What's your hair story?

[Esinklee]

Hi everyone! I recently joined the LHC after months of reading posts. Everyone has a story with their hair, and I'd like to hear your's if you would be willing to share! What made you want to grow your hair long? How has your perspective on hair care and hair health changed throughout your hair growth journey?

Throughout my life I've struggled to embrace my naturally curly hair. I've worn it short (ear-length) for the past 5 years and it hasn't been past my shoulders since I was a very young child. Well, now I have decided to grow my hair as long as possible. In the past when I've tried to grow it out, I became frustrated and cut it off again and again, but this time I am determined. Having thick 3b hair also means that I was often the subject of back-handed compliments or negative attention growing up. Although I would love to someday have waist-length curls, my ultimate goal is to learn to love my natural hair, and take care of it properly. I am giving up using heat on my hair to straighten it, and looking to learn how to keep my hair strong and healthy. I want to thank the LHC for inspiring me! There are so many lovely long-haired folks on here with all kinds of hair textures. I look forward to this new journey in my life!

[lapushka]

Welcome to the forum.

Boy, I have a lot to share; my story is a looong one and just too much to write down here. Maybe you could get to know me while sticking around? That would be nice!

Curls are such a treasure! I hope you can learn to take care of them properly.

In my signature I have a link to the LOC/LCO method for styling, which a lot of curlies and wavies use to style their hair after washing.

[Natalia_A00]

Hi, welcome!
I always had my hair short because my mother forced and pressured me to cut it all the time. But now I'm 18 and I do what I want. I always wanted long hair but it never grew because when it started to be a little long my mother started again with her campaign against my long hair lol. And if you cut a big chunk every 4 months it will never grow!
I just thought that I looked prettier with longer hair and I wasn't wrong lol. Super short hair looks cute sometimes, but most of the times it got weird shapes and waves and I didn't like it.
However I have never done anything too crazy with my hair, maybe I used the blow drier too much and never used conditioner, but that's it. I've never colored it or something like that. Now I have more knowledge about hair care and I want to keep my hair as healthy as possible And I want to reach at least hip length.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Hi, welcome here!

I never thought about hair much until I reached my teens, and even then I mostly ignored it and it grew to waist. When I got to the age of 17 my mother began telling me I was too old for long hair so I chopped it to APL. For all of my life up until I was 45 it has stayed either a couple of inches long, permed (eeek!) various colours or at about APL. Whenever I did a big chop on it, I would always regret it. When I was 45 I decided I was sick of doing big chops on my hair and decided to grow it - had no length goal in mind. In 2012 I had reached the length of just below my shoulders and found TLHC.

I then decided I wanted my long waist length hair back, like it was when I was in my teens. Along the way I changed my goal to Classic length because my paternal grandmother had classic length hair (she died before I was born) and I thought it would be a nice way to honour her memory. Also my father used to tell me of sitting on her bed when he was a little boy, watching her brush her hair, and how beautiful it was, which I thought was a wonderful memory. So I decided to see if my hair would grow like hers. (Sadly, my father passed away before I decided to grow my hair long, but I sometimes wonder what he would say if he saw it now).

So, I reached Classic, caught LHC-itis and decided to see if I could reach knee (wasn't sure if I could) - and did. Now I'm just plain curious to see if I can reach ankle or floor, so am pretty happy to keep on growing it - currently heading towards calf length and hoping to get really long before age related thinning strikes.... it seems to strike our family in their sixties.... So, there's my hair story. I have had a couple of big sheds along the way, which have been very upsetting, but - that's life, not all peaches and cream Gossamer's hair is a very great inspiration to me and looking at her hair has saved me from cutting mine on several occasions.

[Dark40]

Welcome to the forum.

I've always had MBL hair all of my life but I've always thought about growing my hair long all of my life ever since I 7 years old. I've always dreamed of having classic length hair. My mom would often tell me stories of my aunt and cousin's hair on my dad's side of the family that their hair used to be classic length or tho the butts, and I've always told her that I wanted my hair to grow that long. What also inspired me to grow my hair extremely long was my 2 girlfriends that I met at my church and in high school. My friend that I met at church had the most beautiful brown wavy ankle length hair! And, it was thick too! As she got into her late teens she started dyeing it a bright red, and my other friend I met in high school she had the most beautiful hip length brown hair in my high school! She also really inspired me to grow my hair extremely long. At first, I had set my goal on only hip length hair like hers but ever since I've joined here at the LHC I have set my goals to much longer lengths like classic and beyond.

[Tinyponies]

Welcome to the forum Esinklee. Looking forward to seeing your curls grow and evolve

What a nice idea and I enjoyed reading everyone’s little hair stories.

I had bsl hair most of my life (minus some horrendous cuts as a kid! The bowl!!) until my twenties, when I let it go knotty. Had my dreads for around a decade, which grew to tailbone length. Then shaved the lot off to the skin, and here I am a few years after that, learning to grow my hair beyond bsl, without it getting all broken.

[GrowinIt]

Hi all. I've typically had hair between apl and bsl. I never color my hair, so I have a small streak of gray on the right side, and a smattering of silver threads here and there, they really show up under lights, but generally, I look like I have dark coffee colored hair. When i was growing up, I had probably tailbone length hair. I hope I can be successful in growing it long again. My hair naturally has some curl to it, maybe 2b curls, if I let it dry with a little scrunching, otherwise it is generally wavy. I did recently tried getting some long layers, but found I don't really like them when they are not styled, so I will be growing those out.

My desired length is waist length. All of a sudden, this year, that became a goal. I did search for a stylist in the area, because I have been a self trimmer for years, but I felt like I wasn't quite getting it even most of the time, and I felt like I needed help. I did find someone I like very much. She has waist length hair, so I feel like she understands my desire to grow out my hair.

I joined LHC because I've enjoyed reading the forums, and it is nice to know that there are other people who also think about their hair as much as I do .

[itsmaira]

Hello Everyone
I joined LHC because its a forum about hair. Through its post i came to know often my hair issue.
Here is a story of my hair.
From the start i like short hair but not too short. My mum's demand always to increase the length of my hair. So there is always a conflict between me and mum so i decided to grow my hair not too much but a medium length.
But due to water issue r my negligence my hair became thin and even dead at the edges.
Then i trimmed my hair monthly and apply some oil.
After few months it came back to normal but i never get back like earlier.
But i set my goal to grow my hair with proper care so that i get them back shiny and thick.

[Ditzy Rose]

Hello, fellow newbie! While I don't have any lovely curl to my hair (except for some baby hair curls who twist up after I shower), I also felt a lot of frustration before I began to seriously grow it out. I grew up with shoulder to chin-length hair, and while it was great for a super messy and hyper little girl, I couldn't help but envy my friends with beautiful long hair. I was 11 or 12 when I got fed up and began refusing to cut it more than an inch or two.

Middle school was rough journey.. I was having to experience the learning curve that is puberty ALONG WITH the daily chore of maintaining the mop of hair quickly creeping down my back. My entire family was trying to pressure me into chopping it off on some level, and I couldn't exactly blame them. Luckily I was always a stubborn child and knew how to hold my ground!

Now I'm here. I've learned enough to keep my hair healthy and manageable on a daily basis- hooray! I once said that I'd maintain my length after it reached my hips, but the idea of cutting it just doesn't feel right yet. I want to know how long I can go. My parents have both grown long hair in the past, so I know genetics is on my side. I've come a long way from the nickname "Dutch Boy." Now I'm proud to be called a modern Rapunzel!

[lithostoic]

Got a shoulder length haircut at age 7 and wasn't a fan. Always wore it long after that. Had bangs on and off for years. As a teenager I started cutting my own hair with a razor to get those choppy layers and sideswept bangs everyone wanted. Was also bleaching/dyeing my hair and using a flat iron almost daily.

When I turned 16 I stopped all that and wore my hair in dreadlocks for 2 years. Before I combed them out they were neck length with chin length face framing layers. I combed out the rest of my dreadlocks just before I joined LHC and chopped from waist length to collarbone to get rid of most of my past damage. I have been growing out ever since.

Haven't touched a hot tool or bleach in years! I still dye my hair fun wash-out colors that don't cause damage. And I'm saving up for a decent hairdryer with a diffuser because my hair takes forever to dry (again) now that it's half virgin!