Why Won't My Hair Grow?

[Clare]

Well it's been over six months since i last cut my hair and it ain't getting all that long yet!

At first it seemed to be growing nicely, but for the last month or so, it appears to have reached it's limit. The hair is just shaggy now with split ends (something i hear GG's complaining about coincidently) and seems very dry.

My natural hair is very fine and i have that male bald patch which doesn't help with thickening the look of my hair. I've even noticed large amounts of fallen hair on the shower floor, so i guess the weight of the longish hair strands is pulling them out of my scalp at the roots.

Friends have started saying my hair looks awful and to cut it - I also dyed it a very bright red recently which makes my hair look frizzy too. I guess my hair has reached its growth limitations, so knowing now that i'll never have long thick hair, i may cut it very short and start using wigs in the future. I don't have a wig yet, but have been looking at this Australian (wigs) website (http://www.wigsonline.com.au) and found a few likely contenders.

So, have any others tried the natural way (hair that is) and had to resort to wigs to get a decent look on top?

Christine

[Lana]

I use a wig myself, mostly because of the fact that over the years my hairs have gone south on me, literally. I really haven't lost the hair, it's just growing in different areas now. My ears are winterized with a thick curly coat. My chest won't be getting chilled any time soon. And God forbid I get stuck in the snow naked from the waist down I'll still be quite toasty. I could always grow my eyebrows out and have a comb over but I'll keep that in reserve for the day when wigs are a thing of the past.

[gender_blender]

It takes time to grow. I grew mine to shoulder-length in about 2.75 years. I'm going on 4.5 years now and mine is about mid-back. As it grows, condition often to the ends to prevent splitting and reduce the frequency you have to trim off the dead split ends.


Charlie

[Imogen_Mann]

Australian wigs.... AKA wigsonline.com.au Is where mine came from, and I love it. Ok, I'd prefer one of thier top quality ones, but on my budget that's just not gonna happen this year.
It arrived quickly and (I think) it looks great. It certainly feels great.

One tiny word of warning... I'm in the UK, and the airmail package did have the words "HAIR PRODUCT" on the outside, Lucky for me I live alone, but for someone with a Sig' other who's not keen (or even aware) that could be a problem.

I personally dont want long hair A... because I'm only Jayme about 25% of the time, B... I dont like the colour of my natural hair much anyway and C... I enjoy the dressing up feeling the wig gives me.

XX

Jayme

[susandrea]

You may have a zinc deficiency. Many people find their hair gets better when they take zinc (and calcium with magnesium wouldn't hurt).

Also, strong dying can damage hair, as well as not keeping the ends cut (hair just keeps breaking).

Try a multi-mineral supplement, use proper hair care products (look at all the stuff available for thinning hair at the drug store) and try a semi-permanant dye like Loreal's "Color Spa".....it only lasts about 15 days but it covers grey and makes your hair soft and shiny with a lot less damage. :thumbsup:

[TammyB]

Give your a really good conditioning see if that helps the frizzyness. Leave the conditioner on while you watch a tv show or have breakfast to give it some extra time to work.

Apparently washing can remove alot of oils, so dont over wash your hair either as that wont help.

[Tristen Cox]

Try braiding it then tying on fishing line weights, leave them on for the next six months. Well it could work.. :whistle:

[Kimberly]

I'm growing my hair too!! Let's take a look at some of the stuff mentioned...


Well it's been over six months since i last cut my hair and it ain't getting all that long yet!

At first it seemed to be growing nicely, but for the last month or so, it appears to have reached it's limit. The hair is just shaggy now with split ends (something i hear GG's complaining about coincidently) and seems very dry.
Same... it's reached a point where it doesn't look like it's getting any longer, but it is. I think I'm coming out of the stage you mention... it's starting to grow more now. Hang in there - I think hair grows less in summer anyway. Someone confirm that?


My natural hair is very fine and i have that male bald patch which doesn't help with thickening the look of my hair. I've even noticed large amounts of fallen hair on the shower floor, so i guess the weight of the longish hair strands is pulling them out of my scalp at the roots.
I've noticed the hair too - all over the sink though :p ... still, have no fear! I'm 18 and I've noticed a lot of hair falling out. It's just because it's longer now, you notice it more. Don't panic :)


Friends have started saying my hair looks awful and to cut it -
For God sake, don't listen to them!! Plus, I bet you've had a couple of people mention how good you look with longer hair. I've had a mixed response: from my college friends I've had 'why aren't you getting your hair cut, you're a guy.' And from my theatre friends I've had, 'Never, ever, cut you're hair again! Understand me!? So... Do what you want to do, not what others think you should be doing...

I'll try and post a pic of my hair soon... hang in there!! xx

[StephanieCD]

I have an area on my head where the hair won't grow past a certain length anymore... the rest grows fine but on top in front the hair just stops around 2" - I'm balding and all of that. I used to have gorgeous, long blonde hair - all the hair dressers loved me ;) But as I'm getting older the hair just won't agree with me anymore so I keep it short... I'd hate to have that balding man in denial rock star half mullet forced pony tail look... I hate that look and it'll never be me ;)

[Marla GG]

Well, I can think of couple of possible explanations.

One, the ends of your hair are splitting and breaking off faster than it can grow. While growing it out you do need to trim the ends occasionally or you won't get good results.

Two, you simply have a slow hair growth cycle. Each hair has a natural life span, and the length you can achieve depends on how quickly it grows (i.e. how long it gets) before it falls out and is replaced by a new hair. Some people--males and females both--will never be able to grow their hair past a certain point because of this. It's different for each individual and can change over time. I know when I was a little girl I had hair down to my knees, but now in my mid-30's I can't grow it longer than my shoulderblades. That's just life I guess.

Wigs are not so bad! Maybe you should get one to try. If nothing else you could always save it for "bad hair days."

[Colibri]

The time it took my hair to grow from my ears to my shoulderblades where it to has now stoped was about 2 years. Try to feed your hair from within cut down on beer and drink more milk it will not hurt to try?

[Tamara Croft]

Hair does indeed grow in stages. However, there is one point that you should be aware of. Some peoples hair gets to a certain length and it will stop growing, it's a natural thing and there is nothing that can be done about it.

[Toyah]

The time it took my hair to grow from my ears to my shoulderblades where it to has now stoped was about 2 years. Try to feed your hair from within cut down on beer and drink more milk it will not hurt to try?

What the ?%$£&$ cut down on beer wash your gorgeous mouth out

[Kimberly]

What the ?%$£&$ cut down on beer wash your gorgeous mouth out
Amen, sister!

[kysmet]

It has taken me nearly six years to get my hair to the length it is now. It is nearly to my waist. However, I too have a balding spot at the crown, fine hair and a receding hairline. I'm not sure about all the rest, but I agree that zinc, magnesium and calcium are helpful as well. I would also like to add that Vitamin E also helps. It's not only good for your nails ladies. :D

Ericka Jean

[DragonLotus]

The bit about getting trimmed regularly is spot on. Even a half inch can work wonders, because you really are hurting your hair by not getting rid of the fine split ends as they come up. My hair always starts looking crappy when I skimp on getting trimmed every 5-6 weeks.

Also, I'm thinking of trying horsetail grass capsules. (find them in the healthfood store)

My Mom took them years ago and said her hair and nails went ballistic. If I get decent results I'll come back and post on it.

:D

[Tamara Croft]

I thought I'd pass on this information regarding hair growth so you all understand it a bit better.

There are 3 stages that the hair grows.

Catagen - This phase lasts for about 2-3 weeks. During this time growth stops and the outer root sheath shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair. This is the formation of what is known as a club hair.

Telogen - This phase lasts for about 100 days for hairs on the scalp and much longer for hairs on the eyebrow, eyelash, arm and leg. During this phase the hair follicle is completely at rest and the club hair is completely formed. Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root. About 25-100 telogen hairs are shed normally each day.

Anagen - Anagen is the active phase of the hair. During this phase the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. Scalp hair stays in this active phase of growth for 2-6 years. Some people have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length because they have a short active phase of growth. On the other hand, people with very long hair have a long active phase of growth.

I hope this helps.

[Priscilla1018]

I have had hair down to my mid back,I don't remember how long it took to get to that length,four years sounds about right.I am growing my natural hair out.I stopped shaving my head around January 1st so it's been 8 months,it is just about covering my ears now.

[Brianna Kylee]

i'm growing my hair out too, and right now its at that point where it's so hard to style. Also my hair always puffs up when it dries, which is really annoying and its a bit wavy on the sides. any ladies have some tips on getting it not so puffy?

[Rachael Warren]

Hmm, I have no problem growing my hair, it seems to grow like wildfire.

Like you though Christine, I have dyed it in the past. That is a sure fire way of killing it. Mine became like straw, even with conditioners. I used a blonding bleach first (applied by a professional) then I self applied a common chemist bought package a few times after that. Same results, wouldn't recomend.

I look after my wifes hair, a real chore :D , well I love doing it, I havnt got enough of my own to play with :(. I only colour the roots for most of the time because the dye dries out the ends and causes them to split. I like her hair to be at least sholder length so I am real carefull not to dammage the ends, especially during the summer.

A couple of months ago I nearly had enough of my own hair to get a bob cut. I was looking forward to that.

Unfortunately I was shamed into getting it cut, very short, for business reasons, had to wear a suit and look sharp. :(

Its allready grown strongly, it's over an inch past the top of my ears.

Just wondering, does anyone have any suggestions for a dual male/female hair style, something that can be styled both ways and still look good, I'd want something that I could use all of those girly hair toys in?

Oh and I have allways wanted an Alice band, (Freya you are allways asking me for gift ideas :Pray: ).

Love, Rachael.