Hardly ANY new growth, WTH???

[krikit96]

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

You know what? I still don't even know!!!

I think I will. I just touched it all again, and since it HAS been 14 weeks, I'm way within my time limit to do it again. I definitely want to look sharp on my 1st day.

I will post "New Relaxer Pics" tomorrow after I'm done. I wish I could stop scratchin!!!!

Thanks again for your help!

 

[pri]

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!

Oh wow..I didn't even realize it was this late..no problem..goodnite

 

[krikit96]

Oh wow..I didn't even realize it was this late..no problem..goodnite

I know I said I was going to bed, but here I am - still here like 10 minutes later I told you I was becoming obsessed!!!

 

[pri]

You know what? I still don't even know!!!

I think I will. I just touched it all again, and since it HAS been 14 weeks, I'm way within my time limit to do it again. I definitely want to look sharp on my 1st day.

I will post "New Relaxer Pics" tomorrow after I'm done. I wish I could stop scratchin!!!!


Thanks again for your help!

Your welcome...I'll look forward to them pics.

 

[nycutiepie]

I say you're 3C or 4A. My NG looks like your 3rd pic with a tad bit more curl to it. However, I take MSM so my texture has softened so it's sometimes hard to tell. I can always tell by the back of my head though because it's 4B. Trust me, you have ng.....the sucka is just packed up due to the stretch. You should be pleasantly surprised once you straighten it out.

 

[rben]

I'm a 3c and a few months after I joined this board and started taking care of my hair I thought I had the same problem. It turned out to be that my hair was just lovely and moisturised with all the conditioning and I couldn't tell properly where my relaxed hair ended and the new growth began. I'm 6 months post now as I just kept on going once I found out how to keep my edges in check.

 

[krikit96]

I'm a 3c and a few months after I joined this board and started taking care of my hair I thought I had the same problem. It turned out to be that my hair was just lovely and moisturised with all the conditioning and I couldn't tell properly where my relaxed hair ended and the new growth began. I'm 6 months post now as I just kept on going once I found out how to keep my edges in check.

And just how do you keep YOUR edges in check? I think I need to buy me a new silk scarf to start with, but I'm just wondering what works for your hair?

 

[bedazzled]

Well I know your question has pretty much been answered but it definitely seems like you got a good inch of growth. So don't get yourself down, your hair is growing nicely..and if you're ready to take that step..then relax it.

 

[Dposh167]

yea i would say that you have about 1in to 1 1/4" of ng. sometimes it seems like less until you break out the ruler.

..i don't know if i would type you as a 3c. my first guess was 4a/b cuz your ng looks identical to mine and i'm fine haired 4ab. HOWEVER its hard for anyone to tell b.c. your ng in the picture is streched to show length. the best way to find your type is when it has its natural curl pattern. unstretched...and not manipulated.

 

[krikit96]

One of these days, I'm gonna stretch long enough to get an adequate amount of ng so I can see exactly what curl pattern my hair has. I'd just love to be able to find a regimen that works for my hair type, once I am for sho what that is.

I need to start basing myself up for this perm...

 

[Nonie]

I just want to tell you that while hair typing might help some people find regimens with those of their type of hair that work for them, that's not always the case. I'm 4B and I hate oils, butters, and I don't feel a need to apply something to my hair all the time to keep it moisturized. Not many 4B's have that regimen. So you may still be able to find a regimen that works for you w/o knowing what your hair type is.

3's to me have really big curls. An inch of growth on a C may look like a single wave ~ depending on what letter follows the 3. Imagine seeing an inch of this first pic, I think it would look like the hair was straighter than it really is, especially if there's more relaxed hair to pull on it. If you look at this image and the size of the curls, you kinda get an idea of what I'm trying to say

My bare-headed hubby has 3C/4A hair and this is what it looks like when it starts to grow in:

and when he would let it grow longer than that, it would appears to be wavy, but from his old pics, it looks like it would start to form a curl when it was close to an inch in length. He shaves his head clean now.. so I don't have any images of his hair getting curly.

 

[sonce]

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...

Are you sure it is not shrinkage? What might look like 1/8" might actually be 1" of napps. Try monitoring your growth for a month longer.

If your hair is truly not growing, then you should look to your diet and go to a doctor for a physical. There are many conditions (ex: hypothyroidism) that can slow or halt hair growth. Heaven forbid you have one of those, but if you do, it's best to know sooner rather than later. Also, there may be supplements you are taking that might be good for people as a group, but might not be appropriate for you as an individual; your doctor can let you know which ones are bad ideas for you personally, or you can stop them all and see if your hair growth rate improves.

Edit: I read a bit more of the thread and saw this in one of your posts:

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.

Is this a number set by a doctor, or did you choose it yourself? Because, assuming you are not unusually short, do not have a (medically verified) slow metabolism, and do not spend all day sleeping, 1380 calories are too few. This is especially the case if you were eating many more calories before, making the calorie decrease drastic. Drastically cutting calories can be traumatic to your body and can negatively affect the anagen (growing) phase of your hair. So, if you are not eating enough calories, then I am not surprised at all that it is showing in your hair. Consider increasing how many calories you eat a day.

 

[metro_qt]

actually.
1200-1400 calories for a low calorie diet is *perfectly* acceptable if you are trying to lose weight, and will assist you in losing 5 lbs per month that you can easily keep off for the rest of your life.

1400-1600 would be for maintenance,

and 1600-2000 on a woman would be for those doing heavy weight lifting or olympic training....

so no.
1380 cals is not 'too few'.

Are you sure it is not shrinkage? What might look like 1/8" might actually be 1" of napps. Try monitoring your growth for a month longer.

If your hair is truly not growing, then you should look to your diet and go to a doctor for a physical. There are many conditions (ex: hypothyroidism) that can slow or halt hair growth. Heaven forbid you have one of those, but if you do, it's best to know sooner rather than later. Also, there may be supplements you are taking that might be good for people as a group, but might not be appropriate for you as an individual; your doctor can let you know which ones are bad ideas for you personally, or you can stop them all and see if your hair growth rate improves.

Edit: I read a bit more of the thread and saw this in one of your posts:

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.

Is this a number set by a doctor, or did you choose it yourself? Because, assuming you are not unusually short, do not have a (medically verified) slow metabolism, and do not spend all day sleeping, 1380 calories are too few. This is especially the case if you were eating many more calories before, making the calorie decrease drastic. Drastically cutting calories can be traumatic to your body and can negatively affect the anagen (growing) phase of your hair. So, if you are not eating enough calories, then I am not surprised at all that it is showing in your hair. Consider increasing how many calories you eat a day.

 

[metro_qt]

I don't know if this has been said yet, since i'm not going to read the whole thread...

but maybe you're just a slow grower, and your hair has cycles.
have you tracked your growth rate for the last two years?
I know that I have growth spurts in january where I will actually grow a whole 1/4 inch for a couple of months,

other than that...it's back to 1/8 inch a month for me....

most people actually do have growth spurts and will grow more in the summer, or winter, depending on their body's metabolism...
Don't let anyone fool you into thinking you're sick, or need to see a doctor..

Just start checking your hair's growth rates for the next couple of months, and if you want to increase growth, protein, protein protein... that's the trick.

more protein in your diet and on your hair(mega tek or similar product)
means increased hair growth....

 

[rben]

And just how do you keep YOUR edges in check? I think I need to buy me a new silk scarf to start with, but I'm just wondering what works for your hair?

Well my edges are the frizziest and curliest parts of all and so have a mind of their own. I have found that spritzing them with Aloe Vera Gel, rosewater and a bit of glycerin helps a lot. If they are being really stubborn then a bit of Megatek mixed with EVOO never fails. I was a bit worried about the protein in it but so far over the past 6 months I have had no problems. I have also found that using an ayurvedic regime has made my hair much softer and with much less frizz.

 

[sonce]

actually.
1200-1400 calories for a low calorie diet is *perfectly* acceptable if you are trying to lose weight, and will assist you in losing 5 lbs per month that you can easily keep off for the rest of your life.

First, unless you know her height, starting weight, starting # of calories, overall state of health etc, it is premature for you to declare 1380 calories "perfectly acceptable" for her. There's a reason people are told to see a doctor before starting any weight loss program, and it isn't because a one-size-fits-all approach is the way to go.

Second, 1380 calories can be acceptable in the sense of helping the woman lose weight, but the fact remains that the side effect can be temporary shedding or slowed hair growth, especially if she was someone who was eating a lot before. She will certainly not starve to death on 1380 calories, but the more drastic the changes her body has been put through, the more side effects she will see before her body adjusts. And if her hair is very important to her, which it seems it is, then she should consider increasing her caloric intake. Her weight loss will be slower, but still steady, and her hair will show fewer negative effects. The same can be said of exercise. Exercise is very good for the body, but when a sedentary person decides to suddenly start exercising vigorously, they can suffer injuries, it can affect negatively their sleep, and they can even develop stretch marks as their muscles rapidly expand. Is exercise still good for the body? Yes. Should the person consider a more deliberate, moderate approach? Yes.

Anyway, all of this is assuming that her hair is actually growing at a slower rate, which it might not be, and assuming that there is not another cause, which there might be. So, as I said in my previous post, she should go to her doctor to find out for sure. Thank you.

 

[Nonie]

actually.
1200-1400 calories for a low calorie diet is *perfectly* acceptable if you are trying to lose weight, and will assist you in losing 5 lbs per month that you can easily keep off for the rest of your life.

1400-1600 would be for maintenance,
and 1600-2000 on a woman would be for those doing heavy weight lifting or olympic training....

so no.
1380 cals is not 'too few'.

I think a lot has to be taken into consideration. I'm a little heavy for my height although many may disagree because I know how to disguise it. , When I am eating right and working out regularly, I am usually smaller and ten pounds lighter. But I am not miserable about my weight so I wondered how much it would take to stay this size.

So taking my age, current weight and height into consideration and pretending that I exercise moderately, I calculated that the calories needed to maintain my weight would be 1927.5 on this calculator. Not sure how accurate that is. Then I entered my ideal weight which is 10 lbs less than what I am now and it said that I needed 1861.5 to maintain that weight on moderate exercise. And how tall am I? 5' 2". So if a squirt like me who doesn't work out hard needs that much, wouldn't 1.3K be very little for someone who is working out?

Sonce, I just saw your post. Great minds think alike. Now if only great minds grew hair alike.

 

[sonce]

I think a lot has to be taken into consideration. I'm a little heavy for my height although many may disagree because I know how to disguise it. , When I am eating right and working out regularly, I am usually smaller and ten pounds lighter. But I am not miserable about my weight so I wondered how much it would take to stay this size.

So taking my age, current weight and height into consideration and pretending that I exercise moderately, I calculated that the calories needed to maintain my weight would be 1927.5 on this calculator. Not sure how accurate that is. Then I entered my ideal weight which is 10 lbs less than what I am now and it said that I needed 1861.5 to maintain that weight on moderate exercise. And how tall am I? 5' 2". So if a squirt like me who doesn't work out hard needs that much, wouldn't 1.3K be very little for someone who is working out?

Thank you, Nonie. This is what I meant. It takes a lot to keep a body functioning at its best, and what works well for rapid weight loss might have some harmful effects.

Sonce, I just saw your post. Great minds think alike. Now if only great minds grew hair alike.

Your hair is beautiful.

 

[myxdchiick]

Sorry if I'm hijacking...........

But I feel the same way except I am transitioning. I am in my 8th month and I've seen others in their 8th month mark that have more new growth than I do! 2.5-3 inches is not cutting it right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[metro_qt]

I think a lot has to be taken into consideration. I'm a little heavy for my height although many may disagree because I know how to disguise it. , When I am eating right and working out regularly, I am usually smaller and ten pounds lighter. But I am not miserable about my weight so I wondered how much it would take to stay this size.

So taking my age, current weight and height into consideration and pretending that I exercise moderately, I calculated that the calories needed to maintain my weight would be 1927.5 on this calculator. Not sure how accurate that is. Then I entered my ideal weight which is 10 lbs less than what I am now and it said that I needed 1861.5 to maintain that weight on moderate exercise. And how tall am I? 5' 2". So if a squirt like me who doesn't work out hard needs that much, wouldn't 1.3K be very little for someone who is working out?

Sonce, I just saw your post. Great minds think alike. Now if only great minds grew hair alike.

Nah,
i'm 5'2 also, and a personal trainer.
I've *studied* this...

some of you are just *speculating*
(not directed particularly at you nonie)


but, back to the topic at hand....