Terminal length or winter stall?!?

[OleanderTime]

My hair has barely grown at all since early November (so a little over 4 months). Lately, my partner has made a few comments wondering whether this isn't my terminal length (my hair is not long yet, so this would be a pathetic terminal length). I'm starting to wonder (read: worry) about that, too, and would love someone who knows what s/he's talking about to weigh in:

Could be terminal length because...
*My hair has barely grown in 4 months.
*The longest my hair has ever been is a couple inches longer than it is now (but I believe this is due to impatience... in the past, I never managed to go more than a few months without chopping).
*I haven't trimmed at all.

Could be winter stall because:
*I live in Michigan and it's cloudy and freezing from mid-November through mid-April without fail.
*My hair did seem to be growing more quickly this past summer.
*My hair isn't even APL! This would be a truly ridiculous terminal length.

Some mediating factors and additional variables to consider:
*I shampoo about every 3rd day, I condition every day (only organic SLS-free stuff).
*I use a bit of organic leave-in conditioner and/or coconut oil on my ends most days.
*I wear my hair up whenever I'm outside, usually at work, and sometimes at night (combs and ficcares, no elastics).
*I occasionally blow dry my hair from sopping to damp before I leave my house in the morning (otherwise it would quite literally turn into icicles).
*I have S&D sessions and have never found more than a couple split ends.
*I take a multi-vitamin, a hair vitamin, occasionally do Monistat on my scalp, exercise a few times a week, and generally eat well.

So what's going on? Has this happened to you? If so, what do you think caused it --- and what has helped fix it? Thank you!

[little_acorn]

I would suspect its a stall - I know some people on the forum have had stalls for 6 months or more and then their growth takes off again. If you can try not to think about it too much and keep putting it up.

Do you have any damage at all near the ends where it might be breaking off and thereby making you think its stalled?

[OleanderTime]

Do you have any damage at all near the ends where it might be breaking off and thereby making you think its stalled?

I don't think so. I never even see split ends in my hair. I don't think I shed very much, definitely not any more than average. My ends seem a bit dryer in the winter, but short answer: no.

[Ravenne]

My instincts say stall. My hair has grown ... an inch? maybe a little more since November. And coincidentally November was when our last bit of warm weather was. It's been a very harsh, cold winter with minimal sunlight for around four months (though I'm sure not as bad as up north. But still, my hair's not used to it) and I know my hair can grow longer. It has. I would recommend babying your hair and awaiting the sun.

[Multiruus]

well for my hair...winter is a KILLER. I can see how my hair just get more and more damaged day by day during winter On very cold days my hair gets all white when im walking outside :P Not sure whats its called in english, frostbite in hair?

[BelleBot]

Mine feels like it hasn't grown since October/November, looks the same length in pictures. I know it has grown nearly 1/4 of an inch since January. So it is still doing something. But I think generally winter does dramatically slow hair growth, especially very cold winters.

[Mutinous]

I would say stall. The fact you have had it longer in the past (even though by a couple of inches) makes it unlikely to be your terminal length. I would wait it out, re-assess in May or June when the weather is warmer and see how you are doing then. In the meantime, you could try and stretch out your washes, maybe get some hats so as to protect the hair from the cold and ensure you don't tie your hair up the same way everyday.

Good luck

[Rhiannon7]

It's a stall, don't worry about this. my hair did not grow much more than 2 inches in 10 months and now it's starting to grow again. it happens, for some people the stall happens at waist (like for me. i was going insane since my hair had never stalled before waist.) for others it happens shorter and for some when they reach classic. it all depends on weather, eating habits, stress, growth process and natural stalling. plus breakage and damage. so just keep caring for your hair, protecting it and maybe do benign neglect, i did it and suddenly i went from BSL to almost waist and didn't notice since i wore it always up and protected.

be patient, protect your hair and give it all it needs and soon you will notice that it suddenly got a growth spurt.

[redwoman]

I vote for stall. Just keep it up, keep it conditioned, oiled and gently combed and I bet in no time you will find new growth.

[spidermom]

I would guess it's a stall, also. Some people do have a short terminal length, however. I had a roommate whose hair never grew longer than BSL. I knew her for 8 years, she didn't mistreat it, it didn't look damaged, she never cut it, and it never got longer. That's pretty rare, though.