DO you think this is true for everyone?

I said no, cause I don't know (lol) I'm really hoping it doesent. If it does thats kind of discouraging.

This is my reasoning. Everything I have read says that the longest possible hair cycle is eight years. If hair grew about half inch a month consistently for eight years it would reach about 48 inches. There are just too many people with much longer hair than that for me to believe it.

That said, I do believe that most peoples hair hits points at which growth slows or stops, sometimes for a long time. I use the example of myself...it took me 15 years to get to this length without any trims, but when I measure my hair now, I see about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of growth per month. Food, hormones, enviroment, stress...all of these could be factors.

I said yes because every head of hair has a terminal length. The only question IMHO is when it will stop growing:)

I think it IS true for everyone. I don't know how long my hair would grow - the longest it has ever been is waist length. But recently I read that Asian races have a longer terminal length than Caucasians and Africans. People from India can grwo their hair to the longest length. Now where did I read that? I think it was Phil's hair bible.

I think it's true for some people but not all.

I have a friend who practices the Sikh religion (and has since birth). Her hair has never been cut - not even a dusting. No scissors, period. Yet her hair is only knee-length, despite having grown for 27 years with no cutting. So I think there has to be a stopping point for some people. According to her, it's been at knee-length for many years without getting any longer.

I think that hair probably does have a terminal length, however, I also have an idea that proper care methods can maximize this length. During the last 2 years, I have done a complete overhaul on my haircare routine, which I think is the major reason my hair has continued to grow. When will it stop? I don't know! But that's what I'm trying to find out. :)

I do not know how long my hair will grow or what my growth cycle is for sure, but it would be between my upper calves and knees if I had not done any trimming at all since I started growing it longer 2 years ago. I started then at about 36" (hip length) and now 2 years later it's 46 1/2" (upper-mid thigh). In that time, I think I've cut off maybe 7-10" in trims. My hair *would* be between 53" and 56 1/2". My hair grows between 9-10 inches a year. Let's just say 9 for my experiment. 9" x N years = 46 inches.. which is about 5 years. Or; 9" x N years = 56 inches... which is about 6 years. So; theoretically, the hair at my ends was fresh between 5-6 years ago, so my cycle is at least 5-6 years so far.

Yes, but....usually it's because it ran into some scissors.

IMHO I think hair probably does have a stopping length but there a is huge variable as to what that length is based on heredity, length of growth cycle, ethnic background, actual hair care, exposure to elements & chemicals and nutrition.

Hmmm, this is a good one! I was
actually going to post this question
myself a while ago!!!
I don't know what to think on this one.
Before I had 3 inches cut off my hair,
it heldfast at bra strap and went NO further!
I'm wondering if my stopping growth is at
my bra strap!!! Hmmmm, I'll have to wait
and see what I get when I grow those 3"
back again! UGH!
:no

My hair didnīt get longer than waist for years...but I found out something interesting: Every time my hair got that long, the last 2 inches would become dry and therefore I had to cut the dry ends. Now I am lavish with oils and my hair- on waistlength again- did not get brittle ends yet. I really want some inches more and hope it will work this time.

Hair only has a certain life span, then it dies (well, the cuticle dies at the root) and then it falls out. So however quickly your hair can grow in the amount it's life span determines it's overall length.

I voted yes, DancingBareFoot commented on those that are Sikh, One friend at school was a devout Sikh, her hair was never cut, not even the occasional split end, (not that it needed it it was always braided, oiled regularly and had yoghurt treatments I seem to remember) her hair was about classic length and I don't think it was going to grow much longer if at all. The area of London I live in has a high proportion of Asian population and there are many who I'd guess have never cut and their lengths vary dramatically. As a quick aside I was in 'Tesco's' supermarket today and all the checkout ladies were Asian and I saw not one had hair above BS.

Wierdly enough it was DH who first alerted me to the fact that hair has a terminal length. Ages ago, before I was consciously growing mine, he said he used to have long hair in the 1970's and his never grew much beyond his shoulders. Now I believe that some other factors can be brought in, in DH's case I'm sure he did not pamper as I pamper, hence damage may have been a factor in not reaching longer lengths. Also diet & excercise & environmental conditions may positively effect the terminal length that we are genetically predisposed to. So there must be a slight sliding scale with terminal length, I'm determined to squeeze the best out of my lot!

For some people, I don't think it does have a terminal length. But I think there are many variables: genetics, diet, proper care, etc. I think if someone is consciously doing things to grow their hair longer they are more apt to get results. If if did really have a terminal length, I can't see how people could grow their hair to the floor and beyond.

I vote no, I don't think hair has a stopping length. I have seen many women with very long hair,even Karen Shelton has(d) hair to the ground- another thing whether good condition or bad, long or short(er) I know its growing bc I have roots every two to three weeks that I color and I have never not had roots.

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I have a goal to my thighs but I might grow it to calf/ankle level. :DD

I voted yes; hair can't just grow forever(at least I can't imagine how it could, everyone sheds hair, don't they?), at some point it will fall out ant be replaced with a new one but of course, terminal length differs a lot from person to person. While some hair may grow to floor or longer, some may grow only to bs .(not mine, I hope!).

Your hair in fact does have a genetically predetermined maximum length that it can reach which is referred to as "terminal length". For the average person this is 2 to 3 feet long (true length) with a growth rate of 6" per year. This indicates a growth cycle of 4 to 6 years. People with floor length hair have a longer than average growth cycle and/or faster than normal growth rate. True length is the actual length of your hair. (Most people cheat with this by measuring hair length from their forehead hairline over the top of their head and down to the end of their hair. Using this method a buzzcut would measure 12 to 14 inches!!) Absalom

I think for some people it has a terminal length and for others they can grow forever. There are some many factors. I used to think mine stopped at lower back but now this time I can tell it's still growing. Of course I am using much more hair friendly hair care methods and I am taking vitamins and doing everything I can to encourage growth. I am also keeping careful records this time of my monthly growth.

I think that everyone's hair has a terminal length, but except under ideal circumstances, few people could achieve that length. I also think that, in general, that length is probably beyond waist length. But since so few people treat their hair ideally and achieve terminal length, how can we ever know?

Back when I wore my hair loose all the time (up until Christmas) it had been at waist length for years. The bottom was thin and damaged. If I had a trim, soon the hair would look the same as before.

If I hadn't previously had hair that was down to my knees, during the era when I always wore it braided, I might have thought that waist-length was my terminal length.

My guess is that if somebody were doing everything wrong to their hair and began changing their care practices, they could probably measure the effects of the different mistreatments as they were eliminated. But I can't imagine anyone making a commitment to treating their hair right, yet still mistreating it in certain ways in order to see how much damage they cause.

I've also known a few Sikhs and even though they never cut their hair, it only got to a certain length and never seemed to get longer. They took really good care of their hair so I don't think it was breaking off. They had gorgeous, beautiful, glossy, shiny, to-die-for hair.

I said no because while an individual might have a period where their hair may stop growing I think with the right diet and health you can get your hair to grow more. (I'm not talking about baldness)

Or maybe I just don't want to believe it. There are too many people with hair floor length and longer for me to believe that.

Genetics can play a role in that but I think before you give up on your hair growing you need to try to be the best, healthy, you first and see what happens then.

For one thing believing that your hair will not grow will probably make it true.

Positive thoughts breed positive results.

I'm not basing any of that on facts, just my from the heart beliefs.

I think that everyone's hair has a terminal length, but except under ideal circumstances, few people could achieve that length. I also think that, in general, that length is probably beyond waist length. But since so few people treat their hair ideally and achieve terminal length, how can we ever know?
Back when I wore my hair loose all the time (up until Christmas) it had been at waist length for years. The bottom was thin and damaged. If I had a trim, soon the hair would look the same as before.
If I hadn't previously had hair that was down to my knees, during the era when I always wore it braided, I might have thought that waist-length was my terminal length.
My guess is that if somebody were doing everything wrong to their hair and began changing their care practices, they could probably measure the effects of the different mistreatments as they were eliminated. But I can't imagine anyone making a commitment to treating their hair right, yet still mistreating it in certain ways in order to see how much damage they cause.

I think you said what I was really thinking. There may be a terminal length but you have to care for your hair just right and maybe even live in a good climate to find the true one. Plus all the other environmental factors.

There are too many people with hair floor length and longer for me to believe that.

Or that the life cycle of their hairs is just very long. :gabigrin: Of course it's important to know that you can only reach terminal length if you never cut your hair and treat it very gently so that it doesn't break off. I know I naturally shed about 50 hairs or less per day naturally; if that isn't becasue they are too old, i don't know what is happening to me.

I use to think no there isn't any real stopping length. Untill I met my sister inlaw. I have known her for 10 plus years now and her hair has never grown past her shoulders. She had explained to me once when I asked her about it.. she said that once when she was pregnant that her hair grew to just past her shoulders. After wards it all fell out gradualy after the baby was born. She doens't colour it or perm it. She only gets dusting trims done maybe twice a year. she has no splits. But her hair is very thin meaning she doesn't have alot of it. she doesn't do anything to it. and it just never grows past that length. She has blond that goes very light during the summer months if she is outside to much. So in some cases I would have to agree they only grow so long before they fall out and start to grow again.

SheilKa

Hello, I'm new! This is an interesting question to me, since I decided to see how long my hair would grow many years ago. My hair has stayed almost the same length for more than 20 years, so I think it has reached my personal maximum. The longest individual hairs that I measure are about 45 inches, and that hasn't changed in a long time.

But I do trim a little since my hair is thin and comes to an extreme taper at the ends. The very longest it ever was tickled the backs of my knees, and now it's a couple inches above there.

Vicky

YES... my mother's hair has never gotten to bra strap length.... the longest mine has been was mid-back, then I got it cut.....

My grandma says that when she was young she had never cut her hair and it was about classic length.. Like I want mine to be, I hope she passed me her genes, when she was sixty her hair was still jet black and now she's 80 and there are just a few rey stripes!! But when she married she cut her hair really short becouse in her youth she was forced to grow it long..

Yes, hair definitely has a stopping length. What that length is, thatīs different for every person. Some canīt get their hair past the shoulders, others can go to extreme lengths, like Diane Wit. Just the luck of the gene pool.

Alex

I absolutley believe that hair has a terminal length. I also believe with good care we can *train* our scalp, hence roots, to carry more weight...leading to longer length.

I've also known a few Sikhs and even though they never cut their hair, it only got to a certain length and never seemed to get longer. They took really good care of their hair so I don't think it was breaking off. They had gorgeous, beautiful, glossy, shiny, to-die-for hair.


I think it is sad but true & Rain brings up a good point, hair does have a stopping length :wail:.

I voted no, but is different to people at people: i have a friend that your hair don't grow more at waist; but my girl friend's hair are a classic lenght and still growing. I hope my hair don't stop!!!

Having roots only means that some of the shorter (ie younger) hairs which have replaced those that have fallen out are growing. Except for a few (lucky!!!) people, each individual hair usually only grows for on average 6 years. Some have huge growth every year, others will have hair that growd for more than 6 yeares. Others will be unlucky (ie me!) and only grow a few inches a year and only for less than 6 years.
I know this to be true for me, because I have had no cut or trims for 10 years next Thursday and my hair stopped growing 5 years ago!

Untill recently, I would have said yes. However, since being on this forum and taking better care of my hair, it certainly seems to grow quicker *and* is already longer then it ever has been before. I just wonder how long it will ge before I take some sissors to it!

I voted no because I have seen so many people who have hair down to the floor. With the proper care, diet, TIME and other factors affecting hair growth I think you can achieve any length you want.