Encouragement needed :(

[princessaerin]

So after starting college I chopped from this...

https://imgur.com/a/Iz0iZ3L

...to this...

https://imgur.com/a/3bNvYJ1

...and about two months later, I'm regretting it so hard. I love my short hair, but I loved my long hair even more. Luckily, my growth rate is a wild inch per month, but I am viciously eating biotin gummies to speed that up. At this point, I'm desperate to at least feel my hair brushing my shoulders again :laugh: Next week when I go home for Thanksgiving I'm dying it all back to brown--right now I'm pastel purple--to grow, baby, grow. Any encouragement from fellow choppers (or anyone else)? I'm such an impatient person I don't know how I'm going to handle the wait for my long hair to return. Also, hi again to everyone, it's been a long while since I've been here! I've been lurking the past few days looking at everyone's beautiful hair :D

[MoonRabbit]

First I just have to say that I LOVE your short hair. It looks so amazing on you! I can understand the need for wanting it long again. Crazy how easy it is to take off compared to the long journey of getting it back. My advice is to try and enjoy the ride, you are going to be heading for some amazing lengths and time is really going to fly by before you realize. Have fun and Happy Growing

[blesseddamozel]

The short hair looks really nice on you, but I know how it feels to miss the feeling of long locks :) To pass the time I'd suggest making a huge effort to grow a super healthy head of hair- spoil what length you have with hair treatments, oils, whatever works for you. I hope you keep posting, I'd love to see your growth over time :D

[Dark40]

I agree with everybody else. The short hair looks really nice on you. But I can really understand your feeling on wanting the long hair back so bad so fast! That happened to me too! My hair was almost BSL, and I went through the big chop, and chopped it all of the way up to chin length but over time it grew back to BSL. Now, I'm about WL! You're doing the right thing by eating biotin gummies to speed up the growth. I at times take hair, skin, and nails vitamins to also speed up the growth too, and they've been working tremendously well for me!!! :) I normally also get an inch of growth per month too.

[Flagg]

I love your style!
I understand being bummed. Waiting is so hard. Once it's long enough to pull back, practice that benign neglect!

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought Biotin really isn't a good thing to be taking for hair growth? Or was it maybe just taking too much of it?

[Ylva]

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought Biotin really isn't a good thing to be taking for hair growth? Or was it maybe just taking too much of it?

It is fine, but one is unlikely to be deficient in biotin if one eats an at least somewhat balanced diet. Taking more than that won't really make a difference as you'll just pee it out.

[Arciela]

I love both pictures of your hair! The short hair is so cute!! :flower: I had to do the same recently due to bleaching my hair..I cut it pretty short and am starting my journey over..mine grows an inch a month also and 16 months later I am APL full virgin length (from growing out from roots) so it will go by before you know it! I just make the journey fun and try to enjoy all the growth stages :)

[Lizabeth94]

Your short cut looks so cute! Until your hair grows, try to find joy in the perks that come with short hair (like how fast it washes and dries), or how light it feels, I second what others said, pamper the hair you have!

If you're in a rush to grow, maybe consider adding a few protein shakes a day along with the biotin? Protein shakes work great for me, combined with biotin it doubles my growth from 1/2 inch to 1 inch a month. :)

I'm currently not taking any supplements though, I just chopped my hair (again) due to migraine related scalp pain which I need to deal with first, and I'm not in a rush to grow right now.

[lenu60]

So after starting college I chopped from this...

https://imgur.com/a/Iz0iZ3L

...to this...

https://imgur.com/a/3bNvYJ1

...and about two months later, I'm regretting it so hard. I love my short hair, but I loved my long hair even more. Luckily, my growth rate is a wild inch per month, but I am viciously eating biotin gummies to speed that up. At this point, I'm desperate to at least feel my hair brushing my shoulders again :laugh: Next week when I go home for Thanksgiving I'm dying it all back to brown--right now I'm pastel purple--to grow, baby, grow. Any encouragement from fellow choppers (or anyone else)? I'm such an impatient person I don't know how I'm going to handle the wait for my long hair to return. Also, hi again to everyone, it's been a long while since I've been here! I've been lurking the past few days looking at everyone's beautiful hair :D

Your hair looks nice even short. Enjoy the process.

[TreesOfEternity]

A thought that helped me through the difficult stages was "this is the last time in my whole life I will have this length". If you plan on growing and having long hair from now on, this perspective can make you apreciate a lot your current length and enjoy it while it lasts, at least it did for me.

Just like everyone else said, enjoy the journey and happy growing! :flower:

[Flagg]

Good to know! Thank you Ylva

[Stray_mind]

The trick is to try and ignore your hair as much as possible. :)

I have chopped from almost hip to the same length you have in the front, and even shorter in the back (kinda like a reverse layered bob). My shortest layers were around 2 inches long. Now, over a year and a trim later, my hair is below shoulder length. I can put it up and forget about it until it gets longer.

Your hair looks great short as well, so just enjoy the journey back to long hair.

[spitfire511]

Ooooh I did exactly this my freshman year of college (though different colors weren't in then - I just went deep auburn/brown).

And TBH, I spent the next 10 years somewhere between APL and chin because I forgot how to be satisfied with my hair (and it's one of the reasons my ends drive me so crazy now - I crave that 'freshly cut' look).

So my advice would be. - don't do what I did - but do what the others have suggested. This cut is super cute on you - enjoy it! Pamper it and once it starts to grow more (because you know you have a couple of awkward stages in there) pull it back and ignore the heck out of it (other than good care of course!). It helped me to consistently look at the hair I wanted to have again too - keep a couple of those pics up with your long hair so you keep your eye on the prize!

[Vacurlylady]

This is all great advice! I’m growing mine out from a life time of pixies!! I’m a year and a month into growth. About your length now. I’m trying to enjoy each stage and I do believe “this will be the last time I’m at this length!” Stay in here! It’s so exciting watching and reading all about Long Hair!

[elsiedeluxe]

You're really close to being able to put it up, especially because your hair grows so fast. And an added benefit of processed hair is that it will likely have a little bit of texture that can help it stick together and do updos, etc. So you could use the time to practice long hair styles like french and dutch braids, because they'll stay in much more easily than my super straight and slippery virgin shoulder length hair. Even though my hair is currently longer than yours, I bet you're closer to being able to do interesting things with your hair. That could be fun.

[lapushka]

You not only chopped, but changed your appearance significantly. If you decide to grow, go slowly, don't overdose on biotin that is *already* overdosed - DO NOT DO IT! It's just not good for you.

I'm afraid you'll just have to be patient. This is not going to happen overnight.

Are you planning to keep bleaching? That is a question you first have to ask yourself, I think. :flower:

[bokeh]

My only advice is to enjoy and make the most of all the stages of growth. Your hair style will be constantly changing and you can have a lot of fun with that!

[Milkchocolate]

As others have said, your short hair looks really nice on you and really compliments your style! :) But i totally understand how’d you’d miss your locks. Think of it as a fresh start, and how healthier hair awaits you! Just a little patience is needed, while then just enjoy what you can do with shorter hair that you can’t do with long! (ex: lil pigtails, mini braids, etc)