5 Women Share Their Hair Problems | My Answers

Five women with different hair-concerns contacted me lately. I thought to answer them via this post in detail today! If you have got a question to ask me, feel free drop me an email or a WhatsApp text. Mind you, I usually respond to genuine, properly-formatted queries. (Not just hair-related, I also like receiving weird questions over email.)

1. How Do I Grow Out My Short Afro Hair? : by Precious, South Africa

Hello, how are you? Precious is my name. I go to school. I want to grow out my hair naturally. My hair is natural, afro hair, just like any South African woman’s. But it’s still very, what can I say? It’s rough and it stretches but it’s very short. I need some tips to grow my hair and still want it to be natural as it is now. I don’t want to change the texture of my afro hair; just want to make it longer. Can you please give me some tips? I can send you a picture so that you can see my hair. (Picture is hidden)

My routine: I use Vaseline as my hair moisturizer. The problems begin when I wash my haır. I usually wash my haır with ordinary soap. If I use a shampoo, my hair goes back down. It reduces. I also expose my hair to sunlight and it sometimes shed excessively.

My reply: Hi, Precious! I’m doing well. How have you been? I’m impressed that you want to preserve your natural-hair and not stretch/rebond it. Accepting your hair the way it is the first step I’d suggest anyone who begins their hair growth journey. I wish you the best. Keep loving your afro and never change its beautiful texture.

Coming to your query – since Afro hair is usually curly, it takes a lot of time for the growth (length) to show up. Unlike straight hair, untreated Afro hair takes time to go past your shoulders. It doesn’t mean your hair isn’t growing, it’s just that it’s curly and the new growth isn’t visible much. (Unless you heat-stretch, but I really don’t want you to do it)

Keep treating your hair right. I can’t stress this enough but eat healthy food. I know you go to school and things can get hectic, but get enough food and rest. Never skip meals! Trust me it will make you shed more. Watch your daily protein intake. Eat chickpeas, eggs and fish everyday. (You need adequate proteins to grow out your hair fast) and more importantly, oil your hair at least twice a week and mandatorily before every hair wash. Never soap/shampoo dry hair.

You’ve mentioned that you avoid shampoo because it causes excessive shedding. If soap suits your hair, all fine. Just make sure you don’t use hard water with soap or do the last rinse with drinking water, just to avoid soap buildup on your scalp. Clean scalp – fast growth.

Avoid exposing your hair to sunlight – UV rays can damage your hair much, and make it lose the shine. Wear a hat or a scarf. If you worry that your hair is rough, incorporate a lot of oils in your hair care routine. Experient. Oiling never gets old! Don’t put vaseline (petroleum jelly) on your hair. I’ll never recommend it. It gets stuck on your hair, suffocates it and causes buildup. Your hair follicles need a supply of oxygen to flourish and grow. You really don’t need something inorganic on your hair.

I suggest that you use pure oils on your hair instead of scented/tinted ones. I wish I could send my product to you but unfortunately, I don’t ship worldwide as of now. And so, I suggest that you use pure coconut oil for your hair! To get rid of roughness and add shine, you can try masking your hair with a mixture of greek yogurt and lemon once or twice in a month.

Overall, a good hair oiling routine (twice a week), proteins (every day) and rest (get enough night sleep) will do the trick for you. Write to me after a few months with an update. Happy hair growth journey! Lots of love from India.

2. Female Pattern Baldness & Vitamin D Deficiency: by Anu, Bangalore

Hi Lancy, I’ve read a lot about how you did your research in hair growth and beyond that. I have pattern baldness and I’m taking treatment for the same. Could you please suggest a hair care routine (I’ve cold issues). Plus, after my delivery in 2016, I lost a lot of hair. Now I’m still struggling with hair growth. I have thin brittle hair. The doctor advised me to take a 5% Minoxidil solution for one year. And Iron tablets for 6 months. I’m using hair packs that I found on the internet. I really wish if you could help me out in this situation. Due to the scoring heat in Bangalore, I take head bath twice a day. I sweat a lot.

Notes: I had a thyroid test last month and the results came out normal. I’m on a non-vegetarian diet and we eat everything possible. I had severe Vitamin D deficiency and anemia a few years back. I took treatment for that; now I’m alright. Is there any chance I can grow out my hair?

My reply: Hi Anu, I can definitely suggest hair care ideas. Going by the details you shared with me, I think your vitamin-D deficiency is causing your hair to fall out. Since you eat well and your thyroid levels are normal as well, the vitamin deficiency (along with anemia) may very well be the culprit. I got to see the pictures you sent and I see that you’ve lost the volume of your hair over the years. I’m really sorry that you go through this but a piece of good news is that it is reversible.

Proper oiling + nutrition will improve your hair if you’re consistent. I do not suggest minoxidil. It’s a chemical used to treat hair loss but it doesn’t carry a 100% success rate, plus the effects are not long-term – which means you’ll lose the hair once you stop using the chemical. Why I won’t suggest prolonged usage is that it’s possibly carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and hence has been banned in many countries.

I understand that you have cold issues. Avoid using oils that contain henna and amla and avoid oiling your hair at night. To prevent cold, include mustard oil in your hair oiling-treatments. It warms up your scalp and improves the blood circulation without making you catch a cold. And you don’t really need to wash your hair every day; if you still have to, to get rid of sweat residue, avoid using shampoo every day. I suggest you do the following soon.

1. Check your serum levels of Vitamin D3 and RBC count.
2. Discontinue minoxidil, if you can. If I were you, I won’t use it. Use natural oils on your scalp and hair twice to thrice a week.
3. Get sunlight during the golden hours of the day, but not direct sunlight on the scalp.
4. Include seafood/mushrooms to your diet, if possible. These improve your Vitamin-D levels. Continue your Iron supplements. They can help you overcome anemia (which can again be one of the major causes of hair loss) And ask your doc if he can prescribe B12 shots/supplements to increase your RBC levels (If they’re low).

My dad had RBC less than 8 six months ago and his scalp looked unusually scanty at that time. But now that he’s getting treated/getting his B12 through supplement and food, his scalp has gotten denser, his hair is growing out long and he’s refusing to cut his hair. I wanted to share his experience with you to just give you an idea of how deficiencies can affect your hair. (Your body only uses excessive nutrients on your hair, which is a dead cell. So when your body lacks nutrients for the basic functioning of organs, the supply to hair follicles reduce/stop. Hair indicates health.)

Please write back to me once you get your blood reports, Anu. And don’t forget to start your oiling routine; the sooner, the better. I can sponsor my product to you and help you grow your hair if you’ll be interested in participating in a hair growth challenge. Do let me know if you’ll be interested. We’ll discuss more.

3. Reversing 10 Years of Chemical Straightening Damage: by Sheetal, Siliguri

Hey hi. I had a few hair queries. Can you help me out? I’ve been permanently straightening my hair from the past 10 years and as a result, my hair has become very dry, damaged, frizzy and curly. It used to be wavy. And also, I’ve got a lot of white hair too, mostly on both sides. Can you suggest some home remedies or anything else that can help me out? TIA!

My reply: Hi, Sheetal! I can surely help you out. Years of heat and chemical damage really impacts your hair follicles and strands negatively. I’m glad you’ve come to realize that and I believe you will avoid chemical-straightening your hair from now on. This will be the first/wise step you take.

Secondly, you mentioned that you started seeing pre-mature gray hairs. Sadly, the strong-chemicals on perming solutions used in salons can cause premature graying because they deplete the melanin in your hair. Fortunately, this is very much reversible with a proper hair care routine. Switch to gentler hair care products and oil your hair thrice a week to provide it the moisture it needs. Currently, your hair is dry and damaged. We should nourish it as much as possible to strengthen the weak, frizzy strands. Always oil generously and do a two-minute scalp massage before every hair wash. Never shampoo dry hair as it can make your hair even more damaged and lifeless.

For now, intense oiling treatments should help. (I can sponsor my product to you if you wish to try it on your chemical-damaged hair and share the results) Constant oiling will make sure that the new growth is healthy, strong and lustrous. For graying, you can try a mixture or henna/indigo to conceal them for now and do add a lot of curry leaves in your diet to get rid of the gray strands eventually. My mom swears by curry leaves and dates to keep her gray stands at bay. (I also suggest you get tested for iron deficiency and if positive, change your diet accordingly)

Overall, ditch the perms and embrace natural hair. Oil regularly. Eat well. You should start seeing the changes in your hair texture soon! All the best for your new hair journey, Sheetal!

4. Lost My Hair to Repeated Layered Cuts: by Amrutha, Kerala

Hi, I am 22 years old. I used to have very thick and long hair until I was 17. Due to lack of care, I started to lose a lot of hair. So I had a layered hair cut till my shoulder. That was the worst decision of my life. After that also I had layer cut again 4-5 times due to the beautician saying that it will make my hair look thick. But actually, I was losing my volume of hair.

I started stressing a lot which increased my hair fall. Now I’ve extremely thin hair. I just trimmed the ends myself because I am scared to go to Salon as they will again layer cut my hair. This is the present condition of my hair. Please help me, ma’am. I’ve seen your blog. You are my last hope. Please don’t ignore this message.

My reply: Hi, Amrutha! I’m really sorry that you had to go through these. I had personally seen it happen to people many times where hairstylists literally force their clients to have a haircut. I strongly condemn this as it’s unethical and stupid. Once, a lady beautician (not a hairstylist) suggested I get a layered hair cut because my hair was all in one length and looked boring for my age. I said no; then she suggested a trim. I refused again. She was visibly disappointed and guess what, she suggested this when I went for waxing, not even to avail a hair service.

This happened at a very reputed salon and I’ve stopped my monthly waxing visits, only because I’m done with their nagging and pushy-behavior. It’s like they want to CUT my hair more than anything! Not only there, but it also happens at many salons in India. Next time, please be careful and have control over what they do to your skin and hair when you visit a parlor or a salon.

To get back your hair, do follow a proper hair care routine (which includes regular oiling, usage of gentle cleansers and no-exposure to sunlight) and eat the right food. Hair growth takes time. I understand you regret cutting your beautiful hair, but with patience, you’ll get it back again. You just need to be consistent and patient. Avoid trims, even at home, unless it’s very necessary. (Fairy-tale ends are beautiful too.) You can always trim after you reach the goal length and thickness but frequent trims won’t let you grow longer hair. Use pure, unadulterated oils on your hair to improve the shine and thickness. Including a lot of protein in your diet will also help.

Please do read the other answers in this post to get an idea on how to grow out your hair naturally. You can try my product on a challenge if you wish to. Feel free to write to me anytime. I wish you all the best for your hair growth journey!

5. IBD & Hair Thinning: by Lakshmi, India

Dear Lancy,

Let me begin by saying that I love your blog with its useful tips and remedies :) I’m 26 years old, and I’ve already lost so much hair I feel I am almost bald. I can’t even tie a ponytail as it’s so miserably thin.

I never really took care of my hair in childhood except for weekly oiling, however, my hair used to be healthy shiny and strong.

Once I shifted to the hostel for college my hair started falling slowly however I was never worried, I didn’t have a nutritious diet either on looking back.

3 years ago however I developed IBD, a bowel disorder and it was uncontrolled for a year, and for the next 2 years, I had heavy hair shedding. I tried everything, cried, tried every remedy on the Internet in desperation to no avail.

3 months ago I shifted to a new place for work, with fresh air and cleaner water, and also started taking a lot of supplements and watching my diet even more and I see a lot of improvement (after 2 years of heart-wrenching hair fall). Also, my disease got under control finally a year ago.

I oil my hair once to twice a week, and as per ur advice wash with shikakai. I see a remarkable difference however I’m afraid if my hair just won’t get thick again. In fact, I’m afraid to go to the salon coz they may just chop it all off coz it’s so thin.

Could you help me and give me some advice? I’m ready to do anything literally take any pains and do everything necessary to regain my hair. Thank you so much.

Lakshmi.

My reply: Hi Lakshmi, I’m really sorry for the very delayed reply. I somehow missed your email. I thought better late than never, and hence, answering your query today. Not sure if it will be useful anymore, still trying.

IBD/IBS can be both physically and mentally straining. I’m sorry you had been through that. I empathize with you. I am also glad that you’ve recovered and that you have access to fresh hair and clean water now. Please continue eating right and love your body! When you eat right, it shows up on every other aspect of your life – your productivity, your health, and yes, your hair, as well! That’s why I don’t consider hair care as only an aesthetic thing. Hair reflects your body, emotions and your health.

Don’t worry about the lost thickness. With proper routine & diet, you will gain back your hair. However, you’ll need patience. Gaining thickness takes more time than gaining length. Your hair growth cycle should balance itself from the trauma. Do weekly oiling treatments at home. Use either pure coconut oil or you can try my formula if you wish.

I am not sure if I have ever experienced IBD but I know I’m gluten-sensitive. Intake of gluten ruins my digestive system, appetite and I shed more when I eat gluten-y food. I’m on a gluten-free diet for nearly a year now and it’s good on my hair. Are you sure you’ve recovered 100% and that IBD is not contributing to your hair loss anymore? If thinning persists for more than 6 months, and if you also don’t see an improvement in length, please check with your doctor once. Avoid allergens in your diet and have a mild, yet protein-rich diet for your hair growth. Proteins are a must!

To obtain the desired volume, I suggest you eat a lot of eggs, legumes, and spinach. If you’re a vegetarian/vegan, try soy products, but only if you’re not allergic. Be very careful with your diet. Oil your hair twice a week (thrice if your hair is extremely dry) and get proper night sleep. Follow these consistently for 3 months and write to me again. All the best!

Wrapping up! Almost 3000 words! I spent the last 5 & hours penning down this post and now I deserve some nice food and rest. It always feels good to write back to my readers and I regret that I couldn’t get back to many of you. I’m truly sorry about that. Please don’t hesitate to ping me again. (Email, Whatsapp, Instagram, anywhere!) I’m doing my best to squeeze in time to answer your questions.

Please drop in the comment section below on how you relate yourself to the ladies on the query-section today. If you ask me – I wanted to grow out my hair during my school days, just like how Precious wants to. I’ve had several pathetic hair chops in my early teens, but unlike Amrutha who had been forced by the parlor-lady, in my case, I forced them to cut my hair!. Not exactly but similar to Lakshmi, I had experienced gluten-sensitivity and hair-loss triggered by that. I overcame that with diet-tweaks. And frequent oiling helps my hair more than anything else! How is your relationship with your hair?

Let’s do some hair talk!