I'm back :)

[girlcat36]

I've been away for a while……ever since my devastating chop to chin length in 2012. In early 2012, I experienced a lot of hair loss, and my hair seemed to inexplicably change texture. It looked truly horrific by the summer of 2012, and I had to cut it all off.

I blamed many things…..the sun, a new hair color, medication, Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose changing it's formula…….I couldn't figure it out.
My hair was always thin, but even so, it was in very good condition, until 2012:

My hair in 2011 on the left, and how it progressed(or regressed) in 2012:



There was no help for my hair…no oil, or deep conditioning treatment helped. I had to cut it. It was so depressing that I had to leave LHC.


It's been almost three years now since my chop, and I've been able to regain some length and I'm feeling much better about it. As soon as I cut my hair three years ago, I decided to stop coloring and embrace my natural gray:




I've learned a lot about my hair in the meantime…..I've learned that I like having gray hair, and I have found a decent substitute for my reformulated one-time Holy Grail conditioner--Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose. I've learned that my curly hair does not like what most curly hair likes, and this is huge because now I can stop wasting my money on over priced curly girl products. I also suspect that years of Tangle Teezer use was shredding my length, so I'm back to seamless combs only.
I also figured out that my hair hates ACV rinses, and actually does better when I use heat on it due to low porosity.

My hair will always be thin with a lot of taper, but I'm hoping to be BSL by summer, and WL by next year.

[Five of Five]

Wow, both you and your hair look stunning in your latest photo

I'm glad you've made such a come-back and that you've found a routine that works for your curly hair. Looks like you'll reach your final goals very soon.

[spidermom]

Looking good, gc! I'm glad to see you drop in over here even though I see you regularly on FB.

Oh, and funny, I've decided that it's better to use a blow-dryer with my hair because of high porosity. It soaks up a lot of water and takes forever to dry, which keeps my hair in a fragile state for much too long.

[cheetahfast]

Wow looking great!

[rags]

Welcome back, GC!!

Your hair is looking utterly AWESOME in your latest pics! I love it!

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Five of Five…Spidermom…Cheetahfast…and rags!

I'm just not meant for short hair. It didn't look cute, or spunky, or fun, or anything like that on me. I'll never forget the shocked silence the day I went in to work having gone from waist length to chin length. No one said anything, and I don't blame them. It didn't look good :/

Spidermom….just so you know, I've deactivated my FB account for the time being. And that's really interesting that you are finding heat beneficial for high porosity hair!

[Chocowalnut]

It looks great. I'm glad you made a recovery from the hair loss. Good luck growing again

[chebella]

Wow, you're absolutely beautiful. The gray hair really suits you, girlcat36! I think the length it is now is really flattering and sophisticated, but I think that WL hair on you would look just magical. Do you think you'll try any treatments to make it grow faster, or are you letting it grow on its own?

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

Ooooh, you have such pretty gray curls!

[girlcat36]

Thank you, Chocowalnut!

Chebella…thank you very much for your very nice comment!
I would love waist length hair….my hair is baby fine and thin and grows slowly, so I struggle to gain length after shoulder. I am sort of cheating by posting a pic wearing a dark shirt; my length is relatively see-through.
I am using mustard oil on my scalp at the moment, but I am intrigued by the caffeine thread, and I might give that a try.