I wrote this eons ago when we were over at LHL/net54. I think most of it still pertains. I've added, changed and deleted some parts, but this should be a good beginning of abbreviations, definitions, etc. Because we find new products and develop new methods of doing things, these abbreviations and terms change and grow. This is in no way a complete list of abbreviations and terms you'll find here at LHC. It should be a good starting point, though!

Note, if you’re looking for a specific term, search for it by hitting ctl+F. This will bring up the “find” function on your computer, and you should be able to search this document for your term without reading all of them.

You can also search LHC for terms that are longer than 3 letters.

Basic Message Board Abbreviations

These are commonly used throughout the internet.

· BTW - by the way

· DH (DD, DS, DBF, DGF) - dear/ darn husband (daughter, son, boyfriend, girlfriend) sometimes a number will appear after DS or DD, like DS8 - 8 year old dear son to distinguish between multiple sons/daughters and/or to establish age of child

· ETA - edited (message) to add (more information/clarify)

· FWIW - for what it’s worth

· FYI - for your information

· HTH - hope that helps

· IIRC - If I recall correctly

· IMHO - in my humble opinion

· LOL- laughing out loud

· MIL - mother in law (FIL - father in law, BIL - brother in law, SIL - sister in law)

· NSFW - Not Safe For Work

· ROFL - rolling on floor laughing

· ROFLMAO - rolling on floor laughing my @ss off

· TIA - Thanks in advance (for the help/information)

· TMI - Too Much Information - a warning that you are about to read something that might make you cringe, get nauseated, blush, or otherwise say "why did they have to tell me THAT??!!! " 

· WB - welcome back

· YMMV - your mileage may vary


LHC Abbreviations

NOTE: You cannot search the forum for any word/abbreviation shorter than 4 letters, unless you add an asterisk *.

· 3MM - Aussie Three Minute Miracle conditioner

· ACV - apple cider vinegar which is mixed with water to rinse the hair. It is used to return your hair to a safe pH. Softens hair. White vinegar can also be used.

· AO - Aubrey Organics (shampoo and conditioner line found at most health food stores, like Whole Foods Market) http://www.aubrey-organics.com/

· BBB or bbb - boars bristle brush - a brush used for cleaning/shining, distributing oil . . . not for detangling

· BS, BSL - bra strap (length of hair)

· C-COW-C - Another wash method created by AnaisSatin http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=19783

· CG - Curly Girl Handbook, a book available at your local or online bookstores by Lorraine Massey, who outlines a hair care routine featuring no or low shampoo.

· CO - Conditioner Only wash; using conditioner only as a cleansing agent. Another way to clean the hair without shampoo. Ask LisaJaney. The idea is based on this article http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s2015.htm look 3/4 of the way down the page. How do YOU CO? http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=26062

· OR it can mean castor oil especially when talking about OCM. Check the context of the use of CO. OR it can mean coconut oil.

· CV - Chagrin Valley (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/) a company/line of products which some people here at TLHC use.

· CWC - Condition, wash, condition; a way to protect the length from shampoo in order to reduce dry ends. (That's what that first coating of conditioner is for.) Some people also do a slight variation on this and call it CWCC. There are a number of threads, but this ought to get you started. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=14684&highlight=CWCc

· DB - discussion board

· EOs - essential oils. These can be added to a variety of shampoos, conditioners, oils, infusions, etc. Some people add them for their scent. Other people add them for their benefits to the hair: shine, reduce dandruff, etc.

· EP - Evita Peroni - a line of beautiful hair toys

· EPO - evening primrose oil. An oil that is taken as a supplement.

· EVOO or evoo - extra virgin olive oil (the stuff you have in the kitchen)

· FB - Friendship Board

· FL - FranceLuxe - hair accessories (http://www.franceluxe.com)

· FTC - French Twist Comb

· GM - George Michael (Dr. George Michael . . . long hair guru). GM might refer to a salon where the stylist is trained in Dr. Michael’s philosophy of hair care, it might refer to the specialist/stylist himself or herself, to the GM line of products, or to Dr. Michael himself. There are several salons which describe the GM method, theories, products, etc. A few of them are: http://madoralonghairheaven.com/ and http://www.enchantress.com/ and other sites.

· H4H - hennaforhair.com. A site with information on dying hair with henna and other natural herbs. http://henna4hair.com/

· HB - Hairboutique (http://www.hairboutique.com) They have a great store and a variety of active discussion boards.

· LHC - LongHairCommunity (HERE! :gabigrin: )

· LHL - http://www.longhairlovers.com owned and operated by Jennifer Bahney.

· MM - Morrocco Method hair care system (http://www.morroccomethod.com) or it could mean L'Oreal Nature's Therapy Mega Moisture conditioner http://www.adiscountbeauty.com/page131.html in the short tub with yellow lid.

· MP - Mason Pearson brush, the Cadillac of bbb's. A premier brush and comb manufacturer. MP makes a variety of brushes, not just boar bristle brushes and combs. http://www.masonpearson.com/range.html#boar%20&%20nylon

· nc.com - http://naturallycurly2.com/home/index.php A site with hair care advice for the curly-haired.

· NG - Nature's Gate Organic shampoo/conditioners/products.

· OCM - Oil Cleansing Method. A facial cleansing method using oil. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=5612

· S/C or s/c - shampoo and conditioner

· S&D Treatment - See definition in LHC Terminology further down the page.

· SAO - Sweet Almond Oil

· SHT - some LHCers who wanted to do secret pals and this is the name they gave the group. Here is an older explaination (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=25116&highlight=secret+hair+twin). If you are interested in joining, check the Swap Board for more current threads.

· SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), SLES (sodium lauryl ether sulfate) - A strong detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste etc.). It is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. Can cause over drying in hair and dry scalp.

· SMT - Snowy's Deep Moisture Treatment. A combination of conditioner, honey, and aloe. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=14635

· SS Oil - Moonchaser’s Sweet Success Hair Oil. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=38114&page=5&highlight=moonchaser+sweet+success+hair+oil

· TBB - The Beauty Bottle, http://www.thebeautybottle.com/ LHC's parent site.

· TLHC - here, (The) LongHairCommunity.

· WO - water only washing; this is sometimes attempted - I don't know a lot about it, but this thread out to be a good starting point. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=19345 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=19345)


· Name Abbreviations - Often an LHC member's name might be abbreviated. My name (Teacherbear) might be abbreviated as TB, LisaJaney - LJ, JennaPea - JP, etc.



LHC Terminology

There are many products, styling tools, hair toys and hair styles that are frequently discussed in the boards. A few of the common ones are:

· Baby hairs - shorter hairs that encircle the face, especially with wavy and curly hair. These hairs could be new growth or broken hairs.

· Bangs - another name for fringe.

· Blowfryer - A name for a hairdryer, but with more description of what it actually does to the hair.

· Classic Length - where the buttocks meets the thighs

· Cones or ‘cones - various types of silicone products (usually anything in the ingredients ending in -one) that are put into many drug store conditioners. Many people avoid them because they coat the hair shaft, causing build up, and for some people actually damaging the hair shaft - similar to how fake nails damage your real nail’s bed. Other people like using them because they help protect their hair.

· Denman - a maker of nylon brushes. They also sell BBBs, mixed, and other types of combs (especially a 3-row comb) and brushes. http://www.denman-us.com/ The Classic Stylers are very popular here at LHC

· Dusting - a way of trimming the hair. After a dusting trim the hairs left on the floor appear as dust - not hairs. Sometimes refers to snipping split ends.

· Fairytale ends - a natural hemline which results in very thin ends to the hair. This thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=56238) might help.

· Fak-arre - a hair clip that looks similar to a Ficcare, but might be plastic or metal.

· Ficcare - a type of high quality metal hair clip. This is a brand name. The clips were originally made popular by the actresses on Friends. There are three major clip types: beak, Maximas, and Ficcarismo. http://www.ficcare.com/ The site is still being worked on, last I checked. Cinnamon Hair has posted some of their catalogs here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=13154

· Fringe - another name for bangs

· Hair toys - any type of decoration or styling item for your hair, including, but not limited to: scrunch’s , Hairagami’s, Hairdini’s, hair sticks, hair forks, clips, barrettes, ponytail ties, hair gloves (http://www.hairglove.com/) (http://www.hairglove.com/%29), snoods, hair slides, bobby pins, Bunjii hair ties, etc, etc, etc. Here is a thread with links to many hairtoy makers/sellers (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=40343). We have a number of members who make hairtoys. Check out the links.

· Halo - when those baby hairs puff out and create an aura around your head/face. Might as well be called a halo ;) .

· Heating cap - an electric “cap” that is heated. It helps conditioners and oils get into the hair follicles. Be careful not to use too hot of a temperature. (Personally, I use my heating pad to get the same results!) There is also a microwave-able heating cap available.

· Hemline - the bottom edge of your hair. Different hemlines include: V shaped, U shaped, Blunt (straight across), and Natural/Fairytale ends.

· Henna - a conditioning product for your hair. You can use the traditional red henna dye, or other colors. There is even a clear henna. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=35188

· Low-poo - a method of washing that uses very little shampoo.

· Messy scrunchie drying method - a way to dry wavy/ curly hair to bring out the waves/curls simply http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=20761&highlight=Messy+scrunchie+drying+method

· Monoi - is fractionated coconut oil from Tahiti that is good for moisturizing hair. They have some FABULOUS scents! http://www.tahiti-iti.com/monoi_oils.htm

· No-poo - A method of cleaning the hair with baking soda instead of shampoo. You might check out this description (http://community.livejournal.com/naturalfamily/53928.html).

· Plopping - a way of drying wavy/curly hair to enhance curls. Link to various threads (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/search.php?searchid=1321058).

· Pony stub - the first pony tail you can gather your hair into after having very short hair

· S&D - Search & Destroy Mission - an in-depth split end snipping session where you aggressively eliminate splits.

· Scritching - a way of stimulating the scalp by using a comb, finger tips (pads, not nails), etc.

· Scrunchie - cloth covered pony tail holder, generally considered more decorative than plain pony tail ties - great for use with the scrunchie bun shampooing method or the messy scrunchie drying method

· Scrunchie bun shampooing method - way to shampoo just the scalp without getting the length wet

· Snood - a cloth covering for buns or it might cover the either head and hold the length of the hair in a type of pouch. They are typically knitted and have elastic to help hold onto the base of the bun.

· Terminal (length) - the length at which the hair will grow no longer. Another way to say it is "I'm growing my hair as long as it will grow"

· Turbie Twist - a towel/turban to help towel dry your hair. It is designed to be light weight, absorb water, be comfortable, and stay on your head! You can purchase them at stores like Walgreen’s or online. Aquis also makes a comparable product http://www.aquis.com/faqs.shtml and our own LisaJaney makes a version of this.

CHEESE ! And just for fun, here is an explaination (http://www.forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=36249%5D) of the long-running Cheese joke.

Special thanks and :flowers: to Nightshade who helped gather new terms, definitions, and abbreviations.

Thanks Teacherbear,

I think I have made every newbie mistake! No kidding! (thanks Accolady, Hollie, Teacherbear, LisaJaney, Stephanie, and Snippie for your encouragement and patience) Can I maybe be called an LHC toddler now or possibly even (stretching it a bit) a LHC adolescent? You could send the really "new" newbies to me and I could tell them what not to do seeing as I have those bases so well covered.

Hugs to all,
Rhiannon

Thank you. This thread (message?) is really helpful. It takes a lot of work to get all that together. You deserve a cookie!

thanks teacherbear!

Thank goodness I found this... I was getting a little lost with some of the more esoteric acronyms on this board.

Thanks Teacherbear! :flowers:

What are CO washing, CWC washing, and "stopping using shampoo" (then what do you use instead?). Thanks!

wow thanks! this is awsome.. finally figured out what DH stands for lol very very helpful!

Thanks, ya'll! :flowers: I just saw all these respones!

Haesel asked: What are CO washing, CWC washing, and "stopping using shampoo" (then what do you use instead?). Thanks!

CO is Conditioner only washing. I don't do it (but ask LisaJaney and others). This is suppose to add softness and moisture to dry hair. I don't know if there is a concensus over it working for one hair type better than others (fine vs. coarse), but some people love it, others don't.

CWC is Condition, Wash, Condition. You wet you wet your hair with water, add some conditioner to the length (ears down), lather your scalp, rinse. Add more conditioner to the hair (preferably ears down). Then rinse. I add an extra C to the end of my cWC to make it CWCC. I use a leave in conditioner after doing all of this. It has made a great difference in my hair. The conditioner is just strong enough to cleanse the ends of whatever pollutants get on it, it moisturizes the ends, and it protects the ends from the shampoo (my ends rarely get "dirty" it stays up a bun almost every day).

Some people have stopped using shampoo. Some use rinses (vinegar rinses, baking soda rinses, herbal rinses, etc). Some use water only (I think the abbreviation is WO).

Hope that helps!

This info is fabulous Teacherbear:smile: .....

This is the link that brought me here (to LHC). This link is like a little treasure trove of info for newbies......so please get stuck in.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/printthread.php?t=9822

This was very useful, thanks

Whoo, thanks. Now I understand the abbreviations that made absolutely *no* sense to me before.

Yay!

aaaahhhh all the cryptic letters make sense to me now... thanks!

Ah!! It all makes sense to me now! Thank You Teacherbear, and Yes! you are a Guru!!!

Ah ha! DH...I was wondering what the heck that was! Thank you for providing this :)

This is a great list, Teacherbear. It's been very helpful for a newbie like me.

I've come across the term "scritching" several times but haven't been able to figure out what it means. (Dictionary says something about owl screeching, so I don't think that what y'all mean!) So may be a potential addition? At any rate, would someone mind explaining to me what it means! It's been driving me crazy!

Thank goodness for this list! Now I know what a DD8 is. lol had no clue before.

Oh, and just wondering if you think it might be useful to add a NW (no water) listing?

Thank you so very kindly for all the information Teacherbear. :flower:

Thank you so much for this list! It is so helpful and so necessary!

Ive been here three months and now feel like I have finally been let it in on the "secret" Thanx so much. I believe I will bookmark this one for future references:rockerdud

Hi!

I know this is just sooo stupid, but what does BPAL stand for?

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I'm an "LHC infant" and was actually going to post and see is there was a thread for this!! Yay! I feel much more in the loop!

BPAL=Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/)

Fabulous! I have been so confused!!