QuoteReplyTopic: advice/opinions needed Posted: September 12 2010 at 3:47pm
From September 2008 until July 2009, I had kept my hair in a very short stack. It was high in the back with a shaved neckline, and angled down to points in the front.
Since July 2009, I have been growing my hair out. I don't feel like I have made very much progress, since I see the front and sides mostly. However, I have been letting the back grow out and trimming it often to get rid of the stacked look.
And because of that, I know I have made progress. It is even all the way around and has long layers. My hair has made it to my collar bone and I can put it all behind my shoulders, although it doesn't stay there for long. It has taken a year to get to this point.
My hair would actually be longer by now, if it weren't for having bad ends due to darkening and lightening of the hair. I have had to get several good trims to keep my ends from looking dry and frizzy. The top layers of my hair are the most damaged, but mostly on the ends. I have decided not only to grow my hair long, but to also grow my natural hair color, which will prevent further damage to my ends.
Being a stylist, I have access to products that our distributors recommend..but honestly I am not sure that they are THAT much better than non professional. I use Aquage Color Protecting Shampoo along with Aquage Healing Conditioner. I always shampoo my hair immediately, however leave on the conditioner for the length of the shower. Once a week I try to use a good reconstructor/deep conditioner... most of the time I use Joico K-pak Reconstructor and follow with It's a 10 Mask.
Recently I've been trying to use some tricks to better care for my hair.
-Rinsing with cool water
-shampooing half as often ((I usually shampoo every day))
-cutting white tips/splits as I see them.
-using the flat iron less frequently ((I used to use it everyday, I've been trying to enhance my natural curl and let it air dry naturally))
I'm not really sure what kind of responses I'm looking for here, I know I'm just rambling it seems. Any kinds of thoughts, suggestions, or opinions would be appreciated tho.
I do wonder why my hair is doing this really strange thing.. white tips are about a half-inch from the ends. the hair breaks there easily with tension if I pull enough. I really don't believe clarifying would help that. I always thought white tips started on the ends and worked their way up a strand by splitting. These white tips are not on the ends, they are a little up the strand..the ends being fine...???
Thanks for reading,
-B
Below is a pic of my hair in april/may2007.. It's the longest my hair had ever been since I was in 2nd/3rd grade. I am not sure what the stopping point for growth in my hair is..but just to be this long again would be nice! I have never had thick hair, but it does feel like it's thinner than it used to be. I'm not sure if it's because it's shorter, or because the layers are so short. But I am hoping that my hair can be/feel as dense as the way it was a few years ago before I decided to murder it off...
Well it seems like you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing in order to grow long hair. Another good thing to do would be to start taking Hair Skin and Nails vitamins. They contain Biotin and that is crucial for hair growth. Your hair will grow it just takes time. I've stopped using heat tools on my hair for 2 months now and my hair has grown like a little more than an inch and I have like NO splits. I plan to not use heat for another 4 months to see what happens. So you could try that if you want to speed up the process. It's been a year and a half since I've been trying to grow my hair from shoulder length. It's now past my shoulder blades, and I think I've made good progress lol Probably could have done better if I hadn't flat ironed it everyday. Sadly, it will most likely take another two years to get to the length I want :(. But I am swearing to never cut my hair again! lol. Anyways that weird thing your hair is doing with the white dots half an inch from the ends or whatever is most likely from the flat iron or from stress on the ends. If that's what you're asking lol
bhenderson
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When you say you're not using the flat iron/any heat, that means you're not blow drying as well? I try to let my hair dry naturally about 1/3 of the time. I can scrunch it with my hands and use a little mousse and it looks alright, it's just so hard to not use the flat iron when I want it smooth and straight; a blow dryer really doesn't do the trick!... I'm sure you're aware of that ;P
I bought some products today tho.. I don't know if you're familiar with the Joico K-pak reconstructor line. I bought the split end mender, heat activated/smoother, and reconstructor oil to use with the blow dryer. My hair won't be as pin straight as I like it, but I will be cutting a lot of damage by just using the dryer. All of their products from that line are pH balanced and are full of amino acids.
Do you think I should get another good trim to knock out all those white tips/white tips that are up the strand a little? or just snip them as I see them? Even with good trims it's hard to get them all.. especially with long hair.
In the past I've used the vitamins, Biotin mainly. They never really seemed to make a difference. But then again, I guess it doesn't hurt..
chargersgirl19
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I'm not using the blow dryer at all either. I just let my hair air dry, I don't even touch it lol I guess I'm going a little extreme because I'm so tired of waiting lol. So I just throw my hair up in a ponytail when it's dry. I would get a trim if necessary, like if there are a LOT of splits, but if not then I would do "search and destroy" which is where you look through your hair and just cut ONLY the strands you see damaged. Which heat activated smoother are you using? I used to use Redken's Heat Glide and it worked pretty good. All redken products are good. You'll never totally get rid of split ends, so if you have a few it's OK. As for the vitamins, I would keep taking them. They really do work. Oh yeah, are you dying your hair still? Because that'll really dry it out and make the growing process take longer. And give you more splits. But after you get the length you want you can pretty much do what you want lol Because when I was using heat and stuff my hair would seem to stay the same length or take FOREVER to grow lol. Yes I totally understand about wanting to straighten your hair everyday BELIEVE me. I used to be like "theres's no way in hell I'd be caught dead without my hair straightened." But yeah don't trip, you don't have to be as extreme as me lol just don't blow dry and straighten as often and DEFINATELY use a heat protectant, deep condition once a week, use leave in conditioner, etc. And you should be ok. How long are you trying to grow yours?
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I use the Joico KPak smoother. I like to use that line because everything is made and built on reconstruction.
The last time I colored my hair was the beginning of August. I use professional color only being that I work at a salon, although I know that it's still damaging because it contains chemicals and alters the hair. I decided since I'm going to get hard core to grow my hair out, I need to grow out my natural hair color as well. I will say... I never use permanent haircolor, I use demi-permanent, which isn't AS damaging as permanent. So over time, hopefully my natural color will blend as it is growing out.
Honestly, I don't know how long I'm going to grow it, I really don't know how long it will grow! It has always seemed that the longer my hair gets, the stringier/thinner it gets.. I don't know if this is in my head or what.. Also, maybe the person who was cutting my hair was cutting it so that it felt thinner and looked really thin towards the ends. As a stylist, this will be my first time growing it out... SO, hopefully I can better inform the girl who cuts my hair now as to what I want and what I don't want. I'm shooting for breast length..which I'm going to do my best to achieve!
What about you?
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Also, I've been losing waaaay more hair than normal when in the shower.. I'm hoping it's either the season or my hair is in the shedding phase... I already have hair on the thinner side.
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I tend to lose more hair in the shower than usual sometimes. Idk why I guess it's normal lol. My layers are all jacked up now because I've had to trim them uneven myself because some sections were fried for some reason, so that's why my hair looks a little thinner at the ends. Another thing I've noticed from taking good care of my hair is that I can go longer without washing it, because it doesn't get as oily. It's weird lol. As for the length I want, I want it to grow to bellybutton length, or waist, same thing whatever you want to call it lol. So I have like 4 more inches to go. Basically, Kim Kardashian length. Patience is a virtue...and I miss my pin straight hair :/ but it will all be worth it in the end..Because I keep thinking of how the day will come when I reach my goal length and can finally blow dry and straighten long beautiful and healthy hair for the first time in months, that I can show off to the world. Just keep a picture like that in mind. It's a motivator lol BTW, I like your side bangs in the second picture they're frikin cute! My stylist was retarded and could never get them right. (I say was because I havn't cut my hair in forever). She'd make them too thick and emo status lol. Time to switch stylists!
Edited by chargersgirl19 - September 14 2010 at 10:49pm
bhenderson
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Yeah, if someone isn't giving you want you want in a hairstyle..after several tries..I'd definitely switch! Since I cut hair, there are some things I do myself..such as my bangs. I always do those myself because I'm sure someone would do something crazy and then I'd have to wait to grow it out. I know some of the girls I work with can do it, I'd rather just spare myself the possibility!! I also wax my own eyebrows.. one out of place hair can change your whole face.. SO I'd rather not experiment with those either!! lol
the rest of my hair.. I leave that to a trusted coworker.. just not the bangs. I'm actually trying to figure out whether I should grow them out, since my hair is growing out too. I don't want it to look crazy having long hair and shorter "swoopy" bangs. ya know? But I guess i'll have to check out some pics
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By "short swoopy bangs" you mean the ones in your second pic right? Because if that's what you mean then I think those would look cute with long hair. My friend has them with longer hair and they look good. My boyfriend said my hair looked like it was getting longer today I was so frickin happy to hear that lol. My hair wasn't even down it was up and he noticed that MUST mean there's a difference. I believe in a couple months I'll be rockin Megan Fox length dark locks. Omg can't wait! Hopefully itll be the length I want it by next April when I go to tryout for the San Diego Chargers cheer squad! They love chicks with long beautiful hair. That's cool that you do your own eyebrows. I can't do mine I get mine done lol. But I get mine threaded, and some Indian woman does it for me and does a really good job. So it seems to me that I have the perfect hair growth formula, which is avoid as many trims and cuts as possible, to avoid trims and cuts, avoid damaging things such as heat, dye, etc. At least temporarily! lol. And trust me, I vow to never EVER cut my hair short again lol The growing process is a long and painful endurance.
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