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Thread: Short terminal length ?

  1. #21
    Member Silverbrumby's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    Quote Originally Posted by jacqueline101 View Post
    Micro trim is the way to go.
    Micro or macro trim isn't making a difference here. My hair just thins around APL. I'm all for accepting it now and not fighting my god given hair.

    But I'm all for how wonderful and soft it feels now. The frizz is almost all gone.

    Hair September 2015

  2. #22
    Member DayDreamerDani's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    I can definitely relate to how you are feeling. The longest my hair has ever been was a little shy of waist. But this is the first time in my life that I am actively growing my hair. Before I found this site, I did very damaging things to my hair. So I'm going to have to wait and see if my hair grows long!!! I've heard many stories of women on here thinking that had reached terminal at bsl but in reality their hair was damaged and that's why it wasn't growing. I understand your circumstances are a bit different, but it's comforting to me at least, to know that there is hope! Good luck!!

  3. #23
    Member Autumn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    BF has a terminal length of about mid-back. I occasionally trim a couple inches off the ends and it grow back to the same place. However, he wears his hair loose all the time and is not at all careful with it. If he took better care of it, it might grow longer.

  4. #24
    Member Mesmerise's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    Quote Originally Posted by jacqueline101 View Post
    Micro trim is the way to go.
    That's true IF you're dealing with a false terminal length that's being caused by damage. If you hit true terminal at BSL it doesn't matter what you do to your hair! You can microtrim to your heart's content, but your hair is never going to get longer than terminal.
    Starting over short and working towards virgin hair!

  5. #25
    Just letting it grow ravenheather's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    I worry about a short terminal too. My hair has never been long, but I've never tried. My mom doesn't think it will grow long and says so regularly. I did find a pic from 2 years ago when I had just had my 2nd daughter. It looks like it was at least apl and that was post partum. I also didn't really do anything to take care of it, just didn't get a haircut while I was pregnant. Hopefully it's a good sign that with care and patience my hair will get fairly long. I'm hoping for tailbone to classic length, but would be ok with at least waist.

    Going for terminal, but also enjoying wearing my hair down and curly.

  6. #26

    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    Quote Originally Posted by auburntressed View Post
    But as a general rule... there just aren't enough people around anymore who let their hair just grow and grow for most of their lives until it won't any longer to get a really good idea of what is the average for terminal.

    I suppose looking into certain religious communities that do not cut hair - such as the Amish or the Fundamentalist Mormons - could give a little bit of insight into what is "average" for a designated genetic group. But it really would not at all help us to determine averages for humans in general, as those ladies come from a specific, narrow gene pool. It also would only give us insight about female terminal length for them - not male.
    That's spot-on--I think I have said something similar in another thread about terminal length, and how difficult it is to know what the real numbers are. I've seen the "two to six years" growth cycle mentioned so often that I suspect it's one of those figures that has no real basis in any sort of rigorous study. The religious groups you mentioned is one way to study this in more depth. Sikhs and Pentecostals also do not cut their hair, though I understand that they have traction alopecia (Sikhs) and styling-related damage (Ps).

    Anyway, OP, are you talking about most of your hairs being terminal at BSL, or are most of them terminal higher up? I have one of those unfortunate hair scenarios where many, many of my hairs are terminal at maybe six inches. A lot of my hairs are terminal at APL or BSL. And then a few reach waist. I will know more when I've had a chance to maintain at my goal length, but I am pretty sure I have a fairly short average terminal length when you look at the entire scalp.

  7. #27
    Member Silverbrumby's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    btw, I'm enjoying this thread. Some gals/guys will join the LHC forum and grow out beautiful hair to very long lengths. I've seen so many of those posts "My one, two, three year etc anniversary". Their hair is amazing but you can also see I think that for most of them it was a case of just never growing it long before OR killing it with bleach, dye, heat, terrible eating etc etc. When they correct that their hair thrives.

    And I've seen some like me who really don't do too much wrong but could improve. You can see that we don't make the dramatic growth, shinnying cascade of hair. It looks better, grows a bit longer but it's not going to be the 'wow' heads of hair. Ok, I'm talking about me here just to be clear. Thinking out loud.

    I'm love all the changes I've made and how much I've learnt here but I don't think anyone is going to go wow at my hair in 1,2,3,4 years time.
    Hair September 2015

  8. #28
    Member QMacrocarpa's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    For me, regular updos/braids, no heat, and tiny trims as needed will be essential for reaching my goal of waist. Otherwise I'd be permanently stuck around BSL. I was there for years in high school and college (wearing it down and not trimming were my big culprits as I was never much of a heat-user). I don't say that wearing your hair down and using some heat is necessarily causing your issue, OP, but it would for sure be a problem for my hair.

  9. #29
    Eternal APL Katze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mesmerise View Post
    I think the question Katze is asking is: is there anyone on here who knows for a fact that they DO have a very short terminal length.

    It sounds as if she's doing all the right things for her health and the health of her hair.

    I know some people have certainly mentioned that they've known people who can't grow their hair long... but I don't know if there's anyone on LHC who's actually got to a terminal length which was comparatively short?!

    I'm curious to know too! I don't want super long hair, and have no desire to reach extreme lengths, but I WOULD love at least waist! (Ideally hip). As it stands, I have no idea if I have the potential to get there, either.
    Thanks, Mesmerise, for clarifying. I've been here since 2005, so probably am doing most things right (except wearing my hair up 24/7, which I am not willing to do - if my hair is that fragile, it makes no sense to get it artificially long, and most updos don't work on my hair in its normal state!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Louise148 View Post
    I have never had hair longer than BSL. Even when i was nine and my mom just ley my hair grow it never got past somewher in between APL and BSL so I definitely think I have a short terminal hair length. I have just accepted that there is nothing I can do about it and accepted that, for me, that is long.

    Lou x
    Yes, exactly. It's long for YOU - or at least, as long as it is ever going to be (maybe?) and it's healthy, so that what counts.

    Quote Originally Posted by auburntressed View Post

    I suppose looking into certain religious communities that do not cut hair - such as the Amish or the Fundamentalist Mormons - could give a little bit of insight into what is "average" for a designated genetic group. But it really would not at all help us to determine averages for humans in general, as those ladies come from a specific, narrow gene pool. It also would only give us insight about female terminal length for them - not male.

    I'm just as interested in male terminal length as it pertains to averages. But I'd say we are even more out of luck with men than with women when it comes to examples.
    Well said. If we could see more longhairs, from across the spectrum of human genetics, males, females, Africans, Asians, Europeans, mixed genes, everyone in between we might get a better picture of what's 'normal.'

    Looking at friends who are effortlessly longhair (and my sister, and my DH!) I think they often grow long 'because they can.' They start growing, and their hair grows and grows, thus reinforcing their willingness to keep at it. Or, like my DH, they do nothing, and their hair is gorgeous.

    Quote Originally Posted by Guenever View Post

    I joined here in 2006 and grew from MBL to extremely tapered TBL before I gave up and went back to shoulder.. the taper was getting to me and I refused to wear it down.. I have to admit - seeing other members reaching their goals while I was "stuck" made me a bit depressed
    So, I had a couple of years away from the boards trying not to worry about my hair, but now I'm back starting over..

    It's odd.. I did (still do) everything right, but for some reason my taper just doesn't seem to improve.. I have a decent 3,3" circ. but the taper starts around APL and below just above BSL my length starts to get see-though..

    It's incredibly frustrating, but I'm not ready to give up on my goal just yet.. I'm sorry. I have no helpful tips or advice.... just a hug! You're not the only long-hair having taper issues
    TBL is long, though! And your hair looks really nice, to me anyway.

    I have a friend who started out on the German longhair boards about two years after I did. She had bleached, multicolored, dyed, shoulder-length hair. Well, now, five years later, her hair, fine and straight, almost reaches her tailbone. Mine was longer than hers when she started, we've both trimmed, obviously I've trimmed more, and hers is long, and mine isn't. We do both have fine hair, but hers is more manageable, being 1a/1b or so.

    Quote Originally Posted by DayDreamerDani View Post
    I can definitely relate to how you are feeling. The longest my hair has ever been was a little shy of waist. But this is the first time in my life that I am actively growing my hair. Before I found this site, I did very damaging things to my hair. So I'm going to have to wait and see if my hair grows long!!! I've heard many stories of women on here thinking that had reached terminal at bsl but in reality their hair was damaged and that's why it wasn't growing. I understand your circumstances are a bit different, but it's comforting to me at least, to know that there is hope! Good luck!!
    You actually sound like someone whose hair could be very long once you start babying it! Waist is - for damaged hair - actually quite long! Good luck! I bet you will be surprised.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mesmerise View Post
    That's true IF you're dealing with a false terminal length that's being caused by damage. If you hit true terminal at BSL it doesn't matter what you do to your hair! You can microtrim to your heart's content, but your hair is never going to get longer than terminal.
    Exactly. I've been micro and macro trimming, getting rid of layers and damage, but also of natural and unnatural taper, since coming here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Silverbrumby View Post
    btw, I'm enjoying this thread. Some gals/guys will join the LHC forum and grow out beautiful hair to very long lengths. I've seen so many of those posts "My one, two, three year etc anniversary". Their hair is amazing but you can also see I think that for most of them it was a case of just never growing it long before OR killing it with bleach, dye, heat, terrible eating etc etc. When they correct that their hair thrives.

    And I've seen some like me who really don't do too much wrong but could improve. You can see that we don't make the dramatic growth, shinnying cascade of hair. It looks better, grows a bit longer but it's not going to be the 'wow' heads of hair. Ok, I'm talking about me here just to be clear. Thinking out loud.

    I'm love all the changes I've made and how much I've learnt here but I don't think anyone is going to go wow at my hair in 1,2,3,4 years time.
    THIS!

    Thank you, Silverbrumby! I see those pictures too and my hair will never, ever look like that. Friends don't believe me about haircare, since my hair just doesn't look healthy or long - though it is, for me. I will never have that 'wow' hair, no matter how I wish for it.

    I also love all the changes I've made and how much I've learned (and SMTs!!!) but after being here for 6+ years, nope, my hair isn't, and won't ever be, wow. Trying to accept that.
    Feb 2013, solid BSL again but shedding. Wondering if this is really terminal length. Hairtype 1b/2b, F/M, ii

  10. #30
    Just letting it grow ravenheather's Avatar
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    Default Re: Short terminal length ?

    You know we should all keep in mind that on here what is wow hair is really very extreme in the world at large. And for everyone that thinks their hair is blah, it is probably someone elses dream hair. Also there is a cost for really long hair. Harder to wear down. Sometimes style limitations. Harder to prevent damage.

    That being said, I still want really long hair. LOL. But most importantly I want the best, longest hair that I can grow.

    Going for terminal, but also enjoying wearing my hair down and curly.

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