fiðrildi's update (from BSL-ish permed hair, to TBL virgin)

[fiðrildi]

Dear fellows!, it's been around 7 months since my LHC hiatus, hopefully some of you still remember me :eyebrows:
I hope you've all been well, I will be catching on your progress very soon ;-)

Following some very intense months (living in the Swedish wilderness, camping and climbing in the Scottish highlands, Irish adventures, a bit of Denmark, attending music festivals in Spain, living in a tent for one month and general Icelandic lifestyle among other things), my hair has been pretty much forgotten and very, veeery neglected. But it has kept growing like weed, in spite of a big amount of microtrims that I didn't care to document. :-P

I have self-claimed TBL a couple months ago, currently measuring at almost 39 inches in its dry and wavy state. Since I have skipped the last 2 hairyversaries or so, I am taking the liberty of celebrating my unhairyversary with this post ;-)


The story goes as follows!

September 2013, I have been guilty of curly perming my hair several times for the last 3 years (among other horrific things that you should never try) and it has reached the point of no return. Hair is fried and seems like the only solution is chopping. Despite everyone around me saying that I should cut a pixie, fiðrildi stays cool and decides to keep the wild mess. It all starts with a very terrible picture:

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/23d5fecb-0e22-4346-9f6b-8b12adc19018_zpskjp5tge6.jpg


I discover the LHC and start the co-washing only method (as suggested by lapushka), ACV rinses, gentle detangling, S&D'ing, cassia and aloe evera masks, using only paraben and silicon free products, coconut and olive oil drops. I stop using any kind of heat, and let the hair air dry. I stretch washes to once a week. I go to the hairdresser for the very last time (because I will be selftrimming from then on), and cut down some inches.

By November 2013 (a month after), I can already see a dramatic difference in the quality of my hair. The first time I measured I was at 26 inches:


http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/pelo20originalSAM_010120copia_zps7nku62n0.jpg


Hair keeps improving, and I keep self-trimming every 3 months or so.

December 2014, I haven't gained much length but hair is shiny and looking good. I can start to see my natural wavy texture, though it's still a lot of work to do:

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/dectrim75202014_zpsvq1lv321.jpg



February 2015 (yeh out of focus!), hair seems happier and happier, as I keep trimming the bad ends:

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/DSC_0417_zpsa7fdyl3f.jpg



September 2015, I have stopped doing the ACV rinses, after noticing my hair is getting redder and darker. The permed part seems to fuse with my natural texture already (some people don't believe me when I say it's still a good inches left of damage). But my natural colour comes back:

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/IMG_2370_zpsfmtgcxps.jpg


And these were the last pictures I took, right before the LHC hiatus, measuring at around 34 inches (from left ro right: March, April and May 2016 > for some months I had no growth at all...)

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/march%20april%20may%202016_zpspjh2ue01.jpg





And here we are, January 2017! Ready??


Ta-daaaa! >>>

>>>


http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/jan201739inches_zpsbh9vdjri.jpg

(observe that funny curl in the bottom right, hehe)

Comparison between November 2013 and January 2017:

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag376/fithrildi/fc805fb4-9538-4c06-8529-af5fd275e232_zpsg6jqls8n.jpg

I can now say that I have gotten rid of all the permed part... FINALLY!, and I have virgin hair for the first time in around 7 years. The fabulous cape of awesomeness is back!
The goal is classic, but I am happy at my current length and will be maintaining and enjoying TBL for some months.

I can't tell you how happy I am of being part of this community, thank you for your help, inspiration and friendship!! :-))
I hope I can also inspire others to grow healthy and to ridiculous lengths... here's to all of you my friends :toast:

[littlestarface]

Amazing:thud:

[Of the Fae]

Oh my God you have dream hair! Amazing progress and growth! And I love how you have Brian Froud in your signature, he has inspired me for years!

[Kiiruna]

You definitely have one of my favourite heads of hair so it's so nice to see you again! Your hair looks so happy and healthy :)

[-Fern]

Amazing! :thudpile: And so good to see you back! I am sure you have had some incredible adventures. Keep being awesome. :D

[ephemeri]

Your hair is absolutely stunning. Congrats! Has your routine changed at all?

[HeartofHaleth]

Yay!! So happy to see you around here again! It sounds like you've had some fabulous adventures! I still (and always will) absolutely adore your hair!

[Ellethwyn]

OMG! : ) Gorgeous! It's so nice to get an update from you! Your hair looks so happy!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Welcome back! Great to see you here again. You have had wonderful adventures :) Your hair looks so long, happy and healthy now!

(Looks like Brian Froud enjoyed his stay with the goblins after all :) )

[spidermom]

wow - must be the angle of the shot; your hair looks to be classic length already. It's very pretty.

[embee]

Perfectly beautiful! (envy envy envy!)

[CindyOfTheOaks]

What a journey !
Your hair is beautiful :)

[lithostoic]

Welcome back ^-^ Don't worry, I remember ya. Love your texture! Also your adventures sound amazing c:

[Ophidian]

Your hair is lovely and your adventures sound magical!

[dvep]

How glorious and inspiring! It's amazing to see how much just caring for hair improves its quality...makes me hopeful for myself!

[Swan Maiden]

I was just wondering about you. Your hair journey is inspiring and the results of good care really shine through.

[Entangled]

It's so nice to see you back! Your hair is beautiful.

[Dessi]

Absolutely beautiful! And you hair story was so interesting to read, very insipirational indeed. :) Congratulations! :flower:

[RavenRose]

That is amazing!

[Dona]

Your hair looks beautiful, full and so much shinier compared to the first picture.

[TatsuOni]

Welcome back! :) I wondered where you had disappeared to. Your hair is amazing! :thud:

[Cannelle]

What a transformation, very motivating! I love the shine and the texture too.

[Suze]

Wow, that is amazing. That progress!!:applause Your hair is amazing! :crush:

[yvsa]

Wow, all the effort really paid off. :applause
Your hair looks amazing:thud:.

[lapushka]

Wo-hooow, that is amazing, fiðrildi. Awesome. :applause

I had curly perms too at one point, and also let them grow out. It taught me to *deal* with wavy hair (hard to explain), and I was happy enough to find my own texture lurking beneath it. You look like you're happy with your newly found texture as well.

Again, amazing progress. :joy:

[hanne jensen]

I remember you! Welcome back and congratulations on your beautiful hair. What a difference! I agree that it looks like you've reached Classic length now.

[Arctic]

Great to see you again, I'm looking forward to hear (and see you beautiful photography!) more about your adventures!

Wow your hair is indeed awesome! I agree with others, looks like it's classic from the angle the photo was taken. Also, your hair is about to grow out of the frame :D

[stachelbeere]

INCREDIBLE!!!!!! I love that you call it "the cape of awesomeness" :flower:

[samanthaa]

Your hair is truly beautiful and is looking so healthy. Congrats on all-virgin. How is it possible that your hair looks even thicker when part of it is pulled up into a half-up?! *is jealous*

[Hay_jules]

Amazing change in your hair! It's beautiful. And your travels sound amazing also.

[DaveDecker]

Fabulous cape of awesomeness, indeed! :applause

[Hailwidis]

What an amazing journey your hair has been on! Congratulations, great progress. :)

[Mimha]

fiðrildi !!! :joy: :joy:

Thanks for giving us news !! I'm so happy to read from you ! :) And what news : your hair is just so fantastically healthy, shiny, wavy, silky, natural looking, LONG and BEAUTIFUL !!
:thudpile: :thudpile:


:bigeyes: Such dreamy hair !... I had not realized before to which extend your permed part was a concern to you, because I have always found your hair so natural and healthy looking. But now that it is all virgin, I can see how it really is in all its own genuine beauty, and oh my goodness... you have the most beautiful big caramel waves ever ! :cloud9: :crush: :crush:

[MidnightMoon]

It looks great ;)

[Medievalmaniac]

Are you sure that's just TBL? It looks like Classic, or very, very close, to me! Congratulations on a wonderful hair journey!

[Nymphe]

:applause What a wonderful transition from the perm. I am glad you did not cut your hair and showed it can be done. Congrats!

[hayheadsbird]

Wow! The photos showed such an incredible transformation. I was impressed with the first photo, but then comparing it to later Ines was amazing! Thank you so much for posting, I'm feeling very inspired now :)

[turtlelover]

Looks great! Congratulations!

[Zebra Fish]

Beautiful hair fiðrildi :D And love your story.

[pili]

Such gorgeous hair and such a great story! Your virgin hair really is a "cape of awesomeness!" Your current length is my goal length. I hope I can reach there as healthy as you. I too would love to hear what your current routine is like, as well as any things that helped you along the way.

[Crystawni]

Looking soooooooooo good, fiðrildi! Congrats on being a grown-again virgin, and reaching TBL! And yay for returning to update us all. Your journey has been so cool to follow, so thank you!

[Juanita]

I remember you. What a beautiful journey your hair has been on. Looks classic or very near to me too.

[Mirabele]

Amazing progress, happy healthy hair! I love your natural waves!

[cgirl]

It's very inspiring how you got your shine back! :magic:

In the picture from 2015 how many inches are left? I cannot see a demarcation line and since I'm growing out a perm myself, I'm curious where it would be approximately in time.

[Dante]

Incredible and inspiring!

[DarkChocolate]

Beautiful! It seems like totally different hair now! So shiny and smooth:)

[fiðrildi]

Thank you so much everyone, for all your kind comments :) :love:

The last pictures were taken with a wide angle lens, so the angle is a wee bit strange (I wish I was at classic already, but alas, nope!). But I have to say that I have been claiming my length goals wavy, so I'm very close to classic when straight (after washing).

All your words moved me, but I've been a bit lazy to reply to everyone. I'll try to answer some of your questions, though!


Your hair is absolutely stunning. Congrats! Has your routine changed at all?

Yes, it has! I am very neglect now. Basically, I have no routine anymore. I wash when necessary, usually every 5 to 8 days. I wash my scalp with shampoo. I alternate with Lush solid shampoo -Soak and Float-, and Alberto Balsam antioxidant blueberry (it's meant for coloured or damaged hair, but I like the smell). I have had this shampoo bottle for 7 months now, and it's still plenty of product left!
After washing my scalp, I rinse very well, and then apply lots of conditioner to the whole hair (from roots to tips). I have 3 kinds of conditioner now, that I alternate (Natural World brazilian keratin, Natural World argan oil of Morocco, and my favourite: Monoi Coconut Oil). I detangle while the hair is full of conditioner, then I bun and let the conditioner work for 5 to 10 minutes. I rinse, and then apply some Garnier Respons Mythic Olive hair mask from mid to tips. Rinse again after 3 to 5 minutes, this time with coldish water. And I let the hair air dry naturally :)

Usually after 3 days, my scalp starts to get oily, and I will avoid washing by using a bit of talcum powder on the roots (in the morning), or "No Drought" dry shampoo by Lush (only before going to bed). I will use very little product, if I use too much, my scalp will get oilier much faster.



Such gorgeous hair and such a great story! Your virgin hair really is a "cape of awesomeness!" Your current length is my goal length. I hope I can reach there as healthy as you. I too would love to hear what your current routine is like, as well as any things that helped you along the way.

I braid everyday (side english braid). That's my style 98% of the time :face:. Sometimes I will bun around the house, but very few times I will let it loose (that's one of the things I miss, but at this length it's quite unpractical).
I'm not S&D'ing anymore (I notice all my splits, I do have a lot, but I don't obsess over them). I self-microtrim when I feel I need a refresh, but I'm not following the moon calendar or anything like that anymore. Generally I stay out of scissors, I don't measure more than once a month, I fingercomb when needed.

I used to sleep with a silk bonnet before, I did notice a big improvement in the overall feel of my hair, but I'm not using it anymore. I sleep with loose hair, braided hair, or bunned hair, depending on the mood. My pillow cover is regular, but I used to have silk pillows before (and plan to come back to them). I never use any kind of heat on my hair.
And I love coconut oil :)



It's very inspiring how you got your shine back! :magic:

In the picture from 2015 how many inches are left? I cannot see a demarcation line and since I'm growing out a perm myself, I'm curious where it would be approximately in time.

The shine can be achieved by rinsing with cold water ^^.
I'm not sure how much perm was left in that picture (2015), but I guess around 20 cm? Some days the perm seemed to merge with my natural texture, but I could never predict when this would happen. I noticed that by straight combing while my hair was wet, I could manage to relax my permed part a little, if I didn't comb after washing, my curls would be more noticeable. Good luck with growing out your perm! :love:

[Aredhel]

This is such an amazing and inspiring journey, fiðrildi! I'm in complete awe. :heartbeat

[pamrlyn]

Welcome back! I'm glad you are safe & sound. your hair looks absolutely fabulous! congratulations !

:cheer:

[Vanilla]

Your waves are fabulous! Congrats on your anniversary.

[lucid]

Gorgeous hair!

[Babyfine]

Wow, great progress and awesome hair! A testimony to patience and not having to do the big chop to grow out.

[Groovy Granny]

Gorgeous ~ congrats :applause