Could just below my shoulders be my terminal length? :(

[isabelx]

Well first I should say hi because I'm completely new here! I've been reading threads for ages but only just decided to make an account as I'm in desperate need of advice!

So, is it possible for my terminal hair length to be at shoulder length? (around 2 inchs below my shoulders when completely straight)

Admittedly I used to damage my hair a terrible amount but for a few months now I have been completely damage free in an aim to grow my hair longer.
I still have it dyed at the salon around every 7 weeks though.

I'm confused though as because even when I was very young my hair never grew past my shoulders, and it had never received any abuse whatsoever then. So this has kinda made me lose hope that I'll ever have long hair

So any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'm not sure if this would make a difference but I have extremely thick, curly, bushy, naturally blonde hair.

Thanks!

[cheetahfast]

You might want to try reading this http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...e&articleid=75. Going through the articles and searching the threads will answer your question most of the time...

[Panth]

Well first I should say hi because I'm completely new here! I've been reading threads for ages but only just decided to make an account as I'm in desperate need of advice!

So, is it possible for my terminal hair length to be at shoulder length? (around 2 inchs below my shoulders when completely straight)

Admittedly I used to damage my hair a terrible amount but for a few months now I have been completely damage free in an aim to grow my hair longer.
I still have it dyed at the salon around every 7 weeks though.

I'm confused though as because even when I was very young my hair never grew past my shoulders, and it had never received any abuse whatsoever then. So this has kinda made me lose hope that I'll ever have long hair

So any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'm not sure if this would make a difference but I have extremely thick, curly, bushy, naturally blonde hair.

Thanks!

It is possible for a person to be at terminal at or near shoulder length. However, it is very rare and it is far more likely that you're experiencing a 'false terminal' due to damage of some sort.

Terminal is much better described as a finite amount of time rather than a finite length. Each hair follicle cycles between active hair growth (anagen) and two non-growing phases (catagen and telogen). The maximum length of hair that the follicle can produce depends upon the length of time spent in anagen (which in humans is measured in years), plus the rate of hair production. Of course, in reality this maximum length is never reached as the hair also looses length from the bottom via breakage ('normal' or damage-induced) and via cuts/trims. In a practical sense, terminal is the maximum possible length that can be obtained and will vary between individuals - some may need to loose length via trimming, to prevent worse length loss via breakage; others (e.g. those with coarse hair) may find trimming creates more hair loss than breakage would.

Terminal (in general) is usually heralded by a slowing of hair 'growth' (i.e. a slowing of length gain) plus 'fairytale ends' - the natural formation of a U- or V-shaped hemline due to variances in maximum length between individual hair strands. Additionally, terminal cannot really be said to be achieved without maintaining a constant length for a long time without trims/cuts - generally [on LHC] 1 year [without cuts/trims and without any length gain whatsoever] is taken to be 'proof' of terminal length.

Anywho... taking that all into account...

Going by your current hair, if it is at shoulder length and you have been 'damage free' for a few months, then the majority of the hair on your head is still going to have residual damage from your old routine. On average, hair grows somewhere between 1/2" per month (slowish but normal) to 2" per month (quite rare and very lucky). So, guessing 'few' to mean 3 months... then your likely to only have 3" of hair not subjected to your old routine. The rest of the length will still have damage, which can affect the rate of hair loss from the bottom of each strand via breakage.

Going by your childhood hair ... well, that is slightly more concerning. BUT terminal length can change with age/health/hormones (i.e. puberty/menopause)/medication. So, your inability to grow hair past your shoulders then may not translate into an inability now.

However, the main issue, I think, is the concept of 'damage'. What, precisely, is your routine now? What, precisely, was your routine as a child? Also, what is your hair type? Some things that seem very insignificant can cause serious damage to certain hairtypes - e.g. wearing the same hairstyle every day; tightening ponytails by shoving the band up higher rather than re-doing the ponytail; using damaging hair elastics or hair accessories; brushing (for some hairtypes).

You say you have 'extremely thick' hair - but do you mean you have a lot of hair total, or do you mean you have individual hair strands that have a thick diameter? If you have thick (i.e. lots of) hair, but fine (i.e. narrow diameter) hair ... plus curls then you have what is, generally speaking, a hairtype that is very vulnerable to damage. Thus, it could be that what seem like insignificant things (the dye ... plus how you brush/comb, plus how you wash it, plus how you style it) are still restricting your potential length even though you've cut out the worst things (bleach, chemical straighteners/relaxers/perms, heat-based straighteners/curlers).

So, in summary - yes, it is possible that shoulder may be your terminal but it is unlikely. However, to diagnose it properly we need a lot more information from you on your hair routine.

[annieangel149]

It is possible for a person to be at terminal at or near shoulder length. However, it is very rare and it is far more likely that you're experiencing a 'false terminal' due to damage of some sort.

Terminal is much better described as a finite amount of time rather than a finite length. Each hair follicle cycles between active hair growth (anagen) and two non-growing phases (catagen and telogen). The maximum length of hair that the follicle can produce depends upon the length of time spent in anagen (which in humans is measured in years), plus the rate of hair production. Of course, in reality this maximum length is never reached as the hair also looses length from the bottom via breakage ('normal' or damage-induced) and via cuts/trims. In a practical sense, terminal is the maximum possible length that can be obtained and will vary between individuals - some may need to loose length via trimming, to prevent worse length loss via breakage; others (e.g. those with coarse hair) may find trimming creates more hair loss than breakage would.

Terminal (in general) is usually heralded by a slowing of hair 'growth' (i.e. a slowing of length gain) plus 'fairytale ends' - the natural formation of a U- or V-shaped hemline due to variances in maximum length between individual hair strands. Additionally, terminal cannot really be said to be achieved without maintaining a constant length for a long time without trims/cuts - generally 1 year is taken to be 'proof' of terminal length.

Anywho... taking that all into account...

Going by your current hair, if it is at shoulder length and you have been 'damage free' for a few months, then the majority of the hair on your head is still going to have residual damage from your old routine. On average, hair grows somewhere between 1/2" per month (slowish but normal) to 2" per month (quite rare and very lucky). So, guessing 'few' to mean 3 months... then your likely to only have 3" of hair not subjected to your old routine. The rest of the length will still have damage, which can affect the rate of hair loss from the bottom of each strand via breakage.

Going by your childhood hair ... well, that is slightly more concerning. BUT terminal length can change with age/health/hormones (i.e. puberty/menopause)/medication. So, your inability to grow hair past your shoulders then may not translate into an inability now.

However, the main issue, I think, is the concept of 'damage'. What, precisely, is your routine now? What, precisely, was your routine as a child? Also, what is your hair type? Some things that seem very insignificant can cause serious damage to certain hairtypes - e.g. wearing the same hairstyle every day; tightening ponytails by shoving the band up higher rather than re-doing the ponytail; using damagind hair elastics or hair accessories; brushing (for some hairtypes).

You say you have 'extremely thick' hair - but do you mean you have a lot of hair total, or do you mean you have individual hair strands that have a thick diameter? If you have thick (i.e. lots of) hair, but fine (i.e. narrow diameter) hair ... plus curls then you have what is, generally speaking, a hairtype that is very vulnerable to damage. Thus, it could be that what seem like insignificant things (the dye ... plus how you brush/comb, plus how you wash it, plus how you style it) are still restricting your potential length even though you've cut out the worst things (bleach, chemical straighteners/relaxers/perms, heat-based straighteners/curlers).

So, in summary - yes, it is possible that shoulder may be your terminal but it is unlikely. However, to diagnose it properly we need a lot more information from you on your hair routine.

wow! sorry to hi jack the thread here but just wanted to say Wow...that was a really informative post! thanks panth

[Panth]

wow! sorry to hi jack the thread here but just wanted to say Wow...that was a really informative post! thanks panth

Erm... well, I'm glad it was appreciated.

I spent a year researching hair and skin as a lab placement for my degree and, although it wasn't specifically related to hair health or even human hair, a lot of the info seems to have been retained. That knowledge combined with the general 'LHC working knowledge' from hanging out here for about a year ... plus my general ability to accumulate information like a sponge and then waffle about it to anyone who'll listen...

[Dragon Faery]

To briefly continue the hijack, I also appreciated this information very much.

[teal]

I'll shamefacedly continue the hijack to express my appreciation!

... plus my general ability to accumulate information like a sponge and then waffle about it to anyone who'll listen...

LOL!

To the OP... in addition to what's already been posted, there's a chance that your "false terminal" length (that's my assumption) could be related to a nutritional deficiency or a medical issue. Even stress can affect hair growth. So, you'll have to take a holistic look at your life and start identifying possible problem areas.

[brunette]

You mentioned getting it professionally coloured every 7 weeks.. do they also give it a trim at the same time?

[celebriangel]

What everyone else said. Also, hair grows *sloooowly*, and curly hair even more so because curls eat so much length - 6 inches of new hair can result in only 3 inches of growth. So, if you got your hair cut even once a year as a kid, and the hairstylist got scissor happy as they do and trimmed off 3 inches - as they are wont to do - it's quite conceivable that all your growth was just cut off.

[isabelx]

wow! sorry to hi jack the thread here but just wanted to say Wow...that was a really informative post! thanks panth

Wow! thanks for all this information

I feel a bit better now that maybe I'll be able to grow my hair long if I start pampering it.

My routine as of now.. I have to wash my hair quite often, maybe 3 or 4 times a week as it seems to get greasy so quickly. I use colour protecting shampoo and conditioner as my hair colour fades so easily, could this have an impact on my hair growth?

I've just started looking into vitamins, oils, deep conditioners etc. which I could put into my routine.

As for my routine as a child, I suppose I didn't really have one. I washed my hair 2 or 3 times a week with basic shampoo or conditioner, my mother didn't feel the need for any special treatments as it wasn't receiving any abuse (I'm 16 by the way).

The idea that all my hair growth as a child was just cut off seems realistic, I hope this is why it never reached past my shoulders!