4 years of growing

[browneyedsusan]

Thanks to all advisors and cheerleaders at TLHC, my hair is in great shape and longer than ever.

Backstory:
My hair was bright, strawberry blonde when I was young, but darkened to ash brown in my 20's--it happens sometimes with redheads. Length-wise, my hair was longest around age 8. It was probably BSL or a little more, I can't remember? Mom cut me into a Carol Brady shag in 2nd grade, and I grew to a Farrah flip in 7th grade. I got perms and highlights in highschool and college, and kept it around SL. (It was the color and texture of straw from all the processing.) I kept it permed until I had kids around 30, then cut to a pixie. That pixie was so much fun! I got it cut into every shape I could think of, and colored and bleached it constantly. I grew out my bangs, got the sides shaved, grew out a little duck tail, then shaved my nape, grew it assymetrical, whatever the hairdresser and I could think up, we tried it! I always liked it red best, but it faded out in a week or so.

Then I found henna, and my world changed. It was like finding a white unicorn with a rainbow horn! I was googling for a long-lasting red hair dye, color deposit shampoo or conditioner, or anything to keep my hair redder longer, stumbled on Hennaforhair.com, and they had a link that led me here. I ordered a sample and kept a coffee cup in the bathroom where I put my collection of 2" long sheds from the vanity top. It took me over a week to gather up enough hair to test, and the results were amazing!

After my first henna, I decided to grow my hair, lurked here for a few weeks, then joined. Signature picture from May 1012, is a shaggy pixie with a henna over a growing out salon brunette haircolor and 1/2" of graying roots. I was overdue for a haircut, felt very unkempt, but was determined to make it happen.

When my bangs got in my eyes, I twisted them back. When the front flopped, I twisted that back too. I tried not to look at it and wore the top "up" for 8 or 10 months; to work in the office, swimming with friends, out to the grocery store. No one needed to know what a hot mess I had going on. I just :lala: and pretended it was awesome. I love denial. It works great for some things!

Here are some old siggies for fun:

*ETA sticking this one because the siggy at the bottom is tiny!
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/8736079884_a6d03ec059.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/eiYGbY)May 2012 siggy (https://flic.kr/p/eiYGbY) by Mom and wife (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62007100@N08/), on Flickr
--end of edit*

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8100079152_f147f0b220.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/dkM2k7)Oct 2012 (https://flic.kr/p/dkM2k7) by Mom and wife (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62007100@N08/), on Flickr
This is a rare look at my hair "down". I kept the top braided or clipped up, and it looked WAY better! :)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3752/8826096038_0ebaaba04d.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/erW3RC)May 2013 (https://flic.kr/p/erW3RC) by Mom and wife (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62007100@N08/), on Flickr
May 2013 --one year of growing

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5546/13990320260_b6018af701.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/njh3Nh)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/njh3Nh) by Mom and wife (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62007100@N08/), on Flickr
May 2014 --2 years of growing

I didn't dig for last year's picture, but it was about WL. I've only grown a few inches since then, trimming more often to keep the ends nice. That's okay. It's sufficiently "long" to make me happy. :)

Thanks for helping me along, TLHC! You all rock! :rockerdud

[missrandie]

Congrats on four awesome years, browneyedsusan!!

[pailin]

Congratulations! Hope you continue to enjoy your beautiful hair!

[meteor]

Congratulations, browneyedsusan! :joy: :cake: Gorgeous henna and beautiful progress! :applause

[lapushka]

Congrats! :D

I remember you from when you first got here, and admired you for growing out it seemed, just-like-that, from your pixie. Other people... well, it takes years and sometimes they even cut and cut and cut back (not that I'm judging), but you just made it happen and I admire that tremendously!

Happy anniversary, browneyedsusan! :)

[Groovy Granny]

Congrats ~ it looks so pretty :)

[Hailwidis]

Lovely colour, beautiful journey :) Congratulations!

[reilly0167]

Congrats. And thank you for sharing your journey!

[Cg]

Beautiful! Once-a-year shots show progress so much better than frequent ones, and your pictures should inspire lots of growers to realize good growth is happening even if they can't tell day by day. Thanks for the update!

[nakima]

Great job growing! I also remember you :) your hair is such a pretty color and it looks very healthy. awesome! congratulations!:applause

[copperlites]

Your hair is so shiny and pretty. As a fellow 40 something, You and your hair have been an nspiration to me since I first joined LHC 15 months ago. Congratulations on achieving your goal!

[parkmikii]

Congrats! Your hair is really pretty! ♥

[Arctic]

Congratulations on your anniversary, beautiful hair, and super growth! And also thank you for being an integral part of this community, someone who helps to shape LHC the awesome place that it is.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

BES, congrats on your four year hairiversary! Your hair looks so long and healthy and the colour is stunning! You have had such wonderful growth and I love looking at your siggy pic and seeing the progress happening:)

[Stepo_NiNha]

Amazing growth! and I would say... you're almost hip?

[Llama]

Congratulations! You have had such great growth. When I first started on LHC a couple years ago, you were one of my main inspirations because I felt like we had a similar hair type and I was growing somewhat closely behind you. :)
And I agree that it looks like you are hip length now :blossom:

[Agnieszka]

You know you are my LHC hero! We've joined just several months apart but you manage to grow your hair to your hip and I'm still at pixie :-D (I do have a good excuse of two pregnancies and health issues) You are definitely someone who always inspires me here right since 2012. Happy anniversary!!!:blossom:

[H o n є y ❤]

Wow, amazing growth! Congratulations

[butterflybutton]

Congrats!!! You've come such a long way!!! It's tough going growing out the pixie with no trims. I'm a year and half behind your progress, you've been great inspiration for me.

[spidermom]

You're such an amazing asset to the community here, BES.

[Horrorpops]

This is awesome! Its been so cool to see your hair grow soooooo much over the years! What an awesome change :o

[Agnieszka]

You're such an amazing asset to the community here, BES.
Cannot agree more!

[Ophidian]

Happy 4 years!!! :cake:

Your growing-out-a-pixie journey is an inspiration, and I have always really appreciated your warm, welcoming, and easy-going presence around here. I had been lurking for quite a while on-and-off before I joined, trying to decide if I could commit to growing my hair out after having it short for years and when I finally did it was because I thought if browneyedsusan can do it, I can too!

Thanks for being here!

[Vanilla]

Congrats on your 4 year milestone! It seems like yesterday that you had the pixie! Happy to have you around here.

[browneyedsusan]

Thank you all for looking. You have helped me in more ways than you know.

@meteor: Thanks. The henna keeps it nice and sparkely!

@reilly0167: Thank you so much. Others shared their journeys before me, so I pay it forward. :)

@Cg: I agree that yearly shots show more change.
When I first joined, I changed my siggy monthly to keep myself motivated. Every time I posted, I could look at it, and it helped keep me on track. After about a year, I stopped updating monthly, but got a few PM's asking me to continue. It's harder to see the progress now, but I still do it for fun. Thanks for the encouragement.

@copperlites: Thank you! Age is just a number, isn't it? We've still got it! *tosses hair*

@ lapushka: Thank you! It felt like it took forever at the time, but I'm laid-back and patient. Still, it's understandable why some trim as they go. I never made a bad mullet, but would totally have cut it off if it was pesky! Thank you for welcoming me and encouraging even when I had super short hair. It was intimidating at first, surrounded by gorgeous manes here, and you helped me feel accepted.

@Arctic: Thanks! You're pretty awesome too! :flowers:

@butterflybutton: Thanks! Ya. I never made a mullet. Some people do, and some don't. I didn't, but would have had no qualms about cutting it off! You'll get there, my sister. :cheer:

@Sarahlabyrinth: Thank you. I'm continuing to stalk your color grow out. Just saying. :)

@stepo_NiNha: Thank you.
Really?! Hip would be so awesome!

@Llama: Thank you so much! It seems surreal that I've made enough hair to be an inspiration. Thank you for the lovely compliment.
Oh my goodness! Another vote for hip? Thank you for telling me. I'm quite clueless with the longer body markers.

@Agnieszka: Wow. Really? :o Thank you!
Ya, pregnancies and the sheds after can be ridiculous. Story: Four months after I delivered DD19, I went to the hairdresser, and when she inspected my hairline, she actually gasped! I was all, "Gee thanks. I knew it was bad, but you're NOT helping!" We shared a laugh about my stupid hair, and she said she'd never seen a post-partum shed as respectable as mine. I guess I'm extra special! :justy: Your hair will grow back in. Mine isn't as thick as it used to be, but I'm pushing 50. It's good enough, and I'll take it. :)

@Spidermom: Thank you. You are one of my early inspirations. I greatly admire your compassionate heart and covet your texture. I like the way you deal with your hair troubles, and try to approach mine with a similiar attitude. :flower:

@Ophidian: Thank you! I wish I would've kept more siggy pictures, and am glad I could help you. It helps that I'm so easy-going. As long as my hair is in the "sort of normal"/"not scaring small children" range, I'm good. Growing through the awkward stages, I just aimed to look like I didn't have the flu!

@Vanilla: Thank you. I remember your horrible loss right after I joined. Thank you for allowing me to support you through that. You gave me a purpose and allowed me to feel useful, short hair or not.


Thank you all, for your continued support and helping me as I navigate this uncharted territory. (Actually, everything after SL was uncharted territory!) This community is so awesome: you've helped me pick out podcasts, listened and provided support when I vented about stupid stuff, looked at my craft projects, shared nice recipes, and even helped me get varnish out of my ponytail once! You all rock harder than the Stones! :rockerdud

[red-again]

How fast has that time gone.....and how quickly has your hair grown! I remember you joining. Like all things when we get older' (I'm 43 today), time does seem to go by in the blink of an eye.
Your hair is beautiful and like spidermom says up thread, you are a great memeber of this lovely community. Congratulations

[ReadingRenee]

Congratulations! I remember when you joined. You are indeed an inspiration, especially to those growing out pixies. Your growth between 2013 and 2014 looks amazing! Did you trim much at all?

[summergame]

Congrats on your milestone! Your hair looks very healthy and shiny!

[Mammasaurusrex]

Incredible! The color AND the length. I just came up on my second year of growth this month from a full shave in 2014. I am hoping in two years I will be about waist length. If Im doing my math right with my growth and it keeps up the way it is I will reach it then! Cant wait :)

[pili]

Gorgeous color! I remember you from when I first joined. Congratulations.

[Beborani]

That is amazing progress! Beautiful hair

[velorutionista]

congrats on 4 years of lovely growing! you & your hair are always inspiring!

[Shepherdess]

Wow! You have made such lovely progress!! I was around a lot when you were first around, so I remember some of your posts and how you were trying to grow it out, so that is so wonderful!!! :flower: Congrats!! :cheer:

[papayatree]

That is such an amazing growth story. BrownEyedSusan, your hair looks mighty magnificent and has a certain quality that makes it look special. Keep it up!

[Vanilla]

Thanks @browneyedsusan <3

[Daydreamer.]

Wow, you have such quick growth! Your hair looks great! Congratulations!

[browneyedsusan]

@red-again: Happy belated birthday! :cake: Celebrate by tossing your hair!

@ReadingRenee I think I did a couple of super small "compact cuts" to keep the growing out pixie layers under control. It didn't affect my length, though. FWIW: I don't measure, but think my growth rate is the average 1/2" per month. That's a wild guess from how often I touch up my roots. :)

Thank you, summergame.

@Mammasaurusrex You'll get there. I'll see you in the "super shorty" thread! I used to be really active there, and still stalk like a professional. Pixies are way fun, but growing them out is difficult.

@shepherdess! I remember you too! I love your head of hair. *hopes to grow up and have like hair like shepherdess*

@Daydreamer: I think my growth rate is pretty average, but I'm just guessing, because I don't measure. (That might lead to the slippery slope of obsessing about my hair, and I don't have time for that.) Umm... I did ramp up my physical exercise--kettlebell class-- about 2 years ago, so maybe that helped? Just saying: Physical stuff is hard for me and very scary. I was that kid in school that was chosen last for dodgeball in gym class. Every time. I am self-conscious and awkward when I learn physical things, and it takes me forever to figure that crap out. I'm sure the coaches in my kettlebell class are on a rotation, drawing straws for who has to work with me! :wigtongue

[tiffycakes]

Congratulations! Your hair grows so fast! It looks beautiful :)

[ladyshep]

It looks really awesome!

[Stepo_NiNha]

browneyedsusan,

Yes your hair is near hip I think :flower:

And you love henna and henna loves you! ;)