2 years and no progress (pic)

[Deelight]

Hi guys! I started in Oct 2009 making LHC changes to my hair care and documenting my progress. My hair is extremely fine and colored (one process, new growth only). Since Oct '09 I have completely abandoned my flatiron and have only blow dried my hair 3 times, including today. I am very careful with my hair, treating it gently, brushing with a tangle teezer or seamless wood comb, shampooing 2 xs week. The texture of my hair feels fine, I do an occasional SMT or protein treatment. I do S&D on my split ends, which are relatively few.

LHC techniques have definitely improved the texture of my hair (it went from dried out and horrible to soft and silky) but my ends are just as thin as 2 years ago!!! Granted, my hair is longer, but I cut off most of the thin ends to start my journey at just above APL. I thought the fullness would move down with my growth but it hasn't.

Picture below is hair after blowdrying for the 3rd time ever in 2 years this morning. There is pic in my profile with my naturally wavy hair right after shampoo at beginning of summer.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=6035&pictureid=115193

Any thoughts about what I might do next? Is my hair doomed b/c of the fineness & coloring? I've been trying to reduce my reliance on low ponytail to avoid breakage. I take thyroid medication and am not losing hair due to that. I've been wrapping my hair a lot b/c I like it straighter and notice that technique can cause some hair loss. I already take biotin, evening primrose, and I mean to start taking iron on a more regular basis. I just cut 1". Would cutting a little more help? BTW, I'm 45 yrs old so maybe age is a factor. I had long luscious hair to my waist as a teenager - ha ha! Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Deelight]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=6035&pictureid=115193

[BunnyBee]

Honestly I think your hair looks a hundred times better in it's natural state, not blowdried. Are you wearing updos? If your hair is quite fragile it could be wearing down and breaking off from rubbing against your clothes/ backs of chairs etc.

[FrozenBritannia]

I think it looks better in the natural state too. :) It does look like you are getting some breakage at the shoulders. Maybe try braids instead of low ponytails for a few months and see if it helps? How do you wear it when you are sleeping?

[spidermom]

I think it looks about 99.9% better in its natural state, too, so you could drop the attempt to straighten.

Although we don't like to think about it around here, certain people do have a genetic limitation for growing long hair. Some people have a very long shed and regrow cycle - like 10 years - and others have a much faster cycle of perhaps 2-4 years. There isn't much you can do about that other than maximize your own potential by doing things like wearing your hair up to prevent breakage. Ponytails aren't very protective no matter where you place them. Some people claim to make their hair grow faster with various methods, and you certainly will get longer hair if you can speed growth to 1 inch per month as opposed to the average of 1/2 inch per month.

Preventing thin ends is a maintenance project. You can't cut back to thicker hair, then let it grow without trimming and expect to keep the thick ends. Hairs grow at different rates, so the fastest-growing hairs on your head will very quickly become the longest hairs, and chances are that there aren't very many of those. One thing trimming does is hold back the fastest growing hairs a bit so that the slower-growing hairs have a chance to catch up. On the other hand, trimming does shorten the length potential, so if your goal is the longest possible hair, you may have to put up with the thin ends.

At shoulder length in its natural state, your hair is very pretty. Enjoy it!

[MsBubbles]

I agree that your hair looks so much better in its naturally wavy state. What is the color that you apply (or did I read that wrong)?

[Rocket22]

I as well agree with the others. I prefer the natural state. I also do see progress. :) I think the fullness has traveled down from what I can tell. Only thing I would suggest is to continue to take care of it as you are and maybe do a few more micro trims?

[vendethiel]

I agree with the other posters, your hair does look much better in it's natural state and your hair might be breaking off or might have reached terminal length. However, this might just be a crazy theory, but I think hair growth is highly related to the nutrients your body is getting. I think that if your body is short on something - vitamins, fish oil, etc - it doesn't put much effort into hair growth. I think the body considers hair growth of lower importance than other functions. So, you might make sure you are getting your vitamins and you might try a fish oil supplement - if you don't already. (I know fish oil makes a difference in my hair length, thickness, and texture.) My two cents, feel free to ignore them.

[jeanniet]

Your ends do look thin, but the hair at your crown looks pretty full. I would really consider giving up ponytails for the most part. I know when I used to wear my hair in a ponytail it only grew to a certain length and that was it (I also wasn't taking great care of it, but I think the ponytail was the real killer). My son takes thyroid meds and it hasn't affected his hair at all (he started on them when he was 13 and is now 19), but others have a different experience.

I agree with everyone else, your hair looks much nicer with the curls (and fuller).

[moon2dove]

@Deelight

I was taking Thyroid medication and I also had Radio therapy in March this year and my hair did fall out. It is now recovering, although it is still quite fine. I have noticed it thickening up around the scalp area as new growth comes through though. My hair is curly (ringlets at the ends) and I also have 'gaps' not as wide as yours, but they certainly were the same when I was on medication. I'm sure in time you will see a difference, just give it time. It seems we who have thyroid probs can only hope our poor hair , that we mistreated will recover given time and some TLC. I stopped blow drying and straightening only a couple of months ago and am now seeing benefits :) Good luck

PS..I agree your hair looks better in natural state. :)

[growingpains]

Ok, first, I agree, I like the wurls:)

Second, if your hair is still processed at the ends that could explain why it is remaining thinner and you are unable to thicken the very ends.

I am in a similar boat. I colored my hair regularly until Spring 2009 and then in summer 2009 I chemically straightened my then BSL hair and cut to APL+. I am noticing that as I am now almost waist, the hair which is chemically treated (BSL and beyond) is way weaker, more prone to splits and still damaged...and yes thinner. I look forward till this time next year when it is all virgin.

Could this be similar to you? If you have fragile hair it's definitely possible those longer hairs are breaking or splitting off still. Otherwise, like Spidermom said, some people genetically can't grow hair as long or as thick as others. Even in this case, however, you can work on timing your trimming with your shed rate to maximize both thickness and length. Regular and small trims of the length only are supposed to help keep it even and maximize both length and hem thickness, as opposed to larger and bigger chops which even things out for a short time, but after which your shed rate will again create unevenness soon enough.

[Deelight]

Thanks so much everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. I'm going to:
a. stop wearing ponytails at all and switch to braids when needed
b. add fish oil to my diet
c. go curly more often (less breakage from wrapping)
d. cut another 1" off and do small trims on a regular basis, probably new moon.
e. do something protective with my hair at night - normally if it's not in a wrap it's just down and I tend to thrash around a lot at night. I haven't been finding a lot of hairs on my pillow but that's not to say it's not damaging my hair.
f. give it a little more time - it's possible I still have some flat iron damage to grow out. Consider working around APL as my terminal if all else fails. I don't want to stop coloring as I've got a lot of grey. I'm currently using L'Oreal soy in 83N and 84N with a 20v lifter.

[dulce]

As we age 40's and up we start to lose estrogen which can affect hair in some women.My hair thinned and it started breaking off due to colouring it[just added a brown to cover gray, no bleaching]My hair started to break off all over with ends sticking out.I did continue to colour for a few more years till I got brave enough to throw away the dye and go natural colour.I also had been blowdrying my curly hair straight daily with a brush and extended heat times.Stopped that too and let the curls come in ,my hair is still thinner than in my 20's but looks much better these days, natural and no longer breaks!Don't know if this applies to you but it's a thought.Check out The curlygirl Handbook,sold in stores,this book helped me learn how to like and care properly for my curls.

[Deelight]

Dulce, love your Siamese kitty pics!! I have a Siamese too. :-)

I think your experience with the dye may be something I need to consider. I am loathe to give it up right now, though.

[dulce]

Gray needn't be ugly-my hair coloured, was a flat dull one shade brassy brown,now it has light ash brown[my natural coulour ]with silver streaks,looks "frosted' AND IS SO MUCH SHINIER and prettier and healthier than when I coloured.So don't be afraid of the gray!It sparkles.The hair colouring tv ads have sold us women a bill of goods just to make money.Now I regret I didn't stop colouring earlier. And contrary to tv properganda men like gray,especially if it's long.It looks like a wonderful silver blonde!Check out "The going gray looking great" website and their facebook page to see wonderful pics of befores and afters and lots of info on how to transition.

[dulce]

She looks like a siamese but is actually a ragdoll with seal point colouring.She will be much bigger and heavier than a siamese,with longer fur and lacking the distinctive vocal meow of a siamese.But her blue eyes and colouring do look siamese!

[dulce]

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l545/chicaaa1/long%20hair/DSCF0904.jpg (http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l545/chicaaa1/long%20hair/DSCF0904.jpg)

[dulce]

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l545/chicaaa1/long%20hair/DSC00929.jpg (http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l545/chicaaa1/long%20hair/DSC00929.jpg)

[dulce]

I wore the green sweater in the top pic and had dyed short hair.Below is my hair naturally silver streaked to my waist and I no longer colour it .Need I say more?We think dye makes us look young but it really doesn't in my opinion.

[dulce]

The two pics are 3 to 4 years apart,I had decided to grow out my hair at that time but kept colouring till it was shoulder length then stopped colouring all over and did some light highlights at a salon twice to ease the transition and prevent a demarcation line.Haven't coloured in any way since,that was over 2 years ago.My dyed ends have faded and blended well with my natural colour.Some do lowlights if their hair is darker when they transition.The going gray website sells a wonderful book that discusses how to transition to gray from dyed.You don't need to cut if you don't want to.

[spidermom]

I don't mind going from the golden blonde of my youth to more of an ash and silver blonde. It suits my changing skin tone quite well and shines like the moon.

[dulce]

Just for the record I also like your hair curly better! A much softer look,and the ends then look like fairytail ends.

[dulce]

Spidermom,"shines like the moon",I LIKE that!!!That is what gray is.Gray is such a wrong descriptive word,silver,silver-blonde is better.Love your hair Spidermom!

[coffinhert]

I find octopus clips / claw clips convenient for holding hair in a twisted bun , they are non damaging alternative to ponytails/braids. If you do dye your hair, that might be the culprit.

[coffinhert]

Also, a silk pillowcase can prevent mechanical damage as you're sleeping.

[Cassie 123]

Deelight, 2 years is still only 12 inches of less-abused hair. I think you will see progress when you make your intended changes. I also think your hair will get a big visual boost if you are willing to cut off a little more of those thin ends, maybe 2" but not more than 3".

And, of course, I'm rooting for you to give up the dye, too! :cheer:

[ccmso12]

your natural hair in your profile pic is lovely!

Im guessing your thin ends are a product of the years of damage prior to coming here as its not all grown out 'virgin' yet, some breakage at the shoulders from a redundant style, and also could be thinner due to the S&D method.

Leave your blowdryer and hot products and chemicals off of your hair.

go to the hairdresser every 1-2 months for a light dusting and try to not S&D.

Report back with pics in 6 months and lets see if your thickness is starting to even up/:cheese:


Its a jouney :)

[DarkSky]

You have some great advice here! I think your natural wurls look really nice. I would embrace them more. Have you tried the CO method? That might really work wonders for your hair. At the very least perhaps make sure your shampoo is sulfate free (if it isnt already). Also as you mentioned, a trim could be a good idea, if you can handle the loss of an inch or so. I can see in your pics that the thickness has grown longer so maybe all the thin parts are just from previous damage from colouring?? I really think you're hair will be fine! Don't worry!! :)

[xoxophelia]

To me it looks related to your medical conditions. I started to get a similar thinning pattern when I was both ill and vegetarian. Perhaps you could discuss it with your doctor?

It does look a lot better wavy but if you want thicker ends, I would imagine your health may very well be the issue after all the recent medical events you mentioned.

[Mrspuddinhead]

Honestly I think your hair looks a hundred times better in it's natural state, not blowdried. Are you wearing updos? If your hair is quite fragile it could be wearing down and breaking off from rubbing against your clothes/ backs of chairs etc.

I have to agree with BunnyBee. If I had beautiful natural waves I would by no means blow-dry them out.

[Maverick494]

To be very honest with you I think it would be best to cut the thin part of the length.

I don't want to be disrespectful but I think that right now a big part of your length is too thin to fill up. You can clearly see where the rest of your hair is at.

You'll lose precious inches but atleast if you cut it you'll be able to grow with a thick hemline. My hair progress has been very slow because I always made sure my hemline was as thick as I could get it. Whenever my length started to thin and get uneven (which is about every 6 months) my hairdresser comes to freshen up the ends and the hemline. It took me 5 years to get from heavily damaged, bleached shoulder length hair to waist (33 inches) where I am now. To me, it's been worth it.

But that's just my opinion

[Merkaba]

If you dont already take supplements then please start...specifically calcium, magnesium and MSM might help alot.

[Teufelchen]

Maybe switching to herbal hair dye also improves the quality of your hair. I cover my greys with henna and Indigo and it works.
It really improved quality and additionally it gave my hair more strength.
So it is worth considering.

[boukje]

perhaps it just looks short(er) because it is so much more curly, if you stretch your hair with your fingers (just to have a look) it might even be longer than your previous length :)

[Mesmerise]

Well, I understand your need to dye, because I have the same need. Fortunately I love red hair, so I use henna which I find much less damaging, particularly, I believe, to my scalp! Honestly, when I look at my scalp now, I notice areas where hair doesn't even grow anymore :bigeyes: which freaks me out, and I'm sure it's due to chemical damage (from dyeing or perming or something I did). I'm not saying this is your problem, but it is something to consider.

I think, honestly, if I were in your shoes I'd consider cutting back to where the hair is thicker... but I do understand how hard that is. I have cut back 4" of skinny ends myself, and although my hair needs more, I just can't bear to lose any more length. However, I got rid of the absolute worst of my taper, and now my hair doesn't look nearly as see-through at the ends. I think it depends on whether you like to wear your hair out, or are happy wearing it tied back all the time. I guess if I always bunned my hair it wouldn't bother me so much that I had thin ends, but because I do like to wear it out (to me...well that's kinda the purpose of having long, pretty hair :p) I needed to get rid of the ends which I was very embarrassed about!

I would agree with others who have suggested looking at your diet, and maybe supplementing if necessary. Also, if you feel your hair is breaking, and that's why it's thin, then wearing protective updos more often is a good idea, as well as keeping your hair in its natural curly state, rather than trying to wrap it (although I am a personal fan of wrapping on occasion!).

[GRU]

I as well agree with the others. I prefer the natural state. I also do see progress. :) I think the fullness has traveled down from what I can tell. Only thing I would suggest is to continue to take care of it as you are and maybe do a few more micro trims?

I agree.... the thinness originally started at the base of your neck, and now it starts down towards APL.

[Deelight]

All good things to consider. I'm taking calcium & MSM, but I think I need to start iron as well (I occasionally veer into being anemic). I think I'm going to trim back my length another inch or two. And go curly more often since everyone here seems to be a big fan of my hair in its more natural state!! And do braids or claw clips rather than ponytails.

As far as coloring, I would be open to doing henna if I could find a mix that would give me a nice dark brown. I'm already used to doing my own roots on a regular basis, so it wouldn't be that much of a jump.

All your comments are soooo helpful - thanks very much!!