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

[Lisabunny]

I believe I have reach my terminal length at 29 inches. Hair has not grown in at least three years. But I have started again on biotin. Who knows maybe it will grow? I am happy with it.

[PrairieRose]

There are many of you telling me that it will even out as it gets longer or I wont notice. I have to be honest- I really don't believe you. My hair is very fine and thin, and mostly straight, and I don't see these random choppy bits of hair being not noticeable or my hemline looking anything but ragged and scraggly.

I have a serious thin-hair complex and having hair that's chopped up in places is NOT helping. I don't know if I can live with hair like this long enough to grow it out.

But you guys know long hair better than I do and I should listen to you, so I will try. I have a feeling that I am going to find something about my hair to be insecure about no matter what, and right now I am just picking on layers.

Just for reference, this is the hair cut I am growing out.

I think your hair has grown out rather well! I don't think your hair looks too thin. I understand about the insecurity thing, I go through the same thing. I do tend to pick at certain aspects of my hair or self, if it's not one thing it's another
My sister and I have both been in your situation regarding growing out hair cuts. She tends to cut more and even out and I tend to grow more and eventually trim. Either way it all tends to even out, we both end up in the same place. So I think you should take to some time to make sure your sure about your decision and then do what makes you feel good

[ladyshep]

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!!!!

[ravenheather]

Thanks, everyone.

I just want to mention that these layers are not natural layers from growing out an all-one-length pixie. These are layers from the Worst Haircut in the History of Scissors. The front is longer than the back but the middle (is there even a middle?) is the shortest and I have layers next to my ear that are shorter than my fringe.

I don't think this is ever going to get "neater" as it grows!!

I want to have uncut hair but I think it's fair to give myself a starting point that I am comfortable with. At this point, I'm wondering whether I should maintain at nape until the layers catch up or grow it out until the shortest hairs are at nape and then chop. The latter option is probably 3-4 months away.

Oh, there's also the option of shaving bald and really starting from scratch! (Am I crazy?)

If I find a picture of that horrible hair cut I'll post it so you can see just how bad it really was.

If it was me, I'd wait on trimming. What helped me with the awkward stage was either a headband to keep it off my face or a barrette for just the top/bangs. If the front looks neat then I can tolerate flippy choppy ends in the back. If you don't trim you are just that much closer to being able to put it up. I don't think your hair looks thin. Just remember we're here to talk you down from the ledge. LOL.

[jeanniet]

Except that that was just a years long stall. I've been gaining quite slowly the last year or so. Right now I am at the "Well, that is definitely past almost knee and into the Can I Call This Knee" territory! 56" plus some amount of small change.

That's right, I remember you mentioning somewhere you're growing again. So no more terminal for you!

Holothuroidea, if I were you I would pick a length (chin, nape, whatever) and get all your layers caught up, and then grow. It may not take that long. I understand what you mean about dealing with choppy layers, and IMO they will just continue to drive you crazy until they're gone, so you might as well face the music and do it now. You may be OK with the last layer or two, but if you have that much uneveness now I would focus on getting rid of that first. It looks like you've already done a lot of the growing, so a few more months will probably take care of the rest.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

Leave the layers and go for terminal... Eventually, the layers will remove themselves

Thanks for this. Sometimes it just does'nt seem they will.

[Mesmerise]

I am sort of fascinated by terminal... but I am not sure if I will actually ever try for it. I'm a bit ho hum, simply because I want to be able to wear my long hair loose... and I don't know that terminal ends would really suit that! I've always preferred neat ends.

Then again... I don't think my terminal would be very long, so it might be a nice idea to get there, and then just trim up the ends. Given my hair's natural thinness... and its propensity to shed, I don't think the growth phase of my hair is long enough to create truly "long" terminal hair.

Ultimately, if my terminal is longer than hip I will be happy, because I'd like hip length hair . Still... it will be awhile before I know given all the trimming I did last year ... from almost waist I'm barely APL now.

[EdG]

When people ask me why my hair is long, I tell them I'm conducting a long-running science experiment on my head to see how long it will go.

I have said that too. It's all in the name of science.
Ed

[elthia]

Holo,

When I grew out from a haircut similar to yours, a alcohol free gel, and bobby pins were my friends. Also scarves and hats, and I don't look good in hats. After that I transitioned to african butterfly hairclips, and I wore those for 2 years. My coworkers, never saw my hair down. I now have gotten to the point where I CAN NOT STAND the african butterfly hairclips, and threw them away, but they worked. I did the wear your hair up challenge and benign neglect, before I ever discovered LHC. Wearing your hair up out of the way, and benign neglect works.

Evening up layers does help as it grows longer, but growing it out can be done

[holothuroidea]

Thank you very much for the confidence boost, summergreen!

Prairie Rose- I think you are right. I will probably end up in the same place 6 years from now no matter what I do. It might be worth it, though, to even up the hemline in the beginning stages just to make them more tolerable and to feel less self conscious. I'm still completely undecided, but I have at least 3 months before I can even consider chopping to the shortest layer so I will mull it over until then.

Jeanniet- Thank you for the alternative perspective. You basically summed up my rational for getting rid of the layers. I just don't know if it's exactly what I want to do, yet. If my goal was waist or hip or something it would make more sense- but growing to terminal means I'm going to have fairy tale ends and I have thin-ish hair and something tells me that I might just have to learn to accept that.

elthia- Bobby pins are my worst enemy. I still have a cocaktoo thing sprouting out of the part right in the front of my head from bobby pin damage (pinning fringe back, to be precise) I am only putting those things in my hair for special occasions! My hair is really fragile and I don't think the butterfly clips would work for me due to the elastic- although they are very cool and would probably be lovely in other hair types so thanks for the rec.

Thanks again everyone!