Hair Growth Advice...?

[PeaceTeaRules]

I wanted to start a thread that talks about and discusses hair growth techniques that don't use pills... Like all natural meathods like: scalp massage, green tea rinses?, drinking green tea, healthy diet, ect... ect...

So, I was hoping that we have a big compilation of tips and tricks for hair growth so that in-case you later or someone else is in a slump where your hair won't grow you can come to this thread later and look up tips...

A futile attempt I bet and there may be a thread talking about this already so feel free to delete!! :D Thought It could be a community effort of tip compilation you know?

I bet this sounds kind of confusing... I made errors here...:brickwall So, feel free to contribute hair growth tips/tricks/secrets and you can correct me if I made a mistake... :thudpile: or delete the thread...

[Bene]

There are scalp massage threads, threads dedicated to specific oils that are said to help growth, the epic monistat (yes, the cooter cream, that monistat) thread, there's threads on herbal rinses, and threads on grounding up onions into paste to put on the scalp... ALL reported to help hair growth.

Props to anyone who has the time and energy to coral all of those into one thread.

[catamonica]

The only thing that worked for me, was original Mane & Tail Horse shampoo. My hair was just
past midback since high school. At age 54 It grew to waist. In 2010. Started wearing it up. Now its at hip.

[Allychan]

It's a large forum so I see how finding/asking for all the info in the one spot is so tempting.

I don't mind repeating stuff I have learnt and use, so here goes a few:
keep it well conditioned, I overnight oil with coconut oil
scalp massage/inversion, I use castor oil, it's an antifungal and somehow makes hair grow faster
feed your hair with the right nutrients, iron,msm, boitin, protein rich food
stop using harsh shampoos and stop cutting it
start protecting it during the day and when you sleep

How that helps, I am sure there is many other things others will add:)

[AutumnJasmine]

Eat protein, eat things with omegas like salmon or flaxseeds, oil your hair (I like castor, coconut and olive).

[akilina]

Not sure how many replies you will get because of all the info that is already here.
My best advice is to eat a well balanced diet, drink plenty of water, stay active, and the best thing is to find updo's to protect your hair. I find it is best to put it up and forget about it on a daily basis. I tend to obsess though. Also, find yourself a good oil you like
Just spend some time on here. You will find a TON of info just like that.

[Diamond.Eyes]

I think it would be very beneficial if you did some research on your own and find what works best for you. This site is an endless garden of hair-knowledge, you just have to snoop. :flower:

Here are a few things that have worked for me:
1) Oil hair and scalp daily. I do it twice a day using very small amounts of Vatika oil.
2) Take your multivitamin. I can not stress this enough, I don't know if you consider vitamins a "pill", but I don't. Being healthy is most important step in growing out your hair.
3) Drink enough water. If your body is hydrated, then your scalp will be hydrated and your hair will have a healthy foundation to grow out of.
4) Stimulate your scalp. Whether it be exercise, massage, or stimulating oils you need to stimulate your blood circulation in your scalp.
5) Be gentle with your hair. Once your hair is broken off or is split at the end, there is absolutely no fixing it. Treat your hair nicely.

[PeaceTeaRules]

I know asking these things is a stupid idea... I knew creating an account would do this to me instead of snooping through the forums like I did before account creation... Kind of noobish of me huh?

[Diamond.Eyes]

I know asking these things is a stupid idea... I knew creating an account would do this to me instead of snooping through the forums like I did before account creation... Kind of noobish of me huh?
It wasn't stupid at all and it just takes a little time to understand and get used to the flow of things here at the LHC. It's just really hard to give someone advice on what you think will work for them becuase everyone's hair is so different. It's just best to look things up and try them out for yourself. Don't sweat it! You are just fine. :flower:

[Bene]

I don't think it's stupid, but let me rephrase your question so you can see what it looks like from the other end:

Hey, can someone read through the hundreds of threads on one part of a topic, then cherry pick the relevant information, the details on the stuff that worked, and distill the main points, and then put it neatly into one space for me? And then do the same for all of the other strains of query on said topic, and put it all into one thread?


You gotta understand, that would be a MASSIVE undertaking. Really, I suggest picking what looks interesting for you, do a search on it, then read all the threads available on that one thing. Not even all of the threads, just enough so you can get a main idea of what you're looking at. That way, when you start a thread, you can ask a more narrow question, and then someone can give you a real answer, or link you to a thread that will explain things better.


The other day, someone asked a question that wasn't nearly as broad as what you're asking. As a personal test to see if it could be done, to FULLY answer what was asked, without throwing in any of the irrelevant stuff, I tackled it. It took me a full 35 minutes to break down the question into something manageable, and then type of a response to 3 completely unrelated things. That's a long time, yo :laugh:

[Allychan]

It wasn't stupid at all and it just takes a little time to understand and get used to the flow of things here at the LHC. It's just really hard to give someone advice on what you think will work for them becuase everyone's hair is so different. It's just best to look things up and try them out for yourself. Don't sweat it! You are just fine. :flower:

I agree. Don't be so harsh, everyone who is new usually wants all the info in one spot so they can use what suits them best. This site gives any new person information overload and sifting through it all can be hard work:)

[BrownEyedBeauty]

Exercise is a great idea. It improves blood circulation throughout the entire body including your scalp. Make sure that you get the proper nutrients and exercise.

[Madora]

Generally speaking (from 40+ years experience):

1) You inherit your hair from your parents, so genetics play a huge part in how long your hair will grow, and the type of hair you have.

2) Diet matters. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, exercise moderately

3) Don't wash the daylights out of your hair. Wash it when it needs it!

4) The longer the hair, the more delicate the ends are. Hence, wear it up to protect the ends. You might also want to get a silk pillowcase to protect the ends at night

5) Unless you're a curly, brushing with a pure boar bristle brush is a great way to keep your hair looking beautiful and healthy. It is HOW you use the brush that determines the beauty of your hair.

6) Always, always, always detangle with a wide tooth comb, never a brush! Detangle in SMALL, thin sections, working from the bottom of the strands. Do it in short increments, little by little, until you reach the scalp

7) Scalp massage (while bent at the waist or laying on the bed with your head over the edge) is a great way to help those hair follicles

8) Use gentle shampoos and conditioners. Avoid "two in one" products. A shampoo is meant to clean the scalp and hair. A conditioner protects it.

9) Keep it simple! You do not need a ton of product on your hair! Find products that work for you, then stay with them.

10) Mineral oil (aka baby oil) is terrific for detangling hair. Use sparingly on DAMP hair.

11) Learn how to braid! One of the biggest pitfalls is the problem of "how am I going to wear my hair today?" With braids, you have several different ways of wearing your hair, depending on what braid you choose and how you arrange the braids.

12) S and D (Search and Destroy). Getting rid of split ends and white dots is important if you want to grow your hair long. Damaged hair that is left unattended will continue to split. Always use SHARP SCISSORS when S and Ding. If you don't, you'll just be sowing another crop of white dots.

13) Above all, you'll need to be patient! The average hair growth is 1/2 inch a month. Some people grow faster, some slower.

14) Keep your hair implements squeaky clean! Your hair will stay cleaner longer if your tools are clean also!

15) Check out the Articles (see grey menu bar, above) for more hair tips, plus styles and other interesting information

16) Remember, not every products works the same for everyone. Don't go crazy and try everything at once! The less you put on your hair, the better! Good luck!

[arantxarivas]

Hey madora! You posted a really helpful comment! I just want to know
Why should we avoid two in one products?

[swearnsue]

I just want to second everythin Madora said, she sums it up perfectly!

[DarleneH]

This forum is somewhat intimidating and overwhelming. And it is the absolute busiest one I visit, by far. Add on top of that that most of the posts aren't helpful to me, which means I spend a ton of time sifting through much that doesn't apply to me to find something that does.

Which is why I absolutely ADORE and APPRECIATE people like jessie58 who make threads like this:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2001

[Madora]

Hey madora! You posted a really helpful comment! I just want to know
Why should we avoid two in one products?

Two in one products should be avoided because they are neither fish nor fowl. The purpose of using a shampoo is to cleanse the scalp and hair. The ingredients are solely for this purpose. If you have a shampoo mixed with a conditioning agent, you're thwarting the idea of getting a true shampoo. Conditioners are meant to protect, not cleanse.

[PeaceTeaRules]

Using a wood comb (sandalwood to be exact) has helped me out quite a bit as well as using alternative washing methods. I'd been WO for about 2-3 months and I love it so far. The waxiness that you get when your hair hasn't adjusted to said method is gone and I love it!! I have virtually no split ends!! It's either that... or my vision is so bad (am legally blind with one working eye under 20/200) I can't see them... but my hair doesn't feel like Velcro and it's nice and moisturized !!

Leads me to a question about Ox horn comb... If it has cracks in it (which it had one when I bought the thing... Should I stop using it? Here are links to the sandalwood comb and ox horn ones of anybody else wants them!!! They are of really fine quality and the wood one smells nice if you like musky smell It's sandalwood. :D

http://www.amazon.com/Xiaoping-Natural-Sandalwood-Aromatic-Ergonomic/dp/B00875C666/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1342968680&sr=8-11&keywords=Ox+horn+comb <-- Sandalwood base with Ox horn comb or tines... Or teeth... or whatever you call them call them :cheese: and it should still work... or at least maybe... :D

http://www.amazon.com/Xiaoping-Natural-Hand-Carved-Sandalwood/dp/B005HBF2A0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1342969203&sr=8-3&keywords=Sandalwood+comb <-- This one is nice small and pocketable!! The perfect size for an on the go type of person!! It'll make your purse or whatever you have it in smell lovely too!!

I think me lurking is what caused me to look for these combs and I'm glad to share them!! I hope you guys'll buy them as well and if you like them; feel free to share them with others and spread these URLs around the site!!

Almost every day before I signed up for an account on here I was always looking at the WO thread, the NW/SO thread and different threads about conditioning and ways to prevent breakage. One day I was on for 4+ hours lurking and taking in information... I suppose I could just do that instead of posting...

Every day or every other day of lurking for four plus hours for six months... I forgot all the knowledge I had acquired from that... That being said; I think that it's easier to lurk and gain information rather than post... But posting and actually interacting with the wonderful community is a whole other thing and is quite fun!!

Lurking is like watching from afar... you won't get to experience the community or people in it by doing this... So, here I am!! I'm also sorry for the overly long and boring post!! Thanks for the tips!!

[jacqueline101]

I'd say mane n tail shampoo and conditioner, monistat, coconut oil, drink plenty of water, eat protein, exercise, stimulate the scalp, wear hair up in protective styles. Also benign neglect is good too wear it up and forget it.

[Madora]

[quote=PeaceTeaRules;2225508]Leads me to a question about Ox horn comb... If it has cracks in it (which it had one when I bought the thing... Should I stop using it? ... :D
quote]

If there's any way of filling the cracks then I'd say fine. Otherwise, there might be a chance that a hair might get caught in the crack (depending on how wide it it). Also, that crack might widen with useage and time...so it might be a good idea to have a backup comb, just in case.

[PeaceTeaRules]

[quote=PeaceTeaRules;2225508]Leads me to a question about Ox horn comb... If it has cracks in it (which it had one when I bought the thing... Should I stop using it? ... :D
quote]

If there's any way of filling the cracks then I'd say fine. Otherwise, there might be a chance that a hair might get caught in the crack (depending on how wide it it). Also, that crack might widen with useage and time...so it might be a good idea to have a backup comb, just in case.

Good idea. I bought a sandalwood comb that I love!! It fits my hand perfectly and it easily fits into a purse or pocket. Links are in an above post by me if you or anyone wants to check them out. They are relatively cheap compared to what they could be. Thanks for advice!!

I should've asked that sooner considering come this Christmas I would've had the comb for six months and had been using it for like four/five months.. I've found out that the Sandalwood comb works better than ox horn does on my hair actually... The ox horn got caught on my hair thanks to that crack... At least it wasn't breaking... I should've been oiling the comb... because now it has a crapload of tiny small microcracks in it now...

*note: Always oil ox horn combs, they will get cracks in them if you don't* Bad experiences help you learn right? Right. :o

[heidi w.]

Trim when needed but don't cut the length off. If you do your hair won't be long for a long time again.

heidi w.

[lechatn0ir]

i agree with everyone else. If you see split ends then get a light dusting or so a S+D, oil your hair whenever you can(i prefer coconut oil since it penetrates the hair shaft). ponytails with an elastic is a big nono but if you want a ponytail use scrunchies as they are safer on the hair,don't wash your hair everyday, don't dye it or use heat on it if you can help it, and most importantly have patience and have some fun with your journey of growing long hair.

[PeaceTeaRules]

I LOVE SCRUNCHIES!!! :agree: Even though they're not in style... Who cares? IF you like to wear them go ahead and don't care what other people think.

I'm the one saying that and I'm bugged about what people think.. :run:How do I stop caring about what other people think?

Also, out of place here but... For someone who is blind or at least partially... How would one notice split ends? :confused: I don't think I have any but... :o Just thought I'd ask in case there were more legally blind people on the thread you know? :bunny::bunny::bunny: ... :gobblecheese:

[lechatn0ir]

haha i love scrunchies! they are so confortable :D screw the people who judge other people for wearing them.