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funnyface
February 9th, 2010, 02:05 PM
Hello everyone! I'm a newbie who has spent the last two days reading your boards and trying to suss out the lingo etc before posting! So fingers crossed this is in the right place and not breaking any rules!

In my teens I had an ED and my hair got very very thin and into an awful condition, forcing me to cut it short into a pob cut in 2007. A few years of healthy eating later, and I've got it to BSL and back to its original healthy thickness and strength.

My motivation to grow my hair comes from this, it proves to me and those around me that I am free of my ED and I kind of think of it as a trophy! I recently got married, and had planned to cut it back to a short bob afterwards- but I am just too attached to it now to lose it! I am now planning to grow it until it reaches waist length- and also learn how to french braid!!

What is your motivation to grow your hair? I'd love to hear your stories.

xxx

jera
February 9th, 2010, 02:46 PM
hi and welcome to LHC. :) I'm sure you'll reach your waist length goal with all the helpful info here.

My motivation to grow my hair?? Hmmmmm. I love hair compliments, and the Rapunzel fairy tale, and I want my hair to reach floor length so I can be just like her and live in forever through someone's legend. :p

Francoise1606
February 9th, 2010, 02:48 PM
Hi and welcome! I think you have a very beautiful way of looking at your hair and your victory. You sound like a very strong person.
I used to have long hair and I was an out sider in school so I cut my hair in order to fit in with the other kids. When that didn't work, I started experimenting with dye and bleach and pretty much murdered my hair. So I'm trying to get it back to where it was before which was one length BSL-waist.

Sara_1987
February 9th, 2010, 02:51 PM
Hi, Im growing my hair to waist length because I just think it's beautiful and feminine and I think it'll look pretty :o
I also like tossing my hair around :p. It's just fun having it long and flowy.

funnyface
February 9th, 2010, 03:01 PM
Ahh thanks for the replies guys!

I have already picked up sooo many good tips- I'd totally forgotten about putting olive oil on my hair, which I did again tonight, and have asked for a Mason Pearson brush for Valentines!

Naturally long hair is just the ultimate for feminity- extensions that add extreme length (especially if the hair is short in the first place) just look so wrong.

All of your beautiful long hair is making me jealous!

xxx

whiteisle
February 9th, 2010, 03:07 PM
hmmm....my motivation comes from a few things:

~ I think long hair is just simply beautiful
~ I'm tired of trying to keep up with short hair maintainence and trying to find the "right" style for me
~ And lastly, I have a major bet going on with my dad for the last 7 years or so. :D It started out with $50 saying I couldn't get to shoulder blades without chopping it. I lost that one. Next, double or nothing, I lost again. This last time is for the whole shabang and I ain't gonna loose again! LOL

But even without that last one, I still want to grow my hair long at least one more time in my life just because I think that is what is right and is an outward expression of me. :)

naereid
February 9th, 2010, 03:15 PM
Congratulations on your recovery!

My motivation other than finding it beautiful? :grnbiggri There are some themes that strongly resonate with me, are such a deep part of my soul that I feel I have to show it on the outside in some way. Two of the most important ones are mermaids/water nymphs (the way I feel trapped in this land-dwelling body is probably borderline crazy) and the art of J.W.Waterhouse (last year I flew halfway across the continent all alone to see his exhibition). And what they both have in common is long hair... People might find it silly, but they weren't the ones who stood proudly in front of A Mermaid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waterhouse_a_mermaid.jpg), crying their eyes out from the sheer amount of emotion.
I will feel more complete once my body reflects my soul. Some people might choose tattoos; I choose long hair. :love:

peronella
February 9th, 2010, 04:00 PM
I want to grow my hair out because I like the idea of having it swish and swirl around me like Batman's cape. :)

-simply Venus-
February 9th, 2010, 04:14 PM
I saw the movie Knowing, and the girl Abby had long, beautiful, curly hair, and when she was running through that alien planet with her hair flowing behind her, it was beautiful!! That's my inspiration. =]

bumblebums
February 9th, 2010, 04:22 PM
~ And lastly, I have a major bet going on with my dad for the last 7 years or so. :D It started out with $50 saying I couldn't get to shoulder blades without chopping it. I lost that one. Next, double or nothing, I lost again. This last time is for the whole shabang and I ain't gonna loose again! LOL


That is so funny! I made a bet with my sister when I was about 7 years old that I wouldn't cut my hair short (=shorter than shoulder length) before I reached age 17. I chopped it off to a pixie as soon as I turned 17, and I've been on a hairstyle yoyo ride ever since! This hair bet thing probably deserves its own thread...

Anyway, my motivations:

- long hair is cheaper and easier to take care of
- long hair seems to be what Mother Nature intended
- i want to be able to make a decent-looking bun, and my hair is not too thick so it will need to be pretty long to look good in an updo!

sherigayle
February 9th, 2010, 04:27 PM
Congratulations on your marriage and conquering an ED. That is some great motivation.

My motivation is only that I like my hair long. It feels good to have something beautiful and healthy, when I'm feeling less than that.

Anisaa
February 9th, 2010, 06:09 PM
Hi!!
My motivation for growing my hair long is mostly as a symbol of growth (personal) acceptance, and beauty. I had a very "TROUBLED" teenage years and it can obviously see so much of that sad period in my hair. My hair was completely "DEAD" it had no natural shine, I permed it I bleached it and I dyed it every POSSIBLE color you can name. My hair represented what I was feeling inside. As soon as I became an adult I started changing my life and didn't feel it necessary to "mistreat" my hair. I began to cut it to get rid of all the dry end parts and I started to accept myself as I was, meaning no more hair DYE!!! I had my hair below my ears for years (because it was extremely damaged) and as I "healed the inside I was healing my hair as well! Right know I am in a Happy stage and it can be seen through my hair!!!! I am close to reaching waist length hair and I am very happy!!!!! I know it sounds "crazy" but to each its own motivation!! Have a good week!

starlights
February 10th, 2010, 04:38 PM
my motivation for growing my hair stems from wanting long hair since i was a child and never able to have it... now i know i have the patience to grow! :)

JamieLeigh
February 11th, 2010, 09:00 AM
Welcome to LHC! :) It sounds like you have an excellent start on your hair journey and you should reach your goal with no problems. :flower: I'm sorry to hear you've had troubles in the past, and I'm glad to hear you're moving past it.

My motivation is purely selfish - I love my hair long. The way it looks and feels, and the nice things people say. I love feeling that I look like a princess, especially when my daughters say so. Those are priceless moments, to me. :D

GoddesJourney
February 11th, 2010, 09:51 AM
I love long hair. My hair has never been shorter than APL save the time it took to get that length as a toddler. I've been meaning to get it longer again like it was when I was younger but things keep coming up. I used to do a lot of the kind of excersize that eats your hair and I never took care of it. I kept it a certain length so that it could go up well. Then, I met this little girl that has something around classic length hair, always in a braid, and I loved it. I wanted one. I missed my long hair. Then I caved in to wondering what it would be like to have a girly haircut so I had layers put in and all that for a year or two. Then, I went to Brazil and the water in the city ate my hair. Shortly thereafter, I decided to use growing out my hair is part of my discipline to get back all the other discipline that I've lost, and get myself to a point in my life that I can be proud of. Looking back, I always had pretty nice hair (apart from the dying experiments) through benign neglect. I never was a "styler" at all, let alone with heat of any kind and I don't use products because of that (and I hate the way they smell and feel). I used to just S/C daily with whatever I liked the smell of, brush it out, and put it up wet in a braid. So easy. So now I'm determined to have beautiful, thick, long hair without much maintenance or effort. I can't wait.

Pixna
February 11th, 2010, 10:18 AM
My motivation is that I think I look better with long hair, and I definitely FEEL better with long hair. I had a bit of a "post-menopausal meltdown" a couple of years ago, and I'm growing my hair back from that. Family and other people who have known me for a long time have always associated me with long hair, and I didn't feel like myself when it was short. As it gets longer, I feel more attractive and more confident. I love being able to wear my hair up or down, however I choose, and it's a pleasure to take care of it -- I enjoy combing it and trying different hair toys in it. Cheap thrills! (Well, except for the cost of the hair toys, of course!)

spidermom
February 11th, 2010, 10:40 AM
I'm so happy for you getting past your ED and regaining thick, healthy hair. My motivation started with a girl in grade school who had classic length hair. When she was around, I was always looking at it. I knew that one day I would grow my hair out that long, but I was an impulsive person and kept getting cute new cuts and experimenting with color. I didn't gain the patience to allow my hair to grow until I was in my mid-40s, but better late than never! I'm almost at goal! (p.s., being too fussy about my ends and lots of trimming has made it a slow grow, but at least I'm happy with my hair)

sarahramen
February 16th, 2010, 07:08 PM
have you ever seen torrinpage 's youtube account, yeah her, she is my reason all those hairstyles so pretty

oceanwoman111
February 16th, 2010, 08:06 PM
My motivation:

When I see long hair, it makes me think of the noble times of the past. Of Royalty.

When I see long hair it makes me feel tribal and connected.

When I see long hair it reminds me of femininity and the beautiful things that separate us from the masculine.

When I see someone with long hair, I know the individual is in some way an artist, an expressionist, outside of the common, somewhere in the mystical.

I love long hair because it has so much meaning and that's what motivates me.:)

sarah061
February 16th, 2010, 08:19 PM
Two of the most important ones are mermaids/water nymphs (the way I feel trapped in this land-dwelling body is probably borderline crazy) and the art of J.W.Waterhouse (last year I flew halfway across the continent all alone to see his exhibition). And what they both have in common is long hair... People might find it silly, but they weren't the ones who stood proudly in front of A Mermaid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waterhouse_a_mermaid.jpg), crying their eyes out from the sheer amount of emotion.
I will feel more complete once my body reflects my soul.

I love the art of Waterhouse also! Looking at his paintings makes me ache with desire to look like those beautiful women. How inspiring. :heart: I want to have long, flowing hair that swirls around me as I pick flowers in a meadow just like the woman in my profile picture *sigh* Someday...

naereid
February 17th, 2010, 02:36 AM
I love the art of Waterhouse also! Looking at his paintings makes me ache with desire to look like those beautiful women. How inspiring. :heart: I want to have long, flowing hair that swirls around me as I pick flowers in a meadow just like the woman in my profile picture *sigh* Someday...
Pleased to meet you, sister! :flower: Oh, you have a special favourite picture-inspiration, too! It would be interesting to make a thread for us Waterhouse-lovers to share our inspirations. :grnbiggri

funnyface
February 17th, 2010, 02:47 AM
Wow I've loved reading all of your stories!

Hair is so closely connected to our idea of identity, it's amazing how expressive we can be with some soft stuff that grows from our skull!!

Looking through all of your photos of your long (and sometimes shorter!) hair is giving me so much inspiration to try different hair ups. I might even go to my hairdresser and get her to teach me how to french braid myself!! I need to start protecting the length!!

xxx

nytquill
February 17th, 2010, 06:04 AM
Welcome! I'm pretty new here also but it's great to have you. Congratulations on overcoming your ED, I have a good friend who struggles with it so I have an idea the kind of strength it takes to get through that. And on your marriage also! :)

I keep my hair long because I've always had my hair long. It's kind of my signature, you know? One of those things people know me by. I've only had it cut short twice in my life, once by my parents' choice when I was a preschooler and once in middle school after a miscommunication with the hairdresser.

But I chose to go long in the first place because at that time, in the early 90s, it seemed like all the women and girls I knew were going for those short "power styles," so keeping mine long was a way to be a little different and put a little variety back into the world! I mean if everyone's got short hair, somebody's gotta make up the difference, right? :) And the longer it stayed long the more I got attached to the idea and the look and I've pretty much never changed it. I'm not that adventurous anyway in real life or with my hair; I've permed it once and dyed it once, had the requisite "Rachel from Friends" haircut for a while, had streaks in it for a few years and that's really it. Once I became an adult and my mom wasn't taking me to the hairdresser anymore I even stopped going in for trims!

My dad used to always try to convince me to "do something different with your hair." I think it was his way of encouraging me to be less timid! Plus I think HE was bored seeing my hair be the same all the time, especially since my mom changed styles a lot when I was a kid, so he was used to the idea of women changing their hair and thought it was strange that I didn't really want to. But my hair was really the one thing that I actually stood my ground on against his opinions when I was that age - it was MY hair and my identity had become really tied in with it - so I guess in a way I was still learning to be less timid!

Plus I've always liked that I can put my hair up different ways, although I almost never actually did! But I liked having the option (lately I've been playing with it a lot more since I have a job that requires me to "do something" with my hair).

And most important for me on a daily basis I think is that with my hairtype and length I can pretty much roll out of bed in the morning and my hair looks "done" - I don't have to style, blow dry, curl, gunkify etc. like you do with short hair to get it looking right. If I didn't have to put it up for work I would still be living the "wash and wear" lifestyle! And I am definitely a no muss, no fuss kind of girl so that suits me just fine!

Nae
February 17th, 2010, 06:28 AM
Welcome to the LHC!!

P.S. I LOVE Waterhouse!!

:ponder: Hmmm, I suppose my P.S.'s shouldn't come at the beginning of the message. Ah, well. :D

My motivation is that I have always wanted longer hair but my family always told me it was, stringy and looked bad. Well, I got it chopped short last year and hated it. So I figured this time we are going long and keeping it that way and in order to keep my family and myself happy we are going to find out how to keep it looking great, thusly I am here with my P.S.'s in the wrong place and everything!!!

Also, I love buns, I want me some buns. I watch Torrin's Paige's youtube page about every week because it makes me all happy and inspired. Plus my kiddos get the giggles when they watch her, she is funny stuff right there!!:D We luvs you Torrin!! :cheese:
http://www.youtube.com/user/torrinpaige

Tonks
February 17th, 2010, 06:32 AM
I've had an ED for the past four years, and just managed to recover fully recently :) I can't say I had much trouble with my hair though, luckily.

My motivation is that I've always wanted long, beautiful hair, and I should be getting married in 2014, and I want to have the longest hair possible by then!

Felix_D
February 17th, 2010, 06:34 AM
Welcome to the LHC!!
My motivation is that I have always wanted longer hair but my family always told me it was, stringy and looked bad.

Me too! My mother told me I looked like a stupid hippy so I cut it (I was like 13) and kept it at a chin-bob for the next 13 years.

I've always wanted long hair, and now I think I can do it. :cheese:

MimiKeki
February 17th, 2010, 06:44 AM
Well done on recovering from your eating disorder sweetie. You deserve that long healthy hair to show your triumph :)

My motivation and reasoning behind growing my hair long -

Childhood memories - It takes me back to when I had long hair as a child, when I was truly happy. People admired it, but being a child, I never appreciated it as the time. I always regret cutting.

However... The main reason that springs to mind at the moment, and it truly compells me not to cut - I fell in love with a man. He made me make a promise "Never cut your hair". He left me and moved away. I dream of him seeing me again one day with very long thick hair, though I will never want him back. As Ivana Trump once said "gorgeous hair is the best revenge".
Sure, I may eventually trim, but I will never remove length if I can help it, until I reach tailbone at least.

Crazy, I know. But true.

funnyface
February 17th, 2010, 07:28 AM
Mimi that is such an interesting story! Thank you for sharing it! :)

xxx

Honestwitness
February 17th, 2010, 08:06 AM
I have spiritual reasons for growing my hair long after 30-some years of a pixie. I believe that adding fasting to one's prayers adds another layer of seriousness and commitment to the effort. I don't do well with fasting from food, but I can fast from cutting my hair.

I have several very serious issues that are especially near to my heart that require a very long-term commitment, in terms of intercessory prayer.

In fact, I consider these issues more like spiritual warfare on behalf of my loved ones. Forces of deep darkness have seemingly taken hold in their lives and are wreaking havoc.

I am reminded of Sampson in the Bible, who had superhuman strength as long as his hair was long. I believe that, for me, not necessarily for anyone else, there is a parallel with Sampson's strength to defeat the enemy and my growing my hair long to strengthen my resolve to continue in intercessory prayer for my loved ones.

There is another facet to the connection between long hair and spirituality for me. In a way, leaving my hair long is like saying, "I trust God to do His slow but sure work in this situation, without my interference."

lhangel9
February 17th, 2010, 10:20 AM
my motivation for growing my hair stems from wanting long hair since i was a child and never able to have it... now i know i have the patience to grow! :)


Same here except I still don't have the patience yet:(

I had cousins who had very long hair and I was always jealous of them and wondered why my hair wouldn't grow long. Many years later I learned that in addition to genetics, their diets played a substantial part in the lengths of their hair. We have some of the same genetics, but they ate so much healthier than I did as a kid. Now my hair is growing faster than it ever did.

Anyway, I just love the thought of having really long hair. It would make me feel confident and beautiful and most importantly more healthy:cheese:

Keildra
February 17th, 2010, 10:23 AM
Hmm I think I have a few motivations
1.I had a bad pixie but
2.I want to be a little different
3.I want to be able to feel my hair all the way down my back (kind of weird but I want to)
4.I feel that growing my hair is embracing my girlishness and I want to embrace my girlishness
5.I want to do a lot of neat hairstyles

Not exactly motivations but are pluses
-my hubby loves long hair
-my ex is annoyed by long hair:bigtongue:
-I don't shampoo as often and it saves money
-I don't trim as often and it saves money (plus I can't afford to get a trim every 6-8 weeks)

Sammich
February 17th, 2010, 10:24 AM
What a lovely question.

My motivation HAS to be disney films... princess stuff from when I was a kid. (I still love princess stuff), mermaids... the beautiful graceful elves of LOTR and the film Enchanted! :D I also love the feel of long hair down my back, or swishing or some sort of HAIR. I hate feeling bald... It's just comforting. :)
Also, my bf is very supportive and it is so sweet... makes me keep my resolve. PLUS he wants to see my natural hair colour. :D

Yeaah. ;) I get motivated pretty easy for anything really. :p If you can do it or want to do it, why not? ;)

funnyface
February 17th, 2010, 02:48 PM
I totally agree ihangle, diet and hair are so closely linked. In fact- another good indicator are nails! I used to have the little half moons by my cuticles, but they vanished during my ED and my nails became weak and wouldn't grow. Now I'm on a healthy three meals a day my nails are stronger and hair obviously back to its original thickness. It really annoys me when people with ED are portrayed on TV with really thick beautiful hair, as in my experience, it is very rare to not see your hair deteriorate when you suffer from EDs.

xxx

zen_oven
February 17th, 2010, 02:50 PM
Welcome! Glad to see you here! Good for you on getting your length and thickness back. I know that took patience.

I just really like having long hair. It feels feminine.

funnyface
February 17th, 2010, 02:53 PM
Sammich I know EXACTLY what you mean about feeling your hair down your back- that's what I really missed when I cut my hair, and I love tipping my head back to make it feel like my hair is longer!

Here is to the day when it reaches my waist! Swish swish!


xxx

Sissy
February 17th, 2010, 03:44 PM
Welcome to LHC and congrats on the healthy life style and hair health!

To answer your question... my motivation to grow my hair is because for me it's natural and it helps me to be connected to myself and to nature. My hair is a very important part of who I am spiritually.

RedButterfly
February 17th, 2010, 03:49 PM
Hi! Welcome to LHC! You'll love it here and learn so much. Everyone is really nice too! :)

My motivation to grow long hair comes from many past hair mistakes and a lifelong desire to have healthy long hair. Before finding the hair boards online, I had no idea how to care for my baby fine, curly hair. I was doing all the wrong things - brushing daily, frequent washing with harsh shampoo, etc. The hair boards saved my hair.