Patience when growing

[xxjlgxx]

How did or do you guys be patient during the growing process? My hair is too short to even wear up and I’m just stuck feeling frustrated that I cut it short in the first place. I just really dislike the short hair and want it long now 😂😩

[giraff]

I feel you! I'm sure we're not alone in feeling that way.

The key for me is to try to enjoy where I'm at. Embrace my hair's texture as much as I can, try out different styles, test products etc. It's like if one is trying to loose weight, it's often more effective to sign up for a race or something to shift focus a bit. Obsessing and thinking about it all the time doesn't make it grow faster :lol: I don't know if there is anything one can do to make hair grow faster, but it usually doesn't hurt to try. Self care, a healthy diet, eliminating as much stress as possible usually have other benefits as well!

I don't know how long your hair is, but I bet you can find some cute hairstyle tutorials for your length on YouTube! Even if you can't gather all your hair in a braid or bun, you can probably clip it back or style it in a new way. That might make you feel better about your current length!

Before you know it, your hair is longer! Good luck :heartbeat

[dancedance]

I recommend looking on pinterest for styles and cuts you love at your length! If you find something you really like then you could take the picture to the salon to get a styling trim to match. Also I'm not sure how long your hair is, but I know there are lots of short haired youtube creators with videos on updos for short hair, as short as chin length I think, it could be fun to try some out.

I'm at a pixie length now and it is hard to balance styling trims with retaining growth, because it needs to be trimmed pretty often to keep it in shape, but it's not so bad because I love how it looks. Pretty soon it will be long enough to pin curl in pursuit of a Marilyn Monroe bubble cut, which I am really looking forward to! Enjoying my hair at every length has been the best way to find patience in the growth process for sure. :)

[dancedance]

I feel you! I'm sure we're not alone in feeling that way.

The key for me is to try to enjoy where I'm at. Embrace my hair's texture as much as I can, try out different styles, test products etc. It's like if one is trying to loose weight, it's often more effective to sign up for a race or something to shift focus a bit. Obsessing and thinking about it all the time doesn't make it grow faster :lol: I don't know if there is anything one can do to make hair grow faster, but it usually doesn't hurt to try. Self care, a healthy diet, eliminating as much stress as possible usually have other benefits as well!

I don't know how long your hair is, but I bet you can find some cute hairstyle tutorials for your length on YouTube! Even if you can't gather all your hair in a braid or bun, you can probably clip it back or style it in a new way. That might make you feel better about your current length!

Before you know it, your hair is longer! Good luck :heartbeat

Oh oops, you beat me to it giraff! :lol:

[giraff]

Oh oops, you beat me to it giraff! :lol:

Great minds think alike :hifive: Pinterest was a good idea also!

[dancedance]

Out of curiosity giraff, how long did it take you to go from pixie to hip? I went from pixie to waist once before, but it took me ages because I struggled with trims in the beginning and got way too much cut off several times in a row, then bleached it at CBL and cut it off in big chunks as it grew so I could get to waist with virgin hair. It took me 7 years in total so I don't have a good idea of how fast it would grow without the many slip ups.

[giraff]

I didn't do it in one go either.. I cut the pixie in 2012 (I think) Jean Seberg style (https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/mNW6MJ5YAiFWAnH9pCmi0PjKXc.jpg), preeettty short. And bleached at home, so also yellow... I maintained for a few cuts, and I guess I started growing it out when I started this account in 2014. I only went for small trims, and was probably between APL and BSL in 2017 when I did some hair modeling. My hair was dyed and cut in different lengths. So this is where I (re)started in September 2018:

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=39277&d=1575302078

Not a pixie, but I've grown out and cut off all the bleach, so it speaks to how much it has grown anyways!

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=49064&d=1685371052

Here is my hair now, almost five years later. With no trims, I could probably subtract a year from that. But I would have had some real strange layers from that mullet :lol:

[rosenester]

How did or do you guys be patient during the growing process? My hair is too short to even wear up and I’m just stuck feeling frustrated that I cut it short in the first place. I just really dislike the short hair and want it long now ����

I try to enjoy my hair at any length. At shorter lengths, I dyed it a lot and shaped it frequently, I wasn’t growing it out intentionally back then, but it still happened since I wasn’t getting big trims.

Once to APL and it can be put up, it’s easier to forget. I focused on finding treatments and shampoos I liked, and researching things like hairtoys and buns to try once I gained a few more inches.

I set goals only to the next length milestone, and do strange things like calculate my growth rate, microtrim length removed, and destination length and try to figure out when I may have the desired length realistically. I do measure my hair, but only once a month, and look forward to seeing how much I grew because my rate varies month-month. I take monthly photos as well, then I can compare my progress to last month, last season, or last year.

:blossom:

How short is your cut, BTW?

[dancedance]

I didn't do it in one go either.. I cut the pixie in 2012 (I think) Jean Seberg style (https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/mNW6MJ5YAiFWAnH9pCmi0PjKXc.jpg), preeettty short. And bleached at home, so also yellow... I maintained for a few cuts, and I guess I started growing it out when I started this account in 2014. I only went for small trims, and was probably between APL and BSL in 2017 when I did some hair modeling. My hair was dyed and cut in different lengths. So this is where I (re)started in September 2018:

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=39277&d=1575302078

Not a pixie, but I've grown out and cut off all the bleach, so it speaks to how much it has grown anyways!

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=49064&d=1685371052

Here is my hair now, almost five years later. With no trims, I could probably subtract a year from that. But I would have had some real strange layers from that mullet :lol:

Oh wow it looks so beautiful! I love your natural color :) So about shoulder to hip in 5 years, that makes sense. Assuming I grow 1/2" per month I think I figured I'd be around waist in 4 years, so hip in 5 from pixie length sounds about right. Thank you!

Edit: Changed 1/2" per year to 1/2" per month :doh:

[paulownia]

I guess it all comes down to not thinking about your hair that much and not obsessing about growth. It will not grow faster just because you think about it;)
Give it attention and care that it needs and then just live your life and focus on other things- work, studies, family, hobbies and such.
I had a pixie in 2016, bob in 2017 and I got to shoulder in 2019. I was cutting too often but after a while I stopped.
I'm at BSL right now and aiming for waist;)
https://i.postimg.cc/jjdfMMLy/IMG-0781.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/cLN11fJz/20230430-113057.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[xxjlgxx]

Thank you so much for all your replies! You’re all absolutely right I need to embrace and appreciate my length as it is now. I think a lot of it lies in my regret from cutting ☹️
The last time I grew my hair was no trims from chin/shoulder to past arm Pitt length a couple years ago - the whole time growing I hated that it was short then as soon as it reached that length I decided it was too high maintenance and hacked it all off 🤣 hoping I don’t repeat this! Do you guys have to resist cutting at all ? When I had waist length hair from age 16- 23 I never got the urge to cut until obviously I did at age 23 Xx

[dancedance]

I did a similar thing! I grew mine to waist length and then cut it up to MBL because it seemed so limp and dull, but eventually I decided the maintenance was too much and chopped it to a pixie cut again. I am planning to grow it to collarbone length and enjoy what is, in my opinion, the easiest hair length to maintain for some time.

I might try to grow it to waist again some day, but I'll have to find easier ways to maintain it if I do.

[xxjlgxx]

Weird how similar some of our hair journeys are! I am thinking the same that as soon as it’s long enough I’m going to have to braid it more than leaving it loose that will be the only way I can think I’ll be able to keep that length as my hair knots so easily

[mochichichi]

Something important to me has been to enjoy my hair at all stages of growth. Some people focus on growth, and worry about it when they got to their goal--I'm not sure what my goal is and I grow my hair because it makes me feel beautiful--so if I don't feel beautiful with it then I don't want to keep growing.

When I started growing, I continued to get haircuts fairly regularly, told the stylist that I was growing it out, and to do something to clean it up/make it look nice but not lose a lot of length. This worked until BSL/waist area, which is about when I started encountering issues with pushy stylists (who I avoided) and I also decided that I didn't want layers anymore. At that point I was able to start really experimenting with braids and other things that I enjoyed instead.

[xxjlgxx]

Thank you mochichichi I’m defo feeling more content with my current hair style since reading all your responses I’m just hoping now I can maintain my goal length when I get there instead of chopping it back off again 😂

[angel-baby]

I was impatient af until I reached about bra strap length. Any shorter than that, and I feel like I can't manage my hair without resorting to heat styling.
Now that it's BSL and easier for me to braid and/or style without heat, I'm not as impatient. I still want to reach my goal, but I'm focusing just as much on making this a healthy hair journey as well as a long hair journey. For me this means slower progress bc I'm trying to thicken up my hemline, but it's just as satisfying watching the thickness of my hair slowly travel down (and my natural color grow out) as it is to watch my hair grow towards another milestone.

[xxjlgxx]

Yes I’m sure id find this easier if I was at least at APL

[mochichichi]

Thank you mochichichi I’m defo feeling more content with my current hair style since reading all your responses I’m just hoping now I can maintain my goal length when I get there instead of chopping it back off again ��

That's totally fair! Even if it's super short you might be able to do some fun things like making a tiny tiny pony in front and then take another very small section just behind it, put the new section on top and then tie the ends of the first one into the second one, and make a ponytail equivalent of a french braid, then leave it loose at some point like a half up.

When you get to goal, it might be worth using the "think about it for two weeks" threads or even just doing a shorter chop so you can have the "I cut my hair" without completely resetting.

[xxjlgxx]

I literally tried this pony tail today! It looked really cute actually! but I am so sensitive about bobbles pulling my hair I decided I’m going to wear it down until I can do a loose English braid. I’ll be so glad when I can do my braid cos then I can stretch my washes ☺️

Thank you for your suggestions re cutting I will totally make use of the two week waiting time next time I get the cutting urge and like you say maybe just getting a good trim instead. I think only wearing it down occasionally (once it’s longer!) will help me not to get bored with the length too.

[rosenester]

Thank you so much for all your replies! You’re all absolutely right I need to embrace and appreciate my length as it is now. I think a lot of it lies in my regret from cutting ☹️
The last time I grew my hair was no trims from chin/shoulder to past arm Pitt length a couple years ago - the whole time growing I hated that it was short then as soon as it reached that length I decided it was too high maintenance and hacked it all off 🤣 hoping I don’t repeat this! Do you guys have to resist cutting at all ? When I had waist length hair from age 16- 23 I never got the urge to cut until obviously I did at age 23 Xx

OMG, I am growing out bleach damage and every other week for the last 2 yrs I’ve thought about cutting. I did a big cut once, from WL to APL in that time. I am trying to not cut back to APL which has been my default length for many years.I still think about cutting it often even though I am really enjoying being WL+ :horse:

BTW, once I learned how to bun and got a few ‘hairtoys’ I found it to be much less maintenance, but I have to be MBL to start bunning like that, it’s a messy scrunchie bun or braid until then for me. Less washing, brushing etc. if it stays protected day and night.

[purple_omelette]

What a lovely thread everyone :)

[xxjlgxx]

I have been there rosenester with the bleach damage! It’s very tempting just to cut it isn’t it. Well done for sticking at waist length! I’m jealous 😂

I’m really hoping my hair will be less maintenance when I’m braiding it! Xx

[xxjlgxx]

What a lovely thread everyone :)

It really has been a supportive thread I’m so glad I posted!

[rosmarinus]

I'm happy now that my hair is at BSL/waist length, happier about it than I ever imagined I would be. I just let it grow and at this point I don't have problems with patience and I'm just interested to see how long it gets. But yeah i totally feel you who have shorter lengths atm, because I too remember how it felt like forever to grow and I personally don't like ANY hairstyles between pixie and long hair on myself. So it was just suffering lol and I was in that constant state of insecurity with my thin fine hair growing longer altogether, all the pressure of beauty standards creeping on my mind that I should cut it short etc, but at the same time I knew short hair is not for me. Still I was wondering will I ever even get long hair and if I get will it look horrible?

I like how I look with pixie cut when I have eyeliner and lipstick and jewellery but I'm not that kind of person who likes to wear them everyday, so I felt out of balance, because without wearing them I didn't feel feminine. I don't like styling or dyeing my hair either. But with long unstyled "hippie hair" I feel more in balance with my femininity and I feel feminine with minimalistic/"natural" makeup or with no makeup or jewellery.

[xxjlgxx]

What a lovely thread everyone :)


I'm happy now that my hair is at BSL/waist length, happier about it than I ever imagined I would be. I just let it grow and at this point I don't have problems with patience and I'm just interested to see how long it gets. But yeah i totally feel you who have shorter lengths atm, because I too remember how it felt like forever to grow and I personally don't like ANY hairstyles between pixie and long hair on myself. So it was just suffering lol and I was in that constant state of insecurity with my thin fine hair growing longer altogether, all the pressure of beauty standards creeping on my mind that I should cut it short etc, but at the same time I knew short hair is not for me. Still I was wondering will I ever even get long hair and if I get will it look horrible?

I like how I look with pixie cut when I have eyeliner and lipstick and jewellery but I'm not that kind of person who likes to wear them everyday, so I felt out of balance, because without wearing them I didn't feel feminine. I don't like styling or dyeing my hair either. But with long unstyled "hippie hair" I feel more in balance with my femininity and I feel feminine with minimalistic/"natural" makeup or with no makeup or jewellery.

This resonates with me! When my hair is short I feel like I have to do more eg make up/girly clothes to actually feel feminine

[LadyGuin]

No matter how long my hair gets, I always want it to be longer. And a few times I've gone for a trim only to have an overzealous stylist cut off more hair than I wanted or needed to and felt really sad (and naked) about it. I agree with everyone who posted about enjoying where you're at, and I would probably try to find some hair clips or headbands I love to help make the time fun.

[giraff]

Oh wow it looks so beautiful! I love your natural color :) So about shoulder to hip in 5 years, that makes sense. Assuming I grow 1/2" per month I think I figured I'd be around waist in 4 years, so hip in 5 from pixie length sounds about right. Thank you!

Edit: Changed 1/2" per year to 1/2" per month :doh:

Thank you! Yes, sure. It depends on your height also, though. I'm a tall woman. If I was average height, I would have probably reached hip faster!

[foreveryours]

Thank you! Yes, sure. It depends on your height also, though. I'm a tall woman. If I was average height, I would have probably reached hip faster!

How long did it take you *giraff* to reach shoulder?

[Lady Winchester]

You want to talk patience? Try loosing it all to chemo, and have to grow it back to mid back length from being bald! On top of that, when it came back, it came back a darker blonde than it was before (I used to be strawberry blonde before it fell out) and kept darkening until it got to my current color of medium brown that looks more golden brown in the sun. I haven't been a brunette since my senior year of high school (which was over thirty years ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday), so it took a while to get used to. It would be too hard to go back to my old color (even though it's only a few shades darker, but my roots would grow in medium brown, so I'd look like any other brunette would tries to go blonde, and I'm not going through that ever again), so I'll keep the brown (when the grays finally start showing, I'll blend it away with Natural Instincts in Medium Golden Brown, which is the closest to my current color, since gray/white would totally wash me out).

I was so excited when I first noticed a little bit of fuzz on the top of my head, and I hadn't even finished chemo at the time (but the type that affected my hair follicles was over, which is why it started coming back before I was finished with my treatments. The second type I was allergic to, so they had to up the Benadryl and administer it more slowly, so that I didn't look like a tomato). I can hardly wait until I get my license renewed in a few years, since on my current one, I kind of look like Bart Simpson with spiky punk rocker blondish hair (it was just starting to grow back).

Luckily I have a lot of fandoms (mostly movies, but some television series as well, both past and present) that got my mind off it until it grew back to its former length. I already got it trimmed about six months ago, and now sits about an inch or so past arm pit level (it's naturally curly, so it looks shorter than it is).

[xxjlgxx]

I’m defo excited to try some headbands I think that will help keep my short layers back

[xxjlgxx]

Thank you! Yes, sure. It depends on your height also, though. I'm a tall woman. If I was average height, I would have probably reached hip faster!

I’m tall too and have curly hair with shrinkage of over an inch when dry so it will probably take me longer too 😂

[lapushka]

Now that someone mentioned being bald. I had 3 bald patches and the rest of it was coming out in chunks (headed that way). My doctor discovered I had a hormone imbalance at the start of puberty (age 13). That was rough... I mean at that age. Realizing full well that there are children and even babies with cancer, but in my little "environment", this was "big enough". Took about a year to get some thickness back and the rest is history. If anything I learned patience back then. Even though I did experiment big time with my hair during my teens mostly.

[giraff]

How long did it take you *giraff* to reach shoulder?

Ooh, good question. 1-2 years? I'm not sure.. I had several trims to deal with the mullet situation, though.

[foreveryours]

Ooh, good question. 1-2 years? I'm not sure.. I had several trims to deal with the mullet situation, though.

Judging from your avatar, that's pretty quick!

[giraff]

Judging from your avatar, that's pretty quick!

:lol:

Yes, can't complain about my growth rate..

[Aunt Rapunzel]

How long did it take you *giraff* to reach shoulder?

:D This question made me laugh. Not much has done that for me lately, so thank you.

[Vara La Fey]

How did or do you guys be patient during the growing process? My hair is too short to even wear up and I’m just stuck feeling frustrated that I cut it short in the first place. I just really dislike the short hair and want it long now 😂😩

An idea maybe worth trying is to play with sprays and mousse and try some wilder stylings while it's still short enough to hold in those ways. It might give you something to do with it in the meantime.

[xxjlgxx]

An idea maybe worth trying is to play with sprays and mousse and try some wilder stylings while it's still short enough to hold in those ways. It might give you something to do with it in the meantime.

Good idea thank you xx

[Ylva]

Judging from your avatar, that's pretty quick!

:lol:

Yes, can't complain about my growth rate..

:rollin: :rollin:

[foreveryours]

:D This question made me laugh. Not much has done that for me lately, so thank you.

'cause you're a longhair. You're welcome

[Dark40]

When I have patience while growing out my hair I try my best not obsess about growth. I try to find other things to think about and do. In 2010 I've started at chin length, and now I'm at waist length.

[xxjlgxx]

When I have patience while growing out my hair I try my best not obsess about growth. I try to find other things to think about and do. In 2010 I've started at chin length, and now I'm at waist length.
Thank you dark40 I am trying to take my mind off my hair! Waist length is my goal 💗

[patchoulilove]

Back when I had very short hair, I would spend time doing Jojoba oil scalp massages and focused a lot of energy on eating quality foods for hair growth. Focusing on eating for my hair helped with patience because I felt like I was doing something proactive while I waited for the results

:blossom:
patchoulilove

[dancedance]

Back when I had very short hair, I would spend time doing Jojoba oil scalp massages and focused a lot of energy on eating quality foods for hair growth. Focusing on eating for my hair helped with patience because I felt like I was doing something proactive while I waited for the results

:blossom:
patchoulilove

Oh that is a great idea! My hair is so short now that it's maintenance free besides washing and touching up the style in the morning. I wanted low maintenance when I cut it but I kind of miss oiling and brushing my hair now, I will definitely start doing oil scalp massages asap.

[Aunt Rapunzel]

One of the times I donated my hair, I had a stylist who had never cut wavy hair before. So she didn't know to take into account the shrinkage that would take place. I was supposed to have hair just below my shoulders, and when it dried, it barely graced my chin. It was just under my earlobe. I hated it. My sister-in-law suggested that for a while, I could try to wear light-weight scarves so that I wouldn't have to see the distance between my hair and my shoulders. That actually did help me! I don't know if it would help you as well, but I thought I'd share that. :-)

[xxjlgxx]

So since posting this I have finally found a hair style I can get my hair up into … French braids. Which I am loving. Other suggestions that have really helped me find my patience are starting a length and goal journal and nurturing my hair with oils and leave ins 🥰 I’m much more enjoying the journey now

[Reyn127]

So since posting this I have finally found a hair style I can get my hair up into … French braids. Which I am loving. Other suggestions that have really helped me find my patience are starting a length and goal journal and nurturing my hair with oils and leave ins �� I’m much more enjoying the journey now

Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying it a bit more now.

Like other have mentioned, my biggest advice also is to just try and enjoy the process, and enjoy where you're at. Growing your hair is a loooong journey and takes a lot of patience, but it doesn't have to be boring and frustrating - now is the time to experiment with different styles, teach yourself how to do all the fancy braids, buy/make some fun clips and accessories, etc. After I shaved my head, I used a lot of gel and did weird/fun hairstyles with it as it grew back out from a buzz cut that I could definitely not manage to do now, and I really wish I had taught myself to do more complicated braids before it got too long to be manageable to do so. Also, taking progress photos can really help you see your growth as you go, especially at the shorter lengths.

[xxjlgxx]

Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying it a bit more now.

Like other have mentioned, my biggest advice also is to just try and enjoy the process, and enjoy where you're at. Growing your hair is a loooong journey and takes a lot of patience, but it doesn't have to be boring and frustrating - now is the time to experiment with different styles, teach yourself how to do all the fancy braids, buy/make some fun clips and accessories, etc. After I shaved my head, I used a lot of gel and did weird/fun hairstyles with it as it grew back out from a buzz cut that I could definitely not manage to do now, and I really wish I had taught myself to do more complicated braids before it got too long to be manageable to do so. Also, taking progress photos can really help you see your growth as you go, especially at the shorter lengths.

Thanks Reyn127… it’s really inspiring coming from yourself when you’ve gone from buzz to the length you are now!! 💗

[cowgirllong]

Having patience with growing out never ends. I am at tailbone now, but wish it was at classic. I see a ton of great advice here. If you really want to get it long you have learn to ignore urges to give up and cut it off. But you also have to have trims to keep the split ends at bay.

Years ago, my hair was getting shorter because I wouldn't trim at all. I finally went to the salon and got about 1 1/2 inches cut off and my 'grew' in leaps and bounds. I think we all have those moments when we wish we had done things differently with our hair!

[xxjlgxx]

I defo need to ignore those urges !! Tbh in the past I’ve never lost length from split ends 🤨 and I even used to bleach my hair. It’s quite coarse though ?? So maybe that’s why