"Hairy"-versary stories! COME ONE COME ALL!

[Strands]

I was thinking about this idea last night, but hair apparently grows and sheds about every 7 years. If this is true for the sake of fun, a hair anniversary happens every seven years.

SO - where was your hair seven years ago? Trends? Cuts? Styles or color?

7 years ago was 2013 December, I had my first baby just that summer and my hair was BSL because I had JUST that xmas from a very good friend who was a hair dresser. She actually did a great job and I still remember how good I looked comparing before and after that cut. Before that one, it has been to long since I had a cut. I was sadly still straightening and highly abusing my hair with crap conditioners and nothing in my hair post wash except hair spray and heat. eeeeeek. Miracle I kept any hair honestly the way I treated it. XD No color or anything, but I do recall some women still doing the stupid feather trend back then. XD

HBU? :) Wish I had pics to add.

[Iyashikei]

Seven years ago my hair was short. I remember I put gel in to get it up in a way that was already out of fashion back then.

[JasminxCat]

7 years ago I was 14 and my hair was at shoulder length, it was amazingly healthy and shiny.. I remember I could go forever without brushing it because I never needed to, and when I did there were never any tangles. A year later when I was 15 I finally bleached it for the first time... and about 4 more times after that until it eventually all fell out. Ever since then my hair has never been the same... I still wonder if it was the bleach or if it has just naturally changed over the years. Wish it was like it used to be

[squirrrel]

Seven years ago? Well, in 2010 I was pixie’d due to having broken an upper arm. I kept that up for around a year, but constant hairdressers appointments got boring and I got out of the habit. My brother and sister in law got married in summer 2012 and it was around chin length at that point. A year and a half later? Call it shoulder length? When I joined October 2014 it was between APL and BSL, I think... the month or two leading up to that was when I went on my first natural hit, so I was about average length for me (I had a habit of chop and grow (sometimes due to other people encouraging me to get various styles. I just can’t be bothered keeping a style up, and am perfectly happy with long hair as a style of its own!), never getting beyond mid back length that continued as long as I can remember) and was a shampoo and conditioner wash and go. I haven’t used a hairdryer since I was a preteen as I don’t like the noise, so I would bundle it up in a towel and let it drip dry. I didn’t dye my hair as a rule: I think I have done this once, in 2007, when I got what I thought was a week wash out dye. A year later I was still trimming it off. Not much else stands out about it.

[SleepyTangles]

7 years ago, November 2013, I was pretty far along in my first growing out journey.
I used henna, underneath it my hair was mostly virgin with a little bit of leftover dye on my tips.
My routine is fairly the same, even when I cut it in a pixie I pretty much kept my longhair product and techniques. Just with less conditioner ;)
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7847&d=1385826563

[illicitlizard]

7 years ago my hair looked very similar to how it looks now! (Grainiest image ever) (https://imgur.com/gjwbHGo.jpg). Blunt cut, no styling to speak of. This was just before I started experimenting with styles and cuts in the period of 2014-2018. I'd started cutting it slightly shorter at this stage (2011-2012 it was somewhere near waist), but didn't get up to shoulder length until 2014.

[lapushka]

Man oh man, I'm glad I read the first post, because just from going from the title, I actually thought this thread was made to celebrate people's anniversaries here on the LHC. :lol:

Which, isn't a bad idea, actually. Beats people from having to make new threads on every anniversary.

To answer the question... wow. I don't think I look at my hair that closely. I can't even remember where I was that many years ago in my journey. Wait. I reached classic for the first time in September 2015, so I was actively growing the 2 years before that. :hmm: Not that I notice a difference between then and now. :)

I do know that my mom, for some mysterious reason, has a thicker ponytail than last year. The back of her head is really "full" now, while the front is as thin (not see-through) as it's always been. We can't figure it out. She just turned 75 this month.

[Ylva]

The closest photo I can find is this one, which is from the summer of 2014:

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40791&d=1585743843

Looking at my hair, it's likely that I had grown out natural from the following (a year or two prior) and gotten highlights on top of the virgin growth.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40783&d=1585742646

So in December 2013, my hair was something between these two. I was not yet "hair health-conscious" since that didn't happen until late 2017, but it was the time after I'd become an accidental longhair again during my period of self-isolation.

[TatsuOni]

In 2013 I was growing out bleach. By the end of the year I had a lot of my natural hair color. My hair was around APL.

https://cdn1.cdnme.se/1263465/9-3/pa310036_5fde13d59606ee4cd2a17c6d.jpg
Oktober 2013

https://cdn3.cdnme.se/1263465/9-3/1_5fde14169606ee4cc720ec5b.jpg
February 2014

[AmaryllisRed]

Fun thread idea!

My daughter was born in December 2013, so I had three kids, 6, 1, and a newborn. I actually couldn't even find a picture where I wasn't wearing a ponytail until February 2014!
In February 2014 I got a haircut, layered, with the length about APL, looks like?
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43757&d=1608390997

Then I went and chopped to chin at the end of 2014.

[FaeBroom]

7 Years ago I was 17... my mom made me dye my hair back to brown (and take out my nose ring) for my high school senior pictures. I had a really boring layered bob with side bangs that I hated in the pictures because I attempted to blow dry it and it came out really weird.

[neko_kawaii]

In December 2013 my hair was 35 inches long, just past hip length. https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?cp=4

ETA: just noticed that the first pic in my siggy is a little past hip. So, basically that.

[lapis_lazuli]

7 years for all hair to shed and completely replace itself? I'm not sure that's quite true for me as I still have bleach in my ends from 2011 :)

December 2013 - my hair was waist length and I still had dye up to my ears. I wasn't on LHC yet but this is already a couple years into growing.

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

[neko_kawaii]

7 years for all hair to shed and completely replace itself? I'm not sure that's quite true for me as I still have bleach in my ends from 2011 :)


Yep, seven years is average, not universal. Also, different follicles on the same head can have different shed rates.

[lapis_lazuli]

Yep, seven years is average, not universal. Also, different follicles on the same head can have different shed rates.

Makes sense! My longest hairs need at least 9 years to get that length so those must be my lucky ones :)


In 2013 I was growing out bleach. By the end of the year I had a lot of my natural hair color. My hair was around APL.

I would have never recognized you Tatsu...wow! Gorgeous then and now.

[Jane99]

December 2013... I had just graduated that month with my MSW and my boyfriend of 9 years and I broke up a couple days after Christmas while still visiting his mom in Florida.
The photo I can find is from June 2014 at my cousin’s wedding and it looks like my hair was a little longer than shoulder.

[Bri-Chan]

So, I don't own good quality photos of that period. I had brown/red hair from faded black hair dye on henna. Oh, and growing out my undercut for the first time.
https://i.imgur.com/60KSrjr.jpg?1

Here you can understand better its state, this was taken in spring 2014. I had some residues of green dye on the ends.
https://i.imgur.com/T0YCtrp.jpg?1

I actually found an hair photo from December '13, but I don't post it because the quality is horrible. But it looks like I was brushing WL, for length reference.

[MusicalSpoons]

7 years ago it was just in its pre-LHC cycle of grow to tbl / chop the damage off to about hip because I didn't know how to properly care for hair or protect my ends. Hairties were mangling them! It probably looked a lot lighter from having spent a lot of time outside in the sun (not sunbathing) and ... yeah.

Actually 7 years ago I was trying to recover from a car accident (no discernible injuries, just extreme fatigue and full-body pain) so if I gave any thought to my hair at all it's not in my memory. I recovered just enough over a few months to think I was okay until the health nosedive of late 2014 which turned into years of decline.

[0xalis]

December 23rd 2013! Exactly 7 years ago. This was actually posted here back then, on my old account that I lost access to because I deleted the email address.
I was quickly approaching APL, in this picture I was smack dab between collarbone and APL, and still had those beautiful waves between 1c and 2a. The very ends still had a little bit of bleach damage though.
In June of 2014 I shaved my head for the first time after losing a battle with incessant lice, losing the APL+ hair I worked extremely hard for :(
I have never regretted the shave though, it was extremely fun and I've done it again since then, cured the lice issue and they haven't been back since! *knock on wood*

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/668563929282117725/785434351139291186/2013-12-23_16.JPG?width=456&height=609

[Strands]

Man oh man, I'm glad I read the first post, because just from going from the title, I actually thought this thread was made to celebrate people's anniversaries here on the LHC. :lol:

Which, isn't a bad idea, actually. Beats people from having to make new threads on every anniversary.

To answer the question... wow. I don't think I look at my hair that closely. I can't even remember where I was that many years ago in my journey. Wait. I reached classic for the first time in September 2015, so I was actively growing the 2 years before that. :hmm: Not that I notice a difference between then and now. :)

I do know that my mom, for some mysterious reason, has a thicker ponytail than last year. The back of her head is really "full" now, while the front is as thin (not see-through) as it's always been. We can't figure it out. She just turned 75 this month.

LOL I do think ONE thread for LHC-versaries would be AMAZING. I seem so see those a lot, those types of threads. :wink:

Yeah I was just wondering how people were doing 7 years ago to now. Sometimes reflection is good when considering where we are going.

EDITED TO ADD I WILL BE ON LHC 5 YEARS NEXT NOVEMBER WHERE DID THE TIME GO. I DEMAND IT BACK. LOL

[Cg]

Seven years ago I had just been diagnosed with an illness and was losing my pixie-length hair in ugly clumps. I wore hats and caps for a year, and thankfully by then much of the hair had begun to regrow. I never went to a salon after 2013. I chopped everything to the shortest layer around BSL or so and have microtrimmed every 6 weeks since. Now it's mid-thigh, blonde on the ends, more and more silver above.

[Strands]

I do NOT regret this thread at all. :) I love the stories here. I hope more people post and over time as well because it is so cool to see people reflect and learn from their experiences in some ways.

:knit::cheese:

[ReadingRenee]

7 years ago, I had my last baby the year before and I was deep in the land of toddlers and nursing and all that. Hair was a secondary consideration. However, I did start trying to grow it in the spring of 2014 and took an LHC style pic in 2014. It was slightly shorter than APL Dec 2013 and all one length and I was really happy with it.

I am contributing a picture just because I love seeing everyone elses pics. I shared this on here back in 2014, but here it is again. I would be really happy if my hair would look like this again.

https://i.imgur.com/Tq2bUJR.jpg?1

[lapushka]

LOL I do think ONE thread for LHC-versaries would be AMAZING. I seem so see those a lot, those types of threads. :wink:

Yeah I was just wondering how people were doing 7 years ago to now. Sometimes reflection is good when considering where we are going.

EDITED TO ADD I WILL BE ON LHC 5 YEARS NEXT NOVEMBER WHERE DID THE TIME GO. I DEMAND IT BACK. LOL

Happy anniversary. :D :cheer:

[Sunseed]

Seven years ago my hair was probably BSL and I was becoming interested in growing my hair longer, and by now I should have knee length hair (maybe?) if I knew to do the right things. But, I didn’t know what the right things were. I frequently went to the salon for a cut, and although my hair looked good, the stylist would never let me achieve my hair goals no matter how many times I said I wanted to grow it longer. Also, I washed frequently and used a blow drier always. My fine hair is delicate and won’t last with that treatment. Also, somewhere during these 7 years, I started perimenopause and I think I started losing hair as a result of the changing hormones. Now, I think my body is leveling off as far as hormones go, and the hair shedding has stopped. Thankfully! Now, I know what to do to support my hair’s growth. Yay for that!

[oldrocker]

December 23rd 2013! Exactly 7 years ago. This was actually posted here back then, on my old account that I lost access to because I deleted the email address.
I was quickly approaching APL, in this picture I was smack dab between collarbone and APL, and still had those beautiful waves between 1c and 2a. The very ends still had a little bit of bleach damage though.
In June of 2014 I shaved my head for the first time after losing a battle with incessant lice, losing the APL+ hair I worked extremely hard for :(
I have never regretted the shave though, it was extremely fun and I've done it again since then, cured the lice issue and they haven't been back since! *knock on wood*

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/668563929282117725/785434351139291186/2013-12-23_16.JPG?width=456&height=609

Oxalis...I don't know how/what others think of 'exposing' themselves as their younger selves. but from what little I know of you and your story, I can totally appreciate what I have seen of you and your progress and growing as your own person and the hair growth on the side of your story. well done, if I may say so.

[0xalis]

Aw, thanks oldrocker!!! :o You're always so kind!

[Crystawni]

7 years ago, today (20th December):
https://i.imgur.com/HwZ8hBX.jpg

I had razor-layered BSL hair that I washed each day and tamed it with a hairdryer and large, round brush for my face-framers. This was a few months before I found and joined LHC, so just thought my hair was unruly. It never straightened, even with a hair straightener (I rarely, if ever, used my GHD), boofed out in humid weather, and often had face-framing swoops that flew into everything. The underlying whites haven't changed much since then, although the canopy has streaked out a bit more. And of course, I've grown, cut, layered, grown, trimmed, layered, trimmed and cut it a bit since then, with my longest length being fingertip earlier this year. But the colours are all mine, and the washing side of things has mellowed to around twice weekly, with no hairdrying or taming that soon untamed, or swoops to be had. Wash and grow; tis be much easier.

ETA: LHC hair journey in pics here (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12420).

[TatsuOni]

Makes sense! My longest hairs need at least 9 years to get that length so those must be my lucky ones :)



I would have never recognized you Tatsu...wow! Gorgeous then and now.

Thank you! :blossom:


It's so fun to see everyones pictures in this thread! :cheer:

[ReadingRenee]

7 years ago, today (20th December):
https://i.imgur.com/HwZ8hBX.jpg

I had razor-layered BSL hair that I washed each day and tamed it with a hairdryer and large, round brush for my face-framers. This was a few months before I found and joined LHC, so just thought my hair was unruly. It never straightened, even with a hair straightener (I rarely, if ever, used my GHD), boofed out in humid weather, and often had face-framing swoops that flew into everything. The underlying whites haven't changed much since then, although the canopy has streaked out a bit more. And of course, I've grown, cut, layered, grown, trimmed, layered, trimmed and cut it a bit since then, with my longest length being fingertip earlier this year. But the colours are all mine, and the washing side of things has mellowed to around twice weekly, with no hairdrying or taming that soon untamed, or swoops to be had. Wash and grow; tis be much easier.

Crystawni wow! Seeing your hair comparison is so amazing! You have come a long way in 7 years, although I think your hair was pretty then too.

[Strands]

Happy anniversary. :D :cheer:

HAHA thanks!!! :) Figured I should at least give you what you thought you came here for!

[Strands]

7 years ago, today (20th December):
https://i.imgur.com/HwZ8hBX.jpg

I had razor-layered BSL hair that I washed each day and tamed it with a hairdryer and large, round brush for my face-framers. This was a few months before I found and joined LHC, so just thought my hair was unruly. It never straightened, even with a hair straightener (I rarely, if ever, used my GHD), boofed out in humid weather, and often had face-framing swoops that flew into everything. The underlying whites haven't changed much since then, although the canopy has streaked out a bit more. And of course, I've grown, cut, layered, grown, trimmed, layered, trimmed and cut it a bit since then, with my longest length being fingertip earlier this year. But the colours are all mine, and the washing side of things has mellowed to around twice weekly, with no hairdrying or taming that soon untamed, or swoops to be had. Wash and grow; tis be much easier.

OMG I want your hair coloring SO much. You looked great then and now!!! :D

[YvetteVarie]

7 years ago...

I was growing out my hair and had reached APL I think. Unfortunately, I played with the flat iron, and had breakage most of 2014 after that. I think I also transitioned to natural at one point during that time, it's all a hazy memory now

[Crystawni]

Crystawni wow! Seeing your hair comparison is so amazing! You have come a long way in 7 years, although I think your hair was pretty then too.


OMG I want your hair coloring SO much. You looked great then and now!!! :D

:grin: Thank you both! :flowers:

[lapushka]

This was well, well over 10 years ago. Straightened and growing out a mid-tone ash shade. It was supposed to be an ash shade, anyway. :lol:

https://i.imgur.com/zzh8rzAl.jpg


I have come a long way. But I just wanted to post it, to say: guys, it can be done. Just a lot of patience and you will get past that bob length. You just have to "allow" it to get longer. No snipping back, no "evening out" bits, just let it be and keep your mitts off. :lol: ;)

[Strands]

This was well, well over 10 years ago. Straightened and growing out a mid-tone ash shade. It was supposed to be an ash shade, anyway. :lol:

https://i.imgur.com/zzh8rzAl.jpg

I have come a long way. But I just wanted to post it, to say: guys, it can be done. Just a lot of patience and you will get past that bob length. You just have to "allow" it to get longer. No snipping back, no "evening out" bits, just let it be and keep your mitts off. :lol: ;)

OH MY GOODNESS. The difference from then to now is INCREDIBLE!!! GOOD JOB!

[DropStitches]

It's super fun seeing everyone's pictures! Here is the only image I could find of my hair in 2013. I had dyed it blue-black with box dye, and I remember it feeling really weird, dry and crispy! In the interim years, I grew it to around collarbone, then got bored and started bleaching it and dyeing it rainbow colours. I'm hoping that in the next seven years I can resist the urge to mess with it...

https://i.imgur.com/SpCBapT.png?1

[Strands]

It's super fun seeing everyone's pictures! Here is the only image I could find of my hair in 2013. I had dyed it blue-black with box dye, and I remember it feeling really weird, dry and crispy! In the interim years, I grew it to around collarbone, then got bored and started bleaching it and dyeing it rainbow colours. I'm hoping that in the next seven years I can resist the urge to mess with it...

https://i.imgur.com/SpCBapT.png?1

OH MY GOSH. It even LOOKS dry!! What kind of dye was it? 7 years is pretty long ago but still have to ask in case you remember!

[DropStitches]

OH MY GOSH. It even LOOKS dry!! What kind of dye was it? 7 years is pretty long ago but still have to ask in case you remember!

Doesn't it, though?! Hmmm I feel like it was by Wella, but beyond that I can't remember! It was my only foray into the world of box dyes, and it was not a happy one!

[PeonyBlue]

Well, this is the best I could find...most others on my iPad had me wearing hats, so I guess not much has changed. Probably the only difference I can see from this pic is that this would be one of the last times I did the semi-permanent box dye...it started to show up the grey regrowth around my temples so I decided not to bother after that.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50745127491_24770d2855.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kjb3te)Feeding the cockatoos (https://flic.kr/p/2kjb3te) by Yesterday- Today (https://www.flickr.com/photos/191184884@N02/), on Flickr

[Wendyp]

I just missed my 6 year anniversary on Nov 16. I was a lurker then started posting a lot in 2016. Actually though I believe I had a profile I wanna say in the 90s? A looonggg time ago. Anyhoo..OMG my hair has made so much progress! Looking on my profile at my first pictures WOW. I have a different head of hair! Thanks to y'all :love:

[shelomit]

Seven years ago, my hair was. . . pretty much exactly as it is now ( ; That was before the period of neglect and damage that led me to LHC. My hair is just about back where I want it to be again c:

[0xalis]

This was well, well over 10 years ago. Straightened and growing out a mid-tone ash shade. It was supposed to be an ash shade, anyway. :lol:
I have come a long way. But I just wanted to post it, to say: guys, it can be done. Just a lot of patience and you will get past that bob length. You just have to "allow" it to get longer. No snipping back, no "evening out" bits, just let it be and keep your mitts off. :lol: ;)

So inspiring, and a good reminder! ;)

[Bat]

This is as close to 2013 as I could get April 2014. Still short,not much has changed, other than the fact I was pretty slim miss the days where I could see my collarbone!

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/754621585465540641/792633657742721054/Screenshot_2020-12-27-16-02-35-49.jpg

[Jools69]

This photo was taken in 2011, but pretty much how I wore my hair during the early 10s - dyed and straightening every day.

https://i.imgur.com/S6e9mOg.jpg

[jojo]

7 years ago my hair had various layers of henna, indigo ,box dyes, dye removers, straightened to an inch if it life and eventually ended up looking like a hip length version of the contents of a pot noodle . 2 years from there one day I was washing my gum like hair and decided to get a Bob, got that still hated the damage so walked into a barbers and said take it all off, that was October 25th 2015. Fast forward I am now totally virgin, 3b hip ( when stretched) totally healthy hair. Practicing Co washing, LOC, 2 yearly trims and curly girl.....sorry hair! No hair length goals just taking each day as it comes, when it gets too much to handle I will maintain, not there yet!

[lapushka]

7 years ago my hair had various layers of henna, indigo ,box dyes, dye removers, straightened to an inch if it life and eventually ended up looking like a hip length version of the contents of a pot noodle . 2 years from there one day I was washing my gum like hair and decided to get a Bob, got that still hated the damage so walked into a barbers and said take it all off, that was October 25th 2015. Fast forward I am now totally virgin, 3b hip ( when stretched) totally healthy hair. Practicing Co washing, LOC, 2 yearly trims and curly girl.....sorry hair! No hair length goals just taking each day as it comes, when it gets too much to handle I will maintain, not there yet!

Well your patience and persistence really paid off; I think your hair looks gorgeous! :D

[Laurel Rose]

This is November 2013. ~2 years prior I had only a few inches of hair after letting my black dye grow out for a while and cutting the dyed parts. The dye didn't damage my hair, I just hated my brown roots. So I grabbed the shears and when I realized I couldn't do the back evenly I buzzed it, just leaving the top a bit floppy. It looked terrible and I don't have any pics from that time (thankfully...)