What can I do to make my hair grow as fast as possible?

September 24, 2004 3:29 PM

My hair has been viciously attacked by a raving lunatic posing as a barber. What can I do to make it grow back as fast as possible? I'll take estrogen pills (and deal with my new breasts) if it'll help.
posted by trharlan to clothing, beauty, & fashion (13 answers total)

You can't do anything but wait.
posted by cmonkey at 3:31 PM on September 24, 2004

buzz it all off like I did.
posted by angry modem at 3:32 PM on September 24, 2004

You might try some of the stuff recommended here
posted by rorycberger at 3:53 PM on September 24, 2004

Best thing is to go to a different barber to make it look decent in its own new, short way, then waiting for it to grow back won't be so painful.
posted by cardboard at 4:21 PM on September 24, 2004

Do a number 6 all over, if parts of your hair aren't too short for that already. It'll give you universal length without you looking like an inmate.
posted by SpaceCadet at 5:33 PM on September 24, 2004

Prenatal vitamins.
posted by oflinkey at 5:59 PM on September 24, 2004

Rubbing stem cells into your scalp.
posted by Krrrlson at 8:49 PM on September 24, 2004

But seriously, cardboard's advice is as good as it gets.
posted by Krrrlson at 8:49 PM on September 24, 2004

tharlan, I am doing a low carb diet and my hair is growing like gangbusters. I can shave in the morning and have major stubble by night--if I wasn't a blond, I'd have a Richard Nixon/Homer Simpson permanent five o'clock shadow. I'm not kidding--I used to go three months between haircuts, now I go two. It's the same with my fingernails and toenails. It seems like I'm clipping them every other day now. Up your protein intake, drink lots and lots of water, take your vitamins and be patient. Be very patient.
posted by y2karl at 9:18 PM on September 24, 2004

Do a number 6 all over

ha. guess who was doing a number 4 all over, took the comb off the clipper and then noticed a stray hair?
yep.
put a stripe across the top of my head. had to shave completely...
posted by andrew cooke at 6:05 AM on September 25, 2004

I had the same problem - terrible cut. I vowed no one would touch my hair til it grew out, but went to get color at a high end salon to ease the pain and the woman basically took me in hand and gave me a terrific hair cut.

Also, what Y2karl said about eating lots of protein. You could also try Biotin.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:25 AM on September 25, 2004

off topic, but do atkins dieters smell bad? it's common amongst runners (and i guess other people who exercise with little fat) that if you go for a long run you can pong a bit afterwards - a kind of cat-litter amonia-ish smell - because (i am reliably told) your body ran out of carbs and started metabolizing protein....
posted by andrew cooke at 12:09 PM on September 25, 2004

Sorry about your luck. I third (forth?) the idea of going to a really good barber. The thing about a terrible cut, is that it looks worse when it grows out.

I got mangled once, so bad that a group of women in a bar sent me sympathy drinks. I decided to treat myself to a high-end fix. The barber laughed my hair and gave me a great cut on the house. Short doesn't have to be awful, and cutting the ends should stimulate growth.

I've been taking vitimin E, and my hair is much healthier and seems to grow faster. (It's also good for your heart and may complement a high protein diet).
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 4:38 PM on September 25, 2004