Long hair care journey?

[Lilmama1011]

Do you think a Lhcj starts when you have a have a successful regimen for your hair and passed setbacks and see length retention or the day you start taking care of your hair despite having setbacks (breakage) it is still a Lhcj?

 

[Shadiyah]

I think it starts the day you said I am going to do this and start putting it into practice. It may take some time for the old damage to leave your hair so to speak but from the root you should see a difference.

 

[Aireen]

Personally, I feel like it starts when you have a solid regimen and see results from it -- passed setbacks, length retention, thickness gained, etc. I feel like a lot of people commit to a healthy hair care regimen but don't know what they're doing, half way commit while still having bad practices, or haven't quiet gotten the hang of what their hair needs so it hinders any health that could have been gained.

 

[virtuenow]

It starts when you have a successful regimen. For me, that's when I start actively marking progress. BEfore that, it's all trial and error-- (and pinpointing reasons for breakage)

 

[anoriginalpyt]

i believe that it starts when an individual begins locating resources, reading, and begins implementing those steps. it's my opinion that a journey can have setbacks while on it, but actively pursuing the goal of _____ hair constitutes the journey.

 

[virtuenow]

This was a good question. I have been on a healthy hair journey (hhj) but I am just starting my growth journey now that I am figuring everything out!

 

[hillytmj]

I consider my healthy hair journey to have begun in Jan. 2006. I didn't know what to do, but that's when I seriously prayed about it and tried to find someone to help me get my bleached, brittle hair healthy. My long hair care journey began when I joined this site in 2008. So I guess for me, the journey begins when you make up your mind to start the journey. Reggies, progress and everything else are part of that journey IMHO.

 

[Mande30]

IMO A healthy hair journey begins when you start implementing healthy hair practices, consistently, regardless of past damage that has to be overcome. I am a year into my journey and I am still tweaking my routine and discovering new and better things for my hair. Also, the hair that was present before I started my journey is still there. I don't think that you have to BC or totally rid yourself of past damaged hair to be officially on a HHJ.

I started making progress the day that I threw away my flat iron and blow dryer, and that was way way before I had a solid routine.

 

[jerseyhaircare]

I agree with the previous posters. My HHJ started last year, once I realized my hair practices were harmful. That included doing a lot of research and trial and error. My LHJ started this summer, now that I figured out a regimen and currently focusing on retention.

 

[cynd]

I think any journey begins with the first step, a HHJ is no different.

 

[londonfog]

I think of a journey as starting towards a destination (deciding to take better care of your hair) regardless of which path is taken. Someone is either going to obtain info (research how to get to a destination & get directions before starting the journey) or someone is going to wing it (just start on there merry way with no map & on how to get to the destination & think they already know the directions). There is either going to be the right path or the long path w/ detours, rough terrain, retracing steps (setbacks, stalls, plateaus). One path is just going to make the trip that much longer than the other. Just because the journey to a destination is rough, that doesn't stop a journey from being deemed a "journey." So in comparing a HHJ or LHCJ to any other journey, my opinion is it starts when someone takes that first step on your way to your destination.

Great question!!

 

[havilland]

well, i think a LONG hair care journey starts when you decide you want to grow your hair out and start trying to find methods and practices that will accomplish that goal. trial and error and setbacks included.

HEALTHY hair care journey starts when you decide to take care of your hair and identify any bad practices that are keeping you from achieving your hair's optimal health.

i started a LHCJ in 2007 but got sidelined by a transition to natural in 2011. in 2011 i had to set my length goals aside so that i could spend the next two years trimming as needed to get rid of relaxed ends. so during that time i consider myself on a HHCJ, but not a quest for length because part of my goal included me cutting my hair fairly regularly.

now that my transition is over i am back on a quest for length, LHCJ.

 

[ckisland]

I think that a LHCJ is an offshoot from a HHJ. When I went natural, I wasn't focused on growing to new hair lengths. I was focused on experiencing my natural hair, keeping it healthy, and figuring out what it likes and how to style it. The LHCJ is where I am now, because my main focus is to keep my hair healthy to preserve my length so that I can hit long lengths I've never seen before. I'm now willing to PS more often, wash more often, and avoid trimming.

I think the LHCJ takes awhile for a lot of people to get to (if they ever do). People are constantly cutting their hair because they suddenly decided to go natural or become texlax or for layers or a new style or because of damage. I think constantly cutting your hair, especially for a style change, is a sign that you aren't on a LHCJ. There was a thread about people having a "short hair mindset" or a "long hair mindset." And, of course that's fine. There are ladies on here that keep their hair short-medium length for style or maintenance purposes, or length is nothing they're concerned with. On a LHCJ, you're not going to be as free-spirited with your hair decisions, and you've got a good routine that's not out most or all of the problems you may have had before.

 

[Vintagecoilylocks]

As others have said it starts when you take the first step. All journeys have ups and downs and set backs and leaps ahead. You will have stalls and stops and think you are at its end and then surprise it will grow some more and improve and you are reevaluating regimine's all over again. then you will read or hear something or see someone on youtube and start tweaking and discover you are far from over. Because you won't be finished on this til the day you die.