The hardest thing??

[jera]

What was the hardest bad habit you gave up after joining LHC to become a longhair?

For me, it was the use of curling irons. I had them in every width and size, but they fried my ends into non existance. I still miss curling my ends sometimes and putting a little volume here and there.

:queen:

What was it for you?

[Dessi]

I think it was using not-hairfriendly brushes. I used to say that my hair hates combs, but now, I only use combs and my hair has never been happier. :D I think I did a lot of damage to my hair with those horrible brushes I used.

[hanne jensen]

Giving up brushing my hair. Wearing my hair down.

[calmyogi]

It was hard for me to give up not being mindful of how I was wearing my hair. I use to to just put it up in a messy bun with a regular old hair tie every day.

[bunneh.]

Not being able to wear hair down, I've been wearing it in braids to sleep for a week now and got used to it, but during the day I'm still having lots of trouble protecting it. Learning different buns and braids and learning how not to pull my hair out while inserting forks/sticks in my hair will take a long time as well and might be frustrating but it'll be worth it in the long run.

[restless]

It was hard to let go of the hair straightener, even though it completely ruined my hair.

[AutobotsAttack]

giving up my heat tools...Which i still use maybe once or twice a year lol.

[Irialii]

As of right now, the hardest thing is to not fiddle with my hair. For example, I'll pull it back then 5 minutes later I've taken it back down. I'll play with my ends which I think is what causing my hair to tangle. I'm getting better, but its just so tempting.

[lapushka]

Being impulsive! Henna here, bleach there, product experiments here, regular (chemical) color there. I fried my hair twice due to changing color so frequently, and had to have it cut back to chin, and once I fried it really badly (chemical burn/cut).

Patience was the hardest thing to learn. But after the last frying incident in which I burnt it all (scalp, hair) I said "no more" and went for all virgin hair. I don't regret that a single day these days, and ever since getting past BSL things just went better and better.

Yeah, patience is hard. Fickleness will do you in every time!

[spidermom]

Giving up the flat iron. My hair looked so pretty and shiny when I used that thing, but it destroyed the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of my hair.

Patience is hard, too. One day I want it shorter so I can heat-style it without worrying. The next day I want it down to my thighs. Sigh ... I want both!

[RainbowBowser]

I thought it would be difficult to stop washing my hair nearly every day.
Turns out it wasn't due to other mental health issues (I wasnt feeling the best at the time so, silver lining)
I had already reduced the heat tool use by then (I still like it occasionally but I can count how many times in a year)
But by the time I signed up for LHC, I had chopped my damage and was ready for the change.

[Arctic]

I can't even remember. Possibly trimming less often. Although I have to say I have "taken back my hair" and I do what I like to it regardless how LHC consensus seems to think. Another although, I have to admit that there has been some "brain washing" happening over the years (not meant in a negative way, juts that I have internalized many things so well I hardly notice them), and I have developed a much more gentle and mindful approach to hair care, not to mention learned to know my hair. But I can clearly notice that the times I am active here my hair care is more involved and gentle, where-as when I'm away from the forums I get back to more "normal" (yet still gentler than avarage) hair care. I am approaching the latter phase right now. I might add that I am not growing my hair to extreme lengths, so there isn't really any acute need to "old lace approach".

Basicly what I was trying to say is, that I haven't really given up, or don't feel like I've given up anything. I wash often (my hair and scalp prefer this), use shampoo (usually full strength sulphates), blow dry (on warm/cool), use curling iron (few times a year), backcomb (doesn't stay on my hair but I still try, ha ha), use products (depending, maybe 1-2 times a week or forthight), wear my hair down, cut layers, trim often (because I like to)... these things make me enjoy my hair, and that is the main point to me. My hair appreciates the gentle care and looks lovely and is healthy.

[Rhodugune]

For me its been to change how I used to deal with my hair, it is worth it but I do wish that my hair wasnt so prone to mechanical damage, so I could just wear it down more often and not constantly have to keep in mind to vary how I wear it up and take the time to carefully detangle it.
I guess I am a bit too impatient for having long hair, so in a way its good for me, it teaches me mindfulness and to be in the moment and that good for me.

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

The hardest thing for me is to detangle slowly and gently. I get impatient and just want to be done with it and end up going to fast, and I can hear those little hairs snapping. :doh:

[TR]

The thing I still haven't learned, after following LHC for years (mostly lurking, only recently subscribing) is how to manage hair boredom. I love pixies and bobs. Growing out from chin to shoulder is less fun for me because it's tricky to find flattering styles for me in that length range, but still it's constantly changing because each month of half-inch growth brings new potential styles. Once it grows long enough to stop doing crazy flips at the ends (just past shoulder) I love it because it becomes so much easier and more predictable. Then starting around APL I just get SO BORED with my hair, and so frustrated with it. New growth is less noticeable, new styles need inches of extra hair, drying time starts to feel long, it starts to get caught in things, etc. My goal is to be more patient with my longer hair during this growout and try to see the APL+ range the way I currently view the chin-to-shoulder: frustrating but temporary. At the moment my length goal is just BSL but if I can figure out how to really enjoy long hair I may be able to grow it even longer. I'm hoping that doing the no-trim 2016 challenge will help me...I'll have a whole year of experience finding scissors-free ways to manage annoying hair periods.

[Kimberly]

The hardest thing for me was being forced repeatedly to blow countless dollars and hours trying new products when those I relied on were "improved" or discontinued, including months at a time of my hair looking awful. When I found CV bars, I bought a pile, and I always keep bunch in my cabinet, just in case. If it is ever discontinued, I will use plain Castile soap and be done with the whole product thing forever, the end.

[Nique1202]

Ponytails. Tight, clean, crisp ponytails, especially up near the crown, tied with with cheap, long-lasting elastics.

Lazy wrap ponytails just don't look the same, and a french braid tied off with a latex elastic at the nape is sort of a ponytail but it doesn't look or feel the same, and I can't really do it higher. But, a regular ponytail is way too heavy and unbalanced for me to wear now that my hair is about 6 inches longer than it's ever been before, and the elastics gave me so much damage by the time I hit waist.

[Mademoiselle]

I stop using heat tools in my hair, I do it once a month or so ... I miss it (go always well groomed), although my hair is so happy.
I also liked sleeping with my hair down, carefree, it was more comfortable for me.:cloud9:https://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/userfiles/image/002%20spanish%20pic%20/hair-down-spiritual-effect-of-women-leaving-their-hair-loose/sleep-with-hair-open.jpg

[nalgena]

Stop washing my hair so often and also stop using the small amount of hear I was using before.
Also learning what works for my hair, there was a lot of trial and error there.

[AJNinami]

Ponytails, definitely ponytails... And playing with my hair. I just caught myself doing that today

[chen bao jun]

Patience is the hardest thing for me by a long shot.

the hardest stage for me was at first when my hair wasn't long enough to bun.

[lapis_lazuli]

Definitely not wearing it down as often. Although I am growing fond of buns on me :)

[CurlyCap]

I miss brushing my hair.

Yeah, it's a crappy styling technique for curls...but I liked how it made my scalp all tingly and my hair was always thoroughly detangled (albeit huge).

[LongCurlyTress]

I miss brushing my hair.

Yeah, it's a crappy styling technique for curls...but I liked how it made my scalp all tingly and my hair was always thoroughly detangled (albeit huge).

Hi CurlyCap... I still brush out my hair when it is dry, from tips to scalp with a BBB and then I just bun it! I get the biggest lwb evah!! It also tames down my scalp frizzies halo when I put my hair into a bun... I always wear my hair in a bun, so it doesnt matter if it gets too big from brushing, in fact I really like the brushing results as it makes my buns huge!! LLOL

ETA oops forgot to add the hardest thing I had to give up... straightening my hair using my Conair hairdryer with the attached straightening comb. ;(
Oh and making a french twist without having a huge bulge on the back of my head like it looks now, so I don't do that style anymore.. with side chin length straightened bangs... ;(

[Nadine <3]

Sometimes I miss washing it daily and blow drying it, but I'm happy where I am now. I sometimes still blow dry it though, I just turn down the heat and brush it gently with my tangle teezer instead of the huge square paddle brush I used before.

[Shia]

Definitely blow drying! Pre-bleach I used to do it every day, but now if I do (maybe once a month), the next day my ends are like straw. I guess that's kind of good, because it discourages me from doing it more often. But I may just return to my blowdrying ways once I'm back to virgin. My hair never had a problem with it, and my goal is just waist, so damage isn't a huge concern to me :)

[Lauraes]

I don't think I can choose just one. Giving up heat styling, paddle brushes, daily washing, and dye were all really hard for me. It's amazing how much better your hair looks when you're not treating it like crap everyday. :p I used to wonder what I could possibly be doing wrong...

[kaeide]

Using heat every day. Now I straighten my hair a max of twice a week, and I use tons of heat protectants and a lower temperature.
I used to straighten on the highest heat, and the thought of that makes me cringe now. I've also been trying to find a way to curl my hair over night, but so far I haven't found anything that rivals what my curling iron could do. :(

[rhosyn_du]

Bleach. I love vivid, unnatural colors, and my hair is just too dark to take them without bleach. Thankfully, I'm starting to get a few silvers, so hopefully it won't be too long before I can use crazy colors again. In the meantime, I'm trying to satisfy the urge with clip-ins, chalk streaks, and scarves.

[Ve]

Touching my hair (although I can't blame myself because it is the first time in 20 years I have felt soft virgin (cassia treated) hair but it is a habit I have to break for my benign neglect 2016 year.

When hair is down stop looking in the mirror to see if it grew a millimeter, I will know when I know so yes PATIENCE

But I am truly grateful to LHC for teaching me that the reason my hair has been at APL length for over 2 years is my ends have been breaking off (how could I not think that) so up in a protective style and I hope to see some length results. Especially now that I have cut off all my damaged ends, feel is so important to me, just could not handle the feeling of straw hair.

[missrandie]

Patience. That is the hardest thing for me to get through my thick head. Granted, I never did a lot of unhealthy things with my hair in the first place, but still patience is my problem. I keep saying, "just wait until I can bun it and forget it." That is what I gotta do.

[Loveisaverb]

Daily washing my hair with clarifying shampoo and always wearing my hair down. Both bad habits I'm glad I was able to break.

[school of fish]

The hardest thing for me to give up was the ideal of the hair I wished I had, instead of accepting and working with the hair I do have. For years I *almost* loved my hair... if only it had a *bit* more volume, a *bit* of wave or curl, was a *bit* thicker... over the course of time I damaged it trying to do things to make it that *bit* more I was looking for, instead of paying attention to the signs it was giving me that I was chasing down the wrong path. I accumulated a lot of incremental damage trying to turn my hair into something it couldn't naturally be.

I broke the cycle of damage and disatisfaction the day I decided to love my hair the way it IS. I started looking to others with similar hairtypes to mine for inspiration, instead of looking at heads of hair that were entirely different from my own, and that made a HUGE difference - I was able to appreciate the beauty of my own hair by seeing it in others :) As a result, commiting to a long-term damage 'rehab' program has felt really easy - it's just a matter of time, conscious care, and patience.

Now I can admire the types of hair I used to wish I had without envy, and really love and enjoy my own hairtype fully now that I know how to listen to and care for it :)

[lunalocks]

I gave up my nice thick hemline (which I had at waist)(tho the thickness is now starting to travel downwards :).) I also miss blow drying my hair perfectly straight.

[georgia_peach]

I'm in the same boat with everybody who mentioned being patient and learning to deal with boredom. I just could not stop cutting my hair and found myself forever in the land of shoulder length hair. I joined LHC in 2008 and didn't stop the impulsive cutting until the winter of 2014. I have no idea what finally clicked, but I've only had one trim since then.

[lapushka]

I'm in the same boat with everybody who mentioned being patient and learning to deal with boredom. I just could not stop cutting my hair and found myself forever in the land of shoulder length hair. I joined LHC in 2008 and didn't stop the impulsive cutting until the winter of 2014. I have no idea what finally clicked, but I've only had one trim since then.

That's amazing! :D

[maskedrose]

Highlighting, hands down. My mom took me to get my first highlights when I was 14 or 15, and I just kept doing it for another 12 years. I thought I looked better with them, but for YEARS I kept growing to waist/hip and having to trim inches upon inches per year because my ends turned to straw and cotton candy. Finally, two years ago I decided I'd had enough of the grow/trim cycle, so I decided to grown out my virgin color. 6 months later I cut from hip to somewhere between APL and BSL to get rid of the worst of the damage. I'm at hip again with some small trims, and for the first time since 2007 my ends feel healthy enough to keep growing. I should make it to BCL sometime this year and intend to maintain there until all of the chemically damaged parts are trimmed off. Plus, I've discovered that my hair is not the mousy blonde I'd feared it would be, but a rich golden/strawberry blonde. Win!

[cathair]

Wearing my hair down. At first it was just to protect it, now it's because it's getting less and less practical. I did today and I tucked it into my trousers twice and sat on it once. It's starting to catch on everything when I move.

[mermaid lullaby]

That amazing crazy volume!!!
I didn't tease my hair...but I blowed dried upside down. Then landfill loads of moose and a pea size gel in my bangs to make them up and swept to the side.
I basically wanted that exaggerated Disney princess hair.