8 years at LHC & beyond floor length hair!

[gossamer]

Hello all!

I've been very quiet on the boards for the past few years, so I'm sure that there are many of you I haven't met. Hello! :waving: I'm Gossamer and my hair reaches past floor length. Here are my previous anniversary threads: 3 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=111748), 4 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=121835), 5 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=130821), 6 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=137282), 7 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=142422).

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31228&d=1523314958

How long is my hair? :shrug: Dunno, haven't actually measured in ages now!

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31229&d=1523315038

It's a little hard to believe I've been on LHC for 8 years now. I've gotten to know so many interesting people and even met some of you in person too! This past year I've had the pleasure of meeting up with a group here in Colorado in summer 2017 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=143508), and also with neko_kawaii, Yozhik & PraiseCheeses at incredibly fun mini-meets in fall.

There is a tendency I've noticed that many (but not all) of the super long haired members of LHC go rather quiet once they get to extreme lengths. I think part of that is that we've figured out our routines and aren't experimenting much anymore, and that many fancy styles stop working for many (again, not all) of us, so experiments there are limited too. Also, I know that hair like mine isn't really everyone's preference, as thin and fairy-taled as my ends are, so I am not trying to recommend myself as an example since few people would want hair like this, so my advice is probably limited in utility.

Since I realize that I'm probably a stranger to many of you active on the boards now, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Meanwhile, here are a couple more pictures, and you can always find more of me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gossycrafts/). (Please excuse the terrible lighting in these anniversary shots, I took them all in the 10 minutes I had during my bus transfer on my way home this afternoon.)

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31226&d=1523313810

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31227&d=1523314924

[divinedobbie]

I remember you and I hear whispers of your name around this forum :D. Stopping by to say that your hair is drop dead gorgeous and in my eyes, even the ends look fantastic -my hair is that thick at it's best. Also, I love your style!!

[lithostoic]

Looking great as always! Congrats on another year.

[longinthehair]

Awesome! Always inspirational!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Yay - you did it, another great anniversary post! You are absolutely an inspiration to me, beyond any doubt :thudpile: There have been many times when I have thought about cutting and I have told myself that Gossamer hasn't, so I don't need to, either :)

Yes I think often that the longhairs who have worked out a routine and are just doing the benign neglect thing, eventually run out of topics to discuss here....which is a shame, but there you go. Any way, I'm so glad you did make another anniversary post here, and a whole lot of newbies are going to be delighted to see your hair :) Happy 8th Hairiversary!!! :happydance:

[Wendyp]

Gorgeous! And inpirational!

[Glitch]

My goodness, your hair is amazing! Your braid doesn't even taper until much later! And to think that you started around BSL and made it this far with such great hair health :D Congratulations :heartbeat

Adding on: I actually believe many people would be happy to have hair like yours! I know I would. Even though my goal is much shorter at hip length, it's hair health and beautiful, very long tresses like yours which inspire me to go even longer (though I cannot, for my own life's practical reasons -can't do updos for long without headaches- but still)! Your hair is simply great.

[prairie lark]

Hello all!

I'm Gossamer and my hair reaches past floor length.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31228&d=1523314958

few people would want hair like this, so my advice is probably limited in utility.


Congrats!
Your braid is absolutely my goal; I'll take your ends anytime! Your videos are very helpful, too. Thanks for taking the time to make them.

Oh, and your cat! :crush:

[Addy]

Hair goals! Wow... you are not only stunningly beautiful but your hair is gorgeous too!

[neko_kawaii]

Love your backdrop!

[Blue Mermaid]

Your hair color is similar to my natural, which I am considering growing out. How inspirational to see what my hair may look like fully grown out! (Though my texture is more coarse). Your hair is gorgeous. :thud: That is all.

[DweamGoiL]

Congratulations on the anniversary, Gossamer! You are a long hair inspiration :)

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I think it’s very important for long hairs like yourself to stay active.
Even if they can’t experiment much anymore, we need y’all to stick around.
Because it’s users like you that inspire us! :o)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I think it’s very important for long hairs like yourself to stay active.
Even if they can’t experiment much anymore, we need y’all to stick around.
Because it’s users like you that inspire us! :o)

This is very, very, VERY true! :D

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

This is very, very, VERY true! :D

Not to mention the fact that the “older” members tend to have a lot more knowledge!
I’ve gotten solid advice from long hairs with more experience and experimenting under their belt.

[EdG]

Happy anniversary, gossamer! :hifive:

The photos may have been taken while you were waiting for the bus, but they look like a photoshoot. :thudpile:
Ed

[Rowdy]

Happy anniversary! Those are beautiful photos. I love your style, especially your eyewear and footwear. I ended up getting a pair of the Glider frames you posted about on IG this time last year and they are my favorite :)

[pili]

Congratulations, Gossamer! I love your cat photos...the hair is beautiful too!!. :P

[AutobotsAttack]

Yay! Gossamer!!!

Glad to see you pop in again!

I’m always waiting for you to put up more YouTube videos. Awesome hair as always

[Beckstar]

Gorgeous and inspiring as always!!

[C_Bookworm]

Wowza! Your hair is fabulous, and I love your style in general. So lovely and singular :crush:

[gossamer]

Thank you lithostoic, longinthehair, Wendyp, Addy, neko_kawaii, Blue Mermaid, DreamGoiL, EdG, pili, Beckstar, & C_Bookworm!


Yay - you did it, another great anniversary post! You are absolutely an inspiration to me, beyond any doubt :thudpile: There have been many times when I have thought about cutting and I have told myself that Gossamer hasn't, so I don't need to, either
Yes I think often that the longhairs who have worked out a routine and are just doing the benign neglect thing, eventually run out of topics to discuss here....which is a shame, but there you go. Any way, I'm so glad you did make another anniversary post here, and a whole lot of newbies are going to be delighted to see your hair :) Happy 8th Hairiversary!!!

Benign neglect is awfully easy but it's awfully boring too! :p


My goodness, your hair is amazing! Your braid doesn't even taper until much later! And to think that you started around BSL and made it this far with such great hair health :D Congratulations :heartbeat
Adding on: I actually believe many people would be happy to have hair like yours! I know I would. Even though my goal is much shorter at hip length, it's hair health and beautiful, very long tresses like yours which inspire me to go even longer (though I cannot, for my own life's practical reasons -can't do updos for long without headaches- but still)! Your hair is simply great.

I should probably note that I wasn't at BSL when I joined 8 years ago - I was actually at almost-knee back then. BSL marks where I had a HUGE cut when I was 13 years old (ages ago now) and after that worked to actually maintain the health of my hair. I wasn't always steadily growing it out from then on, but it was my starting point.


Congrats!
Your braid is absolutely my goal; I'll take your ends anytime! Your videos are very helpful, too. Thanks for taking the time to make them.
Oh, and your cat!

My cats are pretty hilarious creatures. Never boring when they pop up! I'm really glad to hear that you've found my videos helpful too. :crush:


I think it’s very important for long hairs like yourself to stay active.
Even if they can’t experiment much anymore, we need y’all to stick around.
Because it’s users like you that inspire us!

I think for me I don't stop the by the forum frequently enough to be the first to offer any useful advice. By the time I notice a thread, all the necessary advice has been given. :p


Happy anniversary! Those are beautiful photos. I love your style, especially your eyewear and footwear. I ended up getting a pair of the Glider frames you posted about on IG this time last year and they are my favorite

That's so cool that we have the same glasses frames (among our others, haha). Mine actually broke about a month and a half ago, but that website is so good that since it was within a year of my purchase, I got a new pair just for the $7 that shipping them to me cost. Hooray for internet glasses!


Yay! Gossamer!!!
Glad to see you pop in again!
I’m always waiting for you to put up more YouTube videos. Awesome hair as always

I am fresh out of video ideas (and have been for coming up on two years now :eek:)! Any ideas? Glad to crowdsource inspiration for my next video!


I remember you and I hear whispers of your name around this forum :D. Stopping by to say that your hair is drop dead gorgeous and in my eyes, even the ends look fantastic -my hair is that thick at it's best. Also, I love your style!!

Awww, thanks! It's funny, I was looking at these photos and actually thinking how the clothes I'm wearing today are not really up to what I'd usually hope for - I think the slacks are so low rise that tucking the shirt into them puts a line across my torso at a place that isn't quite correct given my proportions. It seemed like a good idea when I was cold and leaving home in a snow flurry this morning, but I probably should have chosen a blouse that didn't need to be tucked instead. (Haha yes that's how much I can overthink about how I dress, and how if I'm tired I just end up wearing a black dress. Super simple!)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Benign neglect can be boring... but Hair Toys help! ::p

[gossamer]

Benign neglect can be boring... but Hair Toys help! ::p

:lol: I taught one of my classes today with my braided nautilus held together with a red pen since the stick I went to work with wasn't holding well enough. I'm definitely a little hair tool challenged. My favorite sticks from ReDoodle can't go out in the rain/snow we were so lucky to have when I left home this morning!

[Groovy Granny]

Good to see you ~ gorgeous as always :crush:

Congrats :applause

[Dark40]

Hi! I remember you too. I've seen and heard of you on here, and I've also seen you on www.youtube.com

Congratulations on 8 years of hair growth reaching past floor length! Your hair is gorgeous as always. I am hoping to reach that length someday soon. Stay connected!

[chiapommama]

Gorgeous hair!

[Flowerness]

You have beautiful hair! Thank you for sharing such awesome photos! Great job- such an inspiration!

[Ligeia Noire]

Gossamer found you a couple of years ago on youtube, still thanking you every time I use my gigantic Upins!

Your hair is magnificent, you are beautiful and I can only hope I can reach your length. Congratulations!

[Glitch]

I should probably note that I wasn't at BSL when I joined 8 years ago - I was actually at almost-knee back then. BSL marks where I had a HUGE cut when I was 13 years old (ages ago now) and after that worked to actually maintain the health of my hair. I wasn't always steadily growing it out from then on, but it was my starting point.

Ooh yes, I saw your photos earlier :) Nonetheless, it is still an amazing feat! :o

[valkyrie90]

I remembered watching your videos on youtube and thinking how can one grow her hair so gorgeous and long. I might never get to grow my hair as long as yours or even close but your hair always inspires me to take care of mine. Can't thank you enough for that. Keep it up , gossamer. <3.

[Otempura]

Your hair is absolutely stunning, so much length and a beautiful color! Congrats on that, I am in so much envy!

[AutobotsAttack]

Hmmm....

Well seeing as you’ve explained what you do and don’t do for your hair, and you explaining how braided styles offer you less tangling, i would love to see your easy, quick braided nautilus, braided LWB, Gibson braids, braided infinity bun, braided anything else. Lol

If your hair allows you to of course. If that’s a gateway for more tangles then of course there’s no need.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Also it would be lovely to see your hair loose, the full length. Also a Nautilus bun and an Infinity bun. If your hair is willing.

[Estrid]

Congrats on your 8th year here! Your hair is absolutely gorgeous, and while I myself might not grow my hair to that length, you're still an inspiration :o

[Borgessa]

Geez can't be a year already, I rmr commenting on your last one, and that feels like just the other day :) Gorgeous as always Gossamer :)

[Katsura]

Beautiful, an ocean of hair. :)

[Stray_mind]

Cogratulations. Your hair looks beautiful :)

[Of the Fae]

Gorgeous hair. You're definitely an inspiration to me! I might not grow past floor (perhaps I'm not even able to due to terminal), but knowing that you have been able to- that gives me hope to reach perhaps knee or calf. I greatly admire your braid as well.

[zanelle]

Hello all!

I've been very quiet on the boards for the past few years, so I'm sure that there are many of you I haven't met. Hello! :waving: I'm Gossamer and my hair reaches past floor length.
Hi, happy you talked :) Love your hair!

How long is my hair? :shrug: Dunno, haven't actually measured in ages now!
Wish I had this problem, lol.

It's a little hard to believe I've been on LHC for 8 years now. I've gotten to know so many interesting people and even met some of you in person too!
It's easy for you girls, you mostly live in the US. Us in Europe are all over the place. For me being on the forum with all of you feels like a kind of happy territory where we can meet and talk.


There is a tendency I've noticed that many (but not all) of the super long haired members of LHC go rather quiet once they get to extreme lengths. I think part of that is that we've figured out our routines and aren't experimenting much anymore, and that many fancy styles stop working for many (again, not all) of us, so experiments there are limited too.
That is a pitty. Everytime I see a pic of the long haired girls here it makes me really happy, I could watch long hair pics for hours :) In fact this is one of the reasons I love browsing profiles in search for long hair pics and styles.

Also, I know that hair like mine isn't really everyone's preference, as thin and fairy-taled as my ends are, so I am not trying to recommend myself as an example since few people would want hair like this, so my advice is probably limited in utility.
We are all different. I am sure many women that have the same hair type as yours would love to see how their hair can look like longer.
I am sure I would love to see a very long 2a, m, ii type. So I am definitely sure lots of women would benefit from this.
In fact, I think it would be a great idea if we had threads for this: say, 1c hair goals, long hair in pics or such, pretty much for every type.

Since I realize that I'm probably a stranger to many of you active on the boards now, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
So many things to ask, but I am sure we will have plenty of time :). How many times did you trim your hair in 8 years? How do you dry it? What oils do you use?

[Milady_DeWinter]

So beautiful!!! You inspire me a lot! :D

[pailin]

Thank you for posting another anniversary thread, Gossamer! It's very encouraging for those of us with much less epic lengths.

[Waveurly]

Amazing! Love your hair! I've seen your videos on youtube as well and you're definitely an inspiration, would love to have a similar hair length one day!

[embee]

Happy Anniversary, gossamer! Great pics, great hair, very inspiring. :)

You are so right about "not having so much to say' after a certain point. I'm at term - nowhere near your length, but that's genetics for you! - and my routine has been the same for years now, minimal and boring, benign neglect all the way.

Thank you for posting, have a lovely Year #9!

[Stagecoach]

I remember you! Such stunning hair as always.

[lapushka]

Awesome update, gossamer. :) It's always nice to see you when you visit. I'm glad you didn't cut back to knee (yet). Still enjoying, floor? :)

In any case I have taken the inspiration seriously and am growing to thigh this year for the first time. :D

I'm of the mind that you can be *very* useful once past a certain length and with your routine staying the same. Newer members are always looking for good advice here, and who better to learn from, right? :o

[ravenskey]

:thudpile::thudpile::thudpile:
Wow, your hair is amazing!
It's so inspiring.

[Alissalocks]

Hey gossamer! I've seen you around, happy anniversary and glad to hear your voice! I think it was you who first recommended BioSilk (on the forums or on a video?), & I think of your hair when I grab my bottle of it. :love:

I doubt I have enough hair to grow to your lengths (one strand of your braid base looks like the entire 3-strands of my own hair) but it's nice to see it can be done... feeling inspired!

[spitfire511]

goassamer!! So happy to see your beautiful tresses (and face!) Your avatar has LONG been a favorite - so glad you made time to stop in! :joy:

It seems like a lot of us old-timers wander in and out - I'm not even at anything approaching an impressive length but, like you, I know my hair and routine and just am now coming back for the community again - so always nice to see a very familiar face - be ye not a stranger please!

[Saige]

Congratulations gossamer! Your hair is spectacular!

[gossamer]

Good morning! It was so nice to wake up to all these lovely comments!

Thank you Dark40, chiapommama, Flowerness, Ligeia Noire, valkyrie90, Otempura, Estrid, Borgessa, Katsura, Stray_mind, Of the Fae, Milady_DeWinter, pailin, Waveurly, embee, Stagecoach, ravenskey, spitfire511, & Saige!



Hmmm....

Well seeing as you’ve explained what you do and don’t do for your hair, and you explaining how braided styles offer you less tangling, i would love to see your easy, quick braided nautilus, braided LWB, Gibson braids, braided infinity bun, braided anything else. Lol

If your hair allows you to of course. If that’s a gateway for more tangles then of course there’s no need.

This is where I think my philosophy about making videos perhaps gets in the way of the ones you want to see. Aren't there already videos on youtube for how to make a braided nautilus? And braided LWB? (Also, I'm sorry but I don't know what a Gibson braid is!! See, I'm bad at this long hair stuff and have gotten very boring at my length! I also don't know how to do an infinity bun.) Then I wonder what am I really adding to youtube and the long hair community of the internet if there is already a video that teaches such a thing, right?


Also it would be lovely to see your hair loose, the full length. Also a Nautilus bun and an Infinity bun. If your hair is willing.

Sigh, but any video where I'm just showing off my length like that isn't actually instructive or helpful for anyone, and that's about the only way I can justify making videos. Though I know that the vast majority of people watching my videos are older men (the youtube stats are super clear on this), at least I want to attempt not to make videos specifically catering to their puerile interests. So yeah, no public bun drop videos ever, for example. I am pretty sure I did a nautilus bun in my last video two years ago where I was showing how quick and easy styles can be even at my length. (This video was not just kind of cool, it is also part of my larger argument against the same dudes who want to praise me for putting up with the incredible difficulty and suffering I must go through to grow hair out for their consumption... long hair isn't always difficult and fixation on its difficulty is misplaced.




It's easy for you girls, you mostly live in the US. Us in Europe are all over the place. For me being on the forum with all of you feels like a kind of happy territory where we can meet and talk.
...
So many things to ask, but I am sure we will have plenty of time :). How many times did you trim your hair in 8 years? How do you dry it? What oils do you use?

Well, it's not that easy to meet up. The US is way too huge! Most of the mini-meets I have had are because I travel for work, and when I'm in an unfamiliar city far from home it's fun to find which LHC members live close by and I can get coffee or lunch with. Even the closest members in my area are 45min-1hr drive away from me, I think! (And I'm really bad at reaching out to plan meetups, sorry friends!)

If I had to estimate, since joining LHC I trimmed my hair maybe 10 times? I have not trimmed at all since April 2013, just cut split ends sometimes when I notice them. As for oils, I had a bottle of argan oil since last year that I sometimes used on my ends or in deep treatments, but it ran out a while ago and I keep forgetting to replace it. My routine is really about as simple and boring as possible!


Awesome update, gossamer. :) It's always nice to see you when you visit. I'm glad you didn't cut back to knee (yet). Still enjoying, floor? :)

In any case I have taken the inspiration seriously and am growing to thigh this year for the first time. :D

I'm of the mind that you can be *very* useful once past a certain length and with your routine staying the same. Newer members are always looking for good advice here, and who better to learn from, right? :o

"Enjoying" would be putting it a bit too strongly, I guess. I'm not sure when I last "enjoyed" my hair. It's there, it's manageable, and I keep procrastinating on cutting it because I am busy, this routine is easy, and I probably fear change a bit too. I hope that as you grow out to thigh you find it easier this time! I know you've said before that anything past classic is really difficult for you and "too long," but maybe your routine is switching up a bit to manage?


Hey gossamer! I've seen you around, happy anniversary and glad to hear your voice! I think it was you who first recommended BioSilk (on the forums or on a video?), & I think of your hair when I grab my bottle of it. :love:

I doubt I have enough hair to grow to your lengths (one strand of your braid base looks like the entire 3-strands of my own hair) but it's nice to see it can be done... feeling inspired!
Hmmm, no that wasn't me! I don't even know what BioSilk is! Sounds expensive and my hair routine uses exclusively cheap products. Glad it works for you, however!

[nycelle]

WOW :thud:
Awesome hair..

[zanelle]

I have not trimmed at all since April 2013, just cut split ends sometimes when I notice them.
Wow, hold on, what? Heard that Lapushka? Maybe we need a new thread, say no trim 5 years!
2013-2018 - no trims? 5 years just S&D? Coolest thing I've read today!
Ok, so last time I trimmed was 2016, June if I remember correctly. (I was not hair journaling at that time)
So I signed up to Lapushka's No trim 2018 thread and also 2019 no trim thread.
Here's a new challenge for me!
Love challenges! No trim 2021 it is!
Totally mean it.
Also, I think I got bitten by the knee length bug too, lol, what a little monkey I am :pray:

[neko_kawaii]

LOL, Gossamer, your red pen reminds me that I have a waterproof piece that is way too big for me and I'm saving for you the next time you make it near me. *bribe*

[lapushka]

"Enjoying" would be putting it a bit too strongly, I guess. I'm not sure when I last "enjoyed" my hair. It's there, it's manageable, and I keep procrastinating on cutting it because I am busy, this routine is easy, and I probably fear change a bit too. I hope that as you grow out to thigh you find it easier this time! I know you've said before that anything past classic is really difficult for you and "too long," but maybe your routine is switching up a bit to manage?

Yeah, I *totally* understand; that is how I felt when I was classic for a year, I ended up cutting back to hip and regretting it very soon after. So do be careful with cutting back! And rather go bit by bit instead of skipping a few milestones. Yes, it is really quite a chore past classic, but I am *so* determined this time around! :D No, my routine is still the same, but I sort of look at my hair differently. I no longer mind having to put a claw clip in at night to go to the toilet at night. Which... classic was my cut-off point for so many things, toilet visits, and just getting it washed. But this time around I think I am at a much better place. I am going to be hitting classic again this June, and I'm also no-trimming, so I might go towards thigh even at the end of the year. :)

It's so nice to talk to you again! :D

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Congratulations:thudpile:
It's lovely another year has passed and you are still growing. You are an awesome inspiration. Thank you for sharing. Keep enjoying your adventure with long hair.

[Xan]

Very beautiful hair Gossamer a hair idol to many of us on here. Super cool such an achevement. Hopefully I can get close someday.;)

[AutobotsAttack]

I see. I didn’t mean to come across as someone who wants you to teach how to do a style. I can learn a style from many ladies online. When I suggested those styles I had presumed you knew them, which is my mistake. I suggested those styles under the context of just wanting to see your hair and how unique it is.

You could add the same video, back to back and I’d still watch it lol. I don’t think there’s a demand for freshness, or variety. At least not from me concerning you and the content you put on TLHC and YouTube. Sorry if I made it seem that way.

[pandabarrier]

gossamer, thanks for sharing these photos, I think your hair and the photos look great!

[gossamer]

Thank you nycelle, Xan, & pandabarrier!


Wow, hold on, what? Heard that Lapushka? Maybe we need a new thread, say no trim 5 years!
2013-2018 - no trims? 5 years just S&D? Coolest thing I've read today!
Ok, so last time I trimmed was 2016, June if I remember correctly. (I was not hair journaling at that time)
So I signed up to Lapushka's No trim 2018 thread and also 2019 no trim thread.
Here's a new challenge for me!
Love challenges! No trim 2021 it is!
Totally mean it.
Also, I think I got bitten by the knee length bug too, lol, what a little monkey I am :pray:

Haha, oops, I didn't mean to start a thing! The decision not to trim in 2013 was mostly because I assumed that when I got to floor, I'd immediately cut and I was getting really impatient when I was at mid-calf. (This pic was taken probably a month or two after my last trim (https://i.imgur.com/MiIALaV.jpg)) Turns out that right about the time I got to floor length with the longest little bits of my hair, I figured out some coping mechanisms and my hair mostly became easy again, so I haven't been in such a hurry to cut it since then. I know that I could have made my ends much nicer looking again if I had even a once yearly trim of 1" (although for the last 5" of my hair there really isn't much there at all), but I somehow keep stubbornly/lazily resisting this!


LOL, Gossamer, your red pen reminds me that I have a waterproof piece that is way too big for me and I'm saving for you the next time you make it near me. *bribe*

Ooooooooooooooooo I mean, there are so many reasons I'd love to head back down to your area (and this time to your area for real, not the lesser city & rival school nearish you) and this just adds to that even more!


Yeah, I *totally* understand; that is how I felt when I was classic for a year, I ended up cutting back to hip and regretting it very soon after. So do be careful with cutting back! And rather go bit by bit instead of skipping a few milestones. Yes, it is really quite a chore past classic, but I am *so* determined this time around! :D No, my routine is still the same, but I sort of look at my hair differently. I no longer mind having to put a claw clip in at night to go to the toilet at night. Which... classic was my cut-off point for so many things, toilet visits, and just getting it washed. But this time around I think I am at a much better place. I am going to be hitting classic again this June, and I'm also no-trimming, so I might go towards thigh even at the end of the year. :)

It's so nice to talk to you again! :D

So glad to hear you're in a better place this time with growing out! I don't think I'd cut much more than to mid-calf/low knee, but who knows? I guess I could just go back to ankle first?


I see. I didn’t mean to come across as someone who wants you to teach how to do a style. I can learn a style from many ladies online. When I suggested those styles I had presumed you knew them, which is my mistake. I suggested those styles under the context of just wanting to see your hair and how unique it is.

You could add the same video, back to back and I’d still watch it lol. I don’t think there’s a demand for freshness, or variety. At least not from me concerning you and the content you put on TLHC and YouTube. Sorry if I made it seem that way.

Oh no, I really need to apologize for being unclear! :flower: Reading my response to you again now, I notice that since I wrote it actually after I'd replied to Sarahlabyrinth below my reply to you, it makes more sense to read them together. What I meant was that my personal philosophy regarding the videos I make for Youtube can be best described as wanting my videos to be useful and helpful for anyone who watches them. So while I appreciate your suggestions, I don't actually know if YouTube really needs one more braided nautilus video, since making videos only for the purpose of people admiring my hair makes me a little uncomfortable (because unlike with LHC photo albums, there's no way I can limit it to a narrow community, and it's definitely not moderated the way our community is here... you should see some of the creepy dude messages I got back when I was active around there shudder:.) So the issue with freshness and variety is totally not something that you suggested at all (I've discovered that the weirdos generally find my information-giving and tutorial based videos far less interesting, which is fine by me!!), it's actually my own issue and why I've reached kind of a dead end in figuring out what new videos I might be able to make! Really sorry for the confusion!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Thank you nycelle, Xan, & pandabarrier!



Haha, oops, I didn't mean to start a thing! The decision not to trim in 2013 was mostly because I assumed that when I got to floor, I'd immediate cut and I was getting really impatient when I was at mid-calf. (This pic was taken probably a month or two after my last trim (https://i.imgur.com/MiIALaVb.jpg)) Turns out that right about the time I got to floor length with the longest little bits of my hair, I figured out some coping mechanisms and my hair mostly became easy again, so I haven't been in such a hurry to cut it since then. I know that I could have made my ends much nicer looking again if I had even a once yearly trim of 1" (although for the last 5" of my hair there really isn't much there at all), but I somehow keep stubbornly/lazily resisting this!



Ooooooooooooooooo I mean, there are so many reasons I'd love to head back town to your area (and this time to your area for real, not the lesser city & rival school nearish you) and this just adds to that even more!



So glad to hear you're in a better place this time with growing out! I don't think I'd cut much more than to mid-calf/low knee, but who knows? I guess I could just go back to ankle first?



Oh no, I really need to apologize for being unclear! :flower: Reading my response to you again now, I notice that since I wrote it actually after I'd replied to Sarahlabyrinth below my reply to you, it makes more sense to read them together. What I meant was that my personal philosophy regarding the videos I make for Youtube can be best described as wanting my videos to be useful and helpful for anyone who watches them. So while I appreciate your suggestions, I don't actually know if YouTube really needs one more braided nautilus video, since making videos only for the purpose of people admiring my hair makes me a little uncomfortable (because unlike with LHC photo albums, there's no way I can limit it to a narrow community, and it's definitely not moderated the way our community is here... you should see some of the creepy dude messages I got back when I was active around there shudder:.) So the issue with freshness and variety is totally not something that you suggested at all (I've discovered that the weirdos generally find my information-giving and tutorial based videos far less interesting, which is fine by me!!), it's actually my own issue and why I've reached kind of a dead end in figuring out what new videos I might be able to make! Really sorry for the confusion!

I'm wondering if it is possible to just put videos on here rather than on YT, and thus avoid the creep factor? I don't know. I wouldn't want you do do anything you didn't feel comfortable with, absolutely not :flower:

[AutobotsAttack]

Ahh I see. That makes sense. Yea YouTube creeps seem to be everywhere. But either way, whatever is comfortable for you would be best.

[Shorty89]

I remember you/your name :) Your hair looks gorgeous and while not everyone wants floor length hair, I'm sure we all love to oogle yours. :P

[NightSister]

Your fairy tail ends are gorgeous! Congrats on the milestone and thank you for being an inspiration to us :)

[lunalocks]

Hello, hair ends twin! Thanks for the update. Great pics. Gorgeous hair, as always.

[tangocurl]

Gorgeous! It suits you so well, and I dig the outfit and photography! The light shows off your color and shine!

Such lengths are hard for me to conceptualize, since for lots of well-documented reasons I have never been longer than BSL and my goal is merely at waist, but I can see that it is still quite a bit in 8 years. Like, if I visualize that amount of growth at my current length and 8 years, my hair would be quite long. I'm heat-free since January 1 and am babying my ends. I love inspiration like this.

[lapushka]

So glad to hear you're in a better place this time with growing out! I don't think I'd cut much more than to mid-calf/low knee, but who knows? I guess I could just go back to ankle first?

Thank you so much gossamer! :D

Yes go slowly, don't skip milestones. If there's one thing my classic to hip "adventure" taught me, it's that! My fault, though, because my mom went slowly, and I told her to keep cutting. :o

[Guitargod]

Amazing hair:) That's definitely dedication.

[Ophidian]

It’s really good to see you around these parts again Gossamer :). I love your hair and the fairytaling ends. I’ve always had blunt ends when it wa long (relatively speaking) in the past, but hair like yours inspired me to just let it grow a bit wild and I’m happy I did.

Because I started with very short hair, I definitely threw myself into routines and hair toys i.e. things I have some control over, unlike hair growth, to pass the time. I do feel like I’ve slowly started settling into more benign neglect having found a good routine and gained enough length to put it up more easily, so I can see how over time the desire to always be changing or trying out new things might tend to lessen. I do have a few questions for you, if you feel like answering them (and apologies if you already did!):
1) How have your hair’s needs changed as you grew from BSL to beyond floor? That’s probably a very broad questions but just curious what occurs to you as the biggest change(s) you had to make to accommodate more length.
2) A bit related.... how do you handle your hair on a day to day basis now? Do you tend to redo styles everyday or is it easier for you to do something like keep the same braid in for a length of time and bun that when you want it up, or something similar? What styles are easiest/most comfortable for you now?

No pressure to answer, just a relative newbie’s curiousity about a day in the life of a super long hair :flower:

[spidermom]

I'm glad you did an anniversary thread after all! You have a rare and beautiful thing there; thanks for sharing it.

[ursaV]

2) A bit related.... how do you handle your hair on a day to day basis now? Do you tend to redo styles everyday or is it easier for you to do something like keep the same braid in for a length of time and bun that when you want it up, or something similar? What styles are easiest/most comfortable for you now?

No pressure to answer, just a relative newbie’s curiousity about a day in the life of a super long hair :flower:

Seconding this! I'm a newbie too and I am so curious about the opposite end of the hair spectrum :eek:
Your hair is really beautiful, the color and flow is sublime. Fairytaled ends are actually my preference, they have a sort of romantic vibe. Which is good because I just know I'll end up with them judging from my progress so far. I am also amazed that you took those photos in 10 minutes, I can't pose that well even with professional help!

[gossamer]

Thanks Sarahlabyrinth & AutobotsAttack - it's definitely something I need to think more about. I wonder if there are any changes in my routine or a kind of Q&A style video I might do with things I haven't answered yet... *ponders*

Thanks also to Shorty89, Nightsister, lunalocks (hi twin!! :waving:), guitargod, and spidermom for your kind comments as well!


It’s really good to see you around these parts again Gossamer :). I love your hair and the fairytaling ends. I’ve always had blunt ends when it wa long (relatively speaking) in the past, but hair like yours inspired me to just let it grow a bit wild and I’m happy I did.

Because I started with very short hair, I definitely threw myself into routines and hair toys i.e. things I have some control over, unlike hair growth, to pass the time. I do feel like I’ve slowly started settling into more benign neglect having found a good routine and gained enough length to put it up more easily, so I can see how over time the desire to always be changing or trying out new things might tend to lessen. I do have a few questions for you, if you feel like answering them (and apologies if you already did!):
1) How have your hair’s needs changed as you grew from BSL to beyond floor? That’s probably a very broad questions but just curious what occurs to you as the biggest change(s) you had to make to accommodate more length.
2) A bit related.... how do you handle your hair on a day to day basis now? Do you tend to redo styles everyday or is it easier for you to do something like keep the same braid in for a length of time and bun that when you want it up, or something similar? What styles are easiest/most comfortable for you now?

No pressure to answer, just a relative newbie’s curiousity about a day in the life of a super long hair :flower:

Happy to try and answer these questions! Now, BSL was 20 years ago for me, so you'll have to bear with me as I try to remember what that was like. I think that from BSL to BCL I was able to wear it down or in a half-up fairly regularly, but usually just had it in a bun or braid since it was hot almost all year round where I lived. After that, it got a bit more complicated, but I would still do so on occasion. Usually it was just in a braid or weird knotted bun-type thing (this was still very much pre LHC for me). My favorite style back then when I had the time was something I'd learned from Dreamweaver Braiding (is that site even still around?) with two french braids and one coiled up tight to bun with the other wrapped around it more loosely. I guess I stopped being able to do that style by the time I got to mid-thigh length - french & dutch braids generally take too much time for me to detangle now and aren't really worth the hassle anyway since I'll just bun the braid and then the bun itself will hide most of the sectioning.

I guess steadily I have been able to do fewer and fewer styles as my length has grown. I have slightly wavy hair so it likes to make friends with itself. Many of the ultra long hairs like arc691 have much smoother straight hair, so someone like her is able to do amazing complex braids, whereas if I try them I just end up in a snarl and have to start cutting out little tangled mats.

As for the day to day now, let's just go through an average day. I wake up with my hair in a sleep braid. If I am not going to work, I'll probably just throw that braid up into a braided nautilus bun for the day (or at least until I have to go out somewhere and look presentable - the gym or the grocery store are not one of those places). If I have work, I take my braid down, detangle if necessary, and either rebraid it for a faux crown or braided nautilus, or bun it in a cinnabun (with front twists) or make a simplified Elling woman bun. I guess there maybe are other options but I'm usually rushing to catch the bus in the morning so I don't try to go too complicated. When I get home, eventually I'll take the bun out, detangle, and braid for sleep. If I left my hair in a braid for more than a day it would look awful - with wavy hairs they all stick out and make it look really frayed and unpresentable. Also, the more sheds that collect in a braid, the harder it will be for me to get them out when it finally comes to detangling them. Does that make sense? I hope that helps answer your questions!


Thank you so much gossamer! :D

Yes go slowly, don't skip milestones. If there's one thing my classic to hip "adventure" taught me, it's that! My fault, though, because my mom went slowly, and I told her to keep cutting. :o

I'll definitely keep your experience in mind, thanks for sharing it!


Gorgeous! It suits you so well, and I dig the outfit and photography! The light shows off your color and shine!

Such lengths are hard for me to conceptualize, since for lots of well-documented reasons I have never been longer than BSL and my goal is merely at waist, but I can see that it is still quite a bit in 8 years. Like, if I visualize that amount of growth at my current length and 8 years, my hair would be quite long. I'm heat-free since January 1 and am babying my ends. I love inspiration like this.

Oh, I should point out again that I didn't join LHC with BSL hair - it's when I consider I started growing my hair out with healthy-ish habits (much better than they had been before). When I joined LHC 8 years ago my hair was already almost knee length!

[gossamer]

Seconding this! I'm a newbie too and I am so curious about the opposite end of the hair spectrum :eek:
Your hair is really beautiful, the color and flow is sublime. Fairytaled ends are actually my preference, they have a sort of romantic vibe. Which is good because I just know I'll end up with them judging from my progress so far. I am also amazed that you took those photos in 10 minutes, I can't pose that well even with professional help!

Haha, thanks! I've gotten really good over the years at finding something to balance my camera/phone on, setting the self timer, and then taking 50-100 photos super quickly to get the 5-6 that look good. This time I had my phone balanced on an old wooden fence!

See above for my comment to Ophidian's question - if you want any clarification I'm happy to explain more!

[Dark40]

Good morning! It was so nice to wake up to all these lovely comments!

Thank you Dark40, chiapommama, Flowerness, Ligeia Noire, valkyrie90, Otempura, Estrid, Borgessa, Katsura, Stray_mind, Of the Fae, Milady_DeWinter, pailin, Waveurly, embee, Stagecoach, ravenskey, spitfire511, & Saige!




This is where I think my philosophy about making videos perhaps gets in the way of the ones you want to see. Aren't there already videos on youtube for how to make a braided nautilus? And braided LWB? (Also, I'm sorry but I don't know what a Gibson braid is!! See, I'm bad at this long hair stuff and have gotten very boring at my length! I also don't know how to do an infinity bun.) Then I wonder what am I really adding to youtube and the long hair community of the internet if there is already a video that teaches such a thing, right?



Sigh, but any video where I'm just showing off my length like that isn't actually instructive or helpful for anyone, and that's about the only way I can justify making videos. Though I know that the vast majority of people watching my videos are older men (the youtube stats are super clear on this), at least I want to attempt not to make videos specifically catering to their puerile interests. So yeah, no public bun drop videos ever, for example. I am pretty sure I did a nautilus bun in my last video two years ago where I was showing how quick and easy styles can be even at my length. (This video was not just kind of cool, it is also part of my larger argument against the same dudes who want to praise me for putting up with the incredible difficulty and suffering I must go through to grow hair out for their consumption... long hair isn't always difficult and fixation on its difficulty is misplaced.



Well, it's not that easy to meet up. The US is way too huge! Most of the mini-meets I have had are because I travel for work, and when I'm in an unfamiliar city far from home it's fun to find which LHC members live close by and I can get coffee or lunch with. Even the closest members in my area are 45min-1hr drive away from me, I think! (And I'm really bad at reaching out to plan meetups, sorry friends!)

If I had to estimate, since joining LHC I trimmed my hair maybe 10 times? I have not trimmed at all since April 2013, just cut split ends sometimes when I notice them. As for oils, I had a bottle of argan oil since last year that I sometimes used on my ends or in deep treatments, but it ran out a while ago and I keep forgetting to replace it. My routine is really about as simple and boring as possible!



"Enjoying" would be putting it a bit too strongly, I guess. I'm not sure when I last "enjoyed" my hair. It's there, it's manageable, and I keep procrastinating on cutting it because I am busy, this routine is easy, and I probably fear change a bit too. I hope that as you grow out to thigh you find it easier this time! I know you've said before that anything past classic is really difficult for you and "too long," but maybe your routine is switching up a bit to manage?


Hmmm, no that wasn't me! I don't even know what BioSilk is! Sounds expensive and my hair routine uses exclusively cheap products. Glad it works for you, however!

Good evening! You're welcome! :)

[ursaV]

Haha, thanks! I've gotten really good over the years at finding something to balance my camera/phone on, setting the self timer, and then taking 50-100 photos super quickly to get the 5-6 that look good. This time I had my phone balanced on an old wooden fence!

See above for my comment to Ophidian's question - if you want any clarification I'm happy to explain more!

Lol at the camera positioning, practice does make perfect. Your answer definitely satisfied my curiosity. It never really occurred to me that the styles become more limited as you get longer. Probably because I could never see my hair being as long as yours, it been shorter than BSL my whole life so I haven't even begun to go down the braiding and styling rabbit hole (currently hovering above APL). Members with hair as long as yours are so motivational :bigeyes:

[GalaMoon]

Congrats! 8 years...wow! I feel like a baby next to some of the old time members on here! I remember the first picture I've seen of your hair was with you on a beach (or some rocks by the sea/ocean) and your hair in the wind, and I thought it was breathtaking. You've been an inspiration for me ever since, and I'm probably not the only one.

On a non hair related note, I've checked your Instagram, and I REALLY like your sense of style, so feminine and classy!

[dellad]

I guess steadily I have been able to do fewer and fewer styles as my length has grown. I have slightly wavy hair so it likes to make friends with itself. Many of the ultra long hairs like arc691 have much smoother straight hair, so someone like her is able to do amazing complex braids, whereas if I try them I just end up in a snarl and have to start cutting out little tangled mats.


Congratulations on your anniversary, gossamer. Your hair is simply divine. I've always found your videos and advice really helpful because I'm also a 1c/F/M and I too have the problem you describe where my hair snarls together if I attempt any complex sectioning or braiding. If you ever figure out a solution to this, I would love to hear it.



Haha, oops, I didn't mean to start a thing! The decision not to trim in 2013 was mostly because I assumed that when I got to floor, I'd immediately cut and I was getting really impatient when I was at mid-calf. (This pic was taken probably a month or two after my last trim (https://i.imgur.com/MiIALaV.jpg)) Turns out that right about the time I got to floor length with the longest little bits of my hair, I figured out some coping mechanisms and my hair mostly became easy again, so I haven't been in such a hurry to cut it since then.


What are the coping mechanisms you figured out?

Please let us SF bay area folks know if you're ever in our area. I'm sure we would all love to have a meet with you!

[CrowningGlory]

I think I'm satisfied with where I'm at lengthwise until I see your photos or videos. (I'm another one who would love to see more videos but I totally get why you don't want to do one that's already been done or is going to attract unwanted attention.)

Gorgeous photos. I have long been a fan. And, personally, I think your ends look fantastic considering how old they must be and we all know hair grows at different rates.

[Corvana]

Happy LHC-iversary, gossamer!

I love seeing your instagram photos, but I admit I half follow you there for your cats. They're so kind to help you with your crocheting ;)

[fhairyqueen]

WOW thank you for sharing
Your hair is absolutely stunning !!!!

[pailin]

Hi Gossamer, for me, your managing long hair videos have been really helpful even though I've only just now reached classic. Especially in the matter of dealing with tangly hair (your videos were why I stopped trying to detangle at all while wet, despite what people recommend for wavies- I think I'd have chopped in frustration by now otherwise).
I'd love to hear any more you have about dealing with this sort of thing, and do you miss not doing some of the more complicated styles? I finally learned to French / Dutch braid around waist, and now at classic I'm finding it almost impossible anymore. It just tangles too much when trying to separate those sections.

[lapushka]

I'll definitely keep your experience in mind, thanks for sharing it!

Thank you! :flower:

You are definitely a great inspiration to me, especially ATM now I'm nearing classic (I'm going to be there in about an inch, so June).

[gossamer]

Thanks CrowningGlory & fhairyqueen!

The last I was able to measure (not entirely sure how accurate since I'm doing it with two taped-together measuring tapes and without help) my length came in at about 77 inches. If we're estimating 6" of hair growth per year because that's average (no, I don't actually know my growth rate at any point along the way towards this length), then that's hair at the end that was growing out of my scalp almost 13 years ago (when my hair was hip-BCL-classic lengths). Which was also really long time ago in terms of my health, self-care, and hair-care. Back then I was in college, sleeping little, eating less, and washing my hair every day even though sometimes it would still be damp at night from the wash the night before. The only thing I really knew back then was that shampoo should generally only go on my scalp and that I should condition my length really well. Oh, and I guess I didn't use heat and didn't dye at all.


Congrats! 8 years...wow! I feel like a baby next to some of the old time members on here! I remember the first picture I've seen of your hair was with you on a beach (or some rocks by the sea/ocean) and your hair in the wind, and I thought it was breathtaking. You've been an inspiration for me ever since, and I'm probably not the only one.

On a non hair related note, I've checked your Instagram, and I REALLY like your sense of style, so feminine and classy!

Thanks! I really like playing around with clothes! I kind of resented shopping at thrift stores when I was a kid (I remember begging my mom when I was about 10 to actually let me buy something new for once?) but by the time I got into my teens I realized that when all the clothes are under $10, I can experiment and play so much more, and find weirder and more interesting things than I could if shopping new. Since finally getting a real grown-up job two years ago with a real salary, I briefly experimented with buying new from Modcloth, but found out that sizing can still be an issue since I'm rather small, as is quality - the stretchy fabric dresses I got only a year ago are already pilling and I usually hand wash them too! So why not rescue an unloved dress from a thrift store, or get a more loved vintage piece from Etsy for 10%-50% the cost of something new? And with my proportions, I'm finding that the older the clothes the better when it comes to fit for me.



Congratulations on your anniversary, gossamer. Your hair is simply divine. I've always found your videos and advice really helpful because I'm also a 1c/F/M and I too have the problem you describe where my hair snarls together if I attempt any complex sectioning or braiding. If you ever figure out a solution to this, I would love to hear it.

What are the coping mechanisms you figured out?

Please let us SF bay area folks know if you're ever in our area. I'm sure we would all love to have a meet with you!

To fix the weight pulling at the front of my scalp, I started using sectioned off twists for things like cinnabuns and other styles. I realized that an unbraided/untwisted nautilus or LWB was causing matted sections around where the stick went through, so stopped doing those styles, and I reintroduced coney conditioners just to give me more slip. Yes, they flatten out my natural texture but I really need that now.

As for the Bay Area, I'm maybe going to be out there for work in the fall. If that trip comes together, I'll be sure to send up the bat signal!


Happy LHC-iversary, gossamer!

I love seeing your instagram photos, but I admit I half follow you there for your cats. They're so kind to help you with your crocheting ;)

They are seriously such funny cats. Last night Gossy actually insisted that she HAD to sit on the blanket I'm currently working on, being under it was unacceptable. This of course meant I could no longer actually work on the blanket after reaching the end of my row. Once she'd gotten what she wanted, she started kneading most insistently, as if to say "ha, yes this is MINE NOW!"


Hi Gossamer, for me, your managing long hair videos have been really helpful even though I've only just now reached classic. Especially in the matter of dealing with tangly hair (your videos were why I stopped trying to detangle at all while wet, despite what people recommend for wavies- I think I'd have chopped in frustration by now otherwise).
I'd love to hear any more you have about dealing with this sort of thing, and do you miss not doing some of the more complicated styles? I finally learned to French / Dutch braid around waist, and now at classic I'm finding it almost impossible anymore. It just tangles too much when trying to separate those sections.

Not sure if I have any more coping mechanisms to add. I suppose I am less hesitant now to cut out knots when they get to a place where I'm sure I'll be doing more damage to the 5-10 hairs in them by detangling than I would just by snipping them and having some fresh ends. But that's not something everyone will feel the same about, I'm sure. I don't know if I really miss french/dutch braids or not. The last time I was able to do them consistently, I remember not really liking how they looked from the front if I just made a single one.

So glad to hear that the bit about not detangling when wet helped you. I've probably said it before but I didn't even realize that myself until one hairdresser mentioned it to the other who was having a beast of a time trying to detangle my hair after she'd washed it. "Her hair won't detangle when wet. Get out the hair dryer." and I think in that moment a lightbulb went off for both me and the woman working on my hair. It was SO much easier and the hair just started to let go of itself as it dried. Obviously I don't use a hair dryer myself anymore (or go to get anyone else to wash/dry it, it's been 10 years since I went to a salon), but that advice really stuck with me.

[Ophidian]

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions Gossamer :flower: I have one more based on your answers--are you still able to bun your hair with 1 or 2 hair sticks/a fork/a clip or two, or do you find that you need to create more structure with pins and the like to get it to hold? I am fascinated by the logistics of this as I've never had hair longer than waist and I plan to grow much longer this time.

Anyway, thanks again, and a very happy eight years to you and your magnificent hair :love:

[Pumpkin3826]

These photos are gorgeous! You are such a motivation for me on this hair growth journey. :) I just hit 4 years and I am almost at TBL. Sometimes when I get frustrated with my hair and wonder why I am growing it, I just look at photos of long hair and yours in particular helps remind me that it will all be worth it. Thank you for sharing your journey with us all.

[vampyyri]

I'm so happy to see you here again! Your hair is amazing as always, congrats on 8 years!! :applause I hope all is well with you! :flowers:

[MlleMC]

So glad to hear that the bit about not detangling when wet helped you. I've probably said it before but I didn't even realize that myself until one hairdresser mentioned it to the other who was having a beast of a time trying to detangle my hair after she'd washed it. "Her hair won't detangle when wet. Get out the hair dryer." and I think in that moment a lightbulb went off for both me and the woman working on my hair. It was SO much easier and the hair just started to let go of itself as it dried. Obviously I don't use a hair dryer myself anymore (or go to get anyone else to wash/dry it, it's been 10 years since I went to a salon), but that advice really stuck with me.

That's interesting, because I noted the exact opposite was true for my hair earlier this week. I had tried doing rag curls and it worked a little too well, and my hair tangled like crazy when I tried to separate the curls (really, it was the worst tangles I've ever had, even worse than the one time I didn't detangle for a week). After trying every trick I knew to detangle, I figured I might as well try to do it in the shower with conditioner. Well, in the end I didn't even need the conditioner, just the running water was enough to make detangling super easy. And I had noted the same thing before, when my hair was in its normal, wavy state.

By the way, your hair is still absolutely gorgeous. I love the fairytale ends, I personally think they look much better than a straight hemline on very long hair. In fact, I was sad when I lost mine due to a bigger trim, so I'm really careful to keep more a U line when I trim now.

It's funny how most of your anniversary posts mention that you want to eventually cut back, but you never end up doing it. That's pretty much how I ended up with such long hair too. I never actually planned to get anywhere longer than tailbone, let alone a couple inches from knee! But status quo is so much easier than change, right?

[Corvana]

They are seriously such funny cats. Last night Gossy actually insisted that she HAD to sit on the blanket I'm currently working on, being under it was unacceptable. This of course meant I could no longer actually work on the blanket after reaching the end of my row. Once she'd gotten what she wanted, she started kneading most insistently, as if to say "ha, yes this is MINE NOW!"

Well clearly she's correct! :laugh:

I was going to ask about a video about the twists you do, but then I decided to double check your channel and lo and behold you already did one! I just hadn't looked at it because of the title hehe. Also hello to Bonkers making an appearance in it!

I actually used to do a twist very similar to those when my bangs were growing out (or just between trims)! But at the time I'd just clip it to the side since it was so short. It did teach me that side parts look very nice on me, and now I think I'm going to try them again with a bun...

[dellad]

Thank you for answering our questions, gossamer. You always have such stunning hair photos. Any hair photography advice to share with us?

[DakarNick]

Congrats, Gossamer!

[zashin66]

Benign neglect can be boring... but Hair Toys help! ::p

When I first joined I wanted to reach classic length. I'm about 2-3 inches away from that. (wow)... Then I started hearing whispers of Gossamer this and that... So I checked out who Gossomer was and WOW the hair is wonderful. I tried some of the hair routines being recommended by all and sundry and realized I wasn't gonna be able to keep up a consistent level of commitment. (big pause). So I looked at some of the long hairs wistfully.......

Then something Gossamer said struck me and I got so excited....Way too enthusiastic actually..... (anyways) benign neglect really helped me to not be guilty that I was maybe depriving my hair of some unknown routines that could guarantee me of super duper indestructible hair that would grow to unimaginable lengths with oohs and ahhs as I wafted past ...........

On to more realistic goals and just enjoying the hair. It has been fun ever since...
*Sat on my hair for the first time
*Got called Rapunzel a couple of times
*Got some funny comments
*Started having hair conversations with the most unusual people in the strangest places
*Been enjoying the sweep of hair on my back and lower
*Am figuring out what to do with my hair in public restrooms
*Lose and find favorite hairsticks on a regular basis
*Hair ties explode out of my purse and pockets all the time
*Had a long hair stuck on the windshield wiper for a month while I was unable to walk...(was just too hard to move around to get it off)
.....

Gossamer you gave a real perspective on the practicality of having long hair that made it seem possible to have long long hair. I'm so close to my original goal but now my hair seems super short compared to all the 'inspirations' here at LHC.

Love ya Gossamer keep inspiring us

[pailin]

Ok, I have another question - I wondering how much fairytaling you had back when you joined LHC and were at knee length. You've said you haven't trimmed since calf, but were you trying to maintain less fairytaled ends before that? Or not?
Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to post anniversary threads even when you haven't been around so much.

[Beatnik Guy]

I took them all in the 10 minutes I had during my bus transfer

I'm guessing it was a quiet, secluded bus stop. :frog:

Happy 8thiversary. :)

[Ondine11]

WOWEE!!! Your hair is breathtakingly beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing your inspiring photos, & congratulations on all that growth. Is this terminal length for you, or, is your hair still growing longer? I just reached my BSL first challenge goal last month (late May will make 1 yr for me) & I hope to stick with it& reach classic.

[Kae612]

Congratulations on the anniversary!! I love your outfits & cats on IG - I had no idea you made videos!!!

Realized I think my questions about managing your length of hair might be answered there. I’m between waist/hip and I’ll admit I’m already struggling a bit with fixing a comfortable style without the weight pulling & having to take it down and do a side braid while I’m out, so that’s what motivates my curiosity. I’ve only just been able to manage a nautilus bun again after getting my grown-out layers (from when it was shoulder length) cut into blunt edges in the fall. So it’s possible it gets easier to bun comfortably when the edges get less blunt over time/thin a little?

If I have any more questions after going through your videos I’ll let you know! Your photography skills are absolutely awesome!!!! I’m always so impressed!

[Rehab350]

Wonderful.I love it.

[Garnetgem]

Gorgeous hair congratulations on anniversary number 8!

i always enjoy seeing your progress,stunning photos as always :)

[SnowDancer]

Congrats on the hair-versary. Your length is fantastic.

[Kae612]

Realized I think my questions about managing your length of hair might be answered there. I’m between waist/hip and I’ll admit I’m already struggling a bit with fixing a comfortable style without the weight pulling & having to take it down and do a side braid while I’m out, so that’s what motivates my curiosity. I’ve only just been able to manage a nautilus bun again after getting my grown-out layers (from when it was shoulder length) cut into blunt edges in the fall. So it’s possible it gets easier to bun comfortably when the edges get less blunt over time/thin a little?

If I have any more questions after going through your videos I’ll let you know!

Yes - your video about weight distribution & the twists was exceedingly helpful! I tried that today, with 2 twists and a higher nautilus bun after trying and failing about 5x to make one that didn't hurt in some way. And it works! (looks a little silly on greasy hair, but I'm not going anywhere today).

Congrats again on your anniversary, awesome hair - and thank you for the reminder that your videos exist! :D

[cathair]

Happy Anniversary gossamer! Always an inspiration in hair and in life.

[hypersensitive]

Hi gossamer! I haven't been on here for a while either but I definitely remember you. Good to see your post and to hear from you again! Congrats on your LHC anniversary! Your hair is stunning!!

[lapushka]

Hi gossamer! I haven't been on here for a while either but I definitely remember you. Good to see your post and to hear from you again! Congrats on your LHC anniversary! Your hair is stunning!!

Hi! :waving: How have you been doing? :D

[hypersensitive]

Hi! :waving: How have you been doing? :D
This year hasn't been the best- see my blog for more details. But my coworker mentioned she's been wanting to take care of her long hair so I recommended LHC to her. Since then, I've been checking here off and on. Like gossamer, I've reached my goal and I've figured out what I want and how to maintain it, so I feel like I've outgrown LHC.

Gossamer, when you're in the SF Bay area and have time for a meet, I'd love to come out and see everyone again.

[Teazel]

Happy anniversary, gossamer! Those are amazing photos.


There is a tendency I've noticed that many (but not all) of the super long haired members of LHC go rather quiet once they get to extreme lengths. I think part of that is that we've figured out our routines and aren't experimenting much anymore, and that many fancy styles stop working for many (again, not all) of us, so experiments there are limited too

Yes, that's me. Not that my hair is super long anymore; it's about Classic at the moment I think. Which reminds me, I should probably change my profile stats. But my routine is very boring, and I hardly ever do fancy styles, it's just too much wear and (eek) tear.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Happy anniversary, gossamer! Those are amazing photos.



Yes, that's me. Not that my hair is super long anymore; it's about Classic at the moment I think. Which reminds me, I should probably change my profile stats. But my routine is very boring, and I hardly ever do fancy styles, it's just too much wear and (eek) tear.

Hi Teazel! :waving: I was just looking at your photos this morning and wishing you would show us more of your lovely hair! I think you and I could almost be hair twins!

https://i.imgur.com/PjdKeji.jpg

[gossamer]

Hello again friends! I'm so sorry that I let my responses in this thread stack up for a couple days... Friday was an ultra-busy day at work whereas yesterday I had normal Saturday chores and also was distracted by a sudden and still-developing health crisis in my family (basically I'm just staying by the phone waiting for more news, there's nothing I can actually do otherwise, but it's still draining).

Thanks for all your kind words and sweet comments, they've been so great to read and think about.

Thank you Pumpkin3826, vampyyri, Corvana, DakarNick, zashin66 (loved your story!), Rehab350, GarnetGem, SnowDancer, cathair, hypersensitive, & Teazel!


Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions Gossamer :flower: I have one more based on your answers--are you still able to bun your hair with 1 or 2 hair sticks/a fork/a clip or two, or do you find that you need to create more structure with pins and the like to get it to hold? I am fascinated by the logistics of this as I've never had hair longer than waist and I plan to grow much longer this time.

Anyway, thanks again, and a very happy eight years to you and your magnificent hair :love:

It really depends on the bun. I currently have it a braided nautilus held with a single stick - a fancy looking wooden chopstick that I cut down to a reasonable length and filed the end down on. But for something like a cinnabun I probably end up using 8-10 spin pins. I have almost run out of my giant U-pins (the ten I bought online a few years back proved to be of lower quality metal than my old ones and would loosen and fall out of my hair during the day) and if I use the remaining 3, they have to be on the inside of the bun or they'll also fall out. I don't own any clips. I still can use a fork (I own two), of course, which takes the place of a single stick in a nautilus bun. My most used tool remains my spin pins, however, because I'd really be lost without them. Sticks are nice but don't work on cinnabuns without pulling and giving me some scalp pain. I can pair a fork with some spin pins for a cinnabun, but then it's just decoration not really structurally necessary.


That's interesting, because I noted the exact opposite was true for my hair earlier this week. I had tried doing rag curls and it worked a little too well, and my hair tangled like crazy when I tried to separate the curls (really, it was the worst tangles I've ever had, even worse than the one time I didn't detangle for a week). After trying every trick I knew to detangle, I figured I might as well try to do it in the shower with conditioner. Well, in the end I didn't even need the conditioner, just the running water was enough to make detangling super easy. And I had noted the same thing before, when my hair was in its normal, wavy state.

By the way, your hair is still absolutely gorgeous. I love the fairytale ends, I personally think they look much better than a straight hemline on very long hair. In fact, I was sad when I lost mine due to a bigger trim, so I'm really careful to keep more a U line when I trim now.

It's funny how most of your anniversary posts mention that you want to eventually cut back, but you never end up doing it. That's pretty much how I ended up with such long hair too. I never actually planned to get anywhere longer than tailbone, let alone a couple inches from knee! But status quo is so much easier than change, right?

Yeah, inertia is a really strong force. I felt almost reluctant to post my anniversary thread this year because I was sure some people would say "weren't you going to cut? why haven't you cut yet?" and I don't really have a good answer for that except that I haven't really found the right time.


Thank you for answering our questions, gossamer. You always have such stunning hair photos. Any hair photography advice to share with us?

Thank you! I'm not a professional photographer (far far far from it) and I've never even taken a class, so I don't think I have any real advice to offer. I'm sorry! I take a lot of pictures, delete most of them, and then crop and edit for color balance in the ones I like. I tend to prefer photos of myself and my hair that show my hair in motion, or are clearly still of me as a person, rather than just a still shot of my hair from the back or one of those just offering my braid up to the viewer. Especially at my length, it looks pretty cool in motion.


Ok, I have another question - I wondering how much fairytaling you had back when you joined LHC and were at knee length. You've said you haven't trimmed since calf, but were you trying to maintain less fairytaled ends before that? Or not?
Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to post anniversary threads even when you haven't been around so much.

No, I wasn't trying to maintain fairytale ends, I was actually maintaining blunt ends. The thickness was significantly reduced at my ends, but I was keeping them blunt. This is a photo taken shortly after I joined 8 years ago:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21586&d=1455798888


I'm guessing it was a quiet, secluded bus stop. :frog:

Happy 8thiversary. :)

The bus stop is by a major road, but yes, I walked to a park about 2 mins away from the stop and found a good place to prop up my phone out of direct line of sight from the street so that I could get photos without feeling embarrassed.


WOWEE!!! Your hair is breathtakingly beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing your inspiring photos, & congratulations on all that growth. Is this terminal length for you, or, is your hair still growing longer? I just reached my BSL first challenge goal last month (late May will make 1 yr for me) & I hope to stick with it& reach classic.

I'm really not sure - as I said in the first post, I haven't measured in ages. I think it might still be growing a little bit, but I'm also trimming off splits at the ends when I see them, so that would slow things down too.


Congratulations on the anniversary!! I love your outfits & cats on IG - I had no idea you made videos!!!

Realized I think my questions about managing your length of hair might be answered there. I’m between waist/hip and I’ll admit I’m already struggling a bit with fixing a comfortable style without the weight pulling & having to take it down and do a side braid while I’m out, so that’s what motivates my curiosity. I’ve only just been able to manage a nautilus bun again after getting my grown-out layers (from when it was shoulder length) cut into blunt edges in the fall. So it’s possible it gets easier to bun comfortably when the edges get less blunt over time/thin a little?

If I have any more questions after going through your videos I’ll let you know! Your photography skills are absolutely awesome!!!! I’m always so impressed!

And I love your cat photos and videos on Instragram! I don't know if it really pulls less once the ends are more fairy-taled - I didn't have problems with pulling when my ends were blunt (thin, but blunt) at knee length, but the increasing weight of my hair made the pulling really annoying once I was closer to ankle and my ends were definitely fairytaled.

[lapushka]

This year hasn't been the best- see my blog for more details. But my coworker mentioned she's been wanting to take care of her long hair so I recommended LHC to her. Since then, I've been checking here off and on. Like gossamer, I've reached my goal and I've figured out what I want and how to maintain it, so I feel like I've outgrown LHC.

Gossamer, when you're in the SF Bay area and have time for a meet, I'd love to come out and see everyone again.

Oh that's too bad. I love coming here, personally, just for the company. :) :o

[chiapommama]

Hi Gossamer! Your hair is beautiful and I love your braid.

[zanelle]

Watching you on Youtube, one vid where you braid and braid and braid and braid and braid and braid... :applause

[gossamer]

Thanks chiapommama!

zanelle, yeah I guess to does take me rather a while to braid, even when I don't have to do much detangling or anything complicated!

[HeavenlyTresses]

There is a tendency I've noticed that many (but not all) of the super long haired members of LHC go rather quiet once they get to extreme lengths. I think part of that is that we've figured out our routines and aren't experimenting much anymore, and that many fancy styles stop working for many (again, not all) of us, so experiments there are limited too. Also, I know that hair like mine isn't really everyone's preference, as thin and fairy-taled as my ends are, so I am not trying to recommend myself as an example since few people would want hair like this, so my advice is probably limited in utility.

[/IMG]

Beautiful photos as always!

I definitely fall into this category! I have a rather boring routine that only slightly changes with the weather and any hairstyle I can do is one that everyone has already seen a dozen times. And any hair advice I could give is also rather limited because all I do is wash & condition, air dry and oil occasionally. Oh and S&D, sometimes, rarely, cuz I don't have any patience. I can still do some of those fancy styles but the length and weight make them very heavy and can't be worn for long. I agree that at our length it may not be everyone's cup of tea but there are those who find us a great inspiration. I know I always enjoy seeing your new photos, especially the hair in motion :) That being said I guess I should pop in a little more huh?

[harpgal]

Well gossamer, I just had to crawl out from under my rock to compliment you. You have achieved what few have done and your hair is quite beautiful. Well done!

I rarely come here anymore. In fact I'm not on computers much either. Life has gotten so busy since my hubby's retirement. We have relocated from Montana to Florida and it feels wonderful not to go through those long, long winters. To be honest, I miss so many of my friends who used to come here. We used to have nice conversations and I miss that. As far as giving advice...well, I've tried...to no avail.

[trolleypup]

Congratulations on your anniversary!

I missed mine this year...I really need to get out and get some pictures.

Also inhibiting to answer general questions is the knowledge that all hair is different...and knowing that what you do with your own hair won't help at all.

Nice to see all the faces popping up here!

[pailin]

Wow, Gossamer, your ends might have been thin in that picture but it's certainly not noticeable. Thanks for sharing that one!
And looking at the posters above me, it's fun that your anniversary post has brought out some of the other really long longhairs!
Anyway, congratulations! Your hair really is amazing.

[Suze]

Very beautiful hair Gossamer.

[Ophidian]

Congratulations on your anniversary!

I missed mine this year...I really need to get out and get some pictures.

Also inhibiting to answer general questions is the knowledge that all hair is different...and knowing that what you do with your own hair won't help at all.

Nice to see all the faces popping up here!

Of course! It's just that there are so few members with very long hair that are very active, and it is interesting to see what their "hair life" is like with the understanding that of course nothing will be exactly the same between two heads of hair at any given length. I was just curious to see what Gossamer's experience was with things like styling at beyond floor, not that I expect that it will be the same across the board. I think that it does help to hear others' experiences even if their hair is quite different from your own. It may not translate exactly, but it can spark an idea or encourage trying something new to solve a problem that maybe hadn't occurred to you. Some of the most impactful things I have learned about how to care for my own hair has come from those who have a much different hair type.

Gossamer, I certainly hope that my questions didn't come across as if I was asking for a spokesperson for all super longhairs, I really was just curious what you have found works for you.

[gossamer]

Thanks Suze, and thanks again pailin!


Beautiful photos as always!

I definitely fall into this category! I have a rather boring routine that only slightly changes with the weather and any hairstyle I can do is one that everyone has already seen a dozen times. And any hair advice I could give is also rather limited because all I do is wash & condition, air dry and oil occasionally. Oh and S&D, sometimes, rarely, cuz I don't have any patience. I can still do some of those fancy styles but the length and weight make them very heavy and can't be worn for long. I agree that at our length it may not be everyone's cup of tea but there are those who find us a great inspiration. I know I always enjoy seeing your new photos, especially the hair in motion :) That being said I guess I should pop in a little more huh?

The hair in motion pictures are probably the best part of having hair this long, I think. Definitely need to find locations and times to take more of them. :blossom: So glad that you popped in here!!


Well gossamer, I just had to crawl out from under my rock to compliment you. You have achieved what few have done and your hair is quite beautiful. Well done!

I rarely come here anymore. In fact I'm not on computers much either. Life has gotten so busy since my hubby's retirement. We have relocated from Montana to Florida and it feels wonderful not to go through those long, long winters. To be honest, I miss so many of my friends who used to come here. We used to have nice conversations and I miss that. As far as giving advice...well, I've tried...to no avail.

Heh, I totally know what you mean. The voice of quiet rationality advocating benign neglect is usually the most boring one in the mix of more entertaining or involved advice, isn't it? So glad to hear you're having a blast in Florida since your move and your husband's retirement!


Congratulations on your anniversary!

I missed mine this year...I really need to get out and get some pictures.

Also inhibiting to answer general questions is the knowledge that all hair is different...and knowing that what you do with your own hair won't help at all.

Nice to see all the faces popping up here!

Yeah, I agree, that's why I really don't think I have much to offer to the forums. I skim over all the most recent thread titles and don't really see a place for me, and just general chit-chat is exhausting for an introvert like me who spends all day at work managing people and responding to their needs. I'm really happy to chat in this thread because I think my comments can help/educate/interest people and I love catching up with people I haven't seen around in ages, but am I really needed in, say, the APL-BSL thread? I don't even remember when my hair was that short and I have no idea how mine would behave now if it was that short again!

[gossamer]

Of course! It's just that there are so few members with very long hair that are very active, and it is interesting to see what their "hair life" is like with the understanding that of course nothing will be exactly the same between two heads of hair at any given length. I was just curious to see what Gossamer's experience was with things like styling at beyond floor, not that I expect that it will be the same across the board. I think that it does help to hear others' experiences even if their hair is quite different from your own. It may not translate exactly, but it can spark an idea or encourage trying something new to solve a problem that maybe hadn't occurred to you. Some of the most impactful things I have learned about how to care for my own hair has come from those who have a much different hair type.

Gossamer, I certainly hope that my questions didn't come across as if I was asking for a spokesperson for all super longhairs, I really was just curious what you have found works for you.

Your questions didn't come across like that at all to me, and I'm pretty sure the other super-long-haired members who chimed in on this thread didn't take it that way either. What trolleypup is referring to, I think, is how it is hard to feel like us regularly offering people advice for their own hair would be useful or actually helpful, not only because our hair routines have been simplified down to the bare essentials at this point, but also because every one of us had different hair and diagnosing problems over the internet isn't all that easy. But I'm glad to hear you've found help here on LHC that inspired you in many different ways!

[Corvana]

Thanks Suze, and thanks again pailin!



The hair in motion pictures are probably the best part of having hair this long, I think. Definitely need to find locations and times to take more of them. :blossom: So glad that you popped in here!!



Heh, I totally know what you mean. The voice of quiet rationality advocating benign neglect is usually the most boring one in the mix of more entertaining or involved advice, isn't it? So glad to hear you're having a blast in Florida since your move and your husband's retirement!



Yeah, I agree, that's why I really don't think I have much to offer to the forums. I skim over all the most recent thread titles and don't really see a place for me, and just general chit-chat is exhausting for an introvert like me who spends all day at work managing people and responding to their needs. I'm really happy to chat in this thread because I think my comments can help/educate/interest people and I love catching up with people I haven't seen around in ages, but am I really needed in, say, the APL-BSL thread? I don't even remember when my hair was that short and I have no idea how mine would behave now if it was that short again!

Yes, obviously. :rollin:

[Ophidian]

...Yeah, I agree, that's why I really don't think I have much to offer to the forums. I skim over all the most recent thread titles and don't really see a place for me, and just general chit-chat is exhausting for an introvert like me who spends all day at work managing people and responding to their needs. I'm really happy to chat in this thread because I think my comments can help/educate/interest people and I love catching up with people I haven't seen around in ages, but am I really needed in, say, the APL-BSL thread? I don't even remember when my hair was that short and I have no idea how mine would behave now if it was that short again!


...What trolleypup is referring to, I think, is how it is hard to feel like us regularly offering people advice for their own hair would be useful or actually helpful, not only because our hair routines have been simplified down to the bare essentials at this point, but also because every one of us had different hair and diagnosing problems over the internet isn't all that easy...

The point about being an introvert... I find that completely relatable. I go through phases where I want to be very involved (usually on certain very specific topics, no so much the "chit chat" not because there is anything wrong with it at all, just because my tolerance for "peopling" usually gets maxed out at work) and then I just need to chill and go into self-enforced hiding for a while because my social anxiety kicks in and I start worrying too much about what I've posted and how people respond, or don't, etc etc. and things become less fun at that point.

So of course on that front I totally understand why you might not want to hang around all the time. But, to the concern that what you or other super (mega? ultra? :D) longhairs don't have anything to contribute because benign neglect is "too boring".... well, honestly I feel like the boards could use some of that perspective sometimes. Not everyone aspires to grow very long, and many do like all the experiments and routines and products and techniques and measuring etc., but I always find it refreshing to hear you guys chime in. It always feels grounding to me, and reminds me why I'm here. It helps remind me not sweat the small stuff.

It occurs to me that your status as it were might sometimes make it feel like you are expected to have answers to everyone's problems, and I can see why that could feel overwhelming (or maybe not, I'm assuming here). Speaking for myself anyway, I just really enjoy hearing about other people's experiences and it is fascinating for me to hear perspectives on hair and haircare throughout the spectrum of growing out--from buzzcuts to floor and beyond. Since it's a process and we're all in this together in some ways, regardless of our eventual goals.

Anyway, none of this is to convince you to be on the boards any more or less than you want to be. I just wanted to chime in with my two cents on the really valuable part that I think our hair elders play just being here in whatever capacity.

:blossom:

[Quixii]

Happy anniversary! Your hair is gorgeous, as always. I hope you're still finding some enjoyment in it - your pictures look like you are. :)

I totally relate to your comment about the tendency for those long-timed and long-haired members to go quiet 'round here.

[Ophidian]

Is there anything that us relative newcomers can do to make it more hospitable here for longhairs then? It seems counterproductive to have a forum for long hair where many of those with very long hair feel like they don’t belong.

ETA None of this is intended for anyone who finds they are just tired of talking about hair. I am just trying to understand if it’s a losing-interest thing or an inhospitable-vibe thing. The former is a personal choice, the latter (which I feel like I’m picking up on, but could be wrong) is what’s concerning to me.

[lapushka]

ETA None of this is intended for anyone who finds they are just tired of talking about hair. I am just trying to understand if it’s a losing-interest thing or an inhospitable-vibe thing. The former is a personal choice, the latter (which I feel like I’m picking up on, but could be wrong) is what’s concerning to me.

I think there was a marked shift when we steered away from a more "natural" approach to the YMMV motto. These days we "allow" sulfates and silicones, when in days of old that wasn't the case so much. If that is the reason why, I don't understand that at all. Because YMMV allows for a more open minded approach, IMMHO.

[trolleypup]

Yeah, I agree, that's why I really don't think I have much to offer to the forums. I skim over all the most recent thread titles and don't really see a place for me, and just general chit-chat is exhausting for an introvert like me who spends all day at work managing people and responding to their needs. I'm really happy to chat in this thread because I think my comments can help/educate/interest people and I love catching up with people I haven't seen around in ages, but am I really needed in, say, the APL-BSL thread? I don't even remember when my hair was that short and I have no idea how mine would behave now if it was that short again!
Ahahaha! All I remember is that APL/BSL was the beginning of the end of the awkward stage (somewhere around BSL was where my bangs would stay behind my shoulders without aid. Somewhere in there I transitioned from ball caps to french clips.

Is there anything that us relative newcomers can do to make it more hospitable here for longhairs then? It seems counterproductive to have a forum for long hair where many of those with very long hair feel like they don’t belong.

ETA None of this is intended for anyone who finds they are just tired of talking about hair. I am just trying to understand if it’s a losing-interest thing or an inhospitable-vibe thing. The former is a personal choice, the latter (which I feel like I’m picking up on, but could be wrong) is what’s concerning to me.
To me, it isn't that it is inhospitable. Or even that there is an expectation for me to uphold my status and knowledge. More, I know what I know and don't know, and the appropriateness of sharing...just from seeing and answering similar questions over the years (obviously, this applies to any long term member, but especially to those who have a stable very long term routine).

Routine: S canopy, strong water rinse of scalp, C length, WV rinse, air dry. Finger detangle and comb dry, Single stick lazy bun, down for going out and sleeping, S&D occasionally.

I do try to participate (especially since my day job doesn't hit all my introvert triggers all the time any more).

I don't think members should hold back from asking questions, just because they are talking to someone with hair past Classic[1] or with more than 1000 posts or 5 years on forum. And when people get/act cranky, don't take it personally.

[1] I joined at past classic, with a splash, and I'll admit, the instant status was gratifying.

[Ophidian]

I think there was a marked shift when we steered away from a more "natural" approach to the YMMV motto. These days we "allow" sulfates and silicones, when in days of old that wasn't the case so much. If that is the reason why, I don't understand that at all. Because YMMV allows for a more open minded approach, IMMHO.


I’ve only been a member since 2016 so I guess I haven’t been around long enough to notice things like that. Little stuff like when I got into herbs I noticed that all of the discussions were from years ago, but no major changing of the guard or anything. I figure it’s normal that people will come and go, I just hope that as a community we are doing what we can to make it welcoming to people at all lengths. If it’s not I suppose there might not be much that can be done about it anyway given the nature of the public forum, but some of the side conversations in this thread just made me wonder if there had been a time that it had felt more longhair friendly here (if the perception is otherwise) and if so what had changed. And of course all of this is null and void if having long long hair and talking about it all the time just gets boring, because well yes I can understand that :). Who knows, maybe I’ve stumbled onto a complicated/sensitive topic and if so no ruffled feathers intended and please pardon the novice.

Anyway, sorry for the derail everyone, I’m mostly thinking out loud and can continue doing that on my own time without hijacking an anniversary thread.

ETA just saw your reply trollypup, thank you for explaining your perspective. Makes perfect sense :)

ETA 2: I keep calling myself a noob but I realized I have 1000+ posts (which is more by virtue of spending more time talking to people here in my free time than to people I’m not paid to interact with in real life...:p). Neither here nor there but I guess I should claim some belonging here at this point despite the fact that my length does not command “instant status” :). Still don’t feel like I’ve been around that long though.

[gossamer]

Oh no, please don't let my anniversary thread degenerate into finger pointing.

I never said the boards were inhospitable, just that there isn't much reason for me to take part in most of the threads because they aren't relevant to me anymore, and I'm not really able to offer super secret special advice that got me to this length.

[Ophidian]

:tmi:nonono! Not at all! I know you didn’t say that, I was just wondering when more people echoed your observation that you felt like you didn’t have much to say if it was just that hair talk gets boring after a while or like it was harder for some other reason. I wasn’t expecting any super secret special advice, I just meant to say it’s always nice when you guys pop in to say hi and I hoped that you felt comfortable here. Clearly me overthinking, please accept my apology if I struck any nerves, truly not intended :blossom:0

ETA Mods please feel free to bleep out my previous posts, they aren’t really relevant to the thread and I really didn’t mean to cause any upset.


Oh no, please don't let my anniversary thread degenerate into finger pointing.

I never said the boards were inhospitable, just that there isn't much reason for me to take part in most of the threads because they aren't relevant to me anymore, and I'm not really able to offer any advice.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Gossamer, I wanted to ask you if you ever use a hair drier on your hair? Or do you always air dry?

[gossamer]

Gossamer, I wanted to ask you if you ever use a hair drier on your hair? Or do you always air dry?

No, I don't use a hair dryer, haven't in years! Not only do I think it would probably be a ton of work and take hours I don't have, I'm sure it also wouldn't have been so great for my fragile ends. If I can leave my hair down after a morning wash (on a weekend or a day where I stay home to work instead of going in), then it will be mostly dry within a few hours. If not, it will definitely still be a little damp the day after washing. Not at the scalp, but at various places through the length that didn't get as much access to air while bunned.

[Shorty89]

Ahahaha! All I remember is that APL/BSL was the beginning of the end of the awkward stage (somewhere around BSL was where my bangs would stay behind my shoulders without aid. Somewhere in there I transitioned from ball caps to french clips.

To me, it isn't that it is inhospitable. Or even that there is an expectation for me to uphold my status and knowledge. More, I know what I know and don't know, and the appropriateness of sharing...just from seeing and answering similar questions over the years (obviously, this applies to any long term member, but especially to those who have a stable very long term routine).

Routine: S canopy, strong water rinse of scalp, C length, WV rinse, air dry. Finger detangle and comb dry, Single stick lazy bun, down for going out and sleeping, S&D occasionally.

I do try to participate (especially since my day job doesn't hit all my introvert triggers all the time any more).

I don't think members should hold back from asking questions, just because they are talking to someone with hair past Classic[1] or with more than 1000 posts or 5 years on forum. And when people get/act cranky, don't take it personally.

[1] I joined at past classic, with a splash, and I'll admit, the instant status was gratifying.

With a nude photo, if I remember the rumors correctly.

[harpgal]

I've been thinking about why some of the “old timers” don't post much any longer. I think there are many reasons, one of which is that some trim back to shorter lengths. Also, folks just get plain busy (me). But I wonder if someone who proudly posted a picture showing they had achieved BSL or waist would be encouraged if someone with knee length gave them a compliment. Would that mean something to that person?

As far as advice goes, my guess is that someone who wants advice from a super longhair just wants to know a way to get to that length quickly. Most people don't want to hear the words...good care and patience. It takes years to get to floor length, if at all. There just isn't any magic bullet.

Years ago it seemed to me there was more sharing and support. I feel that the “kindness element” is fast disappearing from society as a whole. There is much less listening and empathy than there used to be. This is just my own observation which is certainly subjective.

[trolleypup]

With a nude photo, if I remember the rumors correctly.
Almost got me banned. The image I meant to post was a much better hair picture.

[Shorty89]

ETA: I'm an idiot and p osted in the wrong thread (had two windows open). Just ignore me...

[AspenSong]

Don't know how I missed this thread until now! Happy *belated* Anniversary Gossamer! Lovely hair, year after year. :D Here's to many more enjoyed days of long hair!

[Shorty89]

Almost got me banned. The image I meant to post was a much better hair picture.

Haha, you really didn't mean to post the nude shot? :p

[lapushka]

Haha, you really didn't mean to post the nude shot? :p

Wait, you posted a nude shot? :shocked:

Now how'd I miss that? :hmm: ;)

[Corvana]

Almost got me banned. The image I meant to post was a much better hair picture.


Haha, you really didn't mean to post the nude shot? :p


Wait, you posted a nude shot? :shocked:

Now how'd I miss that? :hmm: ;)

:popcorn: hehehe

[ravenheather]

Wait, you posted a nude shot? :shocked:

Now how'd I miss that? :hmm: ;)

That's what I'm saying.

[cathair]

I wonder how full trolleypup's inbox is right now :D

[trolleypup]

31348 (FYI: very tiny image that shows nothing)

Haha, you really didn't mean to post the nude shot? :p
No, I actually try to show enough common sense to not do that as my introduction to a predominantly women's board. My subconscious had other ideas apparently. This is the image that should have been posted. Me, perched on the roof of the White Mountain summit hut (el. 14,246'/4342m), the hot spring is 40 miles NW and 7000'/2000m lower.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31349&d=1524182575


Wait, you posted a nude shot? :shocked:

Now how'd I miss that? :hmm: ;)
It was only up for an hour or so. In which time, multiple copies were downloaded and saved, and passed around. Normally I only posted nudes on LiveJournal.


:popcorn: hehehe

That's what I'm saying.
Both pictures were taken a few years earlier in 2003...and indeed, the location of the correct picture is in the background of the wrong picture.

My apologies to gossamer for the derail.


I wonder how full trolleypup's inbox is right now :D
LHC always was, and continues to be a thoughtful and polite place, so...*no new PMs*. For years, that image was findable on the net, but now only less identifiable nude hot spring pictures are out there using the search terms.

[Shorty89]

Haha, I also remember a fuzzy red (or pink?) suit of some sort?

[ArienEllariel]

Just wanted to pop by and say I've always thought your hair was lovely. It seems similar in texture to mine (fine and not straight but not super wavy/curly either) which is enhanced by braid waves. It's lovely. :)

[Corvana]

(FYI: very tiny image that shows nothing)

No, I actually try to show enough common sense to not do that as my introduction to a predominantly women's board. My subconscious had other ideas apparently. This is the image that should have been posted. Me, perched on the roof of the White Mountain summit hut (el. 14,246'/4342m), the hot spring is 40 miles NW and 7000'/2000m lower.


It was only up for an hour or so. In which time, multiple copies were downloaded and saved, and passed around. Normally I only posted nudes on LiveJournal.



Both pictures were taken a few years earlier in 2003...and indeed, the location of the correct picture is in the background of the wrong picture.

My apologies to gossamer for the derail.


LHC always was, and continues to be a thoughtful and polite place, so...*no new PMs*. For years, that image was findable on the net, but now only less identifiable nude hot spring pictures are out there using the search terms.

That sort of thing is something I'm worried will happen to me one day lol.

(Also I was just popcorning the story! Not for a pic :laugh: )

[SimplySmile]

You are gorgeous. :o

Your hair is my goal!!! I do not know if I will ever achieve it but I will try.


Hello all!

I've been very quiet on the boards for the past few years, so I'm sure that there are many of you I haven't met. Hello! :waving: I'm Gossamer and my hair reaches past floor length. Here are my previous anniversary threads: 3 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=111748), 4 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=121835), 5 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=130821), 6 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=137282), 7 years (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=142422).

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31228&d=1523314958

How long is my hair? :shrug: Dunno, haven't actually measured in ages now!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31229&d=1523315038

It's a little hard to believe I've been on LHC for 8 years now. I've gotten to know so many interesting people and even met some of you in person too! This past year I've had the pleasure of meeting up with a group here in Colorado in summer 2017 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=143508), and also with neko_kawaii, Yozhik & PraiseCheeses at incredibly fun mini-meets in fall.

There is a tendency I've noticed that many (but not all) of the super long haired members of LHC go rather quiet once they get to extreme lengths. I think part of that is that we've figured out our routines and aren't experimenting much anymore, and that many fancy styles stop working for many (again, not all) of us, so experiments there are limited too. Also, I know that hair like mine isn't really everyone's preference, as thin and fairy-taled as my ends are, so I am not trying to recommend myself as an example since few people would want hair like this, so my advice is probably limited in utility.

Since I realize that I'm probably a stranger to many of you active on the boards now, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Meanwhile, here are a couple more pictures, and you can always find more of me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gossycrafts/). (Please excuse the terrible lighting in these anniversary shots, I took them all in the 10 minutes I had during my bus transfer on my way home this afternoon.)

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31226&d=1523313810

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31227&d=1523314924

[young&reckless]

Your hair is very gorgeous! Glad to se your still floating around here as I am.

[Aeonian]

Oh my, that's some Rapunzel length! And really pretty too! Not my hairgoal but who knows? Never thought I would be posting about hair :)

[gossamer]

oh, hello! Thanks for the compliments on my thread from last year, SimplySmile

Good to see you again young&reckless!

@Aeonian: I have to say, I always find "Rapunzel length" such a confusing compliment when people say it to me, although I appreciate that I think you're intending it as something nice. Like, my hair is nowhere near long enough to hang out of a tower window and haul people up with. So if i don't share that trait with her, then are there other traits I share with that fairy tale character? I'd rather there not be. I know I'm probably being overly literal here, but I wonder, do people who are really tall get called by the names of mythical giants as a compliment? It's nice to hear you think it's pretty. Thank you. :blossom:

[Aeonian]

Hi Gossamer, I didn't mean to offend you, I have never seen someone with floorlength hair, so for me that is magical, and my first thought was Rapunzel because her hair was magical and long. Never thought of her other traits :)

Well, I have shoulder length hair with springy curls, so your hair is kind of magic for me, and still beautiful! :)

[eresh]

OMG how could I have missed this thread!!

Belated congratulations on your anniversary :o
I always love seeing pictures of you and your beautiful hair.
You inspired me to grow longer than knee again :o

[lapushka]

OMG how could I have missed this thread!!

Belated congratulations on your anniversary :o
I always love seeing pictures of you and your beautiful hair.
You inspired me to grow longer than knee again :o

eresh, this is an old thread that was re-zombied. LOL Raised from the dead. Quite nice too!
gossamer posted a more recent update to this one!

[gossamer]

Hi Gossamer, I didn't mean to offend you, I have never seen someone with floorlength hair, so for me that is magical, and my first thought was Rapunzel because her hair was magical and long. Never thought of her other traits :)

Well, I have shoulder length hair with springy curls, so your hair is kind of magic for me, and still beautiful! :)

Thanks so much for replying! I didn't take offense, please don't worry. I really appreciate you answering my question because this is something I really have been wondering about for years now. (seriously, like, ever since my hair got like knee length. People would say I was like Rapunzel and I'd always reply with confusion, unless they were a little kid, in which case I'd assume they'd just watched Tangled recently and that was adorable.)

Now, I spent a long, long time studying literature, so it's true that when I hear references to characters from stories I probably immediately default to over-analyzing the plot and the comparisons. So it means a lot for me to hear from a different perspective, like yours. Thank you!


OMG how could I have missed this thread!!

Belated congratulations on your anniversary :o
I always love seeing pictures of you and your beautiful hair.
You inspired me to grow longer than knee again :o

eresh, your words are always so kind :crush:, even if they're on a post from 11 months ago :silly:


eresh, this is an old thread that was re-zombied. LOL Raised from the dead. Quite nice too!
gossamer posted a more recent update to this one!

I did? Where?! I'm confused now! My 9yr anniversary isn't going to be until late next month.

[meteor]

Sorry I miss this thread earlier (I must have been in hiatus). :oops: Happy belated anniversary, gossamer! :joy: And here's to many, many more anniversaries to come!! :toast:

Your hair is such an inspiration! And I love that your photos show hair in motion! Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to take/share these photos, because I'm sure it's not always that easy to take hair down outside for a few photos with people potentially walking by, not to mention the tangling risk.

If you are still taking questions, I'm curious: do you adapt buns with extra length, for example, when there are too many wraps that happen at the base? For example, if you do a braided nautilus, after you create a loop, do you still simply keep wrapping hair at the base, or do you do something differently to avoid the bulging and tangling at the multi-wrapped base? Or is English-braiding hair first enough for you to keep all tangling at bay even with multiple wrapping?

And is there anything special you like to do for weight distribution, apart from sectioning front hair for rolls/twists?

And how do you prevent buns from sagging with hair weight?

Also, I think you mentioned spin pins... I was curious if you use special spin pins (twist pins), because the ones I saw seemed really bendy? Which brands do you find sturdy enough for you? Do you ever run into tangling problems where you twist them in on braided hair?

Thanks so much for your sharing your tips/practices and your continued kind presence and support on TLHC! :love:

[FrayedFire]

I've seen your name around a few times. Absolutely hair goals, 100%

I think that's similar to what mine will look like if I manage to attain that length, so it's reassuring to know it's gorgeous~

Congratulations on making it past floor!

[lapushka]

I did? Where?! I'm confused now! My 9yr anniversary isn't going to be until late next month.

I'm seeing things, NO way! :lol:
This is the recent one? Oops my mistake!

I do know that one of your older threads got commented on recently, and I might just be mixing the two up!

[crowhands]

I just joined this week, and seeing your hair is such an inspiration!! I dunno how long I want mine, but seeing your length even as a possibility is so, so cool! Happy belated anniversary!!

[zashin66]

I just joined this week, and seeing your hair is such an inspiration!! I dunno how long I want mine, but seeing your length even as a possibility is so, so cool! Happy belated anniversary!!

And so it begins again......... quietly the seed is planted. Of possibilities...... (LHC-itis)

[gossamer]

Oh my goodness, at this rate, I won't need to post a 9 year anniversary thread in 3 weeks!


Sorry I miss this thread earlier (I must have been in hiatus). :oops: Happy belated anniversary, gossamer! :joy: And here's to many, many more anniversaries to come!! :toast:

Your hair is such an inspiration! And I love that your photos show hair in motion! Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to take/share these photos, because I'm sure it's not always that easy to take hair down outside for a few photos with people potentially walking by, not to mention the tangling risk.

If you are still taking questions, I'm curious: do you adapt buns with extra length, for example, when there are too many wraps that happen at the base? For example, if you do a braided nautilus, after you create a loop, do you still simply keep wrapping hair at the base, or do you do something differently to avoid the bulging and tangling at the multi-wrapped base? Or is English-braiding hair first enough for you to keep all tangling at bay even with multiple wrapping?

And is there anything special you like to do for weight distribution, apart from sectioning front hair for rolls/twists?

And how do you prevent buns from sagging with hair weight?

Also, I think you mentioned spin pins... I was curious if you use special spin pins (twist pins), because the ones I saw seemed really bendy? Which brands do you find sturdy enough for you? Do you ever run into tangling problems where you twist them in on braided hair?

Thanks so much for your sharing your tips/practices and your continued kind presence and support on TLHC! :love:

Thanks meteor! I am happy to try to answer your questions but I don't think I can be much help.

I must admit, I read your post with a lot of confusion over how I'd respond because the problems you describe aren't really problems I have thought I have. I'm a bit worried now that maybe my buns have been droopy and I just haven't noticed? :hmm:

While I definitely notice matting with a nautilus bun done on loose hair, I haven't had a problem with it on braided hair, which is why the braided nautilus is still the second easiest way for me me to get my hair out of the way (first easiest is cinnabun). I add an extra loop on the occasions I try a LWB, but that's more to get it to hold better than to actually prevent any matting or pulling at the forehead, so I don't do that bun very often anymore.

Aside from sectioning, either doing a well balanced style like a coronet braid or starting my cinnabun higher on my head rather than lower on the back seems to help. Last week on two occasions I did a braided cinnabun which started further down, but was comfortable enough to wear all day.

Here's a photo of the updo at the end of the day yesterday, and all the tools I had in it to keep it up. Now, either this will show you that I don't know what a "droopy" bun looks like, or that I have successfully combated it with TONS of hardware.

https://i.imgur.com/5eLE73ih.png

https://i.imgur.com/CqILnJ7h.png

As for the brand of my spin pins, I get each pair for roughly 1USD each when I travel to East Asia for work. They really don't have a brand name, I'm so sorry I can't help there either. I've bought many different sizes over the years, as you can see, and the paint eventually wears off, but the stainless steel is really strong and only a few have bent very much. I don't have issues with them tangling in my hair when I use them, if I did, I wouldn't continue to use them. I'm sorry your spin pins have proved so problematic!


I've seen your name around a few times. Absolutely hair goals, 100%

I think that's similar to what mine will look like if I manage to attain that length, so it's reassuring to know it's gorgeous~

Congratulations on making it past floor!

Thanks! I think it's been past floor length for about three years now!


I'm seeing things, NO way! :lol:
This is the recent one? Oops my mistake!

I do know that one of your older threads got commented on recently, and I might just be mixing the two up!

I think you're thinking of this very thread we're currently posting on, Lapushka. I posted this thread in April 2018, 11.5 months ago, and it's turning into a substitute now, I think, for any anniversary thread I would have thought to post in April 2019. I checked and no one has posted on my 2017 thread since 2017, or my 2016 thread since 2016.


I just joined this week, and seeing your hair is such an inspiration!! I dunno how long I want mine, but seeing your length even as a possibility is so, so cool! Happy belated anniversary!!

Hahah oops, yes that's one possible side effect of joining LHC!


And so it begins again......... quietly the seed is planted. Of possibilities...... (LHC-itis)

:silly:

[lapushka]

I think you're thinking of this very thread we're currently posting on, Lapushka. I posted this thread in April 2018, 11.5 months ago, and it's turning into a substitute now, I think, for any anniversary thread I would have thought to post in April 2019. I checked and no one has posted on my 2017 thread since 2017, or my 2016 thread since 2016.

Yeeaah... that must be it then. OMG. I get sooo confused! LOL! :lol: ;)

[milosmomma]

You and your hair are beautiful gossamer! Please still post your 2019 update even if it's just a few weeks away now, I think everyone here loves your hair updates :)

[lapushka]

You and your hair are beautiful gossamer! Please still post your 2019 update even if it's just a few weeks away now, I think everyone here loves your hair updates :)

Oh definitely! :D

[wildernessbean]

Currently TBL and your length is my goal. Do you have a post or link to your routine if you’re willing to share? Trying to perfect mine and you are an awesome inspiration!

[gossamer]

Currently TBL and your length is my goal. Do you have a post or link to your routine if you’re willing to share? Trying to perfect mine and you are an awesome inspiration!
Thanks!

I made these videos about 3.5 years ago but not much, if anything, has changed since then. Oh, if I mention using oils at all in the vids, I don't anymore because I ran out, procrastinated on buying more, and then didn't notice any appreciable difference so didn't bother.
Wash routine (https://youtu.be/vPUnBy9Ntus)
Wrapping up after washing (https://youtu.be/lpICzVIff1I)
From towel to updo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLKceIDy1CA)
Detangling after drying (https://youtu.be/91KymwFlIYk)

I hope this helps you.

[meteor]

Wow, gossamer, thank you so much for such an exhaustive and super-helpful reply! :flowers: No-no, your buns definitely aren't droopy at all, that's actually exactly why I wondered how you manage to keep them that way even with such great length of hair. Thank you so much for the information on the braided nautilus, great to know that the sectioning that happens with braiding should be enough to prevent excessive tangling at the wrapping point. And yes, your spin pins definitely look a lot sturdier (thicker material) and the coil is less tight than what I've found locally. I'll keep that in mind when looking for spin pins. :)

Thank you so very much again! :D Your experiences and clear explanations are super-helpful! :flowers:

[lapushka]

Currently TBL and your length is my goal. Do you have a post or link to your routine if you’re willing to share? Trying to perfect mine and you are an awesome inspiration!

Awesome; welcome to the forum, BTW! :D

[xsampa]

Gossamer, your hair looks gorgeous. On a non-hair-related note, what kind of camera do you use for your Instagram photos?

[deeisme]

Thanks!

I made these videos about 3.5 years ago but not much, if anything, has changed since then. Oh, if I mention using oils at all in the vids, I don't anymore because I ran out, procrastinated on buying more, and then didn't notice any appreciable difference so didn't bother.
Wash routine (https://youtu.be/vPUnBy9Ntus)
Wrapping up after washing (https://youtu.be/lpICzVIff1I)
From towel to updo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLKceIDy1CA)
Detangling after drying (https://youtu.be/91KymwFlIYk)

I hope this helps you.

Thanks you for sharing how you care for your hair. I appreciate learning from others like yourself who have so much experience.

[xsampa]

How did you make the updo shown in this post?:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=146063&page=16&p=3660801&viewfull=1#post3660801

[gossamer]

Gossamer, your hair looks gorgeous. On a non-hair-related note, what kind of camera do you use for your Instagram photos?

I just use my phone, mostly.


Thanks you for sharing how you care for your hair. I appreciate learning from others like yourself who have so much experience.

Glad I could be of help!!


How did you make the updo shown in this post?:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=146063&page=16&p=3660801&viewfull=1#post3660801
As I said in the post, it is a braided cinnabun. You do a braid with your hair, then pin it up like a regular cinnabun style. If you don’t know how to do that, there are lots of videos on YouTube to help with your hair.

[zmirina]

Your hair is absolutely stunning! I admire your dedication and patience

[Proverbs31]

Just wanted to say that y'all are so inspirational - my hope is to be able to join this thread in 5 or so years ;)

[gossamer]

Your hair is absolutely stunning! I admire your dedication and patience

Thank you!


Just wanted to say that y'all are so inspirational - my hope is to be able to join this thread in 5 or so years ;)

In 5 or so years, you'll have reached your 5th anniversary join date though right? I'm sure you'll want to start your very own thread then rather than joining mine! :D