There and back again

[Melisande]

(Sorry for this mammoth post - if this is not the right forum, I'm sorry mods, please move it! But I felt the urgent urge ;-) to recapitulate my Hairy Life Story)

Part I:

I had longish hair for most of my life.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_1970.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=1970.jpg)

I cut, let grow, and cut again.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/7323/373030808e135f259dpe0.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/i/373030808e135f259dpe0.jpg/)

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_1983sithonia.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=1983sithonia.jpg)

Sometimes quite short.

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/5371/372976547e17c027a4sj6.th.jpg (http://img48.imageshack.us/i/372976547e17c027a4sj6.jpg/)

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/779/37300290739dbd23adgf4.th.jpg (http://img137.imageshack.us/i/37300290739dbd23adgf4.jpg/)

Then again, longer.

I experimented with a perm when my hair bored me.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_1989hochzeit.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=1989hochzeit.jpg)

My hair never made any problems. I cut it, left it alone for a number of months or years and cut it again.

About six or seven years ago, I had a hair crisis after a medical treatment - a massive shed. Afterwards, I started using chemical dye and it made my hair very rough.

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/7646/offen03ko4.th.jpg (http://img235.imageshack.us/i/offen03ko4.jpg/)

That was in May 2007.

[Melisande]

Part II

That's how my hair looked when I found the longhair boards - this one and my beloved German home boards. I became active, learned a lot in a short time and began to grow my hair.

I learned updos.

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/526/pb120121hv9.th.jpg (http://img201.imageshack.us/i/pb120121hv9.jpg/)

I bought hairtoys.

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5569/dscf0151we8.th.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/i/dscf0151we8.jpg/)

I switched to natural dye - henna based.

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/4827/dscf0037tb5.th.jpg (http://img92.imageshack.us/i/dscf0037tb5.jpg/)

My hair began to grow really long.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_20090220ohneblitz.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=20090220ohneblitz.jpg)

I took vitamins and MSM, I developed a simple but effective routine based on diluted gentle shampoo, much oiling, scalp massages and good handling practices.

I began to make my own hairsticks.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_20090825454.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=20090825454.jpg)

LHC inspired me to re-discover my freaky-long-skirt fashion taste that had gone underground for much too long.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_karizaheap.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=karizaheap.jpg)

I discovered the miracles of coconut oil for face and body, of natural ingredients, of herbs and cool rinses. I bought skin vac cloths, a pedi egg and discovered Etsy.

That was my hair a year ago:

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_201001blitzlichtI.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=201001blitzlichtI.jpg)

In May, I thought the ends were beginning to look less than brilliant. (99cm)

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_20100530beforehaircut.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=20100530beforehaircut.jpg)

So I had them cut. (81cm)

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_201005afterhaircut.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=201005afterhaircut.jpg)

[Melisande]

Part III

My hair grew back fast - they were at 91cm when I accompanied my daughter to the hairdresser's the day before yesterday.

And they were at 65 cm when I came back home.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_DSCF0006.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=DSCF0006.jpg)

I'm still a bit skeptical.

http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/th_DSCF0005.jpg (http://s983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/MataPics_2009/?action=view&current=DSCF0005.jpg)

But I'm happy. I'm a conservative person, I like my routines and I have never been prone to spontaneous changes in hair color or cut.

But it feels like starting a new cycle. I have always had hair cycles. This one was especially long in every sense of the word. I'm quite ready for wearing open hair again and growing back into my hairtoys again.

I felt I had to tell you this story. You all have accompanied me, taught me a lot and I am grateful. Lately, I feel less interest in hair related matters. I think you all know this feeling - when an obsession abates. I can't do without the boards and will never leave but I have become less active.

So I feel like like Bilbo, having gone There and Back again. Even without bringing home a precioussss , I'm very content with my adventure and can't wait for the next to begin.

[ChatNoir]

I think that the experience you've had definitely counts as something precioussssss, and I'm really happy for you! :)

[krissykins]

What a lovely story :) your hair looks so healthy and happy, and I can't wait to accompany you on the next leg of your journey :D

[spidermom]

It looks like you've had some fun along the way; good for you!

[lunache]

What a lovely story - I can really sympathize with the waxing and waning of areas of concern with regard to hair. Thank you for sharing!