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Necromancer
August 16th, 2016, 06:27 PM
Greetings my faerie kin. I've been growing my hair for the past five years. It started from a pixie length and is now mid-back, which I am quite proud of. My goal is one length waist length. My question for you all tonight is: when did you make the shift from "liking" hair and wanting it to be long and nice, to genuinely caring for your hair in all things that you do? I ask because while I desire and strive toward healthy long hair, I also abuse my hair, which I am sure has damaged it and limited my growth for now. For example, I stopped coloring my hair years ago, but I have had two Japanese straightening procedures in the past 3 years. The first was fabulous; flat and shiny just like I like it. My hair is naturally poofy and wavy/curly. I like heavy, flat, straight hair. So while I love my hair, I have struggled to accept my hair exactly as it is, which I think has limited growth.

My second Japanese straightening session noticeably damaged my hair, so now I won't do it again. But nonetheless, my hair is shiny and healthy looking; its just thin at the ends and there's a lot of flyaways. Now that my hair is long, it weighs itself down and most of it is still straight except for the new growth, so I like it. I don't mind the waves when its flat/smooth as opposed to voluminous and light, which I hate on me! My point is, I struggle to really tend to my hair the way I know I should if I want to be serious about having healthy long hair. When did you make the shift to seriously care for your hair, was there a time when you struggled, and how'd you do it?

Necromancer

Decoy24601
August 16th, 2016, 06:49 PM
It wasn't that hard for me to shift to "caring" for my hair really. I let my hair grow multiple times to TBL in my life through benign neglect. I've only used heat a handful of times in my life (including blow drying and straightening, and one terrible curling session). I just realized a couple months ago that my hair wasn't really in the best condition. It was dry, brittle, stiff, etc, even though I've never dyed my hair and haven't used heat in a very very long time. I joined LHC then and started experimenting with different S/C and other products for the first time in my life. I used to use just a random Head and Shoulders 2-n-1 or a Tresemme S/C. I didn't really care what I put in my hair and I used S/C every day. Since I've never enjoyed dyeing or using heat on my hair, shifting to better care wasn't difficult for me.

yogagirl
August 16th, 2016, 07:47 PM
Hmm I haven't really changed much with my hair routine. I barely ever heat styled before LHC and didn't color either. Now I pay a bit closer attention to shampoo/conditioner ingredients and hair toys, but that's about it. One reason I am not super strict about gentle hair treatment is that I only want to grow to elbow/hip. You can get away with some damage and still get to that length. If you're going for terminal length, you might have to be much stricter.

Regarding your "naturally poofy" hair, have you tried the curly girl routine? Even just implementing 1-2 aspects of it might make a huge difference in your hair. One of the biggies is not touching/combing hair at al when it is air drying. That way the waves/curls clump instead of turning into frizz. You didn't ask for advice, but this small change in my routine made all the different for me, so just wanted to make sure you know about it :flower:

Chromis
August 16th, 2016, 07:51 PM
I don't really consider it a lifestyle, even though I now have hair long enough that it consistently attracts a lot of attention when I do take it down (I prefer having it up, I like fun updos and hairtoys!)

I was never into heat styling, perming, colouring, etc before I started growing it out though, so it was not such a big shift. I mean I do a lot of things differently now, but it was changes to things that used to greatly annoy me! (Nightly braids mean I don't have giant snarls, the wide comb is so much less ouchy than ripping a brush through it was, etc)

Horrorpops
August 16th, 2016, 08:14 PM
Oh wow a lot of members have had great hair habits for a long time!! I'm with you though OP, I definitely did not!

I would say I got serious about caring for and growing my hair once I accepted it just wasn't going to grow at all if I kept bleaching it and frying it with heat like I had been doing. I gave up bleach and heat styling around the same time and haven't looked back - this was 3 years ago now.

I learnt to love my natural colour and texture and my hair is much healthier as a result!I agree though there is a bit of a shift in mindset involved in that process. :o

Persiangirl01
August 16th, 2016, 11:21 PM
I second Horrorpops!

When I had long hair in school there wasn't any adjusting to do, as I had good hair care coz of my mom and school. Girls HAD to have their hair tied back every day.

Once I left school I had shorter hair and loved leaving it down because I thought I looked like a little boy with it up. So I never wore it up again.

I would say I have really been concentrating on growing my hair long for the last year. Unfortunately I too still took part in damaging activities.

So I know exactly what you mean! I had a routine, but I wasn't making it a life as I didn't consider my hair in EVERYTHING that I did. The worst being leaving my BSL and longer hair down ALL THE TIME. and I am outdoors a lot. Also in winter my hair bundles up and knots because of friction from coats I wear.

When I saw that I had reached waist, but with the deepest inverted V shape and wispiest ends ever (because of all the breakage), I knew I had to change my whole attitude or I'd never get the hair I truly want! So I started the wearing my hair up challenge (day 26 and going strong) and I've already grown so comfortable with wearing my hair up. I noticed when I jumped on a boat the other day that my 1st instict was to braid my hair so it doesn't get knotty. That's when I knew my haircare has crossed from routine to lifestyle :)

Rhoward
August 17th, 2016, 02:51 AM
I have abused my hair forever, bleach, dye, flat irons, hot curlers. But in the end it took walking out of a salon a chemical haircut and green ends before I finally committed to really learning how to look after my hair. That was about 3 months ago and the difference in my hair in just three months is incredible. I now self trim, henndigo, wear my hair up and deep treatments every week. I still have a lot to learn but thanks to the people on this site I am learning and finally following their advice! :cheer:

Tosca
August 17th, 2016, 03:43 AM
The only thing that really changed after finding LHC was bunning instead of ponytailing to protect my ends, and I'm now trying CO washing. I do pay some attention to product ingredients, but not much, just checking if products have cones in them.

TatsuOni
August 17th, 2016, 03:49 AM
I decided to grew out my hair when I was 16, but I was around 20 when I got really serious and turned it in to a lifestyle. After that I've just gotten more and more careful with my hair:p

ephemeri
August 17th, 2016, 04:04 AM
I hated my hair forever because I am a wavy/wurly and didn't grow up with proper instruction on how to care for it. All I knew was to S/C and brush it. shudder:
This resulted in big poofy hair that I got made fun of for and hated.

I started using box dye in high school, bleached it a few times, and then when I was in my 20s I discovered the flat iron. I had fairly long hair, MBL I think, around 2010 when I finally gave up dealing with how bad and damaged it looked that I shaved my head.

As my hair grew back I told myself I would take care of it. I wanted to stop dyeing but I didn't right away because I have so much white hair, I just wasn't ready. (I have since found henna :D ). I threw out my hair brush and my flat iron and started using rosemary hair oil in it when it was pixie length and shorter. I was loving it already.

Once it got to be a little longer, I realized my hair was wavy/wurly (sometimes even curly) so I went to a curly haired stylist to learn what to do with it. She introduced me to the Curly Girl Method except she didn't call it that. She showed me how to style with DevaCurl products and how to squish and scrunch to make my curls bounce. I was in love.

I kept it between chin and just above SL for several years until last year when I decided I wanted long curly hair. I found out the real CG method, learned waaaay more about it and finally felt confident enough to take care of my curls while growing them out. Then I found LHC and have learned even more. :o

So it was kind of a slow transition for me. :)

Adorkable One
August 17th, 2016, 04:26 AM
I've wanted to grow my hair long since I was a teenager. I started my research when I about 18-19, and tried a few things here and there. Once I decided to start coloring my hair, I abandoned a lot of what I had learned. I've barely decided to get really serious about this a few months ago. Since joining the LHC, I now only wash my hair once a week, sometimes less, keep it up all the time, rinse with distilled water, use oils as a leave in more frequently, and SD trim every so often. Ive also been laying off the hair dye. Mostly because I'm tired of it, and I feel it distracts me from the health of my hair. I want to feel what my natural hair is like again. I'll dye it again eventually, but as of right now, I'm letting it grow as an ombre.

That was on top of my already existing routine of co-washing and using a satin sleep cap. Those were the only two things I really stuck to. Now it's like I have a whole new routine.

lapushka
August 17th, 2016, 06:50 AM
Greetings my faerie kin. I've been growing my hair for the past five years. It started from a pixie length and is now mid-back, which I am quite proud of. My goal is one length waist length. My question for you all tonight is: when did you make the shift from "liking" hair and wanting it to be long and nice, to genuinely caring for your hair in all things that you do? I ask because while I desire and strive toward healthy long hair, I also abuse my hair, which I am sure has damaged it and limited my growth for now. For example, I stopped coloring my hair years ago, but I have had two Japanese straightening procedures in the past 3 years. The first was fabulous; flat and shiny just like I like it. My hair is naturally poofy and wavy/curly. I like heavy, flat, straight hair. So while I love my hair, I have struggled to accept my hair exactly as it is, which I think has limited growth.

My second Japanese straightening session noticeably damaged my hair, so now I won't do it again. But nonetheless, my hair is shiny and healthy looking; its just thin at the ends and there's a lot of flyaways. Now that my hair is long, it weighs itself down and most of it is still straight except for the new growth, so I like it. I don't mind the waves when its flat/smooth as opposed to voluminous and light, which I hate on me! My point is, I struggle to really tend to my hair the way I know I should if I want to be serious about having healthy long hair. When did you make the shift to seriously care for your hair, was there a time when you struggled, and how'd you do it?

Necromancer

Well, obviously the hair still has to recover from the "treatments". I hate that they call it that, BTW! As if it's something good for the hair.

Maybe try looking into the curly girl method, the LOC method, the rinse-out oil method (ROOM). Some links are in my signature. These all help tame wavy to curly hair.

I was 5/6 when I first told my mom I wanted long hair. I had been going to the hairdresser no problem for a page boy cut (I'm a girl) since I was really wee, and all of a sudden I noticed the girls in my class had longer hair and I wanted that too. My mom first thought... yeah, right it will blow over. But it didn't. I reached classic at age 10/11. Then cut it back to a page boy cut (and that taught me to care for it myself, which was key then). Nevertheless, I still regretted it. I pixied when 12/13/14 and grew it back to APL age 15/16. Since then it was several lengths including shaved at one point when I went on to study. I still kept that desire for longer hair though, because it is darn much easier to take care of, especially if you have wavy hair. I reached classic again September 2015. Age 43. Been a long story & journey. :lol:

IDK it suits me right now. If at one point I got tired of it, or it lacked the necessary care (it needs a proper wash "day" (the whole day) once a week, but the rest of the week it's a breeze, just put it up, be done with it)... I'd have to figure something out.

spidermom
August 17th, 2016, 07:08 AM
I've been caring for my hair the LHC way for more than 10 years now (I think). I used to like my hair straightened, then I learned to maximize the wave and curl that I had. Now my hair is naturally much straighter than it used to be, and I really miss the waves and curls. Sigh ... never satisfied it seems.

HairPlease
August 17th, 2016, 07:23 AM
I adapted the lifestyle shortly after I joined here last year. My hair care routine has never involved heat or cheap products or rough handling so there wasn't much to change... if anything. I still bleach my roots.

vampyyri
August 17th, 2016, 07:49 AM
I stopped messing with my hair about 4 years ago when I let my natural color grow out, I also quit heat styling about a year before that. I grew my hair out for my wedding last year (MBL), and then didn't have the heart to cut it back to my usual SL style. The biggest shift for me was joining here and learning how to properly care for it! I was over-brushing my poor hair to kingdom come and I was leaving it down all the time, and now I only finger comb as necessary between up-dos.

Cg
August 17th, 2016, 10:50 AM
I ditched hair products several years ago, but only since I joined LHC have I cared properly for my hair. So...about 6 months. And during that time I've gone from too many split ends to count to almost never finding any. It really doesn't take long to see improvement.

MsPharaohMoan
August 17th, 2016, 10:52 AM
I think it becomes a lifestyle when you feel literal pain from having your hair snap, get snagged or rub up on things.

Johannah
August 17th, 2016, 11:14 AM
I heat styled and bleached the heck out of my hair as a teenager :lol: I changed that when I found tLHC I guess. But then I took a break from this forum and I bleached my hair again (highlights, not many though). I didn't like how my hair looked and felt and I needed to change it. I hated everything. The splits, the color still, the thin ends, my layers... Everything. Since then (Sept 2013) I'm *all in* for natural hair.

Silverbleed
August 17th, 2016, 11:33 AM
Only like a year ago. My hair was a mess, I never liked it. I always thought I just had ****ty hair because after every salon I visit, I never left with a smile. And the hairdressers never really had a positive comment about it. Frizzy, thin, dead... Turns out they just have no clue with my hair type.

I always used to cut off my hair just to 'get rid of the problem', but I wanted to enjoy a longer length. I always envy those with waist length hair, and looking at those typical pinterest photo's didn't make me feel much better about my hair lol.
So at one point I made the decision to find out why the heck my hair was so horrible (it was really horrible). Not to mention my itchy painful scalp.

Joining LHC has been really good for my confidence about my hair, really! It only made my commitment to improving and growing my hair even stronger.
I was lucky to have a good hair day once a week in the past, with usually tons of effort. Now, a bad hair day is the uncommon kind.

I can't wait to share my full story once I got to a point I feel I should share. With pictures n all.

lapushka
August 17th, 2016, 11:37 AM
Only like a year ago. My hair was a mess, I never liked it. I always thought I just had ****ty hair because after every salon I visit, I never left with a smile. And the hairdressers never really had a positive comment about it. Frizzy, thin, dead... Turns out they just have no clue with my hair type.

I always used to cut off my hair just to 'get rid of the problem', but I wanted to enjoy a longer length. I always envy those with waist length hair, and looking at those typical pinterest photo's didn't make me feel much better about my hair lol.
So at one point I made the decision to find out why the heck my hair was so horrible (it was really horrible). Not to mention my itchy painful scalp.

Joining LHC has been really good for my confidence about my hair, really! It only made my commitment to improving and growing my hair even stronger.
I was lucky to have a good hair day once a week in the past, with usually tons of effort. Now, a bad hair day is the uncommon kind.

I can't wait to share my full story once I got to a point I feel I should share. With pictures n all.

I recently saw a picture of your texture! It's amazingly gorgeous. :D And you have zero frizz, that is amazing to have.

Silverbleed
August 17th, 2016, 11:48 AM
I recently saw a picture of your texture! It's amazingly gorgeous. :D And you have zero frizz, that is amazing to have.

Thank you! Yet I still had the 'your hair is so frizzy' comment last weekend D: (ugh) But then again that was from someone with pin straight hair that grows at maximum speed and no whispies.......

I would lie if I would say I didn't care tho. It's always a bit painful or annoying.

BloomShine18
August 17th, 2016, 12:17 PM
2010 the first time (I was 28). I chopped it last year and again this year out of boredom which led to a lot of flatironing and heat damage. Then I decided to bleach it on a whim. :eek: I have decided to let it grow back out and return to my henna head ways.

Anje
August 17th, 2016, 01:00 PM
I'm another for whom there really wasn't much of a shift.

I started putting my hair up the summer before I turned 8, because I was off at summer camp and it was hot. I've been wearing my hair up more than not ever since, because I found I could do it so that it didn't hurt, unlike my mom. My hair's color was always regarded as the one remarkable thing about my appearance, so I grew up feeling like it was attractive.

I never really put a whole lot of time into my hair. It got cut when I got dragged into a salon, and I didn't go unless dragged. My one big assertion with my hair was when I insisted I wasn't going to have bangs anymore. Therefore, it's not much of a surprise that after I went to college the cuts got less and less frequent, and eventually I said "it's not like I actually need to cut off my perfectly good hair. Let's see what I think of it if I just keep growing it." And so I did. Self-trims quickly followed (and I found I was far more inclined to cut my own hair than to go somewhere and let someone I didn't know touch me and cut it), but it's been getting longer for quite some time now.

My hair's down to my fingertips. I enjoy it. Sometimes lately I've toyed with the idea of cutting it off, but I don't like the idea of going through a growout period where I can't put it up, so I probably won't. It's not really a lifestyle, it's just casual disregard. Damaging hair takes more work than just leaving it alone.

lithostoic
August 17th, 2016, 06:03 PM
Never. I could chop to shoulder tomorrow. I just want my hair to look nice and be healthy.

humble_knight
August 17th, 2016, 06:43 PM
I consciously made a decision to grow out my hair in spring of 2008. It grew nicely for two years, then I caved in and shaved it all off [constant harassment from co-workers about my hair], which felt liberating for all of a few days. Then, I spent the next four years battling scalp issues, which only died down in the summer of 2014. I've always held the opinion that I would grow it long [goal length of BSL] until the day comes when I start balding.

Pamberpestana
August 17th, 2016, 10:46 PM
Only about a year ago for me. As a kid, my parents brushed the heck out of it, as well as chlorine damage, sun damage, and blow dryer damage. As a teen I bleached and dyed it every few months out of boredom and rebellion, and last year, I bleached it way way too far and liked the color, but hated the way it felt and behaved so I let my roots grow and make my big chop a few months ago. Now I baby my hair and scalp more than ever.

I suppose I didn't really change my lifestyle untill a few months ago.. before my big chop I didn't really care about my bleached ends because I knew they would be cut off anyways.

The transition was hard at first, going from doing everything to my hair to nothing. Since being in the LHC though, I've replaced heat and dye with oil soaks and scalp massages!

restless
August 18th, 2016, 03:37 AM
Im not sure exactly when and why I decided I wanted long(er) and healthier hair, but in summer 2011 my hair was somewhere between shoulder and APL and dyed black. I was sick and tired of the upkeep and wanted my own brown colour back and therefor went to the hairdresser one last time to have highlights done (for a smoother transition back to virgin hair). I continued heat styling for another half a year or so until I found this place (early 2012) and then threw away the heat styling tools forever. I loved experimenting with all the new methods I found here, but eventually settled for washing daily, oiling twice a week, random S&D and keeping hair up (most of the time anyway). And well, here I am still :D

ravenheather
August 19th, 2016, 07:02 AM
I got all my damaging hair care out of the way when I was younger and had short hair. Once I decided to grow my hair out I was determined to do it as healthy as possible. The only tempting part was from shoulder to apl because my hair wanted to flip up, so I really wanted to blow dry it. Instead I put it up in a peacock twist. I just kept reminding myself that you can't undamage hair.

truepeacenik
August 19th, 2016, 10:31 AM
Well, I'm not a fairie, so I don't know if you want my answer.
However, I can't say I call this a lifestyle. It's an aspect of my life, definitely.

My best practice learned here is protective hair styling (and covering when appropriate).
I can fiddle with 90 percent of my routine, but leaving hair loose too much is a killer, and leads to damage very quickly.

Things I never really did:
Heat
I have never bleached. I deposit dyed my bangs in the 80s once.

I did perm, so I know what that damage feels and looks like.

The word I'd use for my time here is acceptance.
Acceptance of what my hair is, and can be, and working within that.
I will never have full, voluminous curls, or spiraling curls.
And that is OK.

littlestarface
August 19th, 2016, 01:10 PM
It's so strange for me to read stuff like this, like having long hair is its own way of life lol. For me it's what i've always had and saw so it's not that dramatic for me, it's just normal life. You just take care of it and put it up and that's that.

lapushka
August 19th, 2016, 02:15 PM
Thank you! Yet I still had the 'your hair is so frizzy' comment last weekend D: (ugh) But then again that was from someone with pin straight hair that grows at maximum speed and no whispies.......

I would lie if I would say I didn't care tho. It's always a bit painful or annoying.

Oh just tell them (in your mind) to stuff it. I'm betting deep down she wishes she had wurly hair. I'm willing to bet on that. Grass is always greener. ;)

diddiedaisy
August 19th, 2016, 04:33 PM
I've only started caring for my hair since I joined LHC. I only started dying my hair about 4 years ago give or take, so I suppose my worst habit was heat styling. I didn't own a hairdryer but a jet engine lol The faster and hotter the better, then the curling wand would come out. As long as the style looked nice then I was happy. Plus, as a teen in the 80's there was the obligatory perming/crimping/backcombing etc. I also never wore it up until I came here.

I will say though, I do miss those carefree days of not giving a c**p about it and just enjoying it :)

naomori
August 20th, 2016, 01:54 AM
I guess you could say that for the past 4 years (when my hair was still boy-short) that's all I have been doing. Or at least that's what my friends and family think. Since the autumn of 2012 I began growing out my hair for the first time. In truth I had never had long hair before(the longest I had had was an inch below shoulder length, and that only for half an yearbefore I cut it off again, or rather, my mum got it cut for me) in all of my 17(then) years. In that time I had not been using anything on it except the horrendous Head and shoulders shampoo and a hairdryer. So I had a generally thick, healthy short hair,so much so that I had no idea at the time what split ends meant. I have grown my hair out from basically zero inches (I had it shaved on one half of my head that summer before I decided I wanted to have long hair) until today when its length is longer than I have ever thought it possible to be - 36 in. I have never dyed it, straightened it, curled it, etc. What I began doing and have been doing ever since the autumn of 2012 is that I have been:

1. Paying attention to it and everything that got in contact with it
2. Using the so-called horse vitamins AD3E or something
3. Drinking Omega 3 capsules
4. Wearing it up most of the time until it got to bra length.
5. Firstly, combing it with a proffesional wide comb and nowadays with my fingers alone most of the time
6. Using a not very well known brand of shampoos for a sensitive scalp,always making sure it had no alcohol etc in it

By the way, I have never in my life used a conditioner longer than a week (and that was only once, I got it as a gift as a kid). Yet my hair is thick, healthy and with a minimum of split ends not at the actual ends of my hair, but in between its natural layers. I have read in the forum that pretty much everybody hear uses conditioning as a pretty much obligatory method in the process of washing one's hair. I wonder why that is. Conditioners never worked for me - my hair only felt worse and kind of thinner afterwards. I really hated it.

Do you have any ideas as to why that might be?
Or any recommendations for a differnt and nice conditioner?

I don't know if I am willing to try the effects of it on my hair yet, but I'm open to opinions.

lapushka
August 20th, 2016, 03:17 PM
By the way, I have never in my life used a conditioner longer than a week (and that was only once, I got it as a gift as a kid). Yet my hair is thick, healthy and with a minimum of split ends not at the actual ends of my hair, but in between its natural layers. I have read in the forum that pretty much everybody hear uses conditioning as a pretty much obligatory method in the process of washing one's hair. I wonder why that is. Conditioners never worked for me - my hair only felt worse and kind of thinner afterwards. I really hated it.

Do you have any ideas as to why that might be?
Or any recommendations for a differnt and nice conditioner?

I don't know if I am willing to try the effects of it on my hair yet, but I'm open to opinions.

Not everybody on here uses conditioner. It's not obligatory. If your hair can go without and you have 0 tangles, then power to you. But if you have tangles, I'd seriously consider trying conditioners on it. It will keep tangles at bay, and so there's going to be less mechanical damage from trying to detangle.

EdG
August 20th, 2016, 07:05 PM
By the way, I have never in my life used a conditioner longer than a week (and that was only once, I got it as a gift as a kid). Yet my hair is thick, healthy and with a minimum of split ends not at the actual ends of my hair, but in between its natural layers. I have read in the forum that pretty much everybody hear uses conditioning as a pretty much obligatory method in the process of washing one's hair. I wonder why that is. Conditioners never worked for me - my hair only felt worse and kind of thinner afterwards. I really hated it.

Do you have any ideas as to why that might be?
Or any recommendations for a differnt and nice conditioner?

I don't know if I am willing to try the effects of it on my hair yet, but I'm open to opinions.There are alternatives to conditioner.

Some LHC'ers oil their hair and others use natural sebum. The latter requires washing with diluted shampoo or water-only.
Ed

Arciela
August 20th, 2016, 11:29 PM
I have for about 4 years now :) I am to grateful for LHC and the things I have learned. Because of everyone here, I have learned that I can have classic length bleached hair and it still is extremely healthy! :flower:

astrid92
September 27th, 2016, 10:44 PM
I started to grow my shoulder length hair long when I was about 16, but I wasn't really taking care of it and I dyed it constantly. I also got lots of layers cut into my hair when it was about BSL. I didn't start this lifestyle of hair health until about my second year of university (5 years ago). And I only joined the LHC last year.

trolleypup
September 27th, 2016, 11:42 PM
Well, I'm not a fairie, so I don't know if you want my answer.
However, I can't say I call this a lifestyle. It's an aspect of my life, definitely.

My best practice learned here is protective hair styling (and covering when appropriate).
I can fiddle with 90 percent of my routine, but leaving hair loose too much is a killer, and leads to damage very quickly.

Things I never really did:
Heat
I have never bleached. I deposit dyed my bangs in the 80s once.

I did perm, so I know what that damage feels and looks like.

The word I'd use for my time here is acceptance.
Acceptance of what my hair is, and can be, and working within that.
I will never have full, voluminous curls, or spiraling curls.
And that is OK.
I never damaged it other than mechanical wear and tear.

It's so strange for me to read stuff like this, like having long hair is its own way of life lol. For me it's what i've always had and saw so it's not that dramatic for me, it's just normal life. You just take care of it and put it up and that's that.
Pretty much. I cut occasionally once I was on my own. But the last cut was in the late 80s. From there to LHC it was either neglect or benign neglect. I learned to put it up at LHC, but my routine now is actually not all that different than it was a decade or two ago.

Sarahlabyrinth
September 28th, 2016, 12:31 AM
Since 2012 when I found the LHC and began taking better care of my hair, which was just below my shoulders. I always had known that it would grow (unless I cut it off) but the LHC gave me the motivation and desire to have super-long beautiful hair and to not chop it off at APL or BSL like I would have done before. Now, of course, I am curious to see how long it WILL grow. I definitely learnt better care techniques such as not using a brush for detangling, protective updos and oiling. None of which would have occurred to me before I found the LHC.

Kajzh
September 28th, 2016, 01:21 AM
I committed to growing my hair long in 2011. However, I have only become recently conscientious regarding optimal care and hair science, probably in the last two years or so.

Groovy Granny
September 28th, 2016, 04:42 AM
Aside from coloring my hair (which I gave up 15 years ago when I was 50) my only other 'hair sin' was using a hot air brush to style my chin length bob, after quick warm blow dry a few times a week.

4 years ago (January 2013) I committed to this lifestyle (conscious hair care) when I decided to grow my silvering hair out LONG.
I was fighting the 'curl up and dye' mentality here, so LHC definitely gave me inspiration and encouragement for the journey :)
To keep myself focused and encouraged, hair care and styling then became a hobby (and my personal expression)...and with that came a totally healthy hair care lifestyle.

At almost 65....it is a joy to have long, healthy, silvering hair..... having fun with styles and hair toys :happydance:

Arete
September 28th, 2016, 05:37 AM
I think it was fall of 2012 when I decided to go for waist (though this goal kept getting longer and longer as time went on ;) ). And it wasn't until I hit waist that I really needed to do extra stuff to maintain my hair. I still don't think I'm "fully committed." While I do do things to minimize damage and take care of my hair, having fun with it and enjoying it are my primary goals vs. maintaining as much length as absolutely possible.

Arete
September 28th, 2016, 05:47 AM
Aside from coloring my hair (which I gave up 15 years ago when I was 50) my only other 'hair sin' was using a hot air brush to style my chin length bob, after quick warm blow dry a few times a week.

4 years ago (January 2013) I committed to this lifestyle when I decided to grow my silvering hair out LONG.
I was fighting the 'curl up and dye' mentality here, so LHC definitely gave me inspiration and encouragement for the journey :)
To keep myself focused and encouraged, hair care and styling then became a hobby (and my personal expression)...and with that came a totally healthy hair care lifestyle.

At almost 65....it is a joy to have long, healthy, silvering hair..... having fun with styles and hair toys :happydance:

You should totally try purple :eyebrows:

Groovy Granny
September 28th, 2016, 07:21 AM
You should totally try purple :eyebrows:

I love it on others, but not myself :tmi: :wink:

I am loving my natural 'highlights' and fear the color would never come out after having just argan oil stain it LOL

Hairkay
September 28th, 2016, 10:18 AM
I don't see it as as lifestyle. Grooming is just something you do.

Greenfire
September 29th, 2016, 10:02 AM
I joined here a few years ago because of a hair disaster, I moved to a new country (and a new hairdresser) and the highlights she put in for my wedding turned my hair orange, so when she "fixed" it, my hair ended up super horrible, platinum blonde (the colour was pretty the texture was not) and I had it broken off in some areas to 2 inches. I had to cut from bsl to chin, and then worked on growing out the bleach and damaged hair. (I no longer highlight my hair at all)

So I committed then to growing out the colour, which for some here, is part of the lifestyle of long hair, there's even a huge thread on it. I learned to do crown braids as it grew out, another part of the long hair lifestyle, esp for hiding regrowth, there's a lot of pics in the thread showing that too. So that's 2 things I've committed to. Then I've learned how to do a bunch of the hairstyle of the months, as my hair grew longer, yet another part of the LHC lifestyle for some of us.

I did low poo, and I tried water only too, also things that are part of the lifestyle for some of us here. I tried a few hair masks (the mayonnaise one someone recommended to me with my horribly damaged hair made me not shave my head) and recently did an SMT, and these are all aspects of the lifestyle that people here go with... using advice from the group, right? (we just all pick and choose our advice) I gave up seeing a hairdresser and learned to do micro trims and s&d and likely will never see another hairdresser, something that others in here have in common with me, another part of the lifestyle for some of us. I also committed to no trim this year, again, something common to some of us, or at least some have tried in the past. I no longer use a curling iron, haven't for 3 years now (though I do still do pincurls sometimes, and braid waves) something else some in here have done.

I do still blow fry sometimes. If Im in a rush, I will dry the part near my head because I get cold really easily, and damp hair stays damp on me a long time. If I must leave the house, I will use low heat and air and just dry the part at the back of my head, where it takes the longest. So yeah, I haven't fully committed either. I also don't really use conditioner often, which I should because I get tangles. I also don't put my hair in protective sleep styles as often as I should, but I'm working on it. (I wake up with matted hair) I also don't wear my hair up, which again I should, at least once right? I do at home when Im playing with it, but for work, it's always down or pinned back. I prefer it loose, but know it would be healthier if I wore it up more often.

So when did I fully commit? I don't think I have yet compared to some here, but for me, every day I do something for my hair, is a step towards healthier hair, whether I commit or not, whether I have a day where I'm not nice to my hair or not, whether I still find split ends when I s&d, or whether my taper is getting thinner or not. It's still improving, and I'll get there, so that's enough of a commitment for me.