1 year of LHC and change in texture (pics)

[xoxophelia]

Until I saw the massive change in my hair yesterday after my (long haired XD) dbf took a photo of my backside :o yesterday I had been planning to not do a one year thread. But, I think the changes in my hair may be of special interest to some of you.

Basically the highlights:
-I trimmed 4" since joining by doing small trims
-I gained 5" in length
-I have about 6-9" of LHC virgin roots now
AND
my previously damaged hair that I thought was 2a-2b is becoming 1c (without henna or other treatments)

the evidence:
Not too long after I joined with uneven hem from old layers:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4575&pictureid=62470

my old *natural* texture a year ago:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4575&pictureid=63116

My length and shows damage right before I joined:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4575&pictureid=59445

And now (sorry for the baggy sweater but it is below my waist for reference):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4575&pictureid=91746

All photos were without heat stylying but some were with gentle brushing

[ancilla]

That's really cool! I wonder why its straightened out so much? I've noticed that my previously 2c hair has straightened to a 2b and now seems to be straightening even more to a 2a! I'd love to be a 1c! Though I do use henna, I've also been taking a lot of care of my hair.
I wonder if the straightening has to do with constant bunning?

[xoxophelia]

That's really cool! I wonder why its straightened out so much? I've noticed that my previously 2c hair has straightened to a 2b and now seems to be straightening even more to a 2a! I'd love to be a 1c! Though I do use henna, I've also been taking a lot of care of my hair.
I wonder if the straightening has to do with constant bunning?

I don't bun my hair all that much really. Most of the time I wear my hair down although I bun some of the time. My hair was straighter when I was young and then started to get more wavy when I was late teens/early 20s. I think it was because of the chlorine damage, heat styling, and eventually coloring with semipermanent hair color that made me think my hair was becoming curly (like my mom's).

If anything I think the number one factor is far less (pretty much no) heat styling :)

[Roscata]

Your hair is so pretty! :D
Happy anniversary!
6-9" of LHC virgin roots? How did you get so much length in a year? Are you just a fast grower or did you use something?

[Sunny_side_up]

Looking beautiful, you've been growing really well, such healthy thick length:cheese:

[Avvoltoio]

Wow, great change, your hair is beautiful on all picture, and so more healty and thick on the newests :)

[LocustSpawning]

Your hair is gorgeous, I love it.

[haibane]

Your hair looks so thick and happy! Great growth too in just one year. :)

[MandaMom2Three]

Wow! I wish my hair would straighten itself out! My hair just keeps getting wavier and wavier as time goes on! I miss being able to brush out my hair without having to worry about disturbing wave patterns and having it all frizz out on me :rolleyes:. Your hair looks awesome in ALL those pics :D

[eezepeeze]

Happy Anniversary! That's great progress!

[restourceful]

Goodness, girl, what amazing growth! You trimmed a lot and still gained massive length this year. Color me envious! I love your gorgeous wavy waves and your straighter waves too. You have such beautiful shine, your hair looks incredibly healthy. You are stunning!

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!:toast:

[Vorvolaka]

You have lovely hair!

[Loreley]

Your hair looks silky and healthy! Congrats! :)

[Rocket22]

You and your hair are beautiful in ALL the photos!!!

[Kristin]

Your hair looks great! So much growth!

My hair has straightened out, too. I think the weight pulls the wave out. And the oiling makes a difference, too.

[Heartwillfollow]

Beautiful :) what a wonderful year !!!!!!

[Chamomile betty]

Your hair is so pretty. You have gained some really nice growth. It's funny how how texture changes once you begin to treat your hair a different way. I always thought I had 1b/c hair but I am really a 2c3a mix.

[Dragon]

Happy Anniversary, great progress :)

[freckles]

wow, your hair is SO shiny in that last picture! great growing!

[SheaLynne]

Beautiful!! Congrats on the great progress, and thanks for sharing. As a fellow steady trimmer while still gaining length, I like to see the results others are having with that...

[Sammich]

Fantastic growth for one year. Wow. o.o Nice progress... jeeze! :D *Envy!* :p I'm in love with your texture now, looks much more softer and healthier... much more moisturized! ;)

[triumphator!]

Your hair. I want it to grow out of my head!!!! :)

[xoxophelia]

Your hair is so pretty! :D
Happy anniversary!
6-9" of LHC virgin roots? How did you get so much length in a year? Are you just a fast grower or did you use something?

I am not sure how I got so much length so it must just be that my hair grows fast. I didn't measure it at all for awhile because I was afraid I lost a lot of length after trimming so much but was very pleased when I realized my hair grew about 9" in a year

"Sunny_side_up Looking beautiful, you've been growing really well, such healthy thick length:cheese:"
Thanks! My ends really aren't as healthy as they look but it is such a huge improvement over what it used to be. I can't wait to be 100% virgin


Wow, great change, your hair is beautiful on all picture, and so more healty and thick on the newests :)

Thanks :o


Your hair is gorgeous, I love it.

Thank you! I have been feeling like my hair must be ugly lately since I didn't look at it for half a year so I am pleased it looks OK


Your hair looks so thick and happy! Great growth too in just one year. :)

Thank you! The new shampoo I got really helped (Trader Joe's Nourishing Spa)


Wow! I wish my hair would straighten itself out! My hair just keeps getting wavier and wavier as time goes on! I miss being able to brush out my hair without having to worry about disturbing wave patterns and having it all frizz out on me :rolleyes:. Your hair looks awesome in ALL those pics :D

It is interesting how some people get wavier hair as it gets healthier and others become more straight. Overall it does seem that the hair texture becomes more uniform and reliable instead of the typical poof ball mine used to be.


Happy Anniversary! That's great progress!

Thanks :D


Goodness, girl, what amazing growth! You trimmed a lot and still gained massive length this year. Color me envious! I love your gorgeous wavy waves and your straighter waves too. You have such beautiful shine, your hair looks incredibly healthy. You are stunning!

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!:toast:

I am happy that I can trim and still gain length as I will be trimming for a few more years to get rid of faded black dye XD

[christine1989]

Your hair is gorgeous! It has grown a ton as well made a visible improvment in thickness.

[xoxophelia]

Your hair looks great! So much growth!

My hair has straightened out, too. I think the weight pulls the wave out. And the oiling makes a difference, too.

The oil could definitely be a factor. I never oiled before joining LHC.. interesting! But, I also had been heat styling my hair daily from the time I was.. about 12. Now I am curious which contributes more?


Your hair is so pretty. You have gained some really nice growth. It's funny how how texture changes once you begin to treat your hair a different way. I always thought I had 1b/c hair but I am really a 2c3a mix.

That is a really huge change as well in texture. I wouldn't mind if my hair would do the same yours did as long as it was more even. Before my hair just looked messy most of the time :o


wow, your hair is SO shiny in that last picture! great growing!

Thanks girl .. hopefully with my growth rate I won't fall too far behind you with all the trimming I have been doing haha


Beautiful!! Congrats on the great progress, and thanks for sharing. As a fellow steady trimmer while still gaining length, I like to see the results others are having with that...

The trimming is horrible but needed for me unfortunately. I have a lot of damage and my hemline was pretty darn bad before. I guess we shoudl just be happy that our growth rates aren't slower than average (or I might have lost length...)


Fantastic growth for one year. Wow. o.o Nice progress... jeeze! :D *Envy!* :p I'm in love with your texture now, looks much more softer and healthier... much more moisturized! ;)

Yes.. it is definitely softer and waaaaaaay healthier. When I first gave up heat styling I would go to class with damp hair and come back looking like I stuck my finger in an electric socket. It was very very embarrassing!! O.O Now I can be a wash and go girl ah freedom


Your hair. I want it to grow out of my head!!!! :)

My hair? I like YOURS :P

[julliams]

My hair did this. It was very unusual when it happened and I really liked it but after a while I kind of missed my waves. I also wondered why my hair would do this - was it hormones? Was it an increase in grey hair?

After talking to a hairdresser friend of mine who asked what I was using, she told me that it was my product. I was using Kerastase which was loading my hair up with silicones and making it straight. I had always thought that product build up was something that happened closer to the scalp (don't ask me why I thought this). And also, no other product, even Pantene, had ever done this to my hair.

My hair was also like yours as a child - very straight until my teens when it got "frizzy" (I thought) so I just straightened it until I worked out that I actually had wavy hair.

Here is what happened - first pic taken May 15th when I was wondering why my hair had gone straight. It had been like this for a few weeks. Second pic was taken May 17th after clarifying using Herbal Essences Drama Clean. Both pics are airdried with no brushing. I honestly couldn't believe the difference which happened with no manipulation whatsoever. The difference in colour is simply that one is taken outside in the day and the other taken inside on a cloudy day with flash:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1026/4608351980_0a3b4c4231_m.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/4615011086_8e56bfb322_m.jpg

If you clarify do you get your waves back? Do you want them back? I think your hair looks divine both ways. It looks very healthy and soft.

[xoxophelia]

julliams:

In the pictures you see that was my waves at their absolute best. They usually looked very very unkempt so I am not upset about my hair becoming more sleek. I like both wavy and straight hair to be honest and I figure when the humidity picks up I will likely have more wave than I do in the winter months :)..

I also don't use silicone products and I only use a light amount of oil once a week if my hair is lucky ^^;

The "roots" of my hair feel very much so 1c even without any product at all.. so my guess is that my waves came in large part from damage..

I will be happy with whatever my hair decides to do as long as it becomes shinier/healthier/more uniform

[julliams]

Cool - that's so intriguing. With me obviously it was a product thing, but with you it seems to really have genuinely changed. I find it fascinating how hair behaves and how it responds to love, care and more length. You really did get an amazing amount of length considering all the trimming you did. WOW!

[xoxophelia]

Cool - that's so intriguing. With me obviously it was a product thing, but with you it seems to really have genuinely changed. I find it fascinating how hair behaves and how it responds to love, care and more length.

One thing is that the change is gradual for me as well. It has slowly been getting straighter except for the virgin roots which I would be surpsied if they even end up being 2a all grown out O.O

[Karala]

Congrats, your hair was looking beautiful already but it now looks stunning!

[freckles]

Thanks girl .. hopefully with my growth rate I won't fall too far behind you with all the trimming I have been doing haha


eh I would not worry about THAT :lol: I've spent the last six months maintaining, prettymuch. Here's to more length for both of us in 2011 though! :D

[xoxophelia]

Your hair is gorgeous! It has grown a ton as well made a visible improvment in thickness.

Thanks! That is mostly because my hair is still growing out after a long illness a few years ago :/

It got down to maybe a i/ii and is getting back to about a iii :)