One year anniversary

[copperlites]

I found the LHC just over a year ago whilst looking for short hairstyles for women over 40. My then stylist suggested it was time to cut my hair shorter. What I found here was a community of supportive women who do not see age as a barrier to long beautiful hair. I ditched the aforementioned stylist and found a new one... so here I am with an extra 3 ½ inches and hair nearly to waist length with my 48th birthday in 2 weeks.

I have learnt so much from the wealth of knowledge here and have spent the last year learning to take better care of my fine, fragile hair. what has particularly helped me is cut oil , silk pillowcases and protective up dos. However, My new found knowledge has not prevented a major shed over the last 6 months, whereby I have lost 3/4 inch of ponytail circumference. The hair I do have is the longest it has been since i was a teenager and looks healthier than it ever has. I have a lot of new growth coming in and it will thicken up over the next 12 months. it was quite windy day. as it often is here near the cost on late summer afternoons, but here is a picture from this afternoon compared to this time last year.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21568&d=1455705135

I have trimmed very regularly, every month, measuring the growth and getting hubby to trim half of the growth off in an effort to thicken up the hem, allowing the razored sides to catch up a bit and remove my keratin straightened hair which refuses to go back to it's natural texture. I have still managed to gain about 3 ½ inches in that time. I intend to continue this month trim regime this year as I get to waist ( about 2 inches to go) and head towards hip.

I used one of Hubby's old t-shirts to keep a record of my growth.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21569&d=1455705629

This year my focus is on getting solidly to waist and possible hip, only another 2 inches past waist on me. Also on regaining thickness. I have started monthly ponytail thickness measurements. I know it will take a while for thickness to show but I am more concerned with tracking the loss, to see if i can see a pattern etc.

I am really grateful for all the help, advice and support this community offers, though my bank account is not too happy that I was introduced to the world of hair toys. Lady Idun's being a particular weakness :)

[parkmikii]

Your hair is so shiny, congrats!

[Arctic]

Happy hairiversary!!! You hair looks beautiful despite the thinning, and the wind only add to the charm :) I hope you will regain your lost thickness!

[khryz]

Wow! Happy 1 year! Age doesn't dictate what length of hair you should have and I'm glad you stayed on LHC! You have a very beautiful hair color btw

[diddiedaisy]

Beautiful shiny hair. Your hemline looks good too, I commend you on having the control to trim every month!!!

Congratulations :)

[Mimha]

Hi copperlites ! :)

Congrats on your first LHC annivhairsary !! :cheer: :cheer:

Your hair is stunning, both from its shine and its color ! You are right to enjoy it as long as you please, whatever your age. That's what I do too :p, and it never crossed my mind that I should cut it because I am too old. My grand-mother never cut hers in all her life (she was a mountain farmer, and long hair was the norm at that time). I sometimes think that if I were a man who loves long hair on women, I would feel sad and frustrated not to find any companion of my age with long hair, just because they have all cut their locks due to some society meaningless norms.

[Mirabele]

your hair is beautiful and you got a lot of growth in a year, especially that you had regular trims so often. having such a abeautiful hair i am glad you didn't cut it as suggested by your stylist. it has a beautiful shine and looks healthy.

[earthybee]

Happy Anniversary your hair is gorgeous! :flower:

[Pinni]

So shiny and pretty hair. Congrats at your first LHC anniversary! :D

[slynr]

Your hair looks so healthy and shiny. I love it. Congratulations! !

[school of fish]

Gorgeous, gorgeous hair! Happy anniversary!

[andrea1982]

Happy Anniversary! Your hair looks so shiny and silky. Good idea about the old t shirt to record growth, I haven't seen that before.

[Gaalsong]

Happy anniversary! And thanks for keeping your hair, it is nice to know I will have some company as I keep my long hair into my 40s, 50s and beyond. :)

[Remi]

Happy Anniversary...your hair looks beautiful.

[luxurioushair]

Pretty hair, I'm glad you didn't listen to the age stereotype.

[copperlites]

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments. I am glad too that I did not buck to the norm. I am lucky to have a husband who loves my long hair and helping to take care of it and a family who, despite all having short hair, have never pressured me to cut it.
Thanks for all the sweet comments about my hair colour. Despite being very happy with my hair colour at present I have ordered some henna samples from Night-blooming. I am nervous about switching to henna. My current colour is close to my natural colour but is dependent on trip to the salon every 3 weeks for root touch ups to cover my silvers, which I am not ready to embrace. I go to an organic salon, which is more gentle on my hair but I do feel that the regular use of chemical dies is too much for my fine hair and that henna will be more conditioning and less damaging.
I've been saving shed hairs to do some testing before committing. It's such a scary commitment.

[pailin]

Your hair is beautiful, you should definitely keep growing it! I think it's really fun that you went looking for a short hairstyle and found LHC instead :)
Oh, and I love the t-shirt idea.

[lapis_lazuli]

Wow, you are dedicated (a good thing!) Congrats! :applause What beautiful, shiny hair you have too :) Also sorry for your loss, but it will restore itself in time. Keep on going! :hifive:

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Wow, such gorgeous hair, so sleek and shiny! Lovely! Keep growing, and happy hairiversary!

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

Your colour and shine are beautiful! Congratulations! :)

[Llama]

So much shine and pretty color to your hair!
Congrats :)

[lapushka]

Pretty, and also pretty straight for 2b hair. :D Congrats on your anniversary. :)

[NikitaRM]

Oh my!! Your hair looks really healthy and shiny :D. And what a beautiful color. Congratulations on the anniversary!

[copperlites]

Oh my!! Your hair looks really healthy and shiny :D. And what a beautiful color. Congratulations on the anniversary!


Pretty, and also pretty straight for 2b hair. :D Congrats on your anniversary. :)


So much shine and pretty color to your hair!
Congrats :)

thank you ladies. The sleek shine is one of the reasons I do like to blow dry occasionally. I just don't get the same look with my natural waves.

Here is the comparison - on a good day mind you , when they dried using the curly girl method and homemade flax seed gel. Now if they stayed this way for longer than the few minutes to take a picture I'd be a happy curly girl :)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21791&d=1456661087

Sadly within ½ an hour they become very deflated and within an hour from arm pit down looks stringy and frizzy and the top layer has straightened out with curls still underneath. This combination texture is mainly the remnants of straightening treatments that have not "just washed out" with time. Pfah!

My colour is close to its natural colour but sadly dependent on sale intervention for grey "integration". I am in the process of testing henna from nightblooming on my shed fur balls, with a view to switching to the henna side!

[vpatt]

I love your hair! Very shiny and healthy looking.

[Medievalmaniac]

It looks wonderful--incredibly shiny and soft, and you have gotten a good head start on your goal of hip! :flower: Congratulations on your first LHC Anniversary!

[Groovy Granny]

Congrats ~ you hair is gorgeous! :)

You keep growing girl...I started again at 61 and am now 64 :cheer:
PPPFFFTTTT to all the naysayers :p