Hardly ANY new growth, WTH???

[krikit96]

Okay, bottom line: I have been stretching for 14 weeks and my hair has less than an inch of new growth... THAT IS TERRIBLE!!! WHY isn't my hair growing? I was going to touch up tonight, but I realized there's really no reason to, except that my edges in the front are bushy, but once you open up my hair from the top, sides and middle, there's only MAYBE an eighth of an inch... What should I do??? I start a new job Monday and I wanted that fresh relaxed look, but it would be a waste to even open up another perm. I use ORS by the way. PLEASE! Any suggestions would help.

I tried to take pics w/the camera to show, but for some reason, I can't get the camera to focus...

 

[tiffers]

Do you think your newgrowth is just really soft? Since I've started taking care of my hair and dc'ing more, I've noticed that my newgrowth is uber soft. In some places, it doesn't even feel like I HAVE newgrowth. But I know I do, because the roots are thicker than the rest of my hair.

Maybe this is the case with you

 

[Nonie]

With all due respect, an 1/8 of an inch of curly growth would be kinda hard to see, so I think you're looking through a pair of "anorexic" glasses.

The red marks on this ruler are 1/8ths.

Now my pinkie nail in this pic is just a hair's width shorter than 1/8 of an inch, and I have 4B minute curls.

I don't know what hair type you have but sometimes it's hard to see how much growth you have when your hair is curly. I also think that checking growth is one sure way not to see it. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees. Just ignore you hair for a bit and then check back in a few months.

 

[krikit96]

I don't know what's going on... I can tell I have a lil more new growth in the back, which is where my hair grows the fastest... but I usually can NOT go this long and get my ponytails to be successful. Usually after about 9 weeks, DH is telling me its time for a touch up. Last time I stretched for about 11 weeks and he was DYING!

He hasn't even commented on my hair. I don't like that. That means my hair isn't growing and I'm supposed to be BSL this summer... I'm gonna be @ APL all year at this rate.

 

[krikit96]

With all due respect, an 1/8 of an inch of curly growth would be kinda hard to see, so I think you're looking through a pair of "anorexic" glasses.

The red marks on this ruler are 1/8ths.

Now my nails in this pic are just a hair's width shorter than 1/8 of an inch, and I have 4B minute curls.

I don't know what hair type you have but sometimes it's hard to see how much growth you have when your hair is curly. I also think that checking growth is one sure way not to see it. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees. Just ignore you hair for a bit and then check back in a few months.

LoL... Honestly, it is probably about to the 4th red line, my new growth that is. That is how much, 1/2 an inch? Even so, it's been almost 4 months and it should be more than that. I've had this much new growth after about 3-4 weeks before, sometimes even more!

I am a 4 a/b, (your hair is pretty by the way) and I'm just so disheartened by this, PLUS the last touchup I did, I set myself back because like a big ole dummy I "trimmed" my ends while it was in a ponytail...
I know I know... I was still kindof a newbie...

Anybody know what I can do to help with the little curly hairs that are sticking up around the hairline??? I don't want the new job people to think I am not as put together as I really am... 1st impressions last forever, I don't want to go to my 1st day and look a HAM.

 

[Nonie]

Are you taking supplements you were not taking before? There are people who say MSM makes their texture softer, so could that be happening so that it's hard for you to see where your new growth really ends? I dunno. Also have you changed your regimen. A new regimen could make your growth softer--as Tiffers says. How is your diet?

 

[Amerie123]

*delete!!!!*****

 

[Amerie123]

I don't know what's going on... I can tell I have a lil more new growth in the back, which is where my hair grows the fastest... but I usually can NOT go this long and get my ponytails to be successful. Usually after about 9 weeks, DH is telling me its time for a touch up. Last time I stretched for about 11 weeks and he was DYING!

He hasn't even commented on my hair. I don't like that. That means my hair isn't growing and I'm supposed to be BSL this summer... I'm gonna be @ APL all year at this rate.

no, don't get discouraged. Who knows, maybe you will have a huge growth spurt real soon.

ETA: for your edges, just lay them down with the "good" gels.

 

[krikit96]

Are you taking supplements you were not taking before? There are people who say MSM makes their texture softer, so could that be happening so that it's hard for you to see where your new growth really ends? I dunno. Also have you changed your regimen. A new regimen could make your growth softer--as Tiffers says. How is your diet?

Actually, I don't even know what MSM is... I HAVE just recently started doing the P90X challenge, and I've been trying to stay under 1380 calories per day... For the MOST part I've done good. I'm trying to eat better and all. I just started taking my prenatal vits again, I read somewhere in here that it was good to do so.

I thought working out made it better for growing your hair? I don't know what else coulda changed. I started the DC challenge to do it once a week and I actually skipped the last week & 1/2.

I swear, when I was younger and I would go all summer swimming and never wash the chlorine out of my hair and just spritz my hair and fry it with the krimping machine... my hair was halfway down my back. NOW that I actually CARE...

 

[Nonie]

Actually, I don't even know what MSM is... I HAVE just recently started doing the P90X challenge, and I've been trying to stay under 1380 calories per day... For the MOST part I've done good. I'm trying to eat better and all. I just started taking my prenatal vits again, I read somewhere in here that it was good to do so.

I thought working out made it better for growing your hair? I don't know what else coulda changed. I started the DC challenge to do it once a week and I actually skipped the last week & 1/2.

I swear, when I was younger and I would go all summer swimming and never wash the chlorine out of my hair and just spritz my hair and fry it with the krimping machine... my hair was halfway down my back. NOW that I actually CARE...

That's just it! A watched pot never boils. Have you see DozenRoses99's hair, or GoingNatural's hair, or 1Aleesha's hair? Well, they don't have fast growing hair, but look at where they are. I see people who swear they get 2 inches worth of growth a month and I am yet to see their hair look like these ladies' hair? So what does it matter if your hair grows at a rate of 1/8 a month. I'm thinking that if I can have DozenRoses99's hair at the rate 1/4 a month, then y'all wouldn't be able to tell me nuffin. I'd think I was the ish.

ETA: You say you're doing all these things including taking prenatals to grow your hair and aren't seeing the results. Maybe prenatals won't work for you like they work for others. MSM, biotin, etc didn't work for me like they do for others, so I stopped wasting my money and just stuck to regular vitamins and I didn't experience any setbacks from doing that. Maybe prenatals don't provide the nutrients your hair is lacking and you really need to go back to whatever you were doing before. Sometimes KISS is the best way to go. And then go for a walk until you hear the kettle whistle....

 

[mariofmagdal]

I can feel your fraustration, the ladies have given you great advice. Best wishes on the new job.

 

[krikit96]

That's just it! A watched pot never boils. Have you see DozenRoses99's hair, or GoingNatural's hair, or 1Aleesha's hair? Well, they don't have fast growing hair, but look at where they are. I see people who swear they get 2 inches worth of growth a month and I am yet to see their hair look like these ladies' hair. So what does it matter if your hair grows at a rate of 1/8 a month. I'm thinking that if I can have DozenRoses99's hair at the rate 1/4 a month, then y'all wouldn't be able to tell me nuffin. I'd think I was the ish.

But Nonie... I'm so blown because it's not a month, its been 3 1/2 months for a .5 inch of growth.. and I NORMALLY get more.. like a .75 per month...somethings up, but I don't know whaterplexed

 

[Nonie]

But Nonie... I'm so blown because it's not a month, its been 3 1/2 months for a .5 inch of growth.. and I NORMALLY get more.. like a .75 per month...somethings up, but I don't know whaterplexed

Do me a favor, can you ask someone to take a photo of you stretching it against a ruler? I'm telling you, I remember when I had relaxed hair, my new growth just felt like steel wool. It's like it could not stretch so it seemed so much shorter than before.

You say you started taking prenatal vitamins and are working out and staying within a certain calorie count. All these changes could be an influence. When you build muscle and get fitter, your body's needs change too. So maybe your new muscles are taking from your nutrient pool. Maybe your lighter diet is not replete with enough nutrients to feed both your toning body and your hair. I don't know. I seriously think you need to stop checking growth. I think the fact that you are expecting "improvement" with your new regimen is also affecting how you see things. You know how someone can rave about a movie and then when you go see it it bores you to death. That could be affecting your perception. Or whatever changes you may have made recently, might be affecting your growth rate. I also think that you need to take a regular multi instead of a prenatal. I just compared Solgar products, the multi and the prenatal and some of the elements that are good for hair growth are less in the prenatal eg Vitamin A, B5 and other B vitamins, amino acids...to name a few. So go back to basics. Don't change anything that wasn't hurting you before. I think sometimes we make the mistake of changing too many things at once, or changing one thing that affects the equilibrium of everything and not making necessary adjustments. I think you should just focus no taking the supps that take care of your total body health and your hair will get its share and thank you. You focus on just "feeding your hair" and yet your body's needs get higher with your new workout regimen, and your hair gets to starve coz your body will take care of itself first (bigger, harder working heart for instance) and your hair gets left overs which as we have seen were not that plentiful to start with.

 

[krikit96]

Do me a favor, can you ask someone to take a photo of you stretching it against a ruler? I'm telling you, I remember when I had relaxed hair, my new growth just felt like steel wool. It's like it could not stretch so it seemed so much shorter than before.

You say you started taking prenatal vitamins and are working out and staying within a certain calorie count. All these changes could be an influence. When you build muscle and get fitter, your body's needs change too. So maybe your new muscles are taking from your nutrient pool. Maybe your lighter diet is not replete with enough nutrients to feed both your toning body and your hair. I don't know. I seriously think you need to stop checking growth. I think the fact that you are expecting "improvement" with your new regimen is also affecting how you see things. You know how someone can rave about a movie and then when you go see it it bores you to death. That could be affecting your perception. Or whatever changes you may have made recently, might be affecting your growth rate. I also think that you need to take a regular multi instead of a prenatal. I just compared Solgar products, the multi and the prenatal and some of the elements that are good for hair growth are less in the prenatal eg Vitamin A, B5 and other B vitamins, amino acids...to name a few. So go back to basics. Don't change anything that wasn't hurting you before. I think sometimes we make the mistake of changing too many things at once, or changing one thing that affects the equilibrium of everything and not making necessary adjustments. I think you should just focus no taking the supps that take care of your total body health and your hair will get its share and thank you. You focus on just "feeding your hair" and yet your body's needs get higher with your new workout regimen, and your hair gets to starve coz your body will take care of itself first (bigger, harder working heart for instance) and your hair gets left overs which as we have seen were not that plentiful to start with.

Girl, you ain't said nuffin but a word... hold on. I'ma get my hubby to take a pic...

 

[krikit96]

What you say makes sense, too. Oddly enough, I wasn't even 'watching' my hair or 'expecting' it to grow... it's just that I'm USED to it growing. I am preparing to go to my 1st day @ work and wanted to touch up and realized that after 14 weeks I had hardly anything to touch up, which has NEVER happened before.

My husband is acting like he doesn't wanna hold the camera...

 

[LushLox]

I stretched for 4 months at my last touch up and towards the end of my stretch it looked like I had less than half an inch new growth at the front; it did feel so much more than that though. So I felt the same as you; frustrated that I didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Trust me - that new growth is deceiving. By the time I relaxed my hair length increased by at least two inches.

 

[manter26]

Okay, bottom line: I have been stretching for 14 weeks and my hair has less than an inch of new growth... THAT IS TERRIBLE!!! WHY isn't my hair growing? I was going to touch up tonight, but I realized there's really no reason to, except that my edges in the front are bushy, but once you open up my hair from the top, sides and middle, there's only MAYBE an eighth of an inch... What should I do??? I start a new job Monday and I wanted that fresh relaxed look, but it would be a waste to even open up another perm. I use ORS by the way. PLEASE! Any suggestions would help.

I tried to take pics w/the camera to show, but for some reason, I can't get the camera to focus...

I'm in the same situation. My last relaxer was 3/5 and I have about a centimeter of new growth. and it know its not the curl pattern fooling me cuz i had my hair dyed red the day after my relaxer so i'm using the color line as a marker. i don't know what to do.

however, i did feel like my hair wasn't growing during my last stretch and when i look at those pics now i'm like in retrospect I was doing really well.

i think it may just be the seasonal hair growth thing. if i'm still slacking in the summer, i'll worry. The "normal" hair growth rates listed are averages, so not seeing much growth in some months should be normal.

As for styling, try roller setting in ponytails. As a former heat addict, i still can believe how straight i can get my hair just by using the right technique (and products) to air dry.

 

[krikit96]

Okay, so hubby is being stank, so I'll remember that next time he wants some...

Now. I've attached the pics, but since I had to take them myself, I am not sure you can see? But, the best I can explain is that from that little gold thing on the beginning of the tape measure, to the end... that's how much my hair has grown. That's about 4 1/2 cm. That's terrible. This was the thickest part of the growth, in the middle back of my head. The front has about 1 cm of growth.

I just don't think it's worth opening up the perm...

Don't mind my crazy looking nail, I was testing some polish...

 

[Nonie]

OK, there's only one very clear photo and that's the third one. I tried to put it beside one of the pics with the ruler but it's hard to know for sure if the photos are scaled to the same size in my image below. I thought the clearer pic might be a little smaller than the one with the pic but hopefully they are pretty close. Either way, the amount of growth I see is so much more than what you believe you have. It looks like it's almost an inch...which would put your growth rate in the same category as 1Aleesha and GoingNatural. So I say you're on track to great lengths...and in good company.

 

[pri]

Looking at the first 3 pictures it looks to me as if you have more ng then you may think...at least that's what it looks like to me on my end.. I see a lot of curl pattern...don't worry too much about it...your hair is fine.I see good growth.

 

[krikit96]

You guys, thanks for your encouraging words... maybe I AM trippin, I just usually have to FIGHT to get my hair to lay down and it's just so easy for me right now for some reason, like it's not as thick in the ng areas, ya know?

But thank you. I dooo have one more question, since this is the 1st time I've downloaded or taken these kind of pics...

Would you say I am a 4/a or 4/b? Or both? I've been just saying 4a/b because I don't know... I was just guessing because I wanted to sound like I knew what I was talking about...

Maybe now I can take the (?) out of my siggy

 

[pri]

I could be wrong b/c I haven't discovered my hair type at all but I want to say 3c/4a maybe...you definitely don't look like 4b to me...just my thought...
Also you mention something about what to use for your edges to smooth it down...I would personally use shea butter and put a satin scarf on that baby for a few minutes and you should be good to go. HTH

 

[krikit96]

I could be wrong b/c I haven't discovered my hair type at all but I want to say 3c/4a maybe...you definitely don't look like 4b to me...just my thought...
Also you mention something about what to use for your edges to smooth it down...I would personally use shea butter and put a satin scarf on that baby for a few minutes and you should be good to go. HTH

Wow! I never even gave the possibility of 3ANYTHING a thought... I wonder if I am a 3c... wouldn't you have to be mixed or something to have 3c hair? Iono...

I have some shea butter, too... I usually use it on my 10 month DD, so I'm gonna hafta try that!

 

[pri]

Wow! I never even gave the possibility of 3ANYTHING a thought... I wonder if I am a 3c... wouldn't you have to be mixed or something to have 3c hair? Iono...

I have some shea butter, too... I usually use it on my 10 month DD, so I'm gonna hafta try that!

Yeah...that's what it really looks like to me...look into it..no I don't think you have to be mixed...I have a few different textures...a little wavy,course,little curl...sometimes I think I'm 2b/3c/4a...lol...
Yes try the shea...I think it will work.

 

[LuyshuZ]

Wow! I never even gave the possibility of 3ANYTHING a thought... I wonder if I am a 3c... wouldn't you have to be mixed or something to have 3c hair? Iono...

I have some shea butter, too... I usually use it on my 10 month DD, so I'm gonna hafta try that!

I had to look at your join date b4 I respondederplexed. No, you don't have to be mixed with anything to have 3 anything hair... The same way you can be mixed and have 4b hair... The ladies here vary in textures and ethnic backgrounds and no hair type is exclusive of of any of them.

 

[krikit96]

I had to look at your join date b4 I respondederplexed. No, you don't have to be mixed with anything to have 3 anything hair... The same way you can be mixed and have 4b hair... The ladies here vary in textures and ethnic backgrounds and no hair type is exclusive of of any of them.

I guess my statement bothered you? Not trying to offend anyone... I joined back in Aug 08, but then I fell off and didn't get back on again until dec. I haven't seen a mixed 4b, I have a BF who's mixed and she has that straight stuff on her head, her sister too...THEIR children have different textures though... but I'm getting off subject...

Do you think I'd be classified as 3c/4a? This whole hair thing is just really fascinating to me now... I'm starting to become obsessed with hair...EVERYBODY's hair

 

[pri]

I had to look at your join date b4 I respondederplexed. No, you don't have to be mixed with anything to have 3 anything hair... The same way you can be mixed and have 4b hair... The ladies here vary in textures and ethnic backgrounds and no hair type is exclusive of of any of them.

This is true- the latter part...my mom and her sisters are a 3a all the way around.

 

[pri]

I guess my statement bothered you? Not trying to offend anyone... I joined back in Aug 08, but then I fell off and didn't get back on again until dec. I haven't seen a mixed 4b, I have a BF who's mixed and she has that straight stuff on her head, her sister too...THEIR children have different textures though... but I'm getting off subject...

Do you think I'd be classified as 3c/4a? This whole hair thing is just really fascinating to me now... I'm starting to become obsessed with hair...EVERYBODY's hair

Girl...this hair typing thing can be a pain b/c a lot of us has a few textures going on...I say you can definitely be classified as a 3c according to your ng in your pics.

 

[krikit96]

YaaaaaY! I learned something!!! And on that note, I'm going to bed! Gotta be up in 4 hours!

Thanks soooooo much ladies!!!!

G'nite!

 

[pri]

So, are you going to relax now or still wait?