Does Nape Hair ever stop growing before the rest?..please read

[Chevelure618]

I'm pushing BSL, but I'm at the end of my 3rd year and thinking I should have been MBL by now, seeing as I have a normal to slightly faster than normal growth rate and my hair is in good condition.

Well I blew it out to do a length check and the back 2-3 inches looked a little thin. I parted my hair in the back straight across from mid-ear to mid-ear and put the top section up. I was surprised to see that the lower section, the nape section was barely APL!

I don't think I have breakage, but I wonder if that part of my hair is just slower growing that the top? Or is the underneath hair rubbing on my clothes? Or are my updos pulling from the nape? ORRRR- could my nape hair be at its terminal length??? If so, then I will NEVER reach my goal of super-long hair. (unless the upper hair makes up for it) I am so depressed right now.

Has this happened to anyone else and have you gotten the under layer to catch up? My hair in the back "looks" kinda long because it is so thick so the top hair makes up for the length, but I realize I would've been to MBL or beyond now if the nape hair grew the same as the top of my head

PLEASE ADVISE.

 

[kmn1980]

Interested in the replies you get. Mine is actually reverse.

 

[Pompous Blue]

Interested in the replies you get. Mine is actually reverse.

Mine is, too. I BC'd 4/4/10 and from mid-ear down this part of my hair is thicker and longer than the rest and all of it was the same length when I BC'd.

It can't be from rubbing up against anything 'cause I don't have any hair to "rub". It was 3" after the BC and shrinkage is around a 1/2".

But I think I'll wait for at least 6 months worth of growth to see what my growth pattern is before thinking about using any topical "growth" aids in the other part of my head.

Bumping for added replies.....

 

[ceebee3]

My nape is short, it's only 3 inches and the rest of my hair is like 14 inches. I never really had a complex about it until I came here.

I'm just not going to worry about it, you can't tell when my hair is all down or in a protective style, so I don't stress it.

I never really considered that that area would grow long. It will be interesting if it does.

 

[Fhrizzball]

Is your nape a tighter curl than the rest of your hair?

 

[theLovelyStyle]

My nape is on the slow bus as well. Most of my hair is scraping APL but the nape is scraping SL...barely. I thought it was only me because I had unevenly cut my hair years ago and never got it fixd. I also noticed that my nape hair is thickier, rougher, doesnt take moisture too easily, and doesn't relax well either.

 

[Chevelure618]

Is your nape a tighter curl than the rest of your hair?

No. My nape area is in the 3 range....very soft like a 3a or even in the 2 range. At the very nape it is the loosest on my head...doesn't even really need a relaxer....a couple of times the stylist said he wasn't going to relax it at all because it didn't need it...so it makes no sense that that hair would be the SHORTEST on my head. The rest of my hair is 4b/4a

Help please.

 

[coolsista-paris]

well ive got another problem. Kind of the same. My hair length is almost same everywhere, exept the middle of the head!!! that annoys me. So i thought maybe thats since i tried straight ironing (a year ago at least) but i trimmed my ends so???? Im just not gonna stress about it any more. Ive also decided to stop trimming too much. I used to trim a lot! Now im gonna grow my hair to its maximum, and when i finally reach my goal, i'll start cutting again.

 

[Nonie]

Is your hair relaxed and have you ever got it cut so it falls to the same length? I know that seems an obvious explanation but you'll be surprised how often people don't think of that. I remember people thinking that their crown was short coz the hair didn't fall where the hair at the nape fell on their body.

As an example, this lady's hair all falls to the same length:

For that to be, the nape has to be way shorter than the crown since it has a shorter distance to get to the blunt cut while the crown has a long way, if that makes sense.

 

[NeauxOneCurr]

Is your hair relaxed and have you ever got it cut so it falls to the same length? I know that seems an obvious explanation but you'll be surprised how often people don't think of that. I remember people thinking that their crown was short coz the hair didn't fall where the hair at the nape fell on their body.

As an example, this lady's hair all falls to the same length:

For that to be, the nape has to be way shorter than the crown since it has a shorter distance to get to the blunt cut while the crown has a long way, if that makes sense.

I agree. From your avi, this seems to be the case.

 

[caribeandiva]

I have the same issue as well but I assumed, like Nonie pointed out above, that it's because I cut my hair into an even bob back in June. Now more cuts for me so I'm just waiting for it to grow out.

 

[Chevelure618]

Is your hair relaxed and have you ever got it cut so it falls to the same length? I know that seems an obvious explanation but you'll be surprised how often people don't think of that. I remember people thinking that their crown was short coz the hair didn't fall where the hair at the nape fell on their body.

If I did that, my overall length would be shorter than APL. Its the top hairs that are giving me my length. Don't know what to do.

 

[Chevelure618]

I agree. From your avi, this seems to be the case.

The hair in the front that frams my face is angles so that it looks shoulder length in the front. The hair in the back is longer. I was trying to grow it into a V in the back

 

[Nonie]

If I did that, my overall length would be shorter than APL. Its the top hairs that are giving me my length. Don't know what to do.

Good point.

Do you wear your hair in a pony tail whereby the fastener might be cutting your hair? Or maybe if you wear your hair down all the time, the hair that is closest to your body endures more friction against your clothes than the rest, hence some breakage.

I know a few people who will not wear their hair down unless they have a silk or satin scarf on their shoulders to provide protection for their hair.

 

[brucebettye]

My nape is about 2 inches longer than the rest of my hair. I started out with a twa and I have not had any major cuts since I started growing out my hair and my nape is apl where the rest of my hair is not. I have actually cut my nape a couple of times to keep it even, but it just grows out really fast. Your nape may just grow slower or it is the friction from your clothes. Also I do not wear my hair down that much either.

 

[Rastafarai]

well ive got another problem. Kind of the same. My hair length is almost same everywhere, exept the middle of the head!!! that annoys me. So i thought maybe thats since i tried straight ironing (a year ago at least) but i trimmed my ends so???? Im just not gonna stress about it any more. Ive also decided to stop trimming too much. I used to trim a lot! Now im gonna grow my hair to its maximum, and when i finally reach my goal, i'll start cutting again.

Same here! It is SO annoying. My issue is with the lower middle of my hair, right above the nape. It is not only the most slowest in growing but also the more kinkier of all the textures on my head. Sometimes I wonder if it will EVER grow out and catch up with the rest of my sections. My lengths are all over the place!

 

[Bnster]

OP I have the same issue, but at least your nape hair is nearing to APL at your MBL. Keep moisturizing it and sealing it and don't give up. My nape is my worst part and I am babying it I think from chemical damage and now finally getting some growth back there. So I will have short length in the nape over the rest of my hair length. I will not cut as yet to even it out, no way, not until I past my goal length and as it grows to the rest to catch up. I wish my nape was longer too! I do not know how long your nape is at APL length, but baby it and have patience, it will grow and you can retain that growth! HHG

 

[lana]

I'm having this issue right now. My hair is a little past APL and my nape is now collar bone length! I thought it was from me texlaxing my hair because when I was natural my nape was the longest part of my hair. It just slowly dwindled down to about two inches and then grew out because of my taking good care of it. I no longer blow dry the nape. I airdry or rollerset it and I lightly flat iron it. I put vitamin E oil on the nape and massage it more and because I mainly wear a protective style, I'm very gentle with that part of my hair.

Have hope, mine grew from 2 inches to collarbone length in about six months. I am carefully trimming the longer hair to allow the nape to catch up. My goal is BSL all one length - just decided!

Oh and my crown grows the longest of any place on my head. I WISH my nape grew like my crown. My hair actually looks thin if I wear it bone straight because of the "missing" hair at the nape (about 2-3 inches too short). So I wear it all curled/rollerset/pincurled and no one can tell but me. It's a great solution for now.

 

[me-T]

my guess would be hair rubbing on your clothes. i thought i wouldn't have to worry about that once i got past shoulder length, but sometimes it's still an issue since it's laying flat on my clothes. or if it's curly, it shrinks to shoulder/collarbone so the bottom is rubbing

 

[SelahOco]

My nape hair is extra fine and breaks more easily than the rest of my hair. I have to fight the urge to even out my hair all the time, because it'll never get longer if I keep trying to keep it even.