HOW is it possible to only grow 4 inches in 2 years?

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Ok so I want to post this video but figured it would be rude. BUT, this woman claims to have been transitioning for 2 years. She recently big chopped and only has 4 inches! That's 2 inches a year which I'm sure we can do the math on the monthly growth. WELL below average. I thought slow growers got around 3 inches a year at least.

Her growth is making me feel bad and think twice about sending the message to everyone that they can grow their hair long. And it can't be an issue of retaining the length because she JUST chopped her relaxed ends off, so those would've broken off if anything.

So what's the deal? Is it possible to naturally have growth this slow or does this have to be something internally wrong?

And this is an honest question, I'm not trying to put her on blast.

Or do you think her transitioning time is a bit of a.....fabrication?

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

Did she have some heat damage that she chopped too?

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Did she have some heat damage that she chopped too?

She didn't mention that. Maybe I'll ask her because I'm really interested but I don't want to come off sounding rude. But she never even mentioned transitioning with heat but she did mention braidouts and braids.

 

[inspiration150]

Well there are other factors to take in that she might not be saying. I mean she is either doing something wrong or something is wrong internally. I doubt someone can grow that slow that is averagely healthy. There are bw who say their hair doesn't grow all the time and their perception is askew because of their bad haircare practices.

 

[beans4reezy]

Isnt' six inches a year average? 2 inches a year would put her waaayy below average. Something must be wrong internally.

 

[skegeesmb]

Isnt' six inches a year average? 2 inches a year would put her waaayy below average. Something must be wrong internally.

This is what I'm thinking. I just cut off my relaxed hair after transitioning for almost 10 months and I have almost 5 inches.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Well there are other factors to take in that she might not be saying. I mean she is either doing something wrong or something is wrong internally. I doubt someone can grow that slow that is averagely healthy. There are bw who say their hair doesn't grow all the time and their perception is askew because of their bad haircare practices.

Yeah perhaps she's keeping some info but she seems to think that she has alot of growth. She keeps mentioning how much her hair has grown and she's glad she waited so long to chop because now she has a nice length and I just sit there watching like ....if i didnt know more about hair, i would think that her growth rate was normal because that's what she implies...imo

 

[melissa-bee]

I agree that she may of had some heat damage she mistook for relaxed hair.

 

[Foxglove]

4 inches unstretched maybe? Ask her what the length is stretched

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Well she stretched it with her hands and measured 4 inches. I know that's not the same as straightened but it wouldn't add that much of a diff. I sent her a message and asked her about her styles and if she used heat alot.

 

[Junebug D]

That is quite unusual. I think she over-chopped. Back in the days when I was underprocessed and when I went a long time without a relaxer, it would've been hard for me to distinguish the relaxed ends from the new growth, so... She probably over-chopped.

 

[4cpleez]

Well honestly I can't believe some of the GROWTH stories I hear from you lovely ladies.. 9 months to shoulder length from a TWA??? (Insert sarcastic smiley face) Ok maybe a loose curl 3b but I am a 4b/c. I BC'd in Nov 08 and I just hit shoulder length (barely). So I see where the lady with the slow growth is coming from and it is frustrating. I love seeing the growth you ladies have and I congratulate you but not everybody has bad practices although I admit I use to..some people just grow slower than the longer heads. I also agree about the internal issues, I have severe anemia and just started addressing that...but yeah maybe some1 should start a "I've been on LHCF for years, and my hair still short support thread" I see threads to this effect often but the longer heads might be ignoring these threads and think everybody is a super grower...

 

[BostonMaria]

Well honestly I can't believe some of the GROWTH stories I hear from you lovely ladies.. 9 months to shoulder length from a TWA??? (Insert sarcastic smiley face) Ok maybe a loose curl 3b but I am a 4b/c. I BC'd in Nov 08 and I just hit shoulder length (barely). So I see where the lady with the slow growth is coming from and it is frustrating. I love seeing the growth you ladies have and I congratulate you but not everybody has bad practices although I admit I use to..some people just grow slower than the longer heads. I also agree about the internal issues, I have severe anemia and just started addressing that...but yeah maybe some1 should start a "I've been on LHCF for years, and my hair still short support thread" I see threads to this effect often but the longer heads might be ignoring these threads and think everybody is a super grower...

There actually is a thread like that. You might want to do a search on it to see if anyone overcame the slow growth.

So what's the deal? Is it possible to naturally have growth this slow or does this have to be something internally wrong?

It could be many reasons. Maybe its internal, maybe its due to shrinkage, could be anemia, maybe she cut too much hair, maybe that IS her growth rate per year. BTW there are some people on this board with 4a/4b MBL hair that shrinks up to their ears. If they didn't flatiron it I'd think it was super short, too.

Honestly if she's happy I'd let it go. Hopefully she'll take care of her natural hair and it'll flourish from this point on.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

You're right BostonMaria. I guess my only concern was that I never knew growth coud be that slow so I would hate to try to convince someone that they can grow their hair long (if that's indeed what they want to do) when in reality they can't because their growth phase will be over before it even reaches beyond their shoulders.

 

[2inspireU]

Well, I still believe this has to be a retaining length issue because she probably is handling her hair roughly. Such as: detangling improperly, instead of cutting single strand knots; ripping through them or over moisturizing or over using protein, which will cause the hair to break off or not moisturizing or using protein enough. There has to be an explanation for this usually slow growth.

I also cosign with 4cpeez about not believing some of the growth stories we see on here 100%.

 

[BostonMaria]

Well, I still believe this has to be a retaining length issue because she probably is handling her hair roughly. Such as: detangling improperly, instead of cutting single strand knots; ripping through them or over moisturizing or over using protein, which will cause the hair to break off or not moisturizing or using protein enough. There has to be an explanation for this usually slow growth.

I also cosign with 4cpeez about not believing some of the growth stories we see on here 100%.

The bolded is true and I didn't think about that

As far as the growth stories, I give everybody the benefit of the doubt. I personally could never lie like that. Especially for something as simple as hair. People always tell me my hair grows super fast. Honestly it just looks that way, I just grow the normal 6 inches a year. I was NL back in Sept 2007 and now I'm WSL so it can happen.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

I don't understand how retaining would have anything to do with it. Before she chopped, she was a bit longer than sl. She's only been natural for about a week or two so any length that would've broken off should've resulted in her relaxed ends breaking off, which it doesn't look like she had an issue with that. So I'm assuming she retained all her natural hair before she chopped.

 

[Poohbear]

That is quite unusual. I think she over-chopped. Back in the days when I was underprocessed and when I went a long time without a relaxer, it would've been hard for me to distinguish the relaxed ends from the new growth, so... She probably over-chopped.

I agree. I think she may have chopped off some of her natural new growth.

 

[hair4romheaven]

Every one is different.I never measured my growth until coming to this forum and I see I am average. 8mnths post 4.5" of NG. I wondered how is it possible to grow 1'-1.5" a mnth but it is possible because everyone is different. God bless her.

 

[4cpleez]

The bolded is true and I didn't think about that

As far as the growth stories, I give everybody the benefit of the doubt. I personally could never lie like that. Especially for something as simple as hair. People always tell me my hair grows super fast. Honestly it just looks that way, I just grow the normal 6 inches a year. I was NL back in Sept 2007 and now I'm WSL so it can happen.

Yes I give people who can grow and retain a lot of credit.. it is HARD.. I have four sisters all 3b/c and their hair waves out of their scalp and is naturally oily.. my hair crinkles out my scalp and resembles brillo i love it but man is it hard to keep on my head or moisturized! So my point is that every1 is different and i think every1's hair has a different skill set.. I'm trying to teach mine some new skills

 

[ms.blue]

I agree. I think she may have chopped off some of her natural new growth.

This happens because b4 I had heat damage in the front. My front hairs ends were straight & I kept cutting b/c I thought it was relaxer ends but it was my natural texture. So she could have cut some of her natural hair thinking it was relaxed hair.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

maybe she has a poor diet, some sort of disorder. or she could just be a slow grower. they do exist. ♥

 

[Junebug D]

Well honestly I can't believe some of the GROWTH stories I hear from you lovely ladies.. 9 months to shoulder length from a TWA??? (Insert sarcastic smiley face) Ok maybe a loose curl 3b but I am a 4b/c. I BC'd in Nov 08 and I just hit shoulder length (barely). So I see where the lady with the slow growth is coming from and it is frustrating. I love seeing the growth you ladies have and I congratulate you but not everybody has bad practices although I admit I use to..some people just grow slower than the longer heads. I also agree about the internal issues, I have severe anemia and just started addressing that...but yeah maybe some1 should start a "I've been on LHCF for years, and my hair still short support thread" I see threads to this effect often but the longer heads might be ignoring these threads and think everybody is a super grower...

I think they were measuring that little piece at the nape that seems oh-so-long when you stretch it. It ends up being closer to NL than SL when it's actually straightened. Making it to full SL is more like 1.5-2.5 years. I was bald in July 2007 and wasn't full SL until July 2009. Now it seems like I won't be APL until July 2010, but... must be patient.

 

[Victorian]

The advice for growing your hair long, if that's what you choose to do, is the same for everyone regardless of growth rate:
1. Take good care of your hair.
2. Wait.

What it means to take good care of YOUR hair varies by person, as we all know, as does the amount of time you'll have to wait.

6" a year is an AVERAGE growth rate. That means if you average everyone's growth rates you get about 6" a year. It DOESN'T mean that you should expect every individual to average 6" a year. If you sample the population for hair growth rates you will get a bell curve just like any other measure.
This person may just naturally grow 2" a year. There's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand you have people who naturally grow about 1" a month without even trying--I've seen growth like that in pictures from members here. I think sometimes we just don't want to believe it when we encounter someone who is at one of the tail ends of the curve.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

The advice for growing your hair long, if that's what you choose to do, is the same for everyone regardless of growth rate:
1. Take good care of your hair.
2. Wait.

This is exactly my point. If indeed, someone's maximal growth rate is only 2 inches a year, then they can wait for a century but their hair will never be mbl because they can only max at 12 inches before it sheds IF their anagen phase is 6 years. So I just want to come to an understanding of this because if someone's overall health is on par and they're still only getting 2 inches (of growth, not retained length) a year, and they come to me (or anyone else for advice), I don't want to mislead them into thinking they can get to my length when in reality they can't, no matter what they do.

I guess my post is not really about her, it's just for me to come to an understanding so that I can give better advice.

 

[testimony777]

This is exactly my point. If indeed, someone's maximal growth rate is only 2 inches a year, then they can wait for a century but their hair will never be mbl because they can only max at 12 inches before it sheds IF their anagen phase is 6 years. So I just want to come to an understanding of this because if someone's overall health is on par and they're still only getting 2 inches (of growth, not retained length) a year, and they come to me (or anyone else for advice), I don't want to mislead them into thinking they can get to my length when in reality they can't, no matter what they do.

I guess my post is not really about her, it's just for me to come to an understanding so that I can give better advice.

We have all seen pictures of people who have above average growth rates coupled with longer than average growth phases. These are the folks that have hair dragging the floor. Such cases would be at the far right of the bell curve. But there are also people at the far left of the bell curve who have below average growth rates coupled with shorter than average growth phases. A person in this category might not even be able to achieve shoulder length. Most of us don't want hair that drags the floor so we don't spend much time questioning whether we will ever be able to achieve that length. But the fact is that for most of us beyond floor length hair is an impossibility. If we accept this we have to also accept that for some of us (a relative small few of us) having should length or longer hair is an impossibility.

I think that what is important to remember is that these cases (both the dragging the floor length and the above shoulder length) are extremes. Baring other explanations like poor diet, disease or poor hair care habits, I would think of the lady in the youtube video you saw in much the same way I would think of a video of a woman showing off 5 feet of hair, rare exceptions to the norm.

 

[Victorian]

You wouldn't really be misleading someone unless you're actually making some sort of promises about what length THEY personally will get to. If you explain the big picture, which it seems to me you do understand, then they should realize that nobody knows a priori what their potential is. They should just focus on taking care of their hair and see what happens, I guess. Now if they decide to just "give up" because they assume they won't reach a certain length...well, I don't know, but that's on them, not you.

Honestly someone who is only growing 2" a year and has never had long hair before would probably be happy with 10 or 12", especially if they are willing to keep their natural layers (I say that because 12" from the nape area actually reaches pretty far). But that's possibly after 6 years -- how many people have stuck to the same healthy hair regimen for that long with no setbacks or cuts? Not many. That's why I say most people have no idea what their potential is and it's pointless to quit before you've started, so to speak.

 

[B_Phlyy]

I can believe it. I'm a slow grower and I transitioned for 8 months only to have 1 inch of natural hair. That's obviously not as slow as this lady, but still well below the average 6" a year.

 

[sunshinelady]

I hope she never sees this thread. Rather than being critical of her growth rate, why not offer some constructive advice. She could have PCOS, she could be diabetic, a whole host of things.

 

[godsflowerrr]

She may have over-chopped or maybe she is experiencing breakage on her hair ends that she isn't noticing. I'm sure her hair is growing but if it is breaking at the same rate she won't be getting anywhere. 1/4th inch growth per month and 1/4th to 1/2 inch breakage per month won't result in any length retention. This was my situation years ago when I colored my hair. It just stayed the same length forever.