Q.) is it true that your hair grows at a certain length depending on your genetics? because i have been keeping my hair in braids and caring for it and dieting but it has stayed the same length year after year! its right below my ears and no longer than that it never gets longer.

A.) Maximum hair length is a combination of a couple of factors; the rate at which hair grows and the rate at which it falls out or breaks off. The rate at which hair grows is determined partly by genetics. Hair goes through various stages in its life cycle. If it’s breaking off as fast or faster than it’s growing, it will never get any longer. Hair breaking off is also partially determined by genetics. The more brittle hair is, the more likely it is to break off.

Even barring the hair breaking off, it will only reach a certain length. Once hair reaches a certain point in time (not length) in its life cycle, it is shed. There is a maximum length any person can grow his or hair to. That (theoretically) would be equal to the growth rate times the length of time in the growth part of the life cycle. The growth phase can be (on average) from 2-6 years. For example, if the growth rate were 6 inches per year and the growth part of the life cycle were 3 years, the maximum length your hair could possibly get to would be 18 inches. After the growth phase, the hair goes through a shorter transitional phase (a few weeks, then goes into a shedding or resting phase (also a few weeks). The hair is shed and the cycle begins again.

To get your hair to its maximum length, you need to minimize breakage. This involves proper nutrition to make strong hair. And it requires proper maintenance so you don’t weaken the hair after it’s been developed. And, you need to maximize the growth rate during the growth phase. Nutrition and products that help with scalp health can help you maximize the rate of growth.

Do these things and you can achieve the maximum hair length possible for you. But, not everyone can grow hair down to the floor.

Q.) is it true that your hair grows at a certain length depending on your genetics? because i have been keeping my hair in braids and caring for it and dieting but it has stayed the same length year after year! its right below my ears and no longer than that it never gets longer.

A.) Maximum hair length is a combination of a couple of factors; the rate at which hair grows and the rate at which it falls out or breaks off.  The rate at which hair grows is determined partly by genetics.   Hair goes through various stages in its lifecycle.  If it’s breaking off as fast or faster than it’s growing, it will never get any longer.  Hair breaking off is also partially determined by genetics.  The more brittle hair is, the more likely it is to break off.

Even barring the hair breaking off, it will only reach a certain length.  Once hair reaches a certain point  in time (not length) in its life cycle, it is shed.  There is a maximum length  any person can grow his or hair to.  That (theoretically) would be equal to the growth rate times the length of time in the growth part of the life cycle. The growth phase can be (on average) from 2-6 years. For example, if the growth rate were 6 inches per year and the growth part of the life cycle were 3 years, the maximum length your hair could possibly get to would be 18 inches.  After the growth phase, the hair goes through a shorter transitional phase (a few weeks, then goes into a shedding or resting phase (also a few weeks).  The hair is shed and the cycle begins again.

To get your hair to its maximum length, you need to minimize breakage.  This involves proper nutrition to make strong hair.  And it requires proper maintenance so you don’t weaken the hair after it’s been developed.  And, you need to maximize the growth rate during the growth phase. Nutrition and products that help with scalp health can help you maximize the rate of growth.

Do these things and you can achieve the maximum hair length possible for you. But, not everyone can grow hair down to the floor.

Q.) Hello I am looking for a strong hair care product. line that helps thicken thin hair. My hair is a little past my shoulders and healthy however it is thin. Is there anything that can help my hair grow thicker?

A.) One thing we always like to do is help people have realistic expectations about what is possible to achieve.  This doesn’t always mean we get to sell a product.

There are two aspects to hair being thick or thin.  One is the actual diameter of the hair strands themselves.  The second is the number of hairs on your head. If you have fewer hair follicles or less strands (inactive follicles), you’re going to have less hair, which people refer to as thin hair.  Likewise, if you have hair shafts that are small in diameter, your hair could be referred to as thin.  While these two things can be related, they aren’t necessarily.

There is nothing you can do to make more hair follicles.  If you have less than the “normal” amount per square inch of scalp, you are going to have  less hair.   If you have lost the activity of some of those follicles due to a number of factors, hair loss treatments such as the Spectral RS and Spectral DNC products we sell can get you back up to your maximum potential.  But, these products will not make a person with naturally thin hair suddenly have more hair shafts.

Likewise, if your hair is thinning in diameter, better nutrition, stopping the chemical damage (if that’s the cause) can help.  In those cases, our hair growth products might be helpful.  But, again, if Mother Nature has given you naturally small diameter hair shafts, there is only so much you can do to make them thicker.  There are “volumizing” shampoos that increase the appearance of hair thickness.

We receive email after email asking the question “My hair is breaking off (I’m losing my hair), what can I do?” As much as we’d love to answer that question for each client who asks, simply put, we cannot. We are not there with you and cannot look at your hair, analyze your environment, your maintenance routine and your genetic history all of which may be necessary to diagnose what is causing your hair loss. Hair loss and hair breakage can be caused by a number of factors or a combination of factors. Some are very easily treated, some are not so easily treated. The best we can do is give you general guidelines about general hair health and some things to consider when you’re trying to determine what is causing your hair loss.

Hair loss can be devastating, particularly to women. To understand the treatments for hair loss, it’s important to understand the causes. To understand the causes, it’s helpful to understand what hair is made of and how it grows. Treasured Locks offers treatments that help prevent hair breakage and can help with certain types of hair loss.

This short article will cover these topics:

Hair Structure
Hair Life Cycle
Hair Growth and How to Make Hair Grow Faster
Hair Loss
Hair Loss Treatments
Hair Breakage and Hair Breakage Prevention
Summary

Continue Reading >>

We often get these two related questions:

Is there something to make my hair grow really fast?
Is there something to fix my hair loss?

The difference between the two questions is the first group of people have hair growing in a normal pattern but it is not as thick or growing as quickly as they would like. The second group of people actually have areas where hair is growing either extremely slowly or not at all.Hair loss is a fairly complicated subject. We will cover that elsewhere. But, quickly, hair loss can be caused by a variety of reasons some easily treated (such as improper nutrition) and some not so easily treated (like male pattern baldness).

Generally speaking over-the-counter products such as our supplements will help with the easier to treat forms of hair loss. They will also help hair grow faster, longer , stronger and thicker. There are also supplements that can help with hair growth (see our Hair Growth Supplements). If your hair is damaged, your nutrition is not optimal (and whose is?) or you have a scalp condition there are things that can promote normal hair growth that will make it appear your hair is growing faster. Also, if you hair is breaking off, it will appear that it is not growing. By preventing that breakage, your hair will become longer. Before you run out and buy a super pill or an ointment, make sure you’re doing the day-to-day things to give your hair a chance to grow on its own. Our Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Serum is a topical (you rub it on your scalp) product that can help with hair growth. Our hair growth serum is a carefully selected blend of Emu Oil, Shea Butter Oil and other plant oils along with some Essential Oils that have been clinically shown to improve circulation, provide moisture, reduce inflammation and help hair grow to its fullest potential.

There are only a couple of over-the-counter medications that will help with serious hair loss. For men, there is Minoxidil (aka Rogaine) and Propecia. For women, there is Rogaine. These have been formulated in different packages and formulas with enabling compounds added.

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What’s different about Black hair? Why do we need different products and routines from people who don’t have “textured” hair? African hair is made of the same “stuff” as non-African hair. The difference lies in the way those components are put together, or the structure of our hair. Hair is made of a strong protein called keratin. The structure of our hair can cause it to be more prone to breakage and dryness. Because of the structure and the potential problems, black hair care needs are different from those for other types of hair. Our hair can have up to twice the amount of “cuticle” or outer layer. This thicker cuticle layer makes our hair more kinky. Kinks make it more difficult for the oil secreted from our scalps to reach the ends of the hair. The kinks are places where brushes and combs can get caught and cause breakage. Using tools that aren’t made specifically for curly hair types can do a great deal of damage. But, keep in mind there is a continuum of hair types.The parts that make up your hair are:

Cuticle: Outer layer of the hair. It is made up of layers of scales which interlock with the cells of the hair’s inner root sheath to firmly anchor it in the follicle. This is a thin and colorless layer. Black hair’s cuticle layer can be twice the thickness of that of white hair.

Cortex: The middle layer. It is composed of cells which are tightly bound around one another. These bands provide the hair with elasticity and strength and are very receptive to chemicals. As a result, they can easily be influenced (or damaged) by dyes and relaxers.

Melanin: is contained in the cortex and is the substance that determines the color of our hair and skin. The more melanin, the darker the hair or skin.

Follicle: This is the name for hair before it emerges from the skin. Follicles are composed of many elements including carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Healthy amounts of these elements can improve the hairs’ condition and appearance once it emerges.

Sebaceous/Sudoniferous Glands: Attached to the hair follicle are the sebaceous (oil) and the sudoriferous (sweat) glands. The sebaceous glands open and close continuously to release a waxy sebum oil into the hair follicle and onto the scalp. The sudoriferous glands contain many small structures with porous openings leading to the skin. They produce substances which dry on the skin including salts, acids, water and bacteria. If not completely dissolved and effectively removed from the scalp, they can help cause severe itching and dandruff. Thus, the scalp problems some people experience in the early stages of locs.

Especially since most of us are of mixed heritage, African American hair and bi-racial people’s hair can and does vary widely. Even within a single head of hair, there are different hair types. So, there is no one solution for the care of all African American hair. Intuitively, you might think African hair is “tougher” than Caucasian hair and can handle more stress or abuse. After all, it is coarser and thicker. Actually, African hair (especially if treated like European hair) is more fragile than Caucasian hair. For this reason, we suggest using products made especially for our hair, whenever possible. Today, there is a wide range of excellent products made specifically for the needs of African American or Textured hair. Treasured Locks offers a wide array of high quality, reasonable price products especially suited for textured hair types.