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View Full Version : If you are at your terminal hair length...



ravenheather
October 13th, 2013, 08:47 AM
Would you share a length shot? Also how long has it been since you have seen growth? Are there any factors in your routine that you believe could cause a false terminal? Thanks.

Madora
October 13th, 2013, 08:56 AM
I'm not at my terminal length yet, but perhaps a false terminal length might be due to: stress, illness, or the way you handle your hair. Of course your genes pretty much determine how long your hair will grow.

Silverbrumby
October 13th, 2013, 09:08 AM
I've never had hair longer than mid back and that was with no cutting for six years. It went from chin to mid back and stopped.

Naiadryade
October 13th, 2013, 09:19 AM
I'm far from terminal, but I had a false terminal at BSL for probably a couple of years. This was simply from not really trying or caring at all with my hair... I almost never wore it up and didn't pay attention to what it was rubbing on, ever. I let it get tangled and then ripped through the tangles with a ball-tipped brush. I never oiled it or did any deep treatments to nourish it in any way. The concept of S&D was completely foreign to me. When I joined LHC and started treating my hair nicely, I started gaining length again.

TenaciousTangle
October 13th, 2013, 09:25 AM
My hair used to be at mid back and I thought that was my terminal. It hovered around that length for many years without any trimming.

Then I cut seven inches off. My hair had a lot of damage back then from being worn down day and night. With trims to take off any damaged ends, henna, and keeping it in a braid, my hair is now at fingertip/mid thigh length and not showing any sign of stopping. :shrug: I guess before it was breaking off at the ends just as fast as it was growing at the follicle. Eek!

ravenheather
October 13th, 2013, 04:21 PM
TenaciousTangle: Wow that's quite a difference! How often do you find it necessary to trim?


Sounds like bsl is problematic for many people.

Tini'sNewHair
October 13th, 2013, 04:38 PM
This is pretty much the LONGEST my hair has ever gotten to before i slowly started chopping it off (it used to be a straight hemline as well and the reason you see that U shape is because i was just starting to change it up to more and more layers -ugh!)


However I have this memory from when I was in 5th grade, all the kids used to come up and touch my hair and I remember comments like “wow, your hair is so long and pretty”, best of all I still remember the awesome comments the most popular girl in school used to make about my hair (I was the verrry least popular so that was a HUGE deal that she even noticed me haha) – I think my hair might have been a little bit longer than this… like down to my hips or more… but I cant remember specifically. Once I had it all cut off, I was the invisible kid again :(


My hair now is to my bra strap, I really hope that my terminal line is far far down – hopefully to my knees?! :D

Sorry about the photo quality - I never took photos of my hair for some reason and this is pretty much all i have :(

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm242/MayasMommy7nov/18383_423680247724237_1146344578_n.jpg (http://s298.photobucket.com/user/MayasMommy7nov/media/18383_423680247724237_1146344578_n.jpg.html)

Hairitic
October 13th, 2013, 08:54 PM
I haven't gotten to Terminal length yet. Before TLHC, years ago, I thought I was at Terminal length when I was at mid back, about an inch shy of Waist. I remember because Waist was my "ultimate" goal length then. I spent a couple of years at MBL trying for WL and never attaining that goal. I thought that was soooo long back then. Of course, I was using regular shampoo/conditioner but I was careful to use a wide toothed comb when my hair was wet. I did do S&D's thanks to a long-haired Hairdresser friend. I didn't trim frequently or I probably would never have gotten below BSL, lol. I did wear my hair up or braided at least occasionally but otherwise I didn't take very good care of it. Now I using Cleansing Conditioners (WEN), Henna, Deep Treatments, ACV and Tea Rinses. I also use a detangler, Leave-in Conditioner, Oiling the ends and other nutrient/moisturizing/protecting steps for the health of my hair. I wear it up a LOT and am careful about my HairToys. I wear a sleep cap and have silk pillow cases. So, all in all, TLHC gave me the tools I needed to have healthy LONG (now at BCL+) hair. Thanks TLHC. I think it's time for another donation :p:cheer:

Valkyriejae
October 13th, 2013, 09:36 PM
I haven't gotten to Terminal length yet. Before TLHC, years ago, I thought I was at Terminal length when I was at mid back, about an inch shy of Waist. I remember because Waist was my "ultimate" goal length then. I spent a couple of years at MBL trying for WL and never attaining that goal. I thought that was soooo long back then. Of course, I was using regular shampoo/conditioner but I was careful to use a wide toothed comb when my hair was wet. I did do S&D's thanks to a long-haired Hairdresser friend. I didn't trim frequently or I probably would never have gotten below BSL, lol. I did wear my hair up or braided at least occasionally but otherwise I didn't take very good care of it. Now I using Cleansing Conditioners (WEN), Henna, Deep Treatments, ACV and Tea Rinses. I also use a detangler, Leave-in Conditioner, Oiling the ends and other nutrient/moisturizing/protecting steps for the health of my hair. I wear it up a LOT and am careful about my HairToys. I wear a sleep cap and have silk pillow cases. So, all in all, TLHC gave me the tools I needed to have healthy LONG (now at BCL+) hair. Thanks TLHC. I think it's time for another donation :p:cheer:

Soooo, I'm just gonna go ahead and save your post as a list of all the things I need to be doing. It's a great succinct list :)
I've been assuming I'm at/near terminal for a while, since my hair didn't really seem to be growing past hip length, but after reading these posts and some other I have new hope to coax some more length out of it! (And keep it nice and healthy too!)

0xalis
October 14th, 2013, 12:28 AM
Nobody in my family [as far as I know] has ever gotten their hair past BSL [including my father] but thinking about it, nobody in my family really takes good care of their hair either. Most people in my family have been alcoholics and/or drug users [including tobacco products] but I am not.

I'd been really worried that my hair wouldn't get past BSL but now that I'm here at LHC I've gained some faith in my hair because of my new routine and health[ier] lifestyle choices. I've heard a lot of people saying that their hair never grew past a certain length until they started wearing protective styles daily, so that's what I'm going to try so I can get to hip-length! I'm hoping I won't start seeing any taper until at least waist, as well.

Panth
October 14th, 2013, 12:12 PM
I had a false terminal at about TBL for quite a while - maybe 4-5 years?

But, back then I had a poor diet and (most importantly) wore my hair loose every day and didn't care if it was raining or windy or whatever. I used a wide-toothed comb, but then I lost it and used a ball-tipped brush.

Fast forward to now, and I bun daily and detangle gently with a wide-toothed comb. I'm about 2" from knee and still going...

AmyBeth
October 14th, 2013, 12:27 PM
I was stalled at waist/hip for quite a few years because of poor care. After a big chop, I decided to grow back out and found LHC and now my hair is almost as long as ever, but much thicker and healthier and with a hemline I could only have ever dreamed of. It is almost as long as ever, but I believe I will surpass my previous, false terminal. Good hair care really makes all the difference. I think whatever methods you use are cumulative and will help break through a stall.

trolleypup
October 15th, 2013, 07:36 PM
I stalled at mid-thigh for years (on LHC!) with all the typical markers for terminal length...then after I stopped paying any attention to the length, I noticed I was gaining length...still gaining length very slowly at calf...

ravenheather
October 15th, 2013, 09:19 PM
I stalled at mid-thigh for years (on LHC!) with all the typical markers for terminal length...then after I stopped paying any attention to the length, I noticed I was gaining length...still gaining length very slowly at calf...

So you can never really know if you have indeed reached terminal? I find that so I interesting that you started growing after years. At that length it would be so hard to figure out if a lifestyle change had made the difference.

EdG
October 15th, 2013, 09:36 PM
I have been at terminal length for about five years.

My hairs have a wide range of terminal lengths. The thick part ends around tailbone. A small number can grow to my calves. This pattern has persisted for the past five years.

Unfortunately, I experience a lot of breakage. I have been reducing that, but the underlying reason for the taper is genetics.
Ed

Silverbrumby
October 15th, 2013, 11:02 PM
ThAt's wonderful to hear. I'm pretty sure I'm MBL termInal but we'll see. I'm going to try reducing cuts and more updos and ignoring it.
I stalled at mid-thigh for years (on LHC!) with all the typical markers for terminal length...then after I stopped paying any attention to the length, I noticed I was gaining length...still gaining length very slowly at calf...

Teufelchen
October 16th, 2013, 01:33 AM
I had a faux terminal length at an inch below classic, I knew that is was a false one, as my hair was longer than that before, but even with knowing it was frustrating, but I had thyroid issues at that time which caused my hair to not grow at all, I dye my hair and I had no roots showing.
So make sure, that no medical issues are the reason, but I am sure most times the hair care routine just needs adjustment.

TenaciousTangle
October 16th, 2013, 10:15 PM
TenaciousTangle: Wow that's quite a difference! How often do you find it necessary to trim?

It really is! I was so surprised. I've actually been terrible about keeping up with my trimming lately, though. The person who normally helped me to trim my hair moved away. I'm not really sure how much I used to trim exactly because I wasn't really following a schedule but I think there was one more trim of six inches on the following year, and then it slowed down to 2-3 inches in total each year. Last week I talked a friend into chopping three and a half inches off of my ends for me to catch up with the damage (damage caused by neglecting to keep up with trimming), but they were too scared of messing up my hair and would only do two inches. Hahaha! I need to learn how to self trim.

It sounds like a lot of people had false terminals for the same reason that I did. Wearing hair down all the time really hampers growth after a while, doesn't it?

Majormiles
October 16th, 2013, 11:56 PM
What a great thread. I find this topic so interesting. It is quite amazing that keeping hair down is so damaging. I'm so glad I found lhc a while back, I wouldn't have worked this out for myself!

magfish
October 18th, 2013, 06:18 PM
It's neat how few people know their terminal length. Makes me believe it's just a myth and the hair will keep growing and growing forever.... If only. ;)

Panth
October 19th, 2013, 05:43 AM
It's neat how few people know their terminal length. Makes me believe it's just a myth and the hair will keep growing and growing forever.... If only. ;)

It is physically impossible for it to be a myth. Hair does not grow forever. Also, everyone knows their terminal length - just of their eyebrows, eyelashes, leg hair, armpit hair, etc. ;) It's just because head hair grows so much longer and therefore has so much more propensity to be affected by damage and thus get false terminals.

dancingrain91
October 19th, 2013, 06:02 AM
Nobody can claim perfect care. Therefore it's hard to say for sure that there is nothing in your diet hair care routine etc that could be improved and let you grow further. Terminal exists though, so at some point all of our hair would stop growing with thin ends. For some that's as soon as shoulder length and for others it's many feet past their body. It's genetically determined.

I was stuck at a false terminal at bsl for a couple years due to bleach damage. I know I can reach hip though because I did in high school. Right now I'm within an inch of waist.

embee
October 19th, 2013, 08:17 AM
When I was young I thought my hair could only grow to BSL. Between trims and breakage (curlers, hairdryers, hair worn down all the time) that was always where it stopped.

In 2001 when I lost my job and couldn't afford haircuts my hair began to lengthen. In 2005 I gave it an 8 inch chop, what a mistake. Then I found LHC. For the last few years it has been at barely classic, with always a few racer hairs to upper thigh. Very fairytale ends, which is so much easier for my updo styles. Thyroid troubles and old age have taken their toll. I do have some breakage, but overall I'm very pleased. This is plenty long enough. :)

I would appreciate a bit more thickness but we all want something we don't have. ;)