Is anybody else afraid of this?

[xoxophelia]

Fairly often now, I become afraid that my hair will just not grow. That I have a very short terminal length and will never get to my possibly final goal (about belt buckle length). Even fear that my hair will not be able to grow to waist. Or, even any longer than it currently is.

This is why the wait is hard for me. Not so much because I need the length now, but to reassure me that it is possible to go into that unchartered territory.

[Erin-86]

I am totally with you, however, I KNOW it will grow that long because I was already there (and than I did some really stupid things withy my hair...), but I am really afraid that I damaged my hair so much, it wil only break and split and I will never be able to have long healthy hair, unless I shave it all of first! Of course this is also untrue..I am slowly, but gradually growing my damage out, I changed my hair-routine etc.

I think we all have some kind of "fears" regarding the length of our hair and whether we can achieve our ultimate goal :)

Love,

Erin

[catysue]

Yes! I get random moments where I fear that. I just don't consider my hair 'long' right now and the thought that I may never get to my idea of 'long' is heartbreaking!

Right now my hair seems to be growing, though. I am just an inch away from waist and my next goal is tailbone/hip.... I don't think I will grow any further than that, so I feel like I'll make my goal.

[xoxophelia]

Erin: I think my hair used to be a bit longer but I have no idea how long it was. I know my braids were below my chest when in the front.. but I was younger, and still worry that NOW I can't. I too damaged my hair haha (but it was fun)

cat: just an inch away? You are sooo close to waist :D

[catysue]

Erin: I think my hair used to be a bit longer but I have no idea how long it was. I know my braids were below my chest when in the front.. but I was younger, and still worry that NOW I can't. I too damaged my hair haha (but it was fun)

cat: just an inch away? You are sooo close to waist :D

I know! It's killing me hahaha. It looks like waist from the back, but not from the side..... arrrrghhh!

[Sammich]

*Nod* I totally feel the exact same way... I want that security of knowing... I mean... I want classic length but I've never seen anyone in my family have longer than waist...
I'm starting to really disbelieve my mother's sayings of me having butt length hair... It's probably my paranoia but it is rather heartbreaking not knowing whether you could have the capability.

I'm in the same boat by the way, ;) catysue, I don't feel as though my hair is long at all and it's about an inch or two from waist! :p

[Gingevere]

I have been contemplating this a lot in the last several months. When I first began to keep track of my hair growth, it was growing an average of 3/4" per month. But since last summer, I've had very little growth, which kind of freaks me out. I'm so close to my first goal of waist! I would love to go on to tailbone, but I'd be satisfied with just waist. What a shame it would be if my hair stopped growing just short of my goal.

[xoxophelia]

I know! It's killing me hahaha. It looks like waist from the back, but not from the side..... arrrrghhh!

I have the exact same problem. It is weird. From behind it looks longer than from the side Oo. ...

Sammy: I didn't realize your hair was soo long. And I don't feel like my hair is long either :/

Good news is though, I had the most beautiful waves last night. Dunno what happened there. They weren't tight, but they weren't frizzy either :)

[xoxophelia]

I have been contemplating this a lot in the last several months. When I first began to keep track of my hair growth, it was growing an average of 3/4" per month. But since last summer, I've had very little growth, which kind of freaks me out. I'm so close to my first goal of waist! I would love to go on to tailbone, but I'd be satisfied with just waist. What a shame it would be if my hair stopped growing just short of my goal.

I have only been measuring for a month so I have no concept of how much my hair has grown.. I know it was just a bit longer than my shoulders early last summer....

I think people sometimes stall for a long time and then suddenly grow again but I am pretty clueless in that department.

[Beesweet]

I worry about this, too. No one in my family has ever been past APL. No cousins, aunts, nothing.

I have never even seen my mom's hair to her shoulders or her sister's hair even to her chin.

I have never made it past the length in my avatar ( because I never know how to be sweet to my very thick 2C/3A and it just got terribly hot and bushy) and I have an aunt on my dad's side who said her terminal length is APL, but she dyed VERY blond in the 70's, so that might have had something to do with it.

I guess only time will tell.

[spidermom]

I wouldn't say exactly "afraid," but when I used to write about my goal length, I would add "if it will get that long." Now I'm pretty sure it will, so no worries. I never felt like I would be profoundly disappointed if I discovered I had a shorter terminal length than what I hoped for. In fact, sometimes I wish I had already reached terminal because then I could go and do something else with my hair rather than just grow it. I've been growing it for a decade now, and I'm getting kind of bored with the whole thing.

[enfys]

The only reason I don't worry about it much is because my hair has been my goal length in the past, not too long ago and without much abuse along the way.

I imagine it's scary at the start of your journey but as we all know stress is not good for growth.

[JenniferNoel]

I've never really had hair anywhere near my goal length (used to be knee, now it's floor, I'm just going to keep growing until I can't stand it :D), and right now it's hovering at mid-bottom BSL, I put a coating of blue-black on a week and a half ago and there's already a half inch of muddy blonde roots, so I'm hopeful there.

I'm just being a little dumb about the time I bleached it too much and flat-ironed every day, thinking maybe that fudged up my terminal length. But nah. I just try not to pay attention to the length... a watched pot doesn't boil.

[Bellalalala]

Just try to remember that it is always easier for the human mind to worry than to wait patiently. Hair grows, it just takes time, so the only thing your mind can find to worry about is that for some bizarre reason, your hair won't grow.

No matter how little sense it makes, when you have to wait for something that you want dearly, your mind will find something to worry about that will stop you from reaching your goal. It's just human nature.

Patience isn't automatic, it takes practice.

[ArienEllariel]

I did think about this for a while, but I know the girls on my dad's side of the family have or have had waist length hair and my mom has been at least to BSL so I'm not too worried. :)

[Alun]

For me, it's more like I'm not sure if enough of it will reach my target that I'll ever be able to trim it to that length. It's very tapered, but it's definitely growing (slowly). Bits of it aren't far off my target (which is somewhere around hip or TB, but I'm a bit vague on the definitions), but the sides are much shorter.

If I reached my target and got a blunt cut I'd probably lose a foot of hair, and getting back to the same length would take years in a best case scenario. Probably I only think this way because of LHC and the way people measure here.

[xoxophelia]

Alun: This is part of the reason I am afraid. I have a section of hair behind my ears on the bottom that seems to just not grow much past shoulder. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. I guess I take it as a sign that my hair won't grow long..

My greatgrandma had hair to the floor but who knows if I got those genes.

I think I would be happy at waist but it would just be extra fun to be past that :)

You all are right though. Patience is key (yet I have minor ADD haha)

[jera]

Yes, I'm afraid of not reaching my hair growth goal which is knee length at present. Though there have been waist lengthers in my family there's been nothing beyond that so I'll be a pioneer of sorts exploring new frontiers and the unknown is always scary. :p

My hair was stalled at hip for what seemed liked months before it finally made it to tailbone this month. This is my first time at tailbone length, so it is possible to achieve results, but patience is key. If you don't watch it it seems to grow longer faster in my personal experience. :D

[Yozhik]

I used to be worried about whether my hair would get to waist without being horribly tapered, sun bleached, and full of split ends (the last time I had hair that long I was a young teen and that's what happened), but I try to reassure myself with the knowledge that now I know how to take much better care of my head.

Also, regarding how long your hair might have been when you were younger and it was in braids -- something you have to remember is that depending on how old you were, you hair might have been pretty short inches-wise, but that you were just shorter ;)
(I think that was also a deciding factor of my being able to get to waist with neglected hair when I was younger).

[JamieLeigh]

I love it long, but if it never grew any longer than it is right now, I'd be happy. :) I've always been more a fan of thickness than length, and eventually when I DO get to my terminal length, I'm likely going to chop it back to where it all looks thick and the same length. Which right now, my thickest part is mid-butt length. I have about 5" of thin ends. :(

[xoxophelia]

Yozhik: I was 16 and the same height I am now. I got there by just pretty much not cutting my hair for three years because I was busy beyond belief :). I don't remember how long that was though..

[lora410]

I never thought I would make it to waist but I did. Now I am afraid I wont make it to hip or TB.

[BrightEyes]

I do worry about this too. I've never even gotten to APL, and my goal is only BSL. But I highlight every 4 months and blowdry my hair a couple times a week. So I'm more worried that my hair won't even get to BSL because of the highlighting and blow drying, or that if I do get it that long it will be dry and damaged instead of shiny and soft.:(
I know that I should try to embrace my natural weird wavy/straightness. But it's just not pretty naturally (and it's so flat it suction-cups to my head). And without the brightness that highlights give I just wouldn't feel like myself.

So aside from the highlighting and blowdrying, I'm trying to keep it really moisturized from regular oiling and weekly DTs and I trim every couple months. So it may take longer, but hopefully I'll eventually get to BSL without looking like a tumble weed.

[pepperminttea]

I do get a little worried, yes. My mother at once stage (pre-me) had classic length hair, and I have an aunt who's had MBL hair for as long as I can remember, but I've never had it longer than it is now. I have to tell myself not to obsess otherwise I find myself thinking 'it's stalled'/'it's a false terminal'/some other ridiculous panicky notion. It'll get there eventually... I hope! :)

[renarok]

I told my stylist that I had reached my goal in length, and would just start trimming for a thicker hemline, and I grew out 2 inches!!! I guess I scared it into growth.

I have found that my hair grows fastest when I am busy not thinking about it. When I was in college I had a teacher make a real big issue about loose hair while taking care of patients. So I kept my hair in a braid for two years. It got very long without me paying attention. I cut my hair into a bob as soon as I graduated.

I have never reached terminal and I really don't think I will because I trim way too often. but it is still getting longer. My hair is 9 inches longer than when I joined the LHC, and I have cut off approximately 6 inches. I am estimating a little more than 1/2 inch a month growth.

I think I am going to have to disappoint Pedro (worlds greatest hair stylist) and tell him it is going to get a little longer. He is very kind and understanding, but it is a tough job doing my hair. When I told him I was going to hold at hip length he said "Thank God!!!!".

[AnitaThorn]

Your hair is about the same length as mine, so I'm definitely in the same boat as you! I don't think my hair has ever been longer than it is now. When I was 12, someone told me that my hair was "long, stringy, and boring," so I never wanted to grow it out. :( However, I love my hair now, and I am indeed growing it out! I am hoping it grows and grows and grows!

[Rivanariko]

Pre-LHC, I was not only convinced of this myself, but everyone in my family told me the same thing. My mother apologized for giving me her fine hair, and that we would never be able to grow it longer than mid-back. The length I'd kept it at mostly be benign neglect (with a healthy heap of violent brushing and wearing it down all of the time) was the longest it could possibly get. She'd always envied true long-hairs as well, but had resigned herself to short hair because that was all that we could achieve.

Since I joined LHC, I've grown 4 inches past what we were all convinced was my "terminal" length. And I had been that length for at least 8 years, with trims as infrequent as every 2 years because I was busy and didn't want to bother. I've gotten to hip, and now I'm steadily inching my way toward tailbone. It can be done. :)

[LadyVictoria]

I avoid thinking about where my hair will stop growing, I know that it will eventually stop but what I care about the most is the condition of my hair. Love your hair no matter how long it is, take care of it and it will be beautiful at any length.

[xoxophelia]

I avoid thinking about where my hair will stop growing, I know that it will eventually stop but what I care about the most is the condition of my hair. Love your hair no matter how long it is, take care of it and it will be beautiful at any length.

That is a good point Victoria. I would like for my hair to be past waist. But, the most important thing is really the health. Something I need to work on for sure. :)

[christine1989]

I often wonder if I can get my hair back to where it once was- I had it just below my waist in middle school and I hope that I still have the capacity to grow it that long. I don't know if terminal length changes with age but I really hope not!

[Masara]

My hair was around waist length way bac kbefore my very short cut, so I knew that I should be able to get there again and I didn't really think about not getting to my goal until last summer when my growth slowed down. I was stuck a couple of inches above waist which might well be the length it was before (I never took photos of the back of my head at the time, you only have "action" pics, so all I could judge was "around waist")

But it's started growing again and I'm pretty certain that it's now longer than it's ever been before. I don't have a goal, but I'd like to get to tailbone at least. But if I don't, it won't be a catastrophe; it's long enough to do a lot of things with now.

[Qadupae]

When I was younger, I always kept my hair a little past shoulder length and never let it grow out, so sometimes now I have nightmares that my hair can only get to that length and no longer. The realist in me knows that isn't true because I took terrible care of my hair when I was younger and so my hair never grew fast, but the thoughts still creep in now and then.

I also have the fear that I can't get past chin length without chopping it again out of irritation. Its always the hardest hair stage for my super short hair. That's why I made it a bet at work that I can't grow my hair out since I am super competitive and I am hoping that will force me past the hard stage, wanting to prove my fellow coworkers that I can get long hair. Besides the competition, though, they are all super supportive of me growing my hair out. They all love my hair as is and a few are constantly raving on all the wonderful things I can do when its long (one girl has almost TB length and she's the most supportive and inspirational ^_^)

[-simply Venus-]

Yes, the longest I've ever had my hair in my life is armpit length, so I have no clue what the longest it can get at is. =/ I'm worried too. >.<

[xoxophelia]

I think I need to just start focusing a little bit more on other things. Like physical fitness, classes, vocal training.. my future haha

It is going to be fun when we all have our hair as long as we desire :)

[BlueMuse]

I had heard that there are quite a few people with a terminal length of 3 feet because of genetic predispositions. The article kind of suggested that that was the shortest people were usually predisposed to be, but I can't remember where I read it (ages ago). I seem to fall into that category. My hair has gotten somewhat longer but it slowed down a lot after I reached waist length. I suppose I was lucky in that I just wanted long hair and wasn't too concerned about how long it got after it went past mid back. Now I just mostly ignore how long it is and try to take decent care of it.

I'm really glad I rethought getting a pixie cut. I've never liked how I looked when I had short hair, and there are lots and lots of pictures of me with short hair. I keep them around to remind me not to ever decide I'm bored and it's time for something new. When the urge strikes to try something new, I go buy or make a new hair stick.

[sweet*things]

My goal length is tailbone, which I have been in the past (pre-kid and major thyroid issues). I have some doubts I can get back there because my hair grows so slowly, but I'll be content if I can maintain waist-ish at a decent thickness.

[Liss]

I'm not too worried about what my terminal length will be, probably because I've already entered into unchartered territory for length amongst people in my family.

My mother still has baby hair and her terminal length is at her ears, so even though my hair is very fine, I have certainly surpassed that!

All I know is that a blunt hemline makes my hair look thicker, so I will keep it blunt, as healthy as I can and just aim towards my goals. If terminal ends up being where it is now, or if it ends up being at my feet, I'll just have to accept it and try to keep it looking as good and healthy as possible.

[elina333]

I know exactly what you mean! My hair has never been very long (due to me cutting it off or bleacing it so it breaks off :() so I reeally have no clue on how far I can go... But my genes are great I hope, with an aunt with TB hair and a mother with waist length iii+ hair :pray:

The wait is hard since I dont know if I'll ever reach my goal. But there is hope so I'll try to stay positive and keep trying :)

[Fiferstone]

My hair has been at waist for about 10 years, it's now at hip and inching (very, very, slowly) to tailbone, but it seems to me that I've had 3 solid months with no growth, so perhaps I'm approaching terminal (if not at it already?). Tailbone may be it for me, but I'm not looking to reach a particular milestone on my body, necessarily. My ultimate goal is to see what terminal actually is on me, so my recommendation would be to continue the "delicate treatment" routine and practice benign neglect otherwise. I don't measure every month, it just bums me out, I try to trim (Feye's self-trim) when the ends get raggedy, because raggedy ends = more breakage on me. I'm just enjoying it. :) I took a quick peek at your album and I don't think (judging from what I saw) that you're at terminal yet. It looks lovely and thick, with a nice wave. One of these days you'll put your jeans on and find you've tucked the longest bits of your hair into the waistband :cheese: but until that day, just keep focused on why you decided to have long hair and enjoy it :blossom:. Hope that helps.

[rags]

Yes, all the time. I had tailbone length before the Great Chop, but due to a bunch of medical issues and medications which cause hair loss , I'm unsure I can get back there. I will be extremely dissapointed if I can't get to at least waist though! Please, please! :pray:

[Svenja]

I know how you feel! I call it hair-anorexia. No matter how long your hair is it's never long enough, and then this fear it just won't grow, plus this view that all women have longer hair than I do...!

[redneckprincess]

Fairly often now, I become afraid that my hair will just not grow. That I have a very short terminal length and will never get to my possibly final goal (about belt buckle length). Even fear that my hair will not be able to grow to waist. Or, even any longer than it currently is.

This is why the wait is hard for me. Not so much because I need the length now, but to reassure me that it is possible to go into that unchartered territory.


No im sure my hair will grow, Im more afraid of dying before it ever gets there, lol

just keep taking pictures (a striped shirt works WELL)