Need inspiration for 1a/F/i long hair

[mamachanse]

Hi all! I've been lurking for some time and finally got the guts to post!

My hair is approaching waist (around 31 inches) and my goal is very, very long hair! But I'm a bit scared because it is so straight and fine and thin. I'd love to see pictures or hear words of encouragement from others with similar hair. Also, if you'd like to share any special care tips I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[Melisande]

My hair is fine and nearly completely straight - a tiny bit of waves around the temples came out only after my hair turned to gray. Before, it was always completely straight, and I had long hair for many, many years.

the most important thing is: minimize damage because such hair is not forgiving or robust. Minimize chemical damage by diluting shampoo, using gentle shampoo, washing less, oiling. Minimize mechanical damage by combing instead of brushing, use of gentle hairtoys and tools, covering hair at night, keeping it up etc.

The Golden Rules of TLHC, in short.

Keep in mind that scalp, lengths and ends have different needs and provide for them. Don't be discouraged by people telling you your hair is too thin, too fine, too fragile etc. Hair as ours in good condition is beautiful. And it really shows good care. And it can be held in good updos already at an early stage - thick hair takes much longer to "grow into" updos.

Besides, although my ponytail circumference did not change, my hair feels healthier and fuller since I changed my hair care. You can make your hair look a bit fluffier, and healthy new growth will look stronger, too. Not much, but sometimes just enough to make you feel good about it.

Your hair is not short, and I hope the reason for your question is not hearing unkind words from others. Not everyone likes, understands, "gets" long hair. No matter what texture.

The esthetic ideal most people have been taught to like is short hair, layered style, chemically dyed (in more than one color), much upkeep and styling products to hold it all together. Such hair reflects more of the stylist's skill than natural beauty of the wearer.

The LHC esthetic ideal is different, it looks old fashioned, you don't need a stylist and not many products. To some people, that means dowdy, no matter how beautiful.

Obviously, there are many people here who go their individual way and "merge" parts from both ideals. But in general, long hair carries old damage with it, and this is why longhairs are less prone to inflict damage. And that's many of them favor the more natural look, as conscious decision.

Not everybody likes that. I do. It's healthier for me, my purse, our society, our planet.

There is no reason to be defensive about such a decision. I hope that one day, sooner or later, the pendulum will swing back and the artifical look will become outdated. We are just a bit ahead of our times :)

Happy growing!

[Poppy Seed]

Welcome! Glad you stopped lurking.

I had the same hair type as yours when I lurked, looking only for new ways to do my hair. Since then, it's thickened up a little, and I take better care of it (hence the thickening). Mine is classic length (pretty much), it's also dyed. Just to say that long fine straight hair doesn't have to be completely au natural. As I guess you won't be able to see any albums yet(?) I've posted a picture that used to be my siggy on the old board.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q155/Poppy__Seed/Air-driedoval.jpg

Other people here with the same hair type (that I can think of right now) are Lady Godiva with floor length hair and Harpgal with mid-thigh length hair. Hopefully they and all the others out there will come to give you heart too! (I'm not very good with searching these boards, but I have a feeling it may be possible to look for other people with the same hair type.)

Melisande has already given you the biggest tips on hair care for fine straight thin guys'n'gals - keep it up most of the time, protect at night (plaiting or bunning, 'slippery' pillowcases, hair caps), try to minimise the amount of washing you do, and indeed handling when wet (I don't even detangle mine until it's dry, just bun it), try not to handle it too much generally - just comb it gently in the morning, put it up and forget about it.

Hope that helps!

[Indigo Girl]

Welcome! :bluesmile

I would like to echo the great advice given below and stress the importance of minimizing damage. The two biggest changes I made that have had a big impact have been 1) keeping my hair up, and 2) minimizing exposure to the elements.

I used to haggle back and forth with the idea of growing my hair out since it was so flat, lacked body, and damaged so easily. Looking at it today, I'm glad I was able to change my perception of what "nice" hair is - which ultimately required self-acceptance. My hair will always be stick thin - and I have learned to embrace that. It still damages very easily, but nothing like before.


Below is my most recent pic from this month.


http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee206/IndigoGirl11/S7000073-1.jpg


Happy growing to you! :flower:

[Raederle]

There are several members here with your hair type. You can go to the member list, click on search members, then advanced search, and specify the hair type. You will be rewarded with the list of 21 members with that hair type. If you include 1b, and so on, you'll find even more.

Oh, and nice to see you come out of lurk mode :waving:.

[julya]

I have to say that I love how smooth and sleek type 1a hair looks. As far as hair care tips, keeping it up often to minimize tangles has been really helpful for me. My hair is pretty fine, and it loves to float around on the slightest breeze and knot up dreadfully. I also trim off splits (aka dusting) every few months, as I seem to get a ton no matter how gentle I am.

[harpgal]

mamachanse, I am a bit wavier than you but my hair is very, very fine. Please do not be discouraged. Grow your hair to whatever lengths you like and treasure your tresses. They are to be enjoyed and the longer they get, you will probably want to wear them up. Therefore, they become your private secret.....and no one else's.

Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7187) is a very good thread on taking good care of fragile hair. It is definitely worth reading.

Just remember that all of our tresses are works of art, to be managed lovingly and wisely, no matter the length. :)

[flapjack]

Don't be discouraged, fine straight hair is gorgeous! I always notice it when I see it on others.

And having thick hair isn't everything, there are many ways for all hair types to look good. Thick hair is not necessary to look good and it will never be better than thin hair, no matter what the media and commercials tell you, it's a load of crap. Well taken care of hair is beautiful, period.

[FrannyG]

Your hair is already very long compared with the rest of the population! My hair is likely very similar to yours, as I am on the low end of the "ii" scale. All my life everyone told my that my hair was too "fine and thin" to grow long.

While so far I myself haven't managed to get beyond 29 inches (I recently cut several inches due to getting rid of layers and damage), so I can't offer photagraphic inspiration, I do have a tiny piece of advice and a lot of encouragement.

I think you'll be surprised at just how many people love the look of long, straight hair, fine or otherwise. Most importantly, accepting your hairtype and seeing the beauty in your fine straight hair will be a positive step toward your goal.

Welcome to LHC and I look forward to seeing just how long your hair does get. :flowers:

[HappyKarin]

Welcome! I'm 1a I always hated it but now I'm proud of it.
It's not the kind of hair that makes it beautiful, curly, straight or thick or thin.
What's make it beautiful it when you notice if it's well treated. And here you will find lots of good information how you treat your hair well :)

[Nat242]

Mamachanse - Franny G is a bit modest and won't advertise herself, so I strongly recommend to you that you check out her website (link in her signature), which is a great showcase of the various different looks fine, straight hair can achieve. It will certainly offer you some great inspiration!

I echo what everyone else here has said - embrace your hair's natural fineness and texture, be gentle with it and protect it as best you can, and your hair will be beautiful. Healthy hair is beautiful hair, regardless of how thick or straight it is.

Best of luck! :flowers:

-- Natalie

Unrelated: Indigo Girl, WOW! Your hair is stunning :thud:

[Anje]

Another person you should look up here is Unnamed, who has very long and beautiful straightish, thin, fine hair. Her fairytale ends may or may not appeal to you, but she's definitely an inspiration that even thinner hair can be grown very long.

[kwaniesiam]

We have a very similar hairtype, my biggest concern about growing my hair long was the thickness. I joined LHC looking for ways to help my thinning hair at the time. These were taken last fall, my hair was just past waist length and I had a ponytail circumference of 1.75". Since then I've cut my hair, and it has thickened up a lot from proper care and getting my thyroid properly treated. My hair is also ridiculously babyfine, and my ponytail is almost 2", and that doesn't include all of the layers.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/001.jpghttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/KyanAdiel/LHC%20and%20BME/003.jpg

HTH, and welcome to LHC :flowers: Once you experiment and get settled into a routine, you'll find that regardless of how thin or fine compared to others it may be, it's just as pretty as someone with thicker hair.

[Indigo Girl]

Thank you very much, Nat242! :flowers:

[mamachanse]

Thank you all so much for the helpful and thoughtful responses and beautiful hair pictures. I am very excited to be here, but a little overwhelmed with all of the information.

My hair looks somewhat similar to yours IndigoGirl! Very inspirational!

I *think* my hair is in pretty good shape. I have been CWC with cone- and SLS-free products for about a year now. Before that I was WC with the same products for at least the past 5 or so years. I have only used henna once and have had no color treatments except for a psychotic post-partum episode using dark blue manic panic on the bottom half of my hair. I trim once per year and almost always wear my hair up because I am almost always wearing my baby. I recently invested in a bone comb and WOW! Huge difference already!

Based on what some of you have posted I feel like I should probably refine my routine to use less product than I use now. I have not been successful with WO or baking soda/ACV routines. I am thinking I should try CO 4 or 5 days/week, CWC 1X/week, and not even get my hair wet the other days. I used coconut oil the other night on my ends only and think I should do that once per week to start, but am not sure if I should do my whole head or stick to my ends only.

I haven't really encountered any negativity about my long hair...mostly people think it's pretty. I have always loved my thin, straight hair so no problems there! I think what prompted my post was a trip to the mall yesterday where I saw 7 women with hair past their waist all wearing it down. It was quite a day! I did notice that they all had thick wavy or curly hair so I started to think that maybe I couldn't do it.

Thank you once again for all of your encouragement! I can't wait to get to *know* you all better.

And FrannyG...great site! I need to learn more fancy updos before my hair gets longer. I am already somewhat overwhelmed with the length.

[kwaniesiam]

Have you tried any oils? Most members here rave about coconut or jojoba oil, others use olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, sweet almond...just experiment until you find something you like.

Another thing that really moisturizes my hair without weighting it down is the famous SMT, snowy's moisture treatment. You can find ingredients and full instructions in the recipe forum :)

[FrannyG]

A bit of a hijack here. Nat242, I was surprised and delighted by your kind words about my website. :o :flowers:

Mamachanse, I'm very happy that you liked it too. :flower:

[Um Enis]

Also check out madhatter's hair. Stunning.

[MemSahib]

Actually, there are quite a few of us 1aF-types. Emichee is another who has has stunning hair. My own is a solid ii at 3¼" circumference ponytail, but I still am superstraight and babyfine. I recently reached classic after several years of LHC babying my fine locks which is where I plan to stay for a while to work on the ends. My length picture below is from about a year and a half ago and is a bit out of date but it's all I have at the moment. Welcome, mamachanse, and good luck in your quest!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/homekeepinggran/Hair/LHCwintersig2.jpg

[aisling]

This might seem a bit rude, but are you sure your hair is actually thin, that your ponytail has a circumference that is less than 2"? This is just based on my own experience from this board, people with fine and straight hair often believe that their hair is thinner than what it is, because they've been told so by hairdressers and others all their life. Fine hair does not always equal thin hair.

[Katze]

Welcome here!

I have to echo Aisling. People have always told me how "thin" my hair was; it didn't help that every salon I went to cut layers into it! But after leaving off the bleaching, blowdrying, curling, brushing, and wearing down in the wind, as well as growing out &^%% layers, my hair is a solid ii. I just measured its thickness and it's 3 inches - when I came here it was 1.25.

Fine and thin are not the same, trust me.

Society tells us these days that hair has to be huge - look at all the celebrities with fake hair. However, fine hair can indeed grow long and look beautiful - you've just seen so many examples. Sometimes, natural is nicer than artificial.

For me, washing more (2-3x a week) helps me enjoy my hair by wearing it down, and taking care of the ends with oil and misting seems to be helping them get more moisturized. As a wavy, I do have the advantage of more "body", so I like to encourage my wave. But as a straightie, your hair will always hang more smoothly and silkily than mine.

hope you find what you are looking for and again, welcome!

Katze

[MemSahib]

I, too, was always told mine is thin. And I believed it. Even now, at classic, my "thin" hair will compress to relatively small buns or twists but I actually have a lot of it. Coming to LHC opened my eyes — I don't have thin hair, I have fine hair which lays sleekly against my head. Actually, I should have figured this out long ago. I once compared handsful of my "thin" hair to handsful of my sister-in-law's curly hair. You could tell by the feel that mine was much heavier and that I have a good bit more hair than she does but hers stands away from her scalp with her curls. I look like I have less, but actually have more. It's the nature of the beast. On the other hand, mine reflects shine beautifully and is super silky. You learn to accept the beauty of your own hair here while still admiring others.

[mamachanse]

This might seem a bit rude, but are you sure your hair is actually thin, that your ponytail has a circumference that is less than 2"? This is just based on my own experience from this board, people with fine and straight hair often believe that their hair is thinner than what it is, because they've been told so by hairdressers and others all their life. Fine hair does not always equal thin hair.

Hey! You are right! I just measured at 2.25 inches! When I first joined I measured right at 2 inches but with each pregnancy I seem to gain a little more hair. I'm a ii!!!!!!

[vindo]

Another person you should look up here is Unnamed, who has very long and beautiful straightish, thin, fine hair. Her fairytale ends may or may not appeal to you, but she's definitely an inspiration that even thinner hair can be grown very long.

I second that, Unnameds hair is a great inspiration! :yes:


Actually, there are quite a few of us 1aF-types. Emichee is another who has has stunning hair.

Here I am ;), my hair is very sleek which used to annoy me since it can not hold any volume but now Im at peace with my texture.


This might seem a bit rude, but are you sure your hair is actually thin, that your ponytail has a circumference that is less than 2"? This is just based on my own experience from this board, people with fine and straight hair often believe that their hair is thinner than what it is, because they've been told so by hairdressers and others all their life. Fine hair does not always equal thin hair.

My hairdresser would be one of those..:rolleyes:

Good luck growing mamachase! Waist is really long already!:)

[Fee]

Hello everyone :flowers: another thin,fine hair here..I don't "hate" my hair, but I don't really love it, I've tried to thicken it up, but I can't, I've given up hope and try to be satisfied with the hair I have, there are many lovely ladies here with fine,thin hair, who are truly inspirations such as Emi and Unnamed, hope you don't mind me mentioning you.

I don't see a reason for us not to grow long hair, why be "doomed" to have short hair just because it's thin? Enjoy your hair ;)

[Cinnamon.locks]

Welcome! i also have very fine hair, i always thought i was 1a/F/I but in the last year i've realized it is a bit thicker and also a bit wavy, just slightly wavy, enough to give it some volume. don't despair, i was always told i could never grow my hair as long as i wanted it because it was too fine, too straight, too something. but after years of damage, bad care and listening to others gripe about my hair i decided to ignore them and simply came here and read, started to care deeply for my hair and now it is soft, shiny, healthy, and growing, hopefully it will grow to my desired length but it all depends on how you care for your hair. give it extra care, braid or bun it at night, use oils and whatever washing/condish routine you find agreeable with your hair and simply love your hair and your hair will amaze you. it has amazed me how it has rewarded my special care.

[Indigo Girl]

My hair looks somewhat similar to yours IndigoGirl! Very inspirational!

Thank you! :flower:

When I first joined LHC, I was an "i" also. Caring for my hair in so many great ways brought my thickness up to a "ii", which is what I am now.

It sounds like you already have a wonderful routine going on. I'm glad you found a lot of encouragement in everyone's responses. :bluesmile

[Blueglass]

I only become 1b as I got into my 30's. It's the greying, really.

[HappyKarin]

Have you tried any oils? Most members here rave about coconut or jojoba oil, others use olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, sweet almond...just experiment until you find something you like.

...and avocado oil...one of my favorites :)

[immortalstar]

I think my hairtype is somewhere around that region as well. What I've noticed is that, as soon as my hair got beyond shoulder length, people began to tell me how the length made it look much thicker and lively! These were the same people that, when I was at the in-between SL-BSL stage told me to cut it!

So I guess all I'm saying is =) do what you feel you should do. And as for a tip, coconut oil, just a fingernail sized drop, is fantastic in the morning to help those fragile, always exposed ends cope with the elements!