Where's my new growth?

[CluelessJL]

Hi everyone

I think this is a silly question but I'm new to all this and looking for a bit of a reassurance! I've seen some of your pictures of very distinctive new growth, and read the comments about how good it is to be able to see growth and progress. I've also read some of the posts about how important it is not to overlap relaxers and to only apply the relaxer to new growth.

I'm now seven weeks post and I took the attached photo after washing my hair this afternoon. I can't tell where the new growth is at all! Is this normal? Is it just my untrained eye?? Because I'm struggling to understand how a stylist would be able to tell where to put a relaxer (hypothetically I mean - I don't plan to relax yet). I'm so confused!

TIA

 

[Foxglove]

Serious question, I'm not trying to be facetious but if your roots look like that at 7 weeks why do you relax? Is it because you want the bone straight look? You could probably use minimal heat to achieve that look

 

[CluelessJL]

Serious question, I'm not trying to be facetious but if your roots look like that at 7 weeks why do you relax? Is it because you want the bone straight look? You could probably use minimal heat to achieve that look

No worries, it's a fair question! And honestly, I don't have a good answer. I've never known anything about my hair, or hair types, or what I could do with my hair if I didn't relax it. I've been having it relaxed every 4-6 months since I was 12. Reading and joining this forum has been a huge revelation and I'm still thinking about what I might do with my hair in the future. I just wondered if anyone else found their new growth hard to make out during the first few weeks!

 

[LivingInPeace]

Serious question, I'm not trying to be facetious but if your roots look like that at 7 weeks why do you relax? Is it because you want the bone straight look? You could probably use minimal heat to achieve that look

I was thinking the same thing. If that's new growth, I don't understand how relaxing benefits you.

 

[Evolving78]

I don't see any new growth, so it would be about a stylist trying to make some money.

 

[Anaisin]

No worries, it's a fair question! And honestly, I don't have a good answer. I've never known anything about my hair, or hair types, or what I could do with my hair if I didn't relax it. I've been having it relaxed every 4-6 months since I was 12. Reading and joining this forum has been a huge revelation and I'm still thinking about what I might do with my hair in the future. I just wondered if anyone else found their new growth hard to make out during the first few weeks!

Relaxing is for those that want their texture loosened/straightened to get sleeker flat iron results. If your new growth looks like that all you need is a good flat iron. I get what you're saying though, a LOT of women don't know anything about their hair and just do this or that out of routine.

 

[CluelessJL]

Thanks for your replies ladies. Guess it really was a silly question...feeling rather ignorant now

 

[HappyAtLast]

Thanks for your replies ladies. Guess it really was a silly question...feeling rather ignorant now

CluelessJL It's not a silly question at all! It's really not. And what you say about having a relaxer since the age of 12 and it being all you know -- well, you just told the story of the vast majority of the ladies on this board. Me included.

Perhaps you have a finer texture which makes it blend in with your new growth. But don't fall into the trap of comparing your hair and progress with others. Just use this board to learn about your hair - perhaps start stretching your relaxers out to past the 4-6 months to give you a change to learn about your natural hair (new growth) compared to your relaxed hair.

Come back with any further questions!

 

[CodeRed]

Thanks for your replies ladies. Guess it really was a silly question...feeling rather ignorant now

Don't feel ignorant. There's a lot of people who think their hair doesn't grow at all because they can't identify their new growth. Their hair is longer but they stay saying it's not growing because they can't see the new growth

 

[divachyk]

Have you ever noticed if you're a slow grower? Average growth is about a 1/2" per month.

 

[CluelessJL]

Have you ever noticed if you're a slow grower? Average growth is about a 1/2" per month.

Before the end of last year I hadn't really thought about my growth rate at all - it never got past shoulder length so I never really noticed the difference in length. I seemed to get about 2-3 inches in the space of 3-4 months when I first started taking better care of my hair but it has slowed down since. I'm sure I can usually see new growth more clearly by now too - perhaps I really have scared it out of growing any more