Giving up on growing...

[Annibelle]

I just wanted to pop in to tell everyone that I think I'm giving up on growing. I've been here since May and my growth hasn't improved. I grow one inch per month, but it's all the same hairs. The thickness ends above BSL. It has since May. I guess it will forever. There is no breakage; rarely any split ends.

For the past four (or five?) months, I've been cutting off ALL of my monthly growth, maintaining at WL, hoping my hemline would thicken. It hasn't at all. I can see exactly where it stops. I think APL is my terminal thick length. I think I could grow to my goal of hip if I wanted to, but it would be all very thin and ugly.

I just cut from my maintenance zone of WL to BSL. My ends still look bad, and my hair feels short. It hasn't been anything but around WL for years. I don't care if I'm a baby; I can't help but cry that I'll never have beautiful hair like the hair I see here every day, or like my dear SO's, whose TBL hair seems to look more beautiful each day as mine remains the same. I wanted long hair so badly. Not VERY long-- just hip. It looks like I should just chop to APL. At least I know I can have a decent hemline there.

Thank you for listening to my rant. :( I took photos and considered posting them, but it's too depressing. I feel ashamed for being so sad about something so superficial as hair.

[Kelikea]

My hair grows so slowly, only about 1/4in a month. I only wish it could be a whole inch a month! Maybe you are trimming too much? Try going without a trim for a while and see what happens. Take before and after pics.

Maybe there is something missing from your diet?

Good luck.

[Maktub]

:grouphug:

So sad to hear how sad you are. Definitively post pictures if you want, I'm sure you'd have encouraging comments !!

One thought I had reading you, but feel free to dismiss it, is IF you cut to APL or where your hemline is the thickest now... and keep trimming 0.3 inch / month (leave the 0.7 inch new growth), I'm pretty sure you will find that thick hemline go down 0.7 inch / month.

Some hair doesn't get better as long as the hemline is not cut strait to the thickest part... and then grown from there.


I know it's hard, but that's what I did and don't regret it. I cut back to APL also when I started growing, because my hemline was a disaster ... and keep trimming along the way to keep it full looking (but trying to leave more growth then I trimm)


Sending best thoughts !

[turtlelover]

Awwww....I am sorry you are frustrated. Some of my favorite hair on other people is APL to BSL, so don't think you can't have pretty hair that others will admire even at those lengths! To most people, APL and BSL is LONG. You can still work on making it healthier, learning new ways to wear it, etc. I really do agree that healthier hair at a shorter length looks better than stringy hair at ultra long lengths, so I totally understand where you are coming from. Mine looks weird at super long lengths, so mine will never be that long by TLHC standards, either, but I try to enjoy it for what it is.

[Annibelle]

My hair grows so slowly, only about 1/4in a month. I only wish it could be a whole inch a month! Maybe you are trimming too much? Try going without a trim for a while and see what happens. Take before and after pics.

Maybe there is something missing from your diet?

Good luck.

I went without trimming for years, actually. :o And... WL untrimmed hair looked exactly the same as WL trimmed. That's why I think I may have hit terminal. :( A few months ago, I thought diet may have been involved, but my hair DOES grow-- most of it just won't go past APL/BSL. :( The sides seem to want to grow forever, though. It's the rest that won't.


:grouphug:

So sad to hear how sad you are. Definitively post pictures if you want, I'm sure you'd have encouraging comments !!

One thought I had reading you, but feel free to dismiss it, is IF you cut to APL or where your hemline is the thickest now... and keep trimming 0.3 inch / month (leave the 0.7 inch new growth), I'm pretty sure you will find that thick hemline go down 0.7 inch / month.

Some hair doesn't get better as long as the hemline is not cut strait to the thickest part... and then grown from there.


I know it's hard, but that's what I did and don't regret it. I cut back to APL also when I started growing, because my hemline was a disaster ... and keep trimming along the way to keep it full looking (but trying to leave more growth then I trimm)


Sending best thoughts !

So it's possible that cutting to APL and THEN trimming monthly would help it grow? I had assumed it wouldn't matter, as long as I was cutting the new growth... but I think I may try this.


Awwww....I am sorry you are frustrated. Some of my favorite hair on other people is APL to BSL, so don't think you can't have pretty hair that others will admire even at those lengths! To most people, APL and BSL is LONG. You can still work on making it healthier, learning new ways to wear it, etc. I really do agree that healthier hair at a shorter length looks better than stringy hair at ultra long lengths, so I totally understand where you are coming from. Mine looks weird at super long lengths, so mine will never be that long by TLHC standards, either, but I try to enjoy it for what it is.

Thanks. :flower: I hope that if I decide to cut mine shorter, it will get wavier, like yours. :eyebrows: But I don't think it will-- it's not like there's a lot of weight holding down waves now.

[Aliora]

Thank you for listening to my rant. :( I took photos and considered posting them, but it's too depressing. I feel ashamed for being so sad about something so superficial as hair.

Don't feel bad for that! Hair isn't superficial, especially when you put a lot of time and effort into growing/taking care of it.

I'm sorry your having trouble growing :(. Like another poster said, I would look at your diet. Since you said you don't have issues with breakage, your problem is probably either diet or just the natural taper of your hair. Like you said, you may be able to grow longer, but sometimes you have to choose between a thicker hem and length. It's unfortunate, but we can't control genetics. That said, please consider trying vitamins or something before you give up. You seem very sad about this, and the vitamins can't hurt you (assuming you take them responsibly obviously). Best of luck!:grouphug:

[FrozenBritannia]

I am sorry you are so sad. :( I would probably cry too in the same situation, in fact I know I would.

I hope you feel better about your decision soon, maybe going back to APL and trying again from there is the way to go, I don't know, but I am sure your hair will look lovely whatever you decide!

[beachgirlla]

Annibelle, I think you have very beautiful face, never mind the hair, LOL, your face is taking over everything else :D, I know you like long hair but come on now, would you rather have a long hair and so so face or a beautiful face and APL beautiful hair :)
You looked so good with the shorter hair, not sure why, I looked at your pics and when your face looked amazing with shoulder length hair, it looked thicker !!
Is it possible that you have been shedding some hair and have not noticed and this is why you are not getting any thickness?
As you know it is not easy to grow thick hair, but you can always have some good healthy hair at at least shoulder or APL length, do not stress out much about it, go enjoy your beautiful youth :cheese:

[mora]

Were you ever able to get to a doctor for testing? I remember that was mentioned in one of your previous threads. Changes to your diet may take some time to show up in your hair, also. When my doctor put me on iron supplements, she wanted to wait months before testing me again to measure the effect on my blood. I'm sure that would take even longer to be evident in anything but baby hairs.

Also, have you been under stress in the recent past? "Hair" recovery from that, or other shedding, could also take a while to really be noticeable in your hemline. Your fastest hairs may be growing at 1"/month but the rest of your hair could be moving along more slowly.

I think you showed a picture from your pre-LHC/Pantene days and, to me at least, it did seem like your hair was thicker then. I think your hair is pretty either way but that picture made me think that your hair might not truly be at terminal now. I hope these things don't sound stalkerish; your pictures are just memorable to me since you resemble a friend IRL.

[Maktub]

It changed everything for me to cut just a little over my thickest part (to have the MOST number of hair freshly cut) and then growing from there, and keep trimming regularly so that the hemline stays as thick.

What happens this way is that a maxium number of hair is kept "freshly trimmed", not only the few ends that go to the maxium lenght. Result : they grow together, hair is longer and as thick !


As your hair grows very fast, I'd keep trimming a little each month, just to be sure you don't have protein loss / damage of anykind at the end and that they stay very blunt ! Since each time you get to trimm almost ALL the ends at once. This keeps them string and going.

of course, look into health, nutrition, etc. too (very important !).... but I wouldn't be surprised if a nice blunt cut + regular trimms gets you to waist / hip with a nice hemline sooner than you think !

[gthlvrmx]

Aw its ok it takes time! Im sad too but hey, hair grows no matter what you! I gained and lost thickness all in NOV 2011-NOV2012 , and i used to be a iii(or an extra i)and that's ok. Hair happens. It takes YEARS sometimes to get to a certain goal. I personally think you have gorgeous hair and thin hair is very pretty :) it gives you an elegant touch with the wurls.

[leslissocool]

Anibelle don't give up! I remember you saying you didn't get enough protein in your diet. Hair is protein, it needs protein. I don't know if you are getting more protein now, but why not give it a try? Get some soy protein shakes.

Changes in your diet will take AT LEAST 6 months to show. I do think that cutting to BSL was a good idea though, you get a fresh clean start. My hair is thin too at the end, it's gotten remarkably thick ever since I got my anemia under control. But it took years, almost 2, to get it thick.

I think you are GORGEOUS no matter what kind of hair, long or short. And you do need to remember that BSL is quite long!

[Mopolop]

I don't think it's superficial to be upset about your hair, you've been really patient, it must be horrible not to have any results. :(

If it helps, I had a peek at your pics and you look really nice with shorter hair. In fact, you look nice, full stop.

[Annibelle]

Annibelle, I think you have very beautiful face, never mind the hair, LOL, your face is taking over everything else :D, I know you like long hair but come on now, would you rather have a long hair and so so face or a beautiful face and APL beautiful hair :)
You looked so good with the shorter hair, not sure why, I looked at your pics and when your face looked amazing with shoulder length hair, it looked thicker !!
Is it possible that you have been shedding some hair and have not noticed and this is why you are not getting any thickness?
As you know it is not easy to grow thick hair, but you can always have some good healthy hair at at least shoulder or APL length, do not stress out much about it, go enjoy your beautiful youth :cheese:

Thanks so much! :flower: My hair does look much thicker in photos when it's shorter; I wonder if it was really thicker then or if it just looks that way.


Were you ever able to get to a doctor for testing? I remember that was mentioned in one of your previous threads. Changes to your diet may take some time to show up in your hair, also. When my doctor put me on iron supplements, she wanted to wait months before testing me again to measure the effect on my blood. I'm sure that would take even longer to be evident in anything but baby hairs.

Also, have you been under stress in the recent past? "Hair" recovery from that, or other shedding, could also take a while to really be noticeable in your hemline. Your fastest hairs may be growing at 1"/month but the rest of your hair could be moving along more slowly.

I think you showed a picture from your pre-LHC/Pantene days and, to me at least, it did seem like your hair was thicker then. I think your hair is pretty either way but that picture made me think that your hair might not truly be at terminal now. I hope these things don't sound stalkerish; your pictures are just memorable to me since you resemble a friend IRL.

I wasn't able to see a doctor; I'm under my parents' insurance, and when they found out why I wanted blood work done, they said no. I'm going to look into finding my own doctor, though, and just footing the cost for the blood work.

I don't think I've been particularly stressed.

I have changed my diet, but not significantly. I've begun taking daily vitamins and monitoring my protein intake (staying above 40 grams per day, usually at around 55). That started less than 6 months ago, so maybe things will improve. I really want to see how my iron looks.

Also, I do have baby hairs all over the place... but I always have, even when my hair looked its worse.


It changed everything for me to cut just a little over my thickest part (to have the MOST number of hair freshly cut) and then growing from there, and keep trimming regularly so that the hemline stays as thick.

What happens this way is that a maxium number of hair is kept "freshly trimmed", not only the few ends that go to the maxium lenght. Result : they grow together, hair is longer and as thick !


As your hair grows very fast, I'd keep trimming a little each month, just to be sure you don't have protein loss / damage of anykind at the end and that they stay very blunt ! Since each time you get to trimm almost ALL the ends at once. This keeps them string and going.

of course, look into health, nutrition, etc. too (very important !).... but I wouldn't be surprised if a nice blunt cut + regular trimms gets you to waist / hip with a nice hemline sooner than you think !

:) I'm definitely considering doing that... I know SO will be disappointed... he really likes long hair. He's delusional, though, and insists that I have no taper. Uhhhh... I'm not stupid! Haha. I know it's there!!!

I wonder if there's an APL picture thread... I LOVE wavies/curlies with that length, especially... I wonder if my hair would look wavier if it were shorter. :)


Aw its ok it takes time! Im sad too but hey, hair grows no matter what you! I gained and lost thickness all in NOV 2011-NOV2012 , and i used to be a iii(or an extra i)and that's ok. Hair happens. It takes YEARS sometimes to get to a certain goal. I personally think you have gorgeous hair and thin hair is very pretty :) it gives you an elegant touch with the wurls.

Thank you so much! :)


Anibelle don't give up! I remember you saying you didn't get enough protein in your diet. Hair is protein, it needs protein. I don't know if you are getting more protein now, but why not give it a try? Get some soy protein shakes.

Changes in your diet will take AT LEAST 6 months to show. I do think that cutting to BSL was a good idea though, you get a fresh clean start. My hair is thin too at the end, it's gotten remarkably thick ever since I got my anemia under control. But it took years, almost 2, to get it thick.

I think you are GORGEOUS no matter what kind of hair, long or short. And you do need to remember that BSL is quite long!

I've been monitoring my protein, and as I said above, I'm getting 40-60 grams per day. Not sure how much I SHOULD be getting, but my Googling seems to indicate that 50-ish is about right... so I think I'm okay with the protein. Iron, I'm not sure about.

I love your curly ends, by the way! If my ends curled like that, I certainly wouldn't mind a little fairytaling! :flower:

[jeanniet]

50-60g of protein is about right. If you eat meat, that shouldn't be too difficult, but if you're a vegetarian eating a lot of beans will help. I have to pay attention to my protein intake because I'm more of a fruit/veggie eater and not big on protein or meat, but I do like lentils and bean soups so I eat a lot of those.

I think cutting back to where your hemline is thick and then doing regular small trims is a good idea. Even if you only end up with 1/4" of decent growth a month, over time it will amount to something, and by then the changes in diet should be making a difference, too.

[AnimaSola3o4]

Well, take a break from actively growing if you feel you need to, I don't blame you one bit. But please don't leave LHC. I don't think you were really planning on it, but I just have to say even if you aren't growing, it's a good place to be. And you might change your mind later on, or your hair may change it for you! I think that since May might not be enough time to totally gauge your hair's potential.

[AMW]

I'm sorry your hair is not growing the way you wanted it to. I know the feeling ... My hair is similar to yours ... When I reached wl my hair looked so thin that I was embarrassed to wear it down so I decided to cut about 2in off and now I'm enjoying my hair a bit more! I'm working on eating well and scalp massages to get to WL with thicker hair! Maybe if you just cut a few inches you will feel better! Good luck.

[Anywhere]

I know this feeling. I've been considering cutting back to BSL since my hair seems to stop being thick pretty much immediately there (see albums for proof :rolleyes:)

You never know, maybe once you decide not to grow you won't constantly be stressing/waiting for it to grow, and thicker growth might just sneak up on you. :p


And you said you're unsure of your iron intake. Iron deficiency is what caused me to have a huuuuuge shed. (I'd post pics but.. it's not my thread ... so I'll link to some.
this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4113&pictureid=73294) picture shows the change in length/thickness from feb. to may 2010, and if you compare this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4113&pictureid=91307) 2010 picture with this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=9519&pictureid=125603) 2012 picture(left one), you can see how much thickness I am still lacking over a year later).


Iron deficiency is my downfall, it's very possible it could be yours as well.

[Fairytale]

I was looking at your pics and all the ones I saw had beautiful full thick hair.

My question is on the top it says pre LHC hair if so have you changed your regimen
since joining ?
I have a suggestion to go back to what you were doing before with using Pantene
and regular washing if you changed your routine if you started adding oils stop and see if it may be that .
I know some people that certain oils cause some shedding and certain sulfate and cone free shampoo and conditioner actually dont agree with there hair.

So they have actually went back to regular old shampoo cond. routines and there hair loves it all hairs are not the same .IMO try this and see what happens Good Luck ! :)

[luxepiggy]

:grouphug:

Please don't give up quite yet! I do NOT think you're doomed to perpetually thin ends if you grow to hip. I see from your albums that you've been working on losing weight recently, and I'd be willing to bet that it's affecting your hair.

I speak from experience! ;) About five years ago, I lost over 30lbs and my hair definitely suffered in the process. But since reaching my goal weight, I've been able to rehabilitate my hair to its previous state of health (^(oo)^)v

Observe! L to R: Pre-diet (2004), post-diet (2008), current (2011)
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/thicknessdiet.jpg

Since you just cut to BSL, why not just engage in some benign neglect until you reach your weight loss goal? Once you've settled into maintenance mode at your goal weight, you can start tweaking your intake to improve your hair's health and grow it to hip-length :)

ETA: I think the overall thickness of hair is partially dependent on your total caloric intake, but I definitely think taper is affected by the composition of your diet. Personally I find that fats make more of a difference than protein, but that may just be because I happen to love meat and thus always get more than enough protein.

[QueenMadge]

Annibelle,

I have been here since July 2004. I believe my hair is about the same length now as it was in the beginning. This is due to my constant trims, cutting it all off to remove dye and henna when I decided to let it go grey. Sometimes I think I will never get to my goal! I have a hard time not cutting off the ends because they are the first to feel dry and damaged. Please be patient with yourself and your hair. It will respond to better care and diet. I have very few splits now versus the many I had when I first began this journey. My hair is the healthiest it has been in a long time. Yours will be too. :flower:

Hair after first major chop (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Makeupmom/Hair%20photos/backoriginal.jpg) I think this was in 2009. I have had my hair this length a number of times over the years because I would get tired of it, the dye or something or other;-).

hair last year (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Makeupmom/Hair%20photos/100_2564.jpg)

[spidermom]

Bummer! I hope the cutting back, then trimming regularly will help keep your hem thicker, but if not - hair can be beautiful at any length.

[Quahatundightu]

Come join us in the microtrimming thread (link in my sig!). Don't get discouraged, perhaps it will take longer than you think to thicken it up, but if you keep trimming and are heating healthy you should notice a difference! As others have said, trimming back a bit and microtrimming from there may help a lot as well. Your hair looks pretty, shiny and healthy anyway! I'm sorry you're going through this. If I were you I'd give it longer than 5 months - try a year and see how it goes.

[jacqueline101]

Have you tried monistat? It could help the growth issues you have.

[catamonica]

Dont give up on growing. Try horse shampoo from wall mart. In 09 my hair grew fourteen inches to my waist. It has protein in it. Add onion bits to the shampoo. It makes the hair thick.
Also a cap or two of olive oil in your shampoo & conditioner makes it soft. I wear my hair in a bun five days a week. It went from waist to hip in a few months. Bunning promtes growth.
Hope this helps.

[Sushi144]

I feel ashamed for being so sad about something so superficial as hair.

Don't be ! It's important to feel good in your body, and hair is a part of it. It's normal to be disappointed if your efforts in making it look better don't seem to work. Though I think you're already very pretty !
I hope all the good advices given by previous posters will help you. :flower:

[Hollyfire3]

I feel for you, and hair is not superfical, it is meaningful. Best of luck, do what you think will be best. I understand the need to have beautiful hair, it does not come easy. Do not give up, there is always hope, have hope!:)

[Safira]

Don´t give up, I went to see your album and you have so beautiful hair!
Take a deep breath, sometimes hair needs time, year, another or even more. You´re young, could it be your hormones? Don´t give up, go to see your doctor and relax, I shed two years after my baby was born, hormones can do that.

:grouphug:

[einna]

I second the "go see your doctor". I also think it can be an idea to cut to APL and take it from there, maybe that will help the hairs that are not growing. Do you know why? Is it breakage, shedding, growth stall?
Anyways, it is ok to be sad about not having the hair you dream about. Hair is a big part of us (espessially us LHCers), it does not make you shallow!

[Annibelle]

Thank you, everyone, for the wonderful comments and support. I'm really feeling much better now, although I felt a little sad and envious last night when I went to the grocery store and saw 6 long hairs!!! (One was a family-- a mother with orange TBL curly hair, her young daughter with the same curl pattern in brown HL, and the father with HL black :crush: )


Well, take a break from actively growing if you feel you need to, I don't blame you one bit. But please don't leave LHC. I don't think you were really planning on it, but I just have to say even if you aren't growing, it's a good place to be. And you might change your mind later on, or your hair may change it for you! I think that since May might not be enough time to totally gauge your hair's potential.

I definitely want to stick around. Everyone here is so nice!


I'm sorry your hair is not growing the way you wanted it to. I know the feeling ... My hair is similar to yours ... When I reached wl my hair looked so thin that I was embarrassed to wear it down so I decided to cut about 2in off and now I'm enjoying my hair a bit more! I'm working on eating well and scalp massages to get to WL with thicker hair! Maybe if you just cut a few inches you will feel better! Good luck.

That's exactly how I felt/feel! But I've cut much more than 2 inches since May (started between WL and HL, and now I'm at BSL...) and I think my hair still looks just as bad. Hopefully cutting a bit more will help...


I know this feeling. I've been considering cutting back to BSL since my hair seems to stop being thick pretty much immediately there (see albums for proof )

You never know, maybe once you decide not to grow you won't constantly be stressing/waiting for it to grow, and thicker growth might just sneak up on you.

And you said you're unsure of your iron intake. Iron deficiency is what caused me to have a huuuuuge shed. (I'd post pics but.. it's not my thread ... so I'll link to some.
this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4113&pictureid=73294) picture shows the change in length/thickness from feb. to may 2010, and if you compare this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4113&pictureid=91307) 2010 picture with this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=9519&pictureid=125603) 2012 picture(left one), you can see how much thickness I am still lacking over a year later).

Iron deficiency is my downfall, it's very possible it could be yours as well.

I just want to say, Anywhere, that I've ALWAYS loved your hair!!! If my hair curled like yours, I'd looooove to have FTE! You look like an angel with your hair.

But I think iron deficiency may be an issue. I still ate meat in a lot of my "before" photos in my albums, when my hair was short... and then stopped around that time. I think I'm getting enough protein, but maybe I'm not getting enough iron.


I was looking at your pics and all the ones I saw had beautiful full thick hair.

My question is on the top it says pre LHC hair if so have you changed your regimen
since joining ?
I have a suggestion to go back to what you were doing before with using Pantene
and regular washing if you changed your routine if you started adding oils stop and see if it may be that .
I know some people that certain oils cause some shedding and certain sulfate and cone free shampoo and conditioner actually dont agree with there hair.

So they have actually went back to regular old shampoo cond. routines and there hair loves it all hairs are not the same .IMO try this and see what happens Good Luck !

I would go back to my old routine, but I changed it for non-hair reasons. The main reason I stopped Pantene was because of animal testing, and the other reason was, after going cone-free for a bit, I realized that it was the CONES that had been making my back break out for years!

I did try and stop oils after first joining, though. Oiling my scalp makes me shed heavily. So does CO, even though it makes my hair behave well.


:grouphug:

Please don't give up quite yet! I do NOT think you're doomed to perpetually thin ends if you grow to hip. I see from your albums that you've been working on losing weight recently, and I'd be willing to bet that it's affecting your hair.

I speak from experience! ;) About five years ago, I lost over 30lbs and my hair definitely suffered in the process. But since reaching my goal weight, I've been able to rehabilitate my hair to its previous state of health (^(oo)^)v

Observe! L to R: Pre-diet (2004), post-diet (2008), current (2011)
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/thicknessdiet.jpg

Since you just cut to BSL, why not just engage in some benign neglect until you reach your weight loss goal? Once you've settled into maintenance mode at your goal weight, you can start tweaking your intake to improve your hair's health and grow it to hip-length :)

ETA: I think the overall thickness of hair is partially dependent on your total caloric intake, but I definitely think taper is affected by the composition of your diet. Personally I find that fats make more of a difference than protein, but that may just be because I happen to love meat and thus always get more than enough protein.

Thanks for the helpful comments! I've begun eating more good fats and protein recently. I'm eating one avocado each day and a cup full of almonds, too. I'm also eating almond butter and soy milk for breakfast. The rest of what I eat is mostly veggies and fruit. :o How much fat do you eat, and from what sources?


Annibelle,

I have been here since July 2004. I believe my hair is about the same length now as it was in the beginning. This is due to my constant trims, cutting it all off to remove dye and henna when I decided to let it go grey. Sometimes I think I will never get to my goal! I have a hard time not cutting off the ends because they are the first to feel dry and damaged. Please be patient with yourself and your hair. It will respond to better care and diet. I have very few splits now versus the many I had when I first began this journey. My hair is the healthiest it has been in a long time. Yours will be too. :flower:

Hair after first major chop (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Makeupmom/Hair%20photos/backoriginal.jpg) I think this was in 2009. I have had my hair this length a number of times over the years because I would get tired of it, the dye or something or other;-).

hair last year (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Makeupmom/Hair%20photos/100_2564.jpg)

The more recent photo looks great! I love the curls. :crush:

The thing is... my hair looks healthier. But not thicker. The individual hairs are each stronger, shinier, less frizzy, etc.... it's just that most of them aren't growing. I even have a ton of baby hairs growing all the time...


Have you tried monistat? It could help the growth issues you have.

I haven't tried it... I'm hesitant to do anything to my scalp! Even simple oils make me shed heavily, so I'm afraid of putting anything else there. :o


Dont give up on growing. Try horse shampoo from wall mart. In 09 my hair grew fourteen inches to my waist. It has protein in it. Add onion bits to the shampoo. It makes the hair thick.
Also a cap or two of olive oil in your shampoo & conditioner makes it soft. I wear my hair in a bun five days a week. It went from waist to hip in a few months. Bunning promtes growth.
Hope this helps.

I might consider the Mane n' Tail. I was avoiding it because my skin hates cones... but maybe I'll pick some up.

I wore my hair in buns daily for the first five months I was at LHC, and it didn't really do much good. I think it's because my hair really doesn't get damaged. It doesn't get caught in purse straps, etc. I usually wear it bunned or braided anyway, though.

[Annibelle]

I second the "go see your doctor". I also think it can be an idea to cut to APL and take it from there, maybe that will help the hairs that are not growing. Do you know why? Is it breakage, shedding, growth stall?
Anyways, it is ok to be sad about not having the hair you dream about. Hair is a big part of us (espessially us LHCers), it does not make you shallow!

I don't seem to have breakage (rarely any split ends when I S&D). I was shedding a lot over the summer when I tried WO, but my hair thickness has still looked the same every month, before, after, and during the WO trial. I guess it could be a growth stall, but I was at WL for about two years (no trimming or cutting). It just stayed at WL.

[Kelikea]

I'm pretty sure the M&T is cone-free, but not sls-free. I have Nature's gate organics--full of protein, but no sls or cones.

[lunalocks]

You have a darling face and beautiful hair. No matter what your hair length it seems it would suit you.

For years, my dear, like 10 years, I stayed at BSL thinking that was my terminal. I made some small changes in my life 3 years ago ( different vitamins, vigorous exercise, regular trims every 2 to 3 months, but only a quarter inch off) and imagine my surprise when it began creeping down. My focus was not on gaining length, but maintaining healthy hair. It is now at hip, healthy, few splints, and not falling out. I am 55 and never, never thought my hair would be this long, ever. I remember when I was 46 and wondering if I could get it to waist by the time I was 50 and it did not happen. So I let go of the dream.

I look at the lovely, long hair on this site and sometimes feel I want more and more. I calculate how much longer to TB, then to classic - then have to stop myself there are no guarentees. It is long enough, longer, actually, than I ever thought possible, and healthy to boot.

So the hair on this site is both an inspiration (yes, it really is possible!), and a curse, as it instills in me, sometimes, this "why not me" mentality. It makes me wish I knew 30 years ago what I know now, reminds me that my time is limited. Yet - it is just hair, and I have it, and I am thankful.

[MonaLisa]

:grouphug:

maybe you just need a break :)
I'm sure there is a way, at least to WL..
Eat healthy and take care of yourself..
I understand how you feel! Sending you some positive energy!

[Annibelle]

I'm pretty sure the M&T is cone-free, but not sls-free. I have Nature's gate organics--full of protein, but no sls or cones.

Hmm, when I looked a few months ago, the M&T had cones, but maybe their formula has changed. It wouldn't surprise me. :rolleyes: I looked into Nature's Gate organics, but the ones my store carried had really strange scents. I think I'll try some anyway.


You have a darling face and beautiful hair. No matter what your hair length it seems it would suit you.

For years, my dear, like 10 years, I stayed at BSL thinking that was my terminal. I made some small changes in my life 3 years ago ( different vitamins, vigorous exercise, regular trims every 2 to 3 months, but only a quarter inch off) and imagine my surprise when it began creeping down. My focus was not on gaining length, but maintaining healthy hair. It is now at hip, healthy, few splints, and not falling out. I am 55 and never, never thought my hair would be this long, ever. I remember when I was 46 and wondering if I could get it to waist by the time I was 50 and it did not happen. So I let go of the dream.

I look at the lovely, long hair on this site and sometimes feel I want more and more. I calculate how much longer to TB, then to classic - then have to stop myself there are no guarentees. It is long enough, longer, actually, than I ever thought possible, and healthy to boot.

So the hair on this site is both an inspiration (yes, it really is possible!), and a curse, as it instills in me, sometimes, this "why not me" mentality. It makes me wish I knew 30 years ago what I know now, reminds me that my time is limited. Yet - it is just hair, and I have it, and I am thankful.

Thanks for the comment and inspiration! :flower:


:grouphug:

maybe you just need a break :)
I'm sure there is a way, at least to WL..
Eat healthy and take care of yourself..
I understand how you feel! Sending you some positive energy!

Thanks for the positive vibes! ;)





So I looked at my hair this morning and it doesn't look as bad as I thought. The thickness definitely seems to end right at APL, but the inches to BSL don't look quite as terrible as I thought. It's a definite improvement over what it looked like at WL. I haven't seen it wavy since I cut it, though-- I used cones yesterday to help straighten it out before I cut it. My ends always look worse straight, since they don't clump up. I think I'll wait to see what it looks like wavy before cutting to APL, though I still think that would be a good idea...

[cheetahfast]

I might consider the Mane n' Tail. I was avoiding it because my skin hates cones... but maybe I'll pick some up.

I have a buy one get one free raincheck for it from CVS that I'll never use. I'll mail it to you if you want :).

And I think your hair is lovely, hopefully it grows back thicker.

[Silverbrumby]

A good friend of mine has very thin fine hair, think i. Anyway she danced in a troup with me and a bunch of super long hair girls. It was hard for her until on day she cut it to just below chin, used pin curls to get this fabulous 1930's retro style do. She also colored it a rich brown. Her hair looks stylish, fabulous, unique and healthy. While I love long hair I'm now trying for it the reality my my genes, perimenopause, thyroid condition mean that like you, it might not be possible. I think of Krysten with her beautiful full looking chin lenght hair and I feel better. Good luck.

[Annibelle]

I have a buy one get one free raincheck for it from CVS that I'll never use. I'll mail it to you if you want :).

And I think your hair is lovely, hopefully it grows back thicker.

That's so nice of you! I'm going to go to CVS today and take a whiff of M&T. If the smell isn't overwhelming, I'll ask for your raincheck. :) My sinuses are very sensitive to fragrances (though some heavily-scented things, like Pantene, my nose doesn't mind), so I always have to look out for that before buying things. :o

[Charybdis]

I think the more frequent, smaller trims are a good idea. Different hairs can grow at different rates, and some people have more variation among hairs than other people do. It may be that you have some "racer" hairs that grow an inch a month until they hit terminal, but other hairs that grow more slowly (say, 1/4" per month), especially once they've already reached APL. Maybe trimming more often will give the slower growers more of a chance to catch up. I suspect your ends look just fine at BSL -- I didn't think they looked too bad at waist!

[neverever]

Well, according to your picture, your hair is lovely! I cant even wish for hair like yours... Mine is just at SL and keeps breaking off :rolleyes: "No matter how bad you think your hair is, there's always someone hwo wants it" (or something like that) :p

[Annibelle]

Well, according to your picture, your hair is lovely! I cant even wish for hair like yours... Mine is just at SL and keeps breaking off :rolleyes: "No matter how bad you think your hair is, there's always someone hwo wants it" (or something like that) :p

My hair looks deceptively good from the side-- but from the back you can see how awful the ends are!

[Maverick494]

It took me 5 years to get from SL to waist. When I hit BSL my hemline was horribly thin and uneven, so I cut it back blunt to SL and started over from there. Getting from there to your goal with a thick hemline can be a painstakingly slow process. At one point even my parents were telling me I should cut it back because I had been at the in-between phase for so long. So have hope!

What I would do is to cut it back to where your hair is at its thickest and grow from there. Trims every 4 months when you notice your ends are getting fluffy-thin. And slowly, you will get where you want to be. Trust me on this one.

This was my hair in 2007, just reaching BSL:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6499&pictureid=91095
And this was a 'good hair day'.

This was when I cut it back to APL:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6499&pictureid=125708

This is my current hair:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6499&pictureid=125083

And straight: (excuse the horrible pajama outfit)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6499&pictureid=117012

I would never have gotten where I am now the way my hair looks now without trimming. I trimmed every 3/4 months, sometimes every 6 months, depending on the condition of the ends and hemline.

So in short, you can get there. You may just need a different route.

[Annibelle]

:thud: Maverick, your hair is marvelous! You're giving me hope. :)

[Maverick494]

Thank you Annibelle :)

I just took a look at your hair album and to me it looks like your hair is in better condition than mine was in that first pic from 2007. So it seems like that if you were to follow my route you won't have to cut back as far as I did :) I was also dealing with hair breakage from bleach.

So honestly, if you cut back to where your hair is thick and keep an eye on it, you will get where I am in less time than it took me, with a thick hemline :)

Plus with the knowledge you learned from the LHC you know how to take care of your hair, which I didn't until I joined here some years into my journey. So keep your head up! :puppykisses:

[lapushka]

I just wanted to pop in to tell everyone that I think I'm giving up on growing. I've been here since May and my growth hasn't improved. I grow one inch per month, but it's all the same hairs. The thickness ends above BSL. It has since May. I guess it will forever. There is no breakage; rarely any split ends.

For the past four (or five?) months, I've been cutting off ALL of my monthly growth, maintaining at WL, hoping my hemline would thicken. It hasn't at all. I can see exactly where it stops. I think APL is my terminal thick length. I think I could grow to my goal of hip if I wanted to, but it would be all very thin and ugly.

I just cut from my maintenance zone of WL to BSL. My ends still look bad, and my hair feels short. It hasn't been anything but around WL for years. I don't care if I'm a baby; I can't help but cry that I'll never have beautiful hair like the hair I see here every day, or like my dear SO's, whose TBL hair seems to look more beautiful each day as mine remains the same. I wanted long hair so badly. Not VERY long-- just hip. It looks like I should just chop to APL. At least I know I can have a decent hemline there.

Thank you for listening to my rant. :( I took photos and considered posting them, but it's too depressing. I feel ashamed for being so sad about something so superficial as hair.

Try looking at Cinnamon's length journey. She started with thinned out ends as well and reached knee length. You might get some inspiration from her. I'm sure you will. Just don't give up so easily. The thickness will catch up, it's only... you've got to give it time and have a lot of patience for this!

http://www.beyondclassiclength.com/longhairjourney.html
http://www.beyondclassiclength.com/kneelength.html

[leslissocool]

Annibelle than you for the complement, but I think YOUR hair is gorgeous! Like I said it will take time since it hasn't been 6 months since your protein increase. Patience, it will get better!

Also I wanted to say that I lost most of the twin weight (over 70 lb), and my hair actually got thicker. I didn't do a diet, I learned how to eat healthy but the protein and getting enough nutrients really helped me out. Getting control of my anemia was crucial.

Don't give up! It will take time, but it's worth it and I think you can do it! I'd suggest going to the doctor when you have the insurance thing figured out, that way you know if there is something wrong that could be affecting your hair.

We are all cheering for you :cheer:

[Mesmerise]

I just wanted to pop in to tell everyone that I think I'm giving up on growing. I've been here since May and my growth hasn't improved. I grow one inch per month, but it's all the same hairs. The thickness ends above BSL. It has since May. I guess it will forever. There is no breakage; rarely any split ends.

For the past four (or five?) months, I've been cutting off ALL of my monthly growth, maintaining at WL, hoping my hemline would thicken. It hasn't at all. I can see exactly where it stops. I think APL is my terminal thick length. I think I could grow to my goal of hip if I wanted to, but it would be all very thin and ugly.

I just cut from my maintenance zone of WL to BSL. My ends still look bad, and my hair feels short. It hasn't been anything but around WL for years. I don't care if I'm a baby; I can't help but cry that I'll never have beautiful hair like the hair I see here every day, or like my dear SO's, whose TBL hair seems to look more beautiful each day as mine remains the same. I wanted long hair so badly. Not VERY long-- just hip. It looks like I should just chop to APL. At least I know I can have a decent hemline there.

Thank you for listening to my rant. :( I took photos and considered posting them, but it's too depressing. I feel ashamed for being so sad about something so superficial as hair.

Oh, Annibelle, I felt so sad when I saw the title of your thread!! I have to say, I identify with you and your hair, because MINE seems similar (although mine doesn't grow that coveted 1" a month).

I recently cut back to APL in the hopes that it would thicken up too (I have had issues with shedding... this is true... BUT I'm also not sure if I am genetically able to have longer hair with a good hemline either... it will be a looong time before I can find out with 100% certainty though, as I have to give the shed hairs a chance to catch up).

I think I can get maybe BSL that looks okay, but I've never had nice ends around waist (usually too impatient to persevere though).

Anyways... I think I would like to tell you to NOT give up yet! You are still very young and have time to experiment with growing your hair. I have seen a number of posters on here with very long hair who have had extremely thin ends (and who usually wear it up) and who have persisted and persisted, and ultimately their thickness HAS caught up. It may not be possible for you, or for me, but I think maybe we owe it to ourselves to keep trying? I have never thought your hair looked awful in pictures, and I'm also starting to see the beauty in thinner ends (hard for me to do as I've always coveted thick ends which I have never had myself!).

I know that what you want is to have long hair that looks lovely when worn loose, but maybe you can just try the "wear your hair up for a year" challenge, forget about those monthly trims, and just try not to think too much about how your hair looks! Just experiment with pretty styles. With your growth speed you can grow back all that cut hair plus more in just a matter of months, and probably achieve your goal of hip fairly quickly. I say... just go and have a shot! You may be surprised what happens when you just wear your hair up and forget about it for awhile.

Hugs and good luck!!!

[MsBubbles]

Please try not to compare your own hair with other LHCers' hair. I fall into that often, and it makes me very dissatisfied with my own. We don't all have fast-growing, thick, flowing hair. Many of us here feel like the whole long-hair-growing thing is a case of one step forward, two steps back (one inch downward, two inches back up).

Going through a massive shed has got to be one of the most demoralizing and soul-destroying things, when it comes to hair. So I understand your feelings of shame about being so upset over your hair.

If you upped your protein 6 months ago, it's still going to take a few years for that to translate to a visible difference in your hemline at BSL. Perhaps 'putting it up and forgetting about it' might be a good solution for right now. That's a separate decision from wanting a fun APL cut though, of course. Good luck!

PS: The color and type of top I wear to take hair-progress photos makes a huge difference in how satisfied I am with my progress. It can look extremely thin against some colors & materials (grey T-shirt, for example), and thicker against a black polyester (silkier) top.

[Mesmerise]

Oooh I just noticed that you have stopped eating meat (didn't get whether you're a full on vegan or vegetarian now though?)

I also went vegetarian a couple of years ago, and it is since then that I've had my hair and shedding problems. Sooo... I do wonder if there's a connection.

I've also read a LOT of negative stuff about eating soy, which is unfortunately a staple food for a lot of people who choose not to eat meat. The phytoestrogens in soy may also be messing with your hormones a bit, perhaps causing more shedding or something??

I started eating fish again about a month ago, and quit all soy. I don't really LIKE eating fish (I quit meat because I didn't want to kill animals, after all, and I DO consider fish to be an animal :rolleyes:), but my hair was becoming ridiculously thin around the hairline, and I had started shedding madly AGAIN (after having a massive shed about 18 months ago that I was still recovering from).

I'm also starting to put more fats back into my diet, and have cut back on carbs, particularly sugars and products containing white flour. It's too soon to see a difference, but I suppose time will tell.

[mora]

...
But I think iron deficiency may be an issue. I still ate meat in a lot of my "before" photos in my albums, when my hair was short... and then stopped around that time. I think I'm getting enough protein, but maybe I'm not getting enough iron.
...

I'm sure you already know this but absorbing iron from non-animal sources can be tricky. There's some discussion of that in this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=78774), although it's not strictly vegetarian. The upside is that as far as potential causes/methods of getting from the nice hair that you currently have to the nice hair that you envision go, increasing your iron levels should be relatively easy (depending on how particular your diet is and how much you've been focusing on your iron levels so far).

It might be too late for this but Walgreens currently has a supposedly high-absorption iron supplement on sale this week (ending today :rolleyes:). It's on sale for $10 and then you get a $10 coupon to spend later at Walgreens. (I know I mentioned a similar CVS deal in the other thread but I am not actually affiliated with the company and didn't actually try it that time. I just tend to notice these things because my iron levels can be low if I don't pay attention to them.)

[Quetiepi]

I don't know if this would help, but perhaps you should start taking calcium supplements. I take 2 a day on the advice of my doctor, because my mother had osteoporosis, and it sseems to help make my nails harder & my hair grow faster.
It couldn't hurt, and it might make a world of difference.
Hugs to you, I don't think it's silly to be upset about your hair. I once cried for two years straight over a really bad haircut three years ago. Feeling like your hair looks awful can be devastating to your self-esteem.

[Annibelle]

Oooh I just noticed that you have stopped eating meat (didn't get whether you're a full on vegan or vegetarian now though?)

I also went vegetarian a couple of years ago, and it is since then that I've had my hair and shedding problems. Sooo... I do wonder if there's a connection.

I've also read a LOT of negative stuff about eating soy, which is unfortunately a staple food for a lot of people who choose not to eat meat. The phytoestrogens in soy may also be messing with your hormones a bit, perhaps causing more shedding or something??

I started eating fish again about a month ago, and quit all soy. I don't really LIKE eating fish (I quit meat because I didn't want to kill animals, after all, and I DO consider fish to be an animal :rolleyes:), but my hair was becoming ridiculously thin around the hairline, and I had started shedding madly AGAIN (after having a massive shed about 18 months ago that I was still recovering from).

I'm also starting to put more fats back into my diet, and have cut back on carbs, particularly sugars and products containing white flour. It's too soon to see a difference, but I suppose time will tell.

I'm a vegetarian, but most of the time, I eat a vegan diet. I try to be as vegan as possible, but I'm not ACTUALLY vegan by a long-shot. (I am slightly lactose-intolerant though, so that helps me make most meals vegan. ;) )

I ate a lot of those uber-processed Morningstar Farms things when I first became a vegetarian, but I cut those out completely last year. That could also have been a factor. I still consume soy in the form of soymilk, though, and the occasional tofu in fried rice.

I've also added more fats and reduced carbs! :) Both of these are very new developments, though-- within the last couple of weeks, so it's much too early to tell if this is changing anything...


I'm sure you already know this but absorbing iron from non-animal sources can be tricky. There's some discussion of that in this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=78774), although it's not strictly vegetarian. The upside is that as far as potential causes/methods of getting from the nice hair that you currently have to the nice hair that you envision go, increasing your iron levels should be relatively easy (depending on how particular your diet is and how much you've been focusing on your iron levels so far).

It might be too late for this but Walgreens currently has a supposedly high-absorption iron supplement on sale this week (ending today :rolleyes:). It's on sale for $10 and then you get a $10 coupon to spend later at Walgreens. (I know I mentioned a similar CVS deal in the other thread but I am not actually affiliated with the company and didn't actually try it that time. I just tend to notice these things because my iron levels can be low if I don't pay attention to them.)

Thanks a ton for the link! :) I haven't really been doing anything for iron, except taking a daily vitamin (which claims it has 100% of my RDA). Of course, I don't know how much of that actually gets absorbed...

I've considered taking an iron supplement, but I'm afraid of overdosing and getting organ damage. :o So that's why I've been waiting until I do a blood test...


I don't know if this would help, but perhaps you should start taking calcium supplements. I take 2 a day on the advice of my doctor, because my mother had osteoporosis, and it sseems to help make my nails harder & my hair grow faster.
It couldn't hurt, and it might make a world of difference.
Hugs to you, I don't think it's silly to be upset about your hair. I once cried for two years straight over a really bad haircut three years ago. Feeling like your hair looks awful can be devastating to your self-esteem.

The calcium idea is one I hadn't heard before! I could probably use it, anyway. I currently get over 100% of my RDA in calcium, so I'm not sure if I need more. I was malnourished as a child, though, which may affect how much I need now...

[holothuroidea]

Annibelle, I've always loved the combination of your hair texture, thickness and the taper at this length. I think it is beautiful. The last time my hair was long it had a very significant taper (I wasn't taking care of it, though) and one of my biggest mental hurdles to overcome was being afraid that taper was going to come back. Your hair has been inspirational to me because it looks wonderful not just in spite of the thin ends but because of them. This is just my opinion, of course, and yours is the one that matters, but I will be sad if you give up on it.

ETA: It's not superficial to be sad over your hair. It is a part of your body and taking care of it is not any more superficial than taking care of your health, and part of taking care of it involves caring about it.

[kidari]

I love your taper as well. I'm so sorry to hear that you are sad. I really agree with everyone that trimming at your new length will most likely help. Maybe the issue was that your hair grows so fast that it creates fairy tale ends really easily? If it's any consolation I adore fairy tale ends. I personally think that APL-BSL hair has far more advantages than waist+ length. I fear that if I ever reach waist, I'll probably find that I prefer BSL. However, hair is individual and the most important thing is that you are happy with yours. I really hope that you become happy with yours. Sometimes it's about experimentation and some acceptance. The problem I find with hair is that it's near impossible to have it have all the qualities to make you happy all at once. I wish it were thicker and one length so I could do some updos but then I would want it shorter and have layers if I want to style it and wear it down. Curlies want to straighten, straight hairs wish it would hold a curl... see a pattern? At the end of the day I think we should focus on why you are lucky to have what you have and all the advantages that come with it.

[lacefrost]

I don't seem to have breakage (rarely any split ends when I S&D). I was shedding a lot over the summer when I tried WO, but my hair thickness has still looked the same every month, before, after, and during the WO trial. I guess it could be a growth stall, but I was at WL for about two years (no trimming or cutting). It just stayed at WL.

I think this is the biggest issue. If your hair really was shedding a lot, it wouldn't look the same in terms of thickness. I think your hair has thickened since you've been here. Very very slowly but it has.

I really like your hair. I think it's beautiful. Especially when you leave it wurly. The fairy tale ends look beautiful to me.

I think you're just being really hard on yourself. I think you should put your hair up, have some fun, and not worry about it. I think your feelings about it will change. And one day you'll let it down and realize your hair is actually pretty.

[ardenkatherine]

It sounds like you're being too hard on yourself!
I guess everyone's already suggested it might be a vitamin deficiency. Just keep at it and whatever happens try not to get down :)

Good luck!

[Silverbrumby]

A great safer iron supplement is mega food blood builder. Its veg. non binding and gentle on the stomach. 100% whole food based iron and available from amazon. I take several supplements. This iron (was tested low, fish oil Natures Way, evening primrose oil, vit D, calcium (plant based), biotin and biosil when I think about it.

[woolyleprechaun]

I think you look kind of etheral ;) beautiful!

[Lissandria]

:grouphug: I think your hair is lovely! Especially with your scrunched waves and FTE.
If you have had a massive shed in the last couple of years, there is no way that the recovered growth would be down your length by now. I also think some bloodwork may be a good idea, just to figure out if there is anything going on. I can't really say much more that hasn't been said already because there is some great advice in this thread. Enjoy your new length :)