I'm back :)

[girlcat36]

I've been away for a while……ever since my devastating chop to chin length in 2012. In early 2012, I experienced a lot of hair loss, and my hair seemed to inexplicably change texture. It looked truly horrific by the summer of 2012, and I had to cut it all off. :(

I blamed many things…..the sun, a new hair color, medication, Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose changing it's formula…….I couldn't figure it out.
My hair was always thin, but even so, it was in very good condition, until 2012:

My hair in 2011 on the left, and how it progressed(or regressed) in 2012:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/girlcat36/LHC%20pictures/475a6554-a7d5-47e4-94f1-fdce0cacdc0f_zps1941acda.jpg (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/girlcat36/media/LHC%20pictures/475a6554-a7d5-47e4-94f1-fdce0cacdc0f_zps1941acda.jpg.html)

There was no help for my hair…no oil, or deep conditioning treatment helped. I had to cut it. It was so depressing that I had to leave LHC.


It's been almost three years now since my chop, and I've been able to regain some length and I'm feeling much better about it. As soon as I cut my hair three years ago, I decided to stop coloring and embrace my natural gray:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/girlcat36/LHC%20pictures/grayhair2015_zps21e7bc17.jpg (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/girlcat36/media/LHC%20pictures/grayhair2015_zps21e7bc17.jpg.html)


I've learned a lot about my hair in the meantime…..I've learned that I like having gray hair, and I have found a decent substitute for my reformulated one-time Holy Grail conditioner--Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose. I've learned that my curly hair does not like what most curly hair likes, and this is huge because now I can stop wasting my money on over priced curly girl products. I also suspect that years of Tangle Teezer use was shredding my length, so I'm back to seamless combs only.
I also figured out that my hair hates ACV rinses, and actually does better when I use heat on it due to low porosity.

My hair will always be thin with a lot of taper, but I'm hoping to be BSL by summer, and WL by next year.

[Five of Five]

Wow, both you and your hair look stunning in your latest photo :thud:

I'm glad you've made such a come-back and that you've found a routine that works for your curly hair. Looks like you'll reach your final goals very soon.

[spidermom]

Looking good, gc! I'm glad to see you drop in over here even though I see you regularly on FB.

Oh, and funny, I've decided that it's better to use a blow-dryer with my hair because of high porosity. It soaks up a lot of water and takes forever to dry, which keeps my hair in a fragile state for much too long.

[cheetahfast]

Wow looking great!

[rags]

Welcome back, GC!! :flowers:

Your hair is looking utterly AWESOME in your latest pics! I love it!

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Five of Five…Spidermom…Cheetahfast…and rags!

I'm just not meant for short hair. It didn't look cute, or spunky, or fun, or anything like that on me. I'll never forget the shocked silence the day I went in to work having gone from waist length to chin length. No one said anything, and I don't blame them. It didn't look good :/

Spidermom….just so you know, I've deactivated my FB account for the time being. And that's really interesting that you are finding heat beneficial for high porosity hair!

[Chocowalnut]

It looks great. I'm glad you made a recovery from the hair loss. Good luck growing again :)

[chebella]

Wow, you're absolutely beautiful. The gray hair really suits you, girlcat36! I think the length it is now is really flattering and sophisticated, but I think that WL hair on you would look just magical. Do you think you'll try any treatments to make it grow faster, or are you letting it grow on its own?

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

Ooooh, you have such pretty gray curls! :heartbeat

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Chocowalnut!

Chebella…thank you very much for your very nice comment!
I would love waist length hair….my hair is baby fine and thin and grows slowly, so I struggle to gain length after shoulder. I am sort of cheating by posting a pic wearing a dark shirt; my length is relatively see-through.
I am using mustard oil on my scalp at the moment, but I am intrigued by the caffeine thread, and I might give that a try.

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Lauren_alia!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Ooh, what a wonderful change to your hair, girlcat36! So curly, and gleaming silver too - such a beautiful mane. You must be very happy with it. Welcome back to LHC! Have a flower :flower:

[EdG]

Welcome back, girlcat! Your hair is thudworthy. :thud:
Ed

[Sterlyn]

Girlcat, Your hair has grown a lot in since your cut. I have always thought your curls are lovely and I love the color.:o

[hippie girl]

Girlcat, I love the color!!
I've always loved your curls.
Between your awesome curls and the silvery color, well, your hair is just perfect!

So glad to see you back!

:)

[Arctic]

WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU BACK!!! I just recently came back again too. OMGoodness your hair looks great, I love the silver, you look like an elf!

[Carolyn]

I'm so glad you are back. Your hair looks lovely. Those curls! I hope you return to FB too.

[Alexa]

The Tangle Teezer was shredding your hair??? :bigeyes: Please go on! :popcorn:

[diddiedaisy]

Your hair looks beautiful, the texture, colour, curls and thickness. You must be really pleased with the progress you have made.

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Sarahlabryinth, EdG, Sterlyn, hippie girl, Arctic, and Carolyn! :love:

Alexa…..I am guessing that the Tangle Teezer may not have been compatible with my hair type. I can't really come up with a reason for so much thinning and taper after shoulder. I stopped coloring my hair, and treat it very gently, yet I still had a lot of taper. My hair is see through. I thought after ditching the dye, my hair would improve in that regard, and it has not. The only thing I was doing all along(since 2009) was using the Tangle Teezer. It suddenly occurred to me to research whether it can cause mechanical damage, and it turns out there are many who say that it does.
My hair is super fine…maybe that's why….this is a strand of my hair(before I went gray) next to some sewing thread; my hair ls nearly invisible:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd63/girlcat36/LHC%20pictures/054-2.jpg (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/girlcat36/media/LHC%20pictures/054-2.jpg.html)

It's probably more sensitive to mechanical damage. I sleep on a silk pillowcase as well as drying my hair with silk fabric. It's very fragile.

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Diddledaisy! :)

[LongCurlyTress]

Hi girlcat36!! I am also a curlygirl 3b and I found that I shed more hair when detangling with conditioner in the shower when I used my Tangle Teezer than now with using my vented brush, very gently tips to ears. And I also like to use a hairdryer, but mostly in the winter on my scalp! We are so rebellious! Your curly platinum elegance is gorgeous! Do you use coconut oil? I use it on my hair, ears to tips everynight before doing a two strand twist braid over my left shoulder since I sleep mostly on my right side. Sounds like we do alot of the same things. Also, I love my cones, specifically John Freida Hair Serum, just a dime sized amount spread ears to tips to comb through before drying. I think it also works as a heat protectant too. Well good luck and your hair has grown back beautifully! Welcome back to LHC!! :toast:

[Addy]

Beautiful!

[Wosie]

Great to see you back, girlcat36! :blossom: You've gone through an amazing and inspiring transformation. My heart ached for you, reading your first post. It reminded me of my own situation in 2011 when I cut off my hair by myself as I thought the quality of it was just too bad and unsightly. It felt terrible. :(

Your hair is looking nothing short of thud-worthy and you are a very beautiful and striking woman. *^.^*

[Upside Down]

What an amazing transformation!
And, gray looks just stunning on you!! Is your natural color light?

[vega]

Hey girl cat welcome I have exact kind of hair as you too :o and agree totally about tangle teezer it was shredding my hair too, I've stopped using it for last 6 months and my hair has improved and gained length I love our hair too

[Tabitha]

Welcome back! your natural silver-pewter is gorgeous, and more flattering on you than any dye could be.

I don't have long hair any more, but my hair and scalp are always happier with the use of a blow-dryer.

[hennalonghair]

Lovely hair. Glad you decided to embrace your natural colour cause it's AWESOME !!!!

[missfaroe]

I love your beautiful hair! Really pretty curls and gray color!

[CremeTron]

Hi Girlcat, so glad to see you back! I have admired your hair since I began lurking about 18 months ago. Especially since my hair is similar in some ways to yours and I have not found another curly with the same issues.

My hair also hates acv and is still hanging limply from a rinse I did over a week ago.

So happy you have made peace with your hair. Thin, fine and taper are not necessarily bad things at all. I have embraced these things about my hair also.

I love your curls, the shape of your hair and the colour. Your hair really flatters you and looks beautiful in all your photos.

[Jennah]

It's been almost three years now since my chop, and I've been able to regain some length and I'm feeling much better about it..

Wow! What a comeback! You look amazing!!!! :bounce:

[Agnieszka]

Your hair looks much thicker than before!

[rags]

Girlcat - you know my hair is baby-fine just like yours, and I have issues with the TT also. And, I have discovered, with my beloved Mason Pearson. I too am back to just wide tooth combs!

I really missed you and am so glad to see you back!

[afinemess]

Hi girlcat36... I'm new here on the forums and I just felt like I had to tell you how BEAUTIFUL your gray hair is! I hope when I go gray, I'll embrace mine like you have. :pegasus:

[Alexa]

rags, would you mind if I ask what your routine is? I also have fine, thin, 2a hair, and have been using the TT and BBB to keep my scalp happy in between 2x weekly washes, but I'm worried now that they might be doing more harm than good!

[girlcat36]

Thank you, LongCurlyTresses! My hair is not crazy about coconut oil, but I use it occasionally for an overnight oiling. I can't do cones….every time I do, I get a lot of breakage.

Addy, thank you!

Wosie…thank you for your kind words!

UpsideDown---Thank you! My natural hair color is dark brown.

Thanks, Vega! So I might be on to something here with the Tangle Teezer. We might be hair twins!

Thank you, Tabitha :)

Hennalonghair…thank you for that nice compliment! :)

Thanks, Misfaroe!

Awwww, CremeTrom…Thank you for your kind words! Another hair twin, maybe? I feel like we are a rare breed amongst curly girls.

Thank you, Jennah and Agnieszka!

Rags…it's nice to back!

Thank you so much, Afinemess!

[summergreen]

Your hair looks amazing! I've always admired your curls :)


Your hair looks much thicker than before!

It looks sooooo thick!!

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Summergreen!

[Neecola]

So nice to see you around again, girlcat! I agree with everyone else, your hair is spectacular and gives me hope that I may yet have a similar transformation. Definitely going to take a break from my beloved TT to see if that makes any difference.

[girlcat36]

Thank you so much, Neecola!

[Charybdis]

I know I'm echoing what others have said, but your natural silvery color *is* perfect on you. Also, I remember seeing your photos in a thread about color "seasons". I'm often not convinced by the seasons these analysts assign people to, but you truly look amazing in those Soft Summer drapes. The combination of those colors, your skin, and your natural hair color is just brilliant. :)

Welcome back!

[embee]

Welcome back, girlcat! I wondered where you had gone.

Your hair looks great. :)

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Charybdis, and embee!

[hannabiss]

:blossom::blossom:that gray is so beautiful!! I wish i had cury hair but the curls are amazing and that gray is lovely!

[Belle Paix]

Beautiful color AND texture!! I swear, sometimes I wish I were a curly....

[Amahaitz]

You and your hair are lovely!

[Annalouise]

GirlCat welcome back!:)

We have similar hair and a similar history. I too cut my hair back to shoulder length due to thinness and I hated it short.
I should 'friend' you and show you a picture of my hair as its very similar to yours in thickness and curl, well, my hair is thinner than yours.

Now I love my hair I don't care how thin it is there is nothing worse than short hair.

And I TOTALLY understand about the A.O. reformulations. The 'honey suckle rose' is GHASTLY!!!!!! OMG! I send it back to them for a refund.

Wow, they really took a nose dive on those products in recent years.

I found that brushing my hair made it thinner, AS WELL as ghastly products like the Aubrey reformulations.

I stay clear of brushes and crappy products now that is for sure.

Maybe some day I'll use the brush again but it really does pull out more hair and I think the t.t. would have the same effect.


Your hair looks great! I know cutting it was such a disaster because I did the same thing: HORRIBLE.

Great that we got that lesson over with right!:p

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Hannabiss, Belle Paix, and Amahaitz!

Annalouise, I'd love to see your hair. Yes. we have learned our lesson! I will never again go short, no matter how thin.
I actually had a style consult(clothing style, not hair style) and was told I needed LONG hair, surprisingly. Even though my hair is thin, the overall effect is better long.

No more Tangle Teezer for me, and no more BBB. I found some awesome seamless combs at TJ Maxx, of all places; very reasonably priced.

[Bill D.]

Welcome back, girlcat36. Your hair looks great!

[RavennaNight]

Welcome back, Girlcat! Your hair looks great! Really soft, supple looking curls :)

[lynnala]

Oh girlcat, your hair is sooooo gorgeous! I agree, I love your natural color. It looks so magnificent with your curls. I've always admired your hair (and your skirts! :beerchug: )

[vpatt]

I am envious of your silver curls, they are beautiful!

I don't care much for the tangle teaser....but I don't know if it is damaging. I mostly use my fingers and my Wet Brush.

[Wusel]

Hi!
A quite new and LHC addicted member says HELLO :) to a returned LHC member :)
You are a very, VERY, VERY pretty woman with very pretty curls. :)
I'm Wusel (wanting curls, having none).
Nice to meet you! :blossom::blossom::blossom: :)

[Sparklylady82]

Welcome back and I hope to get to know ya better! Your hair looks so healthy and beautiful :-)

[flickm]

Beautiful woman, gorgeous hair. inspirational!

[Puffer Fish]

I often see your signature picture on your old posts, adore your grey curls, and was secretly wondering where you'd vanished to. I'm glad you're back and that you've learned more about what your hair likes!

[amino]

Being as this thread is resurrected, I can also take the opportunity to do a thud and say: Wow! You and your hair are both stunning! I'd seen your signature around and was wondering what the story was behind those beautiful curls. I'm only sorry it was a sad one. :)