Taking care of your hair and growing it out.

[Thea]

I started growing my hair out in 2003. The length got to just past my shoulders in a couple of years and then just stopped. My hair is rather fine and I figured it had something to do with split ends so I get it trimmed once or twice a year. It always grows back to the same length but no longer. It's been the same length for over ten years.
I'm very careful about how I comb it out and gentle out all tangles. I put coconut oil on it every four to six weeks. I don't dye it or use heat on it ever. I usually go two days between washings with conditioner, using shampoo only once a week.
I'm really getting frustrated that it seems to have hit a plateau as far as length goes. I would really like it to be down to at least my lower back, maybe even longer. Am I doing something to defeat my goal? Is there something else I should be doing?

[Allison S]

I started growing my hair out in 2003. The length got to just past my shoulders in a couple of years and then just stopped. My hair is rather fine and I figured it had something to do with split ends so I get it trimmed once or twice a year. It always grows back to the same length but no longer. It's been the same length for over ten years.
I'm very careful about how I comb it out and gentle out all tangles. I put coconut oil on it every four to six weeks. I don't dye it or use heat on it ever. I usually go two days between washings with conditioner, using shampoo only once a week.
I'm really getting frustrated that it seems to have hit a plateau as far as length goes. I would really like it to be down to at least my lower back, maybe even longer. Am I doing something to defeat my goal? Is there something else I should be doing?

Have you tried biotin? It's a supplement you could buy at any pharmacy that's supposed to help hair grow. It does take a while though but worth a try maybe

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[Roll]

Have you tried biotin? It's a supplement you could buy at any pharmacy that's supposed to help hair grow. It does take a while though but worth a try maybe

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You can pick it up cheap off amazon too. I've been using it, and while I can't say what is biotin and what is my minox/finast when it comes to hair stuff, I can at least say it is having some effect on my body in general because my nails (which it also works for) are now ridiculously strong. I used to bite them off easily when I chewed my nails, now I can't. So it definitely does something at least. Based on that and its price, definitely worth using.

[LizK]

I have tried a few of the supplements and started taking biontin on its own a few weeks ago and I have noticed the chipping has stopped already...that could also be me taking a bit more care.

[amandam]

Ovation Cell Therapy works but is expensive. Here's a secret. Megatek is the same thing. My wife uses it. It has done a great deal for her hair.

[DawnOday]

To improve hair 100% try some natural henna. If you want red highlight or make your hair darker there are color formulas. Hindus have been using henna forever. Improves strength and manageability. Use Argon oil to put shine in your hair. 100% Natural Henna Hair Dyes and Herbals, No Chemicals (no PPD, no Ammonia, no peroxide, no sulfates, no metals). They do take a while to apply but results last 6-8 weeks.

[Deborah]

I'm really getting frustrated that it seems to have hit a plateau as far as length goes. I would really like it to be down to at least my lower back, maybe even longer. Am I doing something to defeat my goal? Is there something else I should be doing?

Hair length is genetically determined by how long the growth phase lasts.  It may be that right now yours is as long as it's going to be.



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[Thea]

Thanks everybody for your advice and feedback.

Hair length is genetically determined by how long the growth phase lasts.  It may be that right now yours is as long as it's going to be.

La, la, la, la, I can't hear you! 

[DawnOday]

Another thing I hear is really good especially if losing hair, is rinsing with Apple Cider Vinegar. The acid is supposed to clear out the sebum and allow hair to regrow. Also heard castor oil on bald spots will help regrow hair. Using on eyelashes keep them from falling out and makes them grow.

[Lily Rose]

thank you for this thread, have a questions.

is moose bad for hair?
my hair is very thin and does what it wants to. however since it is so thin i am scared to do anything that will damage it. 

[Sonja]

thank you for this thread, have a questions.

is moose bad for hair?
my hair is very thin and does what it wants to. however since it is so thin i am scared to do anything that will damage it. 

I think you mean mousse , I'm not qualified to know what a moose would do to a persons hair - I hate to think...
Have you looked into using Nioxin to keep your scalp in good condition?

Sonja.

[Julia1996]

thank you for this thread, have a questions.

is moose bad for hair?
my hair is very thin and does what it wants to. however since it is so thin i am scared to do anything that will damage it. 

No mousse isn't really bad for your hair as long as you keep your hair conditioned.

[Lucca]

I'm trying to grow my hair out, I have a couple questions.

First, the OP says that cheap shampoos are fine, but I've read that there a certain ingredients you're supposed to avoid if you want to have healthy hair, and the cheap shampoos I've looked at have some of them. Is this true? Do I need to worry about looking at the ingredients when buying shampoo and conditioner?

Also, once my hair reaches a certain length, I constantly end up fiddling with it to the extent that I'll get hand cramps. I'm sure it looks odd to onlookers, and it can't be good for my hair, either. How do I get myself to stop absent-mindedly doing this?

[MissyMay2.0]

I'm trying to grow my hair out, I have a couple questions.

First, the OP says that cheap shampoos are fine, but I've read that there a certain ingredients you're supposed to avoid if you want to have healthy hair, and the cheap shampoos I've looked at have some of them. Is this true? Do I need to worry about looking at the ingredients when buying shampoo and conditioner?

Also, once my hair reaches a certain length, I constantly end up fiddling with it to the extent that I'll get hand cramps. I'm sure it looks odd to onlookers, and it can't be good for my hair, either. How do I get myself to stop absent-mindedly doing this?

Shampoo and conditioner without sulfates is what hairstylists usually recommend.

[Lyric]

There seems to be an endless debate on what ingredients are good or bad for the hair. The only solid fact I've extracted from it, though, is that for the most part the less you do to your hair the better off it will be.

You've probably heard that the hair from most human hair wigs comes from women in third world countries. The reason for this is not so much that they need the extra money, but that those women grow their hair long without using as many chemical products. Women in the first world over wash, condition, spray, mousse and whatever-- not to mention coloring and perming. If you want beautiful long hair, the very best thing you can do is to leave it alone as much as possible. If you can, only shampoo once a week or so and be very gentle with it all the time.

[MissyMay2.0]

There seems to be an endless debate on what ingredients are good or bad for the hair. The only solid fact I've extracted from it, though, is that for the most part the less you do to your hair the better off it will be.

You've probably heard that the hair from most human hair wigs comes from women in third world countries. The reason for this is not so much that they need the extra money, but that those women grow their hair long without using as many chemical products. Women in the first world over wash, condition, spray, mousse and whatever-- not to mention coloring and perming. If you want beautiful long hair, the very best thing you can do is to leave it alone as much as possible. If you can, only shampoo once a week or so and be very gentle with it all the time.

How long you can go without washing your hair is somewhat dependent on your hair texture; I have fine hair, so I have to wash it every other day, if I were to wash my hair only once per week it would be extremely oily. And you can use color/highlights on your hair and it will still be healthy and beautiful, you just don't want it to be over processed, so it is best to go to a talented stylist, and get your hair properly done.  And regular trims help to maintain healthy hair by getting rid of split ends before they can do more damage; regular trims also gives your hair that feminine and gorgeous well kept look that is so appealing.

[barbie]

There seems to be an endless debate on what ingredients are good or bad for the hair. The only solid fact I've extracted from it, though, is that for the most part the less you do to your hair the better off it will be.

You've probably heard that the hair from most human hair wigs comes from women in third world countries. The reason for this is not so much that they need the extra money, but that those women grow their hair long without using as many chemical products. Women in the first world over wash, condition, spray, mousse and whatever-- not to mention coloring and perming. If you want beautiful long hair, the very best thing you can do is to leave it alone as much as possible. If you can, only shampoo once a week or so and be very gentle with it all the time.

Yes. The same is true for facial products. Less is better.

barbie~~

[Lucca]

For the last couple of months, I've been using conditioner every day and using shampoo plus conditioner every third day. I've also been taking care to not be rough with it when drying and to only use lukewarm/cold water to rinse it. I was using very cheap, basic Sauve shampoo and conditioner, but I decided to try to something slightly more expensive than the cheapest one the store had, so I bought some slightly higher-tier Suave stuff that's supposed to make your hair look "smooth" to try it out. I used it last night and my hair looks and feel great today, so I think I'll keep trying it for awhile.

I'm probably not going to worry too much about ingredients, I can't seem to find anything that's entirely lacking in all the ingredients that are supposedly bad. I figure there's probably nothing in any of them that would lead to disastrous results.

The biggest difference is that regardless of the exact product used, my hair has looked and felt a lot nicer than when I was shampooing every day. That makes a big difference, even for short hair.

[Amaki]

ok so my stylist wont really get back to me (she must be busy so Im trying not to pester her) (btw shes also my little sister so its kind of cool) anyway I had a few questions, so the few times I did let my hair grow when I was younger it kind of afro'ed for lack of better word, is there something I can do to make sure it grows down and not out (or w/e lol). I also am having a small issue of hair thinning I have a few spots up front that are thinner then others, is there something more I can be doing or do I need to look into something like rogaine or w/e I really dont want to spend money if I dont have to. I did use tree tee oil my mom swears by it but im not sure it helping (plus I really dont like the smell).

[RickiM]

This is an excellent thread. My hair tends to get quite wavy and even somewhat curly when there's even a hint of humidity. I like the wavyness in moderation though it's really difficult to manage at times ugh. I agree that everyone has slightly different texture of hair thus slightly different needs when it comes to taking care of it. Typically though it seems like it's important to not overdo it with shampooing, conditioning, colouring, etcetera. Thanks again for the excellent thread.