Annual update? Progress report? No question, bad at titles :)

[Kina]

So... I hadn't actually planned this, but I wound up taking a length shot on the same date that I had last year. Again, (same as last year) I felt bad about my hair after looking at the pics. When I uploaded the pic to the computer and went to save it in my very imaginatively named folder "length shots" I found last year's pic, which I had helpfully written the date on. This is one HUGE advantage of having a horrible memory with subsequent well developed patterns of behavior, you wind up pleasantly surprising yourself (at least occasionally).

I haven't taken any measurements, just noted via body markers where I wanted/want my hair to be. If you have texturised hair, there is really no point to saying x many inches, since it's not going to look like that day to day ANYWAY. There are days when my hair is at BSL, others when it's BCL. The only determining factor to that appears to be whatever mood my hair happens to be in.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/q82/p240x240/10987358_1535573293373804_7112962030619668940_n.jp g?oh=a4e552e5d87040b470f2b6b9ed818cc0&oe=55944919&__gda__=1434157526_a7ae1f866c3f10cc11e8b118c93d243 0

my hands in the first photo are at hip from the front, BCL from the back and I'm a little further away from the camera. Also, my bathroom was green (it's since been painted YAY).
second photo was from 3/6 AM, before leaving for work, hair was mainly dried, at least the scalp hair was cause I blow dried it, it was 6 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, consequently, my hair is straighter than normal.
third photo was from when I got into my pj's for sleep and decided to take the pic.

Hands in both the last 2 are at waist.

Things I like:
* length is clearly, well, longer :)
* thickness seems to be traveling down
* I lopped off about 1.5 inches in January, no trims through 2014. That managed to get rid of the left side racing ahead of the right and has apparently given me a U to V shaped hemline.
* I seem to be recovering from a shed, lots of short hairs waving about (which could also go into don't likes.. the short hair bits waving about, at any rate) and my cowlick isn't as visible.

Things I don't like:
* my ends looking "stringy" :D
* I wish my hair was thicker
* pretty sure that my ends aren't as curly, I've lost some texture, probably due to either length or my random henna applications to the ends.

What I've changed:
* wearing my hair up around 60% of the time.
* most of my disposable income has gone to hair toys ( self talk: really, Kina? wtH?!)
* cassia treatments
* random henna treatments in an attempt at ombre. Do *you* see any ombre? Me neither
* covered my desk chair with a nice smooth sweater, both sides of it
* switched from coconut oil to almond oil. I was getting crunchy from the coco, my hair seems to have developed a protein sensitivity
* using Kinky Curly products, specifically the leave in/detangler and the curling custard
* I've stretched scalp (with shampoo) washing to about 1 x other week, CO the rest of the time

Changes I'm going to implement:
* trims roughly every 2 months to thicken up the ends
* decide on a goal length once my ends are satisfactory
* may also do a light layer at that point, depending on what my ends are doing (can't overly layer when you have thin, fine hair
* resist the urge to perm it

Well, there you go.

[Eastbound&Down]

That's some good length in a year :) congrats and keep up the good work

[FallingDarkness]

Your hair has gotten quite a bit longer, congratulations!
Also how much will you be taking off every two months? You could microtrim about 1/4 of an inch every month in order to continue getting length (if your hair grows the average 1/2 inch a month) but be thickening up your hemline. So basically I wouldn't recommend taking off more than 1/2 an inch every two months. :P
Your hair is lovely and I hope that someday soon you'll be happy with the ends.

[Beborani]

Very pretty Kina! That is a bit like complimenting myself as our hair is so similar. I think we have had this conversation before though. :) my length is also similar and I too have been trimming off the ends more aggressively this year.

[Ambrielle]

You've had amazing growth in one year Kina! Congrats!

The thickness is definitely travelling down. I think if you stick to your trimming plan you will see a huge difference in the thickening of those ends but me personally i don't think they look bad at all. I think fairytaling on curly hair looks pretty. :)

[slynr]

Looks amazing, Kina. You've gained a lot of length and I love the texture.

[*ReiKa*]

Good progress, well done!!!! You gained a lot of lenght!

[Kina]

Thanks everyone!

I think this kind of proves why doing the length picture periodically is helpful. I was feeling pretty down, not really able to tell the difference without the picture. Not that I think my hair looks great, (only in comparison, lol) but it finally feels like there is a change and a payoff for the effort :)


Your hair has gotten quite a bit longer, congratulations!
Also how much will you be taking off every two months? You could microtrim about 1/4 of an inch every month in order to continue getting length (if your hair grows the average 1/2 inch a month) but be thickening up your hemline. So basically I wouldn't recommend taking off more than 1/2 an inch every two months. :P
Your hair is lovely and I hope that someday soon you'll be happy with the ends.


Pretty much a half inch every other month is the plan. I get scissor happy if I trim too frequently. I do average a 1/2 inch monthly, so it'll be about 1/2 the length.

I don't mind fairy-tailing, per se, I dislike the see thruness of them, the curse of fine, thin hair.

Beborani, we could be hair twins :)

[chen bao jun]

It looks very good to me and it definitely grew.
(feel you on the pointlessness of taking measurements thing)

[gthlvrmx]

Congratulations! Personally, I prefer length over thickness. Hair ends up usually being thinner the longer it get's (as in, the longer it is, the thinner the ends will be), so why bother worrying about it! You hair looks beautiful! I think we might even have similar hair type (curly wise I mean)

[YvetteVarie]

Congrats Kina. Your hair looks very pretty

[ooglipoo]

Great job! Keep up the good work. I really do see the thickness traveling down, as well as gain in length!