My first Year At LHC! Pic heavy

[RavenRose]

Not sure if I can really call this year progress, But it has surely been a learning experience! That's progress right?
Excuse the huge photos- photobucket keeps re-sizing them on me.

So this pic is from before sometime in 2014 I am thinking September. About 6 months after the perm, years of hard neglect, and very orange fresh Henna. Curls are brushed out, so you can sort of see the length and condition. My breakage on the ends meant that by the time I found LHC in December My hair wasn't any longer. There was a lot of make up and photo manipulation to make my skin not red and blotchy. Plus I lost my chin! This was what got me started on thinking about adjusting the color of the henna I had been using for years.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/FB_IMG_13765116894261196.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/FB_IMG_13765116894261196.jpg.html)

After stewing it around in my head for a couple of months I decided I needed a cooler color. I found LHC in October while searching for color Info about henna.
Hennalonghair's burgundy henna thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=126878) was what brought me here! I signed up in December and lurked absorbing all the info I could. I chopped of some of the bad ends, and started finding out what my hair liked.

My first Post (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128704) was about my experiment with henna additives (http://labellerobemedievale.blogspot.com/2015/01/kitchen-henna-experiment.html).

In Feburary I did my first coloring with henna and hibiscus. I was so happy with the color. you can see the length is right around my collar bone, but is much better condition.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/20150422_2025381.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/20150422_2025381.jpg.html)
First try with a bit of Hibiscus

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/Feb%202015.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/Feb%202015.jpg.html)
Second try with much more Hibiscus.

I was loving the color, but within a week the hibiscus would completely fade out, and leave my tresses very orange again.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/2015%20hair%20progression.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/2015%20hair%20progression.jpg.html)



Through the spring I focused on learning about what my hair needed and liked, I learned that cones build up to quickly, and my hair didn't like lots of protein either. I already knew SLS/SLES was bad news for my skin. I found that it like WCC, with a leave in on the ends best. The Henna was really making my skin look thick/heavy and very blotchy, and making me feel icky about it, but with work I had to keep a professional image.

In May I decided to stop with the henna. I tried to use color oops, several treatments of heavy oilings, and honey, but it just fade to a dull auburn color. Then I covered my whole head with a box blonde dye in my natural color. Well it left my henna a coppery color, which darkened in a week and my 2" of roots platinum blonde! I ended up doing light glosses on the roots to help blend them together. I also cut back to collar trying to get rid of some of the Henna.

In July I got into a car accident, and had a fracture in my back- so my hair was neglected while I recovered.

I had spoken with my hair dresser about fixing it, and although I couldn't afford for them to do it, I did get some great advise. In mid June and early August did 2 sessions of bleaching with a low volume developer (pre-oiled hair with 20vol thinned out with conditioner and Opalex) from the henna line down, and then in late August did a very cool blonde deposit only over my whole head to blend it all and cool it down.

Despite everything I did to protect my hair during the bleaching my fragile tresses experienced a lot of breakage below the perm. From September onwards I had been micro-trimming the ends- cutting off 1/4" -1/2" of my growth every month. luckily My hair averages 3/4" each month.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/Oct%202015.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/Oct%202015.jpg.html)

In October I reached APL, and learned to make some hair toys and participated in an awesome Self Made Swap. You can see some layers forming from breakage at the perm line.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/Nov%202015.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/Nov%202015.jpg.html)

Six weeks later, in middle of November my hair is an inch longer despite a trim! you can really tell how bad the last 6 in is getting. Micro trimming wasn't getting all the breakage. Plus I was having some flare ups, so my hair was in sort of just put it up and forget it mode. But it wasn't all bad.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/Action%20shots.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/Action%20shots.jpg.html)
I got some awesome toys from the swap and could do a lazy wrap bun for the first time, plus other buns without tons of pins.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/IMG_20151114_222614919.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/IMG_20151114_222614919.jpg.html)
I also got quite a bit of roots showing from the last dye at the end of August! Speed growth!

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20151124_105142.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20151124_105142.jpg.html)
And a splash of Magenta for my birthday! Which surprisingly my boss liked!

to be continued due to picture limit.....

[RavenRose]

December Has been a roller coaster for me! I was finally given an official diagnosis for Fibro, and so have been adjusting meds, and so been trying to balance that with pain, work and the holidays and all the stress that they bring along with. So I stayed in just put it up and forget it mode. I do not have a pic, but despite everything I gained an inch! My braid even reached APL! I was halfway to BSL, but the breakage was so terrible! I had been contemplating cutting it back to help the tangles for a month, before finally getting a chance to get it done.

So now at the close of the year I am starting out with a new hair cut.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/Jan%202016%201.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/Jan%202016%201.jpg.html)

It's not much longer than it was at the start of the year- Just over an inch above APL, but the perm has now been cut out. I have a few layers from my collar down, which I am planning to grow out. The hair is actually in better condition than a year ago, now that the perm is gone. Although I am still seeing some fuzziness, and was still seeing some weak curl in areas where I had thought the perm had grown out. After 20 months of 3/4" avg growth it should be all cut out. I am beginning to suspect I am not long a supper straitie.... I will have to remember to type it one of these days....

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/paganrosemama/Hair%20stuff/Jan%202016%20roots.jpg (http://s221.photobucket.com/user/paganrosemama/media/Hair%20stuff/Jan%202016%20roots.jpg.html)

My virgin roots are 2 1/2" - 3 1/2" long and just above my eyebrows. The henna is about at the bottom of my ears, and blends seamlessly into the yellow dye area. I really like this photo because it shows my color so well. My skin looks much lighter and clear! You can tell my eyes are actually blue! My natural color is starting to lighten up when freshly washed, and is starting to blend with the dye. I should be able to cut the rest of the bleach/dye out of my bangs in a month or so, and soon it wont be framing my face with my hair up either! I am so glad to no longer have orange around my face.

[Aingeal]

What a journey! While it may not be much longer, it is much healthier and happier! I've just recently in the past six months finished cutting out henna that was way to orange for me. It's such a relief!

[Jennah]

Awesome!!!! :cheer: Great progress! :cheer:

[Arctic]

I'd call this a progress!

Your hair is bendy at the ends just like mine!

[lapushka]

You're almost at APL again. You'll grow to your goals in no-time, I'm sure. Just believe it will happen, and happy growing! :D

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Your hair is looking much happier, healthier and shinier now. You have made such great progress and will be able to just let your hair grow. Wonderful progress, ans such a pretty colour too :)

[Groovy Granny]

What an amazing journey ~ congrats!
I love your new cut :)
Happy growing in 2016!

[akuamoonmaui]

Hugs to you! What a year you had! Here's to a less stressful 2016! Your hair looks healthy so your care and effort are paying off! Congratulations!

[papayatree]

Your hair is in much better shape now than it was a year ago! Here is to a happier 2016 :toast:

[vpatt]

Your hair has really improved and looks great!

[RavenRose]

Thank you guys for all your kind words! I am hoping my next year goes much better also! 2015 was just a whirlwind of chaos!
Some of the bendy ends may be from me putting it up, or a touch of perm yet. But I like I mentioned I am beginning to suspect I have some weak waves. I noticed my hair takes on curls and dents from styling now, when it never used to before the henna.

I wish I had a better camera- one of these days I will charge my old phone and take a better pic of it currently.

[lapis_lazuli]

Wow! you've had quite the journey! :-) Congrats!!!:cake::flowers:

[AJNinami]

It looks so much shinier! Layering from breakage is one of the most annoying things, but watching it grow out is fun on its own. Your hair is going to be beautiful. :)

[reilly0167]

I only been with LHC since sept. But I learn a lot here in just a short time...I only have just a few pics on my album...haven't quite figured out how to post on thread lol..happy new year everyone bright blessings to you all=)

[bunneh.]

Congratz! Your hair looks lovely. :)

[Agnes Hannah]

Wow what an epic journey you have been on RavenRose! But my word what lovely hair you have now, congratulations on your growth, you will soon reach your next milestone. Happy growing!

[hennalonghair]

What an inspiring story that's well presented.
You did a terrific job of taking the henna out.
Wishing you the best.