Calling All 40+! Let's Talk Hair!

[janeemat]

Hey Ladies!

I started the thread several months ago asking questions about hair at 40+. Well I've decided that now I can answer the questions and share my experience over the last several months:

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? My progress is great and I am definitely achieving my goals. My hair was cut to neck length in Dec and now I'm passing shoulder.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? It's just a myth because my hair has definitely grown over the last year quite fast. It's thicker than it has ever been. I owe this to all of the lovely ladies on this forum for introducing me to stretching and those wonderful Dom cond.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? Me! Definitely has become a pj. If I had not, I would have never tried Aveda and Dom products. But, I think I've got my regi down now. Aveda and Dom!

Are you bunning it or what? I'm wearing a bun today. I roller set Wed and Sat. I always bun from the result of a roller set. I NEVER bun wet hair because I like soft buns. I've learned that it depends on how many weeks post relaxer determines what I do with my hair and what products I use.

As I stated earlier, I've always had a thing for hair, but I never thought that I would be part of a hair forum. I have learned so much from my sisters since I've been here. Thanks you ladies and my younger sisters for sharing your knowledge!

 

[HoneyDew]

Good thread.

I am not 40 yet, but I often think about issues I will have to deal with because I often have to do my mom's hair.

She is 50 and she notices way more shedding than she used to and she is afraid of this. Could menopause be causing it, she wonders.

Also, she has concerns with coloring and relaxing. She got her hari colored to cover greys and they did something wrong. It looked good, like hi-lites, but after a few months, the colored greys looked damaged. Something went wrong.

We are not trying to work out all the problems now.

Her shedding concerns me, as well.

Everytime we wash we see so much hair.

The next time I am going to take a picture and post here so you guys can tell me if you think it is too much or not.

 

[tryingto]

my progress is slow, however my hair grows slow, always has,
I am not a product junkie yet, however that is subject to change,

Bunning did not work for me due to the fact, I kept my hair too wet, I think

I find that my temple area on 1 side is thin, I think that my be my fault, especially since the other side is not,

I have always hidden my hair with weaves or braids, and neglected it while it was protected , in any event, now that I know better, I have made the proper adjustments,

 

[Robin41]

Gotta love all the 40+ ladies here! Let me just start by saying that in my on and off love affair with my hair, my hair and I are getting along very well these days. I've stopped trying to make it do stuff it doesn't want to do and the result is we are both so much happier.

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? I am just now starting to see some length coming back after by BC in April. If it continues to grow at this rate, I should be back at shoulder length by the end of the year (hopefully). Like I said, I just let it be and it does very well. My usual routine is CW with a moisturizing conditioner and follow up with Garnier Fructis curly leave-in. Then I smooth by sections with curl activator gel and that's it! Sometimes I air dry but to get more lengthy, I stretch each section and blow it dry on low. I get shiny, curly spirals and no frizz. Love it!

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? I'm 46 and I haven't noticed any change in my rate of growth since I turned 40.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? I'll try new products from time to time but mostly I stick with what works. I understand that the products other posters rave about will likely not work on me at all so I don't even bother.

Are you bunning it or what? Never. I just CW and go. Maybe when my hair gets longers, I'll bun.

I can't wait to hear how others are doing in meeting their hair goals and I hope you're all having success and really just enjoying your hair and having fun with it.

 

[Daisimae]

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? I got here, last month, about 10 days after my last touch up. I am seeing some progress. I think I have more ng and I've retained more of my ends. I've learned what was causing my dry hair and what to do about it. And the biggest thing, I've learned to rollerset.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? I think it's a myth. I just turned 40 in December. I have just as much, if not more ng as I usually have.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? Are you serious! Check out my post in June's Hits or Misses. The staff of two BSS and three Sally stores know me by sight and name. Hubby asks which Sallys I'm going to when I leave the house. I've already told my Sister she is to take me straight to the nearest Aveda store when I visit her in Baltimore county this fall. I just told myself yesterday that I thought I had everything I need. Now, I'm adding Fermodyl to my Sally's sale list.

Are you bunning it or what? No buns. I was wearing them and home-done french rolls in my 20's. I still have that rat someplace around here. I prefer phonie ponies and my NewHair wigs as protective styles. When I get to APL I'll be wearing my hair out at least 75% of the time.

I have NEVER been a hair person. It's always been the nuisance on the top of my head. I've been going to salons since I was six years old. I've been fortunate enough to have good stylists to choose from. If you had told me even 2 months ago I would be here and have a bathroom full of hair products, I would have laughed at you. My hard bonnet dryer was broken, but, I didn't know it because I hadn't used it in years.

If hubby hadn't been out of work, making our funds tight, I would have never had my friend do my TU. She wouldn't have given me a bottle of Hot 6 Oil after she saw the condition of my hair. I would have gone back to my stylist for my touch-up and color. My hair wouldn't have come out darker than I wanted after my self-color. I never would have gone searching for how to get the color out to try again or if I could put a second color over this one.

Hubby is going back to work next week, but, I'll only be going to my stylist for touch-up, trims and color, by the end of the year.

 

[luvmesumhair]

Good thread.

I am not 40 yet, but I often think about issues I will have to deal with because I often have to do my mom's hair.

She is 50 and she notices way more shedding than she used to and she is afraid of this. Could menopause be causing it, she wonders.

Also, she has concerns with coloring and relaxing. She got her hari colored to cover greys and they did something wrong. It looked good, like hi-lites, but after a few months, the colored greys looked damaged. Something went wrong.

We are not trying to work out all the problems now.

Her shedding concerns me, as well.

Everytime we wash we see so much hair.

The next time I am going to take a picture and post here so you guys can tell me if you think it is too much or not.

Maybe she should try Henna? Henna seems to be very good for hair. Especially color treated hair that has been damaged.

 

[luvmesumhair]

Well I will be forty next year!

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? Well I am stretching right now and have not used any heat at all except to rollerset my hair one time. Other then that it has been airdryed. So when I get my touch up the end of July or beginning of August I will see how it looks. I am going to trim my thin ends some to start off with some thick ends to take care of. I am a little excited about that!

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? I really cannot tell right now because I was always one to get a touchup every four to six weeks and frying my hair with heat products. My last touchup was in the middle of April 07. I will see how soon before I reach BSL to see. I started taking car of my hair the first week in June of this year.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? Yes! Very sad but I am trying to see what works with my hair.

Are you bunning it or what? Yes I am bunning. Today actually. I tryed wearing my hair down in the past recently sometimes but I see that I have a disease. It is called HAND IN HAIR SYNDROME!!!! Sad isn't it? My husband was the first to notice it. He would always yell to leave my hair alone or slap my hand away from my hair The only cure I see is to keep my hair up!

 

[janeemat]

Good thread.

I am not 40 yet, but I often think about issues I will have to deal with because I often have to do my mom's hair.

She is 50 and she notices way more shedding than she used to and she is afraid of this. Could menopause be causing it, she wonders.

Also, she has concerns with coloring and relaxing. She got her hari colored to cover greys and they did something wrong. It looked good, like hi-lites, but after a few months, the colored greys looked damaged. Something went wrong.

We are not trying to work out all the problems now.

Her shedding concerns me, as well.

Everytime we wash we see so much hair.

The next time I am going to take a picture and post here so you guys can tell me if you think it is too much or not.

Honey, I'm not sure that shedding has to do with menopause. I guess it is possible. It could be stress or a number of things. It could be an over active thyroid from what I've heard. My mother has always had a head full of hair and still does at 65. Since you're doing her hair, use some of the wonderful tips off the board for shedding. I do think that women in their forties definetly need to take a supplement because we are producing less collagen as well as other vital nutrients needed for health of the entire body.

 

[janeemat]

Bunning did not work for me due to the fact, I kept my hair too wet, I think

I find that my temple area on 1 side is thin, I think that my be my fault, especially since the other side is not,

Keeping my hair in a bun with the baggie did not really work for me either. It seem little pieces of hair would break off when I touch it after removing the baggie. I bun now with my own hair. I've had thin temples as a child, but I can honestly say since I've been focusing on the health of my hair the last couple of years, my edges are longer and thicker than they have ever been. Even my kitchen is long now. So I believe we can turn an unhealthy head of hair completely around.

 

[tryingto]

JANEEMAT, are you doing anything special to your temples, or is it the overall health that contributes to your edges filling in ?

 

[janeemat]

JANEEMAT, are you doing anything special to your temples, or is it the overall health that contributes to your edges filling in ?

Nothing special except stretching my relaxer. I focus on my edges and ends when I apply my cond. I used to get my relaxer 5-6 wks and now it's 12-14wks. This has made a huge difference. My stylist also relax that area last.

 

[tryingto]

I feel you on the relaxer stretch, I have gone from 6 weeks to 14-16, in any event I never relax more than 3 times a year, I will give the extra attention to the edges, with the conditoner, great tip,

 

[Nina_deF]

How's your progress and are you achieving your goals?
My progress is quite good and I actually almost reached my goal of bsl when I had to cut it to get rid of thin ends.


Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth?
My hair is growing faster than before.
I don't know if it's age or what. I've also noticed that my ng is straighter than when I was younger but that could be because of my 3 sons, it seemed to get straighter with each kid. And my greys are coming fast and strong!


Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there?
I am definitely a pj, although I have found my staples, I stray now and then.
Next stop Aveda!


Are you bunning it or what?
I don't really know how to bun but as I'm considering stretching into transitioning I'll have to learn.

 

[blazingthru]

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? MY progress is going well, I stopped looking so much its gets to frustrating.
I hope to make Armpit by December but have it down for April so I won't feel bad if I dont' make it I got about 4-5 inches to go before I get there.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? No my hair is growing faster then it ever had. Although I did notice that my top is not as thick as it use to be

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? Yes both, I have bins full of product and I am still looking for the perfect product haven't found it yet, thinking about trying Aveda

Are you bunning it or what? Now that my hair is much longer and i actually don't need products to pull it up I am bunning. No baggie, I hear talks of little pieces breaking off and I have not experiencd that yet and so I just leave it alone and put the phonie pony on top ane go. Still CW everday but think I am going to cut back a little and see how wearing the bun affects me. I still add product because it doesn't look so dry but its nice not to need the product to pull all the hair in. I am loving that part. I decided to bun for a few months maybe all summer and see what the results are in september it keeps my hands out of my hair, I have the disease badly

 

[janeemat]

Trudy, your natural hair looks nice. Is is hard to manage that it has gotten longer now?

 

[LynnieB]

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? My first goal of going natural has been met so now i'm concentrating on growing back what i cut off . I think this time next year i'll have regrown most of it back (barring some awful type of hair/scalp catastrophe). No trimming unless absolutely needed.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? I see no change in how fast it's growing - averaging about 3/4 -1" inch per month give or take a fraction.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? Not a product junkie at all ~anymore~. I have found staple products and i use them consistently. I occasionally try something new but the price has gotta be right (cheap!). I'm all about keeping it simple and expenses down.

i do have a fetish for pretty hair accessories though

Are you bunning it or what? i dont have enough hair to put it all in a bun yet but protective styling (twists, wng's and i'm loving box braids now!) are definitely a priority until the longest layer reaches bsl and my crown has reached sl.

 

[Cbgo]

I'm almost 40 only 3 months to go.

How's your progress and are you achieving your goals?
My progress is good this year and technically I have achieved most of my goals.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth?
This is kind of hard for me but for years my hair would only grow to APL and now only in the past four years has it grown past that. Now my growth rate is slowing down a bit. I only get 4 inches a year when I used to get 5 to 6.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there?
Nope, I have my favorites, and I only try new things every once in awhile.
Are you bunning it or what?
I bun 96% of the time. I'm too lazy to spend alot of time doing my hair. Only drawback to bunning is that I am not used to wearing it out alot so my hair actually starts to annoy me.
__________________

 

[MissB]

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals?
I am making progress with growing out the crown area. I am achieving my goals of maintaining healthy hair.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? My hair growth has been the same since I turned 40. But, the gray grows faster.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? I have been a product junkie all of my life. It is in the genes. My mom has all sorts of products. I visited her house and it was like shopping at the BSS.

Are you bunning it or what? I am not bunning. I used to do it all the time. But now I try to style it daily if possible.

And I am dying to try the new Mizani Butter Blends relaxer. I have never used the Mizani relaxer before but this one sounds good.

 

[adw425]

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? I don't really have hair length goals per se. My goal is to have healthy hair, which I do. Another goal was for thin, short forehead, side and crown hair to thicken and grow long enough to get into an elastic band when I do a low ponytail. That hair was about an inch long (although the back was much longer) and now it all fits into my elastic band when I do a low ponytail. I hope for the back to get to APL soon. I am just about there.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? I am 47. My hair has been growing just fine since I started taking care of it. Let me correct that. My hair has always grown just fine, but I was not retaining what I was growing until I started really taking care of it. It is almost as long as when I was a kid before I started relaxing. I sometimes despair that I do not get more than a half inch a month no matter what I do, but I am ecstatic that I am retaining all of what is growing. I do believe though that because I keep it tightly bunned during the day and in a tight ponytail at night that I may be retarding some of its growth.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? I am not as much of a PJ as I used to be because I have tried just about everything. Last week I actually bought things other than hair products. That is key because I religiously stick to my budget and if I buy lots of hair products with my discretionary income for that month, then other things do not get bought. However, last week I actually bought other things, which felt rather refreshing because when I buy too many hair products I do start to feel overwhelmed.

Are you bunning it or what? I bun daily for the most part, but I have been bunning for the most part for the last five years, even before I grew out my relaxer and discovered LHCF.

Product Rave: I tried my Maxi-Glide today and I did not want to start another MG thread to rave about it. I flat ironed three large sections of hair: one with Organix vanilla silk serum; one with Joico Silk Results that I got for a steal at Marshalls and one with Smooth and Shine instant repair hair polisher. My hair turned out beautifully -- silky, light not weighed-down, lots of body and movement, lots of shine. Next time I will use Beyond Straight stuff that came with the MG, but each section turned out the same so it the more the MG than the heat protectant product. I turned the dial about one third of the way and was just stunned at how straight my hair. I am still stunned. I just cannot believe it. I did not expect those amazing results. I have a pretty expensive titanium flat iron from Sallys that straightened my hair just fine but left the ends frizzy. I have not yet reached APL, which I should have reached by now, because I have been trimming my ends incessantly because of the frizziness of my ends after flat-ironing I thought I had terrible split ends. However, with the MG, my ends are so smooth that I can almost believe that I do not really have split ends.....Or, maybe all the trimming has borne fruit....

 

[eajaye2u]

Big love the the 40 + crew!
How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? Now that i have listened to the hair and changed some things. Progress is great. Just turned 48 and the hair hates bad products, no lye perms, relaxing straight, weaves and braides. Loves textlax, no heat and better products. And better vitamins of course.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? Not really. Same rate. Just not as thick as it was ten years ago. But that could be the revolt against bad habits catching up with me. Not having the dreaded change yet. But I take wild yam and stopped eating meat five years ago and heard that keeps one from having symptoms.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? Always been a PJ and always will be

Are you bunning it or what? Yes and phony ponies, instant weaves. I use a wig cap and I dont blend my hair in, I just wear a headband. Was worried about the exposed ends. Air drying and CW's are my best friend.

 

[blazingthru]

Trudy, your natural hair looks nice. Is is hard to manage that it has gotten longer now?

Janeemat, my apologies for taking so long to respond, I didn't come back in here until today. No its not hard to manage at all. It still feels so super short to me. I get tired fast trying to apply new styles but other then that it feels the same to me as it did when I BC. Only I like it more. I wish my hair looked the same all the time. But its only straight,when its wet. It puffs up as soon as the air hits it. I do have more issues with tangles but not that often at all. I forget its there sometimes and end up washing it in the soap I am washing up with. I have to remember to pin it up when getting in the shower. Looking forward to armpit length.

 

[remnant]

Bumping For Sparklebh

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I am soooo thankful to all the Ladies on this board whatever the age. I've learned so much in the short about of time I had been stalking and now since joining. It has been a God-send. And it gave me the inspiration to know that you can re-cover and that I am not alone on my HHJ. So, my hair is on the mend. My hair has always grown at a steady clip, and I pray it does during this recovery period. Talk about PJ-ism......I know I have bought just about everything anybody has mentioned. I have such a huge stash of stuff and I am rather enjoying it. And it is beating spending my $ weekly at a Salon and either being unhappy with the results or suffering a major set-back. It's empowering at any age, to take full control and responsibility for something like this. I only wish I would have done it sooner. This experience made me realize too, how 'vain' I was about my hair But....this too, shall pass. It's all good. So for us 40 something's we have to represent

 

[prospurr4]

How's is your progress and are you achieving your goals? My progress is excellent; I can't complain at all.

Are you seeing that your hair grows slower when you approach 40 or is it just a myth? It's just a myth for me. I will be 49 next week, and my hair is still growing very well, and it's thicker than it's ever been in my life.

Are you a product junkie at 40 constantly trying new things or do you just gather a little info here and there? I've never been a product junkie. I use inexpensive products that I find at Sally's or Walmart.

Are you bunning it or what? I have always worn various styles...depending on my mood. They include updos, twistouts, and spiral sets.