Hi, :)

I`ve been lurking around for a few weeks now as both guest and member so thought it was about time to say hello. I found this site when I Googled for "growing long hair" and it came up with the Ultimate Guide to Growing Long Hair. I have to say that reading it was a bit of an "AHA!!!!" moment...all perfect sense, but I`d never really thought about some of the points before!

Anyway...about me. I`m 47, live near Edinburgh in Scotland and am married with two kids, boy aged 9 and girl aged 4. I`ve got thin, fine hair, mostly straight but with a body wave, mid brown with a sprinkle of grey and one white wing growing in at my left temple. (I quite like it.) Currently it`s about half way between my shoulders and bra strap.

Because my hair is so fine  my mother insisted I had very short cuts as a child. I suppose she had a point as back in the 60s there wasn`t much comb-through conditioner around, but I`ve not really forgiven her for this! I was a fairly plain child anyway, but looking back at the pictures I had nice long wavy hair when I was four and then I looked really ugly with this almost shaven head. I felt ugly too. My daughter has the same fine, fragile hair (but fair) and she loves it. I`ve never cut her hair except for tiny trims. And she wants to grow it as long as a mermaid, she says.

I rebelled when I was about ten...washed and looked after my own hair and grew it long. I didn`t know about conditioner and such then but looking back I was doing a lot of the right things otherwise like braiding it at night for protection and oiling the ends. (With olive oil, but that`s what we had. ) I used to use a lot of henna when I was older as well. I had waist length hair with great ripples when I brushed it out. I used to put it into ten or twelve braids every night to get the ripples!

When I went to uni though I decided the long hair looked a bit weird and had it cut...ended up with shoulder length henna red hair in a crinkly perm. (It was the eighties then, that`s my excuse..... )

Back to straight bobs, then I started growing it again in a sort of haphazard way. It got quite long then I got pregnant and it was great...thick and silky. Then after the birth I swear at least half of it fell out in a week! I was pregnant five times over ten years (only two babies to show for it though)  and all the hormone swings made such a mess of my hair that I went back to a short bob. More practical with babies anyway.

Anyway last year I just decided to not get it cut. Not actively start growing it, you understand, just not get it cut. I didn`t really think about condition or protection...in fact, I spent five weeks in France camping last summer and I remember ripping the tangles out when combing  because I was only using 2-in-1 shampoo conditioner and was in the sun, sea, pool and wind all day long. I can still see the line of hair breakage from all that holiday today, argh!

It was really my daughter that got me into looking for long hair care tips. I had started using a rich leave-in conditioner on her hair in an effort to make combing her hair easier. She and I have the same sort of hair...comb it roughly and you can see bits breaking off everywhere! But her hair was in better condition than mine, and so I started using the same stuff. Better. (But not great...lots of other bad habits.)

Then I met an ex boyfriend in the street...who lamented the loss of all my long hair. He said I looked just the same (err no..50lbs more, grey and wrinkles...) but he missed the hair. Got me thinking...

So here  I am. I`ve decided to actively grow my hair, rather than just let it happen and get crappy results. This site is SO informative...and inspiring! I thought that perhaps at 47 my premenopausal hormones might be a problem when it came to thinning hair but on inspection it`s not the number of hairs on my head that are the problem, it`s the breakage. I don`t think my hair has thinned at all up the top. And breakage I can do something about, yes?

I can see there`s a special place to keep a hair care diary, so that`s what I`m going to do. Must tell you  though that I`ve been following a lot of the tips here already, and even after only three weeks or so the texture and condition of my hair has improved 100%. I don`t think I`ve left it too late, do you?

Welcome Subilla!  I do believe you are the first member from Scotland (or at least the first to announce it!)

Your hair story is almost identical to mine (except for the henna - I bleached my hair blonde instead  ;D).  The short hair as a kid.  The perms in the 80's.  Finally just not cutting it, then deciding to grow it.

Good luck on your hair journey, and I look forward to getting to know you even better.

Welcome!  Thanks for sharing your story.  You're on the right track to reclaiming your crowning glory.  Now its practice, experimentation and patiencex10.

Looking forward to reading more about your hair journey.

Welcome and thanks for sharing  :) hope you enjoy all the wealth of info. here and the nice people,too ;D

Greetings Sybilla!  ;D

I'm glad you've decided to stop lurking and have joined in.  With all these wonderful ladies wealth of information, you'll have no choice but to grow long & luxurious hair!  Best Wishes!

maggie

Welcome.
Hope you find the answers to healthy hair and encouragement for you and your daughter's long hair aspirations.
Meg

Greetings, Sybilla. Welcome aboard!  :)

Your hair sounds rather similar to mine (thin, fine, straight, etc.) and Lord knows I've seen my share of bad 'do's over the years.  :P  I've learned that it's far better to just accept & embrace what you have than fight against it. It's a losing battle there (not to mention an expensive one!).

I also suffer from breakage...or well, not as much now as I did awhile ago. But seamless combs and satin pillowcases help a lot!!  ;)

Anywho, glad you could join us, and as I've always said...."It's only too late when you're dead."  ;D

Happy growing.  :)

Hello welcome to the boards. :)  Goodluck growing your hair!

Welcome!  :D

Ooh, I have always dreamed of getting a white wing when I start greying (or whatever color my blonde hair will choose to be). It sounds luxurious!

You'll find here lots of information on how to get your hair into better shape than it's ever been. Very few begin growing their hair from bald doing everything right. Most people get interested in long hair care when their hair has already gained some length. It's never too late.

You're right- there are many things you can do in order to prevent breakage. Fine hair doesn't usually tolerate much abuse. Gentle handling, gentle hairtoys and styles and gentle washing will go a long way. For immediate help, you could do regular search&destroy missions -snipping broken and split hairs with sharp scissors individually. That will rid you of worst damage, and you can still keep the length. Start also regular deep conditioning.

Here is my favorite moisturizing recipe:

Snowy's Deep Moisture Treatment

1 part favorite conditioner (must be moisturizing and cone free, can be a deep conditioner)
1/4 parts honey
1/4 parts aloe vera gel

Mix all ingredients. Warm them in microwave for 5-10 seconds, just so that the mixture becomes warm (not hot!). Now you can mix it thoroughly. Apply the mixture to clean, towel-dry hair. Put on a shower cap or a heat cap and let sit for 1-3 hours. Rinse. Enjoy wonderful soft moisturized hair.

Welcome Sybilla!  Glad you've joined the group here.  Your hair sounds lovely, and will only get lovelier with all the care you are putting into it now.

Thanks for all the words of welcome.  :)

Hi Sybilla, sorry for a late welcome but it's nice to meet you!

Anais

Happy Tartan Day!  (Is that the correct name for April 6th?)

Happy Tartan Day to you too, BikerBraid.

I have to confess I`d never heard of this day before, so had to go Googling for it! Sure enough it`s not a day we celebrate here but it is special for Americans celebrating their Scottish roots. According to the website I read 20 million Americans actively claim Scottish blood and celebrate it.

Given that the actual population of Scotland currently hovers around the five million mark, I can`t help but approve of this.   ;D

I'm glad you approve of it and this isn't just another American way to slaughter something significant to others!

I have no Scottish ancestry, but I have friends who do.  One even wore his kilt to work!