Any other gals growing their hair out?

[anna_newman]

does anyone else save their hairbrush hair like they used to do to make your own rats?

I do that! I have such pathetically fine hair that it really helps to augment rolls and any kind of updo with extra hair. I have a hair receiver (those little celluloid dishes with the lid with a center hole) that I use to save up hair from my comb after I wash my hair. When I get enough hair (about once a year), I gather it up in a hairnet that matches my shade. Your own hair rats are so easy to use and pin into, but I have to say, they are kind of creepy looking and I store them out of sight

anna

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Once a year?? I swear I must lose so much hair then. I don't know how much you need for a rat, but I'm sure I could make up enough in a couple of weeks!

 

[anna_newman]

I wasn't kidding when I said it was pathetically fine! I'm sure a normal person would get quite a few a year.

Oh, also, I only save the hair that comes out when I comb after my shower/hair wash because its all clean then.

 

[Honey Doll]

Me too!

I have been desparately trying to get my hair just a couple inches longer. It brushes my shoulders and when I do a set, it curls tight and seems much shorter. Just a couple more inches would be fine. I adore my hairdresser, but he's ruthless with my split ends (as he must be!)

Honey Doll

 

[RedShoesGirl]

really tight curls

oh my....curly low ponytail time which looks rather vintage since it is all at my neckline. i had to pull those curlers out before i could actually get to sleep so they were in only about 3 hours but wow, my hair really curled!

oh, daisy, i bought one of those flattening iron things you talked about before, makes a really nice shine - but the wavy crinkled look was too funny for words. i think i'll stick to the straightening plates.

lara

 

[Viola]

Once a year?? I swear I must lose so much hair then. I don't know how much you need for a rat, but I'm sure I could make up enough in a couple of weeks!

...So would I, if I only brushed my hair once every couple weeks!

I clean my brush out every time I use it, because otherwise, as my mom says, "it looks like a lint-trap!"

I have enough hair I don't miss it. I have never tried to use a rat; is it just to poof it out? My hair does that all by itself.[huh]

 

[Caledonia]

I lose a tonne of hair each brushing too. But - I have read that we lose on average 200 hairs a day. I haven't exactly counted them, but I haven't noted a bald patch either, so I think it's ok.

On topic - yes, I'm growing my hair out too. Got it cut way too layered and short and am trying to get it back to collar length with layers so I can do 30s, 40s, and 50s. Only a month to go!

 

[mysterygal]

I've got mine layered the last time is was cut too and I kind of regret it. I wonder it it's because it's the same kind of cut I've had since my sophmore year [huh] anyone who knows me, knows I'm one who craves some change! :eusa_doh:
I've been asking around for tips on growing hair out and I've gotten a few more pointer, on the nutritional side anyways: taking vitamin E and omega fish oils, supposedly is great for growing out your tresses.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Another tip is to take folic acid, as it will cause your hair and nails to grow faster.

 

[Etienne]

I am growing it out until my wedding so that I have some length to do an up-do with. I want to cut it right now, but can't and yet I want to keep growing it until after the QM so that I can do a finger roll style. But I may end up trimming it and then chopping it to my chin before Christmas.

Holly, I think your hair in your avatar is gorgeous on you! Seems plenty long for an up-do, yet fun, stylish and face-framing. VERY pretty!

 

[Rosie]

Another tip is to take folic acid, as it will cause your hair and nails to grow faster.

Very true! I forgot about this, thanks JBD. I've been taking folic acid, biotin and primerose oil or GNC's Hair, Skin and Nails formula. Alternating months. Normally hair should grow about 1/2 inch a month, but since January, I've grown a wee bit over 7 inches of hair. Also, when growing out hair, it's good to use protective hair styles, styles where your hair isn't being abused a lot, one of the main reasons I'm currently wearing extensions. Proctective styling includes not using tight pony tail holders on the hair, wearing your curlers looser and not sleeping while wearing them.

One way to maintain curls in your hair is to curl it during the day or when you come home, undo the set and then wrap your hair, also called a doobie.

 

[dolly]

I am growing my hair out. I put a 'weave' in my hair to make the process a little less painful.
There is a seller on ebay called 'vixenwigs' who sells WaWave hair, it's nearly as good as human hair at a fraction of the price and it can be hot curled & straightened like human hair.

 

[fortworthgal]

I'm in the process of growing mine out. I've been growing it since June and it is right about chin length now (I just had it trimmed). So far it isn't too bad, although I am remembering why I've kept it short all these years! My hair is extremely thick, coarse, and wavy, so it has a mind of its own. I'll probably go just above shoulder length, but I definitely don't want to go any longer than that.

 

[olive bleu]

well, you all make me cry. I just spent a year &1/2 growing my hair out. I had a pixie cut last year and grew it into a "louise brooks"" bob.The problem was that style looks best with straight hair and my hair is wavy.( ok ..so its a rats nest). so i decided to grow it long. well 2 days ago i decided that it was bothering me( thick & hot,falling out in handfuls, etc), and went to my hairdresser and got it chopped off again! That poor man spent 10 minutes grilling me about why I wanted to do this,and then i watched as clumps of dark auburn curls fell to the floor! it is kind of cute, and someone at work said i look like betty boop, so i guess it could be worse. but not much.
How can i tell my hairdresser that i was only having a moment of temporary insanity( it happens frequently) and that i really need to start in earnest to grow it back out.That poor, poor man.

 

[Miss_Bri]

My hair is just barely shy of my tailbone, and has been somewhere between where my bra crosses my back and slightly above where it is now for nearly 20 years. Up until recently, it's been long simply because it's always been long, but now I am making a concerted effort to get it long enough to sit on! I don't have too far to go, probably less than 12 inches, but it'll take a while as my hair recovers from years of "length through neglect."

I occasionally wish my hair was short, so I could do all of these fabulous styles I see, but I know that my face is quite unsuited for short hair, and I find that my length is a vanity I enjoy.

 

[~landgirl~]

I too am trying to grow my hair longer, it's just past shoulder length at the back but a bit shorter at the front. The problem with my hair is I have so much of it!
I want to get it a bit longer and get a wave through it, but like I say there is alot of it. So I was wondering what everyones thoughts were on layers - and how short to go with these?

 

[rubyredlocks]

LD-For layers I think it really depends on your hair texture.If the hair is thick and coarse leaning toward a wide bushy look I think layers that are no shorter than chin length work to add texture to the ends while leaving enough weight that it doesn't expand any further. Now if it's thick,but fine you probably need layers to add volume then I recommend no shorter than the bottom of the ear lobe,so the length still tucks behind the ear.
Side note:These suggestions follow where the shortest length starts and the rest should be blended down.

 

[rubyredlocks]

I've decided to grow my pixie out to the Louise Brooks bob,even made Lulu my avatar to add encouragement.My hair's fine,but I have a good amount of it and it's gotten poker straight again.(got kind wavy for awhile)
In fact,if I blow it dry with a paddle brush most people think I flatironed it.So,this haircut works well for me and the bangs compliment my high forehead.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

After years of having layers, they are finally all grown out. A few months ago I chopped my long hair to shoulder length, and although I find the cut kind of boring, I must admit it is much easier to do. I can't let my hair air dry. It takes too long, and gets a really bad wave to it. Not a nice curl, but an unruly, flyaway wave. So, I would spend at least a half hour under a hot dryer with a big round brush drying and straightening my long locks, which fell about 7 inches below the shoulder. Then, to get it smooth and less frizzy I'd have to spend even more time with a flat iron. It just got to the point where I dreaded washing and drying my hair. Now I still have to spend some time with the dryer and flat iron, but not nearly as much, which is a lot less frustrating. It's also much easier to curl. I have pretty advanced rheumatoid arthritis that really affects the dexterity of my hands and arms. I also have a lot of hair, even though it is shorter now and thin in texture, I still have a good amount of it. I wish it looked thick, but it's so thin in texture that it never looks that way. Anyway, with shorter hair I can do a very quick set with either carusoe steam rollers (which are awesome by the way), or if I really don't feel like putting my entire head in curlers I can get a pretty decent, although not as long lasting, set with a curling iron. I've just discovered this new curl enhancing shampoo by herbal essences and a curl enhancing gel by Bed Head, and the combination of these two products is really great. I'm getting much longer lasting curls with the curling iron than before. I know this thread is about growing out ones hair, but the curl enhancing shampoo and conditioner by Herbal Essences is really great and worth a mention. I've been using Bumble and Bumble hair products for years, and have never wanted to use anything else. I saw a commercial for the curly formula Herbal Essences, and just decided on a whim to give it a shot. I'm always looking for ways to enhance my curl. This stuff really works. In conjunction with Bed Head Uptight heat activated curl enhancer, I'm getting some really great curls. The Uptight stuff is specifically made to use with curlers, and as the name says, is activated by heat. I actually like it better than the setting lotion I usually use. And unlike the setting lotion, it doesn't have to be mixed with water, so its more convenient to use.
Well, now that I've gone completely off topic! Back to my hair cut. I like that it's easy to do, both straight and curly. But, I feel like it's kind of blah. I just wish it had a little more style. But I really don't want to cut layers again, even though with them I can curl my hair into more of a thirties style. I have been contemplating bangs for a little while. When I was a kid, my mom made me have a chin length bob with bangs straight across. I had that haircut for such a long time, and now that I look at pictures of it, I realize that it did look cute. But, it was something I had no choice in, so as soon as I was old enough to rebel against my mom, I grew my hair long and grew out the bangs. So, I have a bit of an aversion to cutting bangs again. However, I think they might just add a little style to my ho-hum hair do. I realize that this style of hair cut would be more indicative of the twenties, but I have seen some pictures of woman in the thirties with it. Hmm, what to do, what to do? For ease, I'd like to keep my hair at least at my shoulders, if not a little shorter. But, I want to have a little more style to it. What do you ladies think? Would bangs give a little more style, or do you think I'm gonna need to add some longer layers to give it a little more ooompf?
Thanks for any advice you might be able to give! Sorry to go on such a long tangent

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Another tip is to take folic acid, as it will cause your hair and nails to grow faster.

I am on a drug called Methotrexate, it is chemotherapy. I'm on a low dose once a week, but enough that in the past five years that I have been on it I've probably lost half my hair. Methotrexate leaches folic acid from the body, so I have to take a high dose of folic acid every day. Not just to make up for what I'm losing, but folic acid has been proven to reduce birth defects, so it's very important for woman of child bearing age to have a lot of it. A good source in every day diet it orange juice. They do sell over the counter supplements too, which I would recommend to every woman. I take 3 mgs a day, which is a high dose, but I have to make up for what I'm losing because of the drug I'm on. Anyway, I'll get to the point. I found out from my hair dresser that folic acid stimulates hair growth. The last time I went for a hair cut my hair dresser asked me if I was taking it, for she said the reason why I had a lot of flyaway hair was that all the fly aways were actually new hair growth. So, although the medicine I'm on is causing me to lose a lot more than average hair (I could probably make a hair rat in one day), I have a good amount of new hair growing in. I can actually feel the fuzz on my scalp, and I have a layer of about one inch long hairs that are hidden underneath my longer hair. Anyway, it seems that folic acid can actually help re-grow hair. I'm still losing a good amount of hair from the meds, but my hairdresser has told me that if I stay on the folic acid my new hair growth will eventually catch up with all the hair I'm losing. I might not have to end up cutting bangs! Hopefully in a few months my new hair will be a little longer, and instead of cutting bangs, I'll have just grown them.
Anyway, take your folic acid. It's one of the most important vitamins a woman of child bearing age can take, and it might just give you a thicker head of hair.