Hey there, I have maybe a rediculous question.  I've been trying to grow my hair out for over two years now from an fairly short length to no success.  Once I decided to grow it I quit using any hairspray/gel/etc., I don't blow dry it, and I only wash it once every three days or so.  I brush it often, don't have any split ends, and even get it trimmed every three months.  Then I found this site.  I started to think about my hair after reading about how to grow it out.
     I've never had long hair.  My mother constantly reminds me of how I had very short hair despite her best efforts to grow it.  Now two years into the hair growth experience, I am starting to wonder if shoulder-length is the best I am going to get?
     My hair is extremely thick and every comments on it already.  Even hairstylist's comment on how healthy it looks.  Is it possible that I have an exteremely short terminal hair length?  Or am I just being entirely too impatient?
     Thank you in advance for any responses you give.  I've always wanted long hair (which to me is at least to mid-back if not longer) and I am hoping that I can actually get there eventually.

Christine

     Although it's a dreadfully depressing idea, I had already considered accepting the fact that I won't ever have long hair.   I am however going to try some of the suggestions I've read here and hope for the best.  Otherwise I suppose should-length is it for me and I'll have to learn how to do something with it this way.  I've already started practicing french and dutch braids on my hair (no easy task for me).
     I hadn't considered extensions really.  I suppose I am a glutton and keep holding out hope that mine will eventually get a "wild hair" and decide to grow past my shoulders.  At one time I had thought about getting braids in my hair but a friend of mine who did them warned me that because my hair is so straight (it's wavy, not curly) that she would have to put chemicals into it to make it frizz so the false hair would hold.  Since that wasn't even an option I decided against it.
     I had just hoped to have the kind of long hair it sounds like a lot of you have that makes a statement.  Oh well, if nothing else at least it does grow this long.  Thanks for the response and encouragement.

Christine

i know i sound stupid, but what is terminal length? i have hair 21 inches long but when i was 4 it was almost to my knees!i'm 13 now, could my terminal lenth had changed? maybe i'm just really impatient

Kioryn-when you get your hair trimmed every 3 months,how much is trimmed off? I think this might the reason why your hair doesn´t seem to get longer-even if it´s only a small trim most of the new growth will be gone-at least that´s how it was for me! For years I had the impression that my hair-though fairly healthy-simply would not get past mid-back length.During this time I also had the ends trimmed every 2-3 months. I attribute the fact that my hair is now almost 43 inches (and still growing) to getting no more cuts on a regular basis.(And,of course,hair vitamins,updos,etc.)Two years ago I stopped going to salons altogether and started trimming myself.I do only micro-trims(a few mms) every few months.And if my hair appears healthy and without too many splits,I might even go for up to six months without any trims.
If your hair is healthy,this shouldn´t be a problem
This only my experience of course,but I hope it helps a bit!

Are you sure you're measuring right? Even if you ARE short, hair length relates to the number of inches, rather than where it is on your body. Waist length on most people (even people I know who are 4'11") is about 29-32". That would be really long.