Three years of not hating my hair!

[PraiseCheeses]

In early November 2010 I went to a barbershop and chopped off all of my dry, ratty razored layers to collarbone. In December, while entertaining thoughts of a neck-length bob, I found LHC when doing some research on the OCM. After seeing some of the signature pictures here, I forgot about that cute bob and haven't looked back.

Having baby-fine, floaty hair, I never thought it would get this long and look this good. Fellow fineys - IT CAN BE DONE. (And I'm not done yet - I'm very confident it'll grow longer in good condition.) Thanks to all of you wonderful folks at LHC, I am happy with my hair. I don’t get bad hair days anymore. Thank you all for freely sharing your knowledge, your experiences, your tricks and techniques, and your support. I know I'm not the most frequent poster, but this forum is a big part of my life and I truly appreciate all the perspectives you bring and share. I've learned much here - and not just about hair. :flower:

Some things that made a huge difference for me:

-Seamless, sanded wide-tooth comb from Hairsense – no brushes ever! (Okay, sometimes I use a BBB just on the ends to distribute oil.)
-Coconut oil – both pre- and post-wash.
-Silk pillowcase (from Dharma Trading)
-Sticks and forks instead of scrunchies or hair ties
-Silk scarf over scratchy collars (I haven’t had the dreaded nape mat since doing that, even when I wear wool coats.)
-Straightening by putting combed damp hair in a loose wrap bun smack on top of my head
-Senna/cassia, on clean hair, mixed with just warm water and nothing else.

And now, pictures! :cheese:

My first “length” shot – December 7, 2010 (one month after cutting to collarbone):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4444&d=1369157080

Between APL and BSL – July 2011

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4443&d=1369157071

Just past BSL – July 2012

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4441&d=1369157063


(Most of my pictures before summer 2012 were lost in the Great Bad Sector Invasion of my old hard drive. These first three pictures just happened to be languishing on my camera.)

My hair didn’t grow that much from mid-2012 to mid-2013. I was dealing with some very serious neck problems and chronic pain, which meant I was drugged up with some very serious painkillers until a few months after getting my neck fused from C5-C7 in May 2012. I have noticed an increase in ponytail circumference in the last several months, after I went off of the meds and mostly healed from the physical trauma. While I hit hip back in August, I ended up cutting off nearly all my length gain for the last year – a whopping three inches.


Before the trim, with oiled hair:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8018&d=1386308510

After the trim, still oiled and unwashed:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8016&d=1386308509

Fresh hemline, just past waist, washed and dried:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8017&d=1386308509


It felt so short!



This is the hemline I’ve grown out since August, minus cutting a few face-framing pieces. Here is my hair today, two washes post-cassia and at can-I-call-this-hip-length:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8022&d=1386309507



It's juuuuussst starting to feel long. :)

[BeccaAngel]

You have very beautiful hair :)

[HintOfMint]

Very pretty! What progress!

[FoxyGhost]

Very Pretty Indeed! I love that honey blonde color. Mine started feeling long at about hip too. We are right around the same length. Do you have a new goal length in mind?

[sabrinaclrke]

Your hair is goregous! :)

[Avital88]

what a nice progress pics and your hair looks so healthy and long right now..
Did you feel the cassia helped making your hair stronger?
also your color is very beautiful.

[Micayla47]

ooohhhh! beautiful! thanks for the pictures and the update :) i have the same question as Avital88. i used henna/cassia several times and it seemed like it made my hair shed a lot more than usual.

[PraiseCheeses]

Thank you all so much. Your kind comments are just the thing to read before going to sleep. :) FoxyGhost, I'd really like to have enough hair for a coronet braid... I'm guessing that will happen around classic? (My secret goal is knee, but I suspect hairtype and genetics will conspire against me long before then.) Your red color is to die for! You redheads on this board are so enviable! Avital88 - yes, the cassia does help. It definitely needs a moisture treatment afterwards, and it doesn't measurably increase my thickness, but my hair feels more... substantial or something. BTW, your old V-hem signature is indelibly planted in my mind as one of the most flattering combinations of length, hemline, and figure. :flower: Micayla47 - while I shed squirrels after conditioning after rinsing out the cassia, my shedding for the last week has been way down and my scalp is generally happier. :)

[joflakes]

Your hair looks gorgeous, well done on your journey!

[LauraLongLocks]

Your hair is absolutely beautiful. It's so wonderful to have such inspiration from other fineys!

[Ambystoma]

Absolutely gorgeous, I love the colour, it gleams! Your hemline looks really nice as well - congrats!

[Lyv]

Wow your hair is gorgeous!!

[jacqueline101]

Your hair has come along ways. It's so beautiful and healthy. I wish you good luck on your journey.

[spidermom]

Long and gorgeous, well grown.

[Agnes Hannah]

Such beautiful hair! congrats on your growth, you certainly are inspirational, thank you for sharing your hairstory x

[mariakatija]

Your hair is so pretty!

[NuclearApple]

your hair is amazing,great progress!:D

[Syaoransbear]

Wow your hair looks awesome. I know it says your circumference is ii, but can I ask exactly how thick it is?

[Colourful]

What a lovely progress! And your hair looks so happy in the last photo! ^^ Congratulations!

[PraiseCheeses]

Quoting so I don't miss anyone...


Your hair is absolutely beautiful. It's so wonderful to have such inspiration from other fineys!

Thank you! It makes me surprised and very happy to be an inspiration! It seems many of us have been told by many different people (stylists, family, friends...) that we can't have long hair, or if we do it won't look nice. Luckily there are plenty of lovely heads of long fine hair here to show that with proper care we're the rule rather than the exception. :) Yours is looking lovely in your signature.


Absolutely gorgeous, I love the colour, it gleams! Your hemline looks really nice as well - congrats!

Thank you! It's a difficult color to photograph accurately because it changes so much with the light. IRL it's somewhere between the lightest pictures and the darkest, and can look nearly brown at times. Oh, the chameleon properties of natural blonde!


Wow your hair is gorgeous!!

Thank you! And oh my, is your red incredible! It's people like you and FoxyGhost who seem to be trying to lure us over to the dark side of henna! :p


Long and gorgeous, well grown.

Spidermom!! This means so much coming from you. You've always been one of my biggest inspirations, even with your new (and incredibly flattering) cut.


Such beautiful hair! congrats on your growth, you certainly are inspirational, thank you for sharing your hairstory x


Your hair has come along ways. It's so beautiful and healthy. I wish you good luck on your journey.


Your hair is so pretty!


your hair is amazing,great progress!:D

Thank you! :blossom:


Wow your hair looks awesome. I know it says your circumference is ii, but can I ask exactly how thick it is?

Thanks! Of course you can ask - and that's probably my most-oft-wondered question for others as well. ii is such a huge range in terms of area! Mine is somewhere between 2.75" and 2.875" when fully compressed. It can look quite a bit thicker because of my natural texture (can we say poooooffff!) and, ironically, how fine it is - so many hairs all trying to get away from each other apparently makes for nice even coverage. Then I put it into a bun and it disappears. I've always said my hair rivals Wonderbread with its compressible ability. :lol:


What a lovely progress! And your hair looks so happy in the last photo! ^^ Congratulations!

Thank you! :) Yay, happy hair! :cheese:

[Crumpet]

Beautiful hair! Its great to see another finey grow long. Congratulations!

[hypersensitive]

I love the last picture! Keep on growing!

[maskedrose]

Absolutely gorgeous! Love the color, and the waves with all one length...I'm currently layered at waist, but I'm thinking I might maintain at hip/BCL and grow them out.

[clioariane]

Wow your hair looks really beautiful and healthy! Congrats and thanks for sharing :)

[faellen]

Wow, that last pic of your hair - so dreamy! :)

[bunzfan]

Wow it really grew it looks so healthy and it doesn't look fine at all ;)

[Lostsoule77]

Your hair looked nice through all the stages, but that last picture is gorgeous! Good luck on your future growing. :D

[MeowScat]

I really enjoyed your post, you must have put a lot of time into it. I always enjoy your posts, though. Your avatar pic and user name are a hoot!

Your hair is stunning! Keep doing what you've been doing, it's obviously working. :thud:

[Mizumi]

Congratulations, You have pretty hair! Looks like it's a lot healthier and even thicker. It's very inspiring for me, finey as well :)

[Yozhik]

PraiseCheeses, how did I miss this last night???!

Your hair is gorgeous, and it's been great to see your hair growth in person over the course of this year! :cheese:

What wonderful photos - that cassia treatment really does bring out those golden tones on you!
Maybe sometime in early January we can get together and do a kitty snuggle/watching movies/having goopy stuff in our hair party? :D

ETA: and thanks to you, I can say I've become more cultured, have gotten some excellent hand-crafted sticks, and have been gifted an excellent hedgie comb and flexi. :inlove:
LHC - the place that brings people together. :smooch:

[lapushka]

It looks really pretty and light and fluffy! :D Congrats on the growth!!!

[Nebulae]

Your hair is beautiful and very healthy looking! Great progress :)
I love how your ends flick out, they look so well maintained! I have a hard time believing that we are actually close in thickness, one day I might have thick ends too.. there is hope! :cheese:

[young&reckless]

What a great way to share your journey. Nice job!

[0xalis]

Your hair is incredibly beautiful! It looks so healthy, and the colour is astounding! Wow ♥ ♥ ♥

[Falcore]

Holy moly, your hair is seriously beautiful!

[ositarosita]

Gorgeous hair

[patienceneeded]

Stunning! Your hair is lovely and looks SOOOOOOOO long!

[thirstylocks]

I just wanted to say your hair length and hemline are exactly what I dream mine will look like someday. My length is somewhere between your first and second length shots so I can get a good time frame for how long it will take my hair to be a similar length to yours.
Happy growing!!!

[SaffronK]

Congrats! I'm so happy your hard work has paid off. Thanks for sharing what works for you.

[duchess67]

You have beautiful hair! Love the way it looks in that last two pics...the last one is stunning!

[PraiseCheeses]

Beautiful hair! Its great to see another finey grow long. Congratulations!

Thank you! Your hair is pretty long itself! It's encouraging to have so much company in the fine-hair-grows-long journey. Do you have tricks for dealing with tangling and breakage? Fineys' nemeses!


Absolutely gorgeous! Love the color, and the waves with all one length...I'm currently layered at waist, but I'm thinking I might maintain at hip/BCL and grow them out.

Thank you! How much layering do you have and why are you thinking about growing them out - updo and braid complications, or just time for a change? I love your hair in your avatar, btw!


I really enjoyed your post, you must have put a lot of time into it. I always enjoy your posts, though. Your avatar pic and user name are a hoot!

Your hair is stunning! Keep doing what you've been doing, it's obviously working.

Thank you - on all counts!


PraiseCheeses, how did I miss this last night???!

Your hair is gorgeous, and it's been great to see your hair growth in person over the course of this year! :cheese:

What wonderful photos - that cassia treatment really does bring out those golden tones on you!
Maybe sometime in early January we can get together and do a kitty snuggle/watching movies/having goopy stuff in our hair party?

ETA: and thanks to you, I can say I've become more cultured, have gotten some excellent hand-crafted sticks, and have been gifted an excellent hedgie comb and flexi. :inlove:
LHC - the place that brings people together. :smooch:

Yozhik!!! What a sweet comment! It's been so wonderful getting to know you too, and I'm ever so grateful to LHC for our friendship. Yes, I see kitty-snuggling, goopy hair, and movies (I judge by another post in another thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=117688&page=4&p=2582379&viewfull=1#post2582379) that we should watch 10 Things I Hate About You) in our future. And thank YOU for coming to my concerts, making delicious food, and introducing me to Flexis and some wonderful people!


Your hair is beautiful and very healthy looking! Great progress
I love how your ends flick out, they look so well maintained! I have a hard time believing that we are actually close in thickness, one day I might have thick ends too.. there is hope!

Thank you! Since I trimmed those three inches, my ends don't get super-crunchy-dry in between washes anymore. I had a look at your album, and yes, our ponytails look similar at the elastic! Also, your color is beautiful, and your bun with the braided accent is amazing!


I love the last picture! Keep on growing!

Thank you! You certainly give much to aspire to!


Wow your hair looks really beautiful and healthy! Congrats and thanks for sharing :)


Wow, that last pic of your hair - so dreamy! :)

Thank you both!


Wow it really grew it looks so healthy and it doesn't look fine at all ;)

Thanks! It's floofy, but it's so fine that if I stand over a heat source and it's loose, a bunch of it floats up in the updraft. You should have seen the Van de Graaff experiment in middle school....


Your hair looked nice through all the stages, but that last picture is gorgeous! Good luck on your future growing. :D

Thank you!


Congratulations, You have pretty hair! Looks like it's a lot healthier and even thicker. It's very inspiring for me, finey as well :)

Fineys unite!! I'm glad it's inspiring - I remember how doubtful I was in the beginning and how encouraging it was to see others with fine hair who didn't succumb to the "Your hair is too fine to grow long - you should layer it at shoulder to make it look thicker" song and dance.


It looks really pretty and light and fluffy! :D Congrats on the growth!!!


What a great way to share your journey. Nice job!


Your hair is incredibly beautiful! It looks so healthy, and the colour is astounding! Wow ♥ ♥ ♥


Holy moly, your hair is seriously beautiful!


Gorgeous hair


Stunning! Your hair is lovely and looks SOOOOOOOO long!

Thank you all so much!


I just wanted to say your hair length and hemline are exactly what I dream mine will look like someday. My length is somewhere between your first and second length shots so I can get a good time frame for how long it will take my hair to be a similar length to yours.
Happy growing!!!

Your hemline is already to die for - I love the thickness and shape of your ends. Wishing you luck in maintaining that hemline as you grow - with your hair texture, you should be in good shape!


Congrats! I'm so happy your hard work has paid off. Thanks for sharing what works for you.

Thank you, and you're welcome. I shared in the hope that it helps someone else. Before LHC, I didn't dye and didn't do too much heat styling, so the biggest difference made was through subtle steps to reduce mechanical damage. I'd never have thought about seams on brushes and combs and the benefits of silk if not for LHC.


You have beautiful hair! Love the way it looks in that last two pics...the last one is stunning!

Thank you!

I'm really overwhelmed by all of your kind comments. Thank you all so, so much for taking a few minutes to make this Internet stranger smile. It's been an absolute joy to be part of this community. :bottomsup:

[Nebulae]

Thank you! Since I trimmed those three inches, my ends don't get super-crunchy-dry in between washes anymore. I had a look at your album, and yes, our ponytails look similar at the elastic! Also, your color is beautiful, and your bun with the braided accent is amazing!

Aww, thank you! You're so sweet, PraiseCheeses! :flowers:
Indeed, this community is a great place.

[ositarosita]

Thank you ... I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it to tailbone within the next 3 years but after seeing your AMAZING hair and progress I know it's totally possible

*** I'm a finey and it looks like we are close in hair texture

[Sterlyn]

I have to say I have always admired your hair, my hair is very similar to yours, another wavy, fine ii here, and it is really encouraging to see your progress. Your hair is beautiful and looks really healthy. I hope my hemline looks as good as yours as I continue on to longer lengths.

The haircare advice here has been invaluable, as I have learned how to be nicer to my hair, and identified it's specific needs, my hair has started to love me back :D

[PurplePenguin]

Your hair is such an inspiration to the rest of us with fine and thin hair. I too have been told by others that I just shouldn't grow my hair out and I should continue to keep it short and edgy looking. Looking at your pictures makes me want to try to grow it again. Thank you for sharing your wonderful journey with the community. I am so happy that you have had such wonderful results.