Growing as long as it will go! (The Terminal Goal Thread)

[CareBear]

Ack this is making my brain hurt lol!

[Flame3345]

I hope i have measured wrong.. I've just looked at how much my hair have grown since the 14th of March 2011 and to March 2012. And i looked in a document I have (where I write the growth of my hair and when i cut my hair and how much I cut off) and I just counted that it would be about 9 inches of growth.. but that can't be right can't it?
then again, I know I cut quite a lot off.
I measured my top layer to be 20 cm long, and that's without counting those cms i cut off which would equal to about 23-25 cms growth in a year! :O I must be wrong... right? kinda scared to be honest :P (though I know I have crazy fast growing hair)

What do you guys think? is it even possible? To have that fast growing hair?

[holothuroidea]

9 inches of growth in a year is perfectly reasonable. Average is 6, people with fast growing hair can have as much as double that.

[Silverbrumby]

I hope i have measured wrong.. I've just looked at how much my hair have grown since the 14th of March 2011 and to March 2012. And i looked in a document I have (where I write the growth of my hair and when i cut my hair and how much I cut off) and I just counted that it would be about 9 inches of growth.. but that can't be right can't it?
then again, I know I cut quite a lot off.
I measured my top layer to be 20 cm long, and that's without counting those cms i cut off which would equal to about 23-25 cms growth in a year! :O I must be wrong... right? kinda scared to be honest :P (though I know I have crazy fast growing hair)

What do you guys think? is it even possible? To have that fast growing hair?

I've know a few girls who could grow 12+ inches in a year. One would chop to shoulder and then in a year be almost at waist it seemed.

[darklyndsea]

There is a factor I've wondered about, but never heard anyone mention. Say I start growing my hair today, and seven years from now (give or take a few years) I reach terminal. The catch is, I've been trimming it all my life to get rid of splits. Lots of Splits. And I intend to keep fishing them out of my hair as needed. [That's not the thing I'm ultimately getting at; I have heard people mention that factor before.] Trechnically, it should take me LONGER than that time to find my true terminal, as I have to wait for hair that's never been cut to make it all the way down and past my current "terminal" length.
Here's the real factor I've been wondering about:
What if, several years after I begin growing on my quest for Terminal, I change my routine? For example, when my hair was at APL I started castor oil and rooibos treatments, as well as CO washing. Regardless of whether it grows any faster with those changes, the hair that has only known this treatment is a lot healthier and stronger than the hair I had before. So the top 6-8 inches of my hair have a much better chance at actually reaching terminal than the hair currently almost at waist. But what if, several years from now, I improve my health somhehow, and my hair starts growing faster? It will take whatever new hair comes in at that time YEARS to catch up with the rest. Any change I make 2 years from now will be 3-4 years behind the rest of my hair, depending on how much I've trimmed. And by the time I've grown for 7-10 years, I may have forgotten about making that change. So, conceiveably, I could see no growth for 4 years or more (depending on what changed when), and then suddenly start growing again.

I don't know if I made that understandable or not, but it's something I've been wondering, especially since *trolleypup's* hair started growing again recently.
Okay, I'm making up some terms here:
observed terminal is the terminal one has with a particular routine. The same person might have a really long observed terminal with gentle care, and a really short observed terminal with harsh treatment.
true terminal is the theoretical terminal one would have with perfect care: the point at which every single hair sheds at the end of its growth cycle, having not broken off or been trimmed even a little bit. Like many scientific concepts, not achievable in real life (naturally bald people aside)

If you make a change that affects your hair's strength it (probably) won't affect your observed terminal for years and years, because presumably your hair only breaks/splits once it's grown some distance anyway. On the other hand, if you make a change that affects your growing cycle or possibly your growth rate (I'm not entirely certain how hair growing works: does it keep growing for a certain amount of time, or a certain amount of length?), theoretically you should see effects about as quickly as you would if you weren't at observed terminal.

[Flame3345]

holothuroidea Thanks a lot for telling me :) Well if it then really is correct what i counted, then i will get rid of my layers soon :)


Silverbrumby Wow, that sure is fast growth! :O i hope my growth won't get near that, would be kinda scary :P

[julierockhead]

If you trim an inch off a hair which is 34" long, and which would have grown to 36", then it will only grow to 35". You will, in fact, make the longest lengths thinner by reducing the number of hairs which will reach that length.


Wow. WOW. :thud:Took me awhile to wrap my neurons around that one (I'm slow), but it totally makes sense. Trimming robs you of the chance to get to terminal. So, my laziness has paid off! I've been meaning to get a microtrim to even things up, but I won't be doing that now, in case I decide to amend my goal length to terminal.

[WaitingSoLong]

Yes and no Julierockhead. Trimming can be necessary. Splits can travel up the length of your hair and reduce length if not taken care of.

Darklyndsea I like you terms! lol. I think true terminal is theoretical and unless you are sleeping beauty and never brush/wash/put up your hair and risk mechanical damage in any form it cannot be attained.

There are instructions in the articles somewhere on estimating your terminal length by measuring taper/ponytail circumference down the length and using a mathematical equation to estimate. I have never done it. I find measuring circumference almost impossible on my own hair. I guess I could have DH do it but it would be terribly inaccurate since I have highlighted/chemically altered hair mixed in with my virgin hair (chemcially altered hair thickness can be false). Plus all the breakage at the bottom 6" no matter how much I baby my hair. BUT breakage would be part of my observed terminal given that I could never fully prevent it.

There is also a calculator on the WWW for estimating based on your hair color and shed rate that I found to be horribly inaccurate even as a concept. I believe it gave you term in inches or centimeters.

[bte]

Wow. WOW. :thud:Took me awhile to wrap my neurons around that one (I'm slow), but it totally makes sense. Trimming robs you of the chance to get to terminal. So, my laziness has paid off! I've been meaning to get a microtrim to even things up, but I won't be doing that now, in case I decide to amend my goal length to terminal.
I would never call benign neglect laziness!

[julya]

Hi!
My "realistic goal" (so I don't get crushed) is solidly classic, but I would LOVE knee length. Do many people with fine hair get super long hair? Most of the people I know with long hair have medium or coarse hair. That kind of worries me :S

I'm a finey with beyond knee length. I try to be gentle with my hair to limit splits and breaks. And it touches the ground when I climb stairs now, which is kind of annoying, so I do the scarf trick like Chromis or hold the ends in my hand. You do learn and adjust as your hair is growing, so it's not as big of a deal as it seems.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

There is a factor I've wondered about, but never heard anyone mention. Say I start growing my hair today, and seven years from now (give or take a few years) I reach terminal. The catch is, I've been trimming it all my life to get rid of splits. Lots of Splits. And I intend to keep fishing them out of my hair as needed. [That's not the thing I'm ultimately getting at; I have heard people mention that factor before.] Trechnically, it should take me LONGER than that time to find my true terminal, as I have to wait for hair that's never been cut to make it all the way down and past my current "terminal" length.
Here's the real factor I've been wondering about:
What if, several years after I begin growing on my quest for Terminal, I change my routine? For example, when my hair was at APL I started castor oil and rooibos treatments, as well as CO washing. Regardless of whether it grows any faster with those changes, the hair that has only known this treatment is a lot healthier and stronger than the hair I had before. So the top 6-8 inches of my hair have a much better chance at actually reaching terminal than the hair currently almost at waist. But what if, several years from now, I improve my health somhehow, and my hair starts growing faster? It will take whatever new hair comes in at that time YEARS to catch up with the rest. Any change I make 2 years from now will be 3-4 years behind the rest of my hair, depending on how much I've trimmed. And by the time I've grown for 7-10 years, I may have forgotten about making that change. So, conceiveably, I could see no growth for 4 years or more (depending on what changed when), and then suddenly start growing again.

I don't know if I made that understandable or not, but it's something I've been wondering, especially since *trolleypup's* hair started growing again recently.

I have come to the same conclusion. Just this year I started a whole new way of doing my hair. I am getting less shedding and tangles. I thought I was terminal for 5 years then last year I chnaged some things and gained 5 inches in different area's of my head. So I have decided this year to just plan on terminal or shall I say growing the rest of my life, for no matter what, I am not going to maintain at any length on purpose.

[Dragon Faery]

I have come to the same conclusion. Just this year I started a whole new way of doing my hair. I am getting less shedding and tangles. I thought I was terminal for 5 years then last year I chnaged some things and gained 5 inches in different area's of my head. So I have decided this year to just plan on terminal or shall I say growing the rest of my life, for no matter what, I am not going to maintain at any length on purpose.

:) That's cool! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one thinking this way. :) My current plan is to give myself until 2020 to find the longest I can reach with a decently blunt hemline (assuming it gets to a place where it won't go longer without fairytaling), then give myself till 2030 with no trims, only S&D, to find as close to true terminal as possible. Plans change, of course, but the nice round numbers are easier to remember. :)

Happy growing!

[palaeoqueen]

I would love to know what my terminal length is, at the moment I'm taking it one small goal at a time as my hair has never been longer than APL (and not even quite that) but I love the idea. Ideally I hope to get to at least waist, I'll be sad if my terminal is shorter than that.


I've never had hair past apl so I don't know how I'll handle it or what it will look like on me. My secret fear is that it will only grow to bsl.

I almost could have written this. I even fear that what if I can't even get to APL? shudder:

[ravenheather]

I wonder what the average terminal length is? I bet it is longer for lhc members. LOL

[GrowingGlory]

ravenheather, that question would make an interesting thread.

[WaitingSoLong]

I think the tradition is that Classic length is terminal on a lot of people and it has something to do with why it is called "Classic". I read that here somewhere...been awhile.

[holothuroidea]

I think the tradition is that Classic length is terminal on a lot of people and it has something to do with why it is called "Classic". I read that here somewhere...been awhile.

Well the average growth rate is 6 inches per year, and the average growth phase is 6 years. So that makes the average maximum hair growth 36'', which is classic on me and I am average height.

[ravenheather]

I think the tradition is that Classic length is terminal on a lot of people and it has something to do with why it is called "Classic". I read that here somewhere...been awhile.

I could live with classic.;)

[EdG]

I wonder what the average terminal length is? I bet it is longer for lhc members. LOLI say we're not a random sample. ;)
Ed

[ravenheather]

I say we're not a random sample. ;)
Ed

Definitely not.

[darklyndsea]

Well the average growth rate is 6 inches per year, and the average growth phase is 6 years. So that makes the average maximum hair growth 36'', which is classic on me and I am average height.
Honestly, I'm skeptical that those numbers are true (as I am about most of the sciencey-sounding hair statistics). And even if the average growth phase *is* 6 years, so what? At that point half of your hair is still growing.

[holothuroidea]

Honestly, I'm skeptical that those numbers are true (as I am about most of the sciencey-sounding hair statistics). And even if the average growth phase *is* 6 years, so what? At that point half of your hair is still growing.

My source for these figures is LHC. :laugh:

Hair is way too complicated to predict any trends with accuracy, at least that I can see. We should hire a statistician.

[HairStickler]

It would be interesting to know the growth rates of the people here who have super long hair, if they know them. Do they grow more than 6 inches a year, or do they have a longer growth phase, or both? :)

My hair is not super long yet, but I will share my numbers, FWIW. By my rough calculations, my hair grows about 6 inches a year and my longest hairs have been growing for about 7 years so far.

[Silverbrumby]

It would be interesting to know the growth rates of the people here who have super long hair, if they know them. Do they grow more than 6 inches a year, or do they have a longer growth phase, or both? :)

My hair is not super long yet, but I will share my numbers, FWIW. By my rough calculations, my hair grows about 6 inches a year and my longest hairs have been growing for about 7 years so far.

I'm curious as well. As far as I can tell my hair grows between 5 to 6 inches a year and the longest hair might be at most, 4 years. I appear to have a short terminal.

[DreadfulWoman]

It would be interesting to know the growth rates of the people here who have super long hair, if they know them. Do they grow more than 6 inches a year, or do they have a longer growth phase, or both? :)

My hair is not super long yet, but I will share my numbers, FWIW. By my rough calculations, my hair grows about 6 inches a year and my longest hairs have been growing for about 7 years so far.

I've wondered that, too. I suppose it could be either or, and (from what I can tell) that seems to be the case with the super long hairs around here. Some have hair that grows like a weed, and some have average/ slow growing hair that just doesn't shed much.

[bte]

When calculating the "average" terminal length, don't forget that the 36" is the assumed length of each individual hair, not of the measurement we use here starting at the hairline at the front. So thoe hairs growing from just above the hairline at the back would also be 36" long. That would mean that this 36" of hair would reach to a few inches above knee (fingertip length) on most people.
But we are all real people, notwalking averages, so the actual variation for terminal is between APL and beyond floor.

[pretty wings]

I'm in. I feel like I'm not worthy since I'm not even APL yet. :cry: lol Any I hope to grow my hair out to tailbone or classic length but I don't plan to stop growing unless it becomes too much for me. I would love knee length hair just like Empress Elisabeth of Austria. So, yeah, I'll be hanging out here for a long while.;)

[WaitingSoLong]

Honestly, I'm skeptical that those numbers are true (as I am about most of the sciencey-sounding hair statistics). And even if the average growth phase *is* 6 years, so what? At that point half of your hair is still growing.

If a person happened to be textbook average, half your hair may still be growing but not at that 36" yet.


Well the average growth rate is 6 inches per year, and the average growth phase is 6 years. So that makes the average maximum hair growth 36'', which is classic on me and I am average height.

Ditto for me. My actual longest individual hair lengths are 6" less than my LHC measurement (I spent an hour one day figuring this out). My hair is is approx. 41" today, that means my longest individual hairs are around 35". And techincally, I am still 1" shy of Classic even tho it appears I have made it there. My hair averages 1/2" a month, so that makes my longest ends about 6 years old. I do have some terminal length hairs on the sides.

Averages and stats are all science can offer. Everyone knows that in reality anything can happen. And no, LHC is not a fair "sample".

I am warming to the idea of growing to terminal. Not ready to commit yet but this thread is fun and educational.

[WaitingSoLong]

I'm in. I feel like I'm not worthy since I'm not even APL yet. :cry:

Well since no one knows where their term is without reaching it, how do you know that I, WSL, at Classic, don't have the same length of years to go until term as you? If your terminal is knee, mine could be next door. LOL Ok I haven't had all my coffee yet.

[Chromis]

I think the tradition is that Classic length is terminal on a lot of people and it has something to do with why it is called "Classic". I read that here somewhere...been awhile.

It is a George Micheal's thing: http://www.ida.net/users/northstr/hairlength.html

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8193

[pretty wings]

Well since no one knows where their term is without reaching it, how do you know that I, WSL, at Classic, don't have the same length of years to go until term as you? If your terminal is knee, mine could be next door. LOL Ok I haven't had all my coffee yet.
LOL very good point. :) I'm going to like this challenge since there's no specific goal in mind besides just growing. I am very curious as to where terminal is on me since this is the very first time that I've grown my hair out ever.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

:) That's cool! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one thinking this way. :) My current plan is to give myself until 2020 to find the longest I can reach with a decently blunt hemline (assuming it gets to a place where it won't go longer without fairytaling), then give myself till 2030 with no trims, only S&D, to find as close to true terminal as possible. Plans change, of course, but the nice round numbers are easier to remember. :)

Happy growing!

Well now I will throw another kink into this, can not remember where I read it but when I started to search for help to see if I could grow long hair I remember reading that, now I will see if this will make sense, that your head can determine weight. As our hair or body grows there is a constant balancing act going on. So as the hair is growing out he body constantly calculates the weight to keep a overall balance. It is balancing daily due to the loss of old hair and the growth of new. A long old hair weighs more than a new short. But then the long old could be damaged and not as healthy. When you cut long hair the body detects a much more dramtic weight loss than the average shed will due. So it may do one of many things. Shed to make up for some perceived need to balance, growth spurt, or slow. The body is not concerned with looks as we are. It only understands balance. I think this is the theory behind saying that cutting a fringe or bang will slow or stop growth.

It is out there I know and many will disagree and say they cut bangs and it never affected their growth etc. But because we are dealing with the body it does not calculate the way we due. For one a bang may cause a huge imbalance due to how the rest of the weight of their hair is distributed and for others no effect that they can see.

Years ago My daughter went swimming and did not use a cap. Her hair was in two waist length braids. She has 2bc type hair. She went to bed and did not wash her hair. The next day she used too hot a water to try and detangle one of the braids. By the time I got home from work the one braids had shrunk up to her ears and was felted. shudder:
We tried for hours that night to plul it apart. No avail. My husband said cut it off and be done. This would have been her first hair cut since she used my scissors on her had as a baby. She was now 13 yrs. We cut it. to the ear. One week later the other side began to shed profusely. It was a night mare. The side cut did not shed at all. I believe her body was solidly accustom to her balance and only had to gradually adjust with normal growth. The sudden imbalance sent it in to a mode of making up for it. Once the one side thinned I believe to a weight equal to the other the shedding stopped. Additionally. the length on the one thin side stayed constant for over two years as it thickend up but the cut side grew steadly and eventually caught up. Then and only when they were equal in length and thickness did her hair began to gain more length after about another two years. She has since grown to Classic.

When I read that information I was a believer because I remembered my daughter's experience and it seemed to explain alot of why my hair would seem to not grow (besides heat, damage)
When I stopped cutting I have been able to grow to longer lengths. I had also experience a shed since and my hair stopped gaining length. since the shed stopped the gaining length has returned. But since I have natural developed layers due to the shed the growth rate is way lower than i used to have. (could beother factors) To be sure though my head is out of balance.

Now I want to say that very small trims or dusting or S&D do not qualify as a cut in this theory. But a huge shed would be similar.

None the less the body is doing its thing whether we understand or not. Look at Trollyups restart of gaining length?


Ok long story to show how much of a nut I am about growing my hair to longer lengths:o;

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Now having said all that I believe that once my new growth gets to a certain length my growth rate will improve:pray:

Will keep you posted.

[Dragon Faery]

Well now I will throw another kink into this, can not remember where I read it but when I started to search for help to see if I could grow long hair I remember reading that, now I will see if this will make sense, that your head can determine weight. As our hair or body grows there is a constant balancing act going on. So as the hair is growing out he body constantly calculates the weight to keep a overall balance. It is balancing daily due to the loss of old hair and the growth of new. A long old hair weighs more than a new short. But then the long old could be damaged and not as healthy. When you cut long hair the body detects a much more dramtic weight loss than the average shed will due. So it may do one of many things. Shed to make up for some perceived need to balance, growth spurt, or slow. The body is not concerned with looks as we are. It only understands balance. I think this is the theory behind saying that cutting a fringe or bang will slow or stop growth.

It is out there I know and many will disagree and say they cut bangs and it never affected their growth etc. But because we are dealing with the body it does not calculate the way we due. For one a bang may cause a huge imbalance due to how the rest of the weight of their hair is distributed and for others no effect that they can see.

Years ago My daughter went swimming and did not use a cap. Her hair was in two waist length braids. She has 2bc type hair. She went to bed and did not wash her hair. The next day she used too hot a water to try and detangle one of the braids. By the time I got home from work the one braids had shrunk up to her ears and was felted. shudder:
We tried for hours that night to plul it apart. No avail. My husband said cut it off and be done. This would have been her first hair cut since she used my scissors on her had as a baby. She was now 13 yrs. We cut it. to the ear. One week later the other side began to shed profusely. It was a night mare. The side cut did not shed at all. I believe her body was solidly accustom to her balance and only had to gradually adjust with normal growth. The sudden imbalance sent it in to a mode of making up for it. Once the one side thinned I believe to a weight equal to the other the shedding stopped. Additionally. the length on the one thin side stayed constant for over two years as it thickend up but the cut side grew steadly and eventually caught up. Then and only when they were equal in length and thickness did her hair began to gain more length after about another two years. She has since grown to Classic.

When I read that information I was a believer because I remembered my daughter's experience and it seemed to explain alot of why my hair would seem to not grow (besides heat, damage)
When I stopped cutting I have been able to grow to longer lengths. I had also experience a shed since and my hair stopped gaining length. since the shed stopped the gaining length has returned. But since I have natural developed layers due to the shed the growth rate is way lower than i used to have. (could beother factors) To be sure though my head is out of balance.

Now I want to say that very small trims or dusting or S&D do not qualify as a cut in this theory. But a huge shed would be similar.

None the less the body is doing its thing whether we understand or not. Look at Trollyups restart of gaining length?


Ok long story to show how much of a nut I am about growing my hair to longer lengths:o;


Now having said all that I believe that once my new growth gets to a certain length my growth rate will improve:pray:

Will keep you posted.

Wow! I've never heard of that before, but I will keep it in the back of my mind for future reference. I can see how that could indeed be true. Hoopefully I don't have to lose a bunch of hair and prove its accuracy that way. ;)
So here's a question: if out bodies do want to balance us out that way (not an unreasonable theory), what happens when people shave one side of their head? Has anyone heard of someone shaving half their head, and then the other side started thinning with no explanation?

[WaitingSoLong]

I think very few people pay attention to their shed rates at all unless they are afraid of balding. LHC memebers are just "aware".

That theory is insteresting and impossible to master, as far as trimming in order to gain length, by increasing the growth rate whereas someone else's hair may decide to shed instead.

[ravenheather]

That is really interesting. I've always been a heavy shedder. I have always kept shoulder length or shorter and mostly with bangs. Wonder if that will settle as I grow out bangs and to longer length. I don't plan to trim for a year and then evaluate.

[heidi w.]

I haven't seen any threads for particular goal lengths- but I think terminal is a special goal with its own unique challenges (for instance... where is it!? :D)

So this is a thread for all of us who want see how long our hair can really get! :cheer:

---------------------

I decided to grow to terminal mostly because I am just curious and also because of an increasing desire to not cut it due to personal spiritual reasons, but those ideas haven't really solidified for me.

My biggest worry now is just not knowing if/when trims are going to be necessary or useful. My hair is in crazy layers from growing out a pixie and I'm wondering if I should eventually get it all to one length and if so should I grow and then chop or trim a little bit at a time. :confused:

There's a knee length and beyond thread on Mane Forum begun by Ed G. Trims, in your situation. Yes, at some point, I'd get a trim to even it all up so that as you continue to grow the hemline is somewhat clean looking, give or take. I would say, somewhere between shoulder and bra strap length is a good time to decide to trim it all up. I don't know where you're at right now.

I would also recommend against spending too much time fretting about when/where is terminal length. For most who grow long, they don't think that way. Most just go well, let's see how long it goes. And they just go with the flow. That's what I did. I just grew and left it alone for a super long time, and then found out the cold, hard facts which aren't that bad. It turns out my length of preference is about the same as the end times, so it all works out. Most people wouldn't enjoy the length I have. It'd be a hassle to them. But it is fun to feel this length against one's skin. But my hair often brushes the floor when I sit and it's down (funny that...) meaning I pick up dust bunnies and crud when I do that, so I hardly ever let it down.

Wow! I've never heard of that before, but I will keep it in the back of my mind for future reference. I can see how that could indeed be true. Hoopefully I don't have to lose a bunch of hair and prove its accuracy that way. ;)
So here's a question: if out bodies do want to balance us out that way (not an unreasonable theory), what happens when people shave one side of their head? Has anyone heard of someone shaving half their head, and then the other side started thinning with no explanation?

George Michael covered this very idea in his hair care book for long hair. He called it the theory of equalization. That if one bit of hair is shortened a lot, such as shaving and the remainder allowed to grow, the longest hair will not be the longest it can possibly be because it tries to kind of "balance" out between the two extreme proportions on the same head of hair. He used this theory of equalization to support his contention of why he was against bangs. He explained that a shaved dog on one flank would eventually shed some of the hair off of the other flank that is unshaved. He explained the same happened to The Sutherland Sisters, a well-known group of 7 sisters with extremely long hair, who eventually got bangs, and all the length and the overall length amongst them became shorter in time. I would have loved to see his science. I am not advocating his theory, but explaining it. I have no idea if he did the dog experiment himself and observed the data, or if he heard it and made something up. No idea. But he is really pretty right on as it concerns the care of uber long hair. I know of no one who has any familiarity with any actual experiment or actual data, although my dog had cause to have her backside shaved, which broke my heart. But stuff happens. She doesn't seem upset by it. At least she still has her fluffy tail feathers! LOL

I don't think hair grows better because it's long, really. My hair almost hardly grows at all. I presume that it's because it takes a long time just to replace a given hair strand. I don't know.

A detail of some interest perhaps: The Sutherland Sisters originally were 7 in total. Eventually one of the sister's died, and she was subsequently replaced by a stand-in especially for promotional reasons for their hair business. It's kind of an interesting story.

VintageCoilyLocks, that's a really interesting story you share there. Thank you for sharing. It has piqued my interest.

heidi w.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I'm going to join!

I love the idea of this thread, because Terminal is different for everyone and yet I can still be on the other threads like "Apl to Bsl" and "Bsl to Waist" etc. while I'm on this one :)

I don't think my terminal is going to be very long. My hair has never been longer than waist (when I was 7) and sadly there's no pictures of my hair being anywhere past solid BSL (which means my hair was actually about Midback but my bouncy/curly/wurly hair eats up length unless it's stretched or straightened and even then it jumps up)

Personally, if my terminal length was at waist I'd be happy because my definition of the relative term 'long' hair is a solid Midback which means my hair would be actually at waist when pulled straight :P. I'd be very happy if my terminal was still only classic, and again I would be extremely happy if it was knee. But I'll just see how I go.

On the other hand, I'm with a lot of people who don't think they could manage their hair if their terminal length was more than floor. Actually, for me, if I do end up having an extraordinarily long terminal length (which I really hope I don't), I would maintain at Ankle because I don't think I'd like 1) tripping on my hair 2) my hair dragging if I ever let it down 3) as much as I admire people with well beyond floor length hair, I personally don't really like the idea of being unable to ever let it down unless I was standing at a window or up in a tree. I love when I see youtube clips of it, but I don't want it to be the only time I could ever leave my hair out because as much as I wear my hair up, for special occassions I love leaving it down. I enjoy admiring the aesthetic beauty of long hair like that, but I don't think it's achievable for me, and even if it was, I think it'd be too much for me to handle.

[Dragon Faery]

George Michael covered this very idea in his hair care book for long hair. He called it the theory of equalization. That if one bit of hair is shortened a lot, such as shaving and the remainder allowed to grow, the longest hair will not be the longest it can possibly be because it tries to kind of "balance" out between the two extreme proportions on the same head of hair. He used this theory of equalization to support his contention of why he was against bangs. He explained that a shaved dog on one flank would eventually shed some of the hair off of the other flank that is unshaved. He explained the same happened to The Sutherland Sisters, a well-known group of 7 sisters with extremely long hair, who eventually got bangs, and all the length and the overall length amongst them became shorter in time. I would have loved to see his science. I am not advocating his theory, but explaining it. I have no idea if he did the dog experiment himself and observed the data, or if he heard it and made something up. No idea. But he is really pretty right on as it concerns the care of uber long hair. I know of no one who has any familiarity with any actual experiment or actual data, although my dog had cause to have her backside shaved, which broke my heart. But stuff happens. She doesn't seem upset by it. At least she still has her fluffy tail feathers! LOL

I don't think hair grows better because it's long, really. My hair almost hardly grows at all. I presume that it's because it takes a long time just to replace a given hair strand. I don't know.

A detail of some interest perhaps: The Sutherland Sisters originally were 7 in total. Eventually one of the sister's died, and she was subsequently replaced by a stand-in especially for promotional reasons for their hair business. It's kind of an interesting story.

heidi w.

Thank you! Your answers are always so informative. :) And I'm glad your dog still has her tail feathers!

What would be the best way to learn more about the Sutherland sisters? I know I've read things about them before, in links posted on this forum. But I always want to know more!

[WaitingSoLong]

Personally, if my terminal length was at waist I'd be happy because my definition of the relative term 'long' hair is a solid Midback which means my hair would be actually at waist when pulled straight :P.

Funny, though, your definition of long changes as your hair gets longer. I used to think BSL was long. Now I feel MY hair is SHORT. Yes, short. I see knee+ as long now. Perspectives are peculiar things.

It's kind of like one's definition of OLD. When you are 8, 20 seems old. When you are 20, 40 seems old. Or whatever. You get the point.

[onlyforhim]

I'm already at terminal, I believe. My hair hasn't grown much more now for 3 years. It has been a fun fulfilling journey and to be quite honest, I don't want my hair growing past knee.

It will be interesting to see you all fufill your goal of terminal! It will take some time, though. But once you click your fingers, it will be here. Although, one of my friends has reached terminal at BSL. It is still very beautiful and considered long hair!!!!

It's very nice to know that someone actually has knee length hair :)
Hoping to be at waist...hip ...tailbone...then maybe I will go for longer..

you must be very patient

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Thank you Heidi W.

I could not remember where I heard it. It may have been the George Micheals theory. But also did he also have the theory that the longer your hair is the longer it will grow.? Therefore terminal length could be a constant changing thing through out your life.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

Funny, though, your definition of long changes as your hair gets longer. I used to think BSL was long. Now I feel MY hair is SHORT. Yes, short. I see knee+ as long now. Perspectives are peculiar things.

It's kind of like one's definition of OLD. When you are 8, 20 seems old. When you are 20, 40 seems old. Or whatever. You get the point.

Exactly! My goal ideas, perception of what is long, and what is 'short' length of hair etc. has changed dramatically since I've been on the LHC. But my previous conception of what is long hair and how long I wanted my hair to be before I joined LHC still influences me.

Like with how I'd be content if I had a 'short' terminal length at waist. That was my initial goal and even though my idea of how long I'd like my hair to be has changed, I'd still be happy if that was my 'end product' so to speak.

[gthlvrmx]

Well, I guess I belong on this thread, since ultimately I would like to grow to terminal length.

Partly it is out of simple curiosity - I would really like to see where terminal length is for me. I always thought it was about BSL, since that's where it used to stop and fairytale out when I was younger, but when I brushed my dreads out the longest hair (and I do mean singular hair) was a few inches past classic, so I guess I have a little more growth potential than I had originally thought.

I also really like terminal as a goal since I know it is achievable for me. If I made my goal knee length or whatever, I think I might lay awake at night wondering if I can really grow that long, lol.

And yeah, definitely a way to mess with the norms. I must admit, it kind of cracks me up when cultural expectations are so out of whack with nature, that what is natural seems outrageous.

Oh, and to Holo, I just wanted to mention that I have grown out a buzz cut, and I have grown out shaved-up-the-back bobs (though never a Kate Gosselin), and the thing that worked the best for me was to wait until the longest bits were about shoulder length, and then cut back to a nice even bob that was at least as long as my lower hairline in back. The awkward stage really sucks, but it looks like you are almost through it. :grouphug:
yup yup!!! mess with the norms! do what you love most and if its having long hair, so be it! :) enjoy it. :cool:

in other news, im back on this thread after finding it on google :p havent been on in a while but im glad there are others who want to grow to terminal! makes me feel happier. really long hair is rarer to find and going around doing it is just amazing to me. brave man, real brave.

[holothuroidea]

Yay!

Thanks for resurrecting the thread, Gthlvrmx. :D

My hair is at shoulder now, hooray! It's long enough to cut back to nape and get rid of all of the layers.

I don't know if I want to do it, though. I'm enjoying longer hair and I don't know if I want to make the journey from nape to shoulder again, it felt like forever.

[Zesty]

I just read through all of this thread and I wanted to contribute a bit since I like it so much. :) While I don't think I'll ever put terminal down as my "official" goal, the idea of it is really interesting to me, like it is for so many people. I have absolutely no reference for how long my hair might get because none of my family members have hair longer than APL-ish. Actually, when I started growing my hair out from very short, I told people I wanted to "see how long it would get," which would imply terminal, but what I had in mind was something more like BSL. I never even dreamed it would get past MBL until I found LHC and saw that with patience a lot of normal people (i.e. those who are not magically endowed hair gods/goddesses) can get to long lengths. And now I'm at hip, and while my growth rate isn't extraordinary, it's consistent and shows no sign of slowing, and my ends are even staying relatively thick. Judging by that, I'm hoping my terminal is somewhere past classic. I imagine for some reason that it would be mid- or upper thigh. I don't think I could ever reach knee, that just seems to be something you need extraordinary hair genes for. I would be more than content with mid-thigh terminal, because I can see myself liking classic with relatively nice ends. Then again, perspectives change, so who knows?

That being said, if my perspective and my methods don't change, I imagine I'll see terminal someday. As it is now, I'm very inconsistent with trimming, and I just don't see myself trimming to maintain. So even once I reach tailbone or classic, my hair will probably just keep growing along doing its thing while I ignore it, until one day I notice that I must have hit terminal because it isn't growing anymore. Or I'll put my goal at something ridiculously long someday and hit terminal before that. But if my long hair obsession isn't lost somehow along the course of my life (which is possible), then I expect that I'll reach my hair's limit eventually. In the mean time, I don't stress about it, but it sure is fun to talk about terminal length. :D

[torrilin]

I don't know if I want to do it, though. I'm enjoying longer hair and I don't know if I want to make the journey from nape to shoulder again, it felt like forever.

Looks like it was March til July. Not bad. 4 months or so.

While pixie to shoulder and shoulder to APL are fairly short milestones time wise, I always feel like they take longer because I can't get my hair out of the way. Once I can stuff my hair in comfortable updos, I'm a lot happier.

[haibane]

Yay!

Thanks for resurrecting the thread, Gthlvrmx. :D

My hair is at shoulder now, hooray! It's long enough to cut back to nape and get rid of all of the layers.

I don't know if I want to do it, though. I'm enjoying longer hair and I don't know if I want to make the journey from nape to shoulder again, it felt like forever.

I think your hair looks great with the layers in your sig pic. :)

[WaitingSoLong]

Funny I was just thinking about this thread a couple days ago.

I don't currently have a hair goal other than a more solid Classic, I wish to grow past and trim back as my ends are starting to break a bit. I am not sure I will make it. I cannot stand ratty ends.

Term is not out of the question if I continue to resist the urge to go back to waist and can continue to gain length while also being able to keep my ends in a desirable condition (for me).

But then I thought....once I have found term on me, that is it. I think I will be bummed to discover my options only range from bald to knee, that floor length is probably impossible, but then would I really want that anyway?

And I am thinking that sitting on it NOW is bad, I would eventually even sit on my braid (probably at knee loose).

As it is, Classic seems to be some manageability term for me, in that twice I have hit Classic and both times I felt the need to trim back due to damaged ends although I haven't trimmed this time yet. I was really hoping to push past Classic, trim back to healthy ends by the end of 2012 and go on to FTL.

All if I can keep from cutting back to waist....which is looking more and more appealing by the month.

Plus, term is like some "far off" goal I don't know where it ends. I can calculate other milestones based on my growth rate...like knee by the end of 2014 or so with a few trims in there, but term is so intanglble. I need tangible!

Ok. Just rambling. Gee, I had better do something else today. LOL

[Elithia]

When I started growing my hair in 2010 I thought I would grow till 2014, but I've changed my mind. I like my long hair way too much! Terminal is my new goal. :)

And being the control freak that I am, I've been number crunching. I average 9-10 inches/year in growth and assuming a normal six-year growth cycle, that should be 54-60 inches. But who knows. I'm at hip right now (wet -- it's around waist with shrinkage, and the number in my profile is approximate, because I have a really hard time simultaneously measuring and stretching it straight) and I've grown it that long from chin-length twice before in the last ten years. But never longer. So we'll see!

My paternal aunt says her terminal length is just above hip, but even though she has a similar curl pattern to me, I have more my mom's fine and thick hair and her growth rate (she's even faster -- 1" a month). So I'm optimistic. :)

Also, at hip I have almost no taper (pretty much the only taper is from grown-out bangs, which are about six inches shorter than the rest -- and I've only done one trim since I started growing), which tells me I've got a good ways to go!

[jojo]

Well I have thought and thought about if is is a good idea for me and although I'd love classic length hair, I am actually thinking it would be fun to see just how long my hair can grow. I am presently hip and it feels no longer than it did at bsl to me.

So therefore I am officially joining, time will see just how long I can get!

One question do you all still trim if your growing to terminal or do you still maintain the hemline with the odd trim? I prefer having a neat hemline myself but I am now only doing trims 2 x a year, did try for once a year but thats I possible with my hair type!

[gthlvrmx]

Well I have thought and thought about if is is a good idea for me and although I'd love classic length hair, I am actually thinking it would be fun to see just how long my hair can grow. I am presently hip and it feels no longer than it did at bsl to me.

So therefore I am officially joining, time will see just how long I can get!

One question do you all still trim if your growing to terminal or do you still maintain the hemline with the odd trim? I prefer having a neat hemline myself but I am now only doing trims 2 x a year, did try for once a year but thats I possible with my hair type!

i chose not to trim at all unless my ends are bad, but i s&d when i need to so it keeps me from trimming. i think its personal preference with hemlines, but i thought i read on this thread somewhere that trimming takes away some length that could reach towards terminal or something like that. im not sure where it was >.< im thinking they meant like if you trim, your hair still ages and when it comes to its time, it will fall, just on a shorter length because you trimmed. i think thats what it was. terminal "length" is more like terminal "time" i think.
im not sure i havent been on in a long time :) maybe someone else will chime in.

[ravenheather]

I also don't plan to trim to maintain a hemline.

[gthlvrmx]

When I started growing my hair in 2010 I thought I would grow till 2014, but I've changed my mind. I like my long hair way too much! Terminal is my new goal. :)

And being the control freak that I am, I've been number crunching. I average 9-10 inches/year in growth and assuming a normal six-year growth cycle, that should be 54-60 inches. But who knows. I'm at hip right now (wet -- it's around waist with shrinkage, and the number in my profile is approximate, because I have a really hard time simultaneously measuring and stretching it straight) and I've grown it that long from chin-length twice before in the last ten years. But never longer. So we'll see!

My paternal aunt says her terminal length is just above hip, but even though she has a similar curl pattern to me, I have more my mom's fine and thick hair and her growth rate (she's even faster -- 1" a month). So I'm optimistic. :)

Also, at hip I have almost no taper (pretty much the only taper is from grown-out bangs, which are about six inches shorter than the rest -- and I've only done one trim since I started growing), which tells me I've got a good ways to go!
we have around the same length of hair! except yours reaches your hips! im about 5 '8 and it reaches my waist, im 2-3 inches from hips. thats so awesome!
and we grow around the same during the year! how cool is that, and a curly head too :p im guessing mine is around 9-11 inches per year, im really not sure, last year was more of a 'lets get rid of damage year' and my damage didnt let my hair grow fast enough in the dry winter but im assuming i have between .75-1 inch all year round now. love your hair! :)

[Elithia]

we have around the same length of hair! except yours reaches your hips! im about 5 '8 and it reaches my waist, im 2-3 inches from hips. thats so awesome!
and we grow around the same during the year! how cool is that, and a curly head too :p im guessing mine is around 9-11 inches per year, im really not sure, last year was more of a 'lets get rid of damage year' and my damage didnt let my hair grow fast enough in the dry winter but im assuming i have between .75-1 inch all year round now. love your hair! :)

Thanks. We'll have to keep track and see who gets there first ... HA. ;)

I'm only 5'3, though, so I've got a bit of an advantage in terms of apparent length. :) I think I'm getting pretty close to tailbone, but it's hard to tell. I can't wait for it to LOOK that long. Even if I make it to knee, unless I lose a lot of curl, I'll probably spring back to classic.



On the trimming discussion: I started out thinking I wouldn't trim at all, but I ended up doing 1/4 inch trim about a week ago. It'll probably be another two years before I do another! I am figuring on letting it fairytale, since I think curls fairytale pretty nicely.

[Elanadi]

I haven't really had any hair goals, but I have recently decided that I am going to try for terminal. I am currently at hip, and have had my hair as long as classic, but it wasn't in the best condition. This time I've taken good care of it, and it looks much better than before. Plus, after the last short haircut, I've decided that I am just not the person to invest a lot of time into styling short hair, so long hair it is! :) I will trim now and then, maybe every 6 months or so, just so the hemline doesn't get too thin, and see how things go.

[catamonica]

I would love to get to classic. If my hair doesn't grow that long, I hope it will grow long enough to sit on. Right now it's at hip. So will see!

[gthlvrmx]

Thanks. We'll have to keep track and see who gets there first ... HA. ;)

I'm only 5'3, though, so I've got a bit of an advantage in terms of apparent length. :) I think I'm getting pretty close to tailbone, but it's hard to tell. I can't wait for it to LOOK that long. Even if I make it to knee, unless I lose a lot of curl, I'll probably spring back to classic.



On the trimming discussion: I started out thinking I wouldn't trim at all, but I ended up doing 1/4 inch trim about a week ago. It'll probably be another two years before I do another! I am figuring on letting it fairytale, since I think curls fairytale pretty nicely.
its on then! ;) yes, the height difference makes it different but thats ok, we're around the same actual length :) just my hair isnt as curly as yours. it always springs right back up but hey it looks pretty :D

[Elithia]

its on then! ;) yes, the height difference makes it different but thats ok, we're around the same actual length :) just my hair isnt as curly as yours. it always springs right back up but hey it looks pretty :D

Yeah, I wouldn't trade my curls for anything, even though they mean shorter-looking hair.

I've noticed that I tend to hit 'fall' points where my hair won't seem to grow at all and then suddenly, overnight, it looks two inches longer. I suspect it has to do with the curls near my scalp suddenly relaxing with weight. Or i could be just oblivious ....

[DreadfulWoman]

One question do you all still trim if your growing to terminal or do you still maintain the hemline with the odd trim? I prefer having a neat hemline myself but I am now only doing trims 2 x a year, did try for once a year but thats I possible with my hair type!

I am an avid trimmer. I wouldn't mind fairytale ends at longer lengths, but for now I'd like to keep a tolerably thick hemline. I find that my hair tangles less with a thicker hemline, and fewer tangles means less damage, means being able to grow to longer lengths in the long run. So it is really more practical than anything.

[haibane]

i chose not to trim at all unless my ends are bad, but i s&d when i need to so it keeps me from trimming. i think its personal preference with hemlines, but i thought i read on this thread somewhere that trimming takes away some length that could reach towards terminal or something like that. im not sure where it was >.< im thinking they meant like if you trim, your hair still ages and when it comes to its time, it will fall, just on a shorter length because you trimmed. i think thats what it was. terminal "length" is more like terminal "time" i think.
im not sure i havent been on in a long time :) maybe someone else will chime in.
Yeah, that's exactly it, terminal "length" is really the terminal time that each hair will grow. And every time you trim/cut one specific hair it won't get as long as it would have been with no cutting. But on a whole head of hair there are always hairs at many different lengths, so if you trim the hem, there are always more hairs coming up "behind" the longest ones that have never been cut yet.

So if you grow it long with a blunt hem, you can always stop trimming at any time, and the hair should start to fairy tale and eventually reach its full terminal length (as long as you lay off the scissors for a few years.)
The hairs that were the old trim hem will fall out, but other hairs will come up behind them, and grow longer than the trimmed hairs could have.

Hehe, sorry if this is it's a bit messy, it's a bit hard to explain. :p

[Quenhilde]

My hair is currently just past waist and headed toward hip. I haven't been monitoring its growth closely enough to have an idea of growth rate yet.
My original plan was to keep growing to classic length as I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with it at much longer, however I'm growing insatiably curious about how long it could get and I'm really tempted to keep going just to find out. I did mention this to my fiance last week though and that was the first time he'd looked rather unimpressed with my hair journey. He said that I should probably stop before it gets "freakishly long and odd". That sort of kicked me a bit. My fiance has always been incredibly supportive of anything I do and it made me wonder if I should go back to the idea of stopping at classic :(

[lmfbs]

My hair is currently just past waist and headed toward hip. I haven't been monitoring its growth closely enough to have an idea of growth rate yet.
My original plan was to keep growing to classic length as I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with it at much longer, however I'm growing insatiably curious about how long it could get and I'm really tempted to keep going just to find out. I did mention this to my fiance last week though and that was the first time he'd looked rather unimpressed with my hair journey. He said that I should probably stop before it gets "freakishly long and odd". That sort of kicked me a bit. My fiance has always been incredibly supportive of anything I do and it made me wonder if I should go back to the idea of stopping at classic :(

"Freakishly long and odd" is quite an offensive thing for him to say.

My hair is mine. It's my body. I'll grow it as long as I want, or cut it when I please. Grow your hair for you, or maintain for you, not for someone else.

[Quenhilde]

"Freakishly long and odd" is quite an offensive thing for him to say.

My hair is mine. It's my body. I'll grow it as long as I want, or cut it when I please. Grow your hair for you, or maintain for you, not for someone else.

I know he didn't mean it as offensive and he really is the most supportive and caring person I've ever met. I was just concerned that if that's how he really sees it, I'm not sure I should keep going just out of curiosity.

I should add here that I'm generally not the sort of person that cares what anyone else thinks of me, my life, how I look or anything else for that matter. However it does make me feel a little uncomfortable to think that the one person I plan on spending the rest of my life with would view hair much past classic as freakish :(

[lmfbs]

I know he didn't mean it as offensive and he really is the most supportive and caring person I've ever met. I was just concerned that if that's how he really sees it, I'm not sure I should keep going just out of curiosity.

I should add here that I'm generally not the sort of person that cares what anyone else thinks of me, my life, how I look or anything else for that matter. However it does make me feel a little uncomfortable to think that the one person I plan on spending the rest of my life with would view hair much past classic as freakish :(

Honestly, I think it's one of those things that grow on you. I never ever thought I'd want hair longer than my waist because it would be 'too long'. Silly me. Turns out waist isn't even long. BF used to think that my BSL hair was long. Now he doesn't even think waist is that long.

Once your hair gets to classic, I'm sure he'll see that it's not as big a deal as he thought!

[neko_kawaii]

Now, why did it take me a year to notice this thread?

At just hip my hair is the longest it has ever been on me. Quite curious to see how long it can get, and how long it will take to get there. I don't have any concerns about sitting on it or getting it on the ground or in the toilet because I generally dislike having it down unless it is very cold and having discovered how comfortable and easy a bun held up by spin pins is, it is almost always in a protective updo.

Not sure where the genes for my hair come from. My mother has very slow growing hair that tapers to classic but the bulk of it is between waist and hip. Her sister is terminal at about APL! No idea what my father's side contributes as I have only seen shorter hair on that side of the family. My hair appears to grow slightly faster than the oft cited .5 inch average.

Once in a fit of boredom I calculated the following: if after three years of growth, 9 inches need to be removed for healthier looking ends, that averages to 3 inches trimmed each year. If my growth rate is .7 in a month then it is 8.4 a year. Minus 3 leaves 5.4. At which rate my hair will reach classic length in proportion to my body in February of 2014. It will reach the end of my tape measure (60 in, or mid calf) in July of 2017, give or take a month. Of course, a trim every three years is more my speed. So I'd reach the end of the tape in September of 2015 and then have to cut 10 inches off.

Over all, that would require an 8 year growth cycle, so let the waiting begin to see if I have the genes!

[patienceneeded]

I may or may not grow to see what terminal is. I have not fully decided. I'm just growing it until it reaches a length that I find myself unable to deal with effectively. Right now, hip is my first real goal, and then after I hit hip I'll be evaluating my progress and my hair's condition as it (hopefully) continues to grow.

DH asked me while we were in Disneyland, "How long, exactly, are you planning on growing your hair?" I told him I wasn't sure, I might just keep growing it until it was as long as it was possible to get. Hopefully past my fingertips. He responded with a rather disbelieving, "WHY?!?!?" My response - I've always wanted long princess hair and if I never grow it out, I'll never have long princess hair! He looked at me for a second, blinked, and then said, "Oh. Okay. Sounds like a good reason. I'll support that." Funny man. Our daughter wants to be Rapunzel, so he's adjusting to a house of long-haired girls.

[gthlvrmx]

My hair is currently just past waist and headed toward hip. I haven't been monitoring its growth closely enough to have an idea of growth rate yet.
My original plan was to keep growing to classic length as I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with it at much longer, however I'm growing insatiably curious about how long it could get and I'm really tempted to keep going just to find out. I did mention this to my fiance last week though and that was the first time he'd looked rather unimpressed with my hair journey. He said that I should probably stop before it gets "freakishly long and odd". That sort of kicked me a bit. My fiance has always been incredibly supportive of anything I do and it made me wonder if I should go back to the idea of stopping at classic :(

People dont know what to do or say or react with something thats new to things, something they never experience. Thats why now you're in the place or bringing in some of that new stuff, which is the idea of longer hair, positive or negative reaction included afterward. But I say like the other person said, it'll "grow" on him too maybe as time goes on and he wont think its that bad most likely. You should be able to do what you want with your body as long as you're happy and healthy :) Classic seems like a perfect length, it'll look great on you! :)

[Shepherdess]

Well, I'm currently at thigh length and my hair is beginning to get some of fairy tale ends. I hope that my terminal length is much longer. :p I want to see how long I can grow my hair. :)

[Dragon Faery]

Yay! :happydance:
I'm soooo glad this thread got resurrected!!! I was just wondering a few days ago what all the terminal growers were up to!

Welcome to all the new terminal-goal growers! :flower:


Well I have thought and thought about if is is a good idea for me and although I'd love classic length hair, I am actually thinking it would be fun to see just how long my hair can grow. I am presently hip and it feels no longer than it did at bsl to me.

So therefore I am officially joining, time will see just how long I can get!

One question do you all still trim if your growing to terminal or do you still maintain the hemline with the odd trim? I prefer having a neat hemline myself but I am now only doing trims 2 x a year, did try for once a year but thats I possible with my hair type!

I'm planning on trimming for now, and seeing how long it will grow with what looks to me like a "decent" hemline. I've given myself until 2020 for this, unless it's still obviously gaining length at that point. (Seems doubtful, but hey.). After that, I'll give it a while to fairytale so I can see what my true terminal is. My approximate end date for that is 2030... So I have a 20-year plan. :cheese:
After that, I will probably cut back to whatever length was my favorite. ...Probably. ;)


Currently I'm at allllllmost waist, hoping to be solid waist by the end of August. I'm keeping my officially stated goals small so I don't get discouraged by how far away terminal still is. :)

[ravenheather]

Yay! :happydance:
I'm soooo glad this thread got resurrected!!! I was just wondering a few days ago what all the terminal growers were up to!

Welcome to all the new terminal-goal growers! :flower:



I'm planning on trimming for now, and seeing how long it will grow with what looks to me like a "decent" hemline. I've given myself until 2020 for this, unless it's still obviously gaining length at that point. (Seems doubtful, but hey.). After that, I'll give it a while to fairytale so I can see what my true terminal is. My approximate end date for that is 2030... So I have a 20-year plan. :cheese:
After that, I will probably cut back to whatever length was my favorite. ...Probably. ;)


Currently I'm at allllllmost waist, hoping to be solid waist by the end of August. I'm keeping my officially stated goals small so I don't get discouraged by how far away terminal still is. :)

20 year plan? I thought I was a planner...you've got me beat. :) I've only though out about 5 years.

[WaitingSoLong]

Over all, that would require an 8 year growth cycle, so let the waiting begin to see if I have the genes!

Ok, I followed along until this last statement.


Yeah, that's exactly it, terminal "length" is really the terminal time that each hair will grow. And every time you trim/cut one specific hair it won't get as long as it would have been with no cutting. But on a whole head of hair there are always hairs at many different lengths, so if you trim the hem, there are always more hairs coming up "behind" the longest ones that have never been cut yet.

So if you grow it long with a blunt hem, you can always stop trimming at any time, and the hair should start to fairy tale and eventually reach its full terminal length (as long as you lay off the scissors for a few years.)
The hairs that were the old trim hem will fall out, but other hairs will come up behind them, and grow longer than the trimmed hairs could have.

Hehe, sorry if this is it's a bit messy, it's a bit hard to explain. :p

You explained it very well, at least for me. I never thought of it quite that way. I would do FTE's if they were healthy. But I doubt I could ever stand the quality of my ends enough to find true term, as I would have to trim for quality of ends.


Yay! :happydance:
I'm planning on trimming for now, and seeing how long it will grow with what looks to me like a "decent" hemline. I've given myself until 2020 for this, unless it's still obviously gaining length at that point. (Seems doubtful, but hey.). After that, I'll give it a while to fairytale so I can see what my true terminal is. My approximate end date for that is 2030... So I have a 20-year plan. :cheese:


Ok some of this math is baffling me. 20 years from now is 2032. Am I missing something?

[neko_kawaii]

Ok, I followed along until this last statement.

Hehe, mostly it was goofy number play.

[Dragon Faery]

20 year plan? I thought I was a planner...you've got me beat. :) I've only though out about 5 years.
:cheese: :D





Ok some of this math is baffling me. 20 years from now is 2032. Am I missing something?

Haha, no you're right. I rounded up. Technically, as stated, I have an 18-year plan. But who knows? It may take me those last 2 years to decide how long I really want to keep my hair. ;) ...Or I could end up with a shed that sets me back, or... Yeah. But yes; technically my math was lacking. :)

[palaeoqueen]

I'm certainly tempted to find out what my terminal length is, it's currently between shoulder and APL so I (hopefully!) have a long way to go yet.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

I ama non trimmer and I like the results but I only worry that at terminal I will have natural layers. You know due to shape of head. It seams that some the naturals layers go from shortest to longest starting at nape which creates a beautiful head of hair. For me it seams ( and I say seams beause have never had a full head of healthy hair) that the layers go from shortest to longest starting at the crown. It makes for a head of hair that never seams long. I have hair at my nape that are coming up on Classic but crown/canopy hair slow pokying along just passing hip. The middle layer is in the passing BCL range.:mad:

I pray that upon reaching terminal the canopy and middle will over take the lower nape in actual length thus giving me the full effect of my length.:pray:

Can someone who is at terminal offer some hope or insight into the natural growing of the hair?

[Elithia]

I ama non trimmer and I like the results but I only worry that at terminal I will have natural layers. You know due to shape of head. It seams that some the naturals layers go from shortest to longest starting at nape which creates a beautiful head of hair. For me it seams ( and I say seams beause have never had a full head of healthy hair) that the layers go from shortest to longest starting at the crown. It makes for a head of hair that never seams long. I have hair at my nape that are coming up on Classic but crown/canopy hair slow pokying along just passing hip. The middle layer is in the passing BCL range.:mad:

Well ... if you're growing from hair that was layered to begin with -- or pretty much all one length, which mine was -- doesn't it make sense that the top layers are shorter than the bottom ones? What kind of haircut did you start out with?

My top layers are definitely shorter than my bottom ones, because I'm growing from a bob that stuck out three curly inches from my head in all directions. :)

[gthlvrmx]

I ama non trimmer and I like the results but I only worry that at terminal I will have natural layers. You know due to shape of head. It seams that some the naturals layers go from shortest to longest starting at nape which creates a beautiful head of hair. For me it seams ( and I say seams beause have never had a full head of healthy hair) that the layers go from shortest to longest starting at the crown. It makes for a head of hair that never seams long. I have hair at my nape that are coming up on Classic but crown/canopy hair slow pokying along just passing hip. The middle layer is in the passing BCL range.:mad:

I pray that upon reaching terminal the canopy and middle will over take the lower nape in actual length thus giving me the full effect of my length.:pray:

Can someone who is at terminal offer some hope or insight into the natural growing of the hair?
At the time the hair reaches its terminal length, the overall effect of the hair is a fairytaled look or in a way with small "layers". most a fairytaled look because all the hairs grow to different length. So if you have layers, thats ok, it will gain length and reach its full potential length and most likely your hair wont look even at terminal "time". it wont stay in an even hemline, its going to look fairytaled. EdG (i think thats his name here, man its been a while) has terminal hair and his hair is fairytaled as well. you know you're there because you wait and wait for it to grow and you cut it even, but it wont grow past a certain point after a long time. plus its fairtytaled when it stops at that point.

i think if you pull the hair at terminal time to the back, the front and top parts will be the shortest either way because of it having to reach onto the back, while the back hairs just fall down.

[Elithia]

It also just occurred to me that if, as your siggie says, your hair is curlier on top and straighter in the underlayers (mine is!) then this will further distort your lengths. :)

[Vintagecoilylocks]

It also just occurred to me that if, as your siggie says, your hair is curlier on top and straighter in the underlayers (mine is!) then this will further distort your lengths. :)

I have not had a trim since 1996. When I started a good hair regimine in 1999 my hair began to gainlength longer than it ever had been by 2005 it was mostly BCL and the layers were not to noticeable. My nape hair did not reach lower than my canopy. Then a shedding began and lasted 5 years. It really exagerated the layers for some reason. Last year the shedding ended and the growing began again and it is longer than before. Then the strange rapid growth of my nape has happened and yes that is a different texture. Ah well I just need to be patient and take care. If I ever make it to mid thigh I may maintain my nape to just see if the rest will catch up then stay closer together. I won't feel like a long hair until at least mid thigh because of the curls.

Could be like you are all saying and maybe I have been admiring hair of ladies who trim to keep the hair more even. :o So I will see you all at terminal which I hope is very far away from now for us all.:) Thanks

[WaitingSoLong]

So I had DH help me measure my thickness yesterday. My ponytail circumference is 2.75", compared to my ends (no layers) which are a mere 1" (slightly less, it was really hard to measure something so thin). I measured in a few places down the length and it was about 2" at BSL, 1.5" at hip, which is where I want to cut back to. After doing all that, I would wager my terminal length to be somewhere around knee. I know I have a lot of terminal length hairs at waist or so.

My hair growth has been stalled around 41" for a couple/few months. I am starting to get breakage, too (it has been very hot and very dry here) If I ever grow to term I would like to do so with virgin hair. I know my hair is definitely thicker on the virgin parts so I am thinking term could be more like calf length for me. I doubt I would ever venture into that territory as I am really have trouble dealing with Classic and intend to cut in a couple weeks back to hip.

Just some thoughts.

[jojo]

i chose not to trim at all unless my ends are bad, but i s&d when i need to so it keeps me from trimming. i think its personal preference with hemlines, but i thought i read on this thread somewhere that trimming takes away some length that could reach towards terminal or something like that. im not sure where it was >.< im thinking they meant like if you trim, your hair still ages and when it comes to its time, it will fall, just on a shorter length because you trimmed. i think thats what it was. terminal "length" is more like terminal "time" i think.
im not sure i havent been on in a long time :) maybe someone else will chime in.

Yes that's basically what I've been doing, though I don't s&d very often probably once a year as I hate doing it! I trim about twice a year, really trying to stretch it to once a year not worked so far, but once upon a time I could only go every 3 months before the ends looked bad. I'm mainly trimming when my ends get thin, to allow the slower hairs to catch up in the hem and thicken it out more.
I'm with you on terminal time as opposed to length, makes more sense to me that does:mad:

[LovingLongHair]

Yay! :happydance: Terminal Growth Thread! I just recently decided to grow to terminal, so this is nice to have others who are growing the same. My hair is rather fine though, so I'm sort of worried though about how it will look with fairytale ends. Hopefully not too bad! I have been able to stretch my washes further though lately, so that's a new accomplishment for me! Can't wait to see how long it will grow! :)

[Chromis]

So I had DH help me measure my thickness yesterday. My ponytail circumference is 2.75", compared to my ends (no layers) which are a mere 1" (slightly less, it was really hard to measure something so thin). I measured in a few places down the length and it was about 2" at BSL, 1.5" at hip, which is where I want to cut back to. After doing all that, I would wager my terminal length to be somewhere around knee. I know I have a lot of terminal length hairs at waist or so.

My hair growth has been stalled around 41" for a couple/few months. I am starting to get breakage, too (it has been very hot and very dry here) If I ever grow to term I would like to do so with virgin hair. I know my hair is definitely thicker on the virgin parts so I am thinking term could be more like calf length for me. I doubt I would ever venture into that territory as I am really have trouble dealing with Classic and intend to cut in a couple weeks back to hip.

Just some thoughts.

I think there are some lengths that are easier than others. I found classic a bit awkward, but as I approached knee my updos suddenly got really easy again and it behaves better the few times I wear it down. Braiding is a bit more tedious though lol

[auburntressed]

I had a dream the other night about something totally unrelated to hair. But - at one point in the dream, I caught an image of myself in a large mirror. I was shocked to see my hair, which was down, reached knee length. Then I had this sort of overwhelming dream feeling that THIS was my terminal length.

I went on with my business in the dream. Then when I later woke up, I started wondering if my subconcious already knows my terminal length.

[ravenheather]

I had a dream the other night about something totally unrelated to hair. But - at one point in the dream, I caught an image of myself in a large mirror. I was shocked to see my hair, which was down, reached knee length. Then I had this sort of overwhelming dream feeling that THIS was my terminal length.

I went on with my business in the dream. Then when I later woke up, I started wondering if my subconcious already knows my terminal length.

That's awesome. I wish I had a dream like that. It kind of drives me crazy that I have no idea how long my hair will grow. It's never been past apl as an adult.

[gthlvrmx]

I think there are some lengths that are easier than others. I found classic a bit awkward, but as I approached knee my updos suddenly got really easy again and it behaves better the few times I wear it down. Braiding is a bit more tedious though lol
cant wait to get there! hope classic length wont be too bad to bun, knee should be fine :D

[holothuroidea]

That is such a cool dream, Auburntressed.

Can you send your personal Mr. Sandman over my way because I'd REALLY love to know what mine is. :D :D

[domisimone]

My mom somehow got it in her head that black people's hair doesn't grow. I'm growing from shoulder to classic in five years to prove a point, and I have no idea what comes after that.

[holothuroidea]

My mom somehow got it in her head that black people's hair doesn't grow. I'm growing from shoulder to classic in five years to prove a point, and I have no idea what comes after that.

What!?!?

...Really, what!?

[domisimone]

What!?!?

...Really, what!?

It's because of all the damage caused by relaxers, hot combs without protectant, heavy braids and weaves, etc. My mom never used chemicals or extensions on my hair, but she and the rest of my family are generally uneducated about hair. I told my aunt that I want my hair to my waist and she said, "Child, how many times do I have to tell you that YOURE BLACK?!?!"
Stupid, I know. I've always believed I could have hair past my shoulders, down my back, and to my waist. I believe fully that race doesn't mean anything. We're all on this journey together, and we'll all reach terminal together.

[Elithia]

My mom somehow got it in her head that black people's hair doesn't grow. I'm growing from shoulder to classic in five years to prove a point, and I have no idea what comes after that.


It's because of all the damage caused by relaxers, hot combs without protectant, heavy braids and weaves, etc. My mom never used chemicals or extensions on my hair, but she and the rest of my family are generally uneducated about hair. I told my aunt that I want my hair to my waist and she said, "Child, how many times do I have to tell you that YOURE BLACK?!?!"
Stupid, I know. I've always believed I could have hair past my shoulders, down my back, and to my waist. I believe fully that race doesn't mean anything. We're all on this journey together, and we'll all reach terminal together.

My little cousin has been told this a lot of times. She is 12 and last I saw her had hair that stretched to waist-length. She has this great STARE for people who tell her she can't have long hair. :)

[holothuroidea]

It's because of all the damage caused by relaxers, hot combs without protectant, heavy braids and weaves, etc. My mom never used chemicals or extensions on my hair, but she and the rest of my family are generally uneducated about hair. I told my aunt that I want my hair to my waist and she said, "Child, how many times do I have to tell you that YOURE BLACK?!?!"
Stupid, I know. I've always believed I could have hair past my shoulders, down my back, and to my waist. I believe fully that race doesn't mean anything. We're all on this journey together, and we'll all reach terminal together.

:(

It just didn't make sense to me that someone could possess hair and insist that it doesn't grow, but when you add the relaxers and so on I guess it does add up.

Yes we are all on this journey together, even if we all have different paths. :)

[gthlvrmx]

It's because of all the damage caused by relaxers, hot combs without protectant, heavy braids and weaves, etc. My mom never used chemicals or extensions on my hair, but she and the rest of my family are generally uneducated about hair. I told my aunt that I want my hair to my waist and she said, "Child, how many times do I have to tell you that YOURE BLACK?!?!"
Stupid, I know. I've always believed I could have hair past my shoulders, down my back, and to my waist. I believe fully that race doesn't mean anything. We're all on this journey together, and we'll all reach terminal together.

Well no wonder they got that idea, the damage isnt letting them keep any length that was grown! I heard this too in high school by some of my friends, i asked them why they kept their hair short (and why they straightened their 3b-4b hair CONSTANTLY) and they said because black people hair doesnt grow, or doesnt grow like mine does. But i was like.....why are you an exception by race? i dont understand. its hair, it grows. If it didnt, then you wouldnt have any hair for those braids to hold on to. I really REALLY dont like that saying "because you're black!". Nope, nope. Not at all by me. We're all in this journey and trust me you're gonna change their opinions when you show them your healthy long hair :)

[Silverbrumby]

Yay! :happydance: Terminal Growth Thread! I just recently decided to grow to terminal, so this is nice to have others who are growing the same. My hair is rather fine though, so I'm sort of worried though about how it will look with fairytale ends. Hopefully not too bad! I have been able to stretch my washes further though lately, so that's a new accomplishment for me! Can't wait to see how long it will grow! :)

I'm thinking I'd like to try for terminal even thought I'm pretty sure it's probably just waist. I'd be OVER the moon if it even gets there. I don't want to have one or two wisps of hair at waist so I'll trim if it begins to look like that. Trying to only trim twice a year now with better care of my hair.

[Elithia]

Well no wonder they got that idea, the damage isnt letting them keep any length that was grown! I heard this too in high school by some of my friends, i asked them why they kept their hair short (and why they straightened their 3b-4b hair CONSTANTLY) and they said because black people hair doesnt grow, or doesnt grow like mine does. But i was like.....why are you an exception by race? i dont understand. its hair, it grows. If it didnt, then you wouldnt have any hair for those braids to hold on to. I really REALLY dont like that saying "because you're black!". Nope, nope. Not at all by me. We're all in this journey and trust me you're gonna change their opinions when you show them your healthy long hair :)

I also know a woman who went off about how oils and natural products work for "white" hair, but the only way to deal with "black" hair was to go to a salon and get products and relaxers. As she talked, it became clear that her idea of "dealing with" super-curly hair all involved loosening or getting rid of the curl.

As if there were some kind of straight dividing line to be drawn between "black" and "white," anyway. And this woman self-identified as "biracial." I didn't get it.

[domisimone]

My little cousin has been told this a lot of times. She is 12 and last I saw her had hair that stretched to waist-length. She has this great STARE for people who tell her she can't have long hair. :)

Yeah, I generally whip out my "Evil Glare of Death".


Well no wonder they got that idea, the damage isnt letting them keep any length that was grown! I heard this too in high school by some of my friends, i asked them why they kept their hair short (and why they straightened their 3b-4b hair CONSTANTLY) and they said because black people hair doesnt grow, or doesnt grow like mine does. But i was like.....why are you an exception by race? i dont understand. its hair, it grows. If it didnt, then you wouldnt have any hair for those braids to hold on to. I really REALLY dont like that saying "because you're black!". Nope, nope. Not at all by me. We're all in this journey and trust me you're gonna change their opinions when you show them your healthy long hair :)

I don't believe there's such a thing as "ethnic hair" or "black hair". Some races may be more likely to develop certain hair types, but it all boils down to porosity, density, curl pattern, and overall treatment and products used. I literally cringe when I hear people say that my hair won't grow because of my race--the only way hair stops growing completely is if you have a medical condition.


I also know a woman who went off about how oils and natural products work for "white" hair, but the only way to deal with "black" hair was to go to a salon and get products and relaxers. As she talked, it became clear that her idea of "dealing with" super-curly hair all involved loosening or getting rid of the curl.

As if there were some kind of straight dividing line to be drawn between "black" and "white," anyway. And this woman self-identified as "biracial." I didn't get it.

Again, I don't believe in racial boundaries.

[LovingLongHair]

I'm thinking I'd like to try for terminal even thought I'm pretty sure it's probably just waist. I'd be OVER the moon if it even gets there. I don't want to have one or two wisps of hair at waist so I'll trim if it begins to look like that. Trying to only trim twice a year now with better care of my hair.

I was the same way. My hair hadn't ever really made it past waist. But with how I had been caring for it before, no wonder! I was frying it to death! But now that its being well cared for, it is thickening up some and is just past waist! Something that really helped me was that I quit worrying so much about my hair! I'd worry that it wouldn't grow and I obsessed over everything about my hair! But once I stopped worrying, it almost seemed to help. I don't know if stress can affect hair that much, but it sure did me! But anywho, sorry for going off on a tangent, lol! :D I wish you all the luck in growing your hair! :flower:

[Silverbrumby]

I was the same way. My hair hadn't ever really made it past waist. But with how I had been caring for it before, no wonder! I was frying it to death! But now that its being well cared for, it is thickening up some and is just past waist! Something that really helped me was that I quit worrying so much about my hair! I'd worry that it wouldn't grow and I obsessed over everything about my hair! But once I stopped worrying, it almost seemed to help. I don't know if stress can affect hair that much, but it sure did me! But anywho, sorry for going off on a tangent, lol! :D I wish you all the luck in growing your hair! :flower:

Thank you so much for the reply. I really appreciate it. I'm obsessed and my bff was making fun of me so it's official. I can't wait till I just put it up and forget about it for weeks at a time.

Your hair is lovely and it's what I hope I can achieve one day. Thanks.

[momoftwo708]

I'm in the longest my hair been besides being down to my bottom as a kid was hip after my second kid and the hair dresser chopped it off! After that my hair grew fast and was back to wsl in couple months and stood that way until three months ago it crumbled to bsl and had a cut and then ended up ruining my layers making them too short N thick , so I am here waiting for my hair to grow I'm hoping to grow the longest it can if it wsl I'll be happy if it hip I'll be thrilled so by next year my bsl hair should be much longer and I will be happy

[RitaPG]

momoftwo708, I hope this doesn't sound mean, but I find your sentence really confusing. Standard punctuation and spelling is part of the Community guidelines (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/announcement.php?f=28&a=3)
I hope you're not offended by my comment, I just have a hard time reading and writing in English as it is, lack of punctuation really confuses me :o

[gthlvrmx]

I also know a woman who went off about how oils and natural products work for "white" hair, but the only way to deal with "black" hair was to go to a salon and get products and relaxers. As she talked, it became clear that her idea of "dealing with" super-curly hair all involved loosening or getting rid of the curl.

As if there were some kind of straight dividing line to be drawn between "black" and "white," anyway. And this woman self-identified as "biracial." I didn't get it.
wow what in the world. People i swear. They need a good dosage of LHC...sounds like a drug. XD


Yeah, I generally whip out my "Evil Glare of Death".



I don't believe there's such a thing as "ethnic hair" or "black hair". Some races may be more likely to develop certain hair types, but it all boils down to porosity, density, curl pattern, and overall treatment and products used. I literally cringe when I hear people say that my hair won't grow because of my race--the only way hair stops growing completely is if you have a medical condition.



Again, I don't believe in racial boundaries.

Yes, i dont either! My father has those tight tight curls and he doesnt have african ancestry in him, its italian! Its not a nice thing saying your race is the reason why your hair wont grow.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Just checking in. My layers frustrate me. I am always worried they will stop where they are. But I did a length check recently and there has been alittle movement on the shortest layer. Of course it grows at snails pace. I WANT MY HAIR LONG AND I WANT IT NOW. Ok I ranted for now:o Back to waiting and being gentle with my curls.

[domisimone]

wow what in the world. People i swear. They need a good dosage of LHC...sounds like a drug. XD



Yes, i dont either! My father has those tight tight curls and he doesnt have african ancestry in him, its italian! Its not a nice thing saying your race is the reason why your hair wont grow.

My African American housekeeper just said that her hair stopped growing. I explained that if her hair had stopped growing, it would shed without regenerating, and she would be bald by now. No, her hair is breaking off just as fast as it's growing because she gets perms and dyes religiously. So I referred her to LHC, and I really hoped she listens, because she has really pretty hair that deserves to be taken care of.

[domisimone]

I just did my last length check before the three month no measure challenge starting on august first. That, for me, means no stretching out my curls to see where they measure on my body, which is going to be hard for me!
I'm almost at apl, and I'm giving myself nine months to reach BSL. I think I'll be at wsl in eighteen months! I'm also really hoping that terminal is TBL or classic, because then my curls will reach my waist unstretched, and that's how long I want them for graduation in five years.

[gthlvrmx]

My African American housekeeper just said that her hair stopped growing. I explained that if her hair had stopped growing, it would shed without regenerating, and she would be bald by now. No, her hair is breaking off just as fast as it's growing because she gets perms and dyes religiously. So I referred her to LHC, and I really hoped she listens, because she has really pretty hair that deserves to be taken care of.
yeah some people really just dont understand how hair works and they just quit and give in to societies norms and some quit caring all together because they dont know what to do. and sometimes they just dont listen to advice cuz they simply dont care enough of their hair. but thats their hair, not anyone elses.

I just did my last length check before the three month no measure challenge starting on august first. That, for me, means no stretching out my curls to see where they measure on my body, which is going to be hard for me!
I'm almost at apl, and I'm giving myself nine months to reach BSL. I think I'll be at wsl in eighteen months! I'm also really hoping that terminal is TBL or classic, because then my curls will reach my waist unstretched, and that's how long I want them for graduation in five years.
wooo!! apl!! youll be there soon, waist will hit you before you know it! :D

[domisimone]

yeah some people really just dont understand how hair works and they just quit and give in to societies norms and some quit caring all together because they dont know what to do. and sometimes they just dont listen to advice cuz they simply dont care enough of their hair. but thats their hair, not anyone elses.

wooo!! apl!! youll be there soon, waist will hit you before you know it! :D

Thanks so much for the support. Whenever I see people with hair that would be so pretty if it wasn't damaged I really want to step in and offer to help them rehabilitate them. At the end of the day, I have to realize that it's not my hair, and if they don't want help I can't force it on them, and if their hair breaks off that isn't going to affect my hair growth.
Also, my friend cut her hair short so it would be more manageable, but hates it, so she came to me for help growing it back out. I'm so flattered!

[Dang3rousB3auty]

wow it would be pretty awesome to see how long you can grow your hair to. I haven't had hair longer then the middle of my back since I was about 7 yrs old. I might try this out if I can handle having my hair that long haha. Hope to see some pictures and hear about everyone's success

[gthlvrmx]

Thanks so much for the support. Whenever I see people with hair that would be so pretty if it wasn't damaged I really want to step in and offer to help them rehabilitate them. At the end of the day, I have to realize that it's not my hair, and if they don't want help I can't force it on them, and if their hair breaks off that isn't going to affect my hair growth.
Also, my friend cut her hair short so it would be more manageable, but hates it, so she came to me for help growing it back out. I'm so flattered!

ur welcome. :) i know, so do it, i just cringe at damaged hair but. oh well. that is a nice thing to offer help when you're asked. happened to me a lot too but the only ones to keep it up are the ones dedicated to keeping their hair healthy-and the only ones were my brother and mother, mom escaped trims for the last 7 months but is need of one now. Course she loves to brush harshly too much but oh well. :p

[Thenolegirl]

Hi =) I'm trying to grow to terminal length. Mind if I join in? I don't think I'm in much danger of cutting it. I do want to get fringe sometime soon so that my buns and updos look less severe.

[Dovetail]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

[Dragon Faery]

Just checking in. My layers frustrate me. I am always worried they will stop where they are. But I did a length check recently and there has been alittle movement on the shortest layer. Of course it grows at snails pace. I WANT MY HAIR LONG AND I WANT IT NOW. Ok I ranted for now:o Back to waiting and being gentle with my curls.

Rant anytime. We can all relate, I suspect. I know I can.
By the way, I have a question for you.
I examined my hair the other day, and I have 3 distinct types on my head. The mohawk-shaped section that makes up my canopy is definitely 3a. And it's currently very dry and damaged, and much shorter than the rest of my hair. (Shoulder curly, almost APL when straightish.) The bulk of my hair is somewhere between 2a and 2c. I'm not sure exactly. But this is where the majority of my thickness currently comes from. And the bottom few inches, at my nape, is very straight. I suspect it's 1b. This little bit is where all my apparent length comes from.
My question is, since you mentioned you have 3 different types of hair on your head and you care for them each differently, what do you do? How do you wash, dry, decide which products/methods to use on what parts, and so forth? I really admire all the work you put into your own hair, and you're obviously doing something right.


Hi =) I'm trying to grow to terminal length. Mind if I join in? I don't think I'm in much danger of cutting it. I do want to get fringe sometime soon so that my buns and updos look less severe.
Welcome! :cheer: :flower: :cheer:



*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

I S&D, and currently I trim as well. I have a 2-phase growing plan. The first is to grow while trimming as needed to keep the ends looking decently full and healthy, until it gets to the point where I can't preserve a full-ish hemline and still gain length. I'll leave it there a few years (if I have the patience), just to make sure it isn't a stall. Then I'll start phase 2, which will be to let it fairytale out and see how long the longest hairs are capable of getting. If I get tired of that, I'll eventually trim back to whatever length was my favorite.

I'm not specifically and only growing for religious reasons, although it does play a part. (In my case a voluntary decision.) But I have nothing against S&D-ing while growing for such reasons, although I would understand if someone did consider S&D-ing to be defeating the purpose. (Is that vague enough?) :p

[kitekats]

I would like to see my hair floor length (or at least ankle), so I quitted dyeing them, but, man, the ends are sheer :(

[haibane]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

I used to S&D a lot but with better split preventing routines (lots of moisture+no combing/brushing) I barely need to anymore.

Depending on your hair, not trimming or S&Ding might actually bring on earlier false terminal since split ends and other damage (like single strand knots) can cause tangles and damage the surrounding hair.

I haven't had a trim in 5-6 years now, and one thing I'm noticing is I definitely have a few racer hairs that speeds along much faster than the bulk of my hair. Right now I have almost a foot that's all racer hairs. The longest racers are almost fingertip while the bulk reaches only waist/hip. The bulk is growing maybe 1/2 or 2/3rds of the speed of the fastest hairs. I'm wondering if the bulk will ever "catch up." But so far it's growing, only slower.

[holothuroidea]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

I plan on trimming any hair that is unhealthy, and I'd include splits and fairy knots.

[Alembic]

Oh gosh. My original goal a few weeks ago when I joined was waist. Now it's hip. But this thread is starting to enable ideas of terminal in my head....

[ravenheather]

Oh gosh. My original goal a few weeks ago when I joined was waist. Now it's hip. But this thread is starting to enable ideas of terminal in my head....

Ha ha. Another one converted. Come and join us...Come and join us...:p

[neko_kawaii]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

Why terminal? Because when I decided "long" hair is easier to care for than short hair I began to wonder how long my hair is capable of growing. After three years of benign neglect I trimmed about 10 inches off and discovered it was nice to be rid of the velcro ends. So, yes, I S&D once a month (or when I notice it needs to be done and can set aside the time to sit outside with the scissors) and will trim when necessary.

[domisimone]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

I want to S&D, but my hair is too short right now.
So, though I want long hair, I still trim, and wait for the days when I can S&D

[Chromis]

I am growing for terminal and still s&d. I also give myself small trims now and then to keep the ends neat, no more than an inch every few months. I don't like my ends to look ragged but I also find too blunt doesn't go neatly into a bunch for me.

[Dovetail]

I kind of want to grow to terminal, but then what would I do if it ended up being some tiny length like hip or something! I like to two fold attack idea though, let it grow for a while, then trim it. Oh but then to cut off all that work and time :s see my problem! Wishey-washey dove. Maybe Ill just take it a few steps at a time and work on getting to tailbone and we can go from there! I do feel less intimidated knowing you all s&d in here though!

To be honest i thought terminal was all haircut purists, a commune of scissorless nudists frolking through the woods :p (well the scissor part anyways)

[domisimone]

I kind of want to grow to terminal, but then what would I do if it ended up being some tiny length like hip or something! I like to two fold attack idea though, let it grow for a while, then trim it. Oh but then to cut off all that work and time :s see my problem! Wishey-washey dove. Maybe Ill just take it a few steps at a time and work on getting to tailbone and we can go from there! I do feel less intimidated knowing you all s&d in here though!

To be honest i thought terminal was all haircut purists, a commune of scissorless nudists frolking through the woods :p (well the scissor part anyways)

I thought that too, but it doesn't seem like trimming would stop me from reaching terminal! I mean, it would grow back, right?

[erla]

what length is considered "classic"?

[domisimone]

what length is considered "classic"?

Classic is half of the body/wrist length/where your backside meets your legs.

[gthlvrmx]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

If you want healthy hair, then maybe itll be best for an S&D which is less than a trim but very beneficial. It's a small small "trim" on the individual split/damaged hairs so you wont lose much length and you're terminal length wont be much shorter due to trims. If you take care of your hair properly and protect it you wont need to S&D a lot at all for a long time, having you gain most of the length you grow.
Ive only cut off the 14 splits i could find in 1 whole year and im sure i wont find a lot of splits for another year or two.

[domisimone]

If you want healthy hair, then maybe itll be best for an S&D which is less than a trim but very beneficial. It's a small small "trim" on the individual split/damaged hairs so you wont lose much length and you're terminal length wont be much shorter due to trims. If you take care of your hair properly and protect it you wont need to S&D a lot at all for a long time, having you gain most of the length you grow.
Ive only cut off the 14 splits i could find in 1 whole year and im sure i wont find a lot of splits for another year or two.

I take off 1/8-1/4 inch every two-three months and will continue to do so until I can S&D. My hair is really fine, and damaged from years of mistreatment, so I have to be extremely careful about the whole enterprise. My roots have been growing in thicker and coarser for the past four months (since I've been taking care of my scalp), and are a lot easier to detangle, so I think I'll grow out my virgin hair once I reach a length I'm happy with, and then continue to terminal from there.

[haibane]

I thought that too, but it doesn't seem like trimming would stop me from reaching terminal! I mean, it would grow back, right?

Yup, you can stop trimming at any time and the hair will keep growing and eventually reach terminal. Of course if you keep trimming forever you will never reach "true" terminal. You have to stop at some point to let your hair do its thing.

The biggest difference is that it'll take longer time to reach terminal if you're trimming. But it takes longer to reach any length if you trim, so.

[domisimone]

Yup, you can stop trimming at any time and the hair will keep growing and eventually reach terminal. Of course if you keep trimming forever you will never reach "true" terminal. You have to stop at some point to let your hair do its thing.

The biggest difference is that it'll take longer time to reach terminal if you're trimming. But it takes longer to reach any length if you trim, so.

My hair splits and breaks easily if I don't trim occasionally, so if I didn't trim, it would take even longer. Sorry if that doesn't make sense, but for me prevention works best. Eventually I'll let my hair fairytale and stop trimming, but that won't happen until I get to a length where I can S&D.

Again, sorry if that makes no sense!

[gthlvrmx]

My hair splits and breaks easily if I don't trim occasionally, so if I didn't trim, it would take even longer. Sorry if that doesn't make sense, but for me prevention works best. Eventually I'll let my hair fairytale and stop trimming, but that won't happen until I get to a length where I can S&D.

Again, sorry if that makes no sense!

So you're cutting off the damage as your hair grows. Are you maintaining length?
And have you ever considered chopping off all the damage and starting with virgin hair? Its quite a big jump but many have done it before.

[domisimone]

So you're cutting off the damage as your hair grows. Are you maintaining length?
And have you ever considered chopping off all the damage and starting with virgin hair? Its quite a big jump but many have done it before.

I don't have major damage from the past, so chopping wouldn't make sense. I'm still able to see growth because I microtrim and I don't do it very often. I'm trying to stretch my trims to just doing two or three a year, especially since I've noticed that my hair develops less splits and is more resistant to damage lately. I think that it's gotten stronger and healthier because I've really been babying it and doing deep treatments for the past few months.

Again, so sorry if that's confusing, and sorry if I confused you before. The words are failing me today!

[haibane]

I don't have major damage from the past, so chopping wouldn't make sense. I'm still able to see growth because I microtrim and I don't do it very often. I'm trying to stretch my trims to just doing two or three a year, especially since I've noticed that my hair develops less splits and is more resistant to damage lately. I think that it's gotten stronger and healthier because I've really been babying it and doing deep treatments for the past few months.

Again, so sorry if that's confusing, and sorry if I confused you before. The words are failing me today!

Makes perfect sense to me. Some hair just seems to get so bad it just breaks off if it's not trimmed. I think there are quite a few people who can never reach true terminal because their hair just NEEDS trimming.

My hair has gotten a lot stronger in the two years since I joined LHC and started taking better care of it, so I definitely think it's possible to go from having to trim (or do serious S&D which I did in the beginning) to doing just fine with no trimming at all.

[domisimone]

Makes perfect sense to me. Some hair just seems to get so bad it just breaks off if it's not trimmed. I think there are quite a few people who can never reach true terminal because their hair just NEEDS trimming.

My hair has gotten a lot stronger in the two years since I joined LHC and started taking better care of it, so I definitely think it's possible to go from having to trim (or do serious S&D which I did in the beginning) to doing just fine with no trimming at all.

Yeah, it's only been three months and I've seen a great improvement with my hair's health. It isn't breaking nearly as much, and it's softer and shiny and not as frizzy. I do think that things will only get better from here, and that I'll eventually stop trimming at all.
Thanks for wording that so much better than I ever could have! I don't think I got enough sleep last night--the language isn't happening today . . .

[DreadfulWoman]

*peeks in* I've always wondered for those of you who are growing to terminal, do you still S&D?

Also, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, but if anyone here is growing for religious reasons, do you still S&D? or does that defeat the point?

I still s&d, and I can't imagine I'll ever stop. My hair just loves to split. Although at this point I still trim as well. I have a growth plan very similar to Dragon Faery's. Basically, keep growing longer with trims until it stops getting any longer, and then see how much longer it gets without trims. But I am not growing religious reasons.

[gthlvrmx]

I don't have major damage from the past, so chopping wouldn't make sense. I'm still able to see growth because I microtrim and I don't do it very often. I'm trying to stretch my trims to just doing two or three a year, especially since I've noticed that my hair develops less splits and is more resistant to damage lately. I think that it's gotten stronger and healthier because I've really been babying it and doing deep treatments for the past few months.

Again, so sorry if that's confusing, and sorry if I confused you before. The words are failing me today!
Ohhh ok i thought you did. :p No you're not confusing at all, I thought i was confusing today talking to someone else:p im glad its more resistant to damage! thats great! :D

[Dragon Faery]

Oh gosh. My original goal a few weeks ago when I joined was waist. Now it's hip. But this thread is starting to enable ideas of terminal in my head....

Come to the dark side... :luke:


I kind of want to grow to terminal, but then what would I do if it ended up being some tiny length like hip or something! I like to two fold attack idea though, let it grow for a while, then trim it. Oh but then to cut off all that work and time :s see my problem! Wishey-washey dove. Maybe Ill just take it a few steps at a time and work on getting to tailbone and we can go from there! I do feel less intimidated knowing you all s&d in here though!

To be honest i thought terminal was all haircut purists, a commune of scissorless nudists frolking through the woods :p (well the scissor part anyways)

:rollin: I can see why you'd think that, but we're a pretty ordinary bunch. Except for this weird obsession/curiosity with seeing how long our hair can grow! ;) Basically, we're dedicating a good chunk of our lives to learning patience. :cheese:

[domisimone]

Ohhh ok i thought you did. :p No you're not confusing at all, I thought i was confusing today talking to someone else:p im glad its more resistant to damage! thats great! :D

Thanks so much!

[domisimone]

Basically, we're dedicating a good chunk of our lives to learning patience. :cheese:

That's so true!

[Xandergrammy]

Come to the dark side... :luke:



:rollin: I can see why you'd think that, but we're a pretty ordinary bunch. Except for this weird obsession/curiosity with seeing how long our hair can grow! ;) Basically, we're dedicating a good chunk of our lives to learning patience. :cheese:

Very true! I tell everyone that anyone can have long hair. The only secret is to not cut it and wait, which definitely requires patience. :gabigrin:

[Shepherdess]

I came across this terminal length calculations that someone made on the internet (from a different forum) and I thought it was so cool!

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=11974664&postcount=1

It probably isn't completely accurate, but I thought it was neat. :)

[Elithia]

I came across this terminal length calculations that someone made on the internet (from a different forum) and I thought it was so cool!

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=11974664&postcount=1

It probably isn't completely accurate, but I thought it was neat. :)

By that calculation my terminal should be 118 inches ... :O

Assuming my math is right--my numbers are:

Average daily shed: 25 hairs (yearly shed=9125/year)
Hairs on head: I'm estimating 120,000 since my hair is very fine but quite thick.

By that calculation, my terminal time is roughly 13 years.

Yearly growth rate = 9 inches.

Terminal length = 118 inches.


I don't know if I buy this but it's a nice thought. :D My yearly shed is probably higher than that estimate, although 25 was about right the last time I counted....

[Dragon Faery]

I came across this terminal length calculations that someone made on the internet (from a different forum) and I thought it was so cool!

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=11974664&postcount=1

It probably isn't completely accurate, but I thought it was neat. :)

This is pretty neat!

It fails to take into account the fact that hair has a "resting", non-growing phase before falling out, and the averages must be overgeneralized since if I plug in my shed and growth rates and guess that I have an "average" of 100,000 hairs on my head I come out bald... But it's still really cool, and probably at least partially accurate. :)

[Elithia]

I just counted this morning and I had 13 shed hairs ... I don't tend to shed around the house and I don't brush/comb at all so all my shedding happens in the shower. Good news for me :D By the math in that link fewer sheds = longer terminal? Makes me feel better about the breakage I've been noticing.

Just goes to show that diet does really make a difference in shedding, though ... many years ago, in high school, I was battling an eating disorder and would shed a golf ball-sized gob of hair every shower (at APL!) AND shed all over the place throughout the day. I don't remember noticing a decrease in my hair's thickness but there must have been one.

[torrilin]

I came across this terminal length calculations that someone made on the internet (from a different forum) and I thought it was so cool!

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=11974664&postcount=1

It probably isn't completely accurate, but I thought it was neat. :)

it's not a very good calculator because it assumes your annual growth rate is consistent year over year, and that the shed rate is consistent. true for some folks, but not all, and you need a really long data baseline to be sure. some members have growth rates that can vary by 12" or more per year. very few members keep good enough records that we can predict typical variability.

worse, you're always going to be estimating the hairs on your head. no friend no matter how good is going to help you count all the hairs. so... how many of us can get a friend to do the 10-15 different 1cm square density tests over our heads to get a really good estimate of total hairs? not many :P. plus, working out the actual area on your scalp covered by hair would be a huge pain. it might be possible to get an average fiber diameter test done, where you shave off a sample and a lab works out some stats on the sample, and you could then use that and your thickness to estimate, but... i can't really see most lhc members shaving a patch of their head to predict terminal length. all the potential methods are bad.

worse yet, it assumes all hairs have the same terminal length, and once you're past apl this is pretty obviously false.

in short, it gives lousy results for pretty much everyone.

the banded ponytail method is less lousy, but that isn't saying a whole lot. if you treat it as predicting your shortest possible terminal length, it is more accurate. and the closer your hair is to terminal, the more accurate it is.

[Shepherdess]

This is pretty neat!

It fails to take into account the fact that hair has a "resting", non-growing phase before falling out, and the averages must be overgeneralized since if I plug in my shed and growth rates and guess that I have an "average" of 100,000 hairs on my head I come out bald... But it's still really cool, and probably at least partially accurate. :)

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing as well!

I just counted this morning and I had 13 shed hairs ... I don't tend to shed around the house and I don't brush/comb at all so all my shedding happens in the shower. Good news for me :D By the math in that link fewer sheds = longer terminal? Makes me feel better about the breakage I've been noticing.

Just goes to show that diet does really make a difference in shedding, though ... many years ago, in high school, I was battling an eating disorder and would shed a golf ball-sized gob of hair every shower (at APL!) AND shed all over the place throughout the day. I don't remember noticing a decrease in my hair's thickness but there must have been one.

Oh, 13 shed hairs isn't much at all! Lucky! :p Yes, diet for sure really does make a difference. I haven't noticed my hair shedding as much lately (I think when i started using apple cider vinegar, it really made a difference. :)


it's not a very good calculator because it assumes your annual growth rate is consistent year over year, and that the shed rate is consistent. true for some folks, but not all, and you need a really long data baseline to be sure. some members have growth rates that can vary by 12" or more per year. very few members keep good enough records that we can predict typical variability.

worse, you're always going to be estimating the hairs on your head. no friend no matter how good is going to help you count all the hairs. so... how many of us can get a friend to do the 10-15 different 1cm square density tests over our heads to get a really good estimate of total hairs? not many :P. plus, working out the actual area on your scalp covered by hair would be a huge pain. it might be possible to get an average fiber diameter test done, where you shave off a sample and a lab works out some stats on the sample, and you could then use that and your thickness to estimate, but... i can't really see most lhc members shaving a patch of their head to predict terminal length. all the potential methods are bad.

worse yet, it assumes all hairs have the same terminal length, and once you're past apl this is pretty obviously false.

in short, it gives lousy results for pretty much everyone.

the banded ponytail method is less lousy, but that isn't saying a whole lot. if you treat it as predicting your shortest possible terminal length, it is more accurate. and the closer your hair is to terminal, the more accurate it is.

Yeah, I was also thinking somewhat the same thing. It probably isn't accurate at all, but it's still neat. :)

I guess the only way to figure out my terminal length is to keep growing my hair out until it won't grow any longer. :D

[SongofLove]

I kind of want to grow to terminal, but then what would I do if it ended up being some tiny length like hip or something! I like to two fold attack idea though, let it grow for a while, then trim it. Oh but then to cut off all that work and time :s see my problem! Wishey-washey dove. Maybe Ill just take it a few steps at a time and work on getting to tailbone and we can go from there! I do feel less intimidated knowing you all s&d in here though!

To be honest i thought terminal was all haircut purists, a commune of scissorless nudists frolking through the woods :p (well the scissor part anyways)

Hahaha love the last sentence! :o

I really hope too that my terminal length isn't shorter than my goal length :undecided

[Dragon Faery]

I guess the only way to figure out my terminal length is to keep growing my hair out until it won't grow any longer. :D

Yes, I keep comcluding this. :shrug: But maybe it's better that way. If I knew my terminal length in advance, maybe I wouldn't enjoy the journey as much. ???



I really hope too that my terminal length isn't shorter than my goal length :undecided

I hope the same thing.
I was at hip once before, in middle school, but it was a very, very damaged head of hair at the time. Anything past that (undamaged!) will make me very happy, but I'm hoping for classic, at the shortest. I'd infinitely prefer knee, and I have this insane hope that my terminal is way longer than floor. I'm pretty sure I'm setting myself up for disappointment with that one, though. :(

[domisimone]

Yes, I keep comcluding this. :shrug: But maybe it's better that way. If I knew my terminal length in advance, maybe I wouldn't enjoy the journey as much. ???

THIS! Though I fret over it immensely, if I automatically knew the answer it wouldn't be nearly as interesting. Now I get to be surprised!

[Elithia]

I was at hip once before, in middle school, but it was a very, very damaged head of hair at the time. Anything past that (undamaged!) will make me very happy, but I'm hoping for classic, at the shortest. I'd infinitely prefer knee, and I have this insane hope that my terminal is way longer than floor. I'm pretty sure I'm setting myself up for disappointment with that one, though. :(

Yeah, me too. I've never grown past hip, but I also haven't gone more than 2 1/2 years without a big chop since I was thirteen years old. It'll be 2 1/2 in August ... and despite buckets of bad hair days lately, I'm not having to fight the desire to hack it off like I usually do at this length. :D

[kitekats]

Oh, if only those fairytails would go away, when growing longer....

[Dragon Faery]

Yeah, me too. I've never grown past hip, but I also haven't gone more than 2 1/2 years without a big chop since I was thirteen years old. It'll be 2 1/2 in August ... and despite buckets of bad hair days lately, I'm not having to fight the desire to hack it off like I usually do at this length. :D

Same. I have a long history of chopping out of frustration. :( But thanks to this forum, so far so good!!! :cheese:
I've been having my fair share of bad hair days too, lately. It seems like all the things that were standby styles last month just don't work now. My layers have hit an awkwayrd stage where they poke out of updos again, my ends won't tuck neatly under anymore (and they're fried and velcro-ey), the thickness has moved down just enough to make buns behave differently than I'm used to, and suddenly my buns are spitting out my sticks every 10 minutes. :shrug: Milestone, I guess. :)

[Messyhair]

I enjoyed my every-3-month trims last grow-around, but this time I decided to trim less... It bugged me at first, but now I find it more of a pain to get around to trimming my hair. Maybe because I'm sticking to trimming it myself..? :p

The longest that I've grown has been hip, but it seemed to have a lot of taper (maybe damaged ends?) once it got past waist. I was wearing it down a lot then. I wear it up most of the time now. I went into a salon for a trim back to waist and walked out crying with shoulder-length hair. No salons any more!

I'm hoping for better quality hair this time around and longer growth. Besides wearing it up a lot, I also started using an oh-so-sexy satin sleep cap. My husband makes fun of me a lot for wearing that thing. A satin pillowcase is all right for shorter lengths, and I still use it to protect my nape and temple hair that escapes the cap, but it won't protect the full length alone.

Here's hoping for looooooooooooooong terminal lengths for all!

[domisimone]

I'm starting to have doubts, guys. I think that if my terminal is past hip, I'll stay at hip-tailbone for a while; after a point I wouldn't be able to wear my hair down, and I'm one of those people who doesn't see the point in having hair that I can't wear out.
But also, my hair is the longest it's been that I can remember, and I'm coming out of a stall, so what if my terminal is some tiny length that isn't even BSL?

[anachronic]

Great posts!

[Dziip]

I can't imagine what having my hair to their terminal length could feel.
Heavy I guess ?
My actual goal is waist. Seems long time to wait yet :)
I do admire you, able to grow your hair that long

[ArienEllariel]

I'm finally at waist. Can't wait to see how long my hair will grow! :) Long hair is just soooo pretty.

[domisimone]

Now that I think about it, I want to be able to sit on my hair without stretching it. Classic curly will probably be around mid thigh but not quite knee.

[VioletCurlyhair]

Oooh, ooh! I wanna grow to terminal length! I hope it's at least tailbone or classic. Either way, it's going to be really exciting, because I have no clue where it could be!

It's funny, my first goal when I was going natural, was no shorter than waist. Then it became tailbone. And now it's terminal. Don't think I can get any longer than that!

My lowest natural layer is a little past APL now. I don't think I will bother trimming out the layers, unless I get really annoyed with them. I will be primarily wearing my hair curly after all.

[Shepherdess]

Oooh, ooh! I wanna grow to terminal length! I hope it's at least tailbone or classic. Either way, it's going to be really exciting, because I have no clue where it could be!

It's funny, my first goal when I was going natural, was no shorter than waist. Then it became tailbone. And now it's terminal. Don't think I can get any longer than that!

My lowest natural layer is a little past APL now. I don't think I will bother trimming out the layers, unless I get really annoyed with them. I will be primarily wearing my hair curly after all.

That is great! :cheer:

I am currently at mid-thigh and my hair still seems to be growing, so you never know how long terminal could be on you! ;) With some people it might be shorter than classic, or to knee, while on others terminal is beyond floor length. We'll just have to wait and see! :p

[Salmonberry]

My goal of 33" is what I think terminal will be on me. That's about waist length on me. I'm hoping it's more, but I'm thinking this because the longest I ever had my hair was about BSL and even then, my ends were very thin.

I don't know though because that was several years ago and I had some bad haircare habits. Maybe it's longer. But I'm not putting anything greater than 33" for my official goal so I don't get disappointed if it never happens.

I'm also not sure if I want that much hair either. I've heard stories about hair getting caught in car doors and such. Since I've never had hair that long, how will I know if I'll like it? I guess I'll just go with the flow and see where the process takes me.

The one thing I do have going for me is a fast growth rate. I've been getting about an inch to and inch and a quarter a month. I've read that a fast growth rate is correlated with a long terminal length.

[domisimone]

I don't think I would want my hair to be past knee, or classic unstretched. I read a book in fourth grade about a girl with a knee-length braid that she had to move out of her way so she wouldn't sit on it, and for a long time after that I wanted knee length hair. Now I'm thinking I would settle for a braid that I could sit on, even if I braided my hair while stretching it--so I would be alright with mid-thigh!

[floralgem]

Well, I reach BSL (yay!) Now let's see how much longer till knee! :cheer:

[Dragon Faery]

Well, I reach BSL (yay!) Now let's see how much longer till knee! :cheer:

Yay! :cheer: Congrats! :flower:

My DH measured for me yesterday, and I'm finally 29" wet. Only 1.5" to go till waist-when-wet. :)

[bayleafwish]

I would love to get to terminal length, but I would be so gutted if m terminal length wasnt as long as I'd hoped.

Just out of curiosity, do you think some people have a really short terminal length?

And how long do you wait before determining you have reached your terminal length?

[bayleafwish]

I would love to get to terminal length, but I would be so gutted if m terminal length wasnt as long as I'd hoped.

Just out of curiosity, do you think some people have a really short terminal length?

And how long do you wait before determining you have reached your terminal length?

[Madora]

I would love to get to terminal length, but I would be so gutted if m terminal length wasnt as long as I'd hoped.

Just out of curiosity, do you think some people have a really short terminal length?

And how long do you wait before determining you have reached your terminal length?


Whether or not your hair grows to a great length depends on your genes..plus how careful you are with your hair.

As for the waiting time, I'd say at least 10 years.

[neko_kawaii]

I would love to get to terminal length, but I would be so gutted if m terminal length wasnt as long as I'd hoped.

Just out of curiosity, do you think some people have a really short terminal length?

And how long do you wait before determining you have reached your terminal length?

Some people do have a really short terminal. My aunt's hair won't grow past her shoulders. She has wanted to have long hair her whole life and has tried every variety of care and nothing changes it. That said, I don't think it short terminals are common.

I don't have a vision in my head of what my terminal length would look like. I don't have an ideal hair length I'm aiming for so that I will feel beautiful. I think any length from nada to floor is beautiful. I'm simply curious.

[Gabbie]

The longest my hair has ever been is waist. I just had to have a major cut. There were just too many layers and too much damage. I've had lots of stress for the past year and my hair suffered. I would love to see just how long it will grow so I think I will try for terminal. It is all one length now and healthy.

[Xan]

I would love to have terminal although I feel like a trader I was at 44" and I cut 12" I'm back to 32" but wish I didnt cut. It does have a better healthier hemline and I guess I still have some hair left so onward from here.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I have the feeling my terminal length is not very long, but ill worry about that when i reach it. Im 21 and i think that ill know what my terminal length is when im about thirty. 10 year wait is hard, but i agree it would be about that to figure out what one's terminal length is. I started on th lhc wanting waist then very quickly desiring longer. Ideally id love knee to ankle length hair but ifmy terminal is waist then i can be comtent with that. I only once ever had hair waist length and thatwas wen i was 7.

[gthlvrmx]

i think im gonna take some time staying at knee actually. once i hit knee, im going to maintain it there and grow out the bottom part of my hair. its the old hair and not as pretty and healthy as the new hair. ive lost a lot of hair from shedding so ill also be letting my hair get some thickness down the length, im sure my hair will look very thin by knee length, im expecting more hair shedding soon. but it will be ok, after getting rid of damage, having thickness come down, i will continue growing my hair as long as it can go! :D i think the maintaining affects the hairs that were at knee and being cut, it makes the length when it reaches its time to fall out shorter. oh well.

maybe i shouldnt do that??? i dont even know if i can reach knee, i think i can. but im unsure...i dont know. but i think my more damaged hair thats not new will be like getting splitty when im at a longer length like classic or something. theres just this chunk of hair in the back thats shorter than the rest and has damage and thats why i wanted to maintain at knee, plus the hair sheds ive been having. i have a ton of new hair growing it seems like a good plan.

but i dont know....well either way i wont really CUT my hair ever again. but it seems like a nice plan, does that take me off as a termi? i will continue growing it as far as it can go after i get enough damage and thickness down.

[Dragon Faery]

Gthlvrmx:
Terminal is such a long journey, there are bound to be bumps along the way. Maintaining for awhile at any length is no reason to kick yourself out of this thread. Your final goal is still terminal, so you still qualify. :)

***
A little update: I'm at 29", according to my husband. When I measure myself I get 28.25" so I'm not entirely sure where I am, but I'm closing in on waist, slowly! (I'm going with his measurement since he works in construction and is used to measuring things, plus he can see behind me better than I can.)

I'm not exactly sure where to call waist on me. Before I gained 20 lbs it was 1.5" or 2" above my hipbones. Now the narrowest pointof my torso is about 3 ribs up from the bottom. But my back still has the biggest arch at the point where waist used to be. So from the back I look like I've passed waist already, but from the side I look like I have another 2" to go.

Because of all that, I'm not officially calling it Waist until I've hit my old waistline. But at least then I'll be that much closer to Hip!

[gthlvrmx]

Gthlvrmx:
Terminal is such a long journey, there are bound to be bumps along the way. Maintaining for awhile at any length is no reason to kick yourself out of this thread. Your final goal is still terminal, so you still qualify. :)

***
A little update: I'm at 29", according to my husband. When I measure myself I get 28.25" so I'm not entirely sure where I am, but I'm closing in on waist, slowly! (I'm going with his measurement since he works in construction and is used to measuring things, plus he can see behind me better than I can.)

I'm not exactly sure where to call waist on me. Before I gained 20 lbs it was 1.5" or 2" above my hipbones. Now the narrowest pointof my torso is about 3 ribs up from the bottom. But my back still has the biggest arch at the point where waist used to be. So from the back I look like I've passed waist already, but from the side I look like I have another 2" to go.

Because of all that, I'm not officially calling it Waist until I've hit my old waistline. But at least then I'll be that much closer to Hip!

Oh yeah you're right, thanks! :D Of course of course. :) A long journey indeed!
for your waist problem, i called waist between the area right under my ribs and above my hip bones. i called that waist and its a small area for me :p

[katfemme89]

Yay, I am growing to terminal, too! I can't wait to find out how long that is!

So, what are everyone's thoughts on what kind of hemline they'll maintain on the way there? I'm kind of torn between no trims just S&D and letting my hair have fairytale ends, or just maintaining my V shaped hemline the way I have been, or going blunt? i have no idea.

[IrishLassie]

I've never cut my hair, not even a trim, and It comes to about my knees. I'm very much a tomboy, but my long hair keeps me in touch with that longing to live a fairytale that I think many people secretly have. Letting it grow to terminal length is well worth the effort.

[neko_kawaii]

Yay, I am growing to terminal, too! I can't wait to find out how long that is!

So, what are everyone's thoughts on what kind of hemline they'll maintain on the way there? I'm kind of torn between no trims just S&D and letting my hair have fairytale ends, or just maintaining my V shaped hemline the way I have been, or going blunt? i have no idea.

I had a much needed trim last fall to remove the split prone ends and had it cut into a U shape just shy of waist length. I plan on doing S&D and letting it fairytale but if I don't have enough wave to pull it off I'm not sure what kind of hem I would want for long length, though it probably won't matter because I don't expect to wear it down much, so whatever works best for updos.

[katfemme89]

I had a much needed trim last fall to remove the split prone ends and had it cut into a U shape just shy of waist length. I plan on doing S&D and letting it fairytale but if I don't have enough wave to pull it off I'm not sure what kind of hem I would want for long length, though it probably won't matter because I don't expect to wear it down much, so whatever works best for updos.

I always noticed that when my hair was hip length and I had a blunt hemline, it was harder to tuck in the ends in updos. I think my tapered ends work a lot better.

[auburntressed]

I always noticed that when my hair was hip length and I had a blunt hemline, it was harder to tuck in the ends in updos. I think my tapered ends work a lot better.

Yes, as much as I wish I had thicker ends without so much taper for my braids, I would have to agree that my taper makes my updos more do'able.

[neko_kawaii]

I always noticed that when my hair was hip length and I had a blunt hemline, it was harder to tuck in the ends in updos. I think my tapered ends work a lot better.


Yes, as much as I wish I had thicker ends without so much taper for my braids, I would have to agree that my taper makes my updos more do'able.

Yep, I noticed that too after the trim. A year later it isn't as blunt and tucking in nicely.

[Dragon Faery]

Oh yeah you're right, thanks! :D Of course of course. :) A long journey indeed!
for your waist problem, i called waist between the area right under my ribs and above my hip bones. i called that waist and its a small area for me :p

Thanks. :) yes, the point you're talking about is where my waist used to be, so that's what I'm going with. :) But I have a long torso so it's about a 2-inch area which makes it hard to pick the exact same point every time. Hip is easier. I have the tops of the bones, and the top of a surgery scar all in a line to help me find it. :)


Yay, I am growing to terminal, too! I can't wait to find out how long that is!

So, what are everyone's thoughts on what kind of hemline they'll maintain on the way there? I'm kind of torn between no trims just S&D and letting my hair have fairytale ends, or just maintaining my V shaped hemline the way I have been, or going blunt? i have no idea.

Welcome!
I plan on maintaining a kind of blunt hemline until it stops getting longer with one. (By "kind of blunt" I mean I'll keep the ends even and not terribly thin but I won't worry too much about overall taper.) I figure that will be at least 8 years from now; I'll reassess in 2020. :D When it's been several years and hasn't gotten substantially longer with regular trims, I'll quit the trims and let it fairytale for another 10 years or so to see where True Terminal is on me. (The additional 10 years is just to make sure it's really terminal because I've seen several people on here who thought for 3 years or more that they were at terminal, and suddenly they started getting longer again.)
Of course, that assumes I don't have any sheds or massive health problems like cancer. Those could set me back a bit. :)

[teal]

Ooh, I'd like to join, please! :)

I just informed my DH last night that I'd like to see how long it could grow. His response sounded... concerned. I think mostly because he'd like to see it down more often! :lol:

[gthlvrmx]

Ooh, I'd like to join, please! :)

I just informed my DH last night that I'd like to see how long it could grow. His response sounded... concerned. I think mostly because he'd like to see it down more often! :lol:

jaja! XD i kinda like peoples responses and then showing them a piece of my mind XD your husband just seems like he needs to get used to the idea no biggie :) sounds like a great plan! maybe he would like to see it down more often :)

[Shepherdess]

I came across this picture on pinterest. This is my dream terminal length! ! :crush:
https://pinterest.com/pin/174233079305046944/

I think that finding hair pics on pinterest is a new hobby of mine! :p

[gthlvrmx]

I came across this picture on pinterest. This is my dream terminal length! ! :crush:
https://pinterest.com/pin/174233079305046944/

I think that finding hair pics on pinterest is a new hobby of mine! :p

Wow that is beautiful!!! :D:D:D I love it im hoping my hair will reach those lengths with that thickness! :333 so beautifful! :D come onnn 7 feet of hair. ;) actually i found a photo that i dream of my hair being as long. (sorry i cant show the full image, it wont on the computer, hope this link works! its super long..wait its shortened on LHC yes! )
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=super+long+hair&start=159&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1024&bih=499&tbm=isch&tbnid=1qd1ipTLkzOl1M:&imgrefurl=http://www.monstrous.com/monstrous_people/very_long_hair_people.html&docid=KI6kGyFxk5I_dM&imgurl=http://image2.linkinn.com/userfile/pictures_0903/Image/Extremely_Long_Hair_9.jpg&w=201&h=567&ei=4K1cUO2BGevpiwLbz4GACA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=447&vpy=4&dur=977&hovh=377&hovw=133&tx=82&ty=133&sig=113916870730605608943&page=9&tbnh=156&tbnw=55&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:159,i:300

[Shepherdess]

Wow that is beautiful!!! :D:D:D I love it im hoping my hair will reach those lengths with that thickness! :333 so beautifful! :D come onnn 7 feet of hair. ;) actually i found a photo that i dream of my hair being as long. (sorry i cant show the full image, it wont on the computer, hope this link works! its super long..wait its shortened on LHC yes! )
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=super+long+hair&start=159&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1024&bih=499&tbm=isch&tbnid=1qd1ipTLkzOl1M:&imgrefurl=http://www.monstrous.com/monstrous_people/very_long_hair_people.html&docid=KI6kGyFxk5I_dM&imgurl=http://image2.linkinn.com/userfile/pictures_0903/Image/Extremely_Long_Hair_9.jpg&w=201&h=567&ei=4K1cUO2BGevpiwLbz4GACA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=447&vpy=4&dur=977&hovh=377&hovw=133&tx=82&ty=133&sig=113916870730605608943&page=9&tbnh=156&tbnw=55&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:159,i:300

Yes, I sure wish hair would grow faster than it does!

The picture did work and that hair is amazingly long and looks thick even closer to the ends! ! ! :thud: I hope that I can grow my hair longer than floor length. Sometimes I worry that I won't get there. But I'll never give up hope! :cool:

I just came across this picture! :cheer:

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=bnmdcebWSeJdPM:&imgrefurl=http://sheehair.blogspot.com/2012/06/women-with-lovely-long-hair.html&docid=QZm9mRCtXMOxbM&imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4zhlAVZY8I/T-hdGBFitPI/AAAAAAAABT4/2WkKfAnWaY0/s1600/hair&#37;252Blong.jpg&w=440&h=390&ei=075cUOClAoXRyQGKnYHIDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=724&vpy=148&dur=312&hovh=211&hovw=238&tx=170&ty=125&sig=100785346525869699455&page=2&tbnh=143&tbnw=164&start=26&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:26,i:170

Hopefully someday soon we'll find out what our terminal length is!

[Dragon Faery]

Ooh, I'd like to join, please! :)

I just informed my DH last night that I'd like to see how long it could grow. His response sounded... concerned. I think mostly because he'd like to see it down more often! :lol:

Welcome! :D
Hehe, your DH will have plenty of time to get used to the idea. :)

[gthlvrmx]

Yes, I sure wish hair would grow faster than it does!

The picture did work and that hair is amazingly long and looks thick even closer to the ends! ! ! :thud: I hope that I can grow my hair longer than floor length. Sometimes I worry that I won't get there. But I'll never give up hope! :cool:

I just came across this picture! :cheer:

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=bnmdcebWSeJdPM:&imgrefurl=http://sheehair.blogspot.com/2012/06/women-with-lovely-long-hair.html&docid=QZm9mRCtXMOxbM&imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4zhlAVZY8I/T-hdGBFitPI/AAAAAAAABT4/2WkKfAnWaY0/s1600/hair%252Blong.jpg&w=440&h=390&ei=075cUOClAoXRyQGKnYHIDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=724&vpy=148&dur=312&hovh=211&hovw=238&tx=170&ty=125&sig=100785346525869699455&page=2&tbnh=143&tbnw=164&start=26&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:26,i:170

Hopefully someday soon we'll find out what our terminal length is!

it does looks thicker at the ends! so cool! no worries you WILL get there! we both will! :D:D itll just take time :)
ive seen that photo before! nice hair i like it! :) it must feel amazing to let your hair just hang on the ground while ur standing up doing something else.
never give up hope! :D

[pretty wings]

Got a trim last week and am back to grazing APL. If nothing else this year has taught me patience and. Not to obsess. At times I feared I had already made terminal but it truly was a lack of gentle care that work against me. I hope to do better in my third year of this journey.


Yay, I am growing to terminal, too! I can't wait to find out how long that is!

So, what are everyone's thoughts on what kind of hemline they'll maintain on the way there? I'm kind of torn between no trims just S&D and letting my hair have fairytale ends, or just maintaining my V shaped hemline the way I have been, or going blunt? i have no idea.
I have very kinky coily afro textured hair that I don't straighten often so my hemline doesn't matter too much, but I prefer to keep a U shaped hemline.

[RileyJane]

Ah I love this thread! I hope my own personal terminal is wayyy past my knee, but we shall see! I know to get where I want to be where I can be happy and wait will probably be in about a year or doin

[JadeTigress]

I definitely want to get to my terminal length. I'm pretty sure I was there before. I had classic length hair until I was 19, that for all those years never went past classic even though I rarely trimmed. I wish I had never cut my hair off, so now that I'm growing it out again I'm going to let it grow for as long at it wants to.

[capnjackfan]

I've never cut my hair, but I have no idea what my terminal length would be, lol. It hasn't stopped growing, but it doesn't grow down it grows out it an afro, :D. I also have no idea when a good time to trim would be or if I should trim at all.

[Iaine]

I've never cut my hair, but I have no idea what my terminal length would be, lol. It hasn't stopped growing, but it doesn't grow down it grows out it an afro, :D. I also have no idea when a good time to trim would be or if I should trim at all.

If your hair is healthy and doesn't need a trim, I'd say leave it alone. The few times I've had to get a trim have left me a little sad that I backtracked. I'm so jealous of the sheer length of your hair, by the way. :) Do you experience a lot of shrinkage?

[Jeep Girl]

Wow! I just had this conversation with my hubby last weekend! Can I join?!?

I had my hair down for once last weekend and he was freaking out at how long it's gotten. (sidebar note - I usually wear my hair in a top/pony braid because a) it's easy and keeps it out of the way, and b) because my boss kindly requested that I wear it up so that I don't get my head sucked into a machine and scalped and/or decapitated) My hubby was like "holy carp, your hair's long!" I guess that not doing anything but random S/D for a couple of years pays off - the tippy tips of my fairytale ends are at the middle of my calf! Then he was questioned me about how long I'm going to let it get, and that's when I said "'til it quits growing!" Okay - if it get's ankle length I will cut it - I miss wearing it down. I do need a trim desperately, my ends are crispy no matter what I do, but I just can't bring myself to cut them.

[Shepherdess]

Wow! I just had this conversation with my hubby last weekend! Can I join?!?

I had my hair down for once last weekend and he was freaking out at how long it's gotten. (sidebar note - I usually wear my hair in a top/pony braid because a) it's easy and keeps it out of the way, and b) because my boss kindly requested that I wear it up so that I don't get my head sucked into a machine and scalped and/or decapitated) My hubby was like "holy carp, your hair's long!" I guess that not doing anything but random S/D for a couple of years pays off - the tippy tips of my fairytale ends are at the middle of my calf! Then he was questioned me about how long I'm going to let it get, and that's when I said "'til it quits growing!" Okay - if it get's ankle length I will cut it - I miss wearing it down. I do need a trim desperately, my ends are crispy no matter what I do, but I just can't bring myself to cut them.
Oh, your hair sounds lovely! Congratulations on the length!! ! !:)

[Jeep Girl]

Thank you Shepherdess!

The horse in your avatar is very pretty!

[gossamer]

I'm at running-out-of-measuring-tape length, which is upper calf on me. I don't know what I'll do if my terminal length turns out to be longer than floor - my current length is what I thought would be terminal and it still is growing.

[piffyanne]

I'm at running-out-of-measuring-tape length, which is upper calf on me. I don't know what I'll do if my terminal length turns out to be longer than floor - my current length is what I thought would be terminal and it still is growing.

...You could sew another on at an easy calculation point, like at a 10 marker. Just use a sharpie to label the new inch number over the top and keep measuring! :)

[TheLadyKM]

I will try it!


I haven't seen any threads for particular goal lengths- but I think terminal is a special goal with its own unique challenges (for instance... where is it!? :D)

So this is a thread for all of us who want see how long our hair can really get! :cheer:

---------------------

I decided to grow to terminal mostly because I am just curious and also because of an increasing desire to not cut it due to personal spiritual reasons, but those ideas haven't really solidified for me.

My biggest worry now is just not knowing if/when trims are going to be necessary or useful. My hair is in crazy layers from growing out a pixie and I'm wondering if I should eventually get it all to one length and if so should I grow and then chop or trim a little bit at a time. :confused:

[trolleypup]

I'm at running-out-of-measuring-tape length, which is upper calf on me. I don't know what I'll do if my terminal length turns out to be longer than floor - my current length is what I thought would be terminal and it still is growing.
Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Singer-96-Inch-Extra-Vinyl-Measure/dp/B000PSA6GU/ref=pd_sim_misc_1) (or supplier of your choice) to the rescue. 96" Singer sewing tape. I figure if you run out of length on this, you probably should invest in a sleek surveyor's tape (http://www.amazon.com/Singer-96-Inch-Extra-Vinyl-Measure/dp/B000PSA6GU/ref=pd_sim_misc_1)!

[rowie]

Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Singer-96-Inch-Extra-Vinyl-Measure/dp/B000PSA6GU/ref=pd_sim_misc_1) (or supplier of your choice) to the rescue. 96" Singer sewing tape. I figure if you run out of length on this, you probably should invest in a sleek surveyor's tape (http://www.amazon.com/Singer-96-Inch-Extra-Vinyl-Measure/dp/B000PSA6GU/ref=pd_sim_misc_1)!

good to know, and they are cheap! Thanks!

[hanne jensen]

DH told me that he would like to see how long my hair will get. I've been curious as to how long my hair will grow. I'm actually hoping that I can reach ankle.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

DH told me that he would like to see how long my hair will get. I've been curious as to how long my hair will grow. I'm actually hoping that I can reach ankle.

Thats wonderful to have DH support. Hope you make it. Thats my dream length also.

Are you all one length now or do you have layers or a taper? I have a taper and layers i am hoping will grow out.

[Fyral]

I am currently growing out from a completely shaved head, so I am actually curious to see what exactly my terminal length is. (I think it may be halfway between mid back and waist.. if that makes any sense I don't know all the acronyms yet) since that was the longest that it ever seemed to reach the last time I grew it out. but that was after only 3 years and while I only did one or two trims within that time I had also bleached it to within an inch of its life a couple of times. so I'm curious to see where my hair can reach with no trims and growing out completely natural. after that point I may consider henna to see if I can get it even longer.

[gossamer]

I am currently growing out from a completely shaved head, so I am actually curious to see what exactly my terminal length is. (I think it may be halfway between mid back and waist.. if that makes any sense I don't know all the acronyms yet) since that was the longest that it ever seemed to reach the last time I grew it out. but that was after only 3 years and while I only did one or two trims within that time I had also bleached it to within an inch of its life a couple of times. so I'm curious to see where my hair can reach with no trims and growing out completely natural. after that point I may consider henna to see if I can get it even longer.

Careful (:p) with those assumptions! I thought my hair would stop at mid thigh.. then at knee... then at calf... and it's still going. My SO made fun of me for assuming it would stop at knee. "What, like evolutionarily your ancestors couldn't run well if their hair got any longer? You have no idea when it will stop!"

[ghost]

I'm really curious to see what my terminal length is. As long as my hair grows at least to classic length I'm fine, but I'm really hoping terminal, for me, is knee or even longer!

[DancingQueen]

I think I might go for terminal, just for fun, or until I get annoyed with it. Long hair is not really common here, and I am not sure how well I will be able to take care of it. But I am curious to see how long It can grow. As long as it is my hips, I will be satisfied, I think. :)

I probably won't see that length for a while though. My hair require regular trims (at least 1 cm every 3 months, sometimes a little more). I have been growing out from chin since december 2009, and I am still only just past APL (a bit longer when stretched). Granted, I did have about 25-30 cm of heat damage cut off during that time, but still. Do you think I can still make it to terminal?

[hanne jensen]

Vintagecoilylocks, my hair is all one length without a taper. When I joined LHC I did have layers. I grew them for a year and finally couldn't take it anymore. My last layer was about 6 centimeters from my hemline so I had DH chop 7 centimeters off. I was sad to lose the length, but a lot happier with my thicker hemline.

[Elithia]

I have a secret terror that my hair will quit before classic. Totally unfounded but seriously I just can't imagine that I'd be so lucky. Many years ago I grew it to hip and I went through a phase of fearing it would never grow past there, which is clearly now has. It's done 25 inches in the 3 years since I started this particular growth, with probably ~1 inch of trim, and I'm past tailbone ... so this is now uncharted territory. I'm noticing the length much more than six months ago, so I know it's growing (26" in 3 years is about 3/4 of an inch per month). At that growth rate in a year I should have 44 inches -- sneaking up on classic ... this hair-growing thing is a great exercise in patience. :)

[littlestarface]

I'm leaving my hair alone and will try to grow until it stops god willing it wont stop:p I'm at classic now so it's not too bad,I just have to not get obsessed with wanting it thicker at the bottom cuz my hair goes thinner as it gets longer. I hope I can just ingore it and let it grow.

[Savvyhorsez]

I would love to grow to terminal, but I think I will only grow it as long as I can handle it.

[Becky9679]

Thats wonderful to have DH support. Hope you make it. Thats my dream length also.

Are you all one length now or do you have layers or a taper? I have a taper and layers i am hoping will grow out.

Even if you start out with a thick straight hemline if you go for terminal you will eventually have a taper due to all the hairs on your head being at different stages in their growth cycle. You could cut out the layers at some point if you wish to though, I keep meaning to do it but haven't got around to it yet, my shortest layers are somewhere around waist and I don't want to lose that much length!

[PorcelainHorror]

The longest my hair has ever been was a few inches past BSL. That was when I wasn't really taking good care of it. Count me in, hopefully it will reach my waist!

[ravenheather]

So is anybody still here. I am between apl and bsl. I was tempted to trim but decided to just put it up for the summer. It's too hot to wear it down anyway.

So what is your dream length that you hope you will get too? For me it's knee. I can barely imagine that on myself. Not sure if I could handle it, but I would like to try. Of course anywhere from tb to classic would be good too.

[PetuniaBlossom]

My hair is just past waist, which is the longest its ever been. I want to find out what my terminal length is, so I'm going for it. I'm very tall (over 5'10") so I rarely bother measuring it in inches, just use body parts! Knee length on me would likely be mid-calf to ankle on a short person, so I just have to be extra patient. If I ever reach floor, I'll freak!!!!

[gthlvrmx]

havent been here in forever i made it to BCL!! :D:D :) buttcrack length!

super cool ill be to floor soon! ;D

[bte]

Still here - just a few days to go before the 19th anniversary of my last trim. Have been at terminal for about 15 years.

Good luck to all of you going for terminal length - enjoy both the journey and the result!

[dancingbarefoot]

I suspect my hair is at terminal now, hovering between mid-calf and ankle. It certainly doesn't seem like it's grown in about 2 years.

ETA: This is my hair today, showing finger-combed braid waves. This is the best photo I could get with the weird lighting and wind today, but I'll try for a better one later.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7451/9070287304_6f530f4318.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancingbarefoot/9070287304/)

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Still here and gladly still growing. I am just about 2 inches below Classic and my other layers are still moving down. I also would love to see a nice knee length in my life time. Calf would be awesome.l

[Vintagecoilylocks]

I suspect my hair is at terminal now, hovering between mid-calf and ankle. It certainly doesn't seem like it's grown in about 2 years.

Sounds nice though. I am hopeing for the same terminal length.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Still here - just a few days to go before the 19th anniversary of my last trim. Have been at terminal for about 15 years.

Good luck to all of you going for terminal length - enjoy both the journey and the result!

You may have said before but what is your length. Also when did you reach this length and did your layers if any continue until reaching the same or close to same terminal length. Sorry for so many questions just anxious to know.

[SerinaDaith]

I am just touching APL with goals of terminal. I have been MBL or just past BSL a few times but now I am going to go for longest lengths possible.

[chen bao jun]

I'd like to grow to terminal to see what it is. I'm just sorry I started taking care of my hair so late (aged 55). My grandmother had waist to hip length hair, curly. She's the person in my family who has had the longest hair. My aunts have mid-back. My grandmother on the other side had full brastrap, but her texture was very different from mine--she had fine hair and she was a wavy, not a curly.
When I look at photos, my favorite length is knee.
I can't process the idea that my hair could possibly grow that long, though. All my life, I thought my 'terminal' was shoulder-blade length and I am still processing the fact that it's now grown slightly longer than that (stretched) just one year after starting LHC. I can believe now that my hair might grow to waist (which would look like brastrap on me) and I would love for it to grow to waist curly. But knee seems to be a possibility for (lucky) other people.

[leslissocool]

I'm one inch away from tailbone after a 6 inch cut where the bottom of the V was almost at classic! I now have no layers other than the regrowth from the chicken pox which looks like I have a short undercut (shoulder length now).


I do have a "goal" which is knee, my grandmother had knee length hair so I think I have the genes, I'm still worried I'll hit terminal before though. I guess we'll see!

[Silverbrumby]

Hoping terminal isn't too far off. I've trimmed off 6 inches in the past two years to get a thicker hemline. Hasn't happened because as soon as it approaches BSL it thins naturally. I'm assuming that's because it's very close to terminal length. I have the odd racer hair going toward mid back but I VERY much doubt the rest will ever get there.

It's odd. Having a terminal length of BSL.

[MasCat]

Still growing to terminal. My hair is solid TB now, longest ever, and it seems to be slowly growing. I hope for knee. I crave at least classic...

[bte]

You may have said before but what is your length. Also when did you reach this length and did your layers if any continue until reaching the same or close to same terminal length. Sorry for so many questions just anxious to know.
Despite my efforts, I never made it beyond APL, which I reached after a bit less than 3 years. I never had any layers, so that didn't make any difference. Should have gone for terminal in my 20s, when I suspect I could hve achieved fingertip or even knee. Seriously envious of all of you who are close to or, like DBF, have achieved really long lengths!

[socks]

My terminal length is 67" which is just a bit past mid-calf. Right now, between the bleach and the neglect, my hair is at 62". I'm starting to take better care of my hair again though, so hopefully it will eventually start to work its way back to 67".

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Despite my efforts, I never made it beyond APL, which I reached after a bit less than 3 years. I never had any layers, so that didn't make any difference. Should have gone for terminal in my 20s, when I suspect I could hve achieved fingertip or even knee. Seriously envious of all of you who are close to or, like DBF, have achieved really long lengths!

George Micheals says age has nothing to do with it. I always had shoulder to ApL hair and now since I really discovered how to grow my hair I am 57 approching Finger tip.

[Silverbrumby]

@bte, I'm thinking that if your termin is now APL then Id be really surprised if it was fingertip or knee in your twenties. We have a lot of people in their 50's, 60's and beyond on this board and the long haired ladies are still long, a tad thinner in some cases but still able to achieve very long lengths if they had been able to in their teen's and twenties.

In my case I've never been much past BSL in any photos I can find including ones from my childhood where I stopped cutting my hair in 3rd grade (chin length, 8 years old) and didn't cut it or trim it again until I hit 2nd form or year 8 in Australia when I was 14. My hair was still around BSL I remember and looking back at photos.

[Silverbrumby]

George Micheals says age has nothing to do with it. I always had shoulder to ApL hair and now since I really discovered how to grow my hair I am 57 approching Finger tip.

I have to agree. I've always wanted long hair but it's never been much past BSL my whole life including the 6 years when I didn't cut or trim at all (zero blow frying or any kind of heat damage either during that time)

[bte]

@bte, I'm thinking that if your termin is now APL then Id be really surprised if it was fingertip or knee in your twenties. We have a lot of people in their 50's, 60's and beyond on this board and the long haired ladies are still long, a tad thinner in some cases but still able to achieve very long lengths if they had been able to in their teen's and twenties.

In my case I've never been much past BSL in any photos I can find including ones from my childhood where I stopped cutting my hair in 3rd grade (chin length, 8 years old) and didn't cut it or trim it again until I hit 2nd form or year 8 in Australia when I was 14. My hair was still around BSL I remember and looking back at photos.

Vintagecoilylocks George Micheals says age has nothing to do with it. I always had shoulder to ApL hair and now since I really discovered how to grow my hair I am 57 approching Finger tip.

Thank you both. I think it's a different situation for men. My hair grew at between 6 and 7 inches a year in my 20s and I had a few individual hairs from the top of my head that were half as long again as any I have now, hence my calculation!

[dancingrain91]

I'm headed for terminal but nervous because I regularly stall at BSL that my terminal may happen before classic. I know I've been past waist before though and that's still a lot of hair by today's standards.

[EdG]

Having reached terminal length five years ago, and having had long hair for half of my life, I can share my observations about terminal length and age.

My hair has always had a wide range of terminal lengths. Most of my hairs are terminal by tailbone, but a very small number can grow to my knees. This has remained consistent over the years. I envy the people on this board who can grow thick ends past their knees, but this isn't in my genetics (and me complaining about my hair usually gets the response that I have nothing to complain about).

The second limitation is breakage. Most of my hairs will break off before reaching their true terminal lengths. This appears to have worsened with age: when I was in my 20s, my hair was extremely strong (so strong that individual strands could not be broken by hand). By my late 40s, my strands have weakened so that they break easily. I attribute the change to age, and it is the reason why my hair is much more tapered today than it was a decade or two ago.
Ed

[Hairitic]

Well, I've been kind of wondering just what my goal length was. I've been thinking I'd like to know just how long I can get it to grow. How fun :p! On the other hand, I'm not sure if I could handle it longer than about Classic length. Will it be a PITA falling all around me :confused: How about keeping it out of the toilet? YIKES! :agape: Already it gets caught between the sofa seat and my butt when I sit on the couch and I'm not quite at BCL yet! I guess we'll just have to see as time goes on. At present, I plan only necessary trims to keep a neat, healthy hemline. ;)

[CurlyCap]

Sometimes I think about growing to terminal. I know my genetic length is very long. I've grown to BCL just through neglect with relative ease before. Also, since my hair is thick and curly, I know that I can growth the length without worrying about a thinning hemline.

My biggest concern is not whether my hair will grow, but whether I'll have the patience for it. As my hair gets longer, I always get more and more frustrated at the amount of work it takes to keep it well moisturized and "tame" enough for public consumption. And my hair is really low maintenance. Ridiculously so.

But I know that, with my curl pattern, curly hair to my butt would imply thigh length hair. So, the devilishly curious part of my brain wonder how long calf length hair would appear after it curled up....

[bte]

Having reached terminal length five years ago, and having had long hair for half of my life, I can share my observations about terminal length and age.

My hair has always had a wide range of terminal lengths. Most of my hairs are terminal by tailbone, but a very small number can grow to my knees. This has remained consistent over the years. I envy the people on this board who can grow thick ends past their knees, but this isn't in my genetics (and me complaining about my hair usually gets the response that I have nothing to complain about).

The second limitation is breakage. Most of my hairs will break off before reaching their true terminal lengths. This appears to have worsened with age: when I was in my 20s, my hair was extremely strong (so strong that individual strands could not be broken by hand). By my late 40s, my strands have weakened so that they break easily. I attribute the change to age, and it is the reason why my hair is much more tapered today than it was a decade or two ago.
Ed
That's a very interesting observation. I am sure that all parts of us get weaker as we grow older, so hair will be no exception. And we can't fight our genes!

[palaeoqueen]

I still don't know if I'll grow to terminal. I'm only just at APL and definitely want to grow to at least hip so, assuming I don't have a short terminal, I have a few years yet to figure out what I want :lol: I love the idea of classic and beyond hair but it seems that those are the lengths at which it gets more difficult to wear hair down and I think that would be an issue for me.

[Neneka]

This is very interesting thread. I just love reading new posts here. :)

I have been thinking about terminal length. Only it would be with reasonably blunt hemline for me. I recently decided to keep my hair up on public and outside so I could aim for longer lengths. I think waist with blunt hemline would be kind of a miracle. My mother always talks about my BSL hair like it was the longest hair she had ever seen. :lol: We have the same fine hair so it must be it.

[trolleypup]

Having reached terminal length five years ago, and having had long hair for half of my life, I can share my observations about terminal length and age.

My hair has always had a wide range of terminal lengths. Most of my hairs are terminal by tailbone, but a very small number can grow to my knees. This has remained consistent over the years. I envy the people on this board who can grow thick ends past their knees, but this isn't in my genetics (and me complaining about my hair usually gets the response that I have nothing to complain about).
Which is quite unfair...we should all be allowed to whinge about the things that bother us.

The second limitation is breakage. Most of my hairs will break off before reaching their true terminal lengths. This appears to have worsened with age: when I was in my 20s, my hair was extremely strong (so strong that individual strands could not be broken by hand). By my late 40s, my strands have weakened so that they break easily. I attribute the change to age, and it is the reason why my hair is much more tapered today than it was a decade or two ago.
Ed

That's a very interesting observation. I am sure that all parts of us get weaker as we grow older, so hair will be no exception. And we can't fight our genes!
I'll stand as an example of stability...my hair is about as strong and thick as it was when I started growing. My ends are more fragile of course, being at least a few years older and more worn than they were at classic/thigh. So don't give up all hope!

Sometimes I think about growing to terminal. I know my genetic length is very long. I've grown to BCL just through neglect with relative ease before. Also, since my hair is thick and curly, I know that I can growth the length without worrying about a thinning hemline.

My biggest concern is not whether my hair will grow, but whether I'll have the patience for it. As my hair gets longer, I always get more and more frustrated at the amount of work it takes to keep it well moisturized and "tame" enough for public consumption. And my hair is really low maintenance. Ridiculously so.

But I know that, with my curl pattern, curly hair to my butt would imply thigh length hair. So, the devilishly curious part of my brain wonder how long calf length hair would appear after it curled up....
Here's hoping you can find a bearable level of care so you (and we) can answer your curiosity!

[Jenny31557]

I definitely want to grow to terminal at least once in my life. I can't imagine how long it might get but I need to know! Lol
I'm hoping it's around classic but I'd be happy with tailbone too. I would love for it to get to mid thigh. My dream goal. :)

[Silverbrumby]

@Edg Having reached terminal length five years ago, and having had long hair for half of my life, I can share my observations about terminal length and age.

My hair has always had a wide range of terminal lengths. Most of my hairs are terminal by tailbone, but a very small number can grow to my knees. This has remained consistent over the years. I envy the people on this board who can grow thick ends past their knees, but this isn't in my genetics (and me complaining about my hair usually gets the response that I have nothing to complain about).

The second limitation is breakage. Most of my hairs will break off before reaching their true terminal lengths. This appears to have worsened with age: when I was in my 20s, my hair was extremely strong (so strong that individual strands could not be broken by hand). By my late 40s, my strands have weakened so that they break easily. I attribute the change to age, and it is the reason why my hair is much more tapered today than it was a decade or two ago.
Ed

That is interesting. I've had the reverse happen but only because I use the supplement 'biosil'. Tastes terrible, like rotten fish but I mix it with juice. About 2 years ago I started using it. I've had onion peel nails all my life. So fragile they are paper thin and peel as soon as they get much past my finger tips. Since taking that supplement they get so long I have to file them. They also 'snap' off now instead of peeling. My hair feelings stronger now but it's only 12 inches of growth and my currently length is about 17 to 18 inches (for the longest strands that fall out and are measured)

I'm hoping that even with my obviously shorter terminal length that in the next year when most of the longer ends get to 18 inches that the biosil has made a significant improvement to my hair as well. I'm hoping I can grow out those thinning ends a little bit longer and finally, finally get to MBL.

Fingers crossed.

[EdG]

That is interesting. I've had the reverse happen but only because I use the supplement 'biosil'.Interesting. I didn't know that silicon had a use in the body. I have always associated silicon with electronics.
Ed

[Katrina]

This is the right place for me :) I had little longer than tailbone length hair until February 2011, but it was dyed and I wanted virgin hair. So I chopped it off, just above my shoulders. It has grown to waist length without any trims since September 2011 and I'm happy with how it looks. I didn't notice much tapering last time when my hair was between tailbone and classic, so I'm very optimistic that my terminal length could be at least around knee. Well, we'll see. I'm not planning any trims, because my ends are in very good condition. I have noticed that virgin hair doesn't get splits as easily as dyed hair.

[Vyrii]

I would like to join the hunt for terminal :)

Before discovering LHC I didn't even know that hair had a terminal length. I never thought about it really, but it's not surprising since my mother has had her hair down to her hips on numerous occasions, and I just assumed that all hair grew that long.

I'm currently just past waist, about 4" until tailbone, with a thick layered hemline. I'm really hoping that I can make it to knees without tapering. I might hover around tailbone or classic to get rid of all the damage from botched bleach jobs however, then on to terminal.

[PeacenQuietGal]

Interesting. I didn't know that silicon had a use in the body. I have always associated silicon with electronics.Ed

I think the nutrient is Silica actually. And a good source is cucumbers, which is great because I just made a nice big cucumber salad with vidalia onions, vinegar, sugar, and dill. It's marinating in the fridge now :yumm:

[kitemera15]

I'm heading to terminal, and hoping for at least knee length!

[Haybop]

I may have short hair at the moment (shoulder length) but, as I'm from a family of short hairs, I really want to see how long my hair will grow. There's an old picture of a relative from Victorian times and she has this amazing hair style which does make it appear that she has lots of hair. My grandad (he's her great grandson) says he remembers her hair being down to her knees even when she was old and so I'm kinda keeping my fingers crossed ;)

[farmlass]

I'm trying for terminal just out of curiosity, and to see how I'd cope with really long hair! I'm just at TB, having grown from chin in about 3 years with one cut taking a couple of inches off and more recently a micro-trim. I've had layers/feathering for years and so they are just growing with my hair, making it thinner at the ends, but I don't want to chop them out in one go and lose the length!

[TheVegan6]

I am going to go to terminal eventually, but I want to make sure that it is really terminal, so I will be trimming a little to make sure that my hair is as healthy as possible, with the thickest ends possible. I believe that I could do knee and have alright ends. I am positive that they could be very full at thigh. I don't really want to go past floor. I know I'm being very optimistic, but I would probably have nice ends at calf, too. I am just going to trim, grow out all layers, and wait until my hair is healthy enough to go to terminal.:bull:

[mariakatija]

I'd love to join this thread! I have absolutely no idea what term is on me. The longest my hair has ever been was BSL, which it is now. It may have been waist when I was younger, but I was a few inches shorter then. anyway. My goal right now is knee, but longer hair is quite possibly in my future! Who knows if I can even grow it to knee? I will find out!

[SerinaDaith]

I'm in for Terminal Length, sure don't know what that looks like, just hopeful that it's longer than my mom's 29 inches..