My hair doesn't grow

[Yame]

So I decided to grow my hair in July, and since then it seems like it hasn't grown at all. At times it does seem to be growing, but at such an excruciatingly slow rate that the growth doesn't show at all. I've been trying not to trim, but every few months I look at my hemline and see how unevenly it is growing... it's like only the hair on one side of my head is growing, and then I do a slight trim to even it out and it seems like I'm back where I started.

Yes, this is just a rant. I'm frustrated...

[CurlyCap]

If your ends are healthy, but uneven, maybe you should let it grow for a year (or as long as you can before damage shows up), and then cut back a little, maybe a 1/4 of the progress, to even up the hemline.

That way, if your hair grows slowly, at least you'll see progress after every trim. :D

[Miss Catrina]

July wasn't very long ago to see much of any growth yet. That being said, how's your diet and water intake? You may be lacking something.

[NymphSpirit]

My hair grows uneven too (left side grows faster, MUCH faster) and I choose to ignore it. But I suppose that by having 1a hair it must be much more difficult to ignore an uneven hemline...
Well, actually in the end it's pretty much the same; cutting off the part that grew faster in many times or at one time after a longer while... it's more about the visual impact of one or another

[Madora]

Perhaps a scalp massage every day might help circulation?

Waiting for your hair to grow can be frustrating because it seems to grow so slowly. The best thing is just to wear it up, treat it gently, and eat a sensible diet. The more you worry over growth, the more frustrated you can become..and stress isn't good for your hair!

[jacqueline101]

I'd say let it grow and see if it won't even its self out.

[spidermom]

I feel the same frustration. My hair has been about the same length for two years now. As it gets longer than this, the ends get really trashed out, and I keep cutting it back. I did reach my goal of classic length last December or January, but the ends were like Velcro; truly horrible!

[Amber_Maiden]

That's pretty normal. My hair is the same way.

[ludwig20]

I'm sorry to hear that. But I have heard that slow growth phases are normal. Either way, I'd try scalp massages. Good luck!

[coffinhert]

My hair has only grown 2 inches since july.

[ladyshep]

Just give it time, let it grow. I know a lady that has shoulder length hair and she hasn't cut her hair since she was a kid, and she is in her 40s now. (She has beautiful hair btw) Some people's hair just has a natural length.

[jojo]

^^ all hair, everybody's has a terminal length, though I don't think thisis the case with the op. Your probably just going through a slow growing phase, mine does too in summer it grows too slow for my liking. Though in winter it grows a lot faster. Id suggest measuring monthly and see what your natrual growth pattern is and take a close look at your diet and fluid in take. Look at what you do which could contribute to this like do you wear it down a lot? is it catching on anything? I do feel your pain, I grow and then dont like the ends so I trim and it doesn't seem to be growing but it is, I just needed to oil my ends more and keep it up all the time, by doing this I am growing a steady 0.7" a month on average.

Good luck, don't be disheartened its just a phase probably your hair is going through and will pick up growth speed eventually; ignore it!

[kdaniels8811]

Isn't two inches a perfectly normal growth rate? A half inch a month times four months ... yup, two inches. Patience, I know, growing out from bald, how hard it is to want longer hair NOW and having to wait.

[Avital88]

a lot of times it will even out on its own after a while, dont trim after 3 months, try going without one for 6 months.. you must see growth then

[Yame]

Yeah, maybe. I'm just feeling a little discouraged... really wanted to get past this length sooner rather than later.

For reference I do wear my hair up and don't do anything that damages it. All I do is wash once a week, put it up by day 3 and wear it up all the way until exactly a week later, than I wash it again. Lately I have been oiling it on the first day that I put it up, so that my buns stay better and look better, but I've only done this twice so far. I don't do anything else do my hair... no heat styling, or anything like that. I don't wear elastics or anything that breaks or rips out my hair.

My hair is pretty resilient and doesn't break or get damaged too easily... so no, it hasn't been getting caught on things. It does shed a lot though so that might have something to do with the stalled growth, but so far I seem to not have lost any thickness.

I think my hair has always grown very slowly, but right now it doesn't just seem slow, it seems stalled... one side, at least. I do eat a decent diet, and drink plenty of water. From my physicals and blood exams there is nothing abnormal or unhealthy with me, nothing obviously lacking, etc. With that said, I could eat better... more fruits and vegetables, mostly.

[Yame]

Anyways I suppose I'll just stop looking at it or taking photos for a few months and then see where I'm at.

[shesasmartass]

Does anyone know what the "average" hair growth cycle is. I have heard 1cm a month.

[julliams]

Ok, the most interesting thing to do is to find out your monthly growth rate. Start TODAY. Find a striped shirt and a place in your house where you can take the same photo each month. Take a photo with the camera at the same angle, standing in the same position and take it this way each month on the same day (or thereabouts) each month. Then take a small safety pin, and mark out where the longest part comes to. After a few months I saw a pattern and have an average of 5/8 inch per month. You can see if your hair grows in bursts or evenly and it's really fun to have a record of your growth. If you want to take a look, I have an album of just Growth pictures - you need to click "show all albums" and you will see it there. If you click on a pic, you can see what month it is but basically they are all in order.

[intothemist1999]

I say the same about my hair. In my case I know it does *eventually* grow. I wish it grew as fast as my underarms!! LOL

I started LHC at APL and this year got to TB (4 years) and that's with snail's pace growth PLUS some minor trims. Trims aside, I'd not be surprised at all that my hair took that long.

[Yame]

I say the same about my hair. In my case I know it does *eventually* grow. I wish it grew as fast as my underarms!! LOL

I started LHC at APL and this year got to TB (4 years) and that's with snail's pace growth PLUS some minor trims. Trims aside, I'd not be surprised at all that my hair took that long.

At my rate, it feels like it'll take 4 years to get to TB and that's starting from hip :(

[Yame]

Ok, the most interesting thing to do is to find out your monthly growth rate. Start TODAY. Find a striped shirt and a place in your house where you can take the same photo each month. Take a photo with the camera at the same angle, standing in the same position and take it this way each month on the same day (or thereabouts) each month. Then take a small safety pin, and mark out where the longest part comes to. After a few months I saw a pattern and have an average of 5/8 inch per month. You can see if your hair grows in bursts or evenly and it's really fun to have a record of your growth. If you want to take a look, I have an album of just Growth pictures - you need to click "show all albums" and you will see it there. If you click on a pic, you can see what month it is but basically they are all in order.

I keep track of my growth with pictures, though not as meticulously as that. This is how I know my hair isn't really growing. It grew only very slightly since 2 months ago and pretty much just on one side... lol

[feralnature]

Quit trimming it. Go a year without cutting and you will see growth.

[intothemist1999]

Quit trimming it. Go a year without cutting and you will see growth.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that in my earlier post. With hair that grows so slowly the only way to see the growth has been to usually NOT trim...sometimes for great periods of time.