new thread
Hi guys,
Lately I've been a bit concerned about my slow hair growth rate.(I'm 53) I've been growing my hair for just over 2.5 years now and am concerned when I see progress pictures from others who have been growing for considerably less time but have longer hair. (you can see my hair length from my avatar picture--although my "wet" length is considerably longer due to my wavy hair) Can terminal length arrive as little as 2.5 years after starting growth. I'm not sure if there are any others out there who have reached terminal length, and how soon they reached it. I guess I'm just praying that my goal of mid to lower back length hair can be reached. (recently, in last week or so, I started taking multivitamins) I feel I eat reasonably healthy, am not overweight, don't smoke, etc. Any thougthts/answers, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks.
Keep in mind that the growth rate for hair is an average. Not everyone's hair grows at the same rate. Some grow considerably fast, others much slower. Your's may very well fall on the latter half of the rate spectrum.
My guess would be that this has to do with ratios. Sorry to get all mathematical on you, but when hair is shorter a month's growth really shows up because the ratio of the month's growth to the length of the hair as a whole isn't really that far apart. As hair gets longer, the ratio becomes more spread out. In other words, a month's growth really doesn't look like much of a change. Rest assured, that your hair probably is still growing at a good rate. A good way to make sure would be to measure your hair once a month to see how much it is growing =)
I've heard that stress causes hair to stop growing/shed more hairs than usual..so...if you're stressed out I would suggest doing something to relieve stress like finding new hobbies,exercising etc.Is this a perpetual problem of yours?or did you notice this happening lately?because if you're hair has been growing slowly all your life then...maybe it's just genetics.Also...make sure you get plenty of sleep (full 8 hours)...because it's during sleep that hair grows :).Not an expert in this field,these are just some thoughts that might help you.Even if your hair does grow very slowly,you'll eventually get to your target length right?Good Luck!!
It has been growing more slowly lately(particularly last year). In fact, when I was younger (30's etc.), my mom used to comment on how fast my hair grew. Even in my 40's, when I last had my hair long, it grew at least the normal length of 6 inches/year. It's only since I started growing it back in my 50's that I noticed the slow growth rate (even then, it seemed to grow pretty fast in first year or so, only lately has it really slowed down). You may be right about stress. Lately I've had some stressful issues to deal with causing broken sleep at night, etc. I didn't realize stress had such an effect on hair grwoth.
do the stressful situations you're going through now pertain to pressure from others to cut your hair,or does it have nothing to do with that.Well, anyway..whatever the stressful situations your going right now...I hope you overcome them and grow a beatiful mane!!I'm going through some tough times myself (I stress about classes too much,hehe,I'm currently in college).Peace...
CereBralAssassin
Actually, the stress has nothing do do with "hair comments", more to do with a loss in the family earlier in the year, coupled with moving back into the city and trying to sell house, etc. (Although it would be nice to have at least one other longhair in my workplace.) I'm certainly happy to have discovered this board in September. It's great to be able to relate to other guys who like to grow their hair long and support each other in the process. Thanks for the concerns and all the best and happy growing. David
There is one other thing to keep in mind when you compare your growth to pictures others have posted. You have a very long neck compared to most of us, so of course your hair won't look as long, when in fact it's very long and looks great! If I had hair the length of your avatar, it would reach the middle of my back, as I have no neck! ;)
Hi Lon,
Thanks for the insight and the positive comments about my hair length. Maybe I am worrying about nothing, and worrying may not be helping matters anyway. After showerering just now I checked my wet hair length in the back and it is pretty long--not quite mid back length but maybe a third down. Also, I am comparing my dry length now to my dry length of a year ago and didn't see much difference. Last year, I was straigtening almost daily which made my hair appear artificially longer. I am no longer using straightening irons (I wised up only when I discovered this board in September and have not straightened since), so naturally my unstraightened hair now appears only a little longer than my straightened hair last year. I guess I will just have to stop worrying, and just let my hair do its own thing.
Again, thanks. David
The answer is yes, Terminal length can arrive after just 2.5 years, particularly if you are of a more mature age. Follicle loss can increase as you get older, meaning that your hair has less chance of reaching those more extreme lengths.
However, all hope is not lost. The majority of hair loss occurs during brushing, you can minimise this by using conditioner whenever you wet or wash your hair. Particularly if you also use a leave-in conditioner which isn't rinsed out. Using a fortifying shampoo/conditioner might also help as it will prevent breakage.
Meanwhile, continue to eat healthily, avoid toxins like nicotine and caffeine, get plenty of exercise and be gentle with your combing. A small trim to remove any split ends (1/2-1 inch) may also help. Sounds counter productive I know, but I trim regularly and still have pretty good growth rates.
Put all these factors together and you will probably extend your terminal length by several inches if not more, but the reality is that as we get older, we are less likely to be able to grow hair down to our waist. Don't get me wrong it does happen! Absalom, Bill, Victor etc are all great examples. But age can (I stress can) be a natural handicap so you have to everything possible to maximise your chances.
Sorted
I think I have cut my shed rate down quite dramatically from two months ago. This improvement happened after I discovered this board in September and picked up some really good hair care tips, mainly all the ones you mentioned.(I certainly wish I had discovered the board earlier!) I now limit shampooing to twice weekly, condition daily, deep condition weekly and use leave in conditioner after every wash. I also stopped straightening my hair which I had done for a year and a half nearly daily (I DID mistreat my hair then!). I am hoping to see results of this reduced shedding and "kindness" to my hair in the next few months. I would certainly love to grow a mane like Absalom! Thanks for any and all tips. David
I would also avoid rinsing your hair daily. This might not be practical if you have a manual job, but hair is weakest when wet, so whilst conditioning with every rinse help a comb glide through your hair when its wet, its better not to have wet hair at all.
Try to only Wash or Rinse 2-3 times a week, conditioning each time, and a using leave-in once a week. If you do it more often you hair can be become lank and lifeless.
Straightening your hair should naturally be avoided, but I straighten my hair on average 2 times a week without ill-effects. (More often than that is not recommended) But I have a good set of GHD's and I always use a heat protect conditioning spray before I straighten.
I had no idea you were straightening your hair. When I saw your update pictures below I was struck by how healthy your hair looked (including ends) and assumed you had naturally straight hair. How straight is your hair normally?--just slightly wavy or quite curly? (this would have an affect on how much you have to straighten) I didn't know there was a way to straighten without damage. Do you use a dryer or an iron?--what brand? I'm scared of straightening my hair now after the damage I appeared to have done to it before. I want to be as gentle to my hair as possible.
David