what made you start caring for your hair?

[caribeandiva]

i'm just curious. for me it was because some of my black friends have long hair now (when they had short hair like me before) it seemed almost overnight. so why couldn't i have long hair too? so i did my research and got tired of overpaying my scissor-happy stylist (who insisted my hair was breaking cause i didn't come to her regularly). Since then, i've read at least 3 hair books and am a member of many hair boards. Taking my haircare into my own hands was the best decision i ever made.

 

[shawniegee]

I've always want to take care of my own hair, but I didn't have the resources. So when I found the forum it was all good! I haven't been to a shop since 2004.

 

[Country gal]

Wanted long hair and Bev told me it was possible. That's how I found out about LHCF. Hair never looked better.

 

[virgo_chinwe]

The guy I am talking too...has like shoulder length hair.......and even though he doesn't care about the length of my hair, i know he perfers long hair. But even prior to meeting him. After getting out of high school...it became my mission impossible to achieve bsl. I am now in college.....and I have realized how important it is to take of care myself as whole and if I do...my hair benefit as well!

 

[dreysonsmommy2011]

Well I always wore the short Halle Berry cut because I thought that my hair couldn't grow. So I guess I just settled for short hair. I even wore the weaves to add length, but when it is all said and done it wasn't my hair and that was very disappointing to me. I got fed up and vowed to have long, healthy hair that I can say is mine! Because I never had it before due to the women in my family's lack of hair knowledge. Before discovering the hair boards I believed all the myths I was told and I wondered why my hair never seemed to retain any length. What really did it for me was In Nov. of 2004 I told my BF that I was growing my hair out and he asked," what was I doing to it to make it grow?" I told him "nothing". You know what I got in return NOTHING! My hair was breaking badly so I cut it again and started all over on my journey to long hair and you know what? I can honestly say that I am actually trying to make my hair grow

 

[beana]

In high school I always had around bsl hair, I didn't know what i was doing, never paid much attention to it... yet it was still long, thick and healthy. I took my hair into my own hands because i thought it would go beyond what i expected. Unfortunately, when i first came to the boards i didn't approach my hair with the right attitude and ended up back where i started. BUT this time i know what works for me and expect smooth sailing from here on out.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

I started caring for my hair when i realized the length I had despite the damage I caused my hair on a weekly basis by pressing it. And now I am really caring for my hair and it feels like my progress is taking forever!

 

[plove]

I don't really care for my hair like a lot of Ladies on this forum do.
I just want to see how long it can grow without me being scissor happy.
I still do today the something i did years ago.
whatever i do to my hair it still grows.
like I plan on leavening my micro braids in for 4-7 months and people keep telling me not to do this. my hair is going to fall out and on and on and on
But I do what i feel to do when i want to do it, and right now i feel like leavening them in for that long.
I don't put much of anything on it.
And i wash it every other week or once a month.

 

[lexi84]

Throughout my whole life, my hair could never ever get past shoulder length and stay past shoulder length. The only way I could achieve shoulder length was through braiding and even then, it would alway break off to my neck. So during my second year in college, my hair began to break soooo badly. I mean my hair broke to just below chin length. I was DEVISTATED to say the least. And I had no idea what the heck was contributing to my sudden hair loss. I started buying tons of Pink Lotion Moisturizer because my hair was always unusually dry. Of course that Pink garbage only made my problem worse. I began to notice that not only was my hair falling out, but every single black girl in my dorm began to have alot of breakage. By March, alot of them had gotten drastic cuts because the breakage was sooo bad! It was an epidemic Turns out, my dorm used dry heat to heat the dorms. No humidity or moisture in the building whatso-ever! I even started having morning nose bleeds because it was so dry in there. Yea it was that serious. I started doing google searches on how to nurse my hair back to health. I was also curious as to why black women seem to have chronic hair problems and other ethnic groups grow their hair to great lengths almost effortlessly. I finally found the hair boards and one year later, my hair is the longest and healthiest its ever been in my entire life!

 

[Legend]

I started caring more about my hair after a really bad “hair year.” Since childhood, I had always had long hair that fell between BSL and waist length. My mother kept us girls’ hair neatly braided or in ponytails, very little manipulation, washed our hair only about once a month, and never cut our hair (since birth). I mean, I understand now she didn’t have the time to take care of three girls’ hair that was all really long!!! So, I never paid much attention to my hair until college. During that time, I became very ill with something akin to meningitis (the doctors couldn’t diagnose me) and I was ill for 2 months straight. It took me another month to fully recover my strength. My hair fell out during that time and I had to cut it.

About 6 months later, I had a disastrous visit to a stylist who serious over-processed my hair. I had a bald spot at the crown area!!! My hair fell out like pine needles. Fortunately, I found an excellent stylist who specialized in traumatic hair care. It took a couple of years, but we nursed my hair back to health. Now, after years of boring “professional” haircuts for the office, I’m ready to have my long hair back!!! Styling my shorter hair every morning takes forever!!!

 

[Eiano]

Same as some, the realization that I *could* have long hair, if I tried.

 

[Blaque*Angel]

i'm just curious. for me it was because some of my black friends have long hair now (when they had short hair like me before) it seemed almost overnight. so why couldn't i have long hair too? so i did my research and got tired of overpaying my scissor-happy stylist (who insisted my hair was breaking cause i didn't come to her regularly). Since then, i've read at least 3 hair books and am a member of many hair boards. Taking my haircare into my own hands was the best decision i ever made.

What did your friend do to acheive her goal?Lol

my journey started because my younger sister said she was sick of me not taking care of my hair!

i used to bleach it, make friends perm it, plait it, rip it out, colour whenever i felt like,never washed etc......

 

[Imani]

it kinda started out as a dare...my mom is overseas for a year and i told her i would have shoulder length hair by the time she comes back and she was like "yeah right". So of course, I had to set out to prove her wrong!!!

i have also been told by family, friends, and beauticians that people with "hair like mine" just don't have long hair especially with it being relaxed. they tell me, "you just need to realize that ur hair is always going to be short. just get u a weave and get over it". And i believed them until i came on this board and saw other ladies with "hair like mine" with long healthy hair. Now i know it can be done

 

[dlewis]

My aunt grew her hair out to waist length and it was so beautiful, I kept telling her WOW, I wish my hair would grow that long, so she found so pictures of me, I was about 15 years old and my hair was BSL. I had forgotten that my hair had been that long. So for the last 4 years I've been work on my hair. First steps was cutting it to healthly hair , second stop going to mil to get hair done, third learn what works for my hair. And I'm happy to say that in April I was 2" from BSL. I don't measure every month, just a couple times a year and I don't wear my hair down much just maybe once a month.

 

[Cichelle]

I wanted to stop using relaxers, so I went on a search to learn how to take care of natural hair. That's how I found my way to this forum and some others...and my journey began.

 

[Ambitious1013]

I kept my hair in a short pixie cut for eight years. I wanted a change! I decided to grow my hair and I had to make it possible. A lot of people would tell me that I should keep my hair short since it was my "signature style" and it would take me forever to grow long hair. I wanted to prove them wrong so with a lot of TLC and LHCF my hair has made great progress.

 

[tenderheaded]

I've spent a lot of years traveling and working long hours so a wig was fine most the time. A disasterous professional perm in 2004 left me with less than 1/2 in of hair. Again, the wig was fine. It's short and looks like it could be my real hair. In 2005 a white co worker asked how I always looked so pulled together and I told her it was a wig. She waited until we were in front of the receptionist and said in a singsong voice "its a wig, its a wig" It was on!! My next day off I got my hair relaxed and it had grown more than I realized. That hag was seriously catching flies when she saw my hair. I decided to keep up the relaxed hair and did an internet search. I found my new home

 

[amorette]

i'm just curious. for me it was because some of my black friends have long hair now (when they had short hair like me before) it seemed almost overnight. so why couldn't i have long hair too? so i did my research and got tired of overpaying my scissor-happy stylist (who insisted my hair was breaking cause i didn't come to her regularly). Since then, i've read at least 3 hair books and am a member of many hair boards. Taking my haircare into my own hands was the best decision i ever made.

what books have you read and which other boards are you on? what is your favorite and what are you getting out of the books/forum that you dont get from here. i am aon a quest to find out the best hidden secrets for getting the quickest, healthiest, results for growing my hair to my waist.

 

[EMJazzy]

My hair was bsl as a young girl til my mom jacked it up, bad perms, in too long weaves, sissor happy stylist's, color disasters which lead to horrible breakage....ugh...I'm pissed just thinking about it....

My 2 y/o daughter has bsl hair. I want my long hair back!!! This site was recommended by a friend of mine from another site that I am a member of....I signed up in Feb 2006 and the rest is hair history!

 

[JazzyDez]

I just got fed up with having short hair. I've been wearing braids/weaves/half wigs for 8 years (and i'm in my early 20's)!! When I was younger I used to have really long hair (It was natural and pressed then), so I knew it was possible. One day I just asked myself, when the hell did all of my hair break off. Then I realized that it was once I started relaxing---by hair condition/length just went downhill. I am just now learning how to properly take care of relaxed hair.

 

[leleepop]

Ive always wanted long,thick,healthy hair but it always seemed when I got to shoulder length it would get thin and would not grow. I pretty much didnt believe it would flourish past that point. For about 5 years or so I wore a chin length bob and I cut every 6 to eight weeks to have thick ends. Inevitable I got bored with tthis style and did a search for blackhairstyles and cathy Howse's website came up.

At first I thought it was a gimmic but for some reason I believed it. I purchased her book and later her products. I found I needed new ways to maintain a daily look without heat so I purchased Carolyn Greys's book. Thats all she wrote, I began to find websites I didnt even know existed about long black hair and started seeing all these beautiful women with long,black,beautiful hair. I decided I wanted to start a HAIR JOURNEY of my own and I have to say I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY HAIR. THANK GOD FOR THIS BLESSING AND THANKS LHCF!!!

 

[amorette]

After putting a weave in my hair for fun in late 2004 because I wanted to have honey blonde highlights without damaging my own hair brown hair, and also wanted to extend the length (which by the way was brastrap length when i put the weave in), i also was doing it to grow my hair and let it "rest" -like the stylist promised me. The weave was too stressful for my hair and broke it off all over, pulled it out and thinned it out and ate up my front edges. it was a nightmare on elm street and it took me all 2005 to clean up the damage. i had it cut several times in 05, and the final cut i did in January 2006, I ended up with hair that was between the bottom of my neck and my shoulders. The hair was thicker, but it was still shedding and breaking, and it wasnt until i joined lhcf in february that is stopped. Now my hair is healthy, shiny, growing really fast - I stretched it a couple days ago, and some parts of it are armpit length already...some parts are shoulder length. I am grateful for this site, and everyone's aadvice and support. i am religous about my vitamins, msm, and my moisture (nioxin leave in and castor oil which my hair DRINKS). i have not used heat in 2 months, and i co wash or just rinse 6x/week after i workout.

 

[MizaniMami]

My hair would get right to shoulder length and then break right off. But I just thought *most* black people grew hair that length and I even considered myself lucky to be at shoulder length I also thought that only mixed and people of other races could grow hair longer than shoulder. I also got tired of being a slave to my hairdresser and such.

One day I googled "black hair care forum" I found a relaxed ezboard and from them i found this board, which is now my home. I am thankful to GOD that I found this board. My hair has never been this long in my life and I know it can get better.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

My hair had been decent as a child but during adolescence I had a curl. My hair reached midback when stretched.... going to a cheap stylist cost me all of my hair literally. I had to get a buzzcut. I grew my hair back out only to have another cheap sylist screw it up by leaving in the relaxer too long (I told her it was burning) and I had so much damage I had to cut my shoulder length hair up to my chin.....

Now I'm on a roll getting my grass healthy.

off note.... weaves look grand but why wear those when I can grow my own? I'm on a mission to grow midback healthy hair. I'd looooove to grow waistlength. We'll see The ladies here inspired me to do my best.

 

[lavnder]

I made the decision to start caring for my hair from to many bad experiences with hairstylist. My hair remained at shoulder lenght for nearly 5 years and when I was told by my last hairstylist that my hair would not grow any longer I was determined to prove her wrong.

Since caring for my own hair I have achieved more growth than ever and my hair in my opinion is healthier too! I contribute the decision to better hair growth to LHCF and all the many ladies that were willing to share their hair care tips and me taking a chance on myself to achieve more growth and healthier hair.

I am happy with my decision.

 

[caligirl]

I moved to a new city and couldn't find anyone to press my hair. Every place I went wanted to put a jar of grease in my hair or burned my hair off with the hot comb. I had to learn how to wash my hair! Before this, I never washed my hair at home in my entire life!

 

[aquarian1252004]

Being fed up with self inflicted damage and miracuously discovering LHCF

 

[caribeandiva]

What did your friend do to acheive her goal?Lol

according to her she went to the salon every 2 weeks regularly, bought expensive shampoos and hair styling agents, no deep-conditioning, twice monthly shampoos, trim every 6 weeks.

none of that stuff worked for me so i kept looking.

 

[alexei]

After being natural for years and wearing braids, I decided to relax my hair when it grew to shoulder length b/c I was afraid my hair would break off it stayed natural and kept growing....weird logic i know.erplexed I believed the myth that relaxed hair is easier to care for and that it puts less stress on the hair than constantly yanking through natural hair. My hair fell off to the point where all i had was fuzz in my kitchen area after only 3 no lye relaxers (same brand and stylist). I put it back in braids and cut of the relaxed ends off.
I thought I knew soo much back then about getting a relaxer - my scalp wasn't based and the hairdresser's timekeeper was "is it burning yet?"
I did some research and found longhairlovers.com then 1 fateful day when lhcf crashed....lhcfers were holding meeting at lhl....curiosity got the best of me and I struck internet gold!!!
Thank God!

 

[caribeandiva]

what books have you read and which other boards are you on? what is your favorite and what are you getting out of the books/forum that you dont get from here. i am aon a quest to find out the best hidden secrets for getting the quickest, healthiest, results for growing my hair to my waist.

books i've read:
Beautiful Black Hair by Shamboosie (i learned the most from this book and got my regime out of it)
The black woman's guide to beautiful hair (mostly about hair care, less about styling)
Let's talk hair by Pamela Ferrell (didn't like it cause it was mostly for natural hair)

forums i'm part of:
www.diasporahaircare.com
http://p069.ezboard.com/bblackbeautyblackhair86911