By Audrey Sivasothy, author of The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care
*Click for part 2 of this series
So you’ve been taking care of your hair diligently for the last year. You’ve been protective styling, reducing the heat, and taking care to address your protein and moisture concerns as they arise from time to time. You’ve changed your old habits, and at first your hair seemed to take off – greatly improving in health and length. Then you hit what seems like a growth plateau. All of a sudden, the dreaded “T” word comes up: terminal length.
Or . . . I’ve heard it a million times.
Well I am genetically predetermined for shoulder length hair because my hair has been this length for my whole life. And come to think of it, so has everyone else in my family . . . it is genetics.
Again, the dreaded “T” word comes up: terminal length. Then, upon close examination of their hair regimen (or lack of one) you find that they are still frying, dyeing, and not actively trying to grow their hair. Improving the length and condition of the hair obviously does not happen by accident, but where do genetics and terminal length come into play?
Why does my hair stop growing at a certain point?
For most of us, growing the hair without actively taking steps to maintain it, often ends in utter disappointment; but then sometimes, even excellent care has us wondering why we appear to be making no progress at all. Many factors go into dictating whether or not a person will be able to achieve a healthier, lengthier head of hair. It is very easy at this point to give up and concede your lack of growth to genetics or some other factor, but before you throw in the towel-take these notes into consideration. Let’s talk terminal hair length and genetics!
My hair is BSL, and I’ve been natural for a little over 2 years. I have made SEVERAL mistakes along the way, but the best choice that I have made for my hair has been to use no heat. The last time I used heat on my hair was almost exactly 2 years ago.
Women (of all races) are always in awe of my hair. I mean, it’s really thick, but it wasn’t this thick when I was straightening it. I know SEVERAL black girls that straighten their natural hair at least once a week, and their hair is still down to their butts. That’s fine for them, but I know it’s not going to work for me. Like several of the above commenters have said, you need to LISTEN to your hair. You may not be genetically disposed to butt length hair, lol, but you can grow your hair to a decent length if you properly nourish it. For some, this may mean swearing off heat and chemicals; for others, this may mean finger detangling and protective styling; and still for others, this may mean using all natural products. For everyone, this means healthier eating and being physically active.
Well said!
I deliberately put the cat amongst the pigeons to stimulate debate and it obviously worked!I grew up mainly in the West Indian and African community in west London and everybody had long hair growing up. But I’m just talking about west London back in the day, which for me is too small a community to say anything about black hair length. Now is it because alot of people from the carribean are mixed genetically or is it because when we were young, our hair regime was very simple, there was no relaxing, chemicals and just the occasional heat on special occasions and we ate a wholesome Carribean or African diet, who is to say? I agree wholeheartedly with what everybody else has said in terms of growing long healthy hair. You need to get to know and love your hair, that means lots of trials and errors, eat well and have lots of patience!
That is is true is potential to grow longer is excellent. But here a question that now arise how do individuals like myself where there routine brought length until about collar bone length and stop what advice is there on proper was to change a routine to continue past the plateau. There is a lot of advice for working out on how to surpass your plateau, but with hair care it always becomes the blame game “need to take responsibility with your hair care”, ” your not taking care of it correctly” “You’re not got to be delicate” . Instead of advice that trainer or health professional would tell you when you reach routine like specifics “You manage to get this far with cardio but to get past this plateau change it up with strength training” or ” Change your intervals from 30 mins on the tread mill to, 5-10 mins of different rountines like planks, and bench presses, etc” or “Try not eating less, eating more frequently but smaller quantities, and making sure your getting right amount of protein to maintain muscle mass”, etc.
What we need is an outlet for plateau advice for hair care, it not necessarily that the person is doing something wrong but maybe they need to make a change to see more progress pass their current point. Or maybe they need tweaking but since like a diet, workout, or skin regiment, it will vary person to person and by practice as well. It would be great if a person targeting hair growth could tell someone with similar hair circumstances or experience about their practices and get advice on what they need to tweak on practices.
Does anything like that actually exist?
In order for something like that to function properly the person giving the advice must not only understand how hair practices work (including the pro and cons) but that they must factor the physical nature of the hair of person asking advice. That would include porosity, stand thickness, curl pattern, hair density, protein/moisture needs, and environment (water hardness and general weather). All that must be understood before the advisor could give suggestion on how improve person hair care practices.
But most I find most don’t care or even think to ask about what the physical state the hair is in now, before giving advice out what they should do.
Like I said earlier I think that the major determinant of hair length is in the genes, regardless of race not everyone can grow long hair but most black women do not or never know the full potential of their hair due to poor maintenance.
What about a trichologist?
Excellent article. Nutrition & health are also important factors. For the past few years my hair was breaking & could not grow past my collar bone. But I didn’t use chemicals or heat. Turns out I had health issues- Hypoglycemia & Hypothyroidism- that impacted various aspects of my health, including hair growth.
I went on thyroid meds & revamped my diet. I follow a Weston A Price style diet (NO more processed food/ synthetic vitamins/ coffee/ processed sugars/ artificial anything; only the following, preferably organic- low glycemic fruit, lots of veggies & sprouts, grass fed & finished meat, fermented grains, nuts & seeds, food grade herbs) I also use hair products without toxic ingredients (no sulfates, cones, etc.), and henna/ cassia/ indigo. Well, I had chin length hair at the beginning of the year(Jan 2011), now in Nov it is bra strap length. By this time next year it should be down to my butt. If you or someone you know can’t seem to grow their hair, suggest they get a physical to check for health issues. Good luck everyone.
It’s hard to believe that the person who wrote this calls herself a scientist. The length hair will grow is definitely genetic. The writer explains why in the article (the range in hair growth cycles–2-6 years) then goes on to say most people can grow hair that is a foot long. The truth is some people just have short hair. They can take good care of the hair they have but it won’t grow beyond its genetic potential. By the way, genetic does not mean black. There are many, many black women with long hair. Also, growing hair is not an achievement–earning a degree, opening a business, raising successful children, having a long-lasting, happy marriage–those are achievements.
Cosign 100%
I don’t think “some people just have short hair” I think that’s the problem with so many people today who allow ignorance to guide them. My aunt had short hair all her life. Didn’t start taking care of it until she was about 42. Needless to say she has a head full of hair now. Her sisters all have thin short hair and my grandmother had thin short hair. (They all have the same father as well) Now that’s a pretty mean recessive trait if you ask me. Genes play a part in hair growth yes but they are not the determining factor. But what do I know I’m just a Genetics major. Btw great article hun!
Exactly!!!
I did bring up the issue of what exactly is black earlier on ( I meant genetically)but people didn’t quite catch on. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. We need to learn to be content with what we have and praise God for it.The fact that you have a roof over your head, food in your fridge, is able to get educated up to the age of 18 for free, clothes on your back and money in your bank account and that we are able to talk at length across the World about nonsense of bra length, collar length hair. C’mon you have to laugh, its ridiculous. We are spoilt beyond comprehension, especially when you compare us to the rest of the World and what they have. Remember 100 years ago………………
Sure at the end of the day it doesn’t matter, but we are on Black Girl Long Hair website, so that’s what we talk about. If you don’t like it, you can click the X on the top right hand side of your browser.
It’s just physics. According to science, generally everybody’s hair grows at the same rate. Genetics do count. Straight hair has round, cylinder shaped strands. Wavy hair has oval strands and kinky hair has more flattened strands. The structure determines the strength. It’s not that it doesn’t grow, certain hair types just break easier. The kinkier the hair, the more rough combing and brushing, heat and chemicals it is exposed to, therefore, there is more breakage.
This was informative. I have been natural for 2 1/2 years now, and I noticed that my hair wasn’t growing anymore back in Aug. I do not pratice the BEST hair care but I do take good care of it. My lenght is right above APL. I also noticed -back in Aug- alot of shedding, to the point that I wanted to cry. I checked the shed hair to be sure it wasn’t breakage. My hair is still shedding, but not as bad.
But if anyone could help me:
When can I expect the shedding to stop and my hair to start growing again?
Tamika, is that your little one? Adorable!
She also may be responsible for some of that shedding. Have you heard of Post Partum shedding?
Yes she is. Thank You. No I haven’t, please explain.
Sure! Basically, as this post mentioned, about 85% of your hair is in a growth phase at any given time; the other 15% is at rest. During pregnancy, high estrogen levels prolong the growth phase, making you shed less and your hair appears thicker and fuller.
After your give birth, and that estrogen takes a tumble, the shedding begins.
Hopefully someone will chime in as far as tips. There isn’t much you can do to prevent the actual shedding…
Whats funny is I work for an Ob/Gyn and I still haven’t heard of that. Im actually at work now and im going to ask her soon as were finished with the patients. I know the shedding isn’t going to stop completely. Maby I should have stated it differently.
Thank You.
tamika where do you work? do you work in florida? if so I think you know me….
No I don’t. I live in Michigan. You can e-mail me @ mcnac_t@yahoo.com… I do know someone in FLA.
Wow I have her book, not finished it yet but certainly havent come across ‘Terminal lenghts’ never heard of it – but it makes sense!.
Really interesting article!
When we get out of comparing ourselves to others then it will be a more productive mindset. It’s funny to mention genetics when so many textures can exist in one family. Also, you cannot know your real length for many years. In this fast moving society people are not usually patient. Potential to do anything is based on variables. For example, a person could be applying great hair care, but using prodcts that are all wrong for their hair. Also, if you live in a climate that negatively affects your hair and skin then it is totally understandable. Kinky curly hair thrives in warmer climates.
Just because someone hair does not go past a certain length DOES NOT MEAN they are abusing there hair!! To think that is crazy! Relaxed hair does GROWs. why do u think domicans have hair past there shoulders? We who have AFRICAN HAIR MUST fIND something to reduce the breakage enough so that it will grow STRONG. Other races dont have to do protective styles BECAUSE there hair is STRONGER THE OURS.
When are people going to realize that! we as BLACKS have to try harder to GROW hair its the COLD HARD TRUTH THAT WE NEED TO EXCEPT. IF it was easy hair care forums would not exist.
Actually because I am so tall and I have such a long neck, the 12 inches of hair i have on my head only puts me at about armpit length. I think I may have reached my terminal length…
Can someone please help me? If you have any tips on how to grow hair longer please reply it would mean alot! My hair is shoulder length and very curly. My genes from my mother mean I have very fragile, thin, extremely slow growing hair and my fathers side has dry but faster growing hair. I know that genetics play a huge part in hair and hair growth, but I was wondering if there was any way I could grow my hair just a bit longer, past my shoulders. It gets me down alot when all my friends’ hair is growing and everyone around me has long hair that grows and I’m stuck with this dry hair that looks horrible. I do like my curls and I never use heat like hairdryers or straightners at all and use good shampoo and conditioner (Aussie) and sometimes I put a bit of olive oil in it. I eat kind of healthy, alot of meat and eggs to help it grow but it doesn’t seem to work still. I have a bit of wet dandruff which could be affecting my scalp. If anyone has any suggestions on what to do to help it grow please comment, I am so self-conscience and I’m just so upset as my hair has never been past shoulder-length since I was born. I am so sick of people telling me it will grow eventually, I’ve been waiting 15 years and it still doesn’t happen! My terminal length probably is shoulder-length, but isn’t there any way I can grow it a bit longer? Its dry and limp. Please help :(
As said previously, there are many things which can affect hair and hair growth.So I will rehash, you have to look at both external and internal factors. Internal factors include hormones, thyroid issues,lack of certain vitamins and minerals( many black women have low iron levels),diet- eating your greens, cutting out the soda and fast food and drinking lots of water.Any chronic illnesses and/or taking any long term medications. You should be eating more fruit and veg than meat. High protein levels are not good for the kidneys. In terms of external, keeping your hair moisturised, wearing satin at night as well as when wearing hats and scarves.I don’t know what wet dandruff is, but you may have a fungus which can also inhibit hair growth.In terms of what products you use. You need to experiment. Its no good reading and watching what everybody is doing, those things are just suppose to be a guide. You need to get to know your own hair,what it likes and doesn’t like which means experimenting( my hair does not like coconut oil or Argan oil ) It will take a while, minimum a year.And yes it can be boring but at the end once you find the right products and combinations, you will if anything, produce a beautiful head of healthy hair,even if it doesn’t grow another inch!Just using a bit of olive oil really, is simply not enough! Because if it was you would not be saying that your hair is dry and limp. Dry and limp hair means your hair is unhappy.Please forgive me for saying this but you sound really depressed! Stress is not good for hair growth either.It sounds to me, that you need to get your mind off hair length and concentrate on getting a head of healthy hair!You also need to stop watching your friends and their hair and concentrate on building your own self confidence and loving yourself and hair,no matter what state its in!
Obviously I haven’t covered all fields, just the basics which I think is enough to be starting off with.
So just to finalise, you need to get that wet dandruff checked out and treated and moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.And good luck, I wish you and your hair well.