Slow Growers, what technique or Growth Aid really boosted your hair growth

[wantingtogrow]

What really made a different in your rate of hair growth for those who naturally have slow hair growth rates aka "those who dont see proper new growth even after 6 weeks of your relaxer"

I have found that the average is 1/2 but mine is 1/4 and tend to be disappointed when I try aids/techniques that do wonders for everyone else.
I used to be very frustrated with my growth rate but now learning to embrace it.

Just enquiring about others' experiences.

 

[growinstrong]

I am the same way. My hair grows like a turtle all year round. I am interesteed how I can get some quick growth. I actually want to wow myself when I get my relaxer in 2 weeks. I feel that I am doing all the right things too. I alternate moisture and protein and I take biotin, b-50 complex, msm (with vitamin C and glucosamine), multi and calcium. I also workout, eat a well balanced meal everyday and drink protein shakes. What am I doing wrong? Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[charmtreese]

My growth rate appears to be slow as well. I have tried just about every topical growth aid out there and none of them seem to enhance my growth rate. erplexed

 

[sunshinelady]

I am so glad that you started this thread. There needs to be a slow growers support thread.

 

[medina78]

I am the same way. My hair grows like a turtle all year round. I am interesteed how I can get some quick growth. I actually want to wow myself when I get my relaxer in 2 weeks. I feel that I am doing all the right things too. I alternate moisture and protein and I take biotin, b-50 complex, msm (with vitamin C and glucosamine), multi and calcium. I also workout, eat a well balanced meal everyday and drink protein shakes. What am I doing wrong? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hummm.. sounds like your doing everything right..ive never really paid much attention to the growth rate of my hair but the only 2 times i really was like wow my hair grew fast was when i was drinking a home made shake evey morning i did it for my health but i noticed my hair grew fast. It had frozen or fresh strawberries mangoes plain kefir or yogurt orange juice powdered brewers yeast and wheat germ. The other time was when i was drinking pig feet soup almost every day, yeh yeah, i know some might find that nasty but an asian lady told me to eat that every day to increase my breast milk and it made mine and my sisters hair grow like mad! nails too! it had all the vegges you want with pig feet in a watery soup. Am guessing it was the gelatin in it but damn, too bad im too lazy to go back to making it..anywayz thats my little newbies 2 cents.. good luck!

http://public.fotki.com/medina78/

 

[sunshinelady]

Hummm.. sounds like your doing everything right..ive never really paid much attention to the growth rate of my hair but the only 2 times i really was like wow my hair grew fast was when i was drinking a home made shake evey morning i did it for my health but i noticed my hair grew fast. It had frozen or fresh strawberries mangoes plain kefir or yogurt orange juice powdered brewers yeast and wheat germ. The other time was when i was drinking pig feet soup almost every day, yeh yeah, i know some might find that nasty but an asian lady told me to eat that every day to increase my breast milk and it made mine and my sisters hair grow like mad! nails too! it had all the vegges you want with pig feet in a watery soup. Am guessing it was the gelatin in it but damn, too bad im too lazy to go back to making it..anywayz thats my little newbies 2 cents.. good luck!

Wooooow! (Flava Flav style) That's worse than MN. Did it increase your breast milk?

 

[january noir]

My growth rate is a little over 1/4" every 6-8 weeks as well. I just got my touch up last Friday and I cut off about that amount last night (real thin ends).

I had tried everything to speed up growth, but my hair will just "do what it do." I also attribute slowing hair growth to aging as well.

I have accepted that what others call slow-growth is normal for me, as long as it is still growing (that means I'm not dead ).

 

[lana]

My hair grew at a slow rate and also broke easily before this hair board.

I started:

Moisturizing daily (B&B growth oil $3) Lee Beauty Supply or Sally's
Miracle 2000 (liquid vitamins) GNC
Fish Oil (1 tbsp daily) GNC
Regular Exercise (Cardio)
Texlaxing (reduced breakage in my natural hair - Mizani no-lye)

Now my hair is three inches past my collarbone and inching closer and closer to APL. These things really helped me.

Lana

 

[long2short2_?]

yeah my hair grows pretty slow too. i get about a quarter inch a month. but when i use growth aids i can get close to an inch in one month. if i just sticked to the growth aids every month, i'd be bra strap before april

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Lenzi's Request and co-washing. The cleaner the scalp, the quicker the growth.

 

[Moroni]

My growth rate is a little over 1/4" every 6-8 weeks as well. I just got my touch up last Friday and I cut off about that amount last night (real thin ends).

I had tried everything to speed up growth, but my hair will just "do what it do." I also attribute slowing hair growth to aging as well.

I have accepted that what others call slow-growth is normal for me, as long as it is still growing (that means I'm not dead ).

I do remember my hair growing faster when I was younger, but even now that I'm inching closer to the big FIVE-O, I can still pull out about an inch every 6 weeks with MTG-type topicals, bunnin' with lots of moisture during the day, and supplements (I got the greatest growth with a type of mucopolysaccharides, which are absolutely UNAFFORDABLE to the average working woman....over $100 per month!), lots of pure water (no stuff from anybody's tap) and consistent cardio exercise.

 

[mingming3]

Ladies, don't forget to apply wheatgrass to your scalp and to drink one once a day. Wheatgrass feds the scalp and promotes fastand thick hair growth and redarkens your hair if you have gray hair. Wait at least 6 weeks to see really fast growth. Your hair comes out baby soft too. I love it. I use Ocean grown wheatgrass or if I run out of that. I go to Whole Foods market to get my wheatgrass. Go to your local health food store to purchase fresh wheatgrass. Ciao!!!

 

[lollyoo]

hi,
for those not experiencing growth with growth aids, how often do you wash.
(i dont have this problem as my hair grows like weed but the only problem have been having before joining this forum is retaining length.)
have always believed that for topical aids to work you need to have a clean scalp for local absorption of the agent. have you tried washing at least 3x a week to see if this helps (may be a once a week shampoo was, and 2x a week cw).

 

[adw425]

I have used MTG, JBCO, brahmi oil and my homemade concoction of coconut oil, olive oil, brahmi, JBCO, msm, avocado oil, tea tree oil and cayenne and nothing really. It makes my scalp feel good, but my hair only grows about a quarter inch a month and it just will not do better (smile). I am retaining it all, though. I am pleased with how far I have come in two years and my hair is very healthy, but it just does not grow very fast. The only time I noticed some really rapid growth was when I was protein-loading in May and June 2005 and drinking like 80 to 100 ounces of water a day. I believe I got almost an inch each those two months.

 

[medina78]

Wooooow! (Flava Flav style) That's worse than MN. Did it increase your breast milk?

LMAO yes it did and i also drank barley grass which made my milk super rich looked like whole milk

 

[TLC1020]

My hair grows about 1/4" per month, I don't use any growth aids but I do use protective styles to retain the length that I do gain. I don't use any growth aids b/c I don't want to mess up what I have by trying something else.. I guess if it aint broke don't try to fix it..

 

[meia]

lol well i've jumped back to using Surge and its really working out for me.... just two full days of usage and it seems my hair remembers this product quite well because my hairline is looking thicker already in some spots...lol i panicked like all the other ladies on here and bought up as many bottles as I could locally early so I would be well-stocked.... i've started doing ACV rinses daily (sometimes in place of shampooing) and i'm just careful to massage my scalp deeply to help it penetrate any oil or dirt....its really made my hair stronger and just as clean as shampoo as long as I rinse well..

i've started this and doing braids usually SUNDAY and keeping them in until about WEDNESDAY or THURSDAY with no problems....since i've started the braiding myself for a few weeks now, i've noticed less shedding with stronger hair overall, and far more manageability than before which is a blessing..... without starting these braids my hair would be kinked up like you wouldn't believe, i'd be shedding everywhere, and, worst of all, i'd start losing my natural texture again so these have really helped with the growth issue and have gone a long way to maintaining length...

so i'm finding the key is:

PROTECTIVE STYLING: to protect what you already have and to keep the new growth maintained- leaving them in for a few days can make maintenance easier and less taxing and is especially helpful during those upcoming winter months..also if you do the braiding (i recommend) or bunning all by yourself and become creative it can look beautifully elegant

LIGHT GROWTH AIDS: MN, Wild Growth Oil, Surge- any light growth aid can certainly help in aiding growth boosting your natural growth rate

CLARIFYING: Here's where the ACV comes in- its so good to cut down the dirt and grime and, because of its chemical make-up, strengthens and makes the hair shiny and it can help to aid in hair growth because it keeps the scalp thoroughly clean.

EXFOLIATION: I exfoliate the scalp (think curly girl- the book) which is a wonderful thing to do every once in a while in case the ACV isn't enough- take some brown sugar mix with conditioner and massage into the scalp lightly.... helps to lift dirt and it rinses clean...frees the follicles allowing them to grow..

MOISTURIZING: Regularly moisturizing the hair allows for more manageability but it also helps to soften hair and can coat the hair shaft leaving it protected from the elements.

 

[Reinventing21]

Ladies, don't forget to apply wheatgrass to your scalp and to drink one once a day. Wheatgrass feds the scalp and promotes fastand thick hair growth and redarkens your hair if you have gray hair. Wait at least 6 weeks to see really fast growth. Your hair comes out baby soft too. I love it. I use Ocean grown wheatgrass or if I run out of that. I go to Whole Foods market to get my wheatgrass. Go to your local health food store to purchase fresh wheatgrass. Ciao!!!

Hi! I'm into all things green so I couldn't pass up your post. Soooo...I've heard that wheatgrass is used for energy. I first heard about wheatgrass shots at Beans & Barley but I was pregnant at the time so I couldn't try it, and now I am semi-breast-feeding so I am not sure if it's safe.

Anyhoo, what I REALLY want to know is how do you apply it to your scalp? Also, how much do you drink per day? Thanks in advance!

 

[kandegirl]

A few things have helped me when I stick to them: GNC Nourish Hair Vitamins, wearing braids or a sewn-in weave so I can spray my hair daily w/ braid spray (really helps), and shampooing once a week. My growth takes off when I leave my hair alone and keep it moistured i.e. braids.

 

[sikora]

Ladies, don't forget to apply wheatgrass to your scalp and to drink one once a day. Wheatgrass feds the scalp and promotes fastand thick hair growth and redarkens your hair if you have gray hair. Wait at least 6 weeks to see really fast growth. Your hair comes out baby soft too. I love it. I use Ocean grown wheatgrass or if I run out of that. I go to Whole Foods market to get my wheatgrass. Go to your local health food store to purchase fresh wheatgrass. Ciao!!!

Thnx for this tip. I saw it at Whole Foods yesterday. Do you juice it?

 

[aurora3140]

I do remember my hair growing faster when I was younger, but even now that I'm inching closer to the big FIVE-O, I can still pull out about an inch every 6 weeks with MTG-type topicals, bunnin' with lots of moisture during the day, and supplements (I got the greatest growth with a type of mucopolysaccharides, which are absolutely UNAFFORDABLE to the average working woman....over $100 per month!), lots of pure water (no stuff from anybody's tap) and consistent cardio exercise.

That's encouraging! That is one of the main ingredients in Surge and incidentally, I got great growth from that product. I went from 1/4 inch every 4-6 weeks to 3/4 in that span of time. So yeah, Surge works for me.

 

[GoldenBreeze]

My growth rate is a little over 1/4" every 6-8 weeks as well. I just got my touch up last Friday and I cut off about that amount last night (real thin ends).

I had tried everything to speed up growth, but my hair will just "do what it do." I also attribute slowing hair growth to aging as well.

I have accepted that what others call slow-growth is normal for me, as long as it is still growing (that means I'm not dead ).

My growth rate was faster when I was younger also, but I have to say that it still grows pretty fast (I think). I don't have a relaxer to notice new growth, but I know that last year in Sept it was about 2in past my shoulders, and it's now BSL. I hit the big 50 a couple of weeks ago, so I may be moving to even slower growth. Who knows, but I don't worry about it. I'm just keeping it healthy and moving on.

Now with regards to growth aids. I was using MTG, and decided to check to see if my growth was faster with it. Well, I'm not certain that it was. I used it for 4 months, and the next 4 months I didn't use it. I think my growth was over all about the same during both periods. I'll finish using the bottle that I have, but for me it's not enough for the extra effort of using it.

 

[locabouthair]

WEll I havent seen an increase yet but I just started doing nightly scalp massages with essential oils and I am trying to eat better and get more sleep. those are important as well. I barely get1/4 per month so if I get1/2 an inch i'd be very happy.

I do think we should have a slow growers support thread.

Lord knows I need it.

 

[PinkPeony]

^^^^^^^^^^^
I like that idea.

First of all I don't believe in topical growth aid's,however I'm anemic and since I started taking ferrousol(sp?? with 65 mg of irin my hair seems to be growing faster and thicker.
I don't think of it as a growth aid tough.

Another thing that has helped me in retaining length is not cutting.Yes I know it sounds simple but someone on another board opened my eyes about this.

So many of us try to *even out* our hair or achieve a blunt hair cut during the growing out stage.This is almost impossible to achieve tough since hair barely grows even.The result is being stuck at on length for forever
Now I rather try to get to a certain length(for me brastrap) before I will even my hair out again.
As long as you are in the growing out stage you should try not to get to hung up on even hair,you can maintain a healthy blunt cut once you're at your goal.

 

[almondjoi85]

My hair grows slow too, but I think part of it is that I'm very impatient so I'm hoping the pics I plan to take once a month help me realize it is growing.

I started using WGO and BB growth serum ... hoping one works

 

[Dare~to~Dream]

My hair grows very slowly. It seems to grow only 1/4 inch or less every 30 days. I've tried quite a few topical growth aids over the years and most gave me a boost in the first month but tapered off around the second month. However, I have gotten my best growth using Hairtopia vitamins (with a regular multi-vitamin) along with Lenzi's Request. I have used both separately but they work best together. I've taken a hiatus from the vitamins (they are expensive) but I want to start on them again soon.

 

[bluediamond0829]

I have slow growth...

i wonder if it could be the regular relaxers(because my hair is fine and soft)....i mean before when i was self-relaxing with kiddie relaxers(even though they say they have the same ph has a regular relaxer) i just had more growth and never had a problem with my hair growing...but it doesnt matter anyway(im transitioning anway) ---i just thought i would put that out there but it probably doesnt make much difference anyway...

my growth picks up when im exercising, eating right and taking good vitamins consistently...

 

[Nicole1976]

I am another slow grower. I think I usually get about a 1/4 inch per month if that

So I have been trying the following:

* Water (about 75% of a gallon, sometimes the whole thing)
* Carrot Juice (1/2 cup)
* v8 Juice (1 can per day)
* MN (I apply a diluted mixture nearly every night)
* Generic Daily Vitamin

I have definitely seen an improvement

 

[NYAmicas]

Thanks to everyone who posted with such interesting information that I cant wait to try.

It's been about a week and a half since I've started MN so I'm going to continue that and see if it makes any changes. I never measure my new grownth so I only see a change in length when I do a touch up.

 

[mona_cherie]

I do remember my hair growing faster when I was younger, but even now that I'm inching closer to the big FIVE-O, I can still pull out about an inch every 6 weeks with MTG-type topicals, bunnin' with lots of moisture during the day, and supplements (I got the greatest growth with a type of mucopolysaccharides, which are absolutely UNAFFORDABLE to the average working woman....over $100 per month!), lots of pure water (no stuff from anybody's tap) and consistent cardio exercise.

What was the name of the mucopolysaccarides and how much growth did you get from it? (If you don't mind my asking )