(Almost) One year progress!!! (Pic Heavy)

[shaybabe8604]

I'm so excited to finally be able to gave (nearly) a year under my belt! I am getting braids this week coming up so I decided to straighten and trim and take pictures beforehand. I joined on March 30 2009 so I'm a little under the one year mark but I couldn't help it...
this is a picture I took the first day I joined http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=54764
This is my current length http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=66633 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=66634
This is how I currently wear my hair on most days:http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=66629
I am so glad I found this site and learned so many tips on how to grow long healthy hair. My hair is not yet the longest its ever been, but it is most definitely the healthiest. I always had terrible breakage problems in the crown area where my hair is coarsest and driest, so every time my hair got long around the perimeter, I'd wind up cutting it all off because the middle was so much shorter than the rest. I finally feel like I'm making healthy progress and am looking forward to many more healthy, happy, longhaired years here at LHC :cheese:

[adiapalic]

Wow, that updo is absolutely beautiful! and those curls have such a lovely sheen. You've made so much progress! :) congratulations :flower:

[Rhiannon7]

Congrats! great grow progress. your hair looks so healthy. please do show pics when you do get the braids. just make sure the baids won't damage your hair.

[countryhopper]

Wow! great progress! I can't believe the difference! Great job!

[GoddesJourney]

Looks like you've made a lot of progress, especially in the healthiness of your hair. I'm glad you found a way to get that crown breakage under control. That can be a real bummer when you want to grow long. Out of curiosity, what's your routine?

[Rentlle]

wow! it grew so much!
and it's so healthy :)
You should be verry happy with this milestone :)

[serious]

You've made a great progress, congratulations!
Love your updo, really pretty!
Happy growing!

[2peasinapod]

WOW! Your hair looks great! So healthy and shiny! I love the way it looks in the curls!

Congratulations on your progress!:)

[Sweetness]

Beautiful progress and hair, congrats !
Happy 1 year anniversary :)

[Liss]

It's almost like a completely different head of hair! Great progress and gorgeous curls. Congratulations on your growth and anniversary!

[Calista]

Happy anniversary! And happy growing!! :cheer:

[emmabovary]

Beautiful! I especially love the updo! :D

[cindy58]

Super progress! I'd like to see your braids too.

[Liluri]

Congratulations on your great progress :)

[marikamt]

AMAZING progress! Your hair looks beautiful, congratulations :blossom:
I second making sure the braids don't damage all of your hard work.....

[Garnet66]

Wow, you've had a ton of growth. Your hair looks great. And I'm sure the braids will be very pretty. Happy anniversary!

[goodenough]

Good for you! I like your styles!

[curlylocks85]

Your hair has certainly grown. Lovely pics.

[Yozhik]

What gorgeous curls! Congratulations on your amazing progress :)
I love your "everyday" hairdo -- it's so elegant!

[talecon]

nice hair! :D it looks great and healthy like everyone else says. congrats :)

[oceanwoman111]

Wow! Your hair has grown so much in a year. That's amazing! It looks very beautiful. Keep it up!! :thumbsup:

[Oskimosa]

Love that updo! It looks so fresh with the big curls.

[PineappleJello]

Good job :)

[shaybabe8604]

Thank everyone for all the compliments and encouragement. Sometimes I feel like it's not getting any longer but when I look at the pictures it makes me feel better. My current routine is washing once weekly with random shampoo mixed with conditioner in a 1:3 part ratio. I deep condition with shea butter coconut oil and honey once a week as well. After washing, I roller set and sit under my hooded dryer in order to smooth and loosen my curl pattern. I sleep in pin curls or flexi rods at night with a satin bonnet or scarf over them. Also, every six weeks I do a protein treatment. I've experimented quite a bit over the past year, and I'm still learning but overall I think my hair is at the healthiest its ever been since I started taking care of it myself (mom did it until I was 16).

[Shicurls]

WOW! You have beautiful hair! It looks so healthy! I love the color and the styles you choose. I would love to see the braids when they're in too!

[RedButterfly]

Your hair looks great! You've made a lot of progress. :)

[shaybabe8604]

Update!!!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=69263 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=69262

Somehow I managed to get 1.25 inches of growth in a little over a month. I'm not sure exactly what caused it, because I haven't done much different as far as growth aids are concerned. As a matter of fact, I've been chastising myself for forgetting to take my vitamins. Anyway, I'm really excited about the new growth, and I hope it keeps up for a while. Waist length, here I come!!! :cheese:

[Sister13]

You're an inspiration! So healthy, very impressive.

[Tressie]

Wonderful! Your hair looks so healthy and shiny when you wear it down and that romantic updo is just lovely!! Congratulations! (o:

[Aditi]

Super!!!! Great Progress :thumbsup:

[kelly-j]

Great progress!

[shaybabe8604]

Thank everyone for all the congrats! I'm so happy to finaly be getting some visible progress

[FrannyG]

Beautiful! And wonderful progress. Congratulations! :blossom:

[Pallas]

Wow, so much progress! Really impressive and such nice hair :heart:

Congrats!

[JamieLeigh]

Wow, that's some great progress and a fantastic updo! Congrats on almost-1 year! :flower:

[KBG]

:disco: So awesome! Congrats! :disco:

[skarab]

Wow, that is a gorgeous updo!!

[shaybabe8604]

Update:

As of 10.16.2010 I have somehow made it past APL without noticing until now! :cheese:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4252&pictureid=85881

[tigr]

Look at that! You've passed APL!

Congratulations!

[Emerald88]

Congrats! You have made such progress & your hair looks great

[Capybara]

I'd say that's cause for celebration :) Pretty hair!

[EverydayMiracle]

I LOVE the updo! Your hair is looking lovely, and very healthy too!

[Kome]

Wooooooo! Now that you're past growing it from the pixie, it'll get to BSL sooner than you think! Good luck in your growing. Your hair is looking great! :)

[Shellby]

Fantastic growth! Congrats.

[Henrietta]

It's almost like a completely different head of hair! Great progress and gorgeous curls. Congratulations on your growth and anniversary!

I wanted to say the same! And I like your "now" hair way more than "before"! It's so shiny and the ends look so healthy! Congratulations and happy growing! :)