My other hair journal is more a recording of monthly measurements and pics of hair inspirations, so this will be a nice compliment to that, I hope.

So... Day One. A Brief Hair History :D

I had waist length hair as a young girl, then bounced around back and forth from short (Dorothy Hamil sp?) to long (though never longer than BS) again and again until a few years ago when I decided to go really long. Well, the summer before last, in August, I changed my mind and cut it into a chin length bob again. Of course, I instantly regretted it! So this time I am determined and committed to going at least to 30 inches, and possibly a few more inches to waist. If at that point, I want to go short again, at least I will have known what it was like to have really long (for me) hair.

My hair SHORTCOMINGS:

1. FRIZZ! My nemesis. Just a product of my waves, I know, but I really hate those halo days and long for the day when they create a product that actually does tame the frizzies. Usually, wash day (or an extremely humid summer day) are the only days I have frizz. For some reason once I sleep on it, the frizz seems to go away. Drying in a pony tail or bun for some reason also helps the halo.

2. DRYISH ENDS. Hello, my name is Kelli and I am a hair abuser ;) Well, I was in the past anyway. Looooooooong ago I permed a couple of times (never again), and have colored on and off (usually to a shade of red), and blow dry. I know there is no "good" way to blow dry, but I tried to do it as gently as possible (when it's mostly dry, with my fingers, on low or cool setting) during that in between stage of shoulder and BS. That is the worst! So to get me through I did it. I am inching past BS now and have laid off the blowdryer, but the ends are dry for it. The strange thing is, it FEELS great. My hair feels soft and silky and HEALTHY. But I can never get the ends, or bottom 4 inches or so to look as smooth as I'd like. Could be again just a function of my hair type, or the damage, but is more likely a combination of both. I'm not cutting though. I'm going to baby the bottom for a while and see what happens. I want to get the length first and then start trimming off the damage.

3. COLOR. What IS my color anyway?? One of these days I will post on the Mane board and get a consensus. I have strands that are super-fine and light blonde, some that are very coarse and dark, lots of variations of those (and even red) in between. As a child, and maybe even up until high school, I went from a tow-head to a dark blonde. But now I would say... hmm, chestnut brown? Anyway, I'm not crazy about the natural color at all and love love LOVE the Graham Webb Chestnut Brown color conditioner. It leaves my hair super soft and the color is magnificent, a gorgeous, rich coppery color (not too orange!). The natural color is not that big of a problem, especially since I can get that great boost from the color conditioner. The problem is, the ends (6 inches or so) are much lighter than the top. This is from the last color I did-- years ago now. The color conditioner is too subtle to correct the problem, so I am just going to have to live with it for the time being. It is a huge source of frustration though! I do not like having two toned hair! I think though, that it one of those things I notice more than other people, fortunately.

4. WAVES. Okay, I don't mind the waves so much as I hate that they don't mind me :rolleyes: Especially at the dreaded between shoulder and BS length it just looked unkempt and like what I call "mall hair" if I didn't blow it out straight. I still love love LOVE the straight look, and especially the feel of my hair when it's straight, but for now I'm on hiatus from my blow dryer. I may still straighten with it occaisonally or for special occassions but not on a regular basis. One of the biggest mistakes I made was ironing my hair the last time it was long-- right before this last cut. I saw my curly girl cousin at a party with gorgeous BOARD straight locks and asked her how she did it and she said she'd ironed it-- with a regular iron! Well, I figured it was no different than a curling "iron" (before I was hair saavy ;)) so I tried it. I have to say, it works GREAT. Nothing like it. But after several months, I started to notice the damage, and that was a big part of the reason I cut it. I only wash 2-3 times a week and wasn't blow drying or ironing every time, but it still took it's toll. I also have to say, as my hair creeps past BS length, the waves look better and better and I'm staring to really like them.

HAIR STRENGTHS:

1. WAVES... :D Re: above, I am starting to like them, and am finding that especially when i do nothing with my hair after washing (meaning no combing) I have incredible waves, with more curl than I ever thought I had. My sister (and daughter) have cork-screw curls, so I guess I have some in the genes. Anyway, I think this is going to look great as I get longer, and the top is pulled down and kept in "control" while the ends soflty flow down. I think (and hope) I will really like this look.

Well, I guess that's it for strengths. I always was my own worse critic. 8)

HAIR CARE ROUTINE (CURRENT):

-wash every Tuesday and Friday (sometimes more frequently)
-CWC
-I use Suave Aloe Vera or Coconut for the first condition, then Jhirmack EFA moisturizing shampoo (currently using Kenra Moisturizing shampoo sample), followed by either the color conditioner or the Kenra Moisturizing conditioner sample I have. Previously I was using Redken Extreme for the second condition until someone suggested it might be too much protein. So, after the Kenra samples go, I will try the Herbal Essence Fruit conditioners that Karen recommended and see how that goes. If it doesn't work well for me, I will probably get the Kenra. This is great stuff.
-After shower I apply a little silicone serum on sopping wet hair, ring it out, and let it dry either in a bun or ponytail.
-I'm trying to do a weekly (or at least bi-weekly) deep conditioning treatment. I've tried the L'Oreal Mega Moisture and Kenra IET-- both are great.
-I take Biotin, a Multi, E and Fish Oil once a day and drink a LOT of water.
-I have a MP boar bristle/nylon brush (but do not brush frequently) and use hair friendly "toys".

I am doing the ol' S&D now since I want to hold off on trimming until I get to 28 inches--if possible. Twenty six is a magic number for me, as I feel like I can never get past it, so once I get to 28 I'll feel "safe" :D Plus, the last time I had a trim, and asked for a dusting, the stylist took of a whopping TWO inches. So I'm a little salon-shy for the time being. I do like long (about an inch up from the bottom) layers and some soft layering around my face (a little past the chin and down), so not sure what I will do about this. I like my hair to have a lot of movement and to look like it is still "styled" (my hair just hangs when it's all one length, though I think this look looks great on others) when it's long, so I may have to get that done and brave the salon...

Hmm... I appear to be running off at the modem, and since there's no one here to stop me but me, I'll wrap up for now. :D

[edited title to read "2b" instead of "2a"]

Ugh. Bad hair day. :mad: Makes me want to throw in the towel, but I have to remind myself the bob had it's problems too. Sigh... One of the problems I'm having is I've started wearing my hair in two braids at night, which I really love. In fact, I love the look so much for the first time I wore it in the same style (only tighter) for day. I chickened out and took them out right before dropping DS off at preschool this afternoon though.... the other moms think I'm weird enough, I'm sure, with my non-conformist long hair and love of all things sci-fi. :rolleyes: Oh well. The problem is that when I take them out, even though I braid dry, I still have a lot of waves that are a bit too uniform. I like the natural waves I've had recently better, and the ends (the part not braided) look scraggly. Needless to say, I've been wearing my hair up in a pony tail A LOT!! That too has its problems though, in that wearing my hair back too much causes my hair to break at the hairline. At least I think that's what's happening. I don't think I wear my updo's too tight, so maybe my hair is just fragile (I don't feel that it is though...) I'm at a loss! :suspect: When I lay off the updo's for a while, the look of my hairline seems to improve, but if I wear it back too often, it seems to get bad again, and then the updos no longer look nice either (with those broken pieces along the forehead.) What gives?? I will have to do a search and see if anyone else has had this problem.

On a positive note, one of the things I do love is the jojoba oil I started using about a month ago. I put it on about once a day, sometimes less frequently, just as the others directed when I posted a question on this on the Mane boards. Last summer I had tried the Monoi oil and my hair didn't like it-- gave it the cruchies. I'd stayed away from all oils for a while but after hearing over and over the great results people were getting with the jojoba, I tried it. It seems to give my hair instant shine (unlike the monoi) and (also unlike the monoi) I love that is doesn't have a scent.

I tried that Herbal Essence Fruit Fusions conditioner and really liked it! I wonder if it has cones in it-- not a problem for me I just like to know so I can be extra vigilant with my clarifying. It smell great, is nice and thick and left my hair so soft.

I also tried straight Aloe Vera gel on my hair after the shower and it did not like it at all! Made my hair really crunchy, so I rinsed it out. I may have used too much, or maybe I need to dilute it with something. I'll have to ask on the boards, though I haven't had much time for posting lately. Sigh..

Hair's in a ponytail... not the most exciting 'do, but at least it feels great!

Yesterday was a much better hair day than the day before. It was soft from that great conditioner but still a little "full" -- it takes my hair a day or two after washing to settle down to how I like it. Still getting used to these natural waves, I catch glimpses of my hair dryer hung behind the bathroom door, beckoning me for a secret rendezvous :D BUT, I remain strong. One thing that's hard is that when I blew out you could see the entire 26 inches... with the waves my hair bounces up at least a good inch or so, so it looks shorter. I look at my avatar pic and get that pang to straighten! I'll have to get rid of that thing so I don't keep seeing it and remembering how much I like it straight.

I wore my hair in the two braids again yesterday. I got brave and did them just before my sister and her SO came over for a casual dinner. DH came in from work and said "Hey there, sexy hayseed!" :rolleyes: So I guess that's his way of saying they were cute. But my sister's reaction was great, she really loved them. She wears her hair like that a lot but had never seen me in that style. As an added bonus, she commented on how much longer my braids were than when she does hers-- I think that is the first time anyone has commented on the length of my hair at all, so I was thrilled. (Aside from DH, who does a lot, but that's just him being encouraging so he doesn't count :)). Anyway, now I feel emboldened to wear the braids in public... maybe even to drop DS off at preschool. Maybe. :D

Also, when I was giving DD her bath the other night, I was amazed that when she put her head all the way back to be rinsed that as I poured the water over her hair, her curls now stretch right down to her tailbone. I told her her hair is getting so long and she said "Like you, Mama!". I'm not sure that comments from a three year old technically count, but that's two comments in one week... maybe I am finally getting to that stage where it looks long. Yay!

Wow, I saw a beautiful silver longhair in a convertible yesterday... her long silver hair was streaming out behind her, she looked fabulous. My mom has pretty silver shoulder-length hair, but other than that I've never seen a woman with silver hair so long and loose before (I have seen a few braids and buns). What an inspiration.

Wish I could say the same about my 'do. :rolleyes: Maybe someday. It hasn't been looking too bad lately, with the ocassional off day. Yesterday I did my first french twist, pathetic as it was, but what an accomplishment! I have to work on perfecting it now. Today my hair is loose but before I go out I'll most likely pull it back.

I think it's time for a clarifying shampoo with my Neutrogena as the ends are feeling a little crunchy. I also noticed a bunch of split ends, which is weird because I almost never get those. I'm trying to think if I've done something new in my routine but nothing is coming to mind. At any rate, it's possible I will not make it to my goal before I have to trim... :groan: Before I resort to that though, I am going to do a little S&D mission to see if that doesn't help.

Today I noticed for the first time that in a tee shirt my hair touches the bare skin of my arms. I kept thinking I had a bug on me and then realized it was my own hair tickling my arm :oops: Too funny!

So, I wore the braids today, even to preschool. No gasps of horror, and no one burst out laughing, so I took that as a positive sign. :D I love this style and do think I will wear it more and more!

I started reading through some of the other hair journals and it seems that my problem of dry and/or rough ends is not entirely unusual. I'm glad to know I'm not alone! The question is: what do I do for it? I know a trim would solve the problem, but I'm looking to maybe tame it and prevent further damage while I grow for a while-- just so I can get past that psychological block of 26". I wonder if this is even possible, or if a trim will be the only way?

The other night I saw 8 Mile and Kim Basinger's hair looked so brittle and unhealthy. I always thought she had such pretty hair, and maybe it was her character, but I just thought, wow, that's some seriously damaged hair! Conversely, last week I watched White Oleander (yes, I have eclectic movie taste :)) and loved Michelle Pfieffer's hair in that. Why is it that so many celebrities seem to be able to abuse their hair on a regular basis (bleaching, blowdrying, straightening, etc) and still have hair that looks so healthy?? (and I'm not talking about touched-up magazine layouts.) And why is it that my own hair looks so much better (and yes, healthier) to me when I blow it out straight?? ... I ponder these, life's eternal mysteries :D

At any rate, I ran to the mall today to do a couple of errands and passed by a hair salon that had Kenra products in the window. I'm thrilled to know a place nearby (well, 20 minutes isn't too bad) to get that stuff. I want to invest in the Moisturizing Conditioner and also try the leave in that Rachel recommended (thank you, Rachel!!)

A thought occured to me today as to another possible cause of my rough ends... it does seem to coincide with my resumed oiling. I really loved the Jojoba, but maybe like the Monoi, after a while it makes my ends crunchy. It's worth a shot, so for the time being I'm putting my bottle away. We'll see how that goes!

[edited to fix a spelling mistake :)]

Well, I finally took a new picture for my sig file, so I won't continue to be tempted by those straight locks! This is a larger view:

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/May/20035223356899124362358.jpg

This is how my hair looks when I let it dry naturally, finger combing only. If it's really humid and/or I let it completely alone (no finger combing) it can be a little wavier, if it's dry and I do a lot of finger combing, it's a lot straighter. But, overall, I think this is a pretty accurate image of my hair in it's current natural state, frizz and all!! (Humid day today). I'd like to post this on the Mane board to see if I've accurately typed my hair. I'm a little confused by it all but feel fairly certain I'm a 2a. But I'm not crazy about the picture, I think I will try to take a better one before I do that. 8) Of course, the color is not that red, for some reason the light in my kitchen made me look like a red head :? Though I do have a lot of red in my hair, I can only wish it was actually this color!

Yesterday and today I tried not to mess with my hair too much, as I've developed the bad habit of running my fingers through the ends all the time (detangling). So yesterday it was in a braid all day, and today I put it back as pictured. I haven't worn my hair like this in a long time (almost 10 years!), and am so glad I rediscovered the style. So simple and it keeps my hair off my face but is a softer look than a bun or twist.

I still feel like the ends are dry, which I also think is evident in the picture, so tomorrow I am going in for a deep conditioning treatment. If that fails, the scissors may be next (just a trim!). We'll see...

My dry ends are gone! And I didn't need a trim.... I am indebted to Dulci, who suggested I try clarifying before I went for the scissors. I usually do a sort of pseudo-clarifying once a month or so: CWC only use a clarifying shampoo for the "W". Well, this time I did a thorough clarifying-- no condition first, just soaked the hair, lathered the entire length with my Kenra Clarfiying Shampoo sample, concentrating on the ends and really working it in. I left it in for 2-3 minutes while I showered, then rinsed well. After that I deep conditioned and left it on for a couple of hours and rinsed again. WOW. Rough ends GONE!! I still can't believe it. My entire head of hair feels renewed. I kept running my fingers through it waiting for that rough feeling to come back as it dried, and it just didn't. I owe Dulci big time!! Thank you, girl!!

So needless to say, today was a good hair day. I am feeling better about my hair, particularly my natural state, especially with the encouragement I received on the Mane board. What a pleasant (if not shocking!) surprise! I went to a party today and for the first time in eons I wore it down-- and NOT blown out. I agonized over that, and it was the first real test of my will not to use the blowdryer. On regular days it's not too bad, I can wear it up and forget about it. But I like to wear it down for special occaisons, and always straight. I'm proud of myself that I was able to be strong :D I probably wouldn't have if it weren't for everyone here.

Trying not to get my hopes up too too much, as I know bad hair days--and even weeks-- are inevitable. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the "new" me. :) I learned I'm a 2b!!!

Yikes, I've been away too long! Busy couple of weeks, but wanted to make sure I logged my measurement this month (26.5-- 1/2 inch growth, no surprise!) and also make sure I had a record of my great hair day. I feel like a mad scientist at times, mixing my "potions" to find the right combination for my hair, so I'd like to write this down for future reference. In my last entry I talked about how great the clarifying made my hair feel. It still was a little prone to tangling, which I just attributed to the waves. But then, I had the strangest (positive) experience. On Saturday night I CWC, starting with my Sauve Aloe Conditioner (the only part of my "potion" I don't change). Then I followed with my Kenra Moisturizing shampoo, rinsed, and conditioned with the Intenstive Emollient Treatment. Afterwards I put a tiny amount of Giovanni silicone serum in my hair (a typical part of my routine). All the while my hair was drying it felt super smooth and soft. I kept waiting for it to dry to it's normal "feel" (not brittle or coarse, but definitely not as soft as it was feeling while drying on this particular occasion). It never did... even fully dry (and now, almost two full days later) it was amazingly soft, smooth, and almost completely tangle-free! And even on a horribly humid day! So, is this a magic combination for me or a fluke? I'm very anxious to try it again. Nothing in that routine is new for me, I've tried them all before but never in that exact combination, and not since my deep clarifying. The only other thing I did differently was I combed my hair gently with a wide-toothed comb several times while drying. I doubt that had an effect but I wanted to note it anyway. At any rate, I will be very interested to see what happens on my next wash day!

In other hair news, I got rid of all (except one) of my straight hair inspirations. I think it's been giving me an unrealistic goal to work towards. I kept one of Jennifer Anniston when her hair was really long, because it is a style I might want to do once in a while for a special occasion. But the others all went! I still have some of Kate Winslet with waves, and added a bunch of new ones of Claudia Black from the Farscape Convention where her hair was down and wavy. Also added a few from Practical Magic. I'm hoping my wavy inspirations will give me more realistic goals to set and will keep me thinking positively about my own hair.

I've been contemplating for a long time now getting a satin pillowcase, but I have finally decided it's just not for me. I can't stand the feel of satiny things on my skin! So I hope my hair is not going to get too damaged from the cotton cases, but I just feel that sleep takes precedence over my hair :D

DH and I finally got around to watching our new LOTR special edition DVD with extra footage. I loved the hair styles so much, and found myself wondering how they would look with "modern" clothes 8) I don't want to look hippy-ish, but I don't mind looking a little bohemian now and then, so I think I will try experimenting with some of the styles. I particularly liked Cate Blanchett's extensions, and it occured to me that BOTH Liv Tyler and Cate's extensions were quite thin. In one scene with Arwen you can see through her hair in parts. That was encouraging to see as I've been worried that maybe my fine, and what I think of as thin (though the ponytail test puts me at "normal") hair would not look good long. I guess I will see!

That's it for now. I hope next time I will get a chance to check out the Mane board as well... I feel like I've missed so much!

Well, this current combo still seems to be working quite well for me. The last two times I've washed my hair it has felt so soft, but I have to say too that it feels less so with each subsequent washing-- I think that is just the slow evolution of build up leading up to me needing to clarify. I usually do this every three weeks or so so that would be about right! I ordered a big bottle of the Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo and the IET. They should come in this week (I hope, as I almost out of both samples!).

I am still hoping to make it to 27" before I trim, and then get 1/4 inch or a dusting taken off. Last time I was lazy and walked into a Fantastic Sam's but not this time! I am going to go to my long time stylist who I trust to take off only what I ask for. I am reluctant to do ANY trimming for a while though, unless I absolutely have to. I am thinking I will wind up doing a little dusting in July, but who knows-- if it keeps up the way it is, I could conceivably go several more months (last trim, the dreaded FS incident when they chopped off TWO inches after I asked for a dusting, was in Feb).

The other day I ran into an aunt who I hadn't seen in a while and she said "Oh, you're growing your hair long!".... I can't say how many times that has happened to me, where people comment on the length but decide not to add "...it looks nice" or something to that affect. Makes me think, can't they find something nice to say about it?? :? That's okay, I came home and reread all the wonderful words of positive encouragement I got here and soon forgot about the Insult of Omission :D

Sigh... I feel myself sliding into a hair slump the last couple of days. This has happened before and I know it will pass, so I just need to keep that in mind. The condition of my hair remains good; still feeling soft and all, but I get a little frustrated with the look of it sometimes. Though it's been less an issue recently, I am still adjusting to my hair's natural (not blown-out) state. Sometimes I feel like it looks really unkempt. Especially the ends, that I feel kind of stick out every which way. I want to be able to put it back every day and just forget about it for a while, but I don't think a lot of updo's look that great on me.

* I like the messy bun, but can't seem to perfect that or get it to look like I want it to.

*I like the french twist but am having a terrible time trying to perfect that!

*Two braids-- I like this too but am still not entirely comfortable wearing my hair that way. I look much younger than I am (or so people tell me) but I still can't get past feeling this style is a little "young" for me.

*The recently rediscovered top half pulled back style is working sometimes, though I do worry that the hair that hangs down the back looks too thin and scraggly.

* I like the inside-out braid I do whenever I try to do a french braid on myself, and I like low ponytails, but neither of these is something I like to wear every day.

One of my problems is I think that a lot of updos-- especially buns, because I have a very high foread and no bangs, look too severe and matronly on me. I do have some shorter pieces that start an inch or two below my chin and taper down in the front (too long to leave down in updos though), and I am thinking of maybe having these trimmed shorter (right at the chin or slightly above) so that I can wear updo's with a softer look. But I hate to do that. In the past, I seem to recall short pieces like that being extremely unruly (the last thing I need! More unruliness!) unless I straightened them with the blow dryer.

Speaking of that, I think I will blow dry just once (next time I wash). I really need a pick me up, and I don't think once in a while doing the blow out is going to completely fry my hair. I've seen people on this board that straighten, blow out and/or dye their hair that have gorgeous locks, so I can't imaging once in a while this will destroy mine. I was blowdrying once a week, so once a month or so is, at the very least, an improvement ... or so I am telling myself :rolleyes: At any rate, I'm going to try it, to give myself a boost.

I also need to clarify soon, probably next week. This time I am going to do it the right way like I did last time-- what a difference that made!

Well, the good news is, I decided not to succumb to the call of the dryer ;) The bad news is, I'm still in my slump! I'm going to clarify tomorrow and deep condition afterwards (as I did last time I clarified), and after DH comes home from the office I will have him take some from-behind shots so I can really evaluate how my hair is doing. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised and get a pick me up! Of course, I might wind up being even more discouraged :( :rolleyes:

Found some interesting hair clips today-- they are similar to regular metal barettes I've seen-- the ones that have metal clip parts and the tops are faux tortoise shell, black plastic or the like, but these have no metal parts. They are all plastic. I was intruiged and bought the pair, but they are a bit large for my fine/thin hair and didn't hold very well for holding just the top half pulled back (they would probably work fine securing ALL of my hair). Still, if they wind up making a smaller version I would definitely buy those.

I've left Slumpville for the time being (phew!). Hopefully, I won't be going back there any time soon! The clarifying really helped my ends, but did not do quite as good a job as last time, which leads me to believe I really am coming down the to the wire in terms of needing a trim. That's fine I guess... I had been hoping to go as long as possible, but at the very least I will be able to get this trim and still be over that dreaded 26" mark. Not much over, but still...

I was re-reading Rachel's journal (we seem to have strikingly similar hair issues!!) and decided I would give the aloe another shot. The last time I used it my hair was partially dry, so this time I applied the aloe to sopping wet hair. It's drying as we speak, so I will have to wait and see. I think I'll have better luck this time-- it still feels very soft and last time that crunchy feeling set in almost immediately.

Let's see, what else? :!: Oh yes, I've been thinking more and more about doing something to correct the lighter color at the ends of my hair. I don't want to do anything drastic, but the the color conditioner is just a bit too subtle. I need something that falls in between color conditioner and straight out dye. I've poked around in the hair color aisle and am thinking about the Loving Care line. Supposedly, it only last 6-12 shampoos (if I'm remembering correctly). So conceivably I could pick a shade as close to my root's color as possible and give that a try. I'm concerned though because I went to a salon once to get them to help me even out my color and I just would up thinking my hair looked too uniform in color-- almost fake, if that makes any sense. My natural hair color has a lot of depth and dimension, lots of different colors in it, so I didn't like the flat look of the coloring at all. So I don't know... my mom and my sister are both saying do not mess with it, that I will just get back into that coloring cycle and/or be disappointed again. They are probably right, but on the other hand, I have several different things coming up this summer that I want to look my best for, and I really want these lighter ends gone!

On Friday I had my scheduled trim and all went well. I asked Mary for a dusting to 1/4 inch at the most, but as she started cutting she said she really thought I needed to do a bit more than that. Mary is great; she said she would cut only the 1/4 inch if I wanted but that I needed a bit more and reminded me I wanted healthy over length. She was right of course so I gave the go-ahead, and my hair feels silky right down to the ends, but I am disappointed to be back at 26"-- again! This is my second time at 26 and I'm starting to get concerned I will get stuck here as I know many others have.

Mary also put on a depositing-only color that got rid of my light ends, and it looks fabulous. I am so glad to have evened out hair!! Now that my hair is the color I want and feeling so good, I am going to take extra gentle care of it as I move (hopefully) WELL past 26. I hope to not have to cut again until October at the earliest. One thing that will help with that I hope, is that I had Mary cut some shorter pieces along my face (the shortest is just above the chin). I had been wearing my hair down a lot but now I have been wearing it in protective updos and not feeling like I look like an old librarian or something :).

One thing that is very important to note: my hair had been feeling progressively drier since that great clarifying I did a while back. I couldn't figure it out. Then, I realized that my Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo has Sodium C-14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, an ingredient that I've heard can be extremely drying!! Needless to say I have cut it out of my routine (or course after purchasing a full-size bottle :rolleyes:) So, for now I am back to my Jirmack EFA moisturizing shampoo. I have been wondering why it worked so well that first time, and I think maybe it was because it was so drying it "clarified" my hair? So maybe that's why it seemed to work so well that first time, but subsequent use dried it out *shrug* At any rate, I'll be staying away from it from now on.

The frizz. Ugh. Back with a vengeance now that the humid summer weather is here. Some days I want to hold the ends of my hair, run my hand up it to get as much frizz going as possible, and work it into a kind of Halo Mullet :silly: Sigh... I have to have a sense of humor about it you see. ;)

I bought yet another bottle of anti-frizz gel, but I wonder if anything really works to control that halo. I doubt it, but hope springs eternal...

Well, the Quest is still progressing... since the trim my hair has felt in the best condition it has in a long time. Still, I miss the length. It was only an inch, and I know it's silly to miss such a small amount, but I do! I've been doing as I promised myself and am taking extra special care of my hair. I'm wearing it up almost every day and I have definitely noticed a difference in terms of less tangles (and in overall condition, but that could still be from the trim). I have also started scalp massage again-- something I had done a while back and saw good results with (I just got lazy I guess ;)). I really wish there was something I could do to speed up the growing process as I am starting to grow restless. I compare my hair to others constantly-- when I see a woman with hair that I think is about my length, I start wondering (if I don't think it looks that long) if people think the same when they look at my hair, and start trying to determine if the woman's hair really is the same length as mine by where it falls on her breast. These thoughts seem to cycle; it's ridiculous! :( And a terrible way to compare since I think everyone's "girls" hang at a different level. Not to mention how strange it will look if anyone notices me staring at other women's chests all the time :rolleyes: At least the bunning/wearing updos is helping. I think about my hair a little less when it's up and out of the way.

So the two updos I've been wearing are:

-a casual french twist, with a few wisps in front and a little "spray" at the top
-a modified twist-- instead of securing with a comb I use a barrette. This stays better and is a nice variation.

And yesterday, I did my first knot!! At least, I think that's what it's called. Or maybe a chignon? I started out with one of those buns where you don't pull it all the way through on the last twist. I like this style but I just couldn't get it to work right yesterday. So, I took the hair that was not pulled through (the "messy" part just above the ponytail), twisted it all across the ponytail holder and kept wrapping it around, then secured it with hair pins. It looked so great and I got several compliments on it. It's great to have a very sophisticated, elegant style to wear for special occassions (we were going to the theatre) as a lot of time I feel like I can't look "polished" enough with my long hair like I could with my bob. So this is huge for me.

The anti-frizz gel I tried (L'Oreal) seems to be working well. When I did the knot/chignon my hair was so smooth and shiny! That could have been a function of the style though, not the gel.

So, things are going along nicely, except for my frustration with the length (or lack thereof!). I really hope the scalp massage and this humid weather (I swear my hair grows faster in the humidity--last July I had an inch of growth in one month!) will help. Only the measuring tape will tell!

[edited to add the following:]

Here is a photo of my hair after the trim/color:

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jul/2003777149471351191644.jpg

It's amazing to me how different my hair looks in different light--here, almost completely brown! Also looking nice and straight after the blow dry at the salon... I can't resist the opportunity for a salon blow out :oops: )

I've been up and down the last few days about my hair. Geesh, whoever said the space between BS and waist is the worst was absolutely right! I can't shake the feeling that my hair looks messy when I take it down. Here are a few photos I took yesterday:

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jul/20037145017131345131349.jpg
(ack! dust on my lens!)

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jul/20037143619400256559053.jpg

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jul/20037145306791465542743.jpg

I can see that my hair looks (at least to me) in pretty good condition-- soft at least, and it does feel that way. But I also see messy pieces that don't seem to want to lay quite right, and give me an overall messy look. I am hoping that this will solve itself as I get closer to waist! Another problem is a bunch of fly-aways (they're not splits) on the top layer about shoulder level. These always look messy and are impossible to tame. [[I should note here too for when I read back that my hair looks a bit longer in the bottom two pics because my head is tilted up... I did not (unfortuntately) have miraculous growth!]]

Also, I am taking a break from 'cones... the last two washes I've use 'cone-free products (CWC w/ Sauve Aloe conditioner, Suave Cucumber and Melon shampoo & Kenra IET, followed by aloe gel and a few drops of jojoba oil). I'm not anti-cone, I just like to take a break now and then. I have done this in the past and haven't really noticed much of a difference, but this is the first time I'll have this journal to note my observations about it.

I have been wearing my hair up ALL the time, too. I do feel like this is helping the condition of my hair but at the same time I think it contributes to the overall messy problems as my hair gets all these weird crimps after I've left it up too long. I've tried switching updos but I still get the same result. What I did yesterday was wash, let it air dry completely and went to sleep with it loose and about 95% dry. This morning I put it up, so I will see how it turns out!

I've been neglectful of my journal and the boards lately (settling back in from vacation) but wanted to squeeze in my August measurement. Unfortunately I only had a pitiful 1/4" growth this month :? Usually in the summer I experience increased growth, so this is a mystery to me!

Despite the disappointing growth, I am feeling like my hair is in very good condition. I've been much more vigilant about wearing it up (a bun mostly) and misting/damp bunning and boy, it really does make a difference. So soft! And I am actually getting used to seeing myself with my hair up.

Speaking of getting used to things, while on vacation I caved and blowdried and straight ironed my hair once for going out to dinner. And I actually realized, I liked my hair better wavy! This was a startling revelation for me! Am I just getting used to my waves? I don't know, but I wound up rewetting it the next day to get my waves going again. That afternoon (I had been wearing it up exclusively except for the evening before, and I'd decided to wear it down before I showered the following day) my MIL (we vacation at a family beach house w/lots of extended family-- sounds like a nightmare but I actually love my inlaws and we all have a lot of fun!) ANYway, she said that she thought my hair looked so pretty and feminine that way. I was very pleased!

Geesh, handling my hair on vacation is SO much easier when I'm bunning. I was also careful to keep a hat on when we were on the boat or at the playground with the kids. I hardly had any tangles. I wore my hair in braids a couple of times with a bandana (folded into a triangle, secured with a knot at the back). This was a GREAT 'do for the windy beach and good sun protection to boot. I got a kick out of my 12 year old niece, who suddenly started sporting two braids of her own ;)

I bought some sweet almond oil to try in addition to the new Thermasilk leave in I use now and then. I've had trouble with oil in the past, but am finding now that if I go VERY lightly, a little before bed and maybe once or twice during the day really works nicely for shine and softness. In fact, it works so well (both the jojoba and almond oil) that I have not been using the Thermasilk at all (naturally, since I bought two bottles :rolleyes: ).

Speaking of Thermasilk, it's the only 'cone product I've been allowing myself in this "break" I'm taking from them (only because it supposedly is the combo that washes out easily). I wanted to note here that this is the longest I've been without cones, and the one difference I do notice is the lack of build up/crunchiness. This is the longest I can remember going without that feeling of crunchies coming on... of course that could be the damp bunning, so I'm not entirely sure. Now that I'm not using the thermasilk, I am interested to see how long I can go or if that crunchy feeling ever returns.

Hopefully it will be a LONG time as I've decided not to trim for as long as possible, even if I feel I need it. I'm just continuing to lose length and hover here at 26 (well, 26.25) and I'm tired of it! So, build up or not, split ends or not, I'm not letting scissors near my hair until at least Christmas (that is my goal anyway!). At this moment that seems entirely possible-- I have no crunchies starting, no splits-- so we will see.

Okay, so my current routine is as follows:

-oil hair very lightly before bed w/either jojoba or almond oil
-put hair in very loose terry pony for sleeping (still trying to figure out a better sleeping 'do)
-use Madora comb to detangle in the a.m., spritz with water/non-cone conditioner mist and bun for the day
-every third day (I switched to baby shampoo too which I should note, it's very gentle, but so gentle that I can't see to go as long between washings) I CWC with my trusty Sauve Aloe, plain ol' J&J baby shampoo, and the Herbal Essence Fruit Fusions Protecting conditioner (how is it this stuff leaves my hair as slick as MegaMoisture w/no cones???!)
-after wash I put some aloe vera gel on my hair sopping wet, let it dry in a towel (got to get a turbie!) for a while and then bun it, taking it down several times a day to adjust and seperate (and ocassionally add a drop of oil).

The one thing I love about this routine is the shine it gives me. I live for shine like Madeleine and DweamGoil (and others I'm not recalling at the moment). I want to take some pictures to add here and will hopefully get to that in the next few days!

I feel like I've had good growth this month, even though we're only moving into the third week. It could be that wearing my hair up so much is giving me the illusion it's longer when I do wear it down. Still, I can't wait to measure, I hope the tape reflects how I feel!

I'm continuing with the damp bunning and my cone-free experiment. I'm thinking that it's not a very good one though because I just can't tell if my hair is feeling so good because of the damp bunning or laying off the cones :? And since I really don't want to rock the boat, I'm just going to stick to my current routine until it's not working for me anymore. But I have the suspicion that I could use anything on my hair while damp bunning and it would still look okay!

I finally started experimenting with my Kheil's Cream with Silk Groom. On Sunday I tried in on wet hair and the previous Wednesday on dry hair. I think it works well both ways, but for now with my current routine I think I like using it on dry hair better. The last 2 nights I've put a pea-size amount on the length before bed (in addition to my usual jojoba) and it's great! I really love the smell too; I wonder if anyone else thinks it smells like Necco wafers candy :D Anyway, I'd love to see how the Creme w/ Silk Groom works if I put it in wet hair and then blow dried, but since that's a no-no right now (at least until I hit 27+!!), that experiment will have to wait.

With the success I've had I'd like to try some other Kheil's products but am not sure where to start. I'll poke around their site later tonight.

I still need to take some new pictures! I'm anxious to see how I'm progressing, and it's much easier to do when I compare from-behind shots that DH takes, so they're from the same angle. We've been so busy lately I haven't gotten around to it, but I am determined to do it by the weekend!

I'm late in getting my September measurement in, though I actually did take in on the 1st. DH did the measuring for me as usual, and he said I am at 27 and 1/4, which is terrific growth! I had him measure four times and three it was 27.25 and one 27 and an eighth. I still can't believe I had a solid inch of growth and think there must have been something wrong with DH's measuring! So I'm going to stick to 27 this month and see what happens next. At any rate, I guess my feeling about having a lot of growth this month was right (though I just didn't thing there's be SO much!) I haven't been doing anything differently except the damp bunning. I think my growing cycles just even out, so last month I only got a quarter inch and this month I made up for it. I expect to see my usual 1/2" growth on October first. Still, I am very pleased to finally be past the 27" mark :rockerdude:

I've noticed too that at this length (it's funny the difference a mere inch can make) that it's looking better down, too (I'll wear it loose for a while in the evenings at times). The waves are pulled a little more and seem a bit more controlled. The ends aren't crunchy yet so that's a very good thing. Needless to say I am going to keep up with the damp bunning as well! Three inches to go until my goal!!

Once I do reach 30", I am going to conisider Henna for some red highlights. Madeleine gave me some great advice about hennaing which I've saved, but for now, until I reach my goal, I just want to be as careful as possible with my hair and not do anything to it. Still 'cone-free too, oiling regularly w/jojoba (and a little drop of lavender EO w/it at night), using my ultra-gentle shampoo... no changes in those areas. I still am afraid to rock the boat and have no plans to change anything in this current routine.

An intresting observation: My braids, whether I do one or two, are nice and thick looking. But my buns always seem so puny! I can't figure out why that is. :suspect: I'll have to post a picture of one of my buns IF I ever get around to taking some new pics :rolleyes:

Ugh, I've got to be better about writing in this journal if I hope to make it a useful tool! I've got lots to write about too. Okay, where to start? A few weeks back I noticed my ends were starting to feel dryish-- I guess it would be more accurate to say they just didn't feel AS smooth as they had been. I attribute this to three possible causes:

1) I'd been wearing my hair down more. It's just been looking so darn good down now!! I am thrilled to be able to wear it this way but I think that is a very likely reason why it started feeling drier.
2) The protein in my Silk Groom was building up on my hair. In the past my hair has not liked too much protein, but I've been dying to try it for so long. I did like what it did for my hair, but at the same time I'm concerned it could have been the start of the drying.
3) Just run of the mill build up. I posted on the board and found oils can indeed build up on your hair -- though it certainly took a lot longer for the build up to get to the point where I noticed it (compared to cones).
4) I wasn't damp bunning as much.

At this point I'm still not sure which or if a combination of all three contributed to problem. I clarified the other day and did notice improvement, but it's not like it was before. The only other thing I thought of was I got one of those super absorbent Aquis-like towels. Maybe it's seeping up too much water too quickly? Maybe my hair needs that lengthy saturation? I just don't know-- I'll have to wait and see. It could just be that I am due for a trim. I am thinking seriously this time about doing my own dusting. I am scared to death at the mere thought!! What if I butcher my hair?? hmmm. I don't know. I think I still have more time to decide. I am still hoping I can make it four more weeks until December as I'd intended. With that goal in mind, I'm trying to wear my hair down less and damp bun more. I've laid off the Silk Groom for the time being and am thinking about putting away my Aquis for a while too (which will be hard to do-- I love it!) Lastly, I am going to try and be better about misting and keeping my hair "moisturized" with water. My sister's wedding is the last week of November and I so want my hair to look nice! I'm planning to wear it loose and wavy. I loved the way MorgueBabe's hair looked in the recent pics she posted of a friend's wedding, but I'm a little nervous about using a curling iron. I may be able to get it to wave nicely on it's own, but the problem usually is the natural wave is not as neat as I'd like it to be for a special occasion. We'll see.

Another thing I wanted to note that I touched on before is that as my hair as this length is looking really great down. I'm so excited about this, since for so so long it was in that terrible in-between stage.

The last thing is that my hair seems to be getting straighter as it gets longer. I don't necessarily think it's because of the weight, my hair seems pretty light. Naturally I think length/weight will effect it on some level the longer it gets, but I attribute it more to the bunning. I've been bunning (dry) and find this works fabulously for smoothing and think it is a big part of why it's looking so straight. I'd like to experiment with drying it loose but not in this cool weather! I hope I still have have my waves. Figures, just as I was really learning to love my natural waves, I may have lost them! I shouldn't say "lost" since it's more like "diminished". But on each subsequent day between washings the wave is looser.

That's all the time I have for now. More later!

[edited to add: My October 1st measurement was 27.5. Hopefully, next week's will be 28!]

Eureka! I may have figured out the recent problem with dry ends. I think it was the Aquis. On Friday I washed and instead of putting it up in the towel, I just gently squeezed the excess water out of my hair and bunned. The results were about 97% improvement so I am thrilled! I guess my hair does indeed need that saturation. Not crazy about having to go around with wet hair all day in the cold weather though, because it really does stay pretty damp in there most of the day. Obviously with using the Aquis first it was drying in the bun much faster. But it will be worth it if I can keep my ends moisturized for as long as possible. I also made a point of not washing as much of my conditioner out. I don't know why but recently I realized I'd been rinsing a little more than usual so stopping that may have helped too.

I was disappointed to get only 1/4" growth this month-- I was sure I'd finally hit the 28" mark, but now I'll have to wait until December (I hope!) Typically my hair grows an average of 1/2" a month, and I have to remind myself that is an AVERAGE. Some months I have 1/4", but I usually make up for it the next with 3/4"-1" Still, what a drag! I am so close to my (first?) goal of 30"... but I have a feeling these last 2 or so inches are going to be the hardest! Patience, Grasshopper... :mrgreen:

Bad, bad Tomb Raider!! The usual Holiday rush kept me away from the boards and this journal but I hope to be back on a more regular basis once again. First, my measurements:

Dec: 28.5
Jan: 29

I am ONE inch from my goal of 30!! I am so excited about this. My hair has never been this long. I got a couple of comments over Christmas about the length (fortunately followed up with "It looks great!" if it's just a comment on the length I'm never sure if that's a compliment!).

Here is my most recent photo, taken at my sister's wedding the weekend after Thanksgiving:

[edited to remove photo-- I hate pictures of myself!! :no:]

I did blow it out that day-- the first time in a very long time! Other than that though I have remained blow dryer-free. At this length my waves are quite loose and more "orderly". I'll try to post a new pic soon. Here is my current routine:

-wash 2x/week
-when I wash, I CWC as usual-- no new products
-I've stopped damp bunning in this cold weather and instead am using teacherbear's messy bun technique-- my hair dries faster that way yet it still stays wet a bit longer.
-on non-wash days, comb or carefully brush out tangles in the am, spritz with distilled water, apply a small amount of jojoba oil or Fox's sheabutter cream, bun for the day (usually).
-I'm sleeping with my hair in either a single braid or loose, and finally converted to the satin pillowcase! I found one on a clearance rack and figured for the price it was worth a shot-- it doesn't bother me at all as I thought it might!

Overall my hair's been in good condition. Few splits, some days it feels dryer than others but overall okay. I am amazed that I have gone this long without trimming!! I thought for sure I'd have to in December (I was trying to hold out that long) but I think at the rate I'm going, I can definitely make it to my goal first! Once I've reached 30, I'd like to get 2 inches cut off to really get the ends healthy, and regrow that 2". We'll see.

I took a quick picture this morning. Here is my hair unbrushed, after just waking up (I'd slept with it loose):

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jan/20041184859104824484186.jpg

This is the first hair picture I've taken for quite a while, and to me it seems like my ends have gotten rather uneven... but, that could just be because it's so toussled from sleep. But maybe the lack of trims has caused this. Too late to check now as I've washed and it's wet :rolleyes: So, sometime this week I'll have to have DH help me take more pics. I need to get a really nice one for a signature photo as well.

Also, I forgot to mention there actually have been a couple of changes in my routine I need to make note of. I've started leaving the Sauve conditioner-- my prewash conditioner (currently the Lavender) in while I do my shower things, then wash as usual (still using J&J baby but switched to the Lavender as well... smells sooooo awesome). My second, heavier conditioner I use last, just leaving on for about 30 seconds or so before doing my quick rinse. I started doing this because I saw the Sauve Lavender has panthenol in it and I'd read that works better when left on the hair for a while. And, I have been keeping my hair in a towel for a few minutes while I dress instead of putting it in the messy bun soaking wet (too cold!).

That's it for now. Hopefully the next time I post I will have my new sig picture...

I had a bad hair day yesterday :wail: As I was getting ready in the morning I thought my hair looked really good-- the weather is bone dry so my hair is lying very smooth and straight w absolutely no frizzies. I think it is looking so good that I ask DH to take a quick picture before he heads out to work (I like outdoor, daylight shots the best). So he does, and the picture looks great on the little digital camera screen, but when I upload it into iPhoto, it is hideous! Okay, I may be exaggerating a tad, but it certainly didn't look as great as I thought it did. So then I started thinking, maybe my hair always looks bad and I'm walking around thinking it's fine... :shock: Suddenly I am embarrased for the roughly 730 days I've been growing my hair :ponder: Sigh... DH comes home and I ask his thoughts on this. He thinks I'm crazy though admits sometimes the ends look a little dry (this I know!) and he encourages me to try a few more photos. So that's what I did this morning. It worked a bit, I do feel better about it, but I really do need to do something about my ends, because they can look very dry. Short of cutting of 2 inches or so, I don't know what else I can do. I oil them regularly and don't blow dry. I read Hollie say she likes the VO5 hot oil treatments and I'm gong to try one of those. Other than that, I really don't do a deep conditioning treatment regularly, so I'm going to start adding that to my routine. Not damp bunning as much is probably not helping either, so I may try to resume that when it's not too cold!

Anyway, I have two pictures I want to log in here.... the first I took after experimenting to get my hair out of a hair rut (this one's from a few weeks ago). I've never had luck with my fake-arre but think I finally got it down:

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jan/20041284573074684894108.jpg

It's a little messy (I like it that way), but I can also dress it up if I want, so I really like it. I've missed being able to do a french twist with the little "spray" at the top (too long now), so this is a great alternative.

This is one of the pics I took this morning. I was experimenting with making it into a sig:

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Jan/20041286217281755757924.jpg

It's very blurry though, I don't know why, so for now I'm going to use the original photo for my signature.