Modest progress, despite trims

[Katze]

[/I]OK, so I've been trimming regularly (from every 1-6 months) since coming here, so my hair has not grown very much in length but has improved a lot in overall quality. Since June, I've probably trimmed at least an inch, if not more.

My avatar pic was my hair in mid-June of this year. Here it is in big:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=1468

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=14684

This is my hair from yesterday. I should have combed it, but it looked so good in the mirror that I didn't think it was stringy in the back. Also, I SMT washed, which I think was probably too much conditioning for me. Notice the extreme cowlick/scalp cleavage.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=21186

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=21186

My hands are at waist in both pics; BSL in the first pic is the tip of my hoody, which you can see under my hair. In the second pic, BSL is just above the crook of my elbows.

So, has it grown? When I see these pics I think I should cut even more off, but am worried about protecting "future ends" by keeping some of the fairytaled, stringiest longest layers.

It's funny, I've been more happy with my hair lately but when I see these pics I think it still looks very thin at the ends. From the front, it's looking really nice.

The other weird thing is how much straighter my hair suddenly is. I guess pregnancy can do that!

(I hope the pics show, I've now spent about ten minutes trying to insert pictures. No idea how to make this work!)

[Katze]

crap, sorry, forgive the links. I just can't seem to make posting pictures work.

[minkstole]

I can´t see the pics at all.
Congrats on the pregnancy!

[Arctic_Mama]

Well the first link didn't work for me but your hair is looking lovely and long in the second. I am sorry about the scalp cleavage, that's no fun, but the condition of your hair looks so good compared to even a few months ago. CONGRATS!

[Arctic]

The first link doesn't work. :(

I have found I can greatly reduse my scalp cleavage (at the same spot as yours) by
a) combing when wet/damp (first detangle ofcourse) from forehead to nape movement, so the scalp hairs get aligned agains the way the cowlick wants them to and in the way I want them to dry.
b) Even better results I get when I after combing I start to fluff the scalp hair, consentrating at the crown (aka the cow licky area) in the same direction as with combing, fluffing movement from forehead to nape. Do this fluffing several times while drying making sure the hair stays the direction I want it to not the direction the cowlick wants it to. :)

I personally don't believe the theory of keeping bad ends on purpose to protect the good ends, bad ends can cause more damage by tangling and thus possibly damaging healthy hairs, creating friction to healthy hairs, splitting which can travel up the hairshaft, etc. I personally want to have nicest possible ends so I can really enjoy my hair. The ends stay nice for several months, and if I trim every 3 to 4 months I always have nice ends.

Anyway from the pics it does look longer to me, and your hair in general has improved tons, the thickness really has travelled downwards! :cheer:Also I don't think it looks overconditioned at all :flower:

From what I've read it's very common to have a hair type change while pregnant, I find it really interesting, like an adventure!

Good luck and enjoy the pregnancy!

[Arctic]

It's funny, I've been more happy with my hair lately but when I see these pics I think it still looks very thin at the ends. From the front, it's looking really nice.


Take note you have only about half of your hair visible here, rest is in front of your shoulders :) That in mind it's really not thin at all!

[Katze]

No idea why I can't get pictures to show. I've done it before, but it seems to change every time I do it!

I guess I need to not dry my hair naturally if I don't want that cowlick/scalp cleavage to look like it does in that pic. I'm not very tall, so now I feel like people can look down on me and see it!


Take not you have only about half of your hair visible here, rest is in front of your shoulders :) That in mind it's really not thin at all!

If only that were true! I wish! I deliberately threw my hair over my shoulders for all my pics...so that's all the hair I have. What doesn't show is the fact that I have heavy bangs, which are growing out, from nose- to chin-length, or the fact that my hair at the crown - despite the cowlick - is about 5x as thick as at the ends.

Your combing idea is great. I don't really understand the "fluffing" thing but will try next time I wash. I have tried combing before and just get an arc of hair standing up over the cowlick that doesn't hide it at all, but I will give it another try.

At least my hair is actually longer, and you all think the thickness is moving down, too.

[Arctic]

Hmm, maybe I'm using wrong word..? What I mean by fluffing, is "massage" the scalp hair with your finger pads so that the scalp hair becomes "airy" (gets lifted from scalp) and is aligned from forehead to nape, so that the crown hair is gently forced to go against the cowlicks growing pattern. It's hard to explain but it's really easy: a bit like moving your fingertips from forehead to nape while doing a little zigzag and tiny up and down movement :)

Hope this helped more :)

[Arctic]

I guess I need to not dry my hair naturally if I don't want that cowlick/scalp cleavage to look like it does in that pic. I'm not very tall, so now I feel like people can look down on me and see it!

If only that were true! I wish! I deliberately threw my hair over my shoulders for all my pics...so that's all the hair I have. What doesn't show is the fact that I have heavy bangs, which are growing out, from nose- to chin-length, or the fact that my hair at the crown - despite the cowlick - is about 5x as thick as at the ends.



I took the liberty of drawing few lines in your picture, I'm sorry :blushing:

[removed picture]

Here you can see that there really isn't but half of your hair hanging in your back. If you're growing the bangs out, or a even if you arrange the hair from your shoulders down to your back, so it's not fanned out, there is more hair there :) I will delete this picture after you've seen it. Sorry again for drawing in it! :flower:

[RavennaNight]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! :flower: Your hair has definitely grown a lot, and looks very pretty! :)

[minkstole]

Katze, I think you should rejoice! Your goal IIRC is to grow healthy hair as long a possible. I think even my this boards standard you are a long-hair.

Anyhoo, who doesn´t have some crazy cowlicky thing somewhere on their head?!

[MsBubbles]

I think there's simply a '4' missing off the end of your first link. It should be:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=14684

Katze your hair is getting really long!! I'm envious of your fast growth. It looks like you'll be at waist pretty soon. And yeah, once your bangs are down with the rest of it and you do have all your hair back behind your shoulders, it's going to be even thicker still. I'm amazed at how long your hair looks.

Funny, I never realised this whole time that was your hoodie in your avatar pic! I thought you had a really prominent V-shaped hemline!

[jel]

Your hair has really grown, Katze, especially as you keep trimming! ;) It's at least a couple of inches longer, and it's hardly been 3 months. The hemline looks definitely thicker and blunter in this pic too.

Way to grow! :flowers:

[Euphony]

Congratulations Katze, how far along are you?

Yes your hair has grown, yes it's still thin on the ends - but OMG the progress you have made is amazing! Your hair is getting thicker on the ends, it has grown so much. I bet once you start trimming more furiously (ie grow an inch, cut an inch etc) it'll really thicken up.

You've done an amazing job with your hair!

[JessTheMess]

Katze I think you have great improvement! Your hemline looks thicker and healthier and you are growing despite trimming! All around improvement! :cheer:

[Silver & Gold]

Your hair will take on some changes during and post pregnancy. Mine grew like crazy during my pregnancy and changed texture as I recall. But it was a very long time ago so it is difficult for me to remember the specifics, only that there was a dramatic change.
Congrats on your pregnancy. I hope you have a happy, healthy baby.

[Katze]

thanks everyone. I'm now 13 weeks and while my hair is still shedding, I'm noticing a lot more baby hairs. My hair is also a lot straighter now, especially in the front where I've always had lazy stretched-out spirals. Now I just have C- and S-waves. weird.

Yes, I think even I can see that the thickness is moving down. In these pics it is obvious where the longest layer is; when I trim, it's not so obvious because my hair really does taper all the way down. I last trimmed at the beginning of August, so I will wait until the beginning of October at least to take another inch or so of the thinnest ends off.

I probably can't expect an even hemline at waist this year but maybe next. It is growing!!!

I guess hoodies aren't the best idea for hair pics, eh? :P

[spidermom]

Wow Katze; terrific progress. And congratulations on the kitten.

[jojo]

Oh mummy Katze, I am so pleased for you. I see excellent growth you have really taken off, so lovely that at last you are at peace with your hair.

{{{belly hug}}}}

Jojo xxx

[xrosiex]

Great growth! Even with trims your hair must grow fast. It looks healthy. And congratulations on the "kitten".:):):)

[HeatherMae]

I think that you are making great progress with having trims! Good for you. And Congratulations on your pregnancy! My hair seemed to grow VERY fast during both of my pregnancies. *crossing fingers for you* :)

[girlcat36]

Katze--I love seeing your progress reports! Your patience and tenacity inspires me in my own hair struggle. Congratulations, you are past BSL and looking great!

[Anje]

Congrats Katze, on both the hair and the pregnancy! Your hair's looking quite good, scalp cleavage aside, and it's getting close to waistlength now, isn't it!

Good luck on trying to thicken the ends. I'm doing the same thing right now... It's slow, but steadily improving for both of us, I think.

[Katze]

Anje, yes, BS and waist are not very far removed on me, so maybe the ends will reach waist by December?

I had to wash again, scalp was getting itchy, and just took the following pic of freshly washed, airdryed, uncombed hair. This time I tried Arctic's method of combing and "fluffing" but also slept on it between last night and now, so the cleavage is back.

What's interesting is how visible my short layers are in this pic! That same shag cut I had back in 2004 is still with me, lol. But here it actually looks kind of nice, with gentle tapering waves.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=21241

[ladyshannonanne]

Pregnancy can absolutely make your hair straighter! My hair went from 2c/3a to 1c/2a during my pregnancy. It's leveled out around 2b/2c--finally!

[Arctic]

Lets hope you'll reach waist by the end of December, not at all impossible if your hair keep on growing at the rate it has during the summer!

Did the "fluffing" technique help? The new pic is nice, I also like how the ends gently wave there! :flower: