Hairstylists frequently get clients who say their hair is not growing,

so what makes hair take long to grow?  Growing your hair is relatively easy but many people desire extra-long hair.  Advertisements do not help.  They will find models with the most beautiful hair.  Add incredible shine, a light breeze and females everywhere descend on pharmacies, hair salons, doctors offices, beauty supply stores and therapists trying to get that look!

Like most people, we start out believing that hair would grow long and lustrous because it came with

the package. Then our caregivers/parents put us on a hair care plan that made us realize some work was involved.  After leaving the nest, we revised this idea and replaced it with the belief that adding pricey hair products were the best way to do so.  Natural/home made-solutions were thrown out along with grandmother’s tried and true recipes.  Today, after being stuck at the same length for decades,  it should have finally sunk in that products are only the mustard in that sandwich.

I am not saying we are all supposed to have waist-length

hair.  However, if your hair keeps breaking off or thinning out when it reaches a certain length, something’s up.  Throughout  the years, I have counseled, cajoled and finally thrown in the towel on various clients over this topic.  I found it was best to find out if this issue was as a result of belief, lack of information or stubbornness.  The belief and lack of information you can possibly change, don’t waste your time on stubborn people. 

In order to find out why it is taking long for their hair to grow, one has to ask the client about a few things:

  • Lifestyle – Are they eating well; working too hard; stressed out?
  • Daily Hair Care routine:  Do they care for the hair regularly? Wear ponytails/wigs all the time; use a silk wrap; use proper shampoos, use heat a lot etc.
  • Hair Care Behaviour:  Are they gentle when combing out their hair; do they trim their ends often to get rid of the split ones. 

What makes hair take long to grow can sometimes be linked to certain behaviours. There have been so many times I have given a comb to a client and been shocked by the way they ripped and pulled their hair.  It is also surprising the stuff you discover when you ask the right questions.  

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design.

Call (613) 789-2179 For An Appointment If You Are In The Ottawa, Ontario Area.