Hi there!

[Annapox]

I never really know what to say in introductory forum posts, but here goes:

Hi! I go by Annapox on the Internet, I'm a 29-year-old disabled woman (I decided to join this forum when I saw there was a thread for disabled people with long hair), and I have very straight, very fine, very dense hair that tangles if you look at it funny and can escape from most cute hair accessories. Right now I guess it's somewhere between mid-back-length and waist-length, and I think it's stopped growing. When I was a kid I watched Little House on the Prairie and dreamed of having hair long enough for waist-length braids, but at this point I don't have a particular length goal. If my hair gets longer at some point, that'll be great, but I'm fine with my current length as well.

Mostly I'm just hoping I can figure out how to get my hair to have fewer knots; I lose a slightly disconcerting amount of hair in my comb and brush, and I'd like to fix that before I get to the age where my hair might start thinning. I'm also interested in learning new hairstyles that look cute, stay put, keep my hair from getting extremely tangled, and don't take a long time to do. Braids work pretty well for me, but I'd like to branch out a bit. For disability-related reasons, I also think it would be cool if I could go longer between washes without my hair looking greasy and my scalp getting weird flakes that apparently everyone except me can see. I've learned recently that using shampoo with tea tree oil in it and brushing my hair with a boar bristle brush keeps the flakes at bay, but only if I wash my hair about every two days, which isn't always manageable.

Non-hair stuff: My educational background is in math, I have two emotional support guinea pigs (emotional support animals are a real thing in the US and are protected under the Fair Housing Act), and I like to read, knit, and play video games (not at the same time).

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Hi, welcome here! If you want to grow your hair longer, bunning using hair forks or sticks (or even hair claws if they have no rough edges) is good, and also wearing a silk sleep cap in bed for protection, or a silk pillowcase. And being gentle with your hair ALL the time - some good tips there, that's what I do, at least Also, combing hair from the ends and gradually working your way up to the scalp rather than starting at the scalp and trying to drag the comb down to the ends.... Oh, and I can barely add two and two together, I just don't have a maths brain.

[Annapox]

If you want to grow your hair longer, bunning using hair forks or sticks (or even hair claws if they have no rough edges) is good, and also wearing a silk sleep cap in bed for protection, or a silk pillowcase.

I know a couple hair stick/fork buns, and I'm gradually getting better at them. Usually it takes me a couple tries to get the bun secure enough without making it uncomfortably tight. The ends of my hair love to escape from buns. I never bun my hair with anything other than hair sticks or a hair fork because I never got the hang of bobby pins or anything. Mostly I just braid my hair, though. I don't think anything made of silk is currently in my price range, unfortunately.

Also, combing hair from the ends and gradually working your way up to the scalp rather than starting at the scalp and trying to drag the comb down to the ends....

Yeah, I do need to be a little more mindful when I comb my hair. I always intend to start at the ends and work my way up gradually, but somehow that's never what happens.

I can barely add two and two together, I just don't have a maths brain.

I actually struggle with mental arithmetic, too. It seems like a lot of math people do. At a certain point numbers start showing up less and less often in our work, so we get out of practice. I struggled with mental arithmetic even as a kid, but that's just because of my learning disability.

[TatsuOni]

Welcome!

[lapushka]

Welcome!

[shelomit]

Howdy, nice to meet you! I have a pretty limited range of motion in my arms and find that an orchid or nautilus bun is very nice for everyday wear. They both go in pretty quickly, so it's usually not onerous to take them out, detangle, and put back up once per day. An orchid bun also has the advantage of being comfortable to lie down in.

[Annapox]

Howdy, nice to meet you! I have a pretty limited range of motion in my arms and find that an orchid or nautilus bun is very nice for everyday wear. They both go in pretty quickly, so it's usually not onerous to take them out, detangle, and put back up once per day. An orchid bun also has the advantage of being comfortable to lie down in.

Ooh, I'll have to check out the orchid bun! I can usually manage a nautilus bun, but it usually takes me a couple tries to get it secure but not uncomfortably tight. Same with the cinnamon bun. I've also found that if I have a migraine, bunning my hair will make it worse, at least with those two buns. (I can't consistently pull off any other buns yet.) English braids are migraine-friendly, though, at least for me.

[SandyBottom]

Hi, nice intro post! I get migraines too. One thing that feels comforting and soothing is to let my hair down (or loosen my bun a bit), and giving myself a gentle scalp massage which is also good for stimulating blood circulation and strengthening the follicles...good for the headache AND my hair.

[Annapox]

Hi, nice intro post! I get migraines too. One thing that feels comforting and soothing is to let my hair down (or loosen my bun a bit), and giving myself a gentle scalp massage which is also good for stimulating blood circulation and strengthening the follicles...good for the headache AND my hair.

Ooh, I'll have to try the scalp massage thing right now! I'm about to let my hair down to detangle, brush, and rebraid it before bed anyway. Thanks for the tip!

[Whirly Girly]

WELCOME, Annapox!


For me, the thing that had the most impact on growing my hair long, was when I stopped using heat…flat irons, curling irons, etc…and when I stopped going to hairdressers.


I have learned to do so many amazing and fancy braids, buns and hairstyles from watching youtube videos. A must-have is a double mirror set-up, so you can see the back of your hair.


Good luck with your hair goals and happy growing.