Hi again! Back after a long time

**Abacus** · October 5th, 2024, 04:41 PM

Hi everyone! I thought I would reintroduce myself here (and also practice linking pictures -- I can't seem to upload any to the forum right now, which is frustrating).

I am a 37 year old artist, and I have a lot of thick curly hair that I periodically cut all the way off and then wish I hadn't. As a kid I think the longest it got was BCL. I cut it off in college and wore it very very short for many years (like between buzzcut and shoulder length). In 2020 I decided I wanted to grow it long. My goal was knee length. I got to APL before I had some kind of crisis about it and cut it to a pixie.

Why so much ambivalence about the length of my hair? Why want to grow it just to cut it off? All amazing questions. Partly it's gender presentation and not being a feminine person. Sometimes with long hair that identity and sense of self can get lost, and it can be hard to deal with. But I love long hair, I think it's beautiful, and I love taking care of my hair.

So now it's 2024 and I think I want to try and grow it a bit and see how I feel. Right now we are just shy of shoulder length. My hair grows on the fast side of average, so I think within 2 years I'll be back at APL, and in about 3 years at waist (if I can keep from cutting it off).

Glad to be here again

Let's see if I can post pictures -- Here's where my hair was just before I cut it all short in 2023

And here's how it looked when I cut it

and here it is right now!

**Fiorentina** · October 6th, 2024, 04:36 AM

Welcome back and thank you for sharing your pictures.
Your hair is great and I am sure what ever you going to do with it, it will look super amazing.
Regards
Fiorentina

**ETJ CURLS** · October 7th, 2024, 08:12 PM

Your longer hair suited you really well! I'm sure you'll be back there in no time.

Have you considered just keeping your hair in twists (mini or chunky) more often? I was a huge tomboy growing up and even though covid totally changed my fashion sense, I still enjoy outfits that play to that, especially since I have rather strong features and look almost exactly like my brother.

Not to hijack your post but here is a recent cosplay I did showing what I mean:

Additionally, if you go to the barber and keep your hairline square and crispy, that may help to enhance the vibe you're going for.

Looking forward to seeing your growth!

**maborosi** · October 9th, 2024, 01:50 AM

Your hair is absolutely gorgeous! I really like how it looks on you when it's long- it's super flattering and it sounds like you have a good time taking care of it. I hope you'll keep us updated on your progress!

I do art as well! I think there's a lot of artsy folks on here for sure

**Abacus** · October 9th, 2024, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by maborosi

Your hair is absolutely gorgeous! I really like how it looks on you when it's long- it's super flattering and it sounds like you have a good time taking care of it. I hope you'll keep us updated on your progress!

I do art as well! I think there's a lot of artsy folks on here for sure

Thanks! I'll definitely post updates as I grow! What kind of art do you do? I'm an illustrator and I do animation as well

Originally Posted by ETJ CURLS

Your longer hair suited you really well! I'm sure you'll be back there in no time.

Have you considered just keeping your hair in twists (mini or chunky) more often? I was a huge tomboy growing up and even though covid totally changed my fashion sense, I still enjoy outfits that play to that, especially since I have rather strong features and look almost exactly like my brother.

Not to hijack your post but here is a recent cosplay I did showing what I mean:

Additionally, if you go to the barber and keep your hairline square and crispy, that may help to enhance the vibe you're going for.

Looking forward to seeing your growth!

I think this time around I will try doing two strand twists more often -- I did them some the last time I was growing out, but when my hair is short they don't stay in very well. I love your cosplay and your hair looks so good! Such good androgynous inspiration! Also yeah covid changed my fashion sense too, I'm so curious how it changed yours and why.

I've considered getting my hairline shaped up at the barber, but my hairline goes up really weird and high in just one part, and I'm scared that in order to make it even they'd have to take my entire hairline up too high? But yeah, I love when people do the long hair and crisp hairline look.

**lapushka** · October 10th, 2024, 01:10 AM

Welcome back.

I was gone a while as well, and this is for me right now how my hair looks (picture is a week old):

The cut is real simple. You make 2 pigtails to the side (about ear height), and cut it holding the piggy tail horizontal, so the cut is vertical, if that makes sense. Then I do make another ponytail and do Feye's for a straight cut, again about what I cut off on the pigtails. This makes it not so "stringy" in the back.

**Abacus** · October 10th, 2024, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by lapushka

Welcome back.

I was gone a while as well, and this is for me right now how my hair looks (picture is a week old):

The cut is real simple. You make 2 pigtails to the side (about ear height), and cut it holding the piggy tail horizontal, so the cut is vertical, if that makes sense. Then I do make another ponytail and do Feye's for a straight cut, again about what I cut off on the pigtails. This makes it not so "stringy" in the back.

Wow Lapushka, it's such a beautiful cut! I love how much texture you have

What prompted you to cut short/ are you growing long again now? Looks great

**SandyBottom** · October 10th, 2024, 01:54 PM

Welcome back, I wondered where you went!

**ETJ CURLS** · October 10th, 2024, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by Abacus

Thanks! I'll definitely post updates as I grow! What kind of art do you do? I'm an illustrator and I do animation as well

I think this time around I will try doing two strand twists more often -- I did them some the last time I was growing out, but when my hair is short they don't stay in very well. I love your cosplay and your hair looks so good! Such good androgynous inspiration! Also yeah covid changed my fashion sense too, I'm so curious how it changed yours and why.

I've considered getting my hairline shaped up at the barber, but my hairline goes up really weird and high in just one part, and I'm scared that in order to make it even they'd have to take my entire hairline up too high? But yeah, I love when people do the long hair and crisp hairline look.

Over enhancements and unwanted pushbacks do seem to be the two biggest issues people face when going to the barber (judging by social media, anyway

)

I used to wear pants almost exclusively (except at church and other formal events) since I was a tomboy from birth basically and lived outside and in trees as much as possible (the sticks and sap in my hair, my poor mother!). But I also didn't know how to dress in a way that was complementary to my figure, and felt EXTREMELY awkward in anything other than pants from adolescence onward.

During the pandemic I ended up working from home for a long time, and got used to being comfortable and once it was time to return in person, I realised there was no way I could make the commute (during summer especially) and be sweaty and miserable by the time I got there anymore, but we are also discouraged from wearing tank tops (or anything too revealing, since I teach) so a sleeveless dress was the perfect compromise. After that, I started buying clothing that actually suited my figure, and now I wear almost exclusively dresses. But I'll still wear leggings or shorts under the dresses in winter and summer.

My radical change in fashion sense also coincided with me learning how to properly take care of my hair, so now both hair and clothes are something I take into careful consideration most days before leaving the house, as I like them to complement each other.

I'm full-figured, and I have big hair, and that's not changing anytime soon, so I've come to embrace my natural self and move accordingly.

**lapushka** · October 11th, 2024, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Abacus

Wow Lapushka, it's such a beautiful cut! I love how much texture you have

What prompted you to cut short/ are you growing long again now? Looks great

Thank you that's so nice of you to say!

I just had to out of necessity (my main caregiver broke her foot and managing the length between the both of us had gotten tricky). And then my hair was BSL at that point, and then one day mistakenly a couple more inches were off there (cutting is no precise sport over here LOL) and so I loved it at around APL at that point, and so the last we cut it, I tried a couple more inches off, and I quite like it like this. No shorter! No, uh-uh, no way. This is good!