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View Full Version : My 3 year LHC hairiversary...from shoulder to hip and hopefully beyond!



Vanilla
September 18th, 2014, 06:44 PM
I stumbled upon LHC after an interesting internet search revealed that monistat could increase your growth rate. Intrigued, I stuck around, and my journey here started September 20, 2011. I had shoulder length hair, and had always loved long hair on myself and others, so I decided to stick around here for the long haul.

I learned about coconut oil, conditioner only washing, water only washing, seamless wide toothed combs, hair toys, castor oil, cassia, henna, mineral oil, the Madora George Michael salon in NYC and LOC.

My first length shot was in November 2011:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/isk8r813/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps751142ca.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/isk8r813/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps751142ca.jpg.html)

This was right after a bit of castor oil on my hair (which ultimately didn't work well for me). I tried so many things in the beginning, and my routine was always changing. Despite my changing routine (and a major life event), I reached BSL in July of 2012:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/isk8r813/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsacfeefe6.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/isk8r813/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsacfeefe6.jpg.html)

This was taken at a LHC meet in manhattan (one of the other awesome things to come out of joining here).

laceyfairy
September 18th, 2014, 06:49 PM
Looking good!

gthlvrmx
September 18th, 2014, 06:51 PM
Congrats! Your hair looks so long now! :)

Vanilla
September 18th, 2014, 06:52 PM
Continued:

In between shoulder length and BSL, I had an amazing trim at the Madora George Michael salon. It was a magical experience, and I really enjoyed all of the pampering. I had another trim December of 2012 to bring me back to BSL at the Madora George Michael Salon.

In July 2013, I reached waist (my original hair goal):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/isk8r813/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps412758a1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/isk8r813/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps412758a1.jpg.html)

I decided to continue growing, and didn't trim and reached hip in February 2014:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/isk8r813/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps9c49207b.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/isk8r813/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps9c49207b.jpg.html)

My hair at that point was really scraggly looking, so I decided to trim back to waist end of March 2014:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/isk8r813/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps7a0fca86.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/isk8r813/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps7a0fca86.jpg.html)

Vanilla
September 18th, 2014, 06:58 PM
And now, a length shot from a few days ago:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/isk8r813/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps8e104702.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/isk8r813/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps8e104702.jpg.html)

Without LHC, I wouldn't have learned how to braid my hair more than a simple English braid. I would have certainly not had the patience or motivation to continue growing my hair. I also have made some great friends here during my time, and I am very thankful for that.

Happy growing to beyond hip! So my routine is S + C and LOC with vanilla monoi oil and nightblooming panacea. It's helped me to avoid a trim and to keep my hair soft and healthy.

Thanks all for the compliments :).

ARG
September 18th, 2014, 07:02 PM
Congratulations, Vanilla! Your hair is so pretty!

hypersensitive
September 18th, 2014, 07:06 PM
Lovely progress!

Vanilla
September 18th, 2014, 07:09 PM
Thank you guys so much!

Quasiquixotic
September 18th, 2014, 07:34 PM
beautiful! I love your hair!

MeowScat
September 18th, 2014, 08:02 PM
Hello dear!

Whenever you change your siggy pic (it just autocorrected to "soggy" haha) I'm always amazed at how much longer your hair has gotten. It looks beautiful, as always.

Think you'll ever aim for Classic? Happy Hairyversary to you! :bottomsup:

slynr
September 18th, 2014, 08:12 PM
Such beautiful progress! Congratulations;)

Vanilla
September 18th, 2014, 08:46 PM
Thank you everyone for the kind compliments :) Meowscat, I'd love to have classic length hair, that is my dream goal length! I don't know how long it would take me to get there from hip length (maybe another 3 or so years?)

I do not want to sacrifice thickness at the ends though, and I will trim back if my ends start looking scraggly again. I am hoping to go until next year before I trim again.

Wildcat Diva
September 18th, 2014, 09:19 PM
I'm so happy to have been on LHC with you for most of this time. You have been a great friend to me.
Your hair looks so beautiful!

RainbowBowser
September 18th, 2014, 09:31 PM
Congratulations :D

RapunzelKat
September 18th, 2014, 09:42 PM
Beautiful hair, Vanilla! :D Congrats on your anniversary, and happy continued growing! :cheer:
The GM experience sounds wonderful, I hope I'll get a chance to visit the LA location one of these days.

becker
September 18th, 2014, 10:30 PM
Wow, beautiful.

Inching Along
September 18th, 2014, 10:40 PM
Vanilla, you have had such great growth and it looks so healthy and pretty. :) Thank you for sharing a little bit about your George Michael experience. Did you tell more about it anywhere on TLHC that you can point me to? I am interested to hear a little more about it. Hoping to visit a GM salon someday myself! Also, can you tell me a smidge more about your routine (you said: So my routine is S + C and LOC with vanilla monoi oil and nightblooming panacea.). What S&C do you use? I need to read the LOC thread... ;)

urs
September 19th, 2014, 12:08 AM
Congrats Vanilla.

Beautiful and grest growing:)

Phexlyn
September 19th, 2014, 01:31 AM
Congrats Vanilla!

Your hair is looking beautiful and in great condition! I also really love the style in your avatar picture, that's lovely braiding. :flower:
Happy growing to hip and beyond!

restless
September 19th, 2014, 01:55 AM
It looks very beautiful :) Congratulations to the anniversary!

Tini'sNewHair
September 19th, 2014, 02:26 AM
Amazing growth there, I love your profile picture - Your hair looks very beautiful and in great condition. Congrats!

Hedera
September 19th, 2014, 02:39 AM
Congratulations!

Your hair looks wonderful. :)

Quahatundightu
September 19th, 2014, 03:45 AM
Gorgeous!! Your hair is looking so healthy and shiny, you've grown quite quickly too. I bet it would look amazing at classic length!

embee
September 19th, 2014, 05:42 AM
Congratulations! Beautiful hair. :)

lapushka
September 19th, 2014, 05:54 AM
Amazing journey, Vanilla! Congratulations on your growth and perfected routine, and your hair looks amazing. :D

browneyedsusan
September 19th, 2014, 06:47 AM
Wow!

Great story and beautiful head of hair!

Kina
September 19th, 2014, 07:05 AM
lovely hair :flower:

Zebra Fish
September 19th, 2014, 07:06 AM
Beautiful! Amazing hair and nice growth!

fiğrildi
September 19th, 2014, 08:50 AM
Your hair is amazingly beautiful! Stunning colour, and it looks so very healthy, and much longer :) Happy 3rd hairiversary!

Agnes Hannah
September 19th, 2014, 09:03 AM
Happy hairiversary, gorgeous hair, can't wait to see it at classic!!

Vanilla
September 19th, 2014, 11:34 AM
Thank you everyone for your kind words of encouragement! It has been a great growth journey so far, and I'm looking forward to more growing!

Regarding the Madora George Michael salon experience. Here's a thread of mine chronicling my very first visit to the salon in February 2012. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=88976

Also, a bit more about my routine:
Now that I've been using LOC, the brand and protein/moisture content of my shampoo and conditioner doesn't matter as much anymore. I don't even have to stretch washes as much as I did before I discovered LOC. I generally wash 2-3 times a week (previously it was never more than 2x a week)

I do try to use SLS free shampoo, and cone free conditioner with protein. I'm currently trying to use up all of the small sample size shampoos and conditioners I've collected over the years from hotels that I've stayed in. I also try to clarify and deep condition my hair once a month. I use Garnier Pure Clean shampoo and Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner as a deep treatment.

My favorite shampoos and conditioners are:
L'oreal Eversleek shampoo and conditioners (the reconstructive ones)
Madora George Michael pink creme shampoo
Madora George Michael 60 second conditioner
Madora George Michael 12 minute masque
Madora George Michael Creme rinse (used after the conditioner or masque)

The LOC part of my routine is as follows:
L-liquid (water)
O-Monoi Tiki Tahiti Vanilla Monoi Oil
C-Nightblooming Panacea

I separate my hair into two sections, one over each shoulder after shampooing and conditioning and towel drying. If my Monoi oil isn't liquified, I microwave it briefly. I turn the Monoi bottle upside down for a second with my hand completely covering the opening. This dispenses the perfect amount of oil for 1/2 of my hair. I repeat on the other side. I smear my finger on the inside of the bottle to get a tiny bit more and dispense it on my nape (I tend to tangle there a lot).

For the panacea part, I just run my index finger lightly over the surface of the panacea and pick up a thin layer to cover my fingertip. I distribute that to each 1/2 of my hair, and then a tiny amount for my nape. I comb using my Madora seamless side tooth comb, and that's it.

lunalocks
September 19th, 2014, 11:43 AM
Thank you for the update. Your hair is beautiful.

Johannah
September 19th, 2014, 12:41 PM
Congrats with your anniversary! Lovely hair! It looks really healthy and I love your color! :blossom:

Vanilla
September 19th, 2014, 03:33 PM
Thank you guys so much! My color is mostly natural. I've used cassia a few times in my past, and my hair gets a lot of lightening help from the sun.

Inching Along
September 19th, 2014, 06:18 PM
Thank you so much for sharing the link to your GM salon experience and also for sharing your routine and favorite products. I will have to take a deeper look into LOC now!

Vanilla
September 19th, 2014, 06:34 PM
You are so welcome, Inching Along! The great thing about LOC is that you can use all different types of products for each stage.

I started out with LOC using mineral oil as my oil and Panacea as the cream part. That weighed my hair down a lot (and I was only using a tiny bit of each). I then tried argan oil, and while that was a little bit better, it still wasn't light enough.

Previously, I could never use any form of coconut oil in my hair without my hair looking flat and lifeless after application. I tried coconut oil on wet, towel dried and dry hair, and it never worked for me.

With LOC, I'm able to get all of the benefits of regularly using coconut oil in the hair without it looking like a stringy, sticky mess. Sometimes, I'm a little too enthusiastic about putting more product in my hair than I really need, and it will be stringy. The great thing is though that if I just bun or braid my hair for that 1 day afterwards, the 2nd day, the product is completely absorbed and my hair no longer looks stringy.

jacqueline101
September 19th, 2014, 06:50 PM
Your hair looks great the growth is amazing too. I was wondering if you've picked a goal for your length?

DweamGoiL
September 19th, 2014, 06:55 PM
Beautiful growing...Congratulations!!!

Inching Along
September 19th, 2014, 07:13 PM
You are so welcome, Inching Along! The great thing about LOC is that you can use all different types of products for each stage.

I started out with LOC using mineral oil as my oil and Panacea as the cream part. That weighed my hair down a lot (and I was only using a tiny bit of each). I then tried argan oil, and while that was a little bit better, it still wasn't light enough.

Previously, I could never use any form of coconut oil in my hair without my hair looking flat and lifeless after application. I tried coconut oil on wet, towel dried and dry hair, and it never worked for me.

With LOC, I'm able to get all of the benefits of regularly using coconut oil in the hair without it looking like a stringy, sticky mess. Sometimes, I'm a little too enthusiastic about putting more product in my hair than I really need, and it will be stringy. The great thing is though that if I just bun or braid my hair for that 1 day afterwards, the 2nd day, the product is completely absorbed and my hair no longer looks stringy.

My hair doesn't seem to like coconut oil very much, though it does seem to absorb it over time. I haven't really found an old yet that it does like. I've tried jojoba, coconut, and olive. I've used S&C with shea butter and with argan oil, and they seem to be pretty good with my hair. Right now, my hair's in a phase where it's not liking much, but today I went back to scrunching watered-down gel on right out of the shower to form a light cast (a la Curly Girl), and that seemed to cheer up the curl and make my hair not look so dry and unhappy. I like that your hair absorbs the oils after a while. I'll really need to read that LOC thread!

Vanilla
September 19th, 2014, 07:30 PM
Thanks everyone! Jacqueline, I haven't determined quite yet where my final goal length would be. I would love classic IF I was able to keep my hemline looking good all the way down (and it wasn't too much trouble as far as the upkeep).

So far hip has been a bit easier to maintain than waist (as a braided nautilus isn't too tight at this length). But I mostly do regular nautilus buns on a daily basis.

jacqueline101
September 19th, 2014, 08:10 PM
Thanks everyone! Jacqueline, I haven't determined quite yet where my final goal length would be. I would love classic IF I was able to keep my hemline looking good all the way down (and it wasn't too much trouble as far as the upkeep).

So far hip has been a bit easier to maintain than waist (as a braided nautilus isn't too tight at this length). But I mostly do regular nautilus buns on a daily basis.

I'm glad you're here growing with us. I do hope you make it to Classic that's what you want. I understand the up keep issue. My hair has become more of a diva since it's nearing waist. I'm going to grow mine to tail bone as a final goal. I don't think I could handle my finicky hair any longer then tailbone.

jacqueline101
September 19th, 2014, 08:11 PM
Thanks everyone! Jacqueline, I haven't determined quite yet where my final goal length would be. I would love classic IF I was able to keep my hemline looking good all the way down (and it wasn't too much trouble as far as the upkeep).

So far hip has been a bit easier to maintain than waist (as a braided nautilus isn't too tight at this length). But I mostly do regular nautilus buns on a daily basis.

I'm glad you're here growing with us. I do hope you make it to Classic that's what you want. I understand the up keep issue. My hair has become more of a diva since it's nearing waist. I'm going to grow mine to tail bone as a final goal. I don't think I could handle my finicky hair any longer then tailbone.

Vanilla
September 19th, 2014, 08:17 PM
Good luck in your growth journey as well, Jacqueline!

jacqueline101
September 20th, 2014, 04:01 AM
Good luck in your growth journey as well, Jacqueline!

Thank you that's very kind of you.