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View Full Version : My 10 years at TLHC!!



dagny
December 15th, 2018, 07:27 PM
Darn! I missed my 10 year "hairaversary"!!

I can't believe it has been 10 years since i joined TLHC! Where has the time gone? Where have my past friends gone? Where has my hair gone??!!!!!???? :hmm:

I have mostly been a lurker, but when I am actively growing my hair (and reminding myself of proper hair care) I tend to get more active on the board. The reason: so I remember that I am GROWING out my hair and don't cut it off on a whim.

I have grown my hair from shoulder to hip, cut it back to chin and then grew it back out to waist, re-cut back to APL and then played with it from APL to MBL until recently when I decided to grow it long. Very long!

My hip length hair I chopped about 8 yrs ago and I still remember the day when I held one of my toddler twins on my lap and he absentmindedly reached up to hold on to my braid...and it was gone. :-( I think it traumatized me more than it did him, as I still have those fond memories of him playing with my hair as he sat on my lap.

Well, that baby is 12 now and he (and his twin brother) are begging me to grow it out to my knees and longer, so I figured I had better get to growing since I will be 50 this year! I am curious to see what terminal may be like on me.

Looking back at my hair journey this past decade, I have come to realize some things and thought I'd share them with any newbies out there:

1. Don't compare your hair to the hair of other's. Your hair is JUST as beautiful. Tend to it, care for it, and love it and it will serve you well.
2. Henna is permanet.
3. Heat is not your friend.
4. Avoid lightening treatments because they ALL damage hair.
5. Find the oil that your hair loves.
6. Do weekly hair masks.
7. Frizz is just curl waiting to happen.
8. If your hair is acting strange, try a clarifying treatment.
9. Always use the 2-week rule when you are thinking of a change.
10. Henna is permanent
11. Know your hair type and what works best for it
12. Find your "hair twin" and stalk them on TLHC/HairTutorials to learn new styles that are realistic for you.
13. Don't neglect your scalp.
14. Test your hair regularly to determine if you need protein or moisture.
15. Don't forget to S&D if you have hair that is fragile or if you have damage
16. Hair seems to grow faster when you stop measuring it :p
17. Get a hair goal and work towards it
18. Greying hair has a special charm and how it evolves with time is unique to each person.
19. Long hair is beautiful at ANY age!
20. Did I mention that henna is permanent?!!?

Thank you everyone who has given me such great advice, written about their own successes, shared their hair tragedies, and passed along the hair love. You are all appreciated!
Here is to 10 more years :beerchug:

-- Dagny

lithostoic
December 15th, 2018, 07:33 PM
Congrats on 10 years! You have a lot of great advice.

Ophidian
December 15th, 2018, 08:41 PM
I especially love “frizz is just curl waiting to happen” :D. Congratulations on 10 years!

Synester
December 15th, 2018, 09:23 PM
"henna is permanent" actually made me laugh. and advice noted! happy 10 years wow what journey!!! ive been growing my hair out for 8 years from being spiky in the back with long pieces in the front and now just at waist length now, i feel like i should be so much further in my journey and its discouraging at times but i will take your advice to not compare to others and enjoy the ride!

Corvana
December 15th, 2018, 11:40 PM
Congrats on 10 years!!

Dendra
December 16th, 2018, 02:52 AM
Love the advice! Thank you dagny. I hope we see pics of your growout to knee :)

Vacurlylady
December 16th, 2018, 03:12 AM
Happy 10 year Hairaversary! You do have great advice. I’m growing out my hair til I retire. I’ve never, ever had long hair.

Sarahlabyrinth
December 16th, 2018, 03:22 AM
Congrats on ten years, wow! I love all the good advice you give, it's so true! Here's to your next ten years!

lapushka
December 16th, 2018, 03:47 AM
Congratulations on your anniversary! :)

TatsuOni
December 16th, 2018, 04:52 AM
Congrats! :)

Ju
December 16th, 2018, 05:37 AM
Wow congratulations! And what an excellent list of advice. Is there any chance you might be able to expand on no. 14?

FennFire911
December 16th, 2018, 05:38 AM
Congrats on 10 years! And that’s great advice. There’s definitely some that I need to take to heart. :D

embee
December 16th, 2018, 05:39 AM
Congratulations on 10 years! May you enjoy another ten plus more! :)

Elly May
December 16th, 2018, 06:03 AM
Great advice, especially #1. I will never have the thick wavy luxurious mane that many of you have, but I can have the best that my genetics allow, and that is okay with me! I can either have short thin, fine, fragile hair....or I can have LONG thin, fine fragile hair...either way, it is what it is. ;)

dagny
December 16th, 2018, 12:34 PM
Wow congratulations! And what an excellent list of advice. Is there any chance you might be able to expand on no. 14?

Thank you for your kind words!

As for #14 -- about testing your hair regularly to see if it needs moisture or protein -- what I mean is that if you do a strand test you can determine what your hair may be lacking/needing.

Take a strand of hair that has been shed and wet it. Then pull the hair to stretch it. If it bounces back (like an elastic rubber band), then you hair is perfect. If it snaps and breaks (with no bouncy, elastic feel) then you have too much protein and your hair lacks moisture. If the hair stretches but doesn't bounce back, then you have too much moisture and your hair needs more protein.

Does this make sense?

dagny
December 16th, 2018, 12:35 PM
Great advice, especially #1. I will never have the thick wavy luxurious mane that many of you have, but I can have the best that my genetics allow, and that is okay with me! I can either have short thin, fine, fragile hair....or I can have LONG thin, fine fragile hair...either way, it is what it is. ;)

Good way of thinking about it!

I always say, let your hair be the best that IT can be. :-)

dagny
December 16th, 2018, 12:43 PM
"henna is permanent" actually made me laugh. and advice noted! happy 10 years wow what journey!!! ive been growing my hair out for 8 years from being spiky in the back with long pieces in the front and now just at waist length now, i feel like i should be so much further in my journey and its discouraging at times but i will take your advice to not compare to others and enjoy the ride!

Yes, I always seem to forget that about the henna. Thankfully I am a natural red-head -- but it is still difficult to grow out henna because the roots always look more ashy than the henna does on the length.

That's awesome about your hair growth. I know that it can take a long time to grow it from very short to long (I once had a hair mishap that wound up getting me 1-2" hair. Seemed to take ages to grow it out again!); but, since the time had to pass anyway, at least you were able to continue to grow during that time. :-)