HELP: At a growth STANDSTILL!

[coilsgonewild]

Hi All,

I am a newbie to the site, this is my first post... I am sooooo EXCITED! Hello Ladies(and gents)!

So a little about my self, I have been natural for about two years now. I have 4b/4c, collar bone length hair and I really feel like I am at a stand still. All my life, with relaxed and natural hair, I have never been able to grow my hair beyond collarbone length and I am seriously starting to think it is not a possible.

I was wondering whether anyone else who has been in the same boat. What did you do to get your hair to the next level?
I really need some inspiration from some ladies who's hair seemingly wouldn't grow beyond a certain point and how they accomplished their hair goals.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

start by never leaving your ends exposed... i.e. protective style like nobody's bitness'

some form of water to moisturize the hair shaft every 3-4 days

 

[Nonie]

Welcome, OP. Yes tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT is right. Once your hair gets to shoulder length, it is rubbing against your clothes besides just the fact that your two year old ends are also weaker and vulnerable to the elements.

This might not be your story but I find my ends cannot stick around w/o thwarting my growth progress. I have to regularly trim a tiny amount (dusting is what we call it) so that I can stop the splits from riding up the strand and causing it to break. There are some who don't need to trim and their hair thrives. But if you find after protective styling (hiding your ends after moisturizing them) that your hair is still at a standstill, you might consider dusting. I'll tell you now that if you haven't dusted in a long time and you decide to start, you may no see any improvement initially coz if that's your problem then your ends are usually thinner and a dust may not take away all the damage so it may take some months to be rid of damage.

Here's a thread you might find useful: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=389082

 

[reeko43]

Welcome! You have gotten some great advice. I believed that my hair wouldn't grow past my shoulders or an inch past for a long time. I didn't know how to take care of my hair then. Actually, I stumbled on some good hair practices by accident. I just became lazy. I stopped getting my hair trimmed every six weeks at the salon because i was cheap and stretching the time between visits. I stopped taking the time to flat iron my hair so as a result, I didn't wear it down much. I would just throw my hair in a high ponytail or twirl it in a knot and bobby pin it. When I washed my hair I let it air dry. That is when my hair started growing. I didn't realize that some of this was actually good hair practice and not laziness until I started reading hair boards. One of the important things that I wasn't doing that I now do religiouslly is wear a satin bonnet to bed and I have a satin pillow case.

Chicago is my hometown. Lived on the south side most of my life. Boy do I miss it

 

[virtuenow]

I was lifelong stuck between ear length and collar bone length. However, after work I ws able to aachieve length as both relaxed and natural. I never protective style-not on purpose at least but here's some of the stuff I did do.

Relaxed:
With relaxed hair, it wasn't until I started stretching my relaxers (going 3-5 months or more btw relaxers) that my hair began to grow to longer lengths. However, as soon as I would relaxed, my hair would randomly break off again to an around an inch in the back. Relaxers eat away my hair- they were alwaays unpredictable - and mysterious. I never knew when it ws going to happen no matter how creful I was. so I moved on from relaxed

Natural:
Let it Do what it do. I leave it loose, use heat blowdry, flat iron, whatever I wnt at the time. I'll fill ths section in more later- tired of texting!

Sent from my SPH-M920 using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[Fine 4s]

Maybe your hair is in a resting phase so let it riiiiiiiiide.
There are some folks who are at a stand stills at all stages so this is just one of them.
Put it away by protecting, weaving, braiding AND proper hair care and you'll be just fine.
Not sure if I'd trim though...

How long do you think you've been at the same length? When did you start watching/caring for your hair? Are you CBL shrunken or straightened...

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

Maybe your hair is in a resting phase so let it riiiiiiiiide.
There are some folks who are at a stand stills at all stages so this is just one of them.
.

I believe this describes my hair growth, may hair growth doesn't seem like a steady growth, but more of a growth spurt. And during the summer months is when I notice the most growth, during the winter months, not so much.

 

[coilsgonewild]

Thinks Ladies! BTW my hair is CBL stretched, I have been really serious about trying to take better care of my hair for about a year now.