Is it possible to grow healthy hair

[Scotblue]

I am 40 years old now.
I wanted long hair since I was in my 20s. It never happened for me. When I was a younger I thought it was a case of just wanting long hair and lettting my hair grow and it will happen.
I had no knowledge of haircare and of course it never really grew.
I was able to grow my hair to bra strap length but the ends were always so bad. They were thin and dry and uneven.
Then I would need a trim or cut and get inches off.

I implemented no haircare when I was younger. I had some terrible habits too and it's only looking back I can see it now. For example I had a ghd. I used that without heat protection. Sometimes I used the ghd on damp hair. I used to wash my hair and go to bed with it wet. The horrors of it all. Then I stopped going to the hairdressers and I would trim my own hair.

It was only about 2017 when I started zoning in on parts of what I was doing and changing bits.

• I stopped using the ghd and hairdryer. Another year goes by. I knew heat was bad and I thought I was doing good by not using heat but my hair was still bad.

I stopped going to bed with my hair wet.

Another year goes by.
My hair still didn't grow much. The ends were so bad too.
I realised the shampoo I was using was too harsh. I stopped using that.

Another year goes by. Still no progress.
I wasn't using conditioner so I started using conditioner.

Another year goes by still no results.
My hair was beginning to look a little bit better by 2021 but still not great.

Then I started going to the hairdresser for trims. My hair has improved over the past year but it's still not great.

I recently got my hair cut to my shoulders. My hair feels and looks much better.
Not only this I discovered 'the blowout professor'. He is on YouTube. He is a stylist and an influencer. He likes to help people grow their hair out. He has some recommendations. In his process he recommends:

• shampoo and conditioner or a mask once every few weeks.
• a leave in conditioner from the middle of the hair to the ends as well.
• a hair oil on the ends of the hair

I am just after having a haircut.

I am going to start implementing his system straight away.
I am now using protective styles now too using silk hair ties.
I am using a silk pillowcase.
I am using tshirts to dry my hair on wash days.

I am hoping these measures will help my hair.
I would still love length in my hair but it never happened.
Right now I want to focus on hair health. I know my hair can grow to bra strap length but the ends often look bad. I am hoping to achieve less breakage and damage as possible with the blowout professor techniques and protective styles.

It's only lately I am coming to realise that haircare for healthy hair and growth must be a whole entire multifactorial approach. It's not just implementing one or two things. It must be many things.

I know the diet plays a part too.
I am reasonably pleased with my diet. Its filled with eggs and plenty of vegetables and supplements and water.

Was anyone here ever successful with growing their hair in a healthy manner?
Is anyone here familiar with 'the blowout professor?'.

I spent a small fortune on hair care products to implement his steps. I am hoping it will help but I am deflated too.

I always thought that hair had its own natural length. My hair grows slowly for about four or five years, and maximum length used to be bra strap (it goes straggly when it's that long now so I keep it shoulder length 😭). My DD and step sis have faster growing hair and it grows for longer, so they can get their hair to bum length (in spite of the years of colouring in DSS's case).

Hope this new approach works for you.

What’s your hair type?

I spend a lot of time on my hair. I do the things I was taught to do growing up.

I did stop for a period in my 30s. I abandoned self care entirely and my hair was pretty crap. I have started again and my hair is in much better condition. Though I did do a big chop last year. It’s been about a year and you can see a huge difference.

Hair care is individual. Hair piling, is something I grew up and have gone back to. But not all hair oils are suitable for all people. You do need to make sure you are doing what suits you. Shampoo and conditioner is the same. One can work really well on one person and not the other. It can be a bit of a journey.

Try a vitamin supplement for hair - Holland and Barrett do one, for example. Weleda hair tonic’s worth a shot - massaging it in well is important. With products I think you just have to keep trying till you find the ones that work for you. Use a scalp scrub to clear any product build up.

I’d say there’s a big genetic component.
you could add more biotin in your diet.
hormones play a part and at 40 i suspect your aim would most likely be to maintain it strength and health.

Scotblue I'm no expert but from experience and observation I would say you are now doing all the right things to grow your hair. I used to be in the opposite situation to you and needed a maximum 8-week haircut to keep my overly thick, rapidly-growing hair under control and never worried much about hair problems because it grew out so fast. Now I'm much older, my hair is thinner and grows more slowly and I've been struggling with it and not at all sure I was using the right products and method. So thank you so much for the link to the Blowout Professor who I'd not heard of before. I've looked at his videos and they make a lot of sense. I think I've worked out what I need to do and like you I'm about to start on his healthy hair routine. Maybe we should post again in a few months and see how we got on.

Make sure you have a healthy diet.
Use products sparingly.
Don't use a hairdryer or straighteners
Don't dye it
Use a silky pillowcase or bonnet
don't overstyle it or brush/comb too often
be careful what ponytail bands you use
My hair only grows to about bra-strap length, and it grows very slowly and is wavy

Last night was wash day for me and I used the new steps from the blowout professor. My hair feels wonderful and fantastic today and so full of body and bounce even though I let it air dry. Airdry before and my hair would be flat and lifeless.
I didn't follow his exact product suggestions but I stayed within the lines somewhat. I stayed with salon brands. I stayed away from olaplex because I am apprehensive about that because I have virgin/undyed/unbleached hair. I used a different hair oil or hair serum on the ends.

It's still too early to see if all of these steps will help me but I am looking forward to seeing what the next few more months will bring.

I am 40 now and I am peri. I am afraid of peri and what it may do to my hair and hair thinning. I hope all these steps will help.

I was never really thought haircare. Ever, from anyone. I never really carried out a haircare routine. It was just shampoo and conditioner and that was it.

I do think it's genetic, my hair grows like crazy, so does my mum's and DS', this is regardless of whether I use heat, when I've coloured it, when I've co washed sparingly, used expensive products or washed twice a day with £1 Alberto balsam.
It's thick curly and strong. It also has a mind of its own and is difficult to style, whatever I do.

I was talking to my mother about hair. She had beautiful long hair when she was younger. She would still be able to grow long hair now if she wanted and it was half way down her back recently. I was chatting to her about her haircare and she said she never had a haircare routine. Her hair just grew. She used a general shampoo for the whole family. It wasn't for any particular hair type. She never used conditioner.

My granny, her mother - had thick hair. She never grew it long because it wasn't the thing at the time but she did have thick hair even right up til the end. She had no haircare routine.

I'm sure I read that each of us have a predetermined kind of maximum hair length - your hair's 'terminal length'.
I've never grown mine far beyond the band of my bra - it just begins to look thin and straggly beyond that point - probably because that's past my optimum length for how much my hair sheds or breaks after so many years. Think just how old those ends are, years and years. Even if you do everything 'right' treatment wise ( and I've been contentious, no heat, good diet, great products).

Do your best with the genetic hand you've been played. Obsessing with length might be to the detriment of your overall look - maybe you'd look cracking with hair a bit shorter you didn't have to treat so preciously, hair you can heat style now and then to look lovely, or put a beautiful colour through- things you might be forgoing to preserve length, that could ultimately be nicer?

Alternatively, for all this cost and effort- just be done with it and get some bloody great extensions put in. Boom, the long hair you've coveted for years.
I had some brilliant tape in extensions a few years back and it was the only time I've ever had that weighty, long, princess hair I'd dreamt of. Over it now, what a faff.

Collagen tablets!
Online or from h&b… their staff are really knowledgeable!
For hair skin and nails. It doesn’t do much for my nails but my eyelashes are nice and hair grows a lot. For hair look at curly girl method ( whether curly or not) ditch the silicones and harsh ingredients,wash with approved conditioner and your hair will shine.

Several MNers recommended L'Oreal Dream Lengths Wonder Water to me when I asked a similar question a few years ago. You apply it and massage in for 8 seconds after shampooing then rinse out, a couple of times a week. I always follow with conditioner. I really rate it.

I tried the shampoo and conditioner in the same range but didn't suit my hair.

The Wonder Water comes on offer fairly regularly in Boots/supermarkets etc

Op how's your hair growth journey going? I'm also wanting to grow my hair long so am curious to know if you've discovered a helpful product for this goal

Growing up, I really struggled with my hair too. I thought letting it grow would be enough, but the ends were always so dry and uneven. I didn't know much about taking care of it—like using heat protectants or not going to bed with wet hair. I finally started paying attention around 2017 and changed a few habits, but progress was slow.

Last year, I stumbled upon this red light hair massager from Kanavi Designs. It felt nice, and I think it actually helped with the health of my hair! I also started using silk pillowcases and protective styles, which made a difference. Now, I'm focusing more on healthy hair rather than just length.