I BC'ed 1.5 years ago but Instill look like a little boy lol

[PrissiSippi]

I don't think I ever fully embraced my natural hair. I don't know how to care for it. I don't have a regimen for it currently. I don't really have any products for it. I use Keracare Hydrating Poo, ORS Mayo for my conditioner or the Joico in the blue bottle, African aoil as a sealant, and design essentials moisturizing lotion as my moisturizing. Why is my hair not growing lol. currently I'm at 5 inches at the top and three inches in the back. That's about 10 months of growth. Where did my other months of growth go help me develop a working regimen for my short hair as well as some styles to make it look cute

 

[DrC]

Are you having any breakage issues?
How many times do you trim?
How much do you trim?
Do you use combs and brushes
Do you have shed hairs (hair with bulb at the end) or broken hairs when combing/brushing/wearing hair out?

Theresare various things we need to know in order to determine whats going on.


One major thing I've learned on here is it's not about growth, but about how much hair you can retain. I focused on retention a lot and I'm BSL on my way to MBL. Average hair growth is 1/2 +- per month. some people grow more than and some people grow less than.

 

[Subscribe]

I too think this is about retention not growth.

 

[RocStar]

 

[silverbuttons]

Do you know that your hair growth rate is? Or are you really just guessing?

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Are you serious or..cause that pic..seems like..Idk erplexed

 

[Honey Bee]

I don't think I ever fully embraced my natural hair. I don't know how to care for it. I don't have a regimen for it currently. I don't really have any products for it. I use Keracare Hydrating Poo, ORS Mayo for my conditioner or the Joico in the blue bottle, African aoil as a sealant, and design essentials moisturizing lotion as my moisturizing. Why is my hair not growing lol. currently I'm at 5 inches at the top and three inches in the back. That's about 10 months of growth. Where did my other months of growth go help me develop a working regimen for my short hair as well as some styles to make it look cute

But (.5"/ month) x 10 months= 5", though.

 

[Keen]

Do you know that your hair growth rate is? Or are you really just guessing?

Right. Some hair grow slower than others. If you are not having breakage, maybe your hair just grow slow. I know some people believe if your hair is not long, it's because it's breaking or you're not taking care of it. Some people are just slow growers.

 

[bydebra]

But (.5"/ month) x 10 months= 5", though.

In the title it says she has been natural 1.5 years, but I guess she is saying she only sees 10 months of growth?

 

[Browndilocks]

Your hair looks super dry in that pic. Why are you shampooing at all at that length? You may be better off with frequent CO washes followed my the moisture & sealing on damp hair. I would cut the protein completely for a while.

 

[sharifeh]

It's definitely growing (almost every humans hair grows) but if it's not retaining you need to figure out why. Is it super dry??
maybe that's causing your growth to break off??


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[almond eyes]

Did you BC after due to a relaxer? I am not recommending it but you may need to shave it all off and start over. And just wig it.

I BC'd and my hair was still dry and listless. So, I went to the barber for a shave. I feel that my residual relaxer was impeding my new growth even though I had not relaxed for five months. I shaved and I actually liked it so I am not wigging it.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[healthyhair2]

I personally would not shave it. I have had issues with slow growth too. My hair was not breaking or shedding. One thing that is crucial is keeping your hair moisturized. A moisturizing deep conditioner,that you can use under a heat cap is important. One of my favorites is Nexxus Humectress, the old formula, but there are plenty of good ones out there. You've got to keep moisture in your hair with a moisturizer too. the Design Essentials is nice, but I found it to be a little too light for my hair. A good clarifying shampoo can help too, if you do that once every 4-6 weeks. Sometimes products will not absorb well, if there is build up on the hair.
Do you eat well? Plenty of green leafy veggies and fruit? Is your water intake good? Do you take vitamins at all? These are things to consider as they affect hair growth. Good Luck!

 

[xu93texas]

I don't think you should use ORS Hair Mayo as a deep conditioner on a regular basis. It's a protein conditioner and should only be used when needed. Try using a moisturizing DC and M&S a few times per week. Drink plenty of water and maybe take a vitamin to give you a boost.

 

[krissyhair]

Your hair looks super dry in that pic. Why are you shampooing at all at that length? You may be better off with frequent CO washes followed my the moisture & sealing on damp hair. I would cut the protein completely for a while.

Shampoo was essential for me at that length. Short hair can get oily, and causes scalp problems.

 

[Willow00]

I didn't see real growth in my first couple of years of being natural until i wore wigs weeks to months at a time. wigs gave me a break from styling and messing with my short hair too much . i put a silk bean cap then a stocking cap before i put on the wig. i get my beanies from swigcap and pretty antonette

 

[CaraWalker]

I too think this is about retention not growth.

yeah. i think the big open secret to this entire operation is just dont futs with your hair a lot and tuck it away. my hair is apparently super fragile and it seems the best thing to do for it is not put a lot of stress on it.

anyway, in more practical terms i guess, my standard advice would be to weave it til it grew out then just keep it really low maintenance. if your hair is like mine and cant deal with a lot of pressures all that fancy styling and extra attention to it just has to go.

people who are like "i dont eat food for the taste i eat it to live" = how i have to grow my hair

 

[Victoria44]

I would just say try protective styles for 6-8 weeks at a time and see if you see improvement with that. When taking down the protective styles use your fingers, and use combs sparingly. Gentleness and patience with knots and tangles is key to long term retention.

Also my growth rate is around .3 per month, so at 18 months I only had around 5 1/2 inches or even less, and my retention was fine. So if you don't have a breakage issue that might just be the rate your hair grows.

 

[MzSwift]

Hang in there!

I agree with a few posts.

-Your growth rate is something you should know. I'm a slow grower, I grow about 4" per year. Knowing that helps me to set adequate goals and to track when I'm not getting the growth I should. (also stop comparing my growth to others)

-That Mayo stuff is a lot of protein and I don't see much moisture going in to balance the protein. Learn your moisture-protein balance and keep it in check. No matter how much I PS, if I'm using too much protein, I shed a lot and my hair is really brittle (in other words: breakage).

-PSing is definitely the key to retention! I've worn my hair out mostly for the last two years and my retention has suffered. Before, I was wigging it and using braid/twist extensions to protect my hair. Put it away and keep it moisturized (with water). When I relaxed around the house, and the wig came off, I kept it covered under a men's satin skull cap (that I also wore under my wigs) to keep me from stroking/messing with it.

-Water is your friend. Even if you don't use shampoo/condish each time, wetting your hair and then sealing it with something (a butter, an oil or even a condish) will help to keep it moisturized. When I had good retention, I usually moisturized mine twice per day with water - once in the morning and once when I got home/before bed.

I started from a shaved head so I can empathize about that in-between stage when it feels like there's been no growth. My Fotki isn't anything to brag about, but feel free to check it out for a little inspiration: http://public.fotki.com/MzSwift/

HTH!

 

[topnotch1010]

Trust me, it's growing. You cut your hair really short when you BC'd and there is a big difference. It also looks much thicker than when you were relaxed.

I use the DLewis reggie (I really miss her )
Use a spray bottle of conditioner water (I use HE LTR) and seal with coconut oil daily.

Shampoo with the same thing. That's it. Super moisturizing and super simple. I'm a slow grower, so I have to really try to retain.

Be encouraged to keep going! It's looking good!

 

[Browndilocks]

Shampoo was essential for me at that length. Short hair can get oily, and causes scalp problems.

Use an astringent and/or clarifying conditioner first.

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

I remember your relaxed hair though.
You know how to grow hair and how to retain it.
These ladies are giving you good advice, but you don't really need it. You already know all of this stuff, because you did it with your relaxed hair. Growing natural hair is a little different, but the basics are the same, and are usually enough to get you some kind of result.

If you've been natural for 1.5 years, but you still don't have a regimen, haven't tried to find products that work for your hair, haven't tried out different styles or watched any youtube videos, I think the problem doesn't have anything to do with your hair as much as it has to do with your attitude towards your hair.

You're not gonna take care of something that you don't like.
So either come to terms with your natural hair hang ups, move past them and start doing what you know you're supposed to do or if you cant, then just relax your hair.

Sorry if that came off harsh, but it's the truth. You've been on LHCF longer than me.
You don't need anyone to tell you how to grow your hair.

 

[PrissiSippi]

I had honestly forgotten about my thread lol I'm going to reread today. Currently I have my hair up in Havanas. I'm going to use bee mine daily and hope I get a little length and start over with my hair. I might need a good trim and just take it from there developing my regimen

 

[gn1g]

how about doing scalp massages and the inversion method.

 

[tjrj1998]

I had honestly forgotten about my thread lol I'm going to reread today. Currently I have my hair up in Havanas. I'm going to use bee mine daily and hope I get a little length and start over with my hair. I might need a good trim and just take it from there developing my regimen

Please do not think a regimen requires you to have 50-11 steps.

Your main focus should be retention. Which means handling your hair a lot more gentle. Dont look to others to determine what your hair should look like at this time. You have to know what your growth rate is first. The average is 4-6 inches a year.


A sound regimen should really just include a non stripping shampoo, conditioner ( I really dont think deep conditioning is needed on a regular basis), a leave in (which can be any conditioner that works well for your scalp AND your hair) and an oil.

I am currently 9 months post BC and I have the simple regimen that I posted above.
I dont use combs anymore, I only use my fingers to detangle. I also dont style my hair because at 9 months my hair is only 5-5 1/2 inches ( I was 1 inch or a little bit more at my BC). IMO most styles at this length dont look very nice and the ones that do look nice require too much work. I rock a fro every darn day and I love it.

I moisturize every day when I rise with a mixture of distilled water and authentic argan oil.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Moisture and Protein sparingly,

 

[MamitaLolita]

You're using far too many oil and petrolatum based products. Get a sulfate shampoo and strip your hair. Ditch the protien and pick up moisture. I recommend putting your hair in braids and using a mist that has no mineral oil. Use suave naturals for moisture, cheap and effective. All the oils make your hair more coarse and if you are sealing without moisture you're just sealing moisture OUT