New growth & shrinkage?

[Mercie]

Why does hair look shorter when there is a lot of new growth?

 

[dachsies_rule!]

For me, the more NG i have the tighter my curl pattern gets. Once i go past 5 weeks, my hair gets "shorter" because there's enough NG to get shrinkage at the scalp.

 

[Mercie]

oh okay, so new growth causes shrinkage at the scalp?

 

[unalteredone]

I've always wondered about this because the thing is, your hair shouldn't look shorter because even though the NG is curly and shrinks, there's still more hair there than there was before and the relaxed hair is still farther from the scalp than it was before. So i can see why it wouldnt look any longer, but it shouldn't look shorter.

I can see whoever, how the poofiness that the NG creates can create more "volume" making the hair look slightly shorter, albeit more voluminous.

 

[nymane]

I've always wondered about this because the thing is, your hair shouldn't look shorter because even though the NG is curly and shrinks, there's still more hair there than there was before and the relaxed hair is still farther from the scalp than it was before. So i can see why it wouldnt look any longer, but it shouldn't look shorter.

I can see whoever, how the poofiness that the NG creates can create more "volume" making the hair look slightly shorter, albeit more voluminous.

That's a good point...i guess (for relaxed hair at least) it looks shorter because the new growth is tightly coiled and it pulls up the rest of the hair...i think lol

 

[soulie]

I've figured out why this happens with me. Picture the back of your head. Think of the hair as being two layers: the relaxed length and the other layer being the new growth underneath. As your NG gets longer and poufier, your relaxed hair has to cover all of the underneath layer which means it isn't going straight down from your scalp to your shoulders, it's going from your scalp to cover the NG and THEN going down.

If that doesn't make sense, then think of a bedspread. The edges are closer to the floor when there isn't a body under it.

 

[Mercie]

I've figured out why this happens with me. Picture the back of your head. Think of the hair as being two layers: the relaxed length and the other layer being the new growth underneath. As your NG gets longer and poufier, your relaxed hair has to cover all of the underneath layer which means it isn't going straight down from your scalp to your shoulders, it's going from your scalp to cover the NG and THEN going down.

If that doesn't make sense, then think of a bedspread. The edges are closer to the floor when there isn't a body under it.

Ohh.. that makes perfect sense. Thanks

@unalteredone- I like the new growth for that reason.
It makes my hair not flat.

 

[MrsSmitty77]

I've figured out why this happens with me. Picture the back of your head. Think of the hair as being two layers: the relaxed length and the other layer being the new growth underneath. As your NG gets longer and poufier, your relaxed hair has to cover all of the underneath layer which means it isn't going straight down from your scalp to your shoulders, it's going from your scalp to cover the NG and THEN going down.

If that doesn't make sense, then think of a bedspread. The edges are closer to the floor when there isn't a body under it.

I really needed to read this one today. I am seven weeks post and my hair looks higher than before, I thought it was breaking, I was about to panic! I do have a TWA under my relaxed hair so now I understand why the hair 'seems' to be shorter. Thanks for this one.

 

[angelgrl135]

I've figured out why this happens with me. Picture the back of your head. Think of the hair as being two layers: the relaxed length and the other layer being the new growth underneath. As your NG gets longer and poufier, your relaxed hair has to cover all of the underneath layer which means it isn't going straight down from your scalp to your shoulders, it's going from your scalp to cover the NG and THEN going down.

If that doesn't make sense, then think of a bedspread. The edges are closer to the floor when there isn't a body under it.

girl you are so smart!!! lol. i have been trying to figure this out b/c i am almost 4 months post and have hella new growth but my length seems to be moving in the wrong direction and no my ends are not breaking! i was too perplexed and now i can sleep at night knowing the answer to this quandary!

 

[Prettymetty]

I am a straight haired natural and when it's time for a new blowout my hair seems shorter and poofy at the roots. It makes wearing my hair down really difficult...I usually bun the week before I get my hair done again