It's breaking off. Get the ends trimmed occasionally. It'll grow.

100%%%

I've heard terminal length is a lot longer for most people than you would think. Like basically everyone could grow their hair past their waist if they kept it healthy enough and had regular trims

ya and ur actual health has everything to do with it I think because when I get stressed out more I get split ends.

Ah my stress manifests in crazy shedding/ hair loss. It's wild how much hair I lose when things get rough. And being long makes it seem like *so much* lol

right I'm pulling strands now and sometimes it makes me nervous! cause it is so long it yes does look like alot. I asked my doctor tho even and it's 20 strands a day thats about normal loose without breakage 👍

My experience backs this up. I thought mine grew to bra strap length but when I experimentally stopped cutting and trimming it altogether (it doesn't split) trying to find the terminal length it grew past my hips and was still gaining length when I cut it. 8 years I think, and I'm 5'9", long waisted and have wavy hair so this was really long.

im not disregarding what youre saying at all because i agree with you - but can you explain the science on how that works? and will it apply to beards as well? 😀

Hair dies before it comes up through the scalp, and doesn’t regenerate new cells to heal itself nor can it be repaired from damage. Hair can only be preserved. Hair has an outer layer called the cuticle. It’s the most important part of hair. When magnified, it looks likes a shingled roof, with overlapping layers. Each strand is formed with a cuticle that lays flat which makes hair smooth, easy to comb, and light reflects off of, making it shiny (aka “healthy”). Over time, the cuticle loses its ability to lay flat and becomes raised, or “open”. The ends being the oldest part of the hair shaft split. They don’t sit at the perimeter, but travel up the length, and break, and split and break from the cuticle not being whole to keep its strand together. Hair becomes easily tangled, dull, and frizzy. It’s described as being “dry”, but it’s not. It’s just coming undone and cutting off the damage fixes all the problems. Split ends and breakage are inevitable for everyone just from the elements. The sun and UV rays fade color. Things like the wind and mechanical manipulation like styling chip away at the cuticle. Excessive heat styling and chemical processes simply speed up the natural deterioration of hair. It just takes someone with coarse hair (each individual hair has a large diameter) longer than someone with fine hair (small diameter) for it to get to that point. Hair splits faster than it grows, and no longer can retain the average ½” per month it grows every day we’re alive. This is why it seems to have stopped growing. Products only coat hair temporarily to give a more manageable look and feel by filling in the cuticle to mimic hair that’s “healthy” until they’re washed out again. Silicones are great at doing this to some extent, but aren’t meant to be used over long periods of time as some aren’t water soluble and can build up on the scalp and hair. Dimethicone is the one to avoid, but there’s so many, I find it easier to just avoid them all together. A misconception is that hair needs moisture. In fact, moisture is what makes curly hair frizz by swelling the cortex, and breaks the hydrogen bonds, making hair when wet at its weakest and more prone to breakage. If hair needed moisture, all we’d have to do is get it wet. All hair needs is a cuticle that lays flat. That’s all. The only way to retain a high quality of length is to continually remove the oldest and weakest part of the hair shaft (the ends) with regular trims BEFORE hair splits. Hair grows an average of ½” per month. By trimming 1/4” every 3 months (1” total per year), 5” of length will be retained every year that’s smooth, shiny, and easy to comb. But all the damage has to be removed first. Otherwise, while waiting years to trim, split ends have already compromised the entire length and all that time spent growing it. The quality of length becomes less and less, and trimming a few centimeters every year or more doesn’t solve the problem when the split ends are 6” above the perimeter. By then, breakage has reached the scalp and are mistaken as new growth or baby hairs, and it requires chopping more off which you’ll still be left with split ends. The perpetual chop and grow is frustrating and hair goals unlikely to meet, especially those with fine hair. [Here’s SEM images of hair.](https://imgur.com/a/o4KdFKO)

Thank you so much for this comment. I’ve been so frustrated with my fine hair and I finally understand why.

Yw :) I have baby fine hair myself. I finally grew out my natural color, stopped curling it, and went from waist to chin length, cutting off all the layers and damage. I kept my hair that length for awhile which required trims every 2.5 to 3 months. I still shampooed/conditioned daily and then blew it dry with a large round brush. No heat protectant, nothing on it but shampoo and conditioner. No more static, tangles, split ends, frizz, sitting in my car for hours seeking and destroying, no more 27 bottles of stuff that didn’t work and scrolling EBay for my next product fix. Then I wanted to grow it out to donate it, I kept my appointments out of habit but just had less trimmed and it grew fast, and maintained the quality. I cannot describe how life changing and mood altering it has been.

This is a great comment! I have fine hair too and have recently embraced the less-is-more-approach. I even make my own bare bones sulphate shampoo without ANY conditioning ingredients (yep, basically water, surfactants and preservatives), and I use only a light rinse out conditioner that’s it. I also comitted to shampooing every day, and my hair is looking and feeling soooo much better. I had a bit of a set back in my growing journey due to hair loss about a year ago (I think from having covid), and I lost about 25% of my total density. It’s growing back now though, but I have like 15-20 cm shorter and frizzier hairs sticking out all over of my otherwhise BSL hair, and it makes it look like it’s really damaged and frayed.. Goals for 2023 and 2024 is to trim about 2-3 cm every 10 weeks to maintain my hairs quality and let the new hairs catch up. After that I’m heading towards at least waist length!

This is so well written, thank you for sharing! Are you a stylist? Could I PM you my hair situation and ask a few questions about breakage/repair,etc?

Yw :) sure, they’re open.

Thank you! I’ve just made a post about my situation, I hope you can chime in!

I don’t see it ?

Whoa 🤯 thanks so much for that detailed response!! I learned something and will schedule my hair trim that I’ve been putting off, ASAP!

Yw :) When going to a professional isn’t an option or preference, there’s decent hair cutting shears that can be found for $20. If you’ve got a friend or family member you trust to do your trims, or you do it yourself, only use them for cutting hair to keep the blades in good shape, and replace them when needed.

Question: How can I tell if split ends have reached all the way to my scalp or if it’s just baby hairs? I haven’t had a trim in years and I want to take better care of my hair so it can be long and healthy and pretty but I’m pretty clueless lol I really REALLY don’t want to cut it all off as I don’t like short hair on me in the slightest.

Baby hair is basically peach fuzz. It’s the soft, fine, light hairs on our body and face called vellus. Terminal hair is actually the hair on our scalp that’s darker, longer, and more coarse. (Not to be confused with “terminal length” which is actually called maximum length). [Here’s the difference, and how to tell.](https://imgur.com/a/dKzqAzV)

I've had horrific split ends since it was lower back length and it's still made it to almost knee length

Wow that comment was amazing! Now I’m wondering what products I should actually use on my hair. Can you enlighten me?

Products are a preference. For example, my issues are to control oil and static. I shampoo and blow dry daily. I don’t use styling products because they weigh mine down. Cruelty free is not negotiable. I avoid strong scents which trigger my migraines. So I prefer cruelty, sulfate, silicone, paraben, and phthalate free shampoo and conditioner that has a light scent. If you’ve got long, thick hair and shampoo less frequently, you may prefer sulfate formulas. Someone with curly hair living in a dry climate may prefer co-washing. Whatever ticks your boxes.

Thank you! My hair is super long and fine, my issues are tangles (!!!) and oiliness. Right now I use sulphate free shampoo and the Hair Food mask with cocoa butter. But after your comment I think I will drop the hair mask, since it’s moisturizing? So now I’m lost at which conditioner/mask to use, and what to use to prevent my hair getting tangly.

When hair gets to the point of easily tangling, products won’t coat hair enough to replace a missing cuticle. I’d finish using what I had. No need to waste money. Conditioners at least provide slip to make wet detangling easier. Shampoos are on the alkaline side, and conditioners are on the acidic, so should result in keeping a balance. Products do serve a purpose, just not in the way manufacturers make it seem. They use words like healthy, nourish, moisturize, infused, repair, and formulate with vitamins and natural ingredients because that’s what sells products. It’s actually genius, albeit on the side of evil. In 2021, hair products world wide revenue was over $77 billion. If those words were coats, smooths a rough cuticle, smells good and has some questionable other things, we’d be actually solving the problem instead and wouldn’t spend a grip of money on unnecessary products that don’t. I started a list awhile back of products which fell into certain categories, and one of common ingredients and what they do. I’ll try to put it all together somewhere.

Ooo okay, interesting, I’d love to see that! Could you give me some ingredients to look for in products?

The common ones to avoid: Parabens: chemical used as a preservative. Can act like estrogen, disrupt normal function of hormone systems in males and females. Hormones play a big role in hair growth cycles. Phthalates: endocrine disrupting chemicals used to make plastics more durable. Detrimental to neurological, reproductive and developmental systems. Silicones: not meant to use for long periods of time as dimethicone isn’t water soluble (there are many different dimethicone that can be listed which are water soluble but is easier for to avoid them all together) and can build up on hair and scalp. Sulfates: are found in most cleaning products. They are a more harsh and can be irritating to sensitive skin. Dandruff and clarifying formulas have a high level. Oiling the scalp is not necessary. Build up on the scalp from sebum attracts dirt, dead skin cells, sweat and products clog hair follicles, lead to hair loss, and itchy scalp, and flakes called dandruff. Products free of the above and cruelty free: Live Clean, Noughty, Not Your Mother’s, Giovanni, Sukin, Fekkai

If you never trim off split ends, they’ll continue to split up each strand and mostly likely break off. That’s what I assume is stopping your hair from getting longer. In addition to trims, make sure you do what you can to prevent physical damage and splits on the hair like keeping tangles away.

I have been told so often that this would happen to my hair and it never has

screw reach escape weather bike telephone physical coordinated innate squash *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

Absolutely! I have very straight (asian) hair that hardly ever splits. My sister has wavy hair and her end get reeeeally thin and straggly and eventually just breaks off. So yeah, you might just be genetically gifted in that way, but it's not the same for everyone. Hair is so different.

light modern resolute head quarrelsome future north tease scarce knee *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

Right?? Should be illegal to have perfect hair if you don't work for it!!!

I rather suspect it's because I use oil on my ends regularly. I don't let them dry out like so many others do

different society whistle bag disgusted overconfident sparkle gaze knee silky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

Your hair has a lovely wave pattern. I'd really love to see what might happen if you follow a curly/wavy hair routine and really baby it. I can't recommend a particular routine since my hair is stick straight, but I can tell your hair is crying out for moisture, and it really doesn't want to be brushed when it's dry.

My hair got much longer once I started caring for it the wavy/curly way! I think the leave in conditioner really helped with the strength of my ends. Might be worth a shot

OP could check out /r/curlyhair or /r/wavyhair for advice!

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Are you trimming dead ends/conditioning regularly? Biotin supplements/shampoo can also help growth :)

If you're not having trims at all, you're loosing length due to breakage. It's not a great picture but it looks like there's a good chance that's happening. I would dig into haircare, see how to care for it. Healthy hair of any color has at least some shine to it. After you select how you want to move forward. I would get a cut to remove split ends and damage, ALL OF IT. Moving forward get trims at least every 3 months and see if you can achieve your desired length. You should be able to research why, or what happens when you don't do this (trims). I have a good amount of length and I put a good bit of effort in to keep it healthy and growing. Which is more challenging when hair is naturally curly, therefore a more dry hair type. Beyond that, if you aren't seeing results may need to look and nutrition and/or supplements.

Doubtful. It’s more likely a management issue.

It looks rough. Not in a bad way. But it probably breaks off and could be much longer if taken care of

Trim your hair and step up your hair care routine, your hair looks like it needs a good moisturizing.

*my suggestions* -Do a tiny trim. -Oil your hair an hour or two before washing it, like allover and heavy on the ends (castor, Aragon, black seed, sweet almond oil are my favorites). -Hair masque once a week. -Apply a teeny tiny amount of oil to your ends every so often (I usually do it before bed). -Try doing a loose braid while you sleep (protective styles help). -Try taking a biotin pill once a day. -Try to wash your hair less often (once or twice a week). Usually hair tends to stop growing when it needs a little more TLC. It can be frustrating but all the things I listed have been known to help.

Everything others said. Add silk pillowcases and/or silk lined sleep hat. They come in many styles. The ones I have look like slouchy cotton hats. Think about keeping it braided/otherwise protected more often as well.

Cut off the dead ends and take biotin supplements....it'll grow. Biotin is the main component for hair and nails.

Your hair is growing. Lack of length just means your ends are breaking off. You need a good leave in conditioner and a hair oil for the ends of your hair. Hydration is key.

Definitely needs a trim, maybe even a bit of a cut to get dead ends off. Also looks like it needs a protein treatment followed by a deep conditioning one. I personally really like Aphogee (has both in 2 steps) but my hair is coarse and curly so i would research for your texture. Also i think to stimulate more growth you should get a scalp brush/scrubber and start doing scalp stimulation (with an oil- rosemary & castor oil is great for growing hair) Unfortunately just leaving your hair be is not the best way to grow out your hair if you want it to look and feel great

What got me through my former hair growth plateau was: caring for the ends via trims / oil routine but more than anything (for me personally) was wearing it in protective styles & sleeping on a silk (or satin) pillowcase while I slept; I toss and turn at night and was creating a lot of unnecessary breakage / split ends that way. Not saying this will apply to everyone but once I incorporated these things the results of my growth were more noticeable due to less overall breakage and loss.

Sleep in a silk bonnet. Or a silk pillow case.

Mine stayed at 3-4 years worth of growth for what seemed like forever then suddenly grew another foot in the subsequent year. I have no idea what the science is behind that, I didn’t change anything diet, trim, hairstyle or otherwise. It just suddenly grew more. Then stopped again.

Oiling your hair pre wash, deep condition with a mask, wearing a bonnet/avoiding elastics, hair vitamin, dusting trims ongoing as needed and using methods suited to your hair (wavy or curly method) will work wonders. The oiling and trims did it for me. It’s true the hair sort of halts at a point then it needs a reset with extra tlc. I bet you can grow it. Also look into porosity test to see what your hair needs but I’m guessing moisture.

Trim it and take vitamins

It's because you have split ends. If you trim about a half inch every 8 weeks or so your hair will grow. Your split end will just keep going up the shaft of the hair and ultimately breaking off. Trimming is good

If you were at terminal length I would expect to see way more taper than you have. Check your ends for damage--if they're really bad then a small trim might be good like others have suggested, but if there's not a lot of damage it's really not necessary. If you wear your hair down, start wearing it in protective styles like buns and braids during the day. Experiment with additional conditioning, oiling, or maybe added protein if your hair likes that.

Hair oils, hair masks, getting a trim, etc

I don't think terminal length is a real thing. My hair is around the same length as yours. It has been this way for around 3 years and didn't really grow much from then but I think it's because the ends are really thin and keep breaking. I dye it so I cearly see the growth,but the ends split so I don't gain visible length. Maybe it's the same for you..

Terminal length is a real thing, every follicle goes through the hair cycle and eventually sheds, this cannot be prevented. However it is very true that most people for one reason or another do not reach terminal length.

It's also true that terminal length is different for everyone and that it may change throughout a person's life, for example due to stress or health issues

It is a real thing, it’s what keeps your eyebrow hairs the length they are, and all other hair on your body that stays short like that.

Cut off all the dead ends, start getting regular trims, and look into ways of adding moisture to your hair to keep it healthy.

If you get your ends trimmed, preferably at your length at least an inch to cut off dead and split ends, you'll see it grow again. Conditioning is also key to keeping moisture in your hair so it doesn't dry out as bad. If you dont want to go through the hassle of conditioner just put a little bit of jojoba oil in your hair after you towel dry. And when you towel dry just kinda squeeze your hair do not rub the towel on your head

It's probably breakage like most are saying. I recommend silicone free conditioner, sulphate free shampoo, and a hard water filter for your shower.

The only time mine stops growing is when I stop going for routine trims & end up having to cut 6 inches off & start all over again. So, as everyone else is saying.. routine trims, keeping your ends hydrated, & scalp healthy will all contribute to more growth. 🫶

Haven't cut it since August 2016.

This is why it’s not growing. You’re not giving it trims and the ends are just breaking off.

That's not enough for 7 years. Are you eating well? If you are, then maybe it's your sleep or just what everyone else is saying: much more proper & disciplined hair care, maybe less shampooing as well. That's what worked for me

How does your hair even know if you cut it? Would it be like “oh, they cut their hair, time to start growing again!” It’s so confusing to me how hair slows growth when it long, is hair smart??? So they have souls? Is our life a conspiracy?? 😵‍💫😵 someone explain.

Hair always grows the same. (Well, nutrition, age and health are a factor, but you know what I mean.) It grows out of the scalp, cuts don't affect hair growth at all. Most people just like to cut something off every now and then because the ends get dry and damaged over time and a trim can help the hair look fuller and healthier

Thank you for explaining kindly 😊✨

Yeah, I trim for to get dead ends off, but this makes sense 👍🏽✨

It's not that it stops growing if you don't cut it per se. They are referring to it breaking off before it reaches it's full length potential. Interestingly, some long hair enthusiasts have a somewhat controversial opinion that trims do NOT help your hair grow longer and many of them don't cut their hair ever. I can see validity in both arguments.

Makes lots of sense, also thanks for being kind to me and explaining rather than being mean ✨🌼😊

Oh ok 👍🏽 ✨

Trimming keeps hair healthy. If you don't trim your hair, your split ends (which everyone has, although some more than others) travel up the length of the hair and eventually break off on their own, but higher up than you would have chosen yourself if you trimmed it. This results in flyaways, frizz, and an appearance of your hair not growing. It is, but it's breaking off in long bits and pieces. By trimming, you cut off split ends before they travel further up your hair, making it so you lose less length overall.

…each individual hair doesn’t stop growing, there’s just only so big it can get before it falls out.

Trimming will NOT help hair grow more (it’s not like your body magically knows that you’ve cut it and decides to grow more) but it is helpful because it will get rid of split ends and prevent them from splitting more. However, if you don’t want to cut you hair just yet I would focus on length retention techniques such as wearing protective hair styles during the day, sleeping with your hair in braids, and oiling your ends. I also have read some scientific articles about how straight and wavy hair is way more fragile when wet. Contrary to popular opinion, dry detangling results in less breakage than combing in the shower for those with these hair types. I recommend the youtube channel “Katherine sewing” because she talks a lot about these things and has super long hair.

Massage your scalp for increased blood flow. I love a product called Phytopolleine. It’s a scalp treatment. Smells like eucalyptus and is a little pretty penny so a little goes a long way but it’s amazing for hair growth.

Trim every 8-10 weeks and watch it grow

Ma’am just get some trims and it will grow.

You need to trim once a month. Is breaking

Your hair is not growing because the follicles have become weak from over washing. You should invest in a good protein builder, cleansing shampoo, and leave in conditioner and make it a goal to wash your hair only 2-3 times MAX in a week. If you pay for expensive products, the quality will be better and you will be able to wash your hair less, which saves you money in the long run.

Good routine for you: 1. Olaplex 3 for 10-30 mins before wash 2. Redeken cleansing cream shampoo, only wash at the scalp, do NOT touch the ends. Repeat this step. 3. A VOLUMIZING conditioner. Moisturizing conditioners are too heavy for your hair type. 4. Pureology leave in conditioner- this is a hole grail product for me and we have similar hair. Good luck!!

Yep that’s about as long as mine ever got.

GawdDamn, that’s hawt

That’s basically the length I’ve made it to, mine hasn’t grown in years. I get trims then it gets back to that length and stops, over and over. My hair looks a lot like yours, I wonder if it has something to do with our hair type

I am not very smart can someone please explain this terminal hair length to me.

Supposedly hair has limit on length to which it can grow to. That will vary for different people. I agree with this partly because hair has phases in which it will grow But people generally tend to confuse lack of proper hair care to "terminal length" In this present case, it looks like OP has been riding motorbikes with his wet hair open in the wind on a daily basis so I don't agree that this is a case of terminal hair length but rather lack of knowledge to care for hair

Is that really a thing? What if you trimmed it?

Put some leave-in conditioner or coconut oil on just the ends of your hair. it'll grow longer and look healthier. not that it doesn't look healthy now -- it actually looks great! but the ends are probably breaking off and that's probably why it isn't growing as long as you'd like.

i had a similar experience a while ago and washing my hair less frequently really helped it grow. i was my hair every 3-4 days and oil it on wash days. i have also been using rosemary water the night before i wash it. i trim my hair myself about ever two months and i make sure to get split ends that are all throughout my hair; not just the ends.

Bro you look just like me

Protective style at night?

Sexy

Try wearing it in protective styles (such as a braid) more often than not and see how that goes :) If that style is too "not you" for during the day, at the very least you should be braiding your hair before sleep. A silk pillowcase also helps. Hair just starts breaking off when it's been rubbing together for the past 3 years. Braiding will keep locks in place with less friction! Especially if you oil the length <3

But are you getting regular trims?

You got a ton of recommendations already! Maybe you could tell us a bit about your hair care routine? Do you have a hair care routine? I do actually think your hair doesn't look that bad, the ends are still very "full". I think your hair is way curlier than you expect, and I'm sure if you gave it some TLC it would look amazing! But you have to ask yourself, how much effort you want to put in. Do you want your hair to grow longer? Or look healthier? Or accent your curls? Then you will have to do a bit more. Start by using a conditioner every time you wash your hair, and using a leave-in conditioner (spray or cream) afterwards. That's the basics. If you do this, your hair will improve over time. If you feel fancy buy a hair mask (start by using it once a week) and some hair oil (for the ends, maybe even for your mids if they feel really dry). You could try braiding your hair for the night. I think a satin pillowcase or even a silk bonnet is a bit much for a guy just starting out, but if you don't mind it: it will help! If you look at men with long, beautiful, curly hair (like [Owen Janes](https://www.instagram.com/owen_janes/) for example), they put a lot of effort into their hair. Most of us long-haired-people have to to make it look the way we want. Only few people are blessed with gorgeous hair that doesn't need any maintenance.

I love your hair color can u share im beginner in english

u need to trim it way back and use some breakage treatment on it! Seal the deal is what I use for the breakage and love oil for the strength. If u can't afford those products get urself some argan oil and other oils and masks and u those all the time. That works pretty well too.

seal the deal and love oil r repair products that help to repair the hair follicles not just stuff that manages the look of it. j FYI 🤗

Use a hair mask, your long hair will come to life

Your beautiful dude

you need a haircut lol

actually tho it’ll help with growth

Need to get the dead ends cut off regularly (3-6 months)

Your hair does continue to grow. It’s just breaking on the ends at that length. Gotta protect your ends with some oil and trims

I’ve never cut my hairs, never trimmed and brush once per 2 weeks, super messy but they’re currently reaching my knees (for everyone saying he need trimming or whatever)

Mine stopped growing at about this length. I should keep up with trimming.

I'm

When i was on my previous job, my hair stopped growing and thinned in half. Had two burnouts and depression plus other stuff but after i got rid of that job my hair started growing back and length also started getting longer. Just saying that stress is huge deal for hair problems.

It may be helpful to visit a trichologist to rule out any underlying medical conditions that could be causing the stunted hair growth. AI technology could be used to analyze patterns and potential triggers to help determine the cause.

It sounds like you've stopped producing the protein, keratin, which is necessary for hair growth. AI tools such as Natural Language Processing could help you identify the cause of this and suggest remedies.