The Long Haul...For those of us starting out with SHORT HAIR

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Hi All! I thought maybe there were a few more of you out there like me who joined this community for inspiration and advice on growing out the longest hair we have had yet! A lot of folks here have such long, gorgeous hair and I am starting out with SHORT hair, so this is going to take me a WHILE. Anyone else out there? If so, post your picture and our goal length. Lets keep each other motivated for the LONG HAUL!!

(And, if anyone can tell me how to post a picture of my own here on a thread, let me know! The only option I see is to post a picture with a URL ?)

:bottomsup:

[MeAndTheMaz]

Hi SheWhoCariesSun. :waving: Welcome TLHC.

You're right. At the moment, you can only post pictures to a photo hosting site and link to them here. After you make 25(?) posts, you should get a photo album (and access to your profile) here that you can drop them in.

Happy growing! And I'm sure we're all looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Reyesuela]

Part of my hair is MBL. The rest, though, is about an inch long. Lol. I'm regrowing a third to half my hair after I lost a lot. Much harder to track that though.

[_fred_]

I don't have any proper length pics yet, I need to get that sorted, but I'm currently just below chin length when my hair's wet, and around or just above it when dry.

How long do you think it's going to take you? (question for the OP and everyone else coming on board on this thread)

I've set in my mind I'm going to grow it out for four years and then re-evaluate. I measured a month's regrowth before I dyed my roots, and it was about average for my hair type. I should hit shoulder length later this year. If all goes to plan (and with an understanding hairdresser who won't just lob off all my regrowth when I ask for a tiny trim) I can start hoping to reach bra strap length in about two years. I'm hoping I can get to waist or thereabouts in four years. Maths says it's possible, provided my hair keeps growing at this rate and I keep looking after the length to stop it getting too damaged. I've seen progress photos on here that make me hope! So fingers crossed my plans are realistic!

Right now I'm forcing myself to let it air dry before work. I usually blow dry it straight on cool, but I want to see how air drying leaves it.

[lapushka]

Maybe you could join the shorties thread too? There's an awful lot of support there too. Just a suggestion, and mentioning that the support / thread is out there. :)

Good luck on your journey! :D

[Obsidian]

I started out with a 1" buzz cut, no pictures of it that short though. This is the length I was at when I first started using henna
http://i68.tinypic.com/5as7zp.jpg

This was last summer. I did cut some of the layers off since then but it's grown out a bit longer. I really need a new length pic.
http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0e5g6.jpg

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Obsidian, WOW what growth! Love the color too! I too have been pixie short, like a true Caesar cut in the past and the hardest part of that was growing that ultra buzzed hair out over my ears. PS I love your signature line at the bottom!! :)

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Hi _fred_ ! I think it will take me about 4-5 years. My goal is to get it waist length. Some people on this forum are going for terminal length and while that is SO tempting, I don't think I have the backbone to care for hair any longer than waist length. My only concern is that at my age, I may not be able to grow it as long as I want it. We shall see.... I'm not giving up. I'll post pictures as soon as I have my 25th post under my belt because I don't have a URL to host pictures atm...

Good Luck!

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Oh, ok! Thanks MeAndTheMaz! I don't have a photo hosting site so I will unfortunately have to wait until I get to 25 posts. For now, my Avitar piture will have to do!

[Reyesuela]

Hi _fred_ ! I think it will take me about 4-5 years. My goal is to get it waist length. Some people on this forum are going for terminal length and while that is SO tempting, I don't think I have the backbone to care for hair any longer than waist length. My only concern is that at my age, I may not be able to grow it as long as I want it. We shall see.... I'm not giving up. I'll post pictures as soon as I have my 25th post under my belt because I don't have a URL to host pictures atm...

Good Luck!

To me, the easiest lengths are below elbows to wrist. Those are all equally easy for me to care for. Once you start getting to fingertip, it's a bit more annoying to brush.

[_fred_]

Wow, Obsidian, your colour's glorious! And it's grown so much too.

SheWhoCariesSun, I've been having the same thoughts about terminal. The idea's super tempting, but I think I need to take it a step at a time and see where I get. I'm not the most patient of people! I'll be really happy to get my hair longer than shoulder length, it'll be the first time in years. Feels like it's taking forever to get there though.

I look forward to seeing pics when you can post them! I hope you won't have any problems getting the length you're after.

[*Wednesday*]

Happy growing. Treat your hair like spun gold

[goneJackal]

Welcome, SheWhoCariesSun!

I don't know if it applies, but back in 2015 I made a comparison image between when I begun and then:

http://i.imgur.com/8ePnq65.png

It took a very long time to get there because I didn't take good care of my hair. Not until 2013/2014, at least.
Today it is longer, about Tailbone Length.

I don't know if you want feedback only from people whose hair is still short, but I guess we're all together in this journey! http://www.felipesv.com/forum/k_blackhair.gif

[Sarahlabyrinth]

This was my hair length when I first found the LHC in 2012.

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/myhairphotos004.jpg

[Messyhair]

Mine is a messy growing-out-pixie right now and I'm still trying to decide on whether to keep my natural color (like I always have when growing long) or my current red dye which I'm told looks good. I do love red, but I think it would take a lot of work to dye it myself at BSL or WL... and my health is not great, so the fumes when dying probably won't help. Hmm.. y'know, I think I just made up my mind! So I'll have red tips for a while. ;)

[SheWhoCariesSun]

O..M..G...

YOU ARE SO INSPIRING!!!!

I love this, and no you don't have to have currently short hair to post here. I find it encouraging to commiserate with others who started their long hair journey with next to no hair. Your pictures are SO inspiring. Exactly what I need, and what others starting out with shorter hair want to see!!!

[SheWhoCariesSun]

I couldn't agree more! Everyone in my house thinks I've lost my mind, I'm sure but I have been treating my hair just as you suggest = like spun gold because eventually it will be that way! I have taken pretty good care of my hair except that I have colored it a lot. No lightening or anything, only covering gray. I'd let me entire head turn silver if it would, but right now I only get the sparse little gray hairs here and there. As soon as I am allowed to post good pictures, I will. Right now I'm completely abstaining from heated appliances unless I just HAVE to go out somewhere important. Then if I blow dry, its on cold; if I use any styling appliances they're on the lowest setting (which frankly doesn't do much). I can't really stand going to bed in rollers so I don't do that much. When it gets longer, simply going to bed with damp hair gently twisted up and secured on my head will enhance my naturally wavy hair into almost curly spirals for days. I can't wait for that!

I have given up shampoo all together. Cowashing only with as nearly 100% natural ingredients as I can get. A lot of coconut/jamacian black castor/baobab oil.

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Welcome, SheWhoCariesSun!

I don't know if it applies, but back in 2015 I made a comparison image between when I begun and then:

http://i.imgur.com/8ePnq65.png

It took a very long time to get there because I didn't take good care of my hair. Not until 2013/2014, at least.
Today it is longer, about Tailbone Length.

I don't know if you want feedback only from people whose hair is still short, but I guess we're all together in this journey! http://www.felipesv.com/forum/k_blackhair.gif

O..M..G...

YOU ARE SO INSPIRING!!!!

I love this, and no you don't have to have currently short hair to post here. I find it encouraging to commiserate with others who started their long hair journey with next to no hair. Your pictures are SO inspiring. Exactly what I need, and what others starting out with shorter hair want to see!!!

[SheWhoCariesSun]

This was my hair length when I first found the LHC in 2012.

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/myhairphotos004.jpg

WOW. It only took you 4 years to get it that long?? I am really feeling it now! I can do this!

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Happy growing. Treat your hair like spun gold

I couldn't agree more! Everyone in my house thinks I've lost my mind, I'm sure but I have been treating my hair just as you suggest = like spun gold because eventually it will be that way! I have taken pretty good care of my hair except that I have colored it a lot. No lightening or anything, only covering gray. I'd let me entire head turn silver if it would, but right now I only get the sparse little gray hairs here and there. As soon as I am allowed to post good pictures, I will. Right now I'm completely abstaining from heated appliances unless I just HAVE to go out somewhere important. Then if I blow dry, its on cold; if I use any styling appliances they're on the lowest setting (which frankly doesn't do much). I can't really stand going to bed in rollers so I don't do that much. When it gets longer, simply going to bed with damp hair gently twisted up and secured on my head will enhance my naturally wavy hair into almost curly spirals for days. I can't wait for that!

I have given up shampoo all together. Cowashing only with as nearly 100% natural ingredients as I can get. A lot of coconut/jamacian black castor/baobab oil.

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Mine is a messy growing-out-pixie right now and I'm still trying to decide on whether to keep my natural color (like I always have when growing long) or my current red dye which I'm told looks good. I do love red, but I think it would take a lot of work to dye it myself at BSL or WL... and my health is not great, so the fumes when dying probably won't help. Hmm.. y'know, I think I just made up my mind! So I'll have red tips for a while. ;)

Have you considered Henna?

[browneyedsusan]

Welcome!

I started short, too.
You've got this. :)

Check out this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18405). I hung out there for a couple of years, and still stalk like it's my job. :)

[goneJackal]

O..M..G...

YOU ARE SO INSPIRING!!!!

I love this, and no you don't have to have currently short hair to post here. I find it encouraging to commiserate with others who started their long hair journey with next to no hair. Your pictures are SO inspiring. Exactly what I need, and what others starting out with shorter hair want to see!!!

Thank you! http://www.felipesv.com/forum/k_vergonha2.gif I'm glad you found the pics inspiring!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

WOW. It only took you 4 years to get it that long?? I am really feeling it now! I can do this!

You can totally do it! :D I was given some advice to treat my hair as if it was very delicate antique lace. So that's what I do and my hair really appreciates it:)

[_fred_]

This was my hair length when I first found the LHC in 2012.

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/myhairphotos004.jpg

Oh my! I'm boggling over how you grew so much in five years, and such great condition. Beautiful :) Also, your hair in the before looks very similar to mine back when I let it grow virgin! This gives me hope.

[SheWhoCariesSun]

Welcome!

I started short, too.
You've got this. :)

Check out this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18405). I hung out there for a couple of years, and still stalk like it's my job. :)

Thanks!! I will definitely check it out!

[SheWhoCariesSun]

WOW! Your hair!!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Oh my! I'm boggling over how you grew so much in five years, and such great condition. Beautiful :) Also, your hair in the before looks very similar to mine back when I let it grow virgin! This gives me hope.

Just keep telling yourself you will get there. And though it doesn't seem like it at the time, the years do pass very quickly! :) Patience and gentleness are the key.

[Fallensnowwhite]

I will be going this long haul! I got a super short pixie Jan 4 this year and my dream goal length is waist and I hope to achieve this is 5 years . So I'm trying to remind myself this will be a very long haul of patience. I am almost never using heat, will not dye and will only micro trim when needed. I did the big chop after being so mean to my hair and bleaching excessively in a short period of time and years of high daily heat damage. Just in the 2 or so months since this I have noticed quick healthy growth and I'm hoping the keep the momentum. Everyone on here is so inspiring and so helpful! I'm sure we can all help each other keep the frustration of growing hair out away! Happy growing! I would have posted a picture of my current short length but I posted them on the monthly length project from my pc and am too lazy to figure out how to do it with my phone haha.

[unheardletters]

I got a super short cut (and some areas were buzzed) in April 2015. I'm now shoulder length unstretched and apl when stretched. I did have two cuts in there of several inches to even things out. Last time I was at waist length it only took me 1.5 years to get there from a super short cut with a few trims. My hair doesn't grow as fast as it did it when I was in my 20s.

[_fred_]

Just keep telling yourself you will get there. And though it doesn't seem like it at the time, the years do pass very quickly! :) Patience and gentleness are the key.

Thank you :) That's a very good point.