Bad News: possible terminal

[HintOfMint]

I am currently at "can I call this waist" and my mother nonchalantly points out that she was at that length when her hair stopped growing. After a little more probing, she also says that's where grandma's hair stopped growing as well. My mother blowdried back in the day, but my grandmother oiled and never heatstyled. Same godforsaken terminal length.
I feel so disappointed. I wanted hair down to the small of my back (the sweet spot, I called it) for years. YEARS. And now I'm sure it's not even possible.
I want to cry, but I feel ridiculous for wanting it so badly. It is just hair. But it has been such a central part of my vanity. In my fantasies, I had two things: a blood red dress and hair down to my hips.
Now I feel like the hair I have right now is so ordinary. Sure it's pretty, but nothing that turns heads.
And isn't terminal marked by fairytale ends? So I don't know if I'll ever have a blunt hemline at waist (I have layers at the moment, so I can't tell my true taper).
I'm sorry for the venting, but I am so disappointed.

Did anyone here reach a terminal before their goal? How did you deal with it? How did you start to feel good about your hair again (if your sentiments about your hair changed)?

[spidermom]

Everybody is different, even within families, so don't get discouraged until your hair has been the exact same length for more than a year even though you've been taking good care of it and not getting it cut. I hope you reach your dream length.

[EdG]

Give it time. One can't reliably detect terminal length unless one's hair hasn't changed in a long time (with no trims). :)
Ed

[JenniferNoel]

Sorry to hear about your worries, I can only wish you the best of luck in achieving your goals, and all it's going to take to find out is time. Perhaps your hair has entered a stall, mine is actually in one as we speak, could be seasonal.

[Dragon]

Sorry to hear about your worries. Hope you can get it to the length you want it. It is different with every one.

[MsBubbles]

Well you are still 50% your Father's genes too, right? I agree with Spidermom, wait and see, you may not follow that pattern at all. I understand how important your particular goal is.

[Yozhik]

I just wanted to stop in and offer my encouragement :grouphug:

I'd definitely give it a little longer before you determine where terminal is on you.

Don't feel so down -- I'm sure your hair is gorgeous and definitely awe-inspiring! :flowers:

[christine1989]

You haven't determined that it is YOUR terminal length so don't start panicking yet. It is rare for a person's terminal length to be that short. Even if it is a family trait it is probobly a recessive gene so there is a good chance you will reach your goal length. Don't give up hope! :)

[jasper]

How long have you been growing towards your goal? Have you really stopped seeing gains or is it your mom's comment that has you worried?

Whenever I despair of my chances to reach a length goal, I refocus on condition goals, and mastery of updo goals. So far, I have been wrong when I thought my hair was as long as it could get. Constant monitoring makes me think it isn't growing, and I think I'm at terminal length. Only when I can compare photos at a years distance can I see the gains.

I hope your mom is wrong about it too. Good luck to you!

[countryhopper]

Yep, maybe you inherited long hair genes from your father's side, as MsBubbles said!

Anyhow, don't worry. Worry=stress=shedding! Just keep up with your normal routine!

Just a side point: Did your mother and grandmother wear their hair down? It could be possible that their hair was always rubbing on something at waist length and hairs would break off at that point. Maybe it wasn't their terminal length after all!

[Gwendolene]

I am at the same stage as HintofMint (just above waist) and measured yesterday. It is at the same place it was when I measured it just after my trim in mid-April. Does this mean terminal or is it merely stalled for some reason??

[IcarusBride]

I don't think you are at terminal! I have the exact same join date, join length and current length as you, and I also have been stalling recently. Don't give up yet, I think we still have a lot of inches left!

[trolleypup]

Meh. I was AT terminal before I figured out I wanted a (longer) terminal length. I enjoy it as it is anyway.

Verifying terminal: Does it stay the same length over substantial time when properly taken care of? If trimmed, does it grow back to the same length at your normal hair growth speed? Have any/all layers grown out? Has it assumed a tapered/fairytale hemline?

[HintOfMint]

Thanks for all of your support, I really appreciate it. Maybe I am freaking out unnecessarily, although I have hit a bit of a stall. I was never obsessive about exact measurements in inches/centimeters, and I haven't taken pictures, so I don't have exact data. However, I do feel that I haven't grown very much, if AT ALL in the last two months. Maybe half an inch at most. I have been at barely waist for a while and I'm getting nervous. Another reason why I'm freaking out is because, physically and health-wise, I take after my mother. It's pretty likely that my hair is going to be just like hers.

I HOPE I inherit some qualities of my dad's hair! His hair and hairline is MAGNIFICENT, and he's 58. However, my hairline looks more like my mother's than my father's. Meh, I can still hope, right?

I'm still getting a haircut this week because A. it's free, B. I would like to get it shaped a bit, the tassel from my layers is bugging me, badly. I'll get before and after pictures, so I can check again in 6 months to see if I have progressed at all. After my haircut, I would like to put it up and forget about getting overall length and just make sure that my layers are growing out nicely.
I guess part of the fun of hair is having something to look forward to.

Again, thank you all for your kind words and comfort.

[Lemur_Catta]

You said you have layers, so I guess you have cut your hair in the past. If it is so, don't worry, because even if now terminal would be waist on you, when the cut hair shed, the uncut hair will grow more...
Well I probably wasn't clear, so I will try to explain myself better :D
Your hair has a terminal "time", right? So maybe the "time" is over but since it was cut it sheds before reaching its max length. If you don't trim for awhile, the cut hairs will shed, and the uncut hair will grow revealing your true terminal.
I don't know if that makes sense...:D

[Jules diamond]

I'm sorry to hear that.

Maybe it's a stall. I just finished a year long stall so don't give up hope!

[09robiha]

I just wanted to add my encouragement. Dont give up!!!! You are 50% your fathers genes too after all and may not even follow suit after all. Just like some children have curly hair when their parent have straight hair. Just keep caring for your hair and wait and see. Good luck!

[henna4grey]

Your thread title scared me at first. So when I read it was about your hair growth, I was relieved. I understand your hair length is important to you, I don't mean to say it's nothing; but compared to "terminal" disease... No comment.

[freckles]

Everybody is different, even within families, so don't get discouraged until your hair has been the exact same length for more than a year even though you've been taking good care of it and not getting it cut. I hope you reach your dream length.



Just a side point: Did your mother and grandmother wear their hair down? It could be possible that their hair was always rubbing on something at waist length and hairs would break off at that point. Maybe it wasn't their terminal length after all!
^^I agree with these comments so much!



Your thread title scared me at first. So when I read it was about your hair growth, I was relieved. I understand your hair length is important to you, I don't mean to say it's nothing; but compared to "terminal" disease... No comment.
Well, yes, but I don't think the OP was comparing it to a disease. "Terminal" is pretty standard shortening of "terminal length" around here. And it was in the Mane forum, which is about hair. "Terminal" just means the end, not necessarily death, unless used in the phrase "terminal disease". I don't think there was a comparison there at all.

[Nera]

Ever since I hit shoulder, my mother has been telling me that growing my hair longer would be impossible, since my hair is very coarse and the ends are so porous that they just break off. Who would have guessed that I'm now hitting waist?

Not only do I think my hair might be slightly different, but you have to mind that maybe you take better care of your hair then your mother (and maybe even your grandmother). Your diet also matters a lot.

Don't give up hope, give it a lot more time! Besides, waist-length hair that is healthy and beautiful can turn millions of heads. :)

[DARKMARTIAN]

Gosh......I think I know what your feeling HintofMint. Because this very thought has been on my own mind quite a lot recently. Im right about at the small of my back maybe just touching the waist. And I think ive reached terminal also. It just doesnt seem to be growing anymore. And if that is indeed the case then yes.......that would be short of my goal which would be just past the bum....whatever thats called...... JPB maybe....."Just Past Bum".....:p

But yes...its not a very pleasant thought I can say. Hopefully HintofMint...both you and I still have some growing to accomplish and are actually just "terminally paranoid"......:D

Forgive me but I honestly dont know a whole lot about hair.....
And Im sure the answer to this question is somewhere in some thread.....but I havent trimmed my hair in about two maybe close to three years. Could that actually be a reason? And by what mechanism does hair keep from getting any longer? Like if someone with terminal length hair hypothetically got a crew cut.....would the hair still ....ummm...."think" of itself as terminal and that person would be stuck with a crew cut that could only get shorter????

I dont know....just some things Ive wondered about.....:o

[Quahatundightu]

Don't despair yet!! I have terribly thin and fine hair, and my mum didn't think my hair would grow past the small of my back either. I'm not sure if any other women in our family aside from me and her had long hair, but I do know she tried to grow her hair. Well anyway, it turns out that my hair HAS grown longer! It's true that my hair grows VERY slow so it feels like hardly any progress.. but when I take photos I can definitely see a difference. And now I am only a couple of inches from tailbone! So whatever you do don't give up, I think you should give it more time, measure more or take photos and see if it is growing :)

[heidihug]

And by what mechanism does hair keep from getting any longer? Like if someone with terminal length hair hypothetically got a crew cut.....would the hair still ....ummm...."think" of itself as terminal and that person would be stuck with a crew cut that could only get shorter????
No. Hair is only "alive" at the follicle. Scientifically speaking, what happens down it length has no bearing on what happens at the follicle regarding growth rate, color, etc.

I agree with others who believe the OP may not be at terminal length. There are so many factors that can cause a false terminal length. Give it some time and patience. Best of luck!

[Angela_Rose]

Well, scary as that may be, you should take comfort in the fact that you have LHC backing you up. You have our wealth of knowledge, our support, our encouragement, and the huge base of information we've amassed over the years. Mom and Grandma didn't, and you know how to take better care of your hair than they do. So pamper your hair and wear it up every day- this will keep it protected from damage and it has the added benefit of letting your hair grow without obsessing over the length, which means you get a surprise in a few months when you see how much longer your hair has become.

And if you are at terminal? Well, you will have taken extremely good care of your hair and it'll be in wonderful condition, no matter its length.

[DARKMARTIAN]

No. Hair is only "alive" at the follicle. Scientifically speaking, what happens down it length has no bearing on what happens at the follicle regarding growth rate, color, etc.



I was aware of hair only living at the follicle. Never have I thought that the entire hair was alive. So I guess my question should have been....how does the follicle itself know when to start growing again. Does it somehow actually feel the weight of the hair or something? Because from what I understand is that if terminal hair is cut short it will begin to grow again......

basically ..."how does it know"?..:o

[Nae]

Mom's genes are only half of grandma's (who didn't heat style.) Your genes are half of that and to say that you are 1/4 related to a woman who's assumed terminal was probably at waist isn't very persuasive. I betcha Mom's terminal was longer since she heat styled.

Darkmartian, I honestly don't know if your lack of trimming might be causing a fake terminal. I think that the healthier the ends the better. If they are damaged they may be breaking off. But I thought in some earlier post that you said you didn't seem to have many problems with splits so I don't know. :hmm:(Or I could be remembering wrong.)

ETA: I also think that each hair goes through a cycle of rest and regrowth. My understanding is that your hair grows for a certian amount of time. I think on average it is 7 years, this varies from person to person making the variations in terminal. Then it falls out and starts the process all over again. We don't fully bald about once a decade because each hair starts this process at a different time. So we are always losing hair and starting new baby hairs all the time.

[DARKMARTIAN]

Darkmartian, I honestly don't know if your lack of trimming might be causing a fake terminal. I think that the healthier the ends the better. If they are damaged they may be breaking off. But I thought in some earlier post that you said you didn't seem to have many problems with splits so I don't know. :hmm:(Or I could be remembering wrong.)

You must be thinking of someone else. I know for a fact that my ends could stand to be cut. And actually I wouldnt doubt that it has at least something to do with it. So I hope im correct in thinking that trims actually can contribute to ..well I wont say faster growth....but rather a decrease in damage thereby allowing the growth to be noticed.....

EDIT: thats interesting about the regrowth......i bet im making my baby hairs work overtime....

[Nae]

See how I am always remember the nicest wrong things about people!!!:rolleyes:

Anyways, so yeah maybe if you trimmed an inch off or something it might start growing like crazy, wouldn't that be nice?

[Tiina]

Don't worry about it too much. That your mother and grandmother couldn't grow their hair longer, doesn't mean that you can't. Different people and different hairs. Take good care of yourself and be patient. It will grow. :)



Forgive me but I honestly dont know a whole lot about hair.....
And Im sure the answer to this question is somewhere in some thread.....but I havent trimmed my hair in about two maybe close to three years. Could that actually be a reason? And by what mechanism does hair keep from getting any longer? Like if someone with terminal length hair hypothetically got a crew cut.....would the hair still ....ummm...."think" of itself as terminal and that person would be stuck with a crew cut that could only get shorter????

I dont know....just some things Ive wondered about.....:o

Hair grows a limited amount of time. The lifetime of one strand of hair can be several years but everyone has strands of hair with different lifespans so some of your hair only lives for a few months while other hairs live for years. Not all hairfollicles constantly grow. There are 3 phases: resting, growing and shedding. Assuming that a person's hairs have an average lifespan of 6 years(from start of growing phase to shedding), of which 4 are spent in the growing phase, and they grow approximately 1 inch per month means that that person's probable terminal length is around 48 inches. Cutting hair does not affect the phase in which the hairfollicle is in. If it wants to grow, it grows no matter if you trim or not below. However, if you cut the hair, its terminal length will appear shorter as it will not grow any longer(timewise) than is determined by your genes.

Your lifestyle and diet do affect how much the hair grows within its lifetime but not the length of the lifetime. So at different times, hair grows at different rates. A person with an unbalanced diet or a medical condition is likely to get better hairgrowth once their diet is improved or they are cured of their illness.

These two factors; the genetically set lifespan of a hair follicle, and your general nutrition and health, together determine the terminal length your hair can grow.

I hope that explains, even if I may have gone too far trying to make sense (thus ending up not making sense). :)

ETA Happy post no. 101 to me. :p

[curlylocks85]

I am currently at "can I call this waist" and my mother nonchalantly points out that she was at that length when her hair stopped growing. After a little more probing, she also says that's where grandma's hair stopped growing as well. My mother blowdried back in the day, but my grandmother oiled and never heatstyled. Same godforsaken terminal length.
I feel so disappointed. I wanted hair down to the small of my back (the sweet spot, I called it) for years. YEARS. And now I'm sure it's not even possible.
I want to cry, but I feel ridiculous for wanting it so badly. It is just hair. But it has been such a central part of my vanity. In my fantasies, I had two things: a blood red dress and hair down to my hips.
Now I feel like the hair I have right now is so ordinary. Sure it's pretty, but nothing that turns heads.
And isn't terminal marked by fairytale ends? So I don't know if I'll ever have a blunt hemline at waist (I have layers at the moment, so I can't tell my true taper).
I'm sorry for the venting, but I am so disappointed.

Did anyone here reach a terminal before their goal? How did you deal with it? How did you start to feel good about your hair again (if your sentiments about your hair changed)?

I would just like to add that there are some who have claimed that Waist seems to be where many people stall and do not see growth for some time. I guess for some the longer the hair the longer it takes to grow. This is not everybody, but I have read in posts on other boards that this has happened. I know one person in particular who had a stall at waist for about a year to a year and a half with no growth, then one day and inch was gained and now this person is getting steady growth. So my long winded point is that this may very well be a stall and only time and patience will tell. Good luck to you.

[DARKMARTIAN]

Thanks Tina.....:).

So genetics and diet are major factors eh? That makes sense. Im gonna look into what the diet involves too. And no you didnt go too far in your explanation. Id much rather have something comprehensive to read.

im a Gemini....:p

[Milui Elenath]

I agree with everyone else about not giving up and just giving your hair time.

But also I just wanted to add that before LHC I was convinced my hair couldn't grow longer than waist. I had 2-3 inches trimmed every six months or so to keep it healthy :rolleyes: - who knows how I ever reached waist with reasoning like that - and I was essentially at waist for seven plus years!

At waist length the growth wasn't as obvious, it was already 'long' and as I wasn't measuring I assumed my hair could not grow any longer.

This could easily be the case with either your Grandmother or mother. You could perhaps speak to your mother again about how certain she was that her hair wasn't growing and whether either of your relatives trimmed.

[LaurelSpring]

I am wondering the same thoughts about my length. I think I may stop trimming again just to see what happens. I really want to get to classic at least before I hit terminal. My hair does seem to be growing more slowly to me. I wonder if age has a bearing on that. When I compared my first year LHC picture to my second year anniversary picture there was a good amount of growth, but if you asked me during that year if it was growing I would have said that it sure didnt feel like it. I am generally happy with my length now and dont think about it as much as I use to but I would still love to see what terminal is on me and I am hoping that it is at least classic.

[spidermom]

Just to confuse the issue further - a single hair does not stall and then start growing again. Once a hair has reached the end of its growing cycle, it stalls and then it sheds out. But what often happens is that newer, shorter hairs keep growing and eventually get longer than the hairs that are stalled, especially if you have ever cut the longest hairs.

[Jenn of Pence]

But also I just wanted to add that before LHC I was convinced my hair couldn't grow longer than waist. I had 2-3 inches trimmed every six months or so to keep it healthy :rolleyes: - who knows how I ever reached waist with reasoning like that - and I was essentially at waist for seven plus years!

At waist length the growth wasn't as obvious, it was already 'long' and as I wasn't measuring I assumed my hair could not grow any longer.


Oh, this is totally me. I had BSL-to-mid back length for YEARS. I never understood why it never got to waist, all the while I was hacking away a few inches in trims each year :rolleyes: Now, I haven't yet gotten back to my longest length yet after trimming off damage, so I can only assume that I wasn't at terminal. However, Hintofmint's concerns resonate strongly with me....what if I get back to mid back and get stuck even with my LHC arsenal? I have hope, but I'm also a bit fearful and cautious. Hopefully we'll both find we can go the distance!!

[ifyouforget]

Just to confuse the issue further - a single hair does not stall and then start growing again. Once a hair has reached the end of its growing cycle, it stalls and then it sheds out. But what often happens is that newer, shorter hairs keep growing and eventually get longer than the hairs that are stalled, especially if you have ever cut the longest hairs.

*gasp* *lightbulb goes off* That makes so much sense! And now I'm even more motivated not to trim- at least until I get to goal length.

[PiroskaCicu]

Sorry to hear of your worries! I suggest waiting it out....just because their hair did not grow to your goal doesn't mean yours won't. :-) Be patient and it might surprise you! ^_^

[Medievalmaniac]

*hijacking to say*:

After reading all of the different explanations and scientific elements of hair growth, I just can't help thinking - Wow! Isn't this magical? I mean, really - long hair - when you consider all the factors that go into it besides just growing it - the condition, genetics, nutrition, environmental factors, growth and stall cycles of individual hairs within the whole - well, clearly, it can't possibly just be scientific. The growth of hair is bewildering in its complexity - and yet, it manages to grow, nonetheless, both remarked and unremarked on, both consciously and unconsciously - truly, if one's hair is long at all, then it's magical!! :D

[Ruvie]

I dont think fairytale ends signal terminal length, as Ive had fairytale ends my whole life.

[Xandergrammy]

I agree with the others but wanted to add my personal experience. I was in a stall for several months and honestly thought my hair was not going to get any longer, but then one day I realized that I was sitting on my braid!! So don't give up or be disheartened. Part of the fun of this journey is that everyone's hair is different and one never knows what will happen. Good luck to you. :flowers:

[trolleypup]

I dont think fairytale ends signal terminal length, as I've had fairytale ends my whole life.
Fairytale ends are one of the markers of terminal...or, rather, NOT having fairytale ends means you are NOT at terminal. You can still have fairytale ends without being anywhere near terminal.

[HintOfMint]

Good news UPDATE!

I was thinking about how my hair has grown so much in the last few months and I remembered this thread and how worried I was that I was never going to have in-between-hip-and-tailbone-length hair. While it is no news that I have reached waist, there is more!

About 5 months after my trim, I have perhaps passed waist, the very ends are barely tickling my elbows, and the hemline is still thick. I am about 2 inches from hip, maybe 2.5 to the point in the small of my back which is my goal.

Looks like I didn't need to worry.

[FrannyG]

This is good new, HintOfMint! I am quite sure you will reach your goal, and it looks like it won't be long before you do. I'm happy for you. :hollie:

[Nae]

Oh that IS good news HintOfMint!! Congrats on your patience and your growth!!

[spidermom]

Fairytale ends are one of the markers of terminal...or, rather, NOT having fairytale ends means you are NOT at terminal. You can still have fairytale ends without being anywhere near terminal.

But not in 100% of cases. I've had a roommate; knew her for 8 years, and she had a terminal length of BSL without fairy tale ends. Her hem was even enough that it looked like she kept it cut to that length, but she didn't.

[enfys]

HintofMint, I'm so happy you should achieve your goal after all. I missed this first time around.

I think some :cheese: is in order!

[TinaDenali]

Great news!! That's fabulous :blossom:

[beez1717]

I am glad to know that you may not be at terminal. As long as you love what you have that's what counts. We all like your hair :)