Hair not growing

I am a 20 yr old Black male. my hair is 4b i think which is nappy / coarse. I been growin my hair for bout 1 year now puttin it in cornrows since it got long enough to braid. but i still got no hangtime after 1yr. I have the following questions im hoping you peeps can answer.

I get my hair braided every 3 weeks, how should i be taking care of it during those 3 weeks when its in cornrows.. Plz be detailed like wat products to use how frequently to use them  and what not to do etc. I havent been doing anything betweeen those 3 weeks but washing my hair like every 4 days in the shower with a du rag on.

When i get my braids taken out, i get my hair washed, blowdried then rebraided again. Is this bad? I heard i should leave the hair out for a couple days. Also if I should leave it out then how do i maintain it while its in the fro?

i hear about indian hemp oil castor oil all kinds of other stuff. I'm not too knowledgable on those things so what are simple products i can use t o increase my growth and healthy hair.

I hope someone can answer my questions because after 1 yr of growing this i should have some hangtime, im real frustrated like my hair aint growing.

Thanks, all help appreciated. feel free to pm me with more advice.

Are you shampooing and conditioning your hair weekly? 

You should also try spraying your hair with a braid spray like african pride.  Moisture is the key!

Make sure your braids aren't braided to tight to the scalp.  People do not realize when you get your hair braided to tight it pulls the hair and can irritate or damage the scalp, which can cause breakage and slow hair growth.   Let your hair breathe for a couple of days after getting it taken down and washed.  It is also said that you can over shampoo your hair.  Once or maybe twice a week is ok.  If you want you can try to leave your hair up for only two weeks and a couple of days.  When your hair is braided to long it tends to mat together and tangle.  Use a pic to keep your fro looking fresh while its not braided.  Do you have any type of scalp problems For instance, dandruff?  One more thing try not to get to many designs when you get your hair braided because it can cause pulling of the hair from the scalp.  If you want try a product called wave nouveau moisturizing lotion or mist.  This can be put on your hair while you wear your fro.  This is not a perm,  It can be used on natural or permantly waved hair.  I've used this product on my four boys since each one was 2 months old and I still use it to this day and they have very long hair.  Go to walgreens.com and type in wave nouveau and click search.  You can also try most beauty supply stores. 

Hey Bronxnative,

great info.

when I wore them I saw that my sides started to thin

my beautican stated to stop styling them and I did still didn't notice a change

  Its been awhile since I heard anything from you.  Has your hair started growing yet? 

Maybe who ever is braiding you hair hands doesn't work with your hair type. Try changing hair stylist, I heard that some peoples braiding technique can help someones hair grow faster.

You have said nothing about any conditioning products u are using.  This is a must for braids.  If you dont want to use a deep condioning treatment, please use a leave-in conditioner before u put the braids back in.  Infusium 23 leave-in conditioner is great, and you can find it in any drug store.

My hair type is like yours 4b. What you may be experiencing is your growth cycle may be in the resting phase. When you take your braids down do you see more shedding hair than actual  growth? If you are losing more hair than growth it may be breaking. If not then you are okay. I use to braid my hair a lot for about 3 years.  Taking them down and reapplying,  for the most part my hair line suffered but that is because of the tightening of the braids. 

The oils you are using are very helpful. Also try rosemary too it is suppose to stimulate growth as well.  There are about 4 cycles your hair goes through antigen phase is the one that everyone wants, the growing phase. The longer you are in this phase the longer your hair grows in a shorter period of time.  Also take into account with our texture being the way it is we have mad shrinkage and it appears your hair is not growing when in fact it is.  So if you are shedding hair but your hair is getting longer it is okay. It is normal to have hair that sheds......

Following are the tips that help in proper and healthy growth of hair:
1 Eat nutritious rich diet
2 Drink plenty of water
3 Massage your hair regularly with coconut oil
4 Massage hair with bhrami hair oil before going to sleep
5 Wash your hair with nice quality of conditioner and shampoo
6 Protect hair from heat,dust and pollution.

I'm sorry to hear that after all this time you are having problems with growing your hair. 
I can only give you some friendly advice.
I used to have this problem.  It's not that your hair isn't growing, it's what's being done to it.  Less is better for gals like us.
If you want your hair to grow....1.  Less is better and 2.  Don't let anyone else touch your hair.  3. Style and trim it yourself. 4. Shampoo is (a sham), but if you must use it, add your own pure oils in a seperate bottle and use less.  IMHO, it's the only way.  It worked for me.
Good luck.
PS  Oh yeah, and stay away from the chemicals.
Hair Goddess2011-07-29 14:20:50

Great points, Hair Goddess! If you don't care for your hair properly, it will break and become damaged. That's why when using a flat iron, I recommend keeping it on a heat setting that is appropriate for your hair type.  A straightener that has direct temperature settings will give you the best results. A straightener with a digital read-out of exactly what temperature you want makes setting your temperature very easy.