This gives me hope! I have heat styled regularly, but I cut down a lot. I'm not bald (thankfully!!) and I'm a fairly healthy person, so I'm just going to continue trying to be healthier and taking better care of my hair and hopefully that will see results. :D

[Inkwell]

I'm hoping for waist-length. At 6'2", that's a feat.

[islandboo]

I don't know how long my genetics will let my hair grow because in all the pictures I have of my ancestors, they had their hair cut fairly short (we lost many of our family photos in a fire years ago). I do know that I have had long hair for most of my life and that when I was in college I truly believed that waist was terminal length for me. I have treated my hair pretty well for the most part in that I didn't use dyes, blowdriers or other appliances but I did wear it down a lot then and used cheap plastic bristled brushes so I think it was just mechanical damage keeping me at that length. I am at hip now and hoping for longer. My hair does have a strong taper, but it certainly goes past waist :)

[isabelx]

Lucky you! all my female relatives seem to have shoulder length hair or shorter, I'm not sure whether this is because they have it cut or if it's damaged or not, but I really hope it isn't because of genetics!

[tinywife]

If you have fine hair, I'd recommend getting rid of ALL damage, and being very very careful to avoid it in the future. I lost some length just due to wearing a ponytail elastic every day.

[Panth]

There are a very, very small number of individuals who can't grow 'long' hair.

IMO, almost everyone is capable of growing their hair to at least BSL, probably at least waist.

The real issue is that not everyone is willing to put in the work and the patience to get long hair. Also, some people don't realise that they are subverting their own efforts, e.g. by that regular all-over hairdying, or those visits to the hairdresser for a trim every 6 weeks, or whatever.

[Panth]

I can easily grow my hair to waist, but have been having a heck of a time getting to tailbone. It starts to thin out, so by the time I meet my goal the ends are sad wisps, and I cut back to waist (again and again) in hopes of thickening them up.

I'm starting to think I should just maintain at waist and stop trying for longer. :/

*curious*

Have you tried wearing your hair up every day for a few months? Cause this sounds like me up until last year, except that I was at TB and was failing to reach classic. I cut back to TB, having finally reached classic in a terribly raggy state, and have worn it up about 95% of the time for a year since then. I'm now in the mid-thigh territory with minimal damage and inching my way to knee...

[InTheCity]

I agree with all the above posts that most people can, in fact, grow long hair... the problem nobody touched upon is that not everyone can grow *nice* long hair. Meaning it might get long but not look the way you want it to.

See scraggly, sad ends below...

[GRU]

If you think your hair isn't growing, just dye a section of it another color. Check your roots after two months, and you'll see how much your hair has grown in those two months.

[NotInPortland]

I think (barring medical problems) anyone in reasonably good health would be able to grow their hair to at least BSL if not to waist. Beyond that I think perhaps genes especially will come into play particularly hair type, and of course the hair care routine. The reason a lot of people think they can't grow their hair long (as in to BSL/waist) is because they're damaging it with dyes or heat styling and damaging brushes. While the vast majority probably know that heat and dyes are damaging, I think an awful lot of people are clueless about the damage badly made brushes can do (I myself was clueless until about a year ago when I decided I wanted to grow my hair out and the first thing I did was throw away my cheap hairbrushes which were snapping my length off). Also a lot of people wear their hair down or perhaps in styles that stress the hair and cause breakage like wearing a ponytail everyday in the same spot, and are unaware that how they're wearing their hair day to day may be causing a lot of damage. Before I started taking growing my hair out seriously I never even gave much thought to how I styled my hair from day to day but looking back I wore it down so much I must have been subjecting it to a lot of mechanical damage.
I do think that genes probably play a part in it though when it comes to getting to the much longer lengths. I had tail bone length hair as a child and I had no special routine for it (shampoo, quick slap of conditioner, hair dryer regularly used). I always hope that if I could grow it long as a child especially with a routine that wasn't particularly protective to the hair that I can do it again now and maybe even longer :p

[racrane]

I agree with what everyone has said on here. I know I for sure can get to waist because in high school I had WL hair but I abused it. (Blow drying, brushing while wet, same ponytail every day) My hair with benign neglect and some coconut oil looks better than I ever though possible. So with TLC your hair should be happy. My grandma always loves my long hair but doesn't want to deal with long hair. That's how most people are, I find. They like the look of long hair, but the time and energy? Not so much

[<3OnHerSleeve]

My hair seemed to not be growing because of dying, damage from previous years etc. I have had to cut it all off and start again but my hair 'seems' to be growing at a crazy rate at the moment. No hair dying is simply one of the many things I must not do if I want to grow my hair. I think that some people can blowdry, heat style etc. without the damage affecting their hair growth. In my case it did so I've stopped all of it until I reach one of my major goal lengths. Before I ever dyed my hair etc., my hair could grow to waist within two years easily and my mother has had amazing long hair in the past.
It is part genes, part health and part how you treat your hair. Be very careful what you think may only be 'slightly' damaging, if you have difficulty growing your hair. I used to wonder if I could grow my hair past BSL too, but I firmly believe I can now that I've seen what cutting out all the damage and stopping what caused the damage in the first place has done to my 'apparent' hair growth.
The reason I say apparent is because my hair was 'tapering' or what I believe now to be just simply breaking off because it was damaged. I read many articles both on LHC and elsewhere on the net (especially ones that looked into the science, genetics etc. of hair growth) and basically the general claim is that anyone can grow their hair to at least waist depending on hair growth rate and terminal length (all due to genetics of course). So good luck everyone with the growing.

[long.hair.maybe]

Longhairmaybe,

My hair used to taper into nothing and hairdressers assumed it was due to rough treatment. I wasn't colouring it at that point and my only vice was blow drying, but not a lot of it. It turned out that when I went to the trichologist Philip Kingsley (London and NY based), I had low stored blood iron (ferritin) levels due to very heavy periods and low b12 and zinc. I was also diagnosed as having mildly polycystic ovaries. Supplemental iron (with regular blood tests because you have to keep the level steady when you attain an optimal amount), hair drops containing minoxidil and good nutrition have helped thicken it up. Sadly, I have caused damage with hair dye because of white streaks across my temples and crown and I have been permanently dyeing the hair now for ten years or so. My hair now grows comfortably to collar bone length but the condition isn't amazing. I'm growing out layers too. My guess is that with a new colouring routine I will be able to have collar bone length hair in good condition.

I'm not sure looking at all the thin, fine hair in my family that I will be able to grow my hair longer and have it look nice.

I personally really like shoulder length and just below shoulder length - bsl. I think that is the most elegant hair length so it is not a big deal for me.

But perhaps you can look at iron levels etc?

Hey. Thanks for your response. Funnily enough I do have low iron! Well, I did until recently. I was on ferro grad c for 3 months and I got my serum iron and the others in the normal range and my ferritin is 85. So maybe that was part of the problem. Hopefully all of it! Fingers crossed I can now start growing my hair longer, but I guess I won't see any difference for amount 6 months or so. I'd be happy with somewhere between shoulder length and BSL too.

I would like to cut off some of my length to get rid of the tapered/broken ends so that I can start again, but then if I don't know why it's doing it in the first place then it's just a vicious cycle where I keep growing it, cutting it, growing it, cutting it, and never getting anywhere. So I'm leaving it to see what happens. It's short enough that the tapered ends don't make it look straggly, and I bun it every day anyway.

[uptosomeone]

Seriously, this thread gives me so much hope (which may not be a good thing ;) ). This is an incredible community though, so much support and responses! I haven't seen one like it ever, and I've been a member of a lot of forums!

[isabelx]

Seriously, this thread gives me so much hope (which may not be a good thing ;) ). This is an incredible community though, so much support and responses! I haven't seen one like it ever, and I've been a member of a lot of forums!

I agree greatly! :agree:

[Sophie.Bold]

I can only grow to tailbone with the lower back part of scalp :(

[isabelx]

I can only grow to tailbone with the lower back part of scalp :(

Be grateful! I've never been past shoulders all my life.

[Sophie.Bold]

Yes I should, but thanks to wanting to have perfectly sleek hair, am now at bra length, lets keep patient!
Happy growing :)

[Of the Fae]

The longest I've ever had in my life was a little past APL, and then it just, went damaged from thereon. But I was thirteen at the time, and I combed roughly and used spray blonde sometimes. I had tangles, and did not use conditioner, so I think my hair just broke off because of the tangles and combing.
Still, I am a little anxious about it not getting longer than that. I hope it is true that normal healthy people can get to BSL or waist!

Btw Sophie. Bold, I think your hair is gorgeous, I wish I had that amount of waviness without styling it that way :)

[leslissocool]

Hey. Thanks for your response. Funnily enough I do have low iron! Well, I did until recently. I was on ferro grad c for 3 months and I got my serum iron and the others in the normal range and my ferritin is 85. So maybe that was part of the problem. Hopefully all of it! Fingers crossed I can now start growing my hair longer, but I guess I won't see any difference for amount 6 months or so. I'd be happy with somewhere between shoulder length and BSL too.

I would like to cut off some of my length to get rid of the tapered/broken ends so that I can start again, but then if I don't know why it's doing it in the first place then it's just a vicious cycle where I keep growing it, cutting it, growing it, cutting it, and never getting anywhere. So I'm leaving it to see what happens. It's short enough that the tapered ends don't make it look straggly, and I bun it every day anyway.

I have REALLY low Iron levels too, I was also on ferro grad! Now I don't remember what my numbers are, however I know that My body doesn't make a certain amino acid that allows my body to properly absorb it. So my doctor had me on every single Iron tablet and IV known to man :disgust: it sucked.

However I am off them except for slow release Iron tablets and I take prenatal vitamins (my doctor suggested me to take them like a multi vitamin). What I did though, I eat a high protein diet (about 70- 130 g of protein a day) and take a protein shake after working out. Have you tried protein shakes? I eat low fat (so mostly chicken and fish for protein) but I feel so much better when I drink a protein shake. also I eat TONS of spinach, but I make sure I put lemon on it so that I absorb the Iron (I do that with all green veggies).

My hair grows an inch (sometimes an inch and a half) a month. I want from past waist to almost tailbone from in like 4 months, working out and eating this way and taking biotin and the pre natal vitamins. If you are anemic, you might want to give that a try!

[Kapri]

LeslieCool,

As another person on ferrograd etc etc your advice is really useful. I'm going to adopt some of the things you suggest. What sort of protein shake do you drink?

Many thanks,

Kapri

[leslissocool]

LeslieCool,

As another person on ferrograd etc etc your advice is really useful. I'm going to adopt some of the things you suggest. What sort of protein shake do you drink?

Many thanks,

Kapri

I drink the Body Fortress one, you can get it at Walmart for $18 and it lasts me over 3 months with either fat free milk or just water. It gives you 26g of protein per scoop, you can have 2 scoops and that's 52 g already. It's really good to drink after a workout, it helps support lean muscle and as an anemic I have such a hard time building muscle. You can even make it your breakfast with some fruit, or have it instead of a snack (you can drink one scoop alone or you can drink two).

I actually have tried many others, I really like the Muscle milk but it's a bit out of my price range.

[Ava666]

I have a friend that I was talking to today, and her hair is about to the bottom of her shoulder blades, she told me that she hasn't cut her hair in a year, and it hasn't grown at all. So my guess would be that's her terminal length.

[Anje]

I have a friend that I was talking to today, and her hair is about to the bottom of her shoulder blades, she told me that she hasn't cut her hair in a year, and it hasn't grown at all. So my guess would be that's her terminal length.
Could be. It could also be that's the length where chairs hit her back. If she's wearing it loose all the time, that's a really classic place for finer hair to break off.

[Alex Lou]

I'd be surprised if anyone's terminal length was only shoulder or a bit longer. But I suppose it's possible. But there's no reason to think that you're at terminal if you haven't left it alone (no trims) for about a year.

My husband's terminal is only BSL, so some people do have fairly short terminal lengths.

[Rybe]

I have fine hair, and when I was really little my terminal length was about BSL (granted I was far too low for said bra at the time) but I was a tomboy who treated it like crap and got constant horrible snarls. I then kept it short for many years then decided to grow it out in college expecting about the same results...Just basic care, no heat styling, or really any styling and no dyes (still a tomboy, after all) and I grew it out to waist length easy. I just treated it better. I had a roommate with fine hair who flat ironed her hair every day (I have NO idea why, it was already straight...) and you could practically see it getting shorter and thinner by the day... Heat is evil.

[Quahatundightu]

My experience with thin, fine hair is that it is difficult to get it to longer lengths unless you really take care of it. I have been trying to get from waist to TB for years now, and really only started to see progress once I did microtrimming along the way. My hair is so fine that it gets damaged easily and breaks off - I was tying it up a lot and looking after it as best I could, but until I started microtrimming I had no idea just how much was breaking off due to (I assume) past damage. So that is something esle to look into!