Tell Me It's Possible!

[Shicurls]

Okay, I'm having one of those days. You know the kind. You're down about your hair. I'm hovering at nape right now, and I am loving the length again. Even if the length is small! :)

Here's my question: Is it possible to get long curly/wurly locks down to hip without the help of Cassia/Henna/Indigo?

I oil, I treat my hair right. I've never had hair that long, and I so want it to become a reality, but do I need to bite the bullet and start using Cassia or Hendigo? I love my natural color.

Thanks. Just one of those days....

[enfys]

Unless your hair is very fair, cassia shouldn't be an issue for colour; it gives at most a light, temporary golden stain.

I'll let someone curly weigh in on the rest ;)

ETA: I just looked at your album, and your hair looks a tad darker than mine; if you decide to ever take the cassia route you probably wouldn't have colour issues.

[cmnt831]

My hair's been to hip and beyond twice already and it's headed there again now. :) Getting to that length for you may be a different story if your hair has different factors involved than mine. But from a curly/wurly who's gotten there, I'd say it's a very good possibility you can get there, too. :)

[princessp]

Yes it is possible. My hair is at hip. I LOVE your curls BTW!

[Dani]

I must be missing something; where does it say I need to do those things to get long hair?! :p I've never cared about trying Henna or Cassia or whatever, and I really have no idea what people are talking about when they mention them (well, I know what henna is of course) and my hair gets long very nicely. Just start doing things you love, keep it simple and forget about your hair. You'll be long before you know it. :D Especially where you're at right now, speaking from lots and lots of nape-length experience- don't do a darn thing to your hair, just let it grow and it will be long in not too long a time.

[Eireann]

Okay, I'm having one of those days. You know the kind. You're down about your hair. I'm hovering at nape right now, and I am loving the length again. Even if the length is small! :)

Here's my question: Is it possible to get long curly/wurly locks down to hip without the help of Cassia/Henna/Indigo?

I oil, I treat my hair right. I've never had hair that long, and I so want it to become a reality, but do I need to bite the bullet and start using Cassia or Hendigo? I love my natural color.

Thanks. Just one of those days....


My understanding is that cassia and henna and indigo are if you want to change your color but don't want to damage your hair. I've never gotten the impression they were essential for healthy long hair. I don't have curly hair, so I can't speak to that experience, but grew from pixie to hip without any cassia, henna or indigo and I even use (gasp) box dye!

From what I've read here, one big help for curlies is oiling, but I'll let the actually curlies speak to that!

[Calaelen]

Cassia and hendigo are definitely not a must for long gorgeous healthy locks...It's possible!!

[ericthegreat]

Its been several years since I have felt the urgency for my hair to just grow down to the lengths that I always lusted after, but here's some sound advice that anyone can take.

Don't think about your ultimate goal length at all. Just block it out of your mind, because especially if your goal length is several years away from your current length, you will just drive yourself insane worrying about when and if your hair will ever get to that length.

Instead, shoot for all the much shorter milestones that you will get to much sooner. You are at nape length right now, so your next mini-milestone should be right at shoulder length. Get to shoulder length first. Then once you are there, go for APL and after that BSL and so on and so forth. Think of this as a fun journey instead, with every few months your hair will grow longer and you will literally look different and will be able to try out different styles along the way.

As for henna/cassia/indigo, unless you also wish to change your haircolor there is no health related reason for you to apply any of that to your hair. Your current haircare routine sounds excellent to me, just keep doing that and you will eventually get to your goal length.

[SpinDance]

Things that change color are not required to grow hair longer.

[Eireann]

Its been several years since I have felt the urgency for my hair to just grow down to the lengths that I always lusted after, but here's some sound advice that anyone can take.

Don't think about your ultimate goal length at all. Just block it out of your mind, because especially if your goal length is several years away from your current length, you will just drive yourself insane worrying about when and if your hair will ever get to that length.

Instead, shoot for all the much shorter milestones that you will get to much sooner. You are at nape length right now, so your next mini-milestone should be right at shoulder length. Get to shoulder length first. Then once you are there, go for APL and after that BSL and so on and so forth. Think of this as a fun journey instead, with every few months your hair will grow longer and you will literally look different and will be able to try out different styles along the way.

As for henna/cassia/indigo, unless you also wish to change your haircolor there is no health related reason for you to apply any of that to your hair. Your current haircare routine sounds excellent to me, just keep doing that and you will eventually get to your goal length.

This is excellent advice, Eric! I would also add, for the OP, give yourself little treats along the way. The fun part of having short hair is getting it "done" every few weeks. When you're growing out, it can seem endless. Break it up with new treatments, new toys, silk pillow cases, and other longhair gadgets.

[tinti]

Its been several years since I have felt the urgency for my hair to just grow down to the lengths that I always lusted after, but here's some sound advice that anyone can take.

Don't think about your ultimate goal length at all. Just block it out of your mind, because especially if your goal length is several years away from your current length, you will just drive yourself insane worrying about when and if your hair will ever get to that length.

Instead, shoot for all the much shorter milestones that you will get to much sooner. You are at nape length right now, so your next mini-milestone should be right at shoulder length. Get to shoulder length first. Then once you are there, go for APL and after that BSL and so on and so forth. Think of this as a fun journey instead, with every few months your hair will grow longer and you will literally look different and will be able to try out different styles along the way.

As for henna/cassia/indigo, unless you also wish to change your haircolor there is no health related reason for you to apply any of that to your hair. Your current haircare routine sounds excellent to me, just keep doing that and you will eventually get to your goal length.

I second this :) I don't even have a goal. I'm thinking about Classic, but that's just a thought. Instead I enjoy my lenght as it is.

I have no idea when it comes to cassia/henna, but I have'nt heard that you can't grow your hair without it before.

[spidermom]

Well, I've got curls but can't exactly claim to be a curly. My hair is nearly classic length without the aid of anything but patience and good care.

PS - I have no idea how your block your heart's desire from your mind. Getting busy with other things does help the time pass more quickly, though.

[Shicurls]

Thank you guys so very much!!! I will take it one step at a time and chill out! Thank you, thank you, thank you :flower: And if I ever "feel the need" to mess with it, I will do Cassia! Other than that, just pampering!!

[BrightEyes7]

My hair is wavy, used to be a lot wavier and I made it to hip using chemical dyes every other month... I am SURE you can make it without using henna or cassia or indigo!

[chelles2kids]

First off....:grouphug: We have all been where you are...we've all had 'one of those days' with our hair, regardless of where we started, or restarted or how long/short it is.

I think another way of looking at it is...you're starting with a beautiful, healthy, shiney head of...did I already say BEAUTIFUL???!!! ringlets.
Can I say envious??:p

So you'll never have to deal with alot of the problems that we've dealt with trying to get rid of along our journeys.

You're having growing pains is all...
By the looks of you're pics. you have the best start on you're journey and I couldn't foresee any problems along the way of you reaching you're goal length...well, other than the obvious...time.;)

I find whenever I begin focusing too much on my hair, trying to get involved with something to take up some of my time always helps me tremendously.
I'm not continually obsessing over the length, the shine, the waves, measuring, etc.

[McFearless]

You don't need henna and cassia to get to hip. I'm a curly with fine strands and I've been there.

No worries!

[CrisDee]

Shhhhh!! I'm gonna tell you a secret! Do you know what the best kept secret is to having long hair?? (Shhhhhh!!!)



DON'T CUT IT! :D :D :D

Seriously, this is something that's only recently occurred to me (or maybe just hit home to me), so I thought I'd state it, even though it seems awfully obvious. I'm having that battle with myself right now - when I had my pixie, my hair was razor cut to add "texture." I had some of the wispies trimmed off, my last trim was this past March. But mine is getting to the point right now where it's looking awfully scraggly, much more so than my straight, fine hair looks nice with (it would probably look fantastic with your curls!). So I fight with myself every day not to trim - cos I know that every micrometer I trim off puts me that much further away from a "real" ponytail or updo (no clips or pins to hold the short bits). So HUGS to you :grouphug:, and hang in there! I've seen your photos before, you can DEFINITELY get to hip! And I wouldn't worry about going for the cassia if I were you - (a) it's only temporary, so if it gives you a color you don't love, it'll wash out in no time, and (b) I doubt if it would make much of a color change to your dark hair. :flower:

[Shicurls]

Hugs to all of you! Thank you so much for your encouraging words. It means a bunch to me to have people out there lending their support. I've decided to shape my brows, take a long soak, and put on a facial mask! Seriously, thanks again. I'm actually tearing up. Thank you. :flowers:

[feralnature]

Yes! Pamper yourself and DON'T TRIM! I went from very short hair to what I have now by not trimming for 3 years. Then I just took off 2 inches of some dry ends, by a self-trim. It is best to not even think about going to a haidresser. They get paid to CUT HAIR! Just forget about having a perfect *do* for awhile and go with the flow. You will have long hair one day and wonder where the time went.

[darkwaves]

Your hair is very much like mine -- even the colour. And mine is hip now, dry and wavy/curly. (longer, wet and stretched.)

So yes, I know it's possible!

Just back away from the scissors...

[GRU]

Here's my hair from a year ago, before I did my first-ever henna to cover my "sparklies":

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/br-notbrushed-back.jpg

That's my natural color and my natural curl.

So yeah, I'd say it's possible. ;)

[Shicurls]

ferainature,darkwaves, and GRU thank you for showing me that it's possible. I am very encouraged by your progress and words! Thank you!!! :blossom: