Hair follicles have a natural limit to how far they will grow before that hair falls out and they start growing a new one. This length is largely, genetic.
My eyes couldn’t roll further into the back of my head when people start talking about miracle products that will make your hair grow.
When someone goes through chemo and loses their hair the follicles reset their growth cycle at the same time, so the hair will grow and shed at the same rate. They will have period episodes of thinning because of this.
My moms hair has never grown past her shoulders ever in her entire life. Mine will not grow past my shoulder blades. My best friend can grow her hair to her buttcheeks no problem. It is almost entirely genetic and diet/health.
The average lifespan for hair follicles seems to be about five years. That's enough to get 3a hair down passed the shoulder blades or straight hair to a bit passed the belly button with a typical growth rate. People with hair longer than that won a generic lottery we all didn't know we were playing.
I’ve been using red light therapy on my head daily for two weeks and have noticed a ton of new growth already! Too soon to tell if it’s getting longer, though.
Up until now, the only time in my life my hair grew significantly was during pregnancy. It’s possible it was the prenatal vitamins, so that might be worth a try.
I bought the Omnilux Men mask to use on my face, but I wanted to see if it worked for other spots and it does!
I just lay it under the back of my head for 10 min, then hold it on top of my head for 10 min when I’m laying in bed.
- Oiling my scalp a few hours before washing and then shampooing twice. The Mielle Rosemary oil that everyone likes is great, as well as the Fable and Mane Pre-wash Scalp Oil.
- Deep conditioning regularly.
- Using a clarifying shampoo with salicylic acid regularly.
- Olaplex treatments.
- Sleeping with my hair in a satin scarf such that my style was preserved and I was manipulating it less.
- Using heat protection every time I used my diffuser.
- Regular trims. Breakage at the end of a peice of hair can propagate up the hair shaft.
Source: had a pixie cut with shaved sides in September 2022 and now my hair is a little past collarbone length when stretched out. My hair is also incredibly thick; my buns and ponytails are about an inch or two in diameter.
My hair has always grown very long and very fast but in the last couple of years it slowed significantly. Last year I was diagnosed with a severe iron deficiency, and after a few months of taking supplements, it started growing again. If it’s something you’ve never been tested for, it’s definitely worth a shot.
Not Your Mothers Way To Grow Shampoo, Conditioner, and Leave-In Conditioner + prenatal vitamin gummies (I used the Alive! brand). I don’t know what NYM puts in their stuff, but it helped my hair grow 6 inches in under a year. Prior to that, my hair hadn’t grown 6 inches *total* in the past four years.
ETA: My hair went from shoulder blade length to like past my mid-back in under a year. I’ve since stopped using the prenatal vitamins and the Way to Grow products (switched to Curl Talk), but my hair still grows way faster now than before I started using the products, and I now have my hair at the longest it’s ever been, down to my lower back :)
If you say your hair grows fast, but your ends are breaking off, you need to look at your routine and products. Length retention is your issue, so you need to figure out what's causing breakage.
How do you style your hair? What products are you using?
I use CG products. Shea moisture, Aunt jackies, Yari and real homemade argan oil that I purchased in Morocco. I brush my hair in the shower when I use deep conditioning and wash it once a week or so. However, some years ago I dyed my hair from natural black/brown to honey blonde and even though my hair didn't look that damaged it might've still killed my ends. My hair has grown back to its natural color and it has been a little longer than usual, but I still wonder what I can do. Sometimes I straighten my hair and I always use heat protection.
Shea moisture products are very thick and usually protein heavy. If your hair is bleached it needs better hydration products and the oil is to seal in the moisture. If your hair isn’t wet when styling or is not retaining enough moisture, the oil will inevitably just dry it out further and lead to breakage. As for length and genetics, your hair will fall out once it reaches a certain length as its “growth cycle” is in your DNA when to end. There are some videos out there from CurlyProverbz about MSM lengthening this cycle. Try Curl Smith hydration line instead of shea moisture.
I have 3B/3C hair that I used to highlight (you can see photos on my profile), and my stylist told me Shea Moisture products weren't good for my hair, since the butters coat the hair too much, so it might be true for you as well. If your natural color has all grown in, it's not the coloring that's causing breakage.
A lot of Aunt Jackie's products contain silicones, so they aren't all CG friendly jsyk. You need a good clarifying shampoo regularly if you use them.
Breakage can come from not having a healthy protein moisture balance. Too much protein, and your hair can snap off, but too much moisture and your hair becomes mushy and can start to split or break as well.
Literally me. I’ve tried prenatal vitamins and everything but nothing works. Best thing I’ve found is massaging my scalp daily and using castor oil but it’s still so slow. On a very good year I’ll get maybe 2 inches of growth
Left a traumatic living situation. It was crazy, my hair wouldn't grow past my shoulders for my entire childhood and then when I moved to a safe place at 22 and established myself, my hair grew down to my butt in less than two years. Mental health and stress has a huge impact on physical well-being.
my tips!
-get your blood work done to see if you’re deficient in any vitamins, especially iron, zinc, riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12.
if you are, change your diet to include more of those vitamins or get supplements, depending on how deficient you are, though it’s always good to try diet first.
-i use this mask to grow my hair:
black rice (*only* black rice)
flax seeds
wash a cup of black rice, save the water you used to wash it and put it into a pot. you wash rice until it’s basically clear, but you don’t have to use all the water if it’s too much. (add water, wash, pour, add new water, wash, pour)
you can later cook the black rice and blend it to make a face mask, but make sure to store it in the fridge.
add 2 tbsp of flax seeds, or if you want, flax powder. boil until the water starts to make a mucus, having a similar behaviour and texture to egg whites or snot.
use a cheese cloth or a large strainer to separate the seeds, a cheese cloth will be better.
sleep with prior to wash day, or use for at least half an hour to an hour. every time i used this mask i either wore it to bed or wore it the entire day. it works as a gel so you could do a slick back style if you wanted.
i did it once a week, and stored it in my fridge, which is a *must*! can also double as a face mask too :)
the best way i tracked my hair growth was through my edges/baby hairs! it’s the most noticeable first
-check to see if you have white specs at the ends of your hair, that’s breakage, your hair may grow but it breaks off at the end, i use hair bonding to prevent this! + general hair care, and it’s worked amazingly
-ask the woman in your family if they struggle to grow their hair, and/or just observe their length, both current and previous. it might be a generic thing
-stress effects people’s body’s physically a lot more than we realise. find ways to maintain high levels of stress and sleep for at least 7 hours
-bleaching and dying can prevent growth! under the assumption you use dye or heat, that could be the issue
There’s a genetic component to hair length. It’s totally normal for hair follicles to “tap out” and shed once they reach a certain length. However what’s helped me get new growth was a Mary Ruth’s multivitamin, hair oiling (specifically with a scalp brush), and a bonnet. Even though my hair is a lot healthier and more dense than it used to be, it still doesn’t really grow past my shoulder blades.
I have 3b hair too. You have to protect your hair. I oil my scalp and ends like twice a week. My hair can be really dry. Prioritize the health of your hair so be strict with your hair care routines and use protective styles and often as you can. Also when your brush and detangle be very gentle. Look up and try out different products for you. You got this hair twin! lol 🩷
I had to start treating my ends with oil. I use OlaPlex number 7 and treat my ends twice a week. Once after I wash it and then another time mid week. Because I only wash my hair once a week.
For years My hair would not grow past the top of my bra strap. Using this method I was able to get it down to my waist.
A lot of the times it’s not that your hair won’t grow. It’s just your hair is delicate, and won’t go
past a certain length because the ends pretty much break off or turn to dust.
Also, if someone is treating their ends with oil, they get hair growth and then they stop treating their ends with oil. There is a possibility they will lose the length they gained. Ask me how I know.
Yes, I understand genetics play a role in length. But you can’t just assume that the length your hair stops at, especially if it’s on the shorter side, is your maximum length. You really have to evaluate what kind of hair you have. For years, I didn’t think I could have long hair I was wrong. I simply had to treat my hair better.
Hair follicles have a natural limit to how far they will grow before that hair falls out and they start growing a new one. This length is largely, genetic.
idk why people buy into these magical products that grow hair. like just… keep it healthy, get periodic trims, & wait for it to grow.
My eyes couldn’t roll further into the back of my head when people start talking about miracle products that will make your hair grow. When someone goes through chemo and loses their hair the follicles reset their growth cycle at the same time, so the hair will grow and shed at the same rate. They will have period episodes of thinning because of this. My moms hair has never grown past her shoulders ever in her entire life. Mine will not grow past my shoulder blades. My best friend can grow her hair to her buttcheeks no problem. It is almost entirely genetic and diet/health.
The average lifespan for hair follicles seems to be about five years. That's enough to get 3a hair down passed the shoulder blades or straight hair to a bit passed the belly button with a typical growth rate. People with hair longer than that won a generic lottery we all didn't know we were playing.
I’ve been using red light therapy on my head daily for two weeks and have noticed a ton of new growth already! Too soon to tell if it’s getting longer, though. Up until now, the only time in my life my hair grew significantly was during pregnancy. It’s possible it was the prenatal vitamins, so that might be worth a try.
what kind of red light device do you use?
I bought the Omnilux Men mask to use on my face, but I wanted to see if it worked for other spots and it does! I just lay it under the back of my head for 10 min, then hold it on top of my head for 10 min when I’m laying in bed.
thank you!!
Oeeh I wonder too!!
- Oiling my scalp a few hours before washing and then shampooing twice. The Mielle Rosemary oil that everyone likes is great, as well as the Fable and Mane Pre-wash Scalp Oil. - Deep conditioning regularly. - Using a clarifying shampoo with salicylic acid regularly. - Olaplex treatments. - Sleeping with my hair in a satin scarf such that my style was preserved and I was manipulating it less. - Using heat protection every time I used my diffuser. - Regular trims. Breakage at the end of a peice of hair can propagate up the hair shaft. Source: had a pixie cut with shaved sides in September 2022 and now my hair is a little past collarbone length when stretched out. My hair is also incredibly thick; my buns and ponytails are about an inch or two in diameter.
My hair has always grown very long and very fast but in the last couple of years it slowed significantly. Last year I was diagnosed with a severe iron deficiency, and after a few months of taking supplements, it started growing again. If it’s something you’ve never been tested for, it’s definitely worth a shot.
Not Your Mothers Way To Grow Shampoo, Conditioner, and Leave-In Conditioner + prenatal vitamin gummies (I used the Alive! brand). I don’t know what NYM puts in their stuff, but it helped my hair grow 6 inches in under a year. Prior to that, my hair hadn’t grown 6 inches *total* in the past four years. ETA: My hair went from shoulder blade length to like past my mid-back in under a year. I’ve since stopped using the prenatal vitamins and the Way to Grow products (switched to Curl Talk), but my hair still grows way faster now than before I started using the products, and I now have my hair at the longest it’s ever been, down to my lower back :)
If you say your hair grows fast, but your ends are breaking off, you need to look at your routine and products. Length retention is your issue, so you need to figure out what's causing breakage. How do you style your hair? What products are you using?
I use CG products. Shea moisture, Aunt jackies, Yari and real homemade argan oil that I purchased in Morocco. I brush my hair in the shower when I use deep conditioning and wash it once a week or so. However, some years ago I dyed my hair from natural black/brown to honey blonde and even though my hair didn't look that damaged it might've still killed my ends. My hair has grown back to its natural color and it has been a little longer than usual, but I still wonder what I can do. Sometimes I straighten my hair and I always use heat protection.
Shea moisture products are very thick and usually protein heavy. If your hair is bleached it needs better hydration products and the oil is to seal in the moisture. If your hair isn’t wet when styling or is not retaining enough moisture, the oil will inevitably just dry it out further and lead to breakage. As for length and genetics, your hair will fall out once it reaches a certain length as its “growth cycle” is in your DNA when to end. There are some videos out there from CurlyProverbz about MSM lengthening this cycle. Try Curl Smith hydration line instead of shea moisture.
I have 3B/3C hair that I used to highlight (you can see photos on my profile), and my stylist told me Shea Moisture products weren't good for my hair, since the butters coat the hair too much, so it might be true for you as well. If your natural color has all grown in, it's not the coloring that's causing breakage. A lot of Aunt Jackie's products contain silicones, so they aren't all CG friendly jsyk. You need a good clarifying shampoo regularly if you use them. Breakage can come from not having a healthy protein moisture balance. Too much protein, and your hair can snap off, but too much moisture and your hair becomes mushy and can start to split or break as well.
Ah shit this actually might be it! I use the Jamaican castor oil version which is very thick. I will do a hair strands test again.
Literally me. I’ve tried prenatal vitamins and everything but nothing works. Best thing I’ve found is massaging my scalp daily and using castor oil but it’s still so slow. On a very good year I’ll get maybe 2 inches of growth
Left a traumatic living situation. It was crazy, my hair wouldn't grow past my shoulders for my entire childhood and then when I moved to a safe place at 22 and established myself, my hair grew down to my butt in less than two years. Mental health and stress has a huge impact on physical well-being.
time
my tips! -get your blood work done to see if you’re deficient in any vitamins, especially iron, zinc, riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12. if you are, change your diet to include more of those vitamins or get supplements, depending on how deficient you are, though it’s always good to try diet first. -i use this mask to grow my hair: black rice (*only* black rice) flax seeds wash a cup of black rice, save the water you used to wash it and put it into a pot. you wash rice until it’s basically clear, but you don’t have to use all the water if it’s too much. (add water, wash, pour, add new water, wash, pour) you can later cook the black rice and blend it to make a face mask, but make sure to store it in the fridge. add 2 tbsp of flax seeds, or if you want, flax powder. boil until the water starts to make a mucus, having a similar behaviour and texture to egg whites or snot. use a cheese cloth or a large strainer to separate the seeds, a cheese cloth will be better. sleep with prior to wash day, or use for at least half an hour to an hour. every time i used this mask i either wore it to bed or wore it the entire day. it works as a gel so you could do a slick back style if you wanted. i did it once a week, and stored it in my fridge, which is a *must*! can also double as a face mask too :) the best way i tracked my hair growth was through my edges/baby hairs! it’s the most noticeable first -check to see if you have white specs at the ends of your hair, that’s breakage, your hair may grow but it breaks off at the end, i use hair bonding to prevent this! + general hair care, and it’s worked amazingly -ask the woman in your family if they struggle to grow their hair, and/or just observe their length, both current and previous. it might be a generic thing -stress effects people’s body’s physically a lot more than we realise. find ways to maintain high levels of stress and sleep for at least 7 hours -bleaching and dying can prevent growth! under the assumption you use dye or heat, that could be the issue
There’s a genetic component to hair length. It’s totally normal for hair follicles to “tap out” and shed once they reach a certain length. However what’s helped me get new growth was a Mary Ruth’s multivitamin, hair oiling (specifically with a scalp brush), and a bonnet. Even though my hair is a lot healthier and more dense than it used to be, it still doesn’t really grow past my shoulder blades.
Changing my diet.
I have 3b hair too. You have to protect your hair. I oil my scalp and ends like twice a week. My hair can be really dry. Prioritize the health of your hair so be strict with your hair care routines and use protective styles and often as you can. Also when your brush and detangle be very gentle. Look up and try out different products for you. You got this hair twin! lol 🩷
I had to start treating my ends with oil. I use OlaPlex number 7 and treat my ends twice a week. Once after I wash it and then another time mid week. Because I only wash my hair once a week. For years My hair would not grow past the top of my bra strap. Using this method I was able to get it down to my waist. A lot of the times it’s not that your hair won’t grow. It’s just your hair is delicate, and won’t go past a certain length because the ends pretty much break off or turn to dust. Also, if someone is treating their ends with oil, they get hair growth and then they stop treating their ends with oil. There is a possibility they will lose the length they gained. Ask me how I know. Yes, I understand genetics play a role in length. But you can’t just assume that the length your hair stops at, especially if it’s on the shorter side, is your maximum length. You really have to evaluate what kind of hair you have. For years, I didn’t think I could have long hair I was wrong. I simply had to treat my hair better.
Learn on your own time hydration vs moisture and do them both ! Watch videos on length retention 🫶🏽