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Me three!Quote:
Originally Posted by momschicklets
Does anyone think I am at APL yet? Sorry I know I keep asking.. I am unsure if I should wait until I am APL without pulling on my hair?
I think it will be 18 months before I can get there curly which is a little disappointing but I want to do this properly. So any insight/ input would be fab. Thanks in advance :toast:
http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/...ps57e4d0c0.jpg
Did I actually make it??? I canīt believe it! One year and two months since SL!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...2&d=1418429457
For comparison:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...1&d=1406611932
Jennah it looks like you made it! congrats!
CremeTron, I think everyone has their own way of calling APL - whether you call it when stretched or when curly is up to you. Stretched you definitely look like you hit APL. My hair has some shrinkage too, so just call it when you feel like you can at this point. If you want to wait, wait, if not, call it and congrats :)
Thanks moontree! Itīs official now! :disco:Quote:
Originally Posted by moontree
I trimmed off my stringy layers which were making my hair look like rats tails. On the plus side my hair looks SO much better - fuller and healthier. However, it is now going to take me probably another five months to get to APL. This task is never ending.
Ain't that the truth. I'm torn between making some progress and making it better. I think I trimmed off any growth I might have had this year, but it does look better. Why can't we get both?
APL? Yes that should technically be possible.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeAndTheMaz
I totally agree. I really want to get past this milestone and it is a struggle. I need a trim too. Happy for you that your hair looks fuller and healthier. At least you are enjoying that and it is important to like your hair and enjoy it along the way.Quote:
Originally Posted by RubyTuesday
Congrats, Jennah! Hair looks very thick and well cared for too.
Thanks, Moontree. I am not sure and still thinking about it but I may wait until I reach APL unstretched but with wet hair which is a compromise I suppose.
I've been a bit fed up with my hair lately, so thought I'd do a 'hair journey' post in here to remind myself that hair grows and my hair's condition is improving all the time. I had hoped to be APL by Christmas, but it seems my hair doesn't grow as fast as I thought it did!
So, as my sig says, I've been growing out some fairly major damage from trichotillomania since February this year. I had a year of CBT in 2013-14, and when my course of therapy stopped I finally found the strength and willpower to stop pulling completely. I'd been pulling since age 11 and while it had got particularly bad in the last couple of years, I'd never been able to stop for longer than three or four months before now. CBT is amazing!
I used to pull most from my left side and crown, so that's where the most new hair is growing in. I had my hair cut to just above shoulder length in early June, and have had no trims since then. My hair has always been pretty straight - pin straight as a child, but developing a slight wave as I've got older. However, the new hair seems to be growing in long S waves - very hard to manage for someone who's had straight hair for 32 years! The ends of the new hair seem quite damaged - very frizzy, very wavy and dry. They don't lie flat and I'm finding a few split ends.
This is just to show the length of my hair a couple of weeks after last being cut:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...1&d=1418559642
By September it had grown to below shoulder, but was frazzled from frequent straightening. I didn't know how else to manage the new hair, which was becoming very obvious as it grew out. The two pictures below (taken when I started reading LHC and was trying to figure out how to take photos of the back of my head!) show it unstraightened - with a very obvious wave at the level of the damaged hair - and lightly straightened:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...0&d=1418559102http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...9&d=1418559044
Since September I have completely changed my hair routine. Previously I was using L'Oreal Fibrology shampoo, didn't condition regularly, washed my hair every day and use straighteners every few days. Post-LHC, I've straightened my hair twice since September, only for special occasions when I just needed it to look its best and be manageable. I've also stopped washing my hair every day - it used to need it because it was so thin, but now I can easily go three days, even with my quite oily hair. I rarely blow dry. I've started working with the waves, as I can't hide them - on wash days I braid my hair damp and wear it down with braidwaves for a couple of days (or up if it's windy or a bad hair day). I'm using gentler shampoos and am doing regular deep treatments with EVOO, shea butter or coconut oil, and have found argan oil and silicones really help control the new growth's frizziness. I do still dye my hair, as I'm only 33 and have a lot of greys, and I don't personally like salt and pepper hair on me - my mum's had it as long as I can remember.
This is my hair last week, finger combed and air dried:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...8&d=1418558932
The uneven waves of the new growth are still obvious, but I feel they blend in better now it's longer - and more importantly, in much better condition. It's really starting to fill in at the sides - my longest new hair is about chin length now - and it's got its shine back. I've had so many comments about how thick and healthy it looks - most people didn't know I used to pull my hair out, but I'm happy to tell people about it now I've stopped! I do feel the ends need a trim - it's been six months and they're getting a bit tangly - but I'm leaving that until after Christmas at least, just in case I feel I need to straighten it to tame the frizz over the holidays when I'll be socialising a lot.
I feel like my hair's growing more slowly than usual, but that's probably because I'm paying it more attention! I hope to reach APL by Easter, and will then have more regular trims to start to even out the old and new growth. I'll be so happy when I can finally cut out those first couple of inches of frizzy waves!
ETA - sorry the images are so huge! I don't have time to fix them now, but will do when I'm back home later today :-/
That's excellent progress, purplevickie! And congratulations with the success of your treatment, too. :)
I thought I'd be to APL by Christmas as well. Guess it was just wishful thinking on my part. I'm not discouraged, though. I've gone almost one year without trimming or cutting my hair and plan to just carry on unless I see any obvious damage.