Progress (or Non) of hair growth

I've been trying to grow my hair long for 1 year now. I know patience needs to be exercised, but I've stopped using heat appliances (except on rare occasions like picture taking and going out to company dinners) and my hair has grown a total of an inch or 1.5 inches per month, but with the haircuts I've given myself, I've only gained 2-3 inches of hair growth since I've started.

I do color my hair, but only at the roots. I use an organic coconut oil hair treatments 2x weekly, and also use a shampoo and conditioner for damaged and colored hair. I'm very gentle with it, and I will not go to the salon after all of the horrible experiences there (I have always walked out with some major problem). I will admit to trimming my own hair (it's all one length - my picture was just taken), and I wanted to ask all of you, do you think I should just leave it alone and stop trimming it altogether? It seems to tangle very easily, and the only way to get it under control is to wash and condition it every day. I have had hair loss issues in the past, and washing it every day has also remedied that problem. I take HairTopia Vitamins, Viviscal and some other minerals and supplements that are not contained within these formulas, but try to get my nutrients holistically if at all possible.

I went into this (growing my hair long) with the idea of having hair down past my waist, but I'm thinking the longest it will be is down the middle of my back. Just curious about other's stories -- do you cut, do you have tangle issues, how often do you wash your hair, etc.?

Thanks for any information - I've been here about a year, and all of you have been a wealth of information for me! :)

Kris

Hi, Dave! :) Thanks very much, I really appreciate the kind comments!

You're exactly right - I need to stop the trimming. I think that I need to get the mindset that it's going to take a little more time, but it's more than worth it. It does grow very fast, and I trim it every month, so I need to stop doing that. I'll dust the ends every 3 months or so, but I'd like to see an increase in length, not to keep status quo.

Thanks again for your answer - it's right on, and I'm going to take that advice (and I have to say again, I think you're hair is really unbelievable - it's so healthy and thick!!).

Also, I have to apologize! I re-read my original post, and I meant to say that my hair grows 1/2 to 1 inch per month, not 1 1/2 inches. Sorry about that typo!

Kris :)