Growing from shoulder to APL!

[Just_Isabel]

(Thread inspired by from APL to BSL come grow with me! (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=170). :))


My hair is at "about shoulder length", and I'm not happy with it. I'm at a length that's not short, but not long, either, so I'm not too excited about it at the moment. I can't wait for my hair to get longer - I'll be happy when I reach APL! (Must start with small goals, right? :D)

I don't really know what to do with my hair because it's too short for interesting updos, too long to look "cute" when down. It's just obviously in a not-so-nice stage, waiting to get longer.


I know there are others here with hair this short (certainly short by LHC standards! :lol:), so I thought we'd all benefit from some support: rant about your short hair woes, or tell us all why you love your hair at this stage! :D Lets make the long wait to long hair more pleasurable! :cheese:

[Manako]

My hair *might* be at my collarbone when wet, I too wish it would grow faster! Right now I feel like I am in some sort of limbo-place between short and long hair.

I can't wait for it to be long enough to make a respectable braid, and for it to be an obvious decision to onlookers, instead of "is she too lazy to cut it" or something..

[Just_Isabel]

Hi Manako! :D

The front of my hair (longer than the back) is at collarbone when I stretch it. I'm soooooo tempted to straighten my hair right now just so it'll look longer. :twisted: But then I think that that would be counter productive, because I want my hair in good health, and if I give in to the flat iron now, I'll have a hard time stopping again - it's addictive! :neutral:

:silly:



I can't wait for it to be long enough to make a respectable braid, and for it to be an obvious decision to onlookers, instead of "is she too lazy to cut it" or something..

I so know what you mean! :agree: *sigh*

[ClareDee]

Shoulder-length here! Actually quite happy with it, even though I obviously want it longer.

Good idea is to buy some nice barrettes, slides or claw clips that will look good in your hair right now (rather than waiting for long hair until you can have nice hair toys).

And I know lots of people warn against using metal barrettes, but as long as you put them in your hair gently and take them out gently, the hair shouldn't get caught or damaged. And you can get some really lovely barrettes in different sizes. I've been combing etsy for them lately. Just love em :D

Claw/Jaw clips too - especially the small ones - work great too. You can twist your hair up a little, put the claw over it, and feel like you have a sort of updo going on :).
Soon enough I think I'll be able to do a half-up in the form of a short braid with the top canopy. How exciting (and how easily pleased am I? :))...

Enjoy your SL to APL hair, all :cheese:

[chrissy-b]

Thank you for starting this thread.

I just reached collar bone length a few days ago. I haven't had my hair cut since January, my ends are severely tapered and I just hate hate hate how my hair looks down at this length. I've had significant regrowth in thin spots since joining so my hair is all different lengths, plus I have layers so my only choice is to slick my hair back and wear it up all the time. I've gained a lot of length and my ends look very healthy since I wear it up everyday, but I can't wait until it looks good enough to wear down...at least every once in a while.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'll join you in the ranting and hopefully the support too!

[sexyjacksparrow]

Yup I'm between shoulder and APL. Well pulled straight I'm at APL but I count it as where it falls when my hair is natural (curly). I'm gettign to the point where I can at least braid my hair now so that's a plus!

[paper]

:waving: I have been maintaining shoulder length, while cutting off layers. I am now letting my hair grow, and I can't wait to hit APL!

[Silver & Gold]

I'm with you. I have few hair days when I like the way my hair looks down right now. I'm hoping when I finally reach APL that my good hair days will be more frequent. Until then I just put it up, usually with a hairstick and dream of the day when things are better.

[Carina]

Hello everybody:waving:.I cut my hair from bsl to between shoulder and apl.I had alot of damage from bleach that I wanted to get rid of.I did it last friday(august 22nd).

[Nes]

*pops head round door*

Just wanted to say, silver&gold your curls are so gorgeous!

*leaves again*

Nes x

[Strongnlong]

Hi fellow "SLers" I just made SL; i'm excited about the next goal but know that patience is key. I keep my hair up for the most part.

[Manako]

I have a few barrettes that I will occasionally put in my hair, either just clipping the front or making a pseudo-bun type thing. I'm careful to try not to hurt my hair too much, I love pretty barrettes.

[Aelith]

I'm in the midst of this now. I'm at around 19" and expect to see APL sometime in April 2009.

My coworker commented to me about my "long, luxurious hair." I'm like "seriously?" I still see myself as having really short hair.

[Friesiangirl]

My hair is also, not quite long not quite short. Not all of it goes into a pony, but it's all good. I'm growing out layers and color and then I plan to henna. I'm hoping I can at least get back to APL!

Hayley

[Tangles]

Just Isabel: I'm nearly at APL, but still haunted by memories of how very hard this phase is.

You're not short, but nowhere near long. Your hair won't go into most updos and you can forget about braids. You have to bite your lip not to heat style.

The good news is that hair at this length is still very healthy and strong. So, make best friends with ponytails and headbands, take your vitamins, eat well, exercise, and forget
about your hair for a while. Experiment with SMT's and what shampoos and conditoners and oils work for you.

Promise, it WILL grow and it WILL get better soon!

[ClareDee]

My coworker commented to me about my "long, luxurious hair." I'm like "seriously?" I still see myself as having really short hair.

It's funny - We're among the shortest-haired on this forum, but in 'the real world' we're pretty long! I went out with 3 female friends a while back, and realised I had the longest hair of them all :eek:

I think I'll personally consider myself 'long-haired' when I get past APL. That, for me, marks the transition from sorta short to sorta long :)

[Just_Isabel]

Promise, it WILL grow and it WILL get better soon!

Oh, I know it will, but it's taking soooooooooo long! :lol: Especially with the shrinkage, ah!
I'm guessing I'll need a year until I'm at APL proper (with dry, curly hair), and the thought of that is frustrating.

Funny you mentioned wanting to heat style, I was thinking about flat ironing today. :o But I was too lazy so I didn't.


It's funny - We're among the shortest-haired on this forum, but in 'the real world' we're pretty long! I went out with 3 female friends a while back, and realised I had the longest hair of them all :eek:

I think I'll personally consider myself 'long-haired' when I get past APL. That, for me, marks the transition from sorta short to sorta long :)

I have the shortest hair among my friends (with one exception).

[Tangles]

Oh, I know it will, but it's taking soooooooooo long! :lol: Especially with the shrinkage, ah!
I'm guessing I'll need a year until I'm at APL proper (with dry, curly hair), and the thought of that is frustrating.

Funny you mentioned wanting to heat style, I was thinking about flat ironing today. :o But I was too lazy so I didn't.



I have the shortest hair among my friends (with one exception).

It shouldn't be a year. Maybe more like eight months. Be positive!

[zen_oven]

Thank you for starting this thread! It is nice to see how many other ladies are in the same boat. My hair is definitely past shoulder length, but it is only at APL when I stretch it, so in my mind it doesn't count. I can't really do the kind of updos I'd like because of my long layers (the hair in front is just too short--GAK). I'll be far happier when my hair actually _looks_ like it is at APL.

Keep growing ladies! We'll get there eventually!

[catekat]

This thread is just what I need! :D

I'm at 18". My hair doesn't have a style. I just put it up every day. I've never grown it past shoulder length, so I'm looking foward to the next year or so. I can't wait to break armpit-length!

Because of my lack of length, my hair is poofy at the bottom. If the volume was consistant throughout my hair, I wouldn't mind, but I never have volume at the roots.

Eh. Patience. By New Year's I should be out of this rut. :happydance:

[lind01]

I'm with you at about shoulder length. This length does require alot of patience. I usually use bobby pins or barrettes to pin my hair off my face or a clip to just put it all up. All I can do is focus on taking really good care of it!

[Aries_jb]

I've been at shoulder length since my cut about two months ago. Luckily, I can do many of the updos I used to, but that's because my hair is thin, which isn't so lucky. I'm going to grow it about two more inches and then maintain the length while my hair thickens up. I'm kind of excited because I have so much new growth that I focus more on that than my current length.

[toocurly]

Hello!:) I'm in - I've got shoulder length hair which I'm growing now. I'm a curly one type, but short stature so I hope time of waiting wouldn't be very long. I don't like this length, but it's better than chin length which I had in May 2008;)

[utdesertrunner]

I'm in too! This is the point I usually chop. We must endure, lol! I've got about 3 more inches until I hit apl, so about 6 months or so. I just had my hair layered and it looks so funky I've been experimenting with updo's to hide it until the layers get longer. What are some things you do? I love the headbands, barrets, clips idea. I've been doing a lot of french braids with ends tucked under (otherwise they stick out). Ponytails and messy buns keep it out of my face and help me forget about it.

[sky]

It's funny - We're among the shortest-haired on this forum, but in 'the real world' we're pretty long! I went out with 3 female friends a while back, and realised I had the longest hair of them all :eek:

I think I'll personally consider myself 'long-haired' when I get past APL. That, for me, marks the transition from sorta short to sorta long :)

Yes, isn't that funny? My hair is 24 inches now, and it still doesn't look or feel "long" to me.

Although I did notice today while riding in the car that I had to keep pulling the back up from between the car seat and my back. :lol:

Most everybody never sees my hair down, so they don't realize how much it has grown.

sky

[papillon]

I'm not sure if I'd consider my hair shoulder length, yet. It's close and barely touching my shoulders. I'm joining in on this growth to the next length! :gabigrin:

[Just_Isabel]

:waving: I'm still at shoulder, and I think I'll be here for a while because of the curls. I've been thinking about cutting. :o Because I really don't like my hair at this length. But if I cut I'll have to go through this again when I want to let it grow, so better get this annoying stage over with as soon as possible. That means no cutting for me. *sigh*

I just needed to vent. :laugh:

[chrissy-b]

:waving: I'm still at shoulder, and I think I'll be here for a while because of the curls. I've been thinking about cutting. :o Because I really don't like my hair at this length. But if I cut I'll have to go through this again when I want to let it grow, so better get this annoying stage over with as soon as possible. That means no cutting for me. *sigh*

I just needed to vent. :laugh:

I hated it when I was just at shoulder length and wanted to cut so badly too. I'm getting closer to APL at this point and I know the only thing that's kept me from cutting it is wearing it up all the time. But man! I feel your pain. I haven't trimmed since last Jan and it's getting ridiculous at this point. My ends are so tapered and thin but at least I'm gaining length.

[Miss Hidley]

Yes! I'm with you all on the agonies of the grow-it-past-shoulder stage! My hair is between 11 and 23 in so its not strictly shoulder length, but that is where the bulk of it sits in fact. I can't wait til it feels like APL again - right now I feel woefully inadequate! In the meantime I've been experimenting with my waves and different ways to do updos, and I'm surprised to realise there is a lot more you can do than just a ponytail! :cheese:

[paper]

This stage seems to take forever!

Good luck everyone!

[spidermom]

I love shoulder-length hair. I might go back to it when/if the long hair thing gets to be too much of a hassle for me. This is mine 10 years ago. Don't worry; it took me so long to grow to my current length because I cut back to this length and style several times before I decided to GROW FOR LONG in ...........ummmmmmmmmm........ 2002, I think.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/LONGERSTILL.jpg

[Bunnygirl]

I HATE my hair. It has layers in the front and its awful. It just touches the collarbone, but I wear it down maybe 2 days a week because I hate it so much. I do everything to get it to grow, but mostly I focus on keeping it healthy.

[Silver Strands]

Spidermom, even though your hair looks good shoulder length, it is simply gorgeous at your present length.

I am at collarbone and have used it as a guide to trim out layers for the past 16 months.
I only have a few bangs that are an inch or 2 shorter.

I am so ready to move beyond this length and finally use some of the beautiful sticks and forks i've purchased while waiting, waiting....

[Speckla]

It's funny - We're among the shortest-haired on this forum, but in 'the real world' we're pretty long! I went out with 3 female friends a while back, and realised I had the longest hair of them all :eek:

I think I'll personally consider myself 'long-haired' when I get past APL. That, for me, marks the transition from sorta short to sorta long :)


Another short here! :eyebrows::cheese::eyebrows:
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[spidermom]

Soon, Silver Strands, soon. And thank you. I'm enjoying having it long for the first time in my life. Still - shoulder length is a nice length.

[tigerlily83]

This is me! I'm happy that I've finally gone below shoulder length, even if it's just a little bit. There is one piece towards the front that can go underneath my armpit so I know I'm close. I would say I'm within 3-4 inches.

[Morag]

Hi there!

I'm at about 2 inches past collarbone, and have lots of layers. Although I think my hair looks good down, it can be frustrating to keep it out of my face (and my mouth!) and in the summer it's just too hot that way. A few things that work well for me are:

1. French twist
2. Single French braid with the end tucked under at the nape
3. (This is my favorite!) I don't know what this is called, so I'll give directions. Pull your hair into a ponytail, then braid it. I don't use any elastics. Starting at the tassle end of the braid, roll it under like a wheel, until one side of the rolled braid is sitting against your head (perpendicular to what a cinnamon bun would be). Then spread the top layer of the braid just a little so that the rest of the hair is held underneath it, and secure it with a stick or fork. It makes makes an interesting and complicated-looking bun and I find it very easy to do.

Here's a picture of a time when option 3 rolled up just right and made a triskele bun:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=720&pictureid=19011

[GlennaGirl]

I love shoulder-length hair. I might go back to it when/if the long hair thing gets to be too much of a hassle for me. This is mine 10 years ago. Don't worry; it took me so long to grow to my current length because I cut back to this length and style several times before I decided to GROW FOR LONG in ...........ummmmmmmmmm........ 2002, I think.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/LONGERSTILL.jpg


SM, you're such a cute thing. You look like a kid. I wish I had your genes.

As for shoulder --> APL, I'm at this point too so I thought I'd jump in. I cut once again in my schizophrenic "I don't know if I want it long" bit. So, if anyone here recognizes me from the past couple of years...that's why. I'm determined this time. I'm trying to wear it up every day (see siggie). It's working out fine so far!

I'll take a pic of my hair the next time I take it down and put it in my siggie.

Good growing, everybody!

[GlennaGirl]

Oh! And I have blunt-cut bangs (fairly thick ones). I like them. I may grow the sides of them to about cheekbone-length and keep the middle part shorter; not sure. I like it both ways.

The back is blunt.

[spidermom]

SM, you're such a cute thing. You look like a kid. I wish I had your genes.

As for shoulder --> APL, I'm at this point too so I thought I'd jump in. I cut once again in my schizophrenic "I don't know if I want it long" bit. So, if anyone here recognizes me from the past couple of years...that's why. I'm determined this time. I'm trying to wear it up every day (see siggie). It's working out fine so far!

I'll take a pic of my hair the next time I take it down and put it in my siggie.

Good growing, everybody!

Oh my; how embarrassing, but thanks. Age is chasing me down pretty hard these days. GG, you were almost exactly one year behind me in length a couple of years ago. I remember once you were discouraged, and I told you that your hair would be as long as mine in only one more year. There's nothing wrong with shorter hair, though. If I lived somewhere where I could swim in the sea and snorkel anytime I wanted, I'd keep my hair short. Much easier to get the mask and goggles on and off that way.

[PeaceWithTrees]

ARG! I do get a little grumpy at times about my length! It is barley BSL however, but it is still a little akward on me. For the past 2 years (shoulder Length to present), I have had to wear my hair tucked behind my ear and always on my back because if any hair is in the front, it looks akward, like its perched on my shoulder like a parat and that makes it look thin too. For me, once it reaches right below my breasts in front, It wont be so akward lookin!

[paper]

My biggest problem is the layers I'm growing out. The sides are thin and scraggly looking. They are long enough to put up, so thats a good thing! My plan is to cut off half inch every 4 months. I'll be sooo happy to have hair all 1 length!

[HaiirPEACE]

im so in on this... im soooo close to APL its sick

[jeno]

Don't you think I'm there soon?
http://i35.tinypic.com/5eem2h.jpg
I've had my hair up today.

[ssjhotau2]

What is APL or BSL?

My hair is just a little pass shoulder length at the ends, but its so layered and chopped that it looks terrible. I keep it in a pony tail whenever I can because I hate the way it looks when its down.

[MotherofPhoenix]

It has taken me 7 months to get halfway and now im feeling impatient because I feel Im not even close to long hair. On a light note, i really love the look of my length finally. How are yall doing?

[MotherofPhoenix]

I think i posted that to the wrong shoulder to apl thread lol.

[Stray_mind]

Hey, there is already a thread for this here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=33961

You all are welcome to join :flower:

[kph12]

My hair when wet is like 1.5 inches away from APL. However with shrinkage i'm much further, more like just below CBL. I'm fully in the "awkward" hair length stage and cant wait to get to BSL so that I can feel like my hair is normal again!

I liked my hair when it was above CBL but now it is just in limbo. I can't use the styles I normally did when my hair was long, but the short hair styles aren't working either. It is a struggle to say the least.