For fun: How do you remember LHC when you first joined/lurked?

[LadyCelestina]

Okay I know you probably are not sure and neither am I, but I tried to remember as much as I can :D And I'm curious what everybody else remembers :D

A lot of people had henna hair or wanted to have henna hair, was growing to super long. People used a wide tooth comb and honey or aloe and herbs. Many had a colourful siggy with their order of the long haired knights name :D Also somehow I remember everybody having cats or horses :D :D

Silicones and blowdriers were the devil, and the baking soda/acv method was suggested as a method for no poo washes :D

[Wildcat Diva]

I remember a magical place where the swap board was like a flowing river of gold.

People were really funny, quirky threads reigned supreme.

We were a bit scared that GTS might close up shop.

Recommendations were for horn combs and boar bristle brushes.

[PixieP]

I lurked on and off long before I joined, and then from I joined until I became active was also a long time. The first time I started reading here everyone was no poo, either conditioner wash or acv/baking soda. Neither fit me so I never got active because I saw som severe reactions to people who did otherwise and that bothered me. Coming back a couple of years later to see a much more diverse way of caring for hair was what made me start posting more :)

[spidermom]

CO washes with VO5 Sunkissed Strawberry were all the rage.

[mizukitty]

I remember vo5 was a huge hit for co washing, and I remember I went to my CVS and got a bottle and tried it (using way less than needed) and it turned out disgusting! I kind of lost interest after that, haha! Baking soda/ACV was also really popular which I found extremely odd (being a teenager and all) and I was just like... Nope!

Honestly glad I came back and gave everything another try, read a lot more, became informed etc.

[Kiiruna]

I remember thinking "how can I ever remember all this?" And now, almost two years later, I've learned to take good care of my hair, and it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal than what it felt like then.

[embee]

drblue, hairymonster, justy, ursula, group purchases, lisajaney, nae, ajr, and teacherbear, carefully *written* instructions on how to make buns, and some of the funniest threads I've ever read.

[turtlelover]

Seems like a much more diverse crowd now than in the earlier days, both in hair length/texture, and in hair care methods. Dyeing and blow drying seemed a lot more taboo in the early days as I recall! I didn't have very long at the time I first discovered this forum, and a lot of the popular "fads" didn't work for me (stretching washes, CO washing, etc.) so I lurked but didn't post much in the earlier days. I never did get up the courage to try Monistat on my head! ROTFL!

[Anje]

Everyone was avoiding shampoo, as I recall. Shampoo bars, CO, "no poo" with baking soda, and WO were all the rage. Of course, I tried almost all of them, had one of the more successful runs with WO... and then eventually settled into CO or shampooing the roots for the long haul.

It's funny how wash methods especially come and go as fads in this place.

[Entangled]

I lurked for a while and used the google search function, so I ended up reading a lot of 2008 ish stuff. BBBs were really popular, and the idea that anyone can stretch washes was a lot more prevalent. The longer the stretch, the better. "Blowfrying" was not popular. I also remember reading a lot of Heidi w.'s posts and was sad to realize she doesn't really come here anymore.

[vampyyri]

I lurked for probably 30 minutes and immediately joined :lol: it's been much the same since I joined back in May :p

[starlamelissa]

when I first came here, people were against cones, conventional shampoo, preferring bars and that Aubrey honeysuckle shampoo was really popular. people were doing monistat treatments on their scalps, and I saw a lot more on stretching washes, or going sebum only/water only.

edited- I have been here 6 years! omg!

[Breanna]

I specifically remember seeing someone's signature about their hair growth and I thought it was strange but very endearing! It seemed like such a genuine and innocent place full of people happily persuing an innocent hobby! It took me a while to join and now it's the best place to be.

[mermaid lullaby]

This is kinda tough...
I remember that these hairstick were very popular and they were made of glass with spiraling colors. I think flexey 8's were getting popular too. Oh, and tangle teezers had just came out with a purple one and somebody was crazy about purple things, that member was hilarious when she found out. Most of the LHCers were waiting for her reaction.
I think Aubrey organics was popular especially the honeysuckle one. Horn combs were very popular and wooden combs too.

It was overwhelming at first when I came one here.

[pili]

I have lurked on and off since first finding the boards in 2002. That same year I found the CG method and then found the Curltak boards, so I joined there instead of here. Then one day I came on here and found a bunch of curlies and I stayed. By then the boards were very diverse and I did a lot of old thread reading and started dreaming of finally having fairytale hair.

[MsPharaohMoan]

Kinda sad to read how it used to be so diverse and funny back in the good ol days... Trying super hard to think of quirky thread ideas now x3

[littlestarface]

I dunno man, I never remember this place being to funny or whatever, I always remember a lot of hurt feelings and tiffs in threads lol.

[school of fish]

I lurked pretty steadily about 10 years or so before joining. I pretty much found every answer to every hair question I had before I was a member, and had established my routine before I joined. I'm in the weird position of feeling like a longtime member without longterm membership - it's definitely an odd thing ;)

I won't go into details, but I remember a fair bit of drama when I think way back. I've also noticed a sort of shift to a YMMV approach in more recent history. I miss the presence of no-longer-active members who have similar hair to mine who held key answers for me to what my hair was crying for - I really wish they were here still so I could tell them how much their contributions helped me :)

[turtlelover]

I lurked pretty steadily about 10 years or so before joining. I pretty much found every answer to every hair question I had before I was a member, and had established my routine before I joined. I'm in the weird position of feeling like a longtime member without longterm membership - it's definitely an odd thing ;)

I won't go into details, but I remember a fair bit of drama when I think way back. I've also noticed a sort of shift to a YMMV approach in more recent history. I miss the presence of no-longer-active members who have similar hair to mine who held key answers for me to what my hair was crying for - I really wish they were here still so I could tell them how much their contributions helped me :)

Yeah, there are a lot of people who I wish would return as well, but they have moved on for whatever reason. I do like that the mentality here has relaxed quite a bit.....I remember at times feeling like the hair police would "get" me if I admitted to doing something unpopular! LOL

[lunasea]

The big Ficcare drought was reaching its zenith and small lotus clips were going for $200.00 on eBay

[school of fish]

Yeah, there are a lot of people who I wish would return as well, but they have moved on for whatever reason. I do like that the mentality here has relaxed quite a bit.....I remember at times feeling like the hair police would "get" me if I admitted to doing something unpopular! LOL

Yes..... I remember that too..... ;) I do appreciate the more 'live and let live' vibe that has settled in, for lack of a better term, haha!!

[vampyyri]

Yeah, there are a lot of people who I wish would return as well, but they have moved on for whatever reason. I do like that the mentality here has relaxed quite a bit.....I remember at times feeling like the hair police would "get" me if I admitted to doing something unpopular! LOL

This is exactly why my sister won't come back on here... she joined in 2008/2009 and that left a bad impression :(

[Olavi]

The first thing I remember, was being annoyed for that "one d*mn hair forum" always clogging search result whenever I searched something hair related. Well, we all know what happened :lol:

From time I had already joined I remember less. But I remember I was already bit bummed by policing, and terms like "LHC length", "LHC standard", blow frying and so on.

[gthlvrmx]

When I lurked, I distinctly remember the member Igor and admiring the fact that she cut to buzz cut and grew her hair to her knees in 10 years. I was looking for information online on how to fix my braid disaster and to get my curls back instead of the dry poofy mess I had. I also remember seeing Spidermom first when I lurked and Madora I think and some moderators answering questions I believe. There are many others, for right now I remember those few. I joined and was happy to join and get the acceptance email or confirmation email, but over time saw many lovely people "missing" from LHC. Maybe it was their time to leave. It's alright, there's always room for more lovely new people! :)

[patienceneeded]

Luxepiggy reigned supreme, heat-styling was evil, and Aubrey Organics was THE shampoo and conditioner if you weren't planning on quitting them altogether. The Creepy Creepers Club, the threads that never died but got weirder and weirder. The whole chastity-belt wearing fish thing...

[DweamGoiL]

When I first joined, there were 2 ladies in the forum that were quibbling over who started the first forum. We were on network54 and most of the members I had bonded with sided with Jennifer Bahney. The community was much smaller. Off the top of my head, there were about 40-50 members and about half of that that were "regulars". Eventually, network54 got too expensive and we moved to another platform, but I don't recall what that was (that is now what is here linked as the "old" archived forum). People were still amazing, kind, and very knowledgeable back then. Yes, there was a more strictness in thinking (no cones, organic products, oils, etc.) as we kind of muddled for answers.

I miss a lot of the founding members. I have seen a few here and there, but maybe 3-4 every now and again. I sort of fell off the map around 2006 (when I cut my TBL to CL) since I was raising my baby and then went back to work. Hair just had to take a backseat, but it was at the expense of losing contact with a lot of great people...such is life :)

I remember a few of the old hairtoy makers (like Frau Kohler, Rick the combmaker, LisaJaney with the extra long turbie towels, Greydog had just started to become a thing around here, etc.) and the old Ficcare clips (like the innovations were just about to hit the market, the millennium clips, and the first maximas, which I so hated back then). There was more of an emphasis on making your own since this was way before Etsy and the bounty of shops we have at our disposal now. I remember back then no one appreciated natural wood. It was considered unfinished so everything had to be colored (pretty pinks, pastels and pearlized hues). This was before my aversion to pink. Beaded sticks were very popular since no one on the forum was turning their own wood.

I still have a few of my old hairtoys/tools, which are now treasures for me since all of these makers are now gone. Until rather recently I gave away the last of the colored sticks I made myself back then. I still have my old MP BBB, a few original bunji's, and I even have a couple of LisaJaney's towels although the elastic on top of one of them is quite stretched out. Maybe I should look into replacing that :)

Before I actually joined, I did lurk for a few weeks kind of just testing the waters. Once I saw how nice people were, I jumped right in. I will admit that back then, the forum was not as diverse as it is now.

[Breanna]

Luxepiggy reigned supreme, heat-styling was evil, and Aubrey Organics was THE shampoo and conditioner if you weren't planning on quitting them altogether. The Creepy Creepers Club, the threads that never died but got weirder and weirder. The whole chastity-belt wearing fish thing...

Please share details of whatever THAT is because it sounds like a wild ride!

[patienceneeded]

The whole Creepy Creepers Cult thing was back in 2013/2014, so it was a while ago. PolarCathy, Bene, Wildcat Diva, and others had a long-running joke that kept lurking out into other threads. It was huge for a few months, then it died. It's probably in the archives somewhere, but some of the more insane things were in a private group.

Whoa...I've been here since 2010. Off and on, I'm not horribly active. I find if I have nothing new to contribute I stay quiet.

[ReadingRenee]

I believe I lurked at network 54 but I can't remember the main members. I remember one person always talking about jojoba oil, and so I bought some for my hair. It was very hard to find. When I finally joined the forum as it is now, I remember Snowymoon. She really inspired me and I was sad when she left. I'm pretty sure she was the inventor of SMT ( Snowy's moisture treatment) I also remember Heidi W"s very long and detailed posts, and Igor was an active member back then as well.

It seemed a little less diverse as back then I felt like if I didn't have long hair, I was not as worthwhile or as valuable member, and I definitely don't feel that vibe anymore. Also, CO was big as was Mason Pearson seamless combs. I actually bought one off Amazon because of it. :) I also remember lots of posts about cheese. :D

[Wildcat Diva]

The whole Creepy Creepers Cult thing was back in 2013/2014, so it was a while ago. PolarCathy, Bene, Wildcat Diva, and others had a long-running joke that kept lurking out into other threads. It was huge for a few months, then it died. It's probably in the archives somewhere, but some of the more insane things were in a private group.


Whoa...I've been here since 2010. Off and on, I'm not horribly active. I find if I have nothing new to contribute I stay quiet.


^^^ someone would really need to be dedicated to get far enough into this to benefit from the funnies.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=97949

[Alissalocks]

I miss the presence of no-longer-active members who have similar hair to mine who held key answers for me to what my hair was crying for - I really wish they were here still so I could tell them how much their contributions helped me :)
Please help by passing those tips along to us newbs. I love your hair, and we have very similar texture so I always appreciate your contributions. :)

[turtlelover]

I was glad for the creation of TLHC. Before that, there were some sites devoted to long hair, but they seemed more errrrr......questionable. I remember one of them consisting mostly of creepy photos of people taken without their knowledge and consent. Ewww. That just seems stalker-ish and weird.

[patienceneeded]

^^^ someone would really need to be dedicated to get far enough into this to benefit from the funnies.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=97949

Oh my God!!! You found THE thread that started it all! I loved this site so much back then.

[LadyCelestina]

I remember the hair police, but it was mostly used as a joke :D

[kidari]

When I lurked, I distinctly remember the member Igor and admiring the fact that she cut to buzz cut and grew her hair to her knees in 10 years. :)

I wasn't here while she was actively posting here but I do know who you are talking about! She has a blog:
http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com

[gthlvrmx]

I wasn't here while she was actively posting here but I do know who you are talking about! She has a blog:
http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing! I think I also remember hair sticks were talked about more than they are now when I first joined.

[restless]

I was lurking for about a year before I actually joined and I remember how Ead sticks and Ficcare clips were The Thing back then (and I was longing so badly to get some of my own!). I also remember some of the members that left an impression, good or bad, and sometimes I find myself wondering where they are now when I see their names pop up in old, revived threads.

[DweamGoiL]

I remember one person always talking about jojoba oil, and so I bought some for my hair. It was very hard to find. When I finally joined the forum as it is now, I remember Snowymoon. She really inspired me and I was sad when she left. I'm pretty sure she was the inventor of SMT ( Snowy's moisture treatment) I also remember Heidi W"s very long and detailed posts, and Igor was an active member back then as well.

Yes, Jojoba was the new holy grail oil and Emu Oil was a thing also....yuck! That is around the time I got into Monoi Oil because Jojoba was too heavy for me and Emu was just gross. Plain coconut oil was not big back then (a few people liked it but it didn't have the large following like now) and Fox was a huge proponent of her beloved shea butter. AO was big too, but didn't work as well for me. I also remember ACV vinegar infusions for rinses were very popular. Come to think of it; I might start one today :) Beer rinses were also popular.

Yes, SnowyMoon is the inventor of the SMT. As far as people on the forum, I remember Fox, Pixna, TeacherBear, Jennifer, Madeleine (she was a real sweety), Martine, Valerie (she later changed her nick), among others.

I also vividly remember all the goofing on the hair police and how some of the more purist members should have been on it.

[school of fish]

Please help by passing those tips along to us newbs. I love your hair, and we have very similar texture so I always appreciate your contributions. :)

Awww... thank you so much! I don't want to stray too far off topic on specific tips but here are some of the things I remember from the wayback that might help you too given the similarities in our hair ;) :

-Luxe Piggy and Emichee I feel indebted to because they both had/have long, straight, compressable, silky hair like mine and those two in particular had photos that made me realize that this type of hair could be just as dramatically beautiful as massive curls, thickness and volume. It was in seeing the genuine compliments these two received from others that made me realize this texture I have can actually be covetable, not just endured ;) and I've since shaped my attitudes and care routine around accentuating these qualities, rather than trying to give the illusion of a different texture :)

-Luxe Piggy found me my first HG conditioner for CO washing - Pantene Ice Shine. Thank you Luxe Piggy for doing all the experimenting so I didn't have to! :p She was a contributor to the massive CO thread and I found her tips in there very helpful - the info's still buried deep in that thread! :D

-I think of Emichee as the queen of microtrimming and her explanations of her own 'trimming for growth AND thickness' approach along with her sweet hand-drawn diagrams and progress pics were my blueprint for the microtrimming routine I follow to this day. It was so helpful to see the effect on hair that was so much like mine - thanks to Emichee for having my hair and blazing the trimming trail, haha!! You can find a lot of that info on her blog - I think if you search 'long haired at heart' you'll find it :)

-Deborah, who's still an active member here, twigged me onto acidic rinses (thank you Deborah!! :D). When I was doing searches for ways to reduce pieceyness/stringiness I turned up a thread that revealed that a number of straight-haired types have found that a final rinse with some sort of diluted acid helpful and it's definitely been true for me too - Deborah was one of the posters on that thread and provided a solid starting ratio :) Deborah's also a champion of the 'love your natural texture' approach - a true key to hair happiness if you ask me ;)

There are more, I'm sure, but these are what jump to mind immediately and this is turning into a book :P Hopefully this gives you a springboard for some searching!

[HairPlease]

I can't remember when I started lurking. Probably 2013-2014 if I was seeking alternative hair advice. LHC results would always show up in search engines if I looked for stuff like "natural ways to protect bleached hair" or "does monistat really make hair grow faster?"

I remember noticing there were a lot of threads on honey related hair care, like honey lightening and masks with honey in them for conditioning. I tried a few, I liked the results!

Eventually I gave up and just joined. I wasn't super active at first but once I got more involved with the community I started posting regularly. It hasn't changed too much at all since the summer of 2015.

[Upside Down]

I actually joined in 2008, whoa. Had a long break so it seems like much less time.

I remember a lot of police-ing going on. To be perfectly honest I thought people here are really odd and fanatic even about hair. Because of that attitude, I mean. And when I came back after many years I definetly see a much more relaxed attitude nowdays. Not that the elitism is gone.

Back then it was henna, indigo, amla, essential oils, shampoo bars, tea rinses, co washing, NO CONES!!! and no heat styling etc
Big hairtoy collections were like 10-15 toys...

And I think TTs were just starting to get popular. I know I was shocked at how popular those sticks became.

[browneyedsusan]

I remember being dazzled by the variety of buns, the existence of hairsticks, and the idea of actually putting oil in your hair? Spidermom, Madora, Nae, Oktobergoud, and LuxePiggy were active. :) I also remember a rash of "this tonic/potion/lifestyle will grow your hair super quick" threads.

The site crashed later that year, and I was devastated. I'd made new "friends" here, and it left a little hole in my heart. When the site came back up, some of them didn't return. It all worked out, though. People come and go here, just like IRL, and I make new friends all the time. :)

I also felt ambivalent about joining because my hair was so short.

[EdG]

At the time that I joined, the Lolcat fad was at its peak. The TMI :tmi: and brainbleach :brainbleach: emoticons received regular use.

All of those have since faded.

I also remember wondering why people were so excited over hair forks. Wow, was I ignorant. ;)
Ed

[cailinbee]

I lurked for a couple of years before joining. I had a few false starts on my attempts to grow long -- surprise surprise, it's only been since joining and participating that I've really made progress and been able to stick to good habits!

My takeaway as a lurker in 2013-2015 was not to use shampoo, and to live by the BBB. I tried water only with the occasional mask for two months from about chin to shoulder -- it did not sit well with my scalp!! I'm a daily washer now and within a year I will probably set my own lifetime record hair length. I'm happy!

[ReadingRenee]

Yes, Jojoba was the new holy grail oil and Emu Oil was a thing also....yuck! That is around the time I got into Monoi Oil because Jojoba was too heavy for me and Emu was just gross. Plain coconut oil was not big back then (a few people liked it but it didn't have the large following like now) and Fox was a huge proponent of her beloved shea butter. AO was big too, but didn't work as well for me. I also remember ACV vinegar infusions for rinses were very popular. Come to think of it; I might start one today :) Beer rinses were also popular.

Yes, SnowyMoon is the inventor of the SMT. As far as people on the forum, I remember Fox, Pixna, TeacherBear, Jennifer, Madeleine (she was a real sweety), Martine, Valerie (she later changed her nick), among others.

I also vividly remember all the goofing on the hair police and how some of the more purist members should have been on it.

Yes! I remember Fox, Pixna, Teacherbear and Madeleine. I vaguely remember Jennifer. I remember Madeleines french twist, she was sweet. Pixna came back later in the shorty thread, but I haven't seen her for a while.

And yes I remember Fox and her shea butter! Because of her, I bought the only shea butter I could find which was a body type lotion/salve thing and so I put that in my hair. LOL! And yes the ACV thing was big too, I used to do that way more than I do now.

[AspenSong]

I lurked for a while before I joined. But when I remember back...Ahh! I just remember feeling really insignificant with my shorter hair and even after I joined, I mostly lurked and didn't post a lot. I was just trying to usually soak up knowledge I think. I remember discovering CO and reading a lot of threads on that. Before I started CO washing though, I went Sulfate free and that super opened my eyes on my hair and what it liked.
I vaguely remember talk of hair toys, the ones I remember the most were TT, LI and Flexi 8. Though I remember some of the older makers who doesn't do much anymore and hearing about them. My first hair thing I bought for myself was a flexi 8.
I remember lots of talk of the Nautilus bun!
For members, I remember Igor, UltraBella, Luxepiggy....lots that just aren't around anymore. =/

[Alissalocks]

Awww... thank you so much! I don't want to stray too far off topic on specific tips but here are some of the things I remember from the wayback that might help you too given the similarities in our hair ;) :

-Luxe Piggy and Emichee I feel indebted to because they both had/have long, straight, compressable, silky hair like mine and those two in particular had photos that made me realize that this type of hair could be just as dramatically beautiful as massive curls, thickness and volume. It was in seeing the genuine compliments these two received from others that made me realize this texture I have can actually be covetable, not just endured ;) and I've since shaped my attitudes and care routine around accentuating these qualities, rather than trying to give the illusion of a different texture :)

-Luxe Piggy found me my first HG conditioner for CO washing - Pantene Ice Shine. Thank you Luxe Piggy for doing all the experimenting so I didn't have to! :p She was a contributor to the massive CO thread and I found her tips in there very helpful - the info's still buried deep in that thread! :D

-I think of Emichee as the queen of microtrimming and her explanations of her own 'trimming for growth AND thickness' approach along with her sweet hand-drawn diagrams and progress pics were my blueprint for the microtrimming routine I follow to this day. It was so helpful to see the effect on hair that was so much like mine - thanks to Emichee for having my hair and blazing the trimming trail, haha!! You can find a lot of that info on her blog - I think if you search 'long haired at heart' you'll find it :)

-Deborah, who's still an active member here, twigged me onto acidic rinses (thank you Deborah!! :D). When I was doing searches for ways to reduce pieceyness/stringiness I turned up a thread that revealed that a number of straight-haired types have found that a final rinse with some sort of diluted acid helpful and it's definitely been true for me too - Deborah was one of the posters on that thread and provided a solid starting ratio :) Deborah's also a champion of the 'love your natural texture' approach - a true key to hair happiness if you ask me ;)

There are more, I'm sure, but these are what jump to mind immediately and this is turning into a book :P Hopefully this gives you a springboard for some searching!
This is really a lovely list of things, and I will check into the searches you recommend. I think Pantene Ice Shine was discontinued. I've been looking for it all Fall and never did find it, where it used to be everywhere?

I'm trepidatious about trying the acidic rinses, just worried it might damage my hair in the very dry, high altitude environment I live in? But since out well water is so alkaline, it may be a great option!

[DweamGoiL]

And yes I remember Fox and her shea butter! Because of her, I bought the only shea butter I could find which was a body type lotion/salve thing and so I put that in my hair. LOL! And yes the ACV thing was big too, I used to do that way more than I do now.

OMG...me, too!! Results were not good lol. I tried more pure shea butter later, but for me, it's best whipped for body butter. My hair does not like it at all, but experimenting was fun :)

[Seeshami]

It's changed enough I hardly recognise the board. But I really don't play much any more.

[LadyAdelina]

This is a great thread idea. When I joined, I for some reason felt that there was only really one way to have healthy, long hair. I'm not sure if that was due to the "hair policing," as others have called it, or just me being naive and not doing enough research. CO washing was really popular, using VO5. So was WO and the baking soda/ACV rinse thing others have mentioned.
I remember CO and getting rid of cones being bad for me, finding out I was allergic to henna and basically leaving the site for a few years because I felt like there was nothing here that was working for me. :crazyq:
I only really came back earlier this year, when I was looking up different hair things on Google and kept coming back to the site for information. :doh: I'm happy to be back though, and don't feel like I have to follow anyone else's routine unless I want to. So overall, it worked out, I guess!

[tigereye]

So many things have changed. I miss a lot of the older members that I don't see around much any more - UltraBella, Heidi.w., Emichiee, LittleOrca, luxepiggy - and her little piggy sign off to posts (^(oo)^).
The hair-care section of the forum had more hair policing, but there were members going against the grain - e.g. There was a definite feeling against bleaching and dyeing hair, but one member I remember (ericthegreat, perhaps?) bleaching their hair a fair bit, and still having long, pretty healthy looking hair.

I do kind of feel that though the hair boards were less diverse and stricter, the friendship board used to be friendlier and kinder. We always had a influx of arguments and politics and general un-knit-ness every now and again, but I feel it's been more obvious the past couple of years. But then I think my view of the boards has changed somewhat since I had to take a break from it a year or so ago. The friendship board used to be the mainstay of my postings once I was mostly happy with my hair routine, but I don't post all that much here any more.

[Gothic]

I lurked for a few years before joining :)
LHC always appeared when I searched something hair related in google, so I just read the forum time to time without joining.
I remember that a lot of people used henna/recommended henna and bleaching was taboo. WO was very big back then. And everyone had a very colourful siggy :D
I learned a lot about haircare, I started using oils and co-wash.
But I made no progress until I joined in October.

[hannabiss]

Wow reading about the old days at the beginning of LHC is crazy. :) & the classic who started it.
I joined in 2013 and henna was very popular. No Cones was almost a rule and nearly everyone was trying to avoid them. Honey seemed like a lot of gold. I dare say there was a bit of cattiness to the forum as well. Its much more relaxed and welcoming.

[Johannah]

I remember being overwhelmed by how scientific hair care could be and by how complex it actually is. As a result I went through my never-ending experimenting phase.

[OhSuzi]

Was googling no poo and water only techniques about a year and a half ago, every time I googled hair advice this forum kept popping up. 5 months later my boyfriend was fed up of how my hair smelled of hair, and I was definitely fed up with the fact my hair was still greasy.
So I went back to my basic routine with nothing to show for it but an unused Boar bristle brush, but also much more useful seed planted in my head that maybe I might like to try for super long hair.
After the hair dresser then chopped off all my first 6 month efforts, I was like right I'm joining this group properly and learning how to look after my own hair whilst avoiding hairdressers.

[ReadingRenee]

OMG...me, too!! Results were not good lol. I tried more pure shea butter later, but for me, it's best whipped for body butter. My hair does not like it at all, but experimenting was fun :)


Hahhah! results were pretty unfortunate for me as well. Shea butter is definitely better for body butter. I was growing out serious bleach damage so I tried many different things to try to save it. I did ultimately end up trying henna as well.

[mira-chan]

CO washes with VO5 Sunkissed Strawberry were all the rage.

That's about what I remember. Also Suave was a competitor to this. Some swore by Suave others, VO5. Oh and the SMT was the awesome new thing recommended as the cure to most ills.

[littlestarface]

When I lurked suave milk and honey was all the rage but I could never find it and I was so sad, I really wanted to try this beautiful conditioner so bad!!! Man why do they have to reformulate and discontinue good stuff!

[kidari]

I didn't really lurk very long; I pretty much joined right away. I remember coconut oil being such a huge thing and there was this thread where everyone posted all the different things they did with coconut oil. Also, sock buns were huge. Loepsie (who has a YouTube channel) used to go on here and I think she's the one who came up with the sock bun as a heat-free method for curls. UltraBella had this thread where she showed how HUGE her sock bun was when her hair was really long. I remember people making their own hair care. There was a member on here who had a huge thread on the movie star method of adding coconut oil to their shampoo. People were pretty hard core about hair care in order to grow it super long and maintain extreme health. There were terms used such as "blow fryers" and any form of hair dying was frowned upon while henna was all the rage. People would toss out all their heat tools and try "no poo" and using herbs and clays to care for their hair. CO washing was huge and so was stretching washes... oh and for some reason I cannot remember the exact phrase but there was a huge thing where people were part of this club, this mean ladies slicked back tight bun club or something to the effect... I miss the old days... and a lot of the people who used to be very popular and post often.

[trolleypup]

I came over from the Mens Board, and lurked for a few seconds, but what my first impressions were, was, umm, Dianyla in the wilderness.

[truepeacenik]

Poo bars, acv, and ketylos. Graydog was bidding up, up, up on eBay, and etsy wasn't a player yet.
monk the Monk, ric the combmaker, mei fa sticks.

[SpiderMonkey]

I've been a (mostly) lurker on this site since it's conception :o lol. I remember the most popular no sulfate shampoo was Mastey Traite. I still love and use it often. Monoi oil was huge. The most popular bun for a long time was the Figure 8 (it's amazing how many more beautiful buns have come along!) Mason Pearson and Madora combs were popular. Ficcare quickly became "The" toy to have. There weren't a lot of other online hairtoy makers yet. Fox and SnowyMoon were members and invented their still popular treatments.

The evolution on this site of products, brushes and hairstyles has been really cool to see.

[triumphator!]

Everyone was obsessed with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition, Chagrin Valley Shampoo bars, Ketylos and Curlformers when I joined. Also there were a lot of very vocal longhairs who used heat tools and bleach, I can think of about four members like that who have since moved on.

[truepeacenik]

Oh, the IUD thread!

[TheLuckyLurker]

The thing I remember most was that the huge thread about putting Monistat on your scalp to increase hair growth was always on the first page. Aside from that, the baking soda/ACV thing, and everybody was swearing coconut oil was the be-all and end-all. It seemed like literally every problem someone asked about, the solution was SMT's and coconut oil.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

The thing I remember most was that the huge thread about putting Monistat on your scalp to increase hair growth was always on the first page. Aside from that, the baking soda/ACV thing, and everybody was swearing coconut oil was the be-all and end-all. It seemed like literally every problem someone asked about, the solution was SMT's and coconut oil.

This is the biggest thing I can remember. Monistat was such a huge thing when I first joined...

I cant believe I have been on here for almost 6 years. I was 17 years old when I started here.

I do not remember cattiness, but I do remember feeling inadequatr.
So many users here with much better hair than me, and its been so long and my hair still has not changed much. Its healthier but the length is about the same, or only a little bit longer. Thicker but not much else. It makes me feel kind of sad to be here now, but I am trying to over come it and feel less, bad, about myself and my hair and I am letting my current use of LHC motivate me.

However I think users were a lot nicer to me back in 2011, nowadays I do not get many personal messages or friend requests. I think it might be because a lot of the active members arent active anymore, but a load of my friends list was users that were deleted/removed/banned. But idk, I dont have any real friends here... yet. Maybe its because I am no longer a newbie.

[Rosetta]

Hmm, it's funny, I'm one of the oldest members here (by the time since joining I mean, not by age ;)), but I hadn't thought this site had changed all that much since then... :o And yet many who've joined just a few years ago claim it has. Interesting.

Well, the only things I can say is of course there are many more members now (and yet a handful of members that seem to pop up in every thread?), and the site's more international, but that's about it.

[mira-chan]

Hmm, it's funny, I'm one of the oldest members here (by the time since joining I mean, not by age ;)), but I hadn't thought this site had changed all that much since then... :o And yet many who've joined just a few years ago claim it has. Interesting.

Well, the only things I can say is of course there are many more members now (and yet a handful of members that seem to pop up in every thread?), and the site's more international, but that's about it.

I think smaller changes are more noticeable when the experience on there is shorter. After a while things start looking the same as certain things cycle.

[Nightshade]

I lurked like not at all. I think I signed up the day I found the place XD

I remember CO washing, shampoo bars, ACV rinses, and nobody warning everyone that henna was permanent and darkened with each application. I also remember having insanely damaged, broken, burgundy and black hair.

[kidari]

Oh! I just remembered that I remember Madora George Micheal long hair salons and people would share their experiences and talk about the hair care products. There was a member on here "Madora" I think and she was very faithful to their conditioner rinse. I miss how she used to share how she would air dry her super long hair very quickly. I actually adopted my own version of her method and it works very well!

[EbonyCurls]

I remember everyone being really nice and complimentary even though my hair was chin length. I remember CWC was huge and Feccari and wooden hair sticks. Elucense shampoo and conditioner was also big. I vaguely recall something about using Monistat on hair lol. I remember getting sucked into using Henna. It was fun making and applying and my boyfriend at the time wondering why I was putting "mud" in my hair just because some strangers on the internet doing it. I also remember him being really patient even taking my first LHC hair photos for me. I miss him sometimes LOL.

[Maelyssa]

I remember my story clear as day & it was actually because of my oldest daughter who was about 9 or so at the time...maybe younger.
She's had the hip-length, corkscrew curls (think old school Mariah Carey) and I went to a local spa with her as a treat. I went a few times, brought her & they found a stylist who swore up & down she knew just how to cut & shape curly hair. She'd cut it dry first, etc.
So she went in her chair & I went for a deep condition. I had tried going from dyed blonde for years to my natural brown myself which ended with orange & many more boxes of dye to color correct at home because I wouldn't leave the house. It wasn't gorgeous cooper but straight up glowing orange. Yeah...no.
That & I also used to blow dry & curl nearly daily.
So my hair was in bad shape but nearly hip length. But now breaking & thinning badly.

Fast forward until near the end of my process when they brought my little girl out. I WANTED TO CRY! Her gorgeous hair was I kid you not...now ear length...just a bit longer than a pixie. I tried to hold it together so she didn't feel bad about herself because you can plainly tell she was horrified. It was bad. My own process didn't give me great results either.
After lots of searching on how to help her hair grow out healthy & quick & how to salvage mine I found LHC and actually it was Emichee I first came across while she was growing her own hair out. Then I also started following the progress & improvement of Nightshade.

So that's my story. Forever grateful to have found this site & all you lovelies! :D

[truepeacenik]

The most awesome hair I remember was Wonderly Wrought.

[Chromis]

I lurked for at least a year before I joined just soaking up information and finally joined when I had a question I couldn't find a good answer to using the search. It took me quite a long time before I got the thousand posts to change my user title too and then I became a regular blabberfingers.

I do recall old faces sure, but all forums change, some stay, some go. I recall the great server crashes and mass migrations and past fads. Greydog ruled supreme and went for crazy prices on Ebay. Ficcare came in all sorts of cool colours and designs and none of them were super expensive except for the glittery ones which weren't *that* much more anyhow. I recall the rise and fall of some Etsy shampoo that was discovered to be not at all what they claimed it was. Such drama! Such intrigue! Egads, and did I mention those Greydog bidding wars?

I don't think the forum has gotten more or less stridently "hair police" like. There was more swing towards natural hair care, stretching washes, shampoo bars, baking soda, and henna yes, but now it is the same thing only leaning the opposite way. As someone who still uses and loves her shampoo bars it is *very* noticeable and the same crowd likes to barge in and claim disaster will befall you if you use them and that sulphates and frequent washes are The Best Way. (There was a mini swing towards water-soluble cones for a while, then back to naturals for a bit and now fully on the sulphates/-cones and frequent washes right now or at least you guys are all realllllly loud.)

This happens on non-hair forums too. One method of doing A Thing will be popular and everyone jumps on that. Give it a few years and suddenly it will be something else.

[littlestarface]

I lurked for at least a year before I joined just soaking up information and finally joined when I had a question I couldn't find a good answer to using the search. It took me quite a long time before I got the thousand posts to change my user title too and then I became a regular blabberfingers.

I do recall old faces sure, but all forums change, some stay, some go. I recall the great server crashes and mass migrations and past fads. Greydog ruled supreme and went for crazy prices on Ebay. Ficcare came in all sorts of cool colours and designs and none of them were super expensive except for the glittery ones which weren't *that* much more anyhow. I recall the rise and fall of some Etsy shampoo that was discovered to be not at all what they claimed it was. Such drama! Such intrigue! Egads, and did I mention those Greydog bidding wars?

I don't think the forum has gotten more or less stridently "hair police" like. There was more swing towards natural hair care, stretching washes, shampoo bars, baking soda, and henna yes, but now it is the same thing only leaning the opposite way. As someone who still uses and loves her shampoo bars it is *very* noticeable and the same crowd likes to barge in and claim disaster will befall you if you use them and that sulphates and frequent washes are The Best Way. (There was a mini swing towards water-soluble cones for a while, then back to naturals for a bit and now fully on the sulphates/-cones and frequent washes right now or at least you guys are all realllllly loud.)

This happens on non-hair forums too. One method of doing A Thing will be popular and everyone jumps on that. Give it a few years and suddenly it will be something else.

I hope sooner cuz this sulfate/cone thing is so loud right now, I cant wait for that to end.

[PrincessBob]

When I first lurked, in march of 2010, it was because of hair accessories. *shock* *horror* *incredibly obvious*
I had been gifted a 20" hair glove. I loved it, wanted to learn more. I think Cinnamonhair had one she talked about it in a thread, so it came up in a google search. Then I clicked around the forum.

At the time I regularly cut the knots from my hair and then, as I grasped near the root with one hand, I tugged a paddle brush through the mess with the other. At the time I had hair that wept broken bits as I brushed and was stalled between BSL and waist. My hair already tangles easily, and I had ridiculous buildup issues.

There were all these seemingly impossible tips and tricks. "Use a comb." they said and I would argue, "That's not happening, my hair breaks combs if it looks at them cross eyed." At the time, me not knowing how to comb and separate, I did break most things that touched my tangles. Finger Combing was ridiculous prospect, any effort at it was ineffectual at best and oh so painful, and those who swore by it were clearly using witchcraft of a brand I could not grasp. For me detangling, brushing and styling was all done in one go with a paddle brush which broke every 3 months like clockwork, while I literally cried my way through this 45 minute process.

I used claw clips (replaced bi-monthly) and elastics for my explody bun or braids most days, and I abused bobby pins occasionally, which inevitably spat cross the room. I had no clue how to use hair sticks or forks or pins.

Vinegar was the quickest incorporation/change to my routine, I think.

I couldn't really make most hair sticks and buns work until I passed hip. LuxePiggy was influential.

Now my hair is ankle length when wet, I usually only shed whole hairs, broken ends no longer litter my countertop and sink. I section my hair, comb with a wide tooth comb from the bottom up, finger detangling at snarls, then I brush and style with my tangle teezer and it takes much less time than the torture I was previously putting myself (and my poor length) through. All my (ridiculously many) accessories are far more hair friendly than what I was using before. My bunning skillz are valid, and I give demonstrations for using sticks and forks.

[Shepherdess]

When I first joined I was utterly fascinated by everything I read and all the gorgeous heads of hair. I never had read so much about haircare in my life, so it was a lot to take in. Seems like I read a lot about ACV, WO, CO, and such too. Even though I had seen people before with floor length hair, I didn't realize it was so commonplace in certain cultures until following some threads here and reading information about it. I had always assumed that only a certain few rare people could grow their hair longer than classic, so I was so excited to see other members here had attained some very long lengths. I hadn't really ever learned about hairsticks before then either, other than seeing some a few times in a movie it seems. I can't remember much else at the moment, though I do remember everyone was very friendly, kind, helpful, and supportive as I was a newbie. :)

[embee]

Princess Bob - didn't you enter a "beard" contest one time? And didn't you win? :) Do you still have your beautiful cat?

... or have I gone senile and am thinking of someone else?

[patienceneeded]

Princess Bob - didn't you enter a "beard" contest one time? And didn't you win? :) Do you still have your beautiful cat?

... or have I gone senile and am thinking of someone else?

I'm pretty sure that was Princess Bob. I'm fairly certain there were pics somewhere!

[Wildcat Diva]

It's on her blog. July 20, 2014.

[LadyCelestina]

I lurked for at least a year before I joined just soaking up information and finally joined when I had a question I couldn't find a good answer to using the search. It took me quite a long time before I got the thousand posts to change my user title too and then I became a regular blabberfingers.

I do recall old faces sure, but all forums change, some stay, some go. I recall the great server crashes and mass migrations and past fads. Greydog ruled supreme and went for crazy prices on Ebay. Ficcare came in all sorts of cool colours and designs and none of them were super expensive except for the glittery ones which weren't *that* much more anyhow. I recall the rise and fall of some Etsy shampoo that was discovered to be not at all what they claimed it was. Such drama! Such intrigue! Egads, and did I mention those Greydog bidding wars?

I don't think the forum has gotten more or less stridently "hair police" like. There was more swing towards natural hair care, stretching washes, shampoo bars, baking soda, and henna yes, but now it is the same thing only leaning the opposite way. As someone who still uses and loves her shampoo bars it is *very* noticeable and the same crowd likes to barge in and claim disaster will befall you if you use them and that sulphates and frequent washes are The Best Way. (There was a mini swing towards water-soluble cones for a while, then back to naturals for a bit and now fully on the sulphates/-cones and frequent washes right now or at least you guys are all realllllly loud.)

This happens on non-hair forums too. One method of doing A Thing will be popular and everyone jumps on that. Give it a few years and suddenly it will be something else.

Haha :D Do we really sound like that :D ? I know that what this post is going to prove the point, but I have to say that with cones, it was a bit different - they were said to
suffocate the hair, not allow nutrients into it and similar nonsense, and I think this was just a claim used to sell products, similar to the buzzwords 'for sensitive skin', 'paraben free', 'natural' and such, but people (including me) bought into it. Now that we know it's not true, you naturally have more people using them, though of course they are not a cure-all and it's perfectly fine if somebody doesn't.

And previously on the forum, scalp issues were 'flakies' and 'itchies' and common cures icluded ACV, tea tree oil, scritching, scalp oiling and such :D So the reason why most people use the shampoo (scalp issues) was still there, just people used different things to deal with it.
(At least how I remember the forum)

[rowie]

These days I'm in lurk mode. Checking in with a post since this thread caught my attention. Recollections of my earliest memories of my first year as a member.

1) Cinnamonhair and her knee length hair sporting Ficcare hair clips and watching every hair video she made with Ficcares and hair care. I seriously thought I can grow long hair length like hers if I wore Ficcares and ketylos everyday. In theory, I guess she was right. I'm still growing my hair and almost at fingertips. :joy: although I hardly wear my ficcares for a short time and I'm slowly going back to wearing them again including the pieces she owned and sold that I bought from her. :heartbeat:

2) Trolleypup: an inspiration that men like myself can grow down to beyond classic. I always wondered what it would feel like to have hair past classic and now I know what he went through or goes through with hair past classic. Having hair past classic has its moments and also horrible moments of when I just want to cut my hair. :lol:

3) Ericthegreat him and his girly girl friends hanging onto him with his eccentric bleached blond hair. The dramas he had and then later he was banned for having multiple profiles.

4) Madora how she was inspirational with her strong advocation and belief of the George Michael hair techniques. I tried it but learned that everyone's hair is different and won't agree with that hair care lifestyle. Although her tips with mineral oil and clarifying I still do here and then.

5) Edg. Another fellow long haired dude I admire. He was more into threads in the mane forum. I just love his timekeeper banner and always enjoyed looking at his hair pics. Oh and also his Bay Area SF meets of which I never have attended cause I no longer live in the Bay Area.

There were a lot more people. It was such a different time. Much more a happier time with neat hair toys at the swaps.

I sometimes wonder about the people I started with (those not on the list I've compiled)and if they still have a passion for long hair. A lot of people cut their hair when I thought they'd reach floor length. I guess seasons change and people change.

Also Anje,,,, wow..... :shocked:..... really....why.... good for you and more power to you with color power as well!

Ok time for me to go back to the outside world and lurk and continue to practice the art of benign neglect. Maybe I'll be more active in another time. I don't plan to disappear as a member but would prefer to lurk for now. I miss the LHC. It was nice to post even if it's just one long post.

[Chromis]

Haha :D Do we really sound like that :D ? I know that what this post is going to prove the point, but I have to say that with cones, it was a bit different - they were said to
suffocate the hair, not allow nutrients into it and similar nonsense, and I think this was just a claim used to sell products, similar to the buzzwords 'for sensitive skin', 'paraben free', 'natural' and such, but people (including me) bought into it. Now that we know it's not true, you naturally have more people using them, though of course they are not a cure-all and it's perfectly fine if somebody doesn't.

And previously on the forum, scalp issues were 'flakies' and 'itchies' and common cures icluded ACV, tea tree oil, scritching, scalp oiling and such :D So the reason why most people use the shampoo (scalp issues) was still there, just people used different things to deal with it.
(At least how I remember the forum)

Scalp itchies were a thing then too sure. They still are, only now people are being told "OMG, you better go see a doctor now or your hair will fall out!" and to use ever stronger amounts of medicated shampoo. But how many posts have I seen now where people have already been to the doctor and already tried the shampoos, hmmm? This is the problem with strident one-size-fits-all advice. Yes, there are people that works for and who can afford it, but there were also plenty of people that henna and ACV and such worked for and now those people are being ridiculed as being "unscientific". It would be different to me if the advice was presented as "Hey, this is what works for me," but instead it is presented as This is the One True Way, because Science. It seems to me only to be the reverse side of the coin from "OMG I can't believe you are putting all those chemicals on your head?!" Both claims are counterproductive.

[LadyCelestina]

I prefer to make my hair decisions based on research, rather than :magic: these days. It saved up a lot of damage for me. I'm a bit sorry that this is how people actually feel about science in haircare, because personally I was thrilled that there is logic to it and it's not all just... guessing and trying things at random.

I noticed a thread where olive oil was put on SD, which really could have been avoided by a quick google search.

[Chromis]

The problem is more that I don't think a lot of this so-called hair science is actually very scientific. And some of the "natural" remedies have studies behind them as well.

I like me some science, but I do not like bad science.

[littlestarface]

Oh man even in this thread.

[LadyCelestina]

The problem is more that I don't think a lot of this so-called hair science is actually very scientific. And some of the "natural" remedies have studies behind them as well.

I like me some science, but I do not like bad science.

(bolded) That's without doubt.

Can you please share what for example bad hair science you have noticed? (don't want to sound aggresive :D I'm honestly just curious)

[lapushka]

I don't think the forum has gotten more or less stridently "hair police" like. There was more swing towards natural hair care, stretching washes, shampoo bars, baking soda, and henna yes, but now it is the same thing only leaning the opposite way. As someone who still uses and loves her shampoo bars it is *very* noticeable and the same crowd likes to barge in and claim disaster will befall you if you use them and that sulphates and frequent washes are The Best Way. (There was a mini swing towards water-soluble cones for a while, then back to naturals for a bit and now fully on the sulphates/-cones and frequent washes right now or at least you guys are all realllllly loud.)

I am a sulfate user and I hope this isn't directed towards me, because I tend to stick to YMMV as a motto.

[lapushka]

I hope sooner cuz this sulfate/cone thing is so loud right now, I cant wait for that to end.

Again, I know I am big on sulfates and silicones, so I hope this isn't directed towards me (seems like it is), because I always use YMMV as my motto!

[pili]

Again, I know I am big on sulfates and silicones, so I hope this isn't directed towards me (seems like it is), because I always use YMMV as my motto!

I don't think it is, Lapushka. You seem like one of the more moderate ones. There are others who are more aggressive. You do tend to qualify your advice with "YMMV."

[DweamGoiL]

Again, I know I am big on sulfates and silicones, so I hope this isn't directed towards me (seems like it is), because I always use YMMV as my motto!

I don't think this is directed at ONE particular person, lapushka. I think the underlying message is the take away here; any method that is presented as the ultimate truth just becomes obnoxious, particularly considering how many theories/methods have come and gone with so much variance in degrees of success.

[LadyCelestina]

But I never really noticed anybody explicitly saying sulfates/cones are superior to everything else or the ultimate truth? :D Is it because I'm one of *them*? :D

Ok I've said I don't find cone-free conditioners as effective as non-coney conditioners when it comes to detangling and such, but I think that is kind of common knowledge :D

[rowie]

But I never really noticed anybody explicitly saying sulfates/cones are superior to everything else or the ultimate truth? :D Is it because I'm one of *them*? :D

Ok I've said I don't find cone-free conditioners as effective as non-coney conditioners when it comes to detangling and such, but I think that is kind of common knowledge :D

I don't know about you, but even with all the theories posed, hair care vacillating between natural and unnatural, the message I've grown to treasure about LHC is to love your own hair, get to know it and work with what it wants and not what you want. I think Lapushka emphasizes this a lot. Also the classic saying "I'm not here to decorate your world." So many good sayings I've treasured throughout the years. It helps me to stay true to my hair's needs while my hair rewards me with continued growth. What I love about Lhc is to have an open mind and try things that I then will tweak to work for my hair.

[Greenfire]

:cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese: :cheese:
I seem to remember a lot of cheese

[turtlelover]

I appreciate the advice of EVERYONE on this forum, even when all of the advice doesn't work for my particular hair type. I enjoy the back and forth banter and how the topics of focus tend to change a bit over time --- it is FUN, above all else.

[lapushka]

But I never really noticed anybody explicitly saying sulfates/cones are superior to everything else or the ultimate truth? :D Is it because I'm one of *them*? :D

Ok I've said I don't find cone-free conditioners as effective as non-coney conditioners when it comes to detangling and such, but I think that is kind of common knowledge :D

Yes, exactly, me neither, that is why it's so puzzling! And I got no reply yet from both posters I addressed.

Thank you to the rest of you who have answered! :flower:

[Chromis]

In no order:

1. Good bad hair science example: "Hygral fatigue" You can do the relevant searches, the topic has been beaten about quite a bit.

2. If the shoes fits, wear it. If you think my comments might be addressing you (nonspecific you, including you that have not posted), then they likely are! As I have said, the sneering tone and dismissiveness has come from both camps and I think it is wildly counter-productive. It i also beyond the thread though. The thread was meant to be about how LCH has changed. My statement was more that the tone itself has not changed, only the subject. Again, I see this other places too.

[Chromis]

I don't think this is directed at ONE particular person, lapushka. I think the underlying message is the take away here; any method that is presented as the ultimate truth just becomes obnoxious, particularly considering how many theories/methods have come and gone with so much variance in degrees of success.

Yes, this! And much better put than I could word it!

[embee]

I haven't seen much difference in this respect, but perhaps it's because I found early on (about 10 years ago) that benign neglect was my preferred method of hair care! I'd never heard of that before LHC, and it fits me and my lifestyle beautifully. So I'm not even looking at the threads that preach Must Do This or Don't Do That. Also, perhaps because I've lived a rather long time, I tend to let people say whatever they're gonna say and then do whatever I'm gonna do. ;) As in YMMV.

This is still one of the best places online, between the attentive mods, the ease of use, and the interesting topics. Long Live LHC! :)

[LadyCelestina]

I think you might just be reading far too much into it :D but k, I will try to post less about it :D let's continue on with the thread if possible :D

[littlestarface]

I think you might just be reading far too much into it :D but k, I will try to post less about it :D let's continue on with the thread if possible :D

No way she's not, I see it all the time.

[sumidha]

In general when I started lurking there was more of an emphasis on 'natural' hair care, and now the pendulum seems to have swung the other way. It's all cyclical. Like others have already said, as long as there's an emphasis on YMMV it doesn't really bother me, while 'one true method' preachers tend to make me inwardly roll my eyes, no matter the content of the spiel.

[LadyCelestina]

No way she's not, I see it all the time.

:shrug: I'm sorry I don't, but ymmv :D

[MasCat]

I remember I joined, led here from a Polish bellydancing forum. I was fascinated and mostly browsed the hair forums (the inspirational threads of waist-tailbone, tailbone-classic, classic-knee and knee+; the hairiversaries and peoples questions). I remember the Monistat thread and the no-poo were rather popular. I adored the atmosphere here (still do), and that these forums are knit (the Polish equivalent... is not a nice environment for the likes of me ;)). With time I drifted more to the Off-Topic part of the forums :D
I remember when the forums were down, and I started posting at the BeautyBottle, but I came back here as soon as TLHC worked again.
This is the one and only forum which I still visit on a regular basis.
When joining I had BSL hair, that was hip-length couple of times, never longer, and now I'm at fingertip, and still growing. This is an awesome adventure!

[jazzhands]

I was a lurker for quite a while before joining, I remember LuxePiggy's lovely black hair and I've finally gone back to poo bars after several affairs with no poo and low-SLS shampoos :D I finally joined last November to ask about my itchy scalp (I still remember Lapushka's advice!). Didn't even notice my hairiversary was last month until recently, haha.

I loved that everyone here was so nature-focused and all the Tolkien-inspired updos and DIY recipes. Still love browsing the forum and reading everyone's posts, though I'm mostly a casual member and don't post as much as I perhaps should (I rarely have anything clever to add) so it's not that different from my past lurking :shrug:

[lapushka]

2. If the shoes fits, wear it. If you think my comments might be addressing you (nonspecific you, including you that have not posted), then they likely are! As I have said, the sneering tone and dismissiveness has come from both camps and I think it is wildly counter-productive. It i also beyond the thread though. The thread was meant to be about how LCH has changed. My statement was more that the tone itself has not changed, only the subject. Again, I see this other places too.

Now that's not very nice! :(

[Rosetta]

I don't think the forum has gotten more or less stridently "hair police" like. There was more swing towards natural hair care, stretching washes, shampoo bars, baking soda, and henna yes, but now it is the same thing only leaning the opposite way. As someone who still uses and loves her shampoo bars it is *very* noticeable and the same crowd likes to barge in and claim disaster will befall you if you use them and that sulphates and frequent washes are The Best Way. (There was a mini swing towards water-soluble cones for a while, then back to naturals for a bit and now fully on the sulphates/-cones and frequent washes right now or at least you guys are all realllllly loud.)

This happens on non-hair forums too. One method of doing A Thing will be popular and everyone jumps on that. Give it a few years and suddenly it will be something else.
Interesting, as to me, this forum has actually gotten less "hair police" like... (Yes, I didn't mention that in my earlier post, but now that it was mentioned, it reminded me.)

I find it great that sulfates, cones and frequent washes are now accepted here, and not denounced, berated and/or looked down on, like they often used to be. And I'd definitely not say that the sulfate, cones and frequent washes group is louder, definitely not more so that the all-natural, no-chemicals, stretching washes group; more the opposite. And I certainly haven't seen anyone proclaiming the former as "The One Truth" or "The Best Way" (though can't say the same about the latter)...

Maybe it always seems to us that "the other side" is louder and more vocal than ours...? :flower: (Not that such juxtaposition is really necessary, but surely you all get my point.)

[pili]

Interesting, as to me, this forum has actually gotten less "hair police" like... (Yes, I didn't mention that in my earlier post, but now that it was mentioned, it reminded me.)

I find it great that sulfates, cones and frequent washes are now accepted here, and not denounced, berated and/or looked down on, like they often used to be. And I'd definitely not say that the sulfate, cones and frequent washes group is louder, definitely not more so that the all-natural, no-chemicals, stretching washes group; more the opposite. And I certainly haven't seen anyone proclaiming the former as "The One Truth" or "The Best Way" (though can't say the same about the latter)...

Maybe it always seems to us that "the other side" is louder and more vocal than ours...? :flower: (Not that such juxtaposition is really necessary, but surely you all get my point.)
Exactly this.

[RavenRose]

it's only been 2 years for me,

Some things that seem to have faded is the use of Henna- the burgundy/cherry cola henna was very popular and the Henna forums are what drew me in!

Oils were heavily recommended- mostly coconut, argon or jojoba.

I don't see the recommended use of the boar bristle brush anymore, and rarely SMT, or honey treatments. Clarifying does not seemed to be as stressed, but I think that is because many are using sulfate based shampoos so clarifying isn't such a big deal.

LHC is a lot more YMMY. Although this has lead to some discontention between different groups.

There are more members using sulfates and cones, but it almost always comes with "this is what works for me" cravat. Or it just may be that they are on the forum more often, so seem more prevalent?

There is more science based info being posted.

Bleaching/dying is much more popular now along with the funky veggie dyes.

There is a lot more of wearing your hair down, or blow drying is acceptable. And many members have short hair and proudly show it off.

I remember having hair envy of Dreamsheep, and enjoying the antics of Seeshami

[renia22]

Interesting, as to me, this forum has actually gotten less "hair police" like... (Yes, I didn't mention that in my earlier post, but now that it was mentioned, it reminded me.)

I find it great that sulfates, cones and frequent washes are now accepted here, and not denounced, berated and/or looked down on, like they often used to be. And I'd definitely not say that the sulfate, cones and frequent washes group is louder, definitely not more so that the all-natural, no-chemicals, stretching washes group; more the opposite. And I certainly haven't seen anyone proclaiming the former as "The One Truth" or "The Best Way" (though can't say the same about the latter)...

Maybe it always seems to us that "the other side" is louder and more vocal than ours...? :flower: (Not that such juxtaposition is really necessary, but surely you all get my point.)

I would agree with this.

Things got pretty crazy here at one point (7, 8, 9 years ago?), where if someone wasn't having success with certain methods (co-washing, stretching washes, sulfate free, whatever) it was like, just keep at it! i remember reading about people cutting off their hair because their hair got so bad, yet they refused to go back to silicones or wash their hair because they convinced themselves their hair was going to fall out from washing it, or get smothered from silicones or something. Hair getting so greasy from stretching washes it was affecting employment and social relationships, stuff like that. Eventually people figured out enough was enough.

Mostly now I see people giving personal experience if those methods didn't work. Now I see more of, hey, if you are doing A and its not working, try B or C or D. Lots more info these days online debunking a lot for the myths that are/ were floating around (Pantene has wax in it, stuff like that). More science based articles being posted. A larger scope of methods being used overall. If shampoo bars work or co-washing or whatever works for you, great. If not, people are willing to pipe up and say, well maybe try something else. Many people more willing to speak up about negative experiences without being shut down.

In general though, I think with message boards, if the people and the material being posted is getting on your nerves, there's nothing wrong with taking a little break and coming back when you are in a different space. Remember, lots of new people joining in a regular basis with many repeat questions, so the people who are taking the time to post and answer are oftentimes repeating the same info over & over because the questions being posted are the same. And it's a message board on the Internet, not medical professionals giving answers, so the answers will be varied and it's up to you as reader to use your common sense, and to not take any advice given here as the "ultimate truth" or as gospel. However, I personally appreciate it when people take the time to post and answer questions, and I've gotten a lot of helpful info from the people here, the personal experiences shared & all of the links that have been provided over the years.

[TheLuckyLurker]

One thing I'm actually glad has fallen out of use is the term "blow-fryer". That one always really bothered me because when a thing is spoken of in derisive terms, the derision usually extends to people who engage in said thing. And while I personally believe there are things that people completely deserve to be judged for, and judged harshly, heat styling their hair isn't one of them.

[PrincessBob]

I remember excitedly asking SeeressNightshade for my Long Haired Knight title, and awkwardly describing myself then waiting as she discovered the name to bestow.

All hair things were too expensive (ha!, my first toys were an $8 pair f wooden eaduards and I thought I was being decadent). Hanssen and Graydog were in the act of disappearing.


Princess Bob - didn't you enter a "beard" contest one time? And didn't you win? :) Do you still have your beautiful cat?

... or have I gone senile and am thinking of someone else?


I'm pretty sure that was Princess Bob. I'm fairly certain there were pics somewhere!
Ys, yes and yes! Verified, all me. Best kitty friend ever, long silky pain in the tuchus beard has become everyone's favorite hairdo on me. (Last year Bored Panda featured me in a bearded women photoset using a pic from my photobucket).



I seem to remember a lot of cheese
Always cheese! :cheese: That's how I knew I was home.

[Nymphe]

This forum was the second one I had joined, five total by 2006. I remember a few things:

~Jennifer posting the Oil Cleansing Method
~the start of cheese
~Dianyla reaching out to me. I recall her comparing her hair to wire.
~Hydrogen peroxide and ACV/epsom salt baths.
~Bargello's Vitamin Regimen being all the rage across all the hair boards for a few years.
~Learning about honey lightening hair and sharing it here. One poster disagreed until I showed the chemical formula of what happens when honey interacts with water (peroxide). A year or two later, I lurk and see a honey and cinnamon challenge in progress to really see if honey could lighten hair (it did, but not by much).
~I posted my theory about high fructose corn syrup be a factor for the obesity problem. That was a nice discussion. I wish the archives worked. :(
~The forums hacks, especially around 2008.
~Cowashing with Suave and VO5
~The debates about cones and sulphates, very informative.
~Someone getting black dots in her hair, that worried me because if I got thatbi would never know.
~Snowymoon Moisture Treatment did nothing for my hair. Wasn't she the one who had severe dryness from seawater?
~I started a blog back when they were visible to the general public.

[lapushka]

One thing I'm actually glad has fallen out of use is the term "blow-fryer". That one always really bothered me because when a thing is spoken of in derisive terms, the derision usually extends to people who engage in said thing. And while I personally believe there are things that people completely deserve to be judged for, and judged harshly, heat styling their hair isn't one of them.

Yes, hate the term as well. You can use and *abuse* a tool. I mean a hot tool is a hot tool, even when on lowest temps it is still "burning" hot, but a blow dryer can be set on cool/warm and when used like that, correctly, it absolutely does *no* harm to the hair. It's all in how you use it. Even if you want to use it at higher temperatures, nothing wrong with it.

I have been diffusing my hair weekly since about shoulder/APL, yeah, and I had classic for a year without any white dots or split ends, and now I am back to hip, still no damage. It's a safe tool, when used the right way. And I'm not about to go back to "The Dark Ages" (some term others might object to ;)) by leaving my hair wet for 8+H. For one, my SD would protest.

[truepeacenik]

Is anyone here a wife of Pegasus marsters? Pegs claimed a lot of us. I forgot which number I was.

[truepeacenik]

I hope sooner cuz this sulfate/cone thing is so loud right now, I cant wait for that to end.

It won't. People will use what works for them, when it works.
Both have a place, so long as they don't cause issues with the person's scalp.
I see those two divides as the basic divide. We do not have to agree.
We do have to be polite.

The all natural hippie crunchy granola method works for me >80 percent of the time,
Products seem like stop gaps.

[ipickee]

I believe I lurked at network 54 but I can't remember the main members. I remember one person always talking about jojoba oil, and so I bought some for my hair. It was very hard to find. When I finally joined the forum as it is now, I remember Snowymoon. She really inspired me and I was sad when she left. I'm pretty sure she was the inventor of SMT ( Snowy's moisture treatment) I also remember Heidi W"s very long and detailed posts, and Igor was an active member back then as well.

It seemed a little less diverse as back then I felt like if I didn't have long hair, I was not as worthwhile or as valuable member, and I definitely don't feel that vibe anymore. Also, CO was big as was Mason Pearson seamless combs. I actually bought one off Amazon because of it. :) I also remember lots of posts about cheese. :D

I remember this too. I haven't posted much, but lurk plenty, and this is definitely a remembered thing. Great memories overall though, and the available knowledge is just incredible.

[Hairkay]

When I joined there was the flexi8 thread and one how to make your own DIY version. I'm not into collecting hair toys but I noticed the DIY discussion about the copyright infringement because I'm into arts and crafts.

[lapushka]

When I joined there was the flexi8 thread and one how to make your own DIY version. I'm not into collecting hair toys but I noticed the DIY discussion about the copyright infringement because I'm into arts and crafts.

I remember that. I raised the question about that, I think. That was also in part to protect the crafters from all the fuss that might be created by creating an exact copy of something that exists already. :)

[neko_kawaii]

I remember that. I raised the question about that, I think. That was also in part to protect the crafters from all the fuss that might be created by creating an exact copy of something that exists already. :)

Nope. The thread is still around. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=123110

[tigereye]

It won't. People will use what works for them, when it works.
Both have a place, so long as they don't cause issues with the person's scalp.
I see those two divides as the basic divide. We do not have to agree.
We do have to be polite.

The all natural hippie crunchy granola method works for me >80 percent of the time,
Products seem like stop gaps.

I think she just means the fuss about it. The sulphates vs natural thing seems to go in cycles as far as I can tell. I don't use sulphates because my skin freaks out (scabby, itchy scalp and plays hell with my allergies), but I use cocamidopropyl betaine, so I'm hardly "natural", and I'm not that sure cocamidopropyl betaine is any better or worse than sulphates for people's who's skin isn't problematic by default. For a while the sulphate-free brigade was loud. Now it's the sulphate users. :shrug: I figure people should listen to their scalp and hair and decide for themselves. With my routine, my hair is kind of fluffy, not remotely silky, and not at all cooperative, which it probably would be with some sulphates and cones, but my scalp is happy and my skin takes priority over silky hair.

[Ophidian]

I lurked on and off for a long time before I joined in April. I remember CWC, monistat (never tried it!), biotin, monoi oil, ficcare, teacherbear, and cinnamon tresses

[Mrstran]

Lurked for a few weeks and was iffy about joining. Not because of the way the site is set up or anything silly like that. Only because I knew that I wouldn't "fit in."

I can walk into any room, and everyone in it would get quiet. It's kinda like that.

It's a huge effort for me to be social, so I'm practicing.

[Arctic]

Lurked for a few weeks and was iffy about joining. Not because of the way the site is set up or anything silly like that. Only because I knew that I wouldn't "fit in."

I can walk into any room, and everyone in it would get quiet. It's kinda like that.

It's a huge effort for me to be social, so I'm practicing.

You fit in just fine :D Come and sit here, we kept the place warm for you! Here's some :cheese: and :popcorn: and :chocolate: and :kitten:

[Mrstran]

You fit in just fine :D Come and sit here, we kept the place warm for you! Here's some :cheese: and :popcorn: and :chocolate: and :kitten:

Thank you very much Arctic. :) It will take time.

[pili]

Thank you very much Arctic. :) It will take time.

Know you're not the only one. :)

[LadyCelestina]

Lurked for a few weeks and was iffy about joining. Not because of the way the site is set up or anything silly like that. Only because I knew that I wouldn't "fit in."

I can walk into any room, and everyone in it would get quiet. It's kinda like that.

It's a huge effort for me to be social, so I'm practicing.
The LHC equivalent is posting in a large and frequented thread and killing it with your post :D

[Hypnotica]

Ohhhh.

I remember getting to know what henna was and got right into it (and still is a dye hard henna head). And that video instructions on how to do buns was few and far between and that I wanted to learn how to do the nautilus. I think that was the first bun I did on camera.

Another memory I have from back in the days was that people complimented my hair colour a lot which was so nice when I felt my hair was just thin and short and impossible to style.

A not so fond memory is when I got back to the boards after being on a break and posting a picture of my Ficcares. Little did I know that it was a Ficcare drought and that I apparently had a lot of unicorns.

[Ophidian]

Know you're not the only one. :)

For sure! I come and go--sometimes I feel like I am doing ok and other times I get really anxious about everything and have to stop posting for a while. You're not alone :flower:

[Dark40]

I remember learning how everybody doing co washes and deep conditioning, oiling every night. I also remember learning how everyone wanted to grow their hair super long including myself.

[Soj]

What I remember most is "not curly friendly".

I'm not saying UNfriendly. Just - there's not a forum for curlies. Seems a huge over sight, or something. But product and how you treat your hair is a LOT different if you are trying to maintain or recover curl, and its really really REALLY hard to track down helpful information since there's no central forum for it. And often people who aren't curly don't understand the issues for curlies - often curlies don't, either. That's why we go hunting forums, LOL!

[LadyCelestina]

What I remember most is "not curly friendly".

I'm not saying UNfriendly. Just - there's not a forum for curlies. Seems a huge over sight, or something. But product and how you treat your hair is a LOT different if you are trying to maintain or recover curl, and its really really REALLY hard to track down helpful information since there's no central forum for it. And often people who aren't curly don't understand the issues for curlies - often curlies don't, either. That's why we go hunting forums, LOL!

naturallycurly.com, and they used to be very strict with what is curl friendly and what not...

[Rosetta]

What I remember most is "not curly friendly".

I'm not saying UNfriendly. Just - there's not a forum for curlies. Seems a huge over sight, or something. But product and how you treat your hair is a LOT different if you are trying to maintain or recover curl, and its really really REALLY hard to track down helpful information since there's no central forum for it. And often people who aren't curly don't understand the issues for curlies - often curlies don't, either. That's why we go hunting forums, LOL!
Really? :eek: As to me it seems there are *loads* of threads here for curlies and about curly hair issues alone...!!


For sure! I come and go--sometimes I feel like I am doing ok and other times I get really anxious about everything and have to stop posting for a while. You're not alone :flower:
No, definitely not; I'm the same (though we might mean something a bit different with "anxious", but still)...

[Ophidian]

Really? :eek: As to me it seems there are *loads* of threads here for curlies and about curly hair issues alone...!!


No, definitely not; I'm the same (though we might mean something a bit different with "anxious", but still)...

I can get anxious about most things ;) but in this context I'd qualify it as social anxiety transferred to the interwebs. It has nothing to do with anything negative here that I've ever experienced and everything to do with me just having phases when everything I say anywhere to anyone just feels painfully awkward and it's exhausting. It's nice knowing that there are others.

[lapushka]

What I remember most is "not curly friendly".

I'm not saying UNfriendly. Just - there's not a forum for curlies. Seems a huge over sight, or something. But product and how you treat your hair is a LOT different if you are trying to maintain or recover curl, and its really really REALLY hard to track down helpful information since there's no central forum for it. And often people who aren't curly don't understand the issues for curlies - often curlies don't, either. That's why we go hunting forums, LOL!

I disagree. The CG method is often recommended here for wavies, wurlies & curlies. There's a "wavy to wurly" thread and a "wurly to curly" thread, and it is *very* nice in that regard. It's like "Where have you been?" :lol:

[LadyCelestina]

I disagree. The CG method is often recommended here for wavies, wurlies & curlies. There's a "wavy to wurly" thread and a "wurly to curly" thread, and it is *very* nice in that regard. It's like "Where have you been?" :lol:

Yes, and the upside is that you can sometimes learn things from people with completely different hairtypes, which wouldn't be possible on a forum where it's almost all curlies. I came to LHC from NC and did 100% CG, but since coming here, I've started doing some things differently from the CG and it works for me :D

[pili]

What I remember most is "not curly friendly".

I'm not saying UNfriendly. Just - there's not a forum for curlies. Seems a huge over sight, or something. But product and how you treat your hair is a LOT different if you are trying to maintain or recover curl, and its really really REALLY hard to track down helpful information since there's no central forum for it. And often people who aren't curly don't understand the issues for curlies - often curlies don't, either. That's why we go hunting forums, LOL!
It is different. I first discovered the CG method in 2003 and I followed it faithfully until two years ago. But I don't agree that there is a lack of curly info here. Yes, you have to search the threads, but the index stickies make it a lot easier for newbies to find that info. I learned LOC here, and now I'm doing something completely NOT "curl friendly" but that my hair and scalp are loving.

I disagree. The CG method is often recommended here for wavies, wurlies & curlies. There's a "wavy to wurly" thread and a "wurly to curly" thread, and it is *very* nice in that regard. It's like "Where have you been?" :lol:
*nods head*

Yes, and the upside is that you can sometimes learn things from people with completely different hairtypes, which wouldn't be possible on a forum where it's almost all curlies. I came to LHC from NC and did 100% CG, but since coming here, I've started doing some things differently from the CG and it works for me :D
This!

[reilly0167]

Thank you very much Arctic. :) It will take time.

Wine! Wine too! Teehee

[Arctic]

Wine! Wine too! Teehee

Sure! How could I forget that! :toast: :arrow: (later than night) :arrow: :alcoholic:

[Anje]

The LHC equivalent is posting in a large and frequented thread and killing it with your post :D

We don't have an active "thread killer" thread anymore, do we? That was fun -- the thread where all the people who feel like they kill threads could hang out and TRY to be the last one to post. :D

[Chromis]

We don't have an active "thread killer" thread anymore, do we? That was fun -- the thread where all the people who feel like they kill threads could hang out and TRY to be the last one to post. :D

*insert Jaws theme*