My Hair **Picture included*
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Long Hair Happenings
Forum Name: Long Hair Support
Forum Description: Growing it long takes commitment and support.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=41515
Printed Date: July 28 2025 at 2:20am
Topic: My Hair **Picture included*
Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Subject: My Hair **Picture included*
Date Posted: March 22 2006 at 1:48pm
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Hi, I'm 16 years old, and I've been coming and looking around at these boards for a while now, and I think I've posted a few times, but I never got around to posting pictures of my hair, until now! At last measure, I think it was about 23''. I don't even remember when I got it cut last, but the last time I had a major cut it was to right below my shoulders, so it has been a while. My goal is to get it to my waist. Any comments/suggestions? It is naturally curly, and those pictures are of it straightened (with a straightening iron.) When it's curly it is much shorter, and even frizzier than it is there.. I think I may have a picture. Here:
So yes. Any suggestions about what I can do to make it healthier? I've only had very minor trims recently (performed by my dad or friend) of less than an inch each time, just to get the most damaged ends taken care of. But other than that I don't let anyone near my head with scissors. Even though most people tell me that I should cut at least 3 inches off, so it will look healthier, and "grow faster." (Is that even true?) Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thank you!
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Replies:
Posted By: SpecialKitty
Date Posted: March 22 2006 at 5:17pm
Hey there LoveBug, those are great photos and your hair is very pretty both straightened and curly. You asked if cutting it would make it grow faster, and from what I can tell, this is a myth that some stylists tell you. I think it will make your ends more blunt and healthy looking, and possibly keep split ends from damaging the upper lengths of your hair. Your ends look good to me - if they were my ends I wouldn't trim them.....As for what to do to keep your hair healthy, I guess the only thing I can recommend (being a former straightener myself) is to stop heat straightening your hair. It is incredibly damaging - and your curls are so pretty. Anyway, hope that helps. This board has so many good people on it who will also have some great recommendations for you...... ------------- 
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Posted By: AnaisSatin
Date Posted: March 22 2006 at 7:44pm
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Wooow your wavy hair looks fabulous. Anais ------------- http://anaissatin.livejournal.com">  my LJ , 40 inches long
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Posted By: Impaler Vlad
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 5:44am
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Great hair, little lady! Don't let anyone bug U to cut it!
Blessed be, ------------- Mark Edward Arthur Mac Arran Blackrose |
Posted By: thenumber1lon
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 6:41am
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your hair is wonder ful. ------------- |
Posted By: cmesweet
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 7:05am
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Your hair is very pretty...it seems close to waist length already. Do you want it waist length while it's curly? ------------- Natural BC May 9, 2004 |
Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 7:19am
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Your hair is fabulous, both curly and straight (and I laughed when I
saw your kitty...it looks like he's trying to mind meld with you while
your busy - my cat does the same). ------------- Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com |
Posted By: Tyranna
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 1:24pm
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Your hair looks great straight, but you've got a wonderful natural curl to it. Try going au natural and you will incur less damage. ------------- 
Weather Forcast - With high humidity in the air, expect general hair frizziness to continue :-/ Current Length: 30 inches or so from the front |
Posted By: katay
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 1:47pm
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I especially love your hair with natural curl! Thanks,... ------------- God Bless,... Katie |
Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 5:00pm
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Thank you all for your replies/comments/suggestions. One thing I forgot to mention about my curly hair is that as soon as it gets dry (that picture was taken right after it was washed.) It just starts to poof, and I can't stand it. And people have suggested using mousse, or gels, but if I do that my hair looks greasy right away, and never actually looks clean. So if anyone has suggestions of how I can keep the curls looking nice after they dry, without it looking/feeling greasy, I would also appreciate anything you could let me know! And actually, the pictures are sort of decieving length-wise because --especially in the 2nd one-- I didn't realize it, but my head was tipped back slightly. It really will have to grow about 9 more inches --meaured when straightened-- to get to my waist. Thank you again for all the comments already shared, and anymore anyone has to offer! |
Posted By: horselover_1625
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 8:53pm
Same here, and welcome! ------------- RANITA~~ ----------- What good is life without a horse??!!! |
AnaisSatin wrote:Posted By: trophywife
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 2:49am
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Your hair looks brilliant and not damaged at all even when it's straightened so I don't think you need to cut at all (unless you want to!) The mini-trims seem to be doing the job so far. As far as the "poofing" problem goes, have you tried using a frizz-reducing serum on your wet hair? That might help. You could combine this with a tiny bit of mousse worked through the very ends (nowhere near the roots), if necessary. Good luck. You have truly great hair. ------------- Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life. |
Posted By: missrini
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 5:25am
Nice....very nice  I'd say encourage those waves. You might want to try CO-ing to help with the frizziness. Also, don't touch it while it's drying (AT ALL!) and use a couple of drops of Jojoba Oil as a leave-in. I'd love to see what colour your hair is...do you have any pics in colour?------------- 
25 inches as at 1st Nov 06 |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 9:35pm
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Welcome love bug! Your hair looks great, straight or curly. Head ramming into your torso... it looks like kitty wants some 'ffection  ------------- |
Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: March 25 2006 at 11:01pm
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Everyone keeps saying that my hair doesn't look damaged, but in that first picture, what do you call all the frizzy hairs? Aren't those damaged? I always thought that was sort of the definition of damaged. (Because I have lots of split ends.)
From tonight:
But like I said, that makes my hair look much more red than it really is. (And that is what my hair looks like when it is washed, dried, and stuck into a pony tail for four hours.) Now I'll try to find some others with my real hair color..
That is as close as I can come to a recent picture with my accurate hair coloring. (My hair there was curled with a curling iron by my friend for a party.) As for frizz-reducing serums/mousse's for my hair, does anyone have any actual brand-name suggestions. My hair-care budget is very small, so really expensive stuff is out of the question, but if anyone knows of any cost-efficient stuff that would work to de-frizz my curly hair, while not making it greasy... let me know! Thanks for all the comments/suggestions! |
(My cat likes to be in pictures with me.. I'm figuring that out now. 
)
Posted By: SpecialKitty
Date Posted: March 26 2006 at 10:53am
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Lovebug, i think it is so sweet that your cat follows you around -------------
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Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: March 27 2006 at 11:32am
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I tried using the CO method for my hair a while ago, and I did it for a least a few months, but I didn't see any difference in my hair, (or frizziness) all I noticed was that I was spending less on Shampoo.
And Specialkitty, about that Burt's Bee's oil you suggested, I think I know of a place where I could find that, but would putting the oil on my hair make it look greasy? |
Because I think I'd rather live with frizz than with oily hair. Posted By: SpecialKitty
Date Posted: March 27 2006 at 4:35pm
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The Burt's Bees Carrot Seed Oil Spray doesn't make my hair greasy - but you would have to try it for yourself to see if it works for you. I use it mainly as a between-wash way to wet my hair for braiding. It smells nice too. -------------
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Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: March 27 2006 at 4:42pm
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Okay, good to know. Maybe when I'm near the place where I saw the Burts Bee's stuff, I'll check and see if I can find any. Thank you! ------------- My hair is: 3a, Fine, ii hair, currently 23" long. Goal: Waist, or about 34". |
Posted By: oddlots
Date Posted: March 28 2006 at 1:33pm
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My hair's very close in type and length to yours, though mine's quite
thin up top (due to male pattern baldness). I've found a few
different products that you could try to cut down on frizz. One of my favorite new products is a spray-on hair polisher. I found mine in the ethnic haircare area at Wal*Mart. I think the brandname is Smooth N' Shine. It adds shine to hair and cuts down on frizz, but it can look oily if you use too much. The way I use it is to spray a tiny bit onto my palm, rub my hands together, then gently work my hands over damp hair to impart a bit of shine and to kill the frizz. If necessary I'll repeat the process after the hair dries. You can also use olive oil to keep the hair shiny and healthy. Once again, it's using the product in tiny amounts that's important. I'd also second the recommendation to look for a mousse that you can use at least on the tips to help define your curls. I use a combination of Pantene Volumizing Mousse and Aussie Sprunch spray to define my curls and add volume. |
Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: March 28 2006 at 2:34pm
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Okay! Thank you for your suggestion! ------------- My hair is: 3a, Fine, ii hair, currently 23" long. Goal: Waist, or about 34". |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: April 03 2006 at 7:34pm
Split ends are damage. But they can be removed after a series of split-trimming sessions, and new ones minimized with TLC. Beyond that, you can also use a slight bit of oil smoothed onto the lower portion of your hair. Your cat just likes to be with you. ------------- |
Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: April 03 2006 at 8:37pm
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I'm going to try to look into getting some sort of Oil for my hair, I know someone suggested Burt's Bees, and I'm going to keep an eye out for that, but are there any other kinds? That I could maybe just find in my local grocery stores that would work well but not cost much? ------------- My hair is: 3a, Fine, ii hair, currently 23" long. Goal: Waist, or about 34". |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: April 04 2006 at 7:53pm
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My favorite is jojoba (straight, or with EO's added for fragrance)
since jojoba most closely resembles natural sebum, and it works very
well on my hair. But as with all things, what works for one
person might not work for another. Some people love coconut or
almond oils. In part it depends on your hair's texture. Try
a health food store, if there's one in your area, and find out the
range of choices they offer. ------------- |
Posted By: Impaler Vlad
Date Posted: April 11 2006 at 7:04am
Maybe your kitten kikes your hait, too!  I think it's perfectly understandable...
Blessed be, ------------- Mark Edward Arthur Mac Arran Blackrose |
Posted By: summer*22*
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 7:13pm
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~Lovebug~ Your hair is so pretty. I personally love it straight but it is absolutely beautiful curly too. I also have curly hair that I have always used a flat iron to straighten. I recommend getting you hair cut 1/2 inch to 1 inch every 6-8 weeks. This will insure all split and damaged ends are cut off so your hair can continue to grow and be healthy. When you go to a salon research and ask the people you know who they go to and who they love. Don't be shy and tell the stylist EXACTLY what you want...it is your hair!!! If you only want 1/2 an inch trimmed off...make it clear before they start cutting your hair....and tell the stylist you are trying to grow it longer. Since you have curly hair (like mine)...find a real good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner...I also like sleek smoothing shampoo & conditioner...helps with the course frizziness. Do an at home leave in treatment at least once a week like Redkens All Soft Leave in Treatment or Redkens Smooth Down Butter Treatment. Leave in treatments are Awesome!!! Just don't chemically straighten your hair as I have learned...try to stay away from the chemicals if you can. GOOD LUCK!!!! |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 7:28pm
Lovebug, I'm sorry, I hate to rain on summer's otherwise very supportive post, but with all due respect to her and to it, if you follow the quoted suggestion, your hair may not get longer, and in fact, it could get shorter, depending on your hair's rate of growth. The longer the interval between trims, and the less you have trimmed, the faster your hair can grow. This makes gentle haircare routines invaluable. One thing you can do is "search & destroy" split ends (basically, examine the ends of your hair strands, and individually (and carefully!) trim split or broken ends with a pair of very sharp scissors made for haircutting. Do this for as much time as you can give, as often as you want. After some sessions, you will notice the number of splits in your hair to be reduced - which can serve as motivation to continue employing this technique. ------------- |
Posted By: summer*22*
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 7:31pm
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Also I forgot to add....I have naturally curly hair too and tend to have dry hair and frizziness. I think that just goes along with having curly hair. Your flyaways may just be frizziness. I always have to put on a moisturizing or sleek/smooth leave in conditioner (an absolute must!!!!). I don't use mouse or gel at all. You just need regular trims and products for your hair type. Before I damaged my hair I loved panteen pro-v moisturizing shampoo & conditioner w/ the leave in treatment....and then I started using and really loved Garnier Sleek/Smooth shamoo/conditioner/leave-in treatment. Whenever I straightened it I used the skinny serum from Paul Mitchell...which is the clear frizz free glosses sold by many brands...made a huge difference!!! But I damaged my hair w/chemicalls so now Im just working on repairing it with redken extreme products. But I know the Redken All Soft and Redken Smooth Down line are awesome!!! With my curly hair I need a good moisturizing shampoo/conditioner...a leave in conditioner...and a clear glossy frizz free syrum...But thats just my curly course hair... I hope u find something that works great, your hair is so pretty already!!!! |
Posted By: summer*22*
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 7:39pm
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Hmmm....DaveDecker, I apologize if I gave misinformation...that's just what I've always been told. I do admit that I did not cut my hair for about 2 1/2 years and it grew tremendously...so maybe you don't need to cut it if it is healthy. I always wear my hair in a ponytail most of the time so that may be why it grew faster ( less heat & weather damage). I recently started getting it trimmed and it still grows good but I do keep it up most of the time. I think its hard to know what to do because all hairstylists say different things. Many of them probably want you in their faster so that they can make more money... Thanks, Summer |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 7:52pm
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Hi Summer, No apologies required. Nobody's perfect, me most definitely included. I believe your statement (re: some hairstylists' motivations) is true. The contrasting opinions (closer to my sugg) may come from those who are more honest with their clients. A major raison d'etre of this Forum is to share our expertise and fill in the gaps where the professionals are lacking in the knowledge necessary to help us achieve our goals. ------------- |
Posted By: horselover_1625
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 7:58pm
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Hey, while reading this, Dave, I noticed what you said about split ends.....what about the hairs (like, I have hairs that cut off at every length) up above the ends? ------------- RANITA~~ ----------- What good is life without a horse??!!! |
Posted By: Lovebug3302004
Date Posted: April 12 2006 at 8:02pm
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Thanks for the advice, both of you. I tend to just stay away from scissors all together, because usually when I get them in my hands (especially hair-cutting ones) I start with search and destroy, and then suddenly I am cutting bangs and stuff for myself.. I still haven't found a really good leave-in-type treatment to help moisturize my hair.. but some day I will, I'm sure. ------------- My hair is: 3a, Fine, ii hair, currently 23" long. Goal: Waist, or about 34". |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: April 13 2006 at 7:08pm
Yes Rani, you'll want to examine those for split ends, too. I generally "fish" through the last several feet of my hair for splits, but I tend to find more near the ends.
Lovebug...  you'll definitely want to entrust the scissors to others only.  |