Is it normal to be stuck at SL for a whole year?

[PinkSunshine77]

I can't believe this. I started at NL a yr ago and hit SL May 2011. I just realized it's been an entire Year and I am still SL. It looks slightly longer and maybe I wasn't FSL, I don't know. I would think I'd be APL by now. My ends are neat and trim. I don't trim often and I don't use heat hardly. Maybe once every 5 mths if that. I stretch my Relaxers every 12-14 weeks. I M&S 2x daily and Protein 1x monthly. I do PS'ing 99% of the time so why in the world has my Hair seem like it hasn't budged for 1 whole year?I did recently trim maybe 1/4 or a little less off recently. Before that I hadn't trimmed for about 6 mths. I'm sorry ladies, I'm getting very discouraged. I don't notice any excess breakage and I am at a loss right now. Any words of encouragement or help would be good if you can. Thanks in advance

 

[lamaria211]

Ive been sl for about a year but thats cause its about 4-5" from sl to apl for me. Im still sl but not in the same spot.

 

[JaySayCa]

I wish I were in a position to give you advice...so I will offer encouragement:

You're hair sounds thick and full. I'm sure someone here will have good advice/suggestions. You'll figure out that detail and be fast-headed toward your goal. I know how you feel except your hair sounds like it's in better shape. Hang in there (like the cat).

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[Amerie123]

Did you take pics? The only thing I can say is take pics. I cant stress that enough! When I thought my hair didn't budge at all, I was glad to see that I was wrong, and it was only through pics that I saw that. Hope this helps.

 

[Shadiyah]

even it don't seem like there is not breakage that is the only thing it sounds like unless like amazing said you don't have any pics to show you the difference from yr to yr.

Start taking pics from now on.

 

[fasika]

Just 2 thoughts: one is that pics can help you see changes, especially if you're a slow grower.

Second, and this is based on my own hair, sometimes the hair just needs a break. For instance, my hair grows really fast to reach APL, no matter how short I cut it. It takes me 4-5 months to go from SL to APL on average, a few times it's taken 3-3.5 months. However, once it reaches that length, it's like it stops for a rest and chills for a while. After that it restarts growing and reaches BSL, etc. For myself I know that APL is where my hair takes that break, maybe for you it's SL?

I don't know if there's a scientific explanation behind this. I know I experience the exact same thing when I lose weight too - there are certain numbers that my body enjoys and stops at, and it takes seemingly herculean effort to get the scale to move.

So if you're caring for your hair properly, don't be discouraged. The worst that can happen is that you'll have super healthy SL hair - that's not too bad, right?

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Did you take pics? The only thing I can say is take pics. I cant stress that enough! When I thought my hair didn't budge at all, I was glad to see that I was wrong, and it was only through pics that I saw that. Hope this helps.

I have a blog with many many pics

this is my start

March 2011

May 5th, 2012

May 1st (Front pic)

The first 2 pics are my hair unstraightened, so May 5 might be a tad longer than it's showing because that day I only cool blow dried it out

I did just trim a couple of longer pieces in the back because my hair was uneven

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

SL is one of the hardest lengths to pass because that's the major length where all the damage comes in to play. Try wearing your hair up more, and by more I mean all the time. People often get stuck here at sl and then again at bsl. I saw it all too often on BHM and here

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Just 2 thoughts: one is that pics can help you see changes, especially if you're a slow grower.

Second, and this is based on my own hair, sometimes the hair just needs a break. For instance, my hair grows really fast to reach APL, no matter how short I cut it. It takes me 4-5 months to go from SL to APL on average, a few times it's taken 3-3.5 months. However, once it reaches that length, it's like it stops for a rest and chills for a while. After that it restarts growing and reaches BSL, etc. For myself I know that APL is where my hair takes that break, maybe for you it's SL?

I don't know if there's a scientific explanation behind this. I know I experience the exact same thing when I lose weight too - there are certain numbers that my body enjoys and stops at, and it takes seemingly herculean effort to get the scale to move.

So if you're caring for your hair properly, don't be discouraged. The worst that can happen is that you'll have super healthy SL hair - that's not too bad, right?

I hear you and thanks for you kind words. SL is all I've ever been. I'm sick of SL hair. My Hair has never been longer as an Adult. I don't know, it could be taking a break maybe? I know my Regi is pretty good and I am only measuring that based on how my Hair feels afterward. I know when it needs Protein or Moisture. I really am thinking I may be a slow grower or maybe I need to trim more.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

SL is one of the hardest lengths to pass because that's the major length where all the damage comes in to play. Try wearing your hair up more, and by more I mean all the time. People often get stuck here at sl and then again at bsl. I saw it all too often on BHM and here

Thanks for this. I wear my hair bunned 99% of the time. It's never on my Shoulders. I do sometimes wear my Hair down for Church, but the past 2 or 3 Sundays, it's been bunned. I hear that too!haha, I hear at SL some ladies' hair just stalls. I appreciate all the advice.

 

[Nonie]

@TracieBLovely, I was stuck at SL for 30 years of my life. Never went beyond that. Thought that was all I could grow. I broke that barrier when I started dusting/trimming every 6-8 weeks. I shared that story here.

Thing is if you have fine strands, it could take as little as 4 months for 2 inches of your hair to be damaged and to slowly break off. After I broke that barrier of 5-6 inches and reached 9-11 inches, I didn't dust for 4 months, and in that time 2 inches of my hair ends got so thin they had to be cut off. If I hadn't cut them off, they'd have broken off on their own.

Now I know you may say you don't see breakage. Neither did I. In all those 30+ years of my life when my hair only ever made it to 6 inches max, I never saw hair breaking. I wore it in braids often and every time I took them out, I was still at SL.

I don't care for my hair the way a lot of people do. I don't PS, I don't moisturize, I don't seal. You could say I neglect my hair a lot. But the one thing I do w/o fail is dust every 8 weeks. And THAT is all it's taken to get me to lengths I never imagined myself getting to.

You trimmed 1/4 inch after 6 months? IMO that's not enough. That's what I trime every 2 months. And you can see that in 4 months, I didn't just need to trim twice that amount, which would be 1/2 an inch. I had to trim 2 whole inches. 4 TIMES as much as I would normally trim in that time when I am doing it regularly. And I'm not the only who's found out that regular dusting is what was missing from my regimen.

 

[Jas123]

it looks like it has grown some... it looks like you might be a slow grower and you may want to now consider things like oral and/or topical growth aids... it did take me awhile to get to apl (and now getting to wl is a sonofab1tch)...

eta: to answer your question op... no i don't think staying at any 1 length for a whole year is normal...

 

[India*32]

Also try incorporating diet and exercise to promote healthy cells growth. Eating fish, beans for protein. Regular exercise is very important and healthy

 

[Amerie123]

I have a blog with many many pics

this is my start

March 2011

May 5th, 2012

May 1st (Front pic)

The first 2 pics are my hair unstraightened, so May 5 might be a tad longer than it's showing because that day I only cool blow dried it out

I did just trim a couple of longer pieces in the back because my hair was uneven

It look like you've retained a good 2-3 inches. So at least you did make some progress as I'm using your collar bone as a marker (and keep in mind you did trim a little bit). I know you would probably like more, but like the other girls mentioned, there are probably other reasons this is happening. Keep up the good work, and who knows, you may end up hitting a growth spurt.

 

[Seamonster]

It looks two or three inches longer to me, and nice and healthy. I know it can be tough looking at all the fast grower on LHCF whisk thru lengths in record time. Gaining two or three inches with a trim is pretty good. I bet you will make APL this year.

 

[EbonyCPrincess]

Hey Tracie! It looks like you went from full NL to full SL - I see definite progress! Not only is it longer but its also alot fuller also. As you know, I've been APL for 2 years. Different lengths (grazing to full and now just past) but still haven't reached BSL. I agree with part of Nonie's response - think about where you'd be if you were not on your hair journey. And yes, some people grow and retain at a much faster pace or make continuous forward progress...bu for others of us we fall more into the slow grower category and that's okay. Any forward progress is good you know? But to help you get over this hump, maybe growth aids and even a diet change? Clean eating and more lean protein? I've noticed forward progress when my lifestyle overall is healthier, so maybe that could help you to break your hair plateau.

 

[WhippedButterCreme]

In the original picture, your hair wasn't touching your collarbone but in the last picture it's there. It's definitively growth imo.

So your hair growth just may not be as fast as you want. And I second the idea of taking pictures.

 

[longhairdreaming]

I've been at SL for a year as well but not in the same place. I think depending on how quickly your hair grows, how well you maintain your ends SL and how many inches you have between SL and APL, SL can be just a short stop or feel like an eternity. Mine hasn't felt like an eternity(most of the time lol) 'cause I've been focusing on getting and keeping my ends healthy which required months of trims.

 

[mamaore]

ITA with what everyone has said so far.

My hair grows like a weed till it gets to SL and then it stops. PERIOD. My hair has never grown past SL before until I started my HHJ. Its taken me almost 2 years to go from SL to close to APL. I recently discovered that my main problem was trimming.

This year I have trimmed almost 1.5 inch off my hair. After my last touchup ...it looks like I'm creeping towards APL. So I think Nonie may be right about trimming consistently especially if you have fine hair. I'm getting a new scissors this week and trimming 1/4 inch away.

If you are already trimming consistently, then you may need to experiment with growth aids - Both internal and topical to speed up your growth some. You'll get to your goals... keep the faith.

Also bunning may not be for everyone. I have been bunning my hair for the 2 years consistently. I did not retain growth. I'm thinking of trying other protective styles to see if I retain better.

 

[havilland]

i def agree. your hair has grown and it's fuller!

keep up the healthy regimen. maybe add a multi vitamin and drink more water. don't drastically change anything. just add one healthy habit and see what happens. keep taking pictures.

also, note that stretching relaxers will help you retain. hormonal birth control and pregnancy can cause you to shed more hair than normal too. exercise can help your stimulate your scalp. all just thoughts to ponder......

i had a looooong growing cycle from neck length to apl.......so take heart. just keep up the good work and try to only do length checks once a year or so. i retain about 4 inches a year, if that. not the typical 6 some ladies get. it can be discouraging to compare yourself to others.

just watch your own regi and take pics. but check length no more than every 6months. after 5 years of journaling my hair and my regimen and taking pics, i have learned so much about my hair habits. i grow more in spring than fall. i grow one side faster than the other. my sides grow one half the year then my length grows another half of the year. that's how MY hair is.....may not be the same for other people. i probably get 6 inches total in a year, but not 6 inches longer....2-3 inches of length and 2-3 inches of fullness (sides)

keep your eye on the goal of healthy hair and the rest will follow. i promise!

 

[PinkSunshine77]

@TracieBLovely, I was stuck at SL for 30 years of my life. Never went beyond that. Thought that was all I could grow. I broke that barrier when I started dusting/trimming every 6-8 weeks. I shared that story here.

Thing is if you have fine strands, it could take as little as 4 months for 2 inches of your hair to be damaged and to slowly break off. After I broke that barrier of 5-6 inches and reached 9-11 inches, I didn't dust for 4 months, and in that time 2 inches of my hair ends got so thin they had to be cut off. If I hadn't cut them off, they'd have broken off on their own.

Now I know you may say you don't see breakage. Neither did I. In all those 30+ years of my life when my hair only ever made it to 6 inches max, I never saw hair breaking. I wore it in braids often and every time I took them out, I was still at SL.

I don't care for my hair the way a lot of people do. I don't PS, I don't moisturize, I don't seal. You could say I neglect my hair a lot. But the one thing I do w/o fail is dust every 8 weeks. And THAT is all it's taken to get me to lengths I never imagined myself getting to.

You trimmed 1/4 inch after 6 months? IMO that's not enough. That's what I trime every 2 months. And you can see that in 4 months, I didn't just need to trim twice that amount, which would be 1/2 an inch. I had to trim 2 whole inches. 4 TIMES as much as I would normally trim in that time when I am doing it regularly. And I'm not the only who's found out that regular dusting is what was missing from my regimen.

Thank you so much for this! I have noticed that sometimes I'll pull a strand, like last week and that joint split in 3. I was like wha? LOL I don't dust often and maybe I should make it a weekly thing. I appreciate this advice. This is the only thing Im not doing regularly right now.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

It look like you've retained a good 2-3 inches. So at least you did make some progress as I'm using your collar bone as a marker (and keep in mind you did trim a little bit). I know you would probably like more, but like the other girls mentioned, there are probably other reasons this is happening. Keep up the good work, and who knows, you may end up hitting a growth spurt.

thank you I think I grow slow LOL no I also think I need to dust!

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Hey Tracie! It looks like you went from full NL to full SL - I see definite progress! Not only is it longer but its also alot fuller also. As you know, I've been APL for 2 years. Different lengths (grazing to full and now just past) but still haven't reached BSL. I agree with part of Nonie's response - think about where you'd be if you were not on your hair journey. And yes, some people grow and retain at a much faster pace or make continuous forward progress...bu for others of us we fall more into the slow grower category and that's okay. Any forward progress is good you know? But to help you get over this hump, maybe growth aids and even a diet change? Clean eating and more lean protein? I've noticed forward progress when my lifestyle overall is healthier, so maybe that could help you to break your hair plateau.

I agree. I am the worst eater I mean seriously. Slim girls have a tendency to think "Oh i'm skinny, I don't need to eat right" but it's not true. Everyone can benefit from health. Now Exercise? eh..I don't know. I hate walking LOL let alone exercise. I have recently started with a Multivitamin to make up the slack for my poor eating habits. I take 1000 Biotin, an Iron supplement for my deficiency I've had like forever and a Flintstones chewable (hey don't laugh)

 

[PinkSunshine77]

ITA with what everyone has said so far.

My hair grows like a weed till it gets to SL and then it stops. PERIOD. My hair has never grown past SL before until I started my HHJ. Its taken me almost 2 years to go from SL to close to APL. I recently discovered that my main problem was trimming.

This year I have trimmed almost 1.5 inch off my hair. After my last touchup ...it looks like I'm creeping towards APL. So I think Nonie may be right about trimming consistently especially if you have fine hair. I'm getting a new scissors this week and trimming 1/4 inch away.

If you are already trimming consistently, then you may need to experiment with growth aids - Both internal and topical to speed up your growth some. You'll get to your goals... keep the faith.

Also bunning may not be for everyone. I have been bunning my hair for the 2 years consistently. I did not retain growth. I'm thinking of trying other protective styles to see if I retain better.

thanks, I do a real loose bun like in my Pic, but I said I'm going to stop with the elastic bands and start doing French Braids as my protective style. You give me hope haha, and I'm reading you ladies' responses and it feels like the pieces are coming together. The only thing I haven't been doing is trimming regularly. I hate braids and twists so Im out of luck when it comes to protective styling. I also don't do wigs or weaves. I had a horrrible and I mean horrible, wig fiasco in Church in January. It was so horrifyingly embarrassing I swore I'd never wear a Wig again and I meant it. Haha. I'm still tramautized.

 

[Dayjoy]

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm actually learning and being reminded of a lot that will help me on my own journey. Umm...I sure would like to hear that wig-in-church story. What?? I like to learn and laugh at the same time.

 

[JudithO]

Nonie... How do you self trim? In twists?

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm actually learning and being reminded of a lot that will help me on my own journey. Umm...I sure would like to hear that wig-in-church story. What?? I like to learn and laugh at the same time.

Oh Lord give me strength. I was in Church and all was well. I had on a Lace front, but it was fit enough to have on w/o Pins or Adhesive or so I thought. The shout music started, I went to move and the entire Wig plopped off of my head and onto the floor! I was horrified!!!! I looked back at the Pew in back of me and everyone was dying laughing! I played it off and it WAS funny so I laughed so hard too. I had Miss Celie braids under and it was a mess. I was so embarrassed. That to me, was a sign from the Lord "Trace, wear your own Hair!" Hahaha! I still laugh thinking about it.

 

[Dayjoy]

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing that story. You gave me a good laugh. I can't even lie--I've been waiting for YEARS to see that happen in church. I always picture it on an older lady, like someone from the Mother's Board...

I definitely see growth in your pictures. Also have you noticed an increase in you hair's overall health? A lot of ladies see that first (strength, fullness, shininess- your avatar pic looks nice and shiny) before length.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing that story. You gave me a good laugh. I can't even lie--I've been waiting for YEARS to see that happen in church. I always picture it on an older lady, like someone from the Mother's Board...

I definitely see growth in your pictures. Also have you noticed an increase in you hair's overall health? A lot of ladies see that first (strength, fullness, shininess- your avatar pic looks nice and shiny) before length.

Thanks Haha! I tell everyone when they're having a bad day, think of what happened to me. It'll atleast make you smile.

My hair has always been pretty thick,even as a little girl. I have never been longer than SL but I know for a while I kept my Hair cut, used Heat all the time so I was stuck at NL for a good 4 or 5 yrs(horrible I know). I do notice my Hair being softer during stretches. I mean I wash and my Hair is soft as if I just got a retouch. That's the only real difference I see though. MY NG was so unmanageable at one time. I'm 12 weeks post and I feel like I can go 12 more weeks.

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie... How do you self trim? In twists?

judy4all Yes, I trim in the twists I am always in. When my phone beeps to let me know it's 8 weeks since last trim, I just cornrow them in a forward French braid, then pull one out at a time starting from the back, slide my fingers down the hair till I'm holding a tiny bit and then snip. I try to snip the same amount from all the twists. And since they are small, I am pretty sure I get a fairly uniform trim all round. I don't need to be by a mirror to do this, so even when my hair was too short for me to see, I just felt for about the same amount and snipped it off.

I do try to redo all my twists the week before dusting so I can remove all shed hair and have my hair properly "stretched" but even if I don't, as long as all the twists are in the same condition (all fairly old therefore equally shrunken or all freshly done so fairly stretched) then they tend to have the same "shrinkage" or absence thereof, so if I cut off the same in all, then it's a good approximation of having my hair straight and snipping a clearly even amount all through. Because my head is round, hair on the side falls to a different point from hair in the back, so trimming this way makes sure I leave all strands about the same length; so I don't get a blunt cut but I get a fairly even cut on all strands.