I completed my New Year's resolution! Pics + Great Salon Experience

[mzBANGBANG]

It took me 11 months, but I finally did it. I grew out my layers! I had so much growth, I even hit waist twice, and it was painful to cut back each time but I am so happy with the results today.

Here's a starting point of how "meh" my layers were looking:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad238/caslpierce/Hair%20Growth/01_08_12_01.jpg

This was in January of last year. I had highlights and layers put into my hair a few months prior to this picture and while they looked great the first couple weeks, they just didn't look right on my super fine, basically straight hair.

THIS (below pic) was so hard to cut off!!! A few weeks ago, with lazy wrap bun waves (which I probably will no longer be able to do for half of a year, but oh well):

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad238/caslpierce/Photoon11-16-12at226PM.jpg

And here is my brand new hemline, brand new ONE LENGTH HAIR!!! I have layering in the front to frame my face, but this is what I was going for!

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad238/caslpierce/Photoon11-25-12at1217PM.jpg

Ah!!!! I'm a "shortie!"

I went to Walmart for my haircut. I wanted something simple, I wasn't expect a great stylist but wow, she was so awesome. We talked about my non-mainstream hair routines and she had me beaming. She told me I had the healthiest hair she's ever seen! She called over all of the other stylists to look at the condition of my hair, and I felt like a celebrity as they all watched her dry it. It's the first time I've had a stylist actually treat my hair like silk without having to demand it not be ripped through by a brush. I said it was OK for her to flat iron, but she ended up just doing the front because she didn't want to damage my hair at all. No split ends, and I even got to share some of my hair routine. It was hands down one of the best experiences I've had when I was just expecting a cheap-o cut. I tipped her very well and thanked her for being so awesome, but I forgot to get her name! I might stop back in to get a card, but I already have a stylist so I kind of feel bad going to someone else.

Since my one year is approaching in less than a month, I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive in my hair journey. I got very frustrated so many times, but I see the difference in the pictures and it really is amazing. I'm not going to post for my official anniversary since I decided to get the trim today, and I consider this my real step in growing out my hair. Fresh start! Now my goal for 2013... no layers, and waist length.

Thanks again everyone! Back to the painful journey from BSL to Waist!

[Lostsoule77]

Congratulations! Your hair looks amazing! Both in the hemline and the health. :thud:

[Macaroni]

Your hair is beautiful.

[Shepherdess]

You have such lovely healthy hair! Congratulations on growing the layers out! Now you have such a healthy looking hemline! ! :)

[Vampyria]

Congratulations! It looks great, so smooth and nice thick ends. :)

[vanillabones]

It really is gorgeous. Great job and your strength to cut it back is inspiring! this is what I'm still facing to have to do. The difference is extreme and I have the same type of hair so I know how it is. Beautiful hair!!!

[Lissandria]

Your hair is so healthy looking with a thick hemline- gorgeous :) congrats on being layer-free!

[mzBANGBANG]

Congratulations! Your hair looks amazing! Both in the hemline and the health. :thud:


Your hair is beautiful.


You have such lovely healthy hair! Congratulations on growing the layers out! Now you have such a healthy looking hemline! ! :)


Congratulations! It looks great, so smooth and nice thick ends. :)

Thank you!!! :joy:


It really is gorgeous. Great job and your strength to cut it back is inspiring! this is what I'm still facing to have to do. The difference is extreme and I have the same type of hair so I know how it is. Beautiful hair!!!

Thank you! Seeing everyone else cut back was what inspired me. I just accepted that I would have to cut back my year of growth in order to actually be able to start keeping length. I did do this very slowly, since I've been self-trimming every month, and it made this cut a lot easier (no way would I have cut from hip length to BSL!!!). I had to become more apathetic than anything, honestly I went in for a shoulder length cut and changed my mind as soon as I sat down in the styling chair.


Your hair is so healthy looking with a thick hemline- gorgeous :) congrats on being layer-free!

Thank you!!! It feels great to be free of those layers! They've been holding me back my entire growth journey.

[Tota]

Congratulations! Your hair is gorgeous and amazingly healthy!

[vanillabones]

Well you are my inspiration! I'm going to book my appointment for December. If I don't cut it before it gets nearer to BSL I don't think I ever will. I have bleach left on the ends, layers, and the ends stick together ew! :cheer: Longhairs gotta do what they gotta do!

[oktobergoud]

It's looking great! Congratulations! :D

[spidermom]

I love the no-layer look of your hair; so pretty!

[lunardaydreamer]

Wow, that's great! I'm so happy for you. And I am so glad that you had a great salon experience. It must have felt really nice to have the wonderful condition of your hair recognized :)

[jacqueline101]

Your hair looks great.

[WaitingSoLong]

I have had very good experiences with Wal-Mart. Sounds odd, but it's true. One of the best experiences I ever had was there. Unfortunately, no stylist ever stays very long so even though I got a name, she was not there the next time. Of course, I don't go to salons anymore.

Your hair looks really good. So good I want to chop back to BSL lol.

[lapushka]

It looks great, and what a wonderful new starting point for you. I hope you reach WL next year!

[Vanilla]

Congrats! Your hair looks awesome.

[akilina]

It DOES look awesome!!!
Its funny...I think a lot of us had some chops and cuts while LHC was down..I did too.

This is also another example of how "cheap" salons can have awesome great stylists inside! :)

[verylittlecarro]

So pretty! Well done. Growing will seem so easy now that you can just let it go.

[kitcatsmeow]

omg I'm SOOO happy for you :D and a lil jealous but you are my new inspiration. Can't wait till my layers are gonzo!

[mzBANGBANG]

Wow, that's great! I'm so happy for you. And I am so glad that you had a great salon experience. It must have felt really nice to have the wonderful condition of your hair recognized :)

Oh my gosh I was having such a horrid hair day, crying over my messed up hemline and all the stylists there were so genuinely sweet with their compliments, I was tearing up, lol. It made me feel like I really accomplished something.


I have had very good experiences with Wal-Mart. Sounds odd, but it's true. One of the best experiences I ever had was there. Unfortunately, no stylist ever stays very long so even though I got a name, she was not there the next time. Of course, I don't go to salons anymore.

Your hair looks really good. So good I want to chop back to BSL lol.

WSL, that's true -- I've gotten cards from stylists at Walmart before and they always move on. I have generally had positive experiences any time I've went there though. I have to wonder if they stylists do such a good job because they are dependent on tips. I really don't understand tipping but she only spent about 15-20 minutes with me, the cut itself was $18.50, and I gave her an $8 tip. I don't have a lot of money to spend on these things, and I don't do it often but I've always wondered what the best percentage to tip a stylist was.

Why BSL?!? Your ends and hemline look good NOW! You could get the same "fresh start" effect with a two inch trim!!!


It looks great, and what a wonderful new starting point for you. I hope you reach WL next year!

Thanks! Me, too. It's time for me to hide my scissors, no trims until April. I'm predicting waist length by summer.

[Maelyssa]

I actually think it looks fantastic! Sometimes big cuts aren't such a bad thing. Whether you keep it this length or continue to grow it out it looks awesome and healthy. :D

[rock007junkie]

I feel your pain of cutting all the time to reach a goal other than length but your results look amazing!!

[einna]

Congrats! It looks so great! Good job managing to cut the layers like that, I am struggeling with that myself, doing it very gradually.
Happy growing. :)

[WaitingSoLong]

Why BSL?!? Your ends and hemline look good NOW! You could get the same "fresh start" effect with a two inch trim!!!

Clearly you need to see my hair in person.
BSL was such a nice length. Much less tangles and issues. Long hair is starting to not be worth it anymore but I can't let go of the damn length. The cons are really starting to outweigh the pros.

I am planning a 1-2" trim Tuesday, my ends are really ragged and I wanted to try a moon trim after my horrid slow growth rate this past few months. No one will notice but me. LOL

Realistically, though, I will likely do a decent chop once my virgin hair reaches waist or so. Another year yet or so. The old bleached parts are really starting to show how damaged they were, 2 years later. It has taken that long for the damage to start to show up. It is amazing to see the difference at the demarcation line.

I admire shorter blonde hair all the time. Especially anything BSL to waist and yours is a fine specimen indeed!

[PraiseCheeses]

Your hemline looks perfect and your hair is gorgeous and healthy! That can go a long way towards revitalizing your interest in the journey. :)

.... now I want my hair professionally straightened. Grumble. :p

[neko_kawaii]

Sounds like an exemplary salon experience! Hooray! And your hair is lovely too, which would normally go without saying but since this is TLHC - YOUR HAIR IS LOVELY!

[Avital88]

that really is some gorgeous healthy hair! it looks like silk,i bet it will grow so fast from now on

[schweedie]

I love hearing about great salon experiences like this! And your hair looks absolutely gorgeous. Like silk!

[mzBANGBANG]

I actually think it looks fantastic! Sometimes big cuts aren't such a bad thing. Whether you keep it this length or continue to grow it out it looks awesome and healthy. :D

Thank you! I had to use every "cutback" on here I have seen to realize this was the best decision I could make for my future growth. All the hard work is paying off!


I feel your pain of cutting all the time to reach a goal other than length but your results look amazing!!

It has been so frustrating, as you would know! Thank you for the encouragement :blossom:


Congrats! It looks so great! Good job managing to cut the layers like that, I am struggeling with that myself, doing it very gradually.
Happy growing. :)

Thank you! I surprised myself by going for it, it took a lot of microtrims for me to be OK with it!


Clearly you need to see my hair in person.
BSL was such a nice length. Much less tangles and issues. Long hair is starting to not be worth it anymore but I can't let go of the damn length. The cons are really starting to outweigh the pros.

I am planning a 1-2" trim Tuesday, my ends are really ragged and I wanted to try a moon trim after my horrid slow growth rate this past few months. No one will notice but me. LOL

Realistically, though, I will likely do a decent chop once my virgin hair reaches waist or so. Another year yet or so. The old bleached parts are really starting to show how damaged they were, 2 years later. It has taken that long for the damage to start to show up. It is amazing to see the difference at the demarcation line.

I admire shorter blonde hair all the time. Especially anything BSL to waist and yours is a fine specimen indeed!

Honestly, if it is to cut away the bleach... you will feel so much better. That was one of my reasonings, too. I ended up dying to match my roots, I'm thankful no one has noticed any damages from my last dye job. Having the bleached/re-bleached ends cut off REALLY helped with tangles. And I totally relate to it not being worth it, even though my before pic was only MBL, at that point it just felt "too long" for me to keep up with. It would be much harder for me to part with hair your length -- it would be like losing an arm! Small trims is the way to go... once you take off a little, and realize no one else notices... you think, well I could lose a little more... I know you've been talking about this for awhile, I don't want to feel like an enabler :whistles: because honestly your one of my hair idols! I went in with an honest to god mission to cut my hair to shoulder length. I was done with it. Cutting half of that much was all I could muster to do (and now I am so glad... I'd be so mad at myself right now had I cut more). Waist is still very long, and it IS a fresh start! Do what you think will make you happy, in my experiences the anxiety of a trim is always so painful, and then once it is over I think, wow it looks so much better.


Your hemline looks perfect and your hair is gorgeous and healthy! That can go a long way towards revitalizing your interest in the journey. :)

.... now I want my hair professionally straightened. Grumble. :p

It certainly has! I really needed this, otherwise I would have ended up with a bob (which I have had for years!).

Also, I woke up today with my hair all over the place. Straightening is so not worth it. haha


Sounds like an exemplary salon experience! Hooray! And your hair is lovely too, which would normally go without saying but since this is TLHC - YOUR HAIR IS LOVELY!

It was indeed! And thank you for the encouragement!


that really is some gorgeous healthy hair! it looks like silk,i bet it will grow so fast from now on

Aww, thank you! I really hope so, it's about time I get to keep my results!


I love hearing about great salon experiences like this! And your hair looks absolutely gorgeous. Like silk!

I love being able to share them, in fact since I joined LHC I haven't had one bad salon experience. This was just one of the best. Thank you so much for the encouragement!

[embee]

Very good job! And that takes some dedication. :)

[WaitingSoLong]

Honestly, if it is to cut away the bleach... you will feel so much better.

It would be much harder for me to part with hair your length -- it would be like losing an arm!

Yeah if I could cut back to waist and have all the bleach out, I would.
Losing an arm...yes. That sounds about right, only arms don't grow back LOL.

[mzBANGBANG]

Losing an arm...yes. That sounds about right, only arms don't grow back LOL.

LOL, OK, so more like removing a toe to replace a thumb? Wait, those are extensions. It's like losing a toe nail. A very long toe nail.

I should not attempt humor before morning coffee. :laugh:

[WaitingSoLong]

It's like losing a toe nail. A very long toe nail.

I should not attempt humor before morning coffee. :laugh:

ROFL! I just about spewed my coffee all over the computer screen!!!! LOL!!!!!

Must....stop....laughing.....ha ha ahhaaaaa....ok....can't....

[bunzfan]

Yes you lost some length but, it looks so amazing now :crush: i did a similar thing last year and this year and the difference in hair quality was quite amazing:D

[minxe]

Your hair looks beautiful!

[Oksana]

Your hair looks great and I am oh so jealous of your hemline. Hoping to have a hemline like yours by April!

[arelrios]

I love your hair... Congratulations on reaching your goal!!!