PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

[IONENABILLION]

I have very dry hair and it seems like no matter what I do it never seems to grow. Here's a little info on my hair and my lifestyle:

*My hair type is 4a/4b

*I haven't had a relaxer in over a year

*As stated before my hair is VERY brittle and dry

*My ends are thin

*The crown area of my hair is very thick but not the edges and the nape. Those areas seem to never grow at all.

*I don't moisturize my hair on a regular basis

*Since I wear my braids I usally only shampoo and condition my hair when I take my braids out which is usually every 2-4 weeks and I have been using a chelating shampoo lately.

*I have been wearing braids for about a year hoping my hair would grow to no avail.

*I have used biotin, gnc ultranourishair, flaxseed oil, silica, fo-ti, msm, and others I can't think of in my head right now.

*I used products like Lenzis Request, sulphur 8, surge plus 14, MN, MTG, etc to no avail.

*I have never had long hair and long hair doesn't run in my family

*I eat fast food and drink soda on a regular basis. And I don't drink alot of water.

*I never exercise eventhough on my feet all day at work.


I dunno. I'm just thinking about cutting off my hair and starting over. But I want to know can anybody recommend any products, regimens, etc, that wolud be helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

[Nonie]

Have you ever tried to follow the Crown & Glory Method? People who wanted to grow their hair have had a lot of success following that method. That means following the recommended regimen even if you decide to use different moisturizers. I find washing hair more often is better for my hair so I don't know if washing once every 2 or 4 weeks might be hurting you. Eating well and exercise are things you should make part of your life. I find trimming my ends regularly helps me keep them thick. For four months after I joined the forum, I tried not to trim my hair and it thinned so badly I ended up cutting more than I was trying to retain. I was in braids too when this happened.

Are you transitioning or just stretching?

 

[vnaps]

hey....sorry to hear bout your hair issues.....

i dont think you should cut it if you dont have a good regime in place.....there wouldnt be a point to doing that......

and dont forget braiding doesnt make hair grow....it is a protective style and no matter how much you protect your hair without moisturizing well, keeping your hair/scalp clean, deep conditioning, keeping up with protein/moisture treatments you probably wont see the progress you wish to see...

thats all i have to contribute unfortunately......hope it works out for you though......

oh and you should try drinking more water....the hair & body love it....

 

[luxe.li.]

Im sorry to hear this. I'm going through my own stuff right now.

I BC'd on Dec 6th, its more than a month later, my hair is DEFINITELY thicker, but I've always had thick hair, but it's thicker than before and I don't know if that's due to the BIOTIN.

My biggest fear was to cut my hair really short to BC and over time my ends get damage because if I have to trim them I'll lose the length. WELL I'm so upset tonight about my hair not growing the way I thought it would I'm just dusting my ends and trimming some.....

I really hope you figure out why your hair isn't growing because I'm still trying to figure out while mine isnt.

Maybe if you find a great regimen and just stick to it without trying too many new things that might help.

 

[Miamori]

I have very dry hair and it seems like no matter what I do it never seems to grow. Here's a little info on my hair and my lifestyle:
....

I dunno. I'm just thinking about cutting off my hair and starting over. But I want to know can anybody recommend any products, regimens, etc, that wolud be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Since you aren't relaxing/transitioning, MOISTURIZE. I haven't been natural for like 6 or 7 years now, but that's one thing I do know. I also know that the longer I stretch, the more moisture my new growth needs.

(My relaxed hair and the point where the two textures meet also end up needing more protein aka strength, but that's a different story, kind of.)

I got a chemical burn in my nape area, and at one point, severely thinning edges and nape. My nape has largely recovered from the chemical burn (I documented the last bit of the recovery in my fotki) and it is filling in well. I take progress shots of my edges and nape when I remember. What has helped me grow them is to stop manipulating, brushing, and bothering them so much.

It was a bad process for me - they looked bad, so I would brush, beat, gel, comb, and straighten them like crazy. Funny thing is that all just made them look worse. Last year, I found that leaving them alone in fact made them MORE manageable, healthier, fuller (curlier when stretching and straighter after a new relaxer). Now, since they are long, it is even easier to leave them alone. They just keep getting easier to deal with a nicer looking by leaving them alone.

I am not sure if that will work for you though, since I know mine weren't growing mostly from too much manipulation. So the key is trying different things and trying to pin point why they are thin. What do you do to your nape and edges?

Moisturize your hair more often. I don't moisturize daily. I did for a while but then found that I couldn't keep up. So now, instead of using instant (normal post shampoo conditioners) I deep condition EVERY time I wash my hair (not more often than 2-3 days, but not less often than once a week) and this works a lot better for me. If my hair is straightened or styled I will moisturize before I tie it up though, but it is not often "done" because I'm generally low mani, and just wash, pin, and go. I suggest using more moisturizing deep conditioners and (or at least "or") daily moisturizing, at least until your hair gets moisture back.

Um, if your hair is dry, and you don't seem to do much to your hair to cause a build up of any sort, aside from maybe sweat (is this so?) DON'T use a chelating shampoo each time, esp. if you are neglecting moisturizing. I also personally recommend washing your hair more often. My hair's health has improved a lot since I started. I USED to not wash for 2-4 weeks, but my hair is a lot healthier since I stopped that.

Moisturizing is also very important if you are in braids.

Um, I generally don't add to my hair, but I do know that my hair does well, so it may have something to do with the fact that I don't use braids or weaves and things. I think it works for some people, but I know I have a feeling that for others, and especially me, I def. need to be able to keep a close eye on my hair to care for it well.

Eating healthier and exercising would help, but I am sure you know this.

I believe before you try the extras, like the specific vitamins and growth aids, the basic essentials like moisturizing (protein-moisture balance too), not stripping/drying the hair (perhaps look into mostly natural shampoos? - I know ayurveda shampoo bars really helped my hair out), and a basic multivitamin too would change a lot. That's all I do minus the multivitamins, and my hair has grown and thickened well since May. I am working on more progress shots.

I doubt you need to cut it off and start over. Just some TLC and maybe trying new things.

Edited for a typo.

 

[supermodelsonya]

Problem: dry hair that hasn't been relaxed in a year, no moisturizing, bad diet, only shampoo twice a month (?)

Solution: You already know now what to do to get your hair to grow.

1. For someone that is transitioning (I think...) you need way more moisture! Especially since that line of demarcation (where relaxed and natural hair meet) Your natural hair "wins" and the relaxed hair WILL BREAK OFF without moisture!!!!

2. Why aren't you washing your hair more? A clean scalp is a healthy scalp! If you don't create the enviroment where your hair will grow...IT WON'T!

I believe your hair is growing...hair and nails grow after you die. You are not RETAINING what your grow because your progress just breaks off.

Wash your hair more often, step up your conditioning game, and you should be fine.