Classic to floor -- if you could do things differently....?

[dagny]

I am curious to see if those with classic length (and beyond) would do anything differently with regard to hair care or routine? I mention CL and beyond only because this length of hair would presumably get more damage than shorter lengths would.

Kind of like an, "if only I had known THIS back THEN...".

I want to reach my goal length quickly, but would hate to regret doing (or not doing) something at a later date that had thwarted my goal (or slowed it down considerably).

I am not thinking of the things that cause obvious major damage(heat, bleach), but more of the things that one won't think about until AFTER reaching CL or beyond. Things such as:

-- trim vs no trim to get to length goal
-- S&D only vs no S&D vs microtrims
-- specific routine vs basics of just wash and condition
-- fairytale ends vs blunt hemline
-- protective styles at night
-- etc.


Thanks! :-)

[lapushka]

When I was classic and shorter I could detangle my hair after the wash bent over, and put my stylers (curl cream/gel/serum) in bent over as well, then flick my hair back and it would be fine.

Then at FTL suddenly I got knots during the week (I weekly wash). Mystery. Checked my products, checked it all. Mystery.

Until the light bulb went off! I needed to brush bent over, and then right side up and THEN put my stylers in. I had a few weeks' worth of damage and breakage due to knots.

I will remember next time I cross classic into FTL to detangle *well* and put my stylers in right side up.

Who would have known?

[Zesty]

Hmm. I learned most of my hair lessons during my first grow out, so this one has gone pretty smoothly. I started at above APL armed with all my LHC knowledge and years of experimentation with my routine at longer lengths. This "round," I probably should have been more strict about wearing my hair up when I was around hip or so, because I think it caused some breakage. (The underlying lesson is: Listen to LHC wisdom, it exists for a reason. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but consider it.)

I'm also leaning more towards regular trims now but that's a new development.

Otherwise... the first time, I learned:

1. Listen to your frickin' scalp. Just do what it wants. Period.
2. Make a point to have fun with your hair, or all your effort will be for naught when you cut it off in frustration!

Neither of which has much to do with hitting classic. Maybe I will be wiser later.

[meteor]

Oh, cool idea for a thread.

I think I regret not having learned how to French/Dutch/lace-braid my own hair when it was much shorter. I can do it on other people's (shorter and thinner) hair, but mine is way too much mass for me to work with now. I highly recommend to anyone going for "extreme" lengths to learn how to braid earlier rather than later, because by the time you'll be dealing with greater lengths, you'll be pretty experienced so it the change will sneak up on you without feeling like a big deal. The same goes to really complex and sectioned updos - better do them at shorter lengths when hair is easier to handle without too much tangling frustration.

I wish I'd known that hairdressers aren't necessary - they always raked through my hair with dense brushes, causing lots of pain and they cut too much, thinned out my hair too much, heavily layered my hair, etc... etc... There is really no *need* to go to a salon for a regular cut, like a clock - it's not a dentist appointment.

I wish I had learned scalp-only washing techniques even earlier (they are a great time-saver for me).
Also, using silky-smooth materials as scarves/pillowcases for bed to prevent friction and finding good quality detangling tools that don't pull and break hair was a critical investment (I like tangle teezer, large afro pick, wide-tooth wooden comb) - it saved me lots of breakage, splits and other troubles later. And finding LHC-style hairtoys - I wish I'd known about them earlier, then I would have been able to keep my hair much longer and avoid unnecessary cuts back when I couldn't find anything in stores that could securely keep my hair contained and out of the way.

There is probably more stuff, but these are the first ideas that come to mind.

[Haven]

As an aspiring classic I'm looking forward to seeing these reflections

[littlestarface]

Since I have had classic to calf,classsic to knee to calf to knee for a long time now I can say my regrets were never trimming regularly, wearing my hair down when walking as hair can go in the crease of the knee and get looped around chairs which is just awful. Fairy tale ends/letting my hair due its own thing was a huge mistake. Also rubber bands/elastics huge huge mistake, I cut them out about 99% now or else rip hair.

[MusicalSpoons]

I am curious to see if those with classic length (and beyond) would do anything differently with regard to hair care or routine? I mention CL and beyond only because this length of hair would presumably get more damage than shorter lengths would.

Kind of like an, "if only I had known THIS back THEN...".

Oh, not much, only everything I know about haircare and practically my entire routine! I discovered LHC around TBL so I have an entire litany of hair regrets - I mean I didn't use heat or chemical processing but I was stuck in a cycle of hip - tbl - chop the raggedy ends off - hip - tbl ... thinking my hair just didn't grow any longer. Spoiler alert: it does, but not if you keep destroying the ends with hair elastics!

ANYway, I have neither the time nor energy to write about everything right now, but one length-specific thing is that I wished I'd known about alternative washing methods much sooner. I'd love to try some of them out, especially herbal washing, but my ends are too fragile and too thin to risk making any real mistakes and end up damaging them. (Plus I'm a lot more attached to the length now than I was back then )

Great idea for a thread!

[sophia_]

Oh, jeez, my ends have gone through so much back in the day
I found LHC at around midback-waist length, I don't know exactly (I waited years to make an account lol). Before that I knew a little bit about haircare, but I did a whole lot of horrible stuff nonetheless. I stopped doing those things when I found LHC, but when I first started trimming my hair, I used fabric scissors. I still was too impatient to detangle properly, and I didn't want to buy new brushes. I still thought I could use heat "sometimes," and that it would only hurt if I did it absolutely every day. I slowly stopped heat usage, the last time was I think almost 3 years ago. All that hair is probably still on my head, though, because for the longest time I neglected any trims, and my fine hair can't handle that.
Another vote for learning to French braid, esp. for fine hair- it becomes spiderwebs and it's a lost cause at this point.
Get used to wearing your hair up every day and it will hurt a lot less, because you will have gotten used to it.
Pinning back the front pieces seperately saves the hairline

[HaMalka]

I wish I had known how to properly use hair sticks and things. I often wore my hair in a bun held up by a single ponytail until I couldn't anymore.

I regret not doing things that changed my parts position more as it now causes me enough pain that when my part changes I have to ice my scalp. I think that if I had regularly worn different partings when my hair was shorter and thus less heavy my scalp would not be so sensitive now.

I also regret not doing more up-dos when my hair was shorter. My hair has gotten long enough that there are buns I cannot do because my hair is too long and I never did them when my hair was the appropriate length for them.

[sumidha]

Honestly not much... Maybe hopped onto the silk pillowcase bandwagon earlier, because it's so helpful with keeping my nape hairs and halo hairs from turning into a knotted frizzy mess.

Just for me, personally, acknowledging the fact that my hair splits really easily and letting go worrying about it, or trying to achieve split free hair.