Stop and Smell the Roses Thread

[Amara]

I thought it would be nice to have a thread for people who are headed toward a hair goal... eventually... but aren't much concerned about how quickly they get there (or are *trying* not to be concerned about how quickly they get there :) ).

I just reached tailbone and did a small trim, because I feel like I've been rushing to get longer and I've not enjoyed the journey as much as I could have! I'm still growing to classic, but if I want a trim, I'll have one (sometimes I've put them off for the sake of more length) in order to keep the kind of hemline I want (slightly fairied u shape). I'm sure I'll still think about how long it'll be to my next goal, but I'd like to stop feeling like it's a race, and smell the flowers (or flower scented hair oils) along the way!

Who's with me?

[maegquare]

I think this is a good idea. This is the longest I've ever let my hair get. I'm open to the idea of letting it get even longer, but I'm actually more interested in improving its condition right now than just in gaining length.

[harpgal]

Ah yes. This is a thread after my own heart (as many of you know). Long hair is long hair, be it mid back, waist, classic, or beyond. Enjoying having it is most of the fun. Goals that beckon to be arrived at quickly can create frustration and unhappiness. The joy is definitely in the journey. :)

[friskybiznus]

This is a great idea for a thread! I'm definitely down with enjoying my hair where it is today! I'm having a lot of fun just trying new hair products and styles. Tailbone will get here when it gets here!

[viking_quest]

I'll join. I'm really enjoying my hair at APL/BSL and want to keep it that way. I'm finally past ugly awkward stages so my hair almost always looks good.

[Liave Ekeli]

I'm in! :) I'm considering trying to grow my hair to tailbone - which isn't too far away actually, but I'm mostly concerned with maintaining and finding things that make my hair happy. And I'm considering getting a trim, just to straighten the ends and the bangs out a little bit.

[Quixii]

Yeah. I've never been very active toward my goal. Like, it's always been there, but me being happy with my hair at this moment is more important than getting to the goal.
I'm one of the few curly people that would like to encourage my curls over my length. :shrug: I figure the curls will always be there and I can make them look nice, and the length will get there eventually. Besides, I've always been more enthusiastic about curls than about length.

[Shiva]

Who's with me?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l226/NorthernXposure/emoticons/howdy.gif

I am APL going to BSL and I'm not obsessing over it. I'll get there when I get there.

[klcqtee]

I had a smell the roses revelation just a couple weeks back. At about APL, I finally feel like I can enjoy wearing my hair down! Yay!

[DMARTINEZ]

I concur! Thanks for the upbeat post!!!!

Deb

[Wind]

Sounds like a good place for me! I'm past shoulder right now, looking forward to BSL mid-back, but when it gets there, it gets there. :) I still get trims to keep my fringe and layers. I'm happy with it, and the days I'm not, it goes up.

[mimi1153]

Me too - I'm in for the "long" haul -- time and length aren't an issue - I just want progress as I go.

[rapunzhell13]

I've been stopping and smelling the roses lately and it is a darn fine place to be. I used to calculate how much longer it's gonna take to get to x length and it was just too much pressure. Now I think, it will get there when it gets there. As long as I don't cut, it will grow. That simple. :)

[Amara]

Now I think, it will get there when it gets there. As long as I don't cut, it will grow. That simple. :)

Right! That's what I'm talking about!

It's so nice to read all these posts. Sometimes I get frazzled thinking about when I'll make certain goal and I want to give that up and just enjoy where I am. It'll get there at some point, and I'll have enjoyed it during all the time from now until then. :)

[No excuses]

I join the club because I want to accept my EXTREMELY slow growth rate at last! :o Not only it grows slow, but also is very fragile and I can't get away without a trim about twice a year. I know I should be happy of what the nature has given me, but for a very long time it bothered me so much... Now I promise myself, I will keep growing my hair but without being frustrated of how long it takes :)

[spidermom]

I naturally arrived at this attitude at about hip length, but all the way to waist length I drove myself crazy obsessing. I'm glad to see shorter lengths willing to enjoy their hair and let growth happen as it will; I wish I had.

[EvaSimone]

I am joining here too. My first year of LHC was the typical no trimming/race for length. After that I've been kind of meandering along. I get trims when I want them and figure that it's more important to me that my ends aren't velcroed and uneven than reaching tailbone sooner.

[Lamb]

I think I'll stop here and take a few sniffs. ;) My hair is short, short, short, and it's gonna take a few years to reach the length I desire. So I may as well take it easy and like my hair the way it is during the process!
I admit I like hair that looks nice and healthy, even if it's ultra-short. Length does not equal prettiness, it only accentuates it or brings out the hidden potential of your hair. :)
:blossom:

[wimitlee]

Now that I am at APL, I'm not in a rush now...I'm in a constant state of enjoying my hair.

[noelgirl]

This is kind of where I'm at. Now that I've reached my "for-now" goal of waist, I plan on maintaining here for some time to improve health. So lately I've been focusing on what I can do now, and what my hair is like at this length, since I'll have a bit of time to get used to it before I start on a new length goal.

[RoseRedDead]

Hm, I think this is the place for me.

I don't enjoy obsessing over my hair - when I first joined LHC that's all I did, and it has taken a lot of physical and mental energy. Now, I figure my hair will tell me what it wants/needs, and I'll leave it alone and grow when/how it wants.

[Liave Ekeli]

I cut my hair today! Right now part of my brain is in that slightly panic-y state thinking 'oh my god, what have I done', while another part is enjoying the change. I don't cut my hair often, as you might understand - once a year probably, if I'm good, once every two years if I'm not. Now it's about a year since the last time I cut it, and I felt that I could invest in a hair cut for once - to celebrate fall...or the fact that I have a bit of money for once...or something like that :)
It always takes me a while to get used to my 'new' hair after having cut it, even more so this time, because in addition to cutting about 6 inches off the lenght, the hairdresser suggested grading the lengths a bit, instead of having it all one length - so now my hair goes from BSL-ish around my face (excluding my fringe) to an inch or two above waist at its longest. And it's been ages since I had several different lengths... I agree that it looks better, and I'm more pleased with this haircut than many I've had before, it's just...different. But I'll get used to it, and it'll grow back out soon enough.

Sorry if this was the wrong forum/thread to post in - I just felt the need to tell some longhaired friends ;)

[GlassEyes]

I belong here too...or will. :lol: Hopefully.

Right now, I'm still obsessing about length, but less than I have been. The way I've thought about it, my goal is classic--it'll take at least 4-7 years to get there with my curls, and that's a LONG time to obsess over something that's just going to grow from my head.

Really, length-wise, the only reason I obsess is because I don't think I look -as- nice with short hair as I will with longer. Once my curls reach APL or BSL (probably the latter), I'll be content to just let it grow. :shrug: Not there -quite- yet, but I am getting there--my hair is the longest it's ever been, and I finally think my face 'looks right' with it. :o A little more length and I can just let it be. xD;

I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone here, but I certainly hope to be joining this thread in six months to a year. :D

[jel]

Hmmm. After rushing to grow, grow, grow in the four years since joining LHC, I have recently reached my goal, and started feeling a bit lost.

Maybe I should just relax, enjoy my long hair, and smell the roses! :D

Thanks for starting this thread!

[Isa-belle]

I'm with you! The journey is (at least) half the fun :) Growing my hair has been a healing process for me. When obsessing about growth takes over, though, you know it's time to distance yourself :) Another great idea for a thread, Amara!

I think having hair that grows and changes all the time is a wonderful blessing, that keeps our body from being "boring" ;) (please take the "boring" with a pinch of salt ;) )

If I ever reach my goal, I'm a little bit concerned it won't be half as fun :roll: - but I don't feel like I'm anywhere near that yet, so that's OK :)

[JamieLeigh]

I hear ya. My ultimate goal is terminal.....but I'm still having fun with trimming. It'll be years, I'm sure before I'm there, but enjoying the journey along the way is important. I'm happy with the length my hair is right now - and even if my terminal length was right here, it's exotic enough for me. :)

[cobblersmaid]

Me! I reached classic two years ago, and then cut back to tailbone to get rid of damage. I have been between hip and just past tailbone ever since. I am idly growing to classic again, but I'll get there when I get there.

It's long.

:shrug:

[dragonfrog]

I'm with you! (And thanks for starting all these great threads, Amara!)

I'd like my hair to be longer, and healthier (less dye damage on the ends). However, I'm not in a huge hurry to get to my (very) tentative goal of classic with no more dyed ends. I enjoy my hair now, and I have been enjoying it even more since I found LHC and learned how to do more than one hairstyle!

My current routine/plan is to trim about half my growth 2-3 times a year. This seems to keep my ends nice and thick, while still allowing some length gain.

It's great to hear from all of you who are enjoying the journey!

[halo_tightens]

I feel kind of like GlassEyes...

Once it gets to a certain length, like at least APL or BSL, I think I'll be able to just enjoy it and be patient. I just can't quite be content yet! Just a little longer, and I'll be able to relax a bit. :)

[Amara]

I feel kind of like GlassEyes...

Once it gets to a certain length, like at least APL or BSL, I think I'll be able to just enjoy it and be patient. I just can't quite be content yet! Just a little longer, and I'll be able to relax a bit. :)

I think I felt like that, too. When I first joined LHC I couldn't wait to get to my first goal. After having made a couple goals now, though, I think I've realized there'll always be another goal in the future! (after length, it's some health issue like getting rid of more splits, or trimming up the side layers, or growing out dye, or growing out fringe, or your taste will change and you'll have a *new* goal at some point...) So, do I really want to keep obsessing about goals constantly?

Definitely not! It's so great to read all the posts here. :)

[WavyGirl]

Well I still want it longer, but it's shorter now than it was at the start of this year. I've been doing mini-trims for a year and a half now. I did nearly a year of no trims before that and although I got length I also had nasty ends and lots of old damage. I reached goals, but was always thinking "It's not really this length because I have damage to trim out still." It was no fun at all to reach goals thinking that and the velcro ends were driving me crazy. Now they're gone and there's not much thinning at the ends either. I intend to keep trimming regularly so that as I reach each goal I can enjoy the achievement without reservation. The most recent was past BSL with curls (not waves!) thanks to the better condition. I am really enjoying that. :cheese:

[twolunarspring]

I'm with you :)
I want to enjoy my hair, not worry that it is somehow not 'enough'. I think having some bald patches while I was pregnant really helped me to (a) not see my hair as the be-all and end-all, and (b) encourage me to enjoy what I have, when I have it!

[Bonkers57]

That sounds like a really good idea since I'm just starting out. That mindset helps me to be more patient - enjoying the journey rather than thinking too much about the destination. :)

[going gray]

Amara, you are SO right. I've decided to take a "deep breath" & enjoy the stages of my short 16" hair. It will grow & it was totally MY choice to cut it in the first place last June.

The ONLY thing that is truly important is your HEALTH!

[wavywords]

I feel kind of like GlassEyes...

Once it gets to a certain length, like at least APL or BSL, I think I'll be able to just enjoy it and be patient. I just can't quite be content yet! Just a little longer, and I'll be able to relax a bit. :)

Likewise! :) I'm really trying to enjoy it, but it's still at such a weird stage. I have lots of layers to grow out, and right now I'm generally at nape-length in the back. So I can't put it up or even stick a headband on it yet, which makes some days frustrating. I figure I'll stop thinking so much about it once I hit a length that lets me put it up.

[metalgypsy85]

I'm totally with this thread. I'm just taking care of my hair and going with the flow. I was posting every month a pic and measurement, but I'd rather see progress by looking in the mirror, so I'm giving up on that for a while. I know my hair is healthier and growing and that's all that matters to me right now.

[Little_Bird]

Sometimes I try thinking this way, but altough it's not a race, I can't wait to get there!

But you're right. Every lenght is diferent, and I'm not planing to go back to, let's say, mid back lenght any time soon, so sometimes I think I could have enjoyed that lenght better...

But oh well :) I always try to enjoy my hair in every lenght, but I do love when I see it's growing! :D

I guess I'm with you then! At least fot the most part ;)

[Bonkers57]

I know what you mean, wavywords. I have about four inches of bleached ends and a few little layers I'm growing out. I'm also growing my bangs/fringe (they just cover my eyes now - awkward stage.) I can put some of it into a pony stub, but there are lots of pieces that don't reach yet. I'm okay with that most of the time because I'm home all the time.



Likewise! :) I'm really trying to enjoy it, but it's still at such a weird stage. I have lots of layers to grow out, and right now I'm generally at nape-length in the back. So I can't put it up or even stick a headband on it yet, which makes some days frustrating. I figure I'll stop thinking so much about it once I hit a length that lets me put it up.

[vdhendrix]

i know, im always so worried about my hair growing faster that i never appreciate or enjoy how long it already is

[Maddy25]

Someone on here mentioned to me once to actually enjoy having my hair this short (Collarbone) because if I am growing to hips seriously, I wont have it this short maybe ever again! That really made me just relax and enjoy it as it is.

[RoseRedDead]

This is definitely a good thread to have, for all of us.

My hair grows slowly....... very slowly....... so I feel like i've been above/below BSL for eternity and a day. I think I went through a stall, and at that point I had to throw up my hands and say "You'll get there when you get there."

Today, I am so close to waist-length that I can taste it. I don't think it tastes very good, but it sure looks/feels/sounds good!

Just remember, folks: No matter where you go, there you are.

[Medievalmaniac]

I'm on my way to Classic, but I'm so absolutely thrilled right now to be at waist, I just want to take it in and savor it. I've wanted to have long hair for so long, and I know waist isn't "long" - but it is definitely long in comparison to anything else I have had for the past fifteen years! So I'll stop and have a cup of tea and smell posies with you while I slowly even out layers and get a nicer hemmie, then creep and crawl to hip and beyond. :) I am so enjoying the feeling of my hair against my elbows, against my back, and that it is starting to have some weight to it.

[Arctic]

I'll join too :) I was very obsessed in the begining of my hair growing journey and I've had few side tracks along the way. I recently cut my hair back to shoulder and I am glad I am over the obsessive length watching, I am embraising the hair I have now.

[Arctic]

<snip> and I know waist isn't "long" <snip>

Huh? Waist IS long! :flowers:

[Alexannee10]

I'm on my way to Classic, but I'm so absolutely thrilled right now to be at waist, I just want to take it in and savor it. I've wanted to have long hair for so long, and I know waist isn't "long" - but it is definitely long in comparison to anything else I have had for the past fifteen years!

I understand what you mean. That's my case :) I'm almost waist, and it feels long compare to the lenght I had for the past like .. let's say 10 years .. But when I think of my goal (classic, and then maybe knees), it feels sooooooo short :( ! But my hair have never been that long. And I'm happy with that. But I still think they're not long enought loll!