Short terminal length ?

[Katze]

Hello there,

Are there any long time LHCers (or long time hair growers ;) ) whose hair never gets past BSL or another 'short' length? How have you figured that out? What did you do when you discovered it? Do you trim to that length now, or do you let your sprinter hairs get as long as they can, and put up with the taper and thinness at the ends?

As many of you know I despair about getting my hair ever to be long and healthy. It is healthy, but it has never in my life been long, and I am starting to think I am genetically programmed for BSL or above.

I've taken good care of my hair since being here, though I do not wear it up every day. I use leave-ins, very little heat (only enough to dry out my ears when needed after washing) and WO wash and SMT regularly.

Updos don't work well with my slippery, frizzy hair, nor with all the layers I also seem to be 'blessed' with. I am physically active, and I eat well, take vitamins, and drink lots of water.

When I was pregnant with DD, and my hair wasn't shedding, it got to the longest it has ever been - just shy of waist. I was thrilled...and then horrified, after DD was born, to see my hair falling out in handfuls, over a thousand hairs shed per day for 3+ months.

It has never been that long before or since - APL/BSL seems to be my limit before my hair tapers out into nothing. Most of my hair - especially my coarser, wurly nape hair - does not seem to want to grow past shoulder or APL. At the roots, my hair is very thick, but I have a lot of natural taper from ears downwards. My hair grows very nicely - from shoulder to APL in 4 months - and otherwise seems healthy.

Could BSL, or just below, really be my terminal length? My hair has trouble even getting to BSL, and the ends start thinning out no matter what I do. Thus, I trim (and

I did find a thread with someone asking a similar question, where the OP was given similar advice to what I've been given (wear it up, wait it out).

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=45685&highlight=short+terminal&page=3

[Mesmerise]

I have certainly heard other people say they've known people with hair that never got beyond about APL or BSL even when they never, ever cut it. I suppose it is possible to have a really short terminal length.

I also find mine tapers quite dramatically after about APL too... the longest my hair has been was close to waist (then again, I'm a very short person, so it may only have been BSL on others) and even back then I'm pretty sure it was very thin at the ends.

I guess I am just going to see what happens with my hair! I've decided to not cut for a year, and then have a small trim (I may do a micro trim half way through the year... which will be late July), and just... see what happens, I guess?! If I find my hair really doesn't have a long terminal length and thicken up EVER, I will probably keep it trimmed to where it looks decent. I really don't like the idea of having straggly ends where some hairs get quite long and the rest do not. I'm not talking about nice fairytale ends here... I'm talking about having just random long hairs and really uneven looking ends at a fairly short length!

[carmac21]

Hi there,
I have never grown my hair much longer than APL,
I only give up the heat about 6 months ago, so this will be the first time I'll know if it will grow. I have very fine hair, that breaks quite easily so if I get to BSL I'll be delighted, I'll be over the moon with waist.

I find it really encouraging when everyone on this site offers hope for any hair type to grow long!:D

[Humbug454]

Microtrimming is the way forward! No need to get 1 inch or more off.

Wearing hair up helps to avoid damaging the ends, but I don't think it is ESSENTIAL to growing long hair!

[constructamane]

What about your protein intake, and have you had a recent visit to your doctor? Sometimes anemia, thyroid conditions and other illnesses can cause hair loss/problems with growth.

[Mesmerise]

I think the question Katze is asking is: is there anyone on here who knows for a fact that they DO have a very short terminal length.

It sounds as if she's doing all the right things for her health and the health of her hair.

I know some people have certainly mentioned that they've known people who can't grow their hair long... but I don't know if there's anyone on LHC who's actually got to a terminal length which was comparatively short?!

I'm curious to know too! I don't want super long hair, and have no desire to reach extreme lengths, but I WOULD love at least waist! (Ideally hip). As it stands, I have no idea if I have the potential to get there, either.

[Louise148]

I have never had hair longer than BSL. Even when i was nine and my mom just ley my hair grow it never got past somewher in between APL and BSL so I definitely think I have a short terminal hair length. I have just accepted that there is nothing I can do about it and accepted that, for me, that is long. :(

Lou x

[auburntressed]

I think the question Katze is asking is: is there anyone on here who knows for a fact that they DO have a very short terminal length.

It sounds as if she's doing all the right things for her health and the health of her hair.

I know some people have certainly mentioned that they've known people who can't grow their hair long... but I don't know if there's anyone on LHC who's actually got to a terminal length which was comparatively short?!

I'm curious to know too! I don't want super long hair, and have no desire to reach extreme lengths, but I WOULD love at least waist! (Ideally hip). As it stands, I have no idea if I have the potential to get there, either.
This is actually something that I am quite interested in as well - the terminal length thing. I've been lurking around the terminal length goal thread to see who has reached it, who has thought they've reached it, ect.

I think there was at least one person over there who said she hasn't trimmed her hair in over 10 years, and it stays around APL. I think that can be conclusively called "terminal," for all practical purposes.

But as a general rule... there just aren't enough people around anymore who let their hair just grow and grow for most of their lives until it won't any longer to get a really good idea of what is the average for terminal.

I suppose looking into certain religious communities that do not cut hair - such as the Amish or the Fundamentalist Mormons - could give a little bit of insight into what is "average" for a designated genetic group. But it really would not at all help us to determine averages for humans in general, as those ladies come from a specific, narrow gene pool. It also would only give us insight about female terminal length for them - not male.

I'm just as interested in male terminal length as it pertains to averages. But I'd say we are even more out of luck with men than with women when it comes to examples.

[Guenever]

Could BSL, or just below, really be my terminal length? My hair has trouble even getting to BSL, and the ends start thinning out no matter what I do..
I understand completely. I'm an extreme long-hair by heart - my hair just doesn't seem to get it :rolleyes:

I joined here in 2006 and grew from MBL to extremely tapered TBL before I gave up and went back to shoulder.. the taper was getting to me and I refused to wear it down.. I have to admit - seeing other members reaching their goals while I was "stuck" made me a bit depressed :(
So, I had a couple of years away from the boards trying not to worry about my hair, but now I'm back :) starting over..

It's odd.. I did (still do) everything right, but for some reason my taper just doesn't seem to improve.. I have a decent 3,3" circ. but the taper starts around APL and below just above BSL my length starts to get see-though..

I've wondered more than once if the terminal length of most of my hair simply is MBL.... it's just weird since my sister's (non-LHC) hair seems to grow like weed and I know that my mom and one of my aunts had thick, (at least) hip-length hair..

It's incredibly frustrating, but I'm not ready to give up on my goal just yet.. I'm sorry. I have no helpful tips or advice.... just a hug! You're not the only long-hair having taper issues :grouphug:

[Ndayeni]

I have also had trouble my whole life getting my hair to grow very long. It will get to around APL, or somewhere between APL and BSL without much trouble, but after that it never seems to keep going because the ends would start getting so frayed that I'd end up having to get a fair amount cut off when I finally went and had it trimmed. I've currently started seriously trying to grow it out as long as I can (or at least to waist/tailbone if I can), but I've no idea if I'll be able to go beyond where it's always started to fall apart. I do get regular slight trims now, and am working on getting and keeping it well conditioned, so we'll see how it goes.

Good luck to everyone else who's also trying to grow, and to the OP, I hope you can get past BSL and reach your goal eventually.

[Fortresca]

Well, a friend of my mom has the same hairlength (about bsl to midback) since I know her, which are about 8-9 years, and she swears, in this time no scissors touched her hair. But she doesn't treat her hair very well: she blowdries, wears it open or in a ponytai and doesn't put oil or anything in.
So, well, Ig uess thats TL, too, even if it may grow longer with better care-taking, because she wants it that way.

[Sammie_holms]

Hi there,
I have never grown my hair much longer than APL,
I only give up the heat about 6 months ago, so this will be the first time I'll know if it will grow. I have very fine hair, that breaks quite easily so if I get to BSL I'll be delighted, I'll be over the moon with waist.

I find it really encouraging when everyone on this site offers hope for any hair type to grow long!:D


I am with you on that. I haven't had my hair longer then BSL. Can't wait to find out if I can get there.:)

[Altocumulus]

I understand completely. I'm an extreme long-hair by heart - my hair just doesn't seem to get it :rolleyes:

I joined here in 2006 and grew from MBL to extremely tapered TBL before I gave up and went back to shoulder.. the taper was getting to me and I refused to wear it down.. I have to admit - seeing other members reaching their goals while I was "stuck" made me a bit depressed :(
So, I had a couple of years away from the boards trying not to worry about my hair, but now I'm back :) starting over..

It's odd.. I did (still do) everything right, but for some reason my taper just doesn't seem to improve.. I have a decent 3,3" circ. but the taper starts around APL and below just above BSL my length starts to get see-though..

I've wondered more than once if the terminal length of most of my hair simply is MBL.... it's just weird since my sister's (non-LHC) hair seems to grow like weed and I know that my mom and one of my aunts had thick, (at least) hip-length hair..

It's incredibly frustrating, but I'm not ready to give up on my goal just yet.. I'm sorry. I have no helpful tips or advice.... just a hug! You're not the only long-hair having taper issues :grouphug:

This is exactly the situation I'm in. I grew my hair out to TB twice in the time I've been here, and maintained with microtrims, but it never thickened up. I think I have a small population (maybe 25% of the total) of hairs with a terminal length past TB, and the rest are much shorter. I finally gave up and am maintaining at BSL/midback, which is where I was before I found LHC.

[spidermom]

Katze, your terminal length may be quite a bit longer than you've seen so far. You started out having to cut away bleach damage, then you had the pregnancy and birth, which you are going through again, so really - you haven't been able to just let your hair grow. Until you get to that point, you can't know what your terminal length will be.

But yes, it is possible to have a short terminal length. I knew a woman for 8 years who had beautiful, at least upper end of ii thickness, dark hair. She didn't abuse it, wore it in braids a lot, and didn't cut it, but it never got longer than BSL. Plus her ends weren't even thinned out. It looked like all of her hairs had pretty close to the same growth span.

[Maraz]

I'm afraid mine isn't going to get much longer than tailbone, at least until I move out of the hot south. I shed so much when its hot. Clumps and clumps of hair every day!

[Silverbrumby]

Hello there,

Are there any long time LHCers (or long time hair growers ;) ) whose hair never gets past BSL or another 'short' length? How have you figured that out? What did you do when you discovered it? Do you trim to that length now, or do you let your sprinter hairs get as long as they can, and put up with the taper and thinness at the ends?

As many of you know I despair about getting my hair ever to be long and healthy. It is healthy, but it has never in my life been long, and I am starting to think I am genetically programmed for BSL or above.

I've taken good care of my hair since being here, though I do not wear it up every day. I use leave-ins, very little heat (only enough to dry out my ears when needed after washing) and WO wash and SMT regularly.

Updos don't work well with my slippery, frizzy hair, nor with all the layers I also seem to be 'blessed' with. I am physically active, and I eat well, take vitamins, and drink lots of water.

When I was pregnant with DD, and my hair wasn't shedding, it got to the longest it has ever been - just shy of waist. I was thrilled...and then horrified, after DD was born, to see my hair falling out in handfuls, over a thousand hairs shed per day for 3+ months.

It has never been that long before or since - APL/BSL seems to be my limit before my hair tapers out into nothing. Most of my hair - especially my coarser, wurly nape hair - does not seem to want to grow past shoulder or APL. At the roots, my hair is very thick, but I have a lot of natural taper from ears downwards. My hair grows very nicely - from shoulder to APL in 4 months - and otherwise seems healthy.

Could BSL, or just below, really be my terminal length? My hair has trouble even getting to BSL, and the ends start thinning out no matter what I do. Thus, I trim (and

I did find a thread with someone asking a similar question, where the OP was given similar advice to what I've been given (wear it up, wait it out).

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=45685&highlight=short+terminal&page=3

Wow, the longest my hair grew was while pregnant with my two boys and I was 1/2 way between BSL and waist. Like you I have a lot of hair on my head but it begins to taper just before shoulder Around BSL when it was last there before I chopped off 5 inches it was barely the width of my pinky finger in a braid. Except my hair is wavy and curly and yours is straight we could be hair twins.

Do I think it's genetics. Absolutely. Plus for me a bit of thyroid and aging.

I honestly believe that if I stopped all cutting and just braided/bunned it for the next 10 years I might, just might have a dozen hairs reaching waist but most would be around BSL.

I'm open to being proven wrong.

BTW, if you look at my signature photo you can see that taper in the braid there as my braid hits shoulder. I've taken excellent care of my hair the past 12 months and it has improved. My ponytail is now at 2.7 inches but the taper is still there even after the big chop this year. It was blunt and thick but as it's started growing it's getting thinner at the ends.

[bte]

I have a very short terminal length - I know this because I haven't trimmed or cut since 1994 and haven't reached more than about APL. It makes life very simple - I don't plan ever to trim or cut again, but it is still frustrating!

You may find that after a stall, even of several years, you grow longer, or that bvy trying to be very careful of your hair and your health you improve the situation. Certainly worth trying!

[ravenheather]

I have a very short terminal length - I know this because I haven't trimmed or cut since 1994 and haven't reached more than about APL. It makes life very simple - I don't plan ever to trim or cut again, but it is still frustrating!

You may find that after a stall, even of several years, you grow longer, or that bvy trying to be very careful of your hair and your health you improve the situation. Certainly worth trying!

Do you get splits? Do you search and destroy? I'd like to not trim anymore and I'm curious if it's possible long term without damage.

[akilina]

I have the same issue...I will be lurking! :D
I think with my hair type I can't imagine it being any longer than 4 inches above BSL.
I feel like my hair is too thin to ever get long.
So for now I'm trying to grow out my layers to see if that doesn't solve my problems...but gees that is alot of waiting. -__- I don't think I am destined to ever have long hair

[jacqueline101]

Micro trim is the way to go.

[Silverbrumby]

Micro trim is the way to go.

Micro or macro trim isn't making a difference here. My hair just thins around APL. I'm all for accepting it now and not fighting my god given hair.

But I'm all for how wonderful and soft it feels now. The frizz is almost all gone.

:cheese:

[DayDreamerDani]

I can definitely relate to how you are feeling. The longest my hair has ever been was a little shy of waist. But this is the first time in my life that I am actively growing my hair. Before I found this site, I did very damaging things to my hair. So I'm going to have to wait and see if my hair grows long!!! I've heard many stories of women on here thinking that had reached terminal at bsl but in reality their hair was damaged and that's why it wasn't growing. I understand your circumstances are a bit different, but it's comforting to me at least, to know that there is hope! Good luck!!

[Autumn]

BF has a terminal length of about mid-back. I occasionally trim a couple inches off the ends and it grow back to the same place. However, he wears his hair loose all the time and is not at all careful with it. If he took better care of it, it might grow longer.

[Mesmerise]

Micro trim is the way to go.

That's true IF you're dealing with a false terminal length that's being caused by damage. If you hit true terminal at BSL it doesn't matter what you do to your hair! You can microtrim to your heart's content, but your hair is never going to get longer than terminal.

[ravenheather]

I worry about a short terminal too. My hair has never been long, but I've never tried. My mom doesn't think it will grow long and says so regularly. I did find a pic from 2 years ago when I had just had my 2nd daughter. It looks like it was at least apl and that was post partum. I also didn't really do anything to take care of it, just didn't get a haircut while I was pregnant. Hopefully it's a good sign that with care and patience my hair will get fairly long. I'm hoping for tailbone to classic length, but would be ok with at least waist.

[bumblebums]

But as a general rule... there just aren't enough people around anymore who let their hair just grow and grow for most of their lives until it won't any longer to get a really good idea of what is the average for terminal.

I suppose looking into certain religious communities that do not cut hair - such as the Amish or the Fundamentalist Mormons - could give a little bit of insight into what is "average" for a designated genetic group. But it really would not at all help us to determine averages for humans in general, as those ladies come from a specific, narrow gene pool. It also would only give us insight about female terminal length for them - not male.


That's spot-on--I think I have said something similar in another thread about terminal length, and how difficult it is to know what the real numbers are. I've seen the "two to six years" growth cycle mentioned so often that I suspect it's one of those figures that has no real basis in any sort of rigorous study. The religious groups you mentioned is one way to study this in more depth. Sikhs and Pentecostals also do not cut their hair, though I understand that they have traction alopecia (Sikhs) and styling-related damage (Ps).

Anyway, OP, are you talking about most of your hairs being terminal at BSL, or are most of them terminal higher up? I have one of those unfortunate hair scenarios where many, many of my hairs are terminal at maybe six inches. A lot of my hairs are terminal at APL or BSL. And then a few reach waist. I will know more when I've had a chance to maintain at my goal length, but I am pretty sure I have a fairly short average terminal length when you look at the entire scalp.

[Silverbrumby]

btw, I'm enjoying this thread. Some gals/guys will join the LHC forum and grow out beautiful hair to very long lengths. I've seen so many of those posts "My one, two, three year etc anniversary". Their hair is amazing but you can also see I think that for most of them it was a case of just never growing it long before OR killing it with bleach, dye, heat, terrible eating etc etc. When they correct that their hair thrives.

And I've seen some like me who really don't do too much wrong but could improve. You can see that we don't make the dramatic growth, shinnying cascade of hair. It looks better, grows a bit longer but it's not going to be the 'wow' heads of hair. Ok, I'm talking about me here just to be clear. Thinking out loud.

I'm love all the changes I've made and how much I've learnt here but I don't think anyone is going to go wow at my hair in 1,2,3,4 years time.

[QMacrocarpa]

For me, regular updos/braids, no heat, and tiny trims as needed will be essential for reaching my goal of waist. Otherwise I'd be permanently stuck around BSL. I was there for years in high school and college (wearing it down and not trimming were my big culprits as I was never much of a heat-user). I don't say that wearing your hair down and using some heat is necessarily causing your issue, OP, but it would for sure be a problem for my hair.

[Katze]

I think the question Katze is asking is: is there anyone on here who knows for a fact that they DO have a very short terminal length.

It sounds as if she's doing all the right things for her health and the health of her hair.

I know some people have certainly mentioned that they've known people who can't grow their hair long... but I don't know if there's anyone on LHC who's actually got to a terminal length which was comparatively short?!

I'm curious to know too! I don't want super long hair, and have no desire to reach extreme lengths, but I WOULD love at least waist! (Ideally hip). As it stands, I have no idea if I have the potential to get there, either.

Thanks, Mesmerise, for clarifying. I've been here since 2005, so probably am doing most things right (except wearing my hair up 24/7, which I am not willing to do - if my hair is that fragile, it makes no sense to get it artificially long, and most updos don't work on my hair in its normal state!)


I have never had hair longer than BSL. Even when i was nine and my mom just ley my hair grow it never got past somewher in between APL and BSL so I definitely think I have a short terminal hair length. I have just accepted that there is nothing I can do about it and accepted that, for me, that is long. :(

Lou x

Yes, exactly. It's long for YOU - or at least, as long as it is ever going to be (maybe?) and it's healthy, so that what counts.




I suppose looking into certain religious communities that do not cut hair - such as the Amish or the Fundamentalist Mormons - could give a little bit of insight into what is "average" for a designated genetic group. But it really would not at all help us to determine averages for humans in general, as those ladies come from a specific, narrow gene pool. It also would only give us insight about female terminal length for them - not male.

I'm just as interested in male terminal length as it pertains to averages. But I'd say we are even more out of luck with men than with women when it comes to examples.

Well said. If we could see more longhairs, from across the spectrum of human genetics, males, females, Africans, Asians, Europeans, mixed genes, everyone in between ;) we might get a better picture of what's 'normal.'

Looking at friends who are effortlessly longhair (and my sister, and my DH!) I think they often grow long 'because they can.' They start growing, and their hair grows and grows, thus reinforcing their willingness to keep at it. Or, like my DH, they do nothing, and their hair is gorgeous.




I joined here in 2006 and grew from MBL to extremely tapered TBL before I gave up and went back to shoulder.. the taper was getting to me and I refused to wear it down.. I have to admit - seeing other members reaching their goals while I was "stuck" made me a bit depressed :(
So, I had a couple of years away from the boards trying not to worry about my hair, but now I'm back :) starting over..

It's odd.. I did (still do) everything right, but for some reason my taper just doesn't seem to improve.. I have a decent 3,3" circ. but the taper starts around APL and below just above BSL my length starts to get see-though..

It's incredibly frustrating, but I'm not ready to give up on my goal just yet.. I'm sorry. I have no helpful tips or advice.... just a hug! You're not the only long-hair having taper issues :grouphug:

TBL is long, though! And your hair looks really nice, to me anyway. :flower:

I have a friend who started out on the German longhair boards about two years after I did. She had bleached, multicolored, dyed, shoulder-length hair. Well, now, five years later, her hair, fine and straight, almost reaches her tailbone. :( Mine was longer than hers when she started, we've both trimmed, obviously I've trimmed more, and hers is long, and mine isn't. We do both have fine hair, but hers is more manageable, being 1a/1b or so.


I can definitely relate to how you are feeling. The longest my hair has ever been was a little shy of waist. But this is the first time in my life that I am actively growing my hair. Before I found this site, I did very damaging things to my hair. So I'm going to have to wait and see if my hair grows long!!! I've heard many stories of women on here thinking that had reached terminal at bsl but in reality their hair was damaged and that's why it wasn't growing. I understand your circumstances are a bit different, but it's comforting to me at least, to know that there is hope! Good luck!!

You actually sound like someone whose hair could be very long once you start babying it! Waist is - for damaged hair - actually quite long! Good luck! I bet you will be surprised.


That's true IF you're dealing with a false terminal length that's being caused by damage. If you hit true terminal at BSL it doesn't matter what you do to your hair! You can microtrim to your heart's content, but your hair is never going to get longer than terminal.

Exactly. I've been micro and macro trimming, getting rid of layers and damage, but also of natural and unnatural taper, since coming here.


btw, I'm enjoying this thread. Some gals/guys will join the LHC forum and grow out beautiful hair to very long lengths. I've seen so many of those posts "My one, two, three year etc anniversary". Their hair is amazing but you can also see I think that for most of them it was a case of just never growing it long before OR killing it with bleach, dye, heat, terrible eating etc etc. When they correct that their hair thrives.

And I've seen some like me who really don't do too much wrong but could improve. You can see that we don't make the dramatic growth, shinnying cascade of hair. It looks better, grows a bit longer but it's not going to be the 'wow' heads of hair. Ok, I'm talking about me here just to be clear. Thinking out loud.

I'm love all the changes I've made and how much I've learnt here but I don't think anyone is going to go wow at my hair in 1,2,3,4 years time.

THIS!

Thank you, Silverbrumby! I see those pictures too and my hair will never, ever look like that. Friends don't believe me about haircare, since my hair just doesn't look healthy or long - though it is, for me. I will never have that 'wow' hair, no matter how I wish for it.

I also love all the changes I've made and how much I've learned (and SMTs!!!) but after being here for 6+ years, nope, my hair isn't, and won't ever be, wow. Trying to accept that. :)

[ravenheather]

You know we should all keep in mind that on here what is wow hair is really very extreme in the world at large. And for everyone that thinks their hair is blah, it is probably someone elses dream hair. Also there is a cost for really long hair. Harder to wear down. Sometimes style limitations. Harder to prevent damage.

That being said, I still want really long hair. LOL. But most importantly I want the best, longest hair that I can grow.

[Servana]

I usually have waist-length hair, & sometimes when they trim it (even though I ask for 1/2 an inch) they cut it to BSL or mid-back *Sigh*. However, whenever this happens (I swear, I am not exaggerating) my hair grows back to almost waist-length within 2 weeks. It sounds crazy & impossible, but it's the truth. My hair grows like crazy, it took me 6 months to grow my hair from above shoulder to waist. Although, one should note that i'm short.

Anyway, once my hair gets to waist, it hardly grows at all. I don't use any heat on my hair & I have no tapering or split ends. It just doesn't seem to grow. I got it to almost hip length, when it started massively shedding for what seemed like no reason. I'm pretty sure hip-length is my terminal length. My hair grows like crazy until it gets past my elbows. Then it grows extremely slowly & starts shedding. I don't mind, though. I like my hair at waist-length.

Note: My mother has an even shorter terminal length. She gets it half an inch past shoulder-length & it just stops growing. No split ends or tapering, it just stops. Like me, but a shorter terminal length. It must be genetics..

[bte]

Do you get splits? Do you search and destroy? I'd like to not trim anymore and I'm curious if it's possible long term without damage.
Apologies for not replying before. I don't S&D, but I only get a few splits, so don't bother about them. I'd rather use plenty of conditioner and try to look after my ends. Try it for a bit and see if it works for you!

[bumblebums]

I usually have waist-length hair, & sometimes when they trim it (even though I ask for 1/2 an inch) they cut it to BSL or mid-back *Sigh*. However, whenever this happens (I swear, I am not exaggerating) my hair grows back to almost waist-length within 2 weeks. It sounds crazy & impossible, but it's the truth. My hair grows like crazy, it took me 6 months to grow my hair from above shoulder to waist. Although, one should note that i'm short.

Anyway, once my hair gets to waist, it hardly grows at all. I don't use any heat on my hair & I have no tapering or split ends. It just doesn't seem to grow. I got it to almost hip length, when it started massively shedding for what seemed like no reason. I'm pretty sure hip-length is my terminal length. My hair grows like crazy until it gets past my elbows. Then it grows extremely slowly & starts shedding. I don't mind, though. I like my hair at waist-length.

Note: My mother has an even shorter terminal length. She gets it half an inch past shoulder-length & it just stops growing. No split ends or tapering, it just stops. Like me, but a shorter terminal length. It must be genetics..

Well, I saw in another thread that you never wear your hair up. This could be responsible for your hair not growing past waist. When the ends of your hair reach BSL, it starts rubbing on the backs of chairs, backpacks/bags, car seats, etc. If you wear it up, you might see more growth.

[Katze]

Anyway, OP, are you talking about most of your hairs being terminal at BSL, or are most of them terminal higher up? I have one of those unfortunate hair scenarios where many, many of my hairs are terminal at maybe six inches. A lot of my hairs are terminal at APL or BSL. And then a few reach waist. I will know more when I've had a chance to maintain at my goal length, but I am pretty sure I have a fairly short average terminal length when you look at the entire scalp.

I think my nape hairs are definitely terminal at shoulder/APL. I have a layer of 'nappy, kinky' (more like 2c, M) curls at my nape, which are only now, with years of good care, reaching APL. My crown hair seems to be terminal at about shoulder; that hair, in contrast to that at my nape, is baby fine, light, and straight, and gives me 'natural layers' whether I want them or not.

The middle of my hair - the part that actually grows - seems to mostly be terminal at about BSL, or maybe a bit longer. It is BSL where my hair starts radically thinning out, and, again, that is after YEARS of good care.

Perhaps one or two of my hairs will reach waist, but with my overall unpredictable texture and wave and majority of fine hairs, this look is not one I can enjoy; on me, it looks like damaged, broken ends, since those few stragglers have no weight and float around. IT ends up looking ratty, unkempt, and unhealthy even if it isn't.

I think I am going to delete the pictures in my album here of my hair during my last pregnancy, because they are totally unrealistic. Also, i vow not to measure. :)


You know we should all keep in mind that on here what is wow hair is really very extreme in the world at large. And for everyone that thinks their hair is blah, it is probably someone elses dream hair. Also there is a cost for really long hair. Harder to wear down. Sometimes style limitations. Harder to prevent damage.

That being said, I still want really long hair. LOL. But most importantly I want the best, longest hair that I can grow.

That's sweet, Ravenheather. But my hair is no one's dream hair - never will be. Most of the time it's my nightmare hair, and friends with effortless BSL or waist just seem to pity me. And as I indicated above, the cost (straggly ends) is not worth getting a few hairs to reach my original goal of waist.

But yes, the best and longest that WE can grow!

[Mesmerise]

I think my nape hairs are definitely terminal at shoulder/APL. I have a layer of 'nappy, kinky' (more like 2c, M) curls at my nape, which are only now, with years of good care, reaching APL. My crown hair seems to be terminal at about shoulder; that hair, in contrast to that at my nape, is baby fine, light, and straight, and gives me 'natural layers' whether I want them or not.

The middle of my hair - the part that actually grows - seems to mostly be terminal at about BSL, or maybe a bit longer. It is BSL where my hair starts radically thinning out, and, again, that is after YEARS of good care.



My underneath hair is also curlier than the rest (2b/2c) AND definitely has a short terminal length. I've had hairdressers ask why my underneath hair was short :rolleyes: and suggesting that I damaged it in some way. Well, it's actually healthy hair... doesn't split or anything and looks fine (on its own) it just doesn't grow long!!

Oooh and I have short wispy bits at the sides and over my ears too... they're always too short to fit in a ponytail, and have this stupid habit of curling up and making my hair look messy... argh...particularly bad if it rains!

[Katze]

My underneath hair is also curlier than the rest (2b/2c) AND definitely has a short terminal length. I've had hairdressers ask why my underneath hair was short :rolleyes: and suggesting that I damaged it in some way. Well, it's actually healthy hair... doesn't split or anything and looks fine (on its own) it just doesn't grow long!!

Oooh and I have short wispy bits at the sides and over my ears too... they're always too short to fit in a ponytail, and have this stupid habit of curling up and making my hair look messy... argh...particularly bad if it rains!

I always thought this was from damage, too, because it would get caught in necklaces. Now that I rarely wear any kind of chain those hairs have reached about shoulder length, after 6 years of LHC...!

Side wisps, yep, I could never figure these out, thought I was doing updos 'wrong'. My sister's hair grows at all one length and hangs like one smooth curtain...not mine. So although my ponytail circumference is over 3 inches now, my length looks thin.

[Silverbrumby]

Update 11/18/12 - I measured my hair and it's back to 26.5 inches. The ponytail is 3 inches and some of the longer hair is just past BSL. It's see through for the last 2 inches. I trimmed back from 26 to 23 and then took another 2 inches off during this year. I'm back to 26 inches (not bad growth 5+ inches) but the hemline has not thickened up at all. It's thick and full at 23 inches then becomes see through.

I did trim a lot this year to see and I'm not doing anything to harm my hair. Bumming, oiling, sulfate free, gentle handling etc. A tiny amount of split ends.

So my terminal is short. I'll keep growing it btw and I'm chuffed it's past BSL but we are only talking about 1/5 of my original hair volume reaching that lengh. Viva la short terminal! hehe

[Katze]

Update 11/18/12 - I measured my hair and it's back to 26.5 inches. The ponytail is 3 inches and some of the longer hair is just past BSL. It's see through for the last 2 inches. I trimmed back from 26 to 23 and then took another 2 inches off during this year. I'm back to 26 inches (not bad growth 5+ inches) but the hemline has not thickened up at all. It's thick and full at 23 inches then becomes see through.

I did trim a lot this year to see and I'm not doing anything to harm my hair. Bumming, oiling, sulfate free, gentle handling etc. A tiny amount of split ends.

So my terminal is short. I'll keep growing it btw and I'm chuffed it's past BSL but we are only talking about 1/5 of my original hair volume reaching that lengh. Viva la short terminal! hehe

Silverbrumby, your growth sounds a lot like mine. I'm at BSL now too at 3" ponytail, 27' long at the ends, but with severe taper. I'm S and D ing regularly so I don't feel the need to cut. Maybe if I don't get postpartum shed after this baby is born I can actually start hoping for longer than BSL again.

I know there must be more people out there whose hair 'just doesn't grow...'!