new thread
Hello all. I'm back. I think my last update was in June, but I decided to hold off on further updates for awhile. I was noticing virtually no change in my length, so posting pics seemed like a waste.
Anyway, these are pics for my 11-month update. Next month will mark one year since my last haircut. Unfortunately, I am still noticing very little to no change. My hair has looked virtually the same for the last three months, and I'm starting to wonder if this is maybe as long as it's going to grow. The back is starting to frustrate me again, too. Even my mom, who's been very supportive and helpful in finding me ways to try and work with my hair over the last year, is starting to ask whether I should just give up and get a cut, and in the last couple months, it's gotten easy for me to see her points.
I'm planning to at least reach my 1-year mark, but I'm afraid that if I don't start seeing some good growth and change very soon, I may have to start looking into going in for a cut.
Hi Michael,
Actually, I think your hair looks great now, and think you are doing just fine for 11 months of growth. I am not sure how long your hair was when you started. Whatever you do, don't get discouraged, long hair takes time and patience to grow, and you are probably going through the awkward phase right now. The normal growth rate of hair is around 1/2 inch per month, but that varies, some guys have slower growth, and some are blessed with faster growth.
Just hang in there, the rewards are WELL worth it, and you will be very happy in the end if you stick it out.
Keep it growing,
David
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I agree with DavidN. Your hair looks fantastic, and just because you can see any results, doesn't mean they are not happening. Heck, my hair growth really didn't start picking up until my annoyingly frizzy hair weighed itself down. It just kept growing into a frizzy mess for a few months. Give it some time, and whatever you do, DO NOT cut it. Plus, your hair looks fantastic at just a little under a year. Keep it growing! :)
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Be patient. That progress looks fine for 11 months. Where did you start from, a shaved or almost shaved head?
Keep going, man.
I don't know for sure, but from measuring my hair awhile back and then counting back the number of months, I think I started off at about 2 inches last October. For most of this year, it seemed like I was going pretty steady about 1/2-inch per month, but in the last few months it looks like it's been slowly down.
Oh, and also, if you think your hair is really growing far less than 1/2 inch a month (like I said, it looks good, but I don't know where you started from)... then I suppose you could look into your diet. Sometimes a lack of B vitamins can do things like that. I forget what certain vitamins contribute to this, I think B12 does, but maybe someone else knows more about it. A good indicator is how fast your fingernails grow as well.
Just don't bother with products that claim it will make your hair grow faster, those are generally a waste. But it was just a suggestion, as I remember when my diet was fairly poor and my hair wasn't getting off to a good start.
B Vitamins definitely do have an effect on hair growth. While they won't be the miracle hair growth product, too little of them will slow down, or even stop, hair growth. Getting enough Vitamin B, will maximize your growth rate, which is 1/2 inch for most. I eat a whole grain, high fiber rish diet. And I have noticed slightly faster hair growth, as well as nail growth. While I have superfine, thin hair; the hair strands themselves are strong. Supplementing with B-Complex certainly won't hurt, and may actually help, if a deficiency is apparent.
Carol
Exactly. You said everything I wanted to say, but better.
On a side note, since you seem to be into health and diet, have you ever read or heard of the book "Fit for Life"? I've been (mostly) following its theories in the past 5 months, and although I don't want to lose weight (I weigh 135 haha), I want to be healthier, and I think it's helping! Just wondering if you or anyone you know has tried it...
I have to be concerned about health and diet, because if I ignore it I'm in trouble. People my age, who ignored health and diet, ended up with much shorter health spans. I am in no way fit, have always had weight issues, and physical disability and mobility impairment limit severely my ability to be physically active in any way. I try to be healthy as I can be, with the genetic cards that's been dealt to me. I worked in healthcare foodservice, and have a certificate in dietetics as well.
I am not familiar with the book you mention, my eating plan is pretty much modeled after "The ZONE". I don't know what the concept of "Fit for Life" is, but "The ZONE" stresses lean protein, monounsaturated fats, and high-complex, low glycemic-index carbohydrates. Meals should be a balance of those things. I am eating far less refined and overprocesssed junk food, and eating more whole grains and natural/organic/unprocesssed stuff. The plus side, is that I am getting numerous vitamins and trace minerals in my diet, that are normally stripped out of food in the refinement process. If "Fit for Life", is getting you to eat better, more nutritious, and healthier food; you are going to notice it's effects on you. In the long run, that's a good thing.
Carol
Do what works for you, by all means. I'm not familiar with "the zone", but then again, I don't really search around for different diets and such.
Fit for Life just happened to interest me. It's theories are eating nothing buit fruit in the morning, and eating either bread/starch/carbs and vegetables for one meal, or eating meats/protein and vegetables for one meal; never mixing the two. It's weird but there's actually common sense and reasoning explained, seems to work for me!
I wouldn't worry too much, Michael. Your hair looks kinda like mine did around the 11-month mark. As it get's longer progress is harder to see because an additional 1/4 or 1/2 inch is a smaller and smaller proportion of total hair length. One thing I do is take a picture of my bangs stretched out down my nose about once/week. While I usually don't notice any difference week to week, I can look back over the months and see the progress made. My hair hadn't felt like it was getting any longer, so the bangs pictures kept me motivated. Just an idea.
Hang in there!
Mouse
Hey Michael,
Your hair looks great and it's making really good progress for 11 months. The only reason why it's not obvious to you is that you see it everyday. I haven't been on the board for a month and I notice a great difference!
Keep it growing
-Mihnea
Hi Michael, don't be discouraged, hair may grow at different rates for different people and certainly nutrition may play a role but rest assured, IT'S STILL GROWING!! It would be a shame to want long hair and cut it off because it's not growing fast enough. That would be negative progress! Hang in there and you'll be rewarded.
Keep on growin'
Bruce
I agree with Mouse completely. You are just at the point where the change in length relative to what you have is getting smaller and smaller, and is harder to notice in just a month. I went through the exact same thing; thought my hair had about stopped; but suddenly it was on my shoulders.
Hang in there; you are doing fine.
Big George
This actually looks about right for eleven months. Sometime it seems like nothing is happening, and then all of a sudden it's grown. All about perception!
also take folic acid that makes hair grow alot! looking good dude keep it up!
Hi Michael24. Whatever you don't, don't cut it all off. I can almost guarantee that you will regret it afterwards (as most of us have that cut it off and had to start over again). I felt sick at my stomach after I cut off 9 months of growth the first time trying to brow it out and immediately knew afterwards I made a big mistake cutting it all off. If you cut it all off and start over again, it will be like losing a year of your life. Seriously. One thing you might consider though is having the back evened up (cut) with the sides and front. I have been doing this and I think it looks much better during the awkward stage than letting the back hang down longer than the rest. But that's just my opinion. But whatever you do, don't cut it all off! You'll regret it afterwards.