advice needed

[Not Lynn Merely]

Maybe try a smooth, lightweight hairfork, then. Some members have taken aluminum double-pointed knitting needles and bent them into a U-shape. Then gravity should help hold it in. You may have to try a number of different styles before you find some that work for you. The cinnamon bun is the most basic, but I have the most trouble getting that one to stay in with a hairstick.

One no-heat straightening method is hair wrapping: video list
The hair is wrapped around the head when it is damp, then it dries straighter. If you use bobby pins, try to use long, smooth roller pins, or try just using a thin scarf. Or, you could just enjoy your waves!

[alexis917]

If you have fine hair, ....why are you using Doo Gro?
From what I've just gathered on Google, it's meant to aid women of color in growing natural hair, which is generally quite thick and coarse!
I have rather thick/coarse hair (1c) and have experimented with products like that, which are generally pretty heavy and creamy/moisturizing.
You might want to consider trying products designed for finer hair!

Also- waves are beautiful, but if you heat style very often, your hair might not even be as wavy as you think.
Two years ago now, I straightened my hair so often that it became very dry/damaged, and was pretty wavy when I allowed it to air dry.
Since growing that hair out, cutting it off, and avoiding heat- I found that in it's natural state, my hair is actually really straight!
Try abstaining from heat for a while, your natural texture might surprise you!

[Firefox7275]

Flat irons cause a huge amount of damage, stop fighting your hair's beautiful natural texture and work with it. Given you are wearing up dos anyway you don't even need your hair to be stick straight. Consider the Curly Girl method: since you have fine hair you will probably want to use a gentle sulphate free shampoo to avoid your hair getting weighed down.

Harsh commercial shampoos are damaging, and can cause the scalp to overproduce sebum in a desperate attempt to protect itself from the daily chemical assault. You probably will need to wash the lengths at least weekly if you use silicone based heat protectants (largely useless aside from the slip).

Try to mix up your styles and your secures: Spin Pins are amazing, also try anything made from silk/ satin, scrunchies, terry cotton ponies, slippy headbands and scarves.

Scientifically proven beneficial ingredients for damaged hair include coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. Fine hair tends to do well with hydrolysed protein.

[jeanniet]

Doo Gro products aren't really meant for your hair type, but they are also heavy on petrolatum (Vaseline) and mineral oil, which may be one reason your hair is getting greasy so quickly. I would do a clarifying wash, and then look into more gentle cleansing methods (sulfate-free or CO) and oiling with pure oils (coconut would probably be best due to your damage).

[browneyedsusan]

I post all the time and have since I joined with a pixie!

1) Quit the heat. It's death by a thousand cuts: you don't see the damage until it's too late.
2) Wear your hair up with the ends tucked in. If you can wear it up 6 days a week for 3 or 4 months, you should see an inch or two of growth?
3) No more trims. Just "S & D". You can't get all of the splits--even with regular trims, some will escape-- but you can get a lot of them this way and you won't sacrifice that hard-earned length.
4) I rarely need to detangle. I fingercomb the conditioner through my ends in the shower, and that seems to do the trick. I sleep in a topknot and wear it up during the day, so it doesn't have a chance to wad itself up.

Everyone's hair is different, so the details of our haircare routines are different, but those basics will probably get you over the hump. Happy growing!

[LauraLongLocks]

Stop fighting your natural texture by heat straightening it. Learn to love it and work with it. Stop getting a trim every 6 weeks, because you might be cutting off all your growth. Do S&D (search and destroy of split ends) missions only for a while as you grow your hair out. Wear your hair up often to protect it from mechanical damage and tangling. Tangles are much easier to prevent than to undo. Try switching to the CWC method of washing your hair (Condition the length, don't rinse it out, wash the scalp only, rinse it out, being careful with your hair so it doesn't get tangled, then condition the length again and rinse). If that goes well, then maybe try the CO-wash (conditioner-only) method.

Good luck. You've grown it to this length. Now with a little tender loving care, you should be able to grow it to great lengths and have healthy beautiful hair.

[lapushka]

I was wondering if anyone could offer me any advice on my hair. It's about just past my bra strap at the moment, my picture isn't very clear. I feel like it has being this length forever! About 2-3 years ago I pretty much destroyed my hair bleaching it so cut it all off to around my shoulders, i'd say there is no damage left that could be preventing my growth. My hair is unbelievably fine which makes my hair quite straggly and I feel it makes it look shorter than it is!

If it's been 2/3 years, then your hair (virgin regrowth) should be between shoulder/BSL or thereabouts. So you probably still have damage in there.

Also trimming every 6 weeks is unnecessary, you could easily just as well do S&D sessions, without losing length. It's not going to grow at all if you keep trimming that much. You are trimming all your growth off. Hair only grows 1/2 inch a month.

You can only treat it well from here on out and be patient. There's not much else you can do. Miracles don't exist.

[Naiadryade]

Lots of great advice has been given here already! I'll reiterate a few that feel particularly important as well as throw in a few new insights.

-Stop trimming so often. Unless you're doing it yourself and measuring every time, it's hard for me to believe that it's really only a mm or two. S&D regularly with sharp scissors that are only ever used for hair. Trim maybe twice a year, and not more than 1/2" each time!
-Quit the heat forever, it is destroying your hair. Embrace your natural waves. Waves are gorgeous, and may even give your hair body and make it feel/appear thicker and less scraggly to you.
-Hair getting greasy within hours after washing definitely sounds like it is being washed too much and stripped of all its goodness! It is trying to compensate by over-producing sebum. Please do try to wash less frequently. Some good methods have already been suggested, and there is a thread kicking around about stretching washes for tips and support. But first, look at your shampoo. Does it contain sulfates? Sulfates are very harsh detergents that are not needed to wash hair. Not only could they be playing havoc on your scalp, but they could be causing undo damage to your hair.
-Detangle slowly and gently. You should not hear snaps while detangling. Do not use a brush to detangle unless it's a Tangle Teezer. If you don't have a TT, use a wide-toothed seamless comb or your fingers.
-You say you wear your hair up a lot with a scrunchie. I do hope you mean you wear it bunned a lot. Ponytails are not protective updos.
-It can be damaging to wear the same style in the same place every day. Get some other hair toys (try spin pins, they stay in well) and have fun with learning different updos!
-Know this: friction is damaging, especially for those of us with delicate hair. When you sit down, does your hair get rubbed between the chair and your back? That is a really common reason for not being able to grow past BSL! Also pay attention to things like seatbelts and bag straps. Always move your hair out of the way first.
-Reduce friction from your pillow by using a silk pillowcase or sleep cap.

Good luck! You are in the right place, and you will solve this problem.

[cranberrymoonz]

I understand that you feel like your hair is not growing. Fine, damage-prone hair is hard to grow, especially if it grows slowly. You may think that you are doing all you can to protect it, but there is still more you could do. Fragile hair needs a great deal of protection. You'll have to make some sacrifices, but it's very well possible to grow your hair to great lengths

- It's best to give up heat entirely. Even when it's only once every few weeks, even when you're using heat protectant, it's very damaging.
- It's great that you wear your hair up!! Try some protective, non-damaging styles. Never tease! (bobbies can be rough/sharp and damage hair when you take them out)
- Find yourself a gentle detangler like a tangle teaser. Rough detangling causes a lot of damage.
- Silk pillowcases prevent rubbing(=damage) and tangles(=detangling=damage) while you sleep.
- If you find that you need to wash your hair every day, at least use a sulfate free shampoo (I love Petal Fresh) or another mild cleansing method like CO. Washing with sulfates everyday dries out the hair. (=damage&splits, eventually)

If you don't cause damage, you will have less splits and you won't have to cut that often. (=growth!)

Good luck!

[cat-lady]

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