Original LHCF Gangster's...2002,2003,2004,2005,2006...Come here Plezzz

[so1913]

If your join date is 2002-2006, please drop some history and old school knowledge on us.

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

It was cool! All my hair buddies from the 365 day grow out yahoo group had moved over here. I think because hair boards were just poppin' off back then, the energy was definitely "fresher".


Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

Yes, I knew it was attainable.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

I had not major issues with damage or anything of that nature, but I was extremely scissor happy and making the transition to natural also set me back as far as accumulating length.

When was retention discovered?

After learning to care for it and anytime I didn't cut my hair lol.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?

I'm currently natural.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?

No, I would say my journey to becoming knowledgeable in black haircare started back in 1998-1999 heading into college when I was introduced to Wanakee's product line and method of caring for hair. Then I joined the 365 Day Grow Out yahoo group, and then here to LHCF.

Was Waist Length your original goal?

When I FIRST started on my journey, but that since has changed. I don't think I could deal with that much of my natural hair lol.

What is your current length?

Armpit.

What was the board like compared to today?

All the info seemed "new" so it was a totally different type of energy....after a while concepts, ideas, questions, and advice became redundant...unless I'm looking for a new product to try, being on the boards so long, I really have no need to be as active in more recent years.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
I thought it was great! I just jumped right on in and started posting. Folks were nice generally but you could find some drama every now and again. It was a HUGE overwhelming wealth of info that i ate up like jelly beans. I tried ERRYthang just about and felt like a kid in a candy store.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
I knew that long hair was attainable because i already had it for a long time. I didn't think the members were all mixed with non kinky hair.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
None, besides texlaxing. Which was successful, it just wasn't for me.

When was retention discovered?
I never had reterntion issues

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
I'm natchal

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
Umm, never really claimed to be on a journey so I can't answer this one.

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No but before i cut a year or so ago i was maybe an inch or so away.

What is your current length?
SL

What was the board like compared to today?
Today it's more catty, not much new information for me. Now i'm mostly here for the lulz

 

[aquajoyice]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined? I lurked for a good year before joining. When I saw all of these gorgeous heads of AA hair I thought I found the Holy Grail Then I doubted the authenticity so I scoured every picture looking for tracks.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)? Deep down I didn't think it was possible for me. But I faked confidence til I saw growth. Thats when I became Gansta

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair? I had only one setback and that was in 2009 when I tried my first 6 month stretch. I was about an inch from MBL being about 6' was a huge feat.

When was retention discovered? I discovered length about 6 months after really getting into my HHJ.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
I an transitioning to natural. My goal is to master my natural hair.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when? I started my journey before finding LHCF. I found a stylist that put me on a plan for growth by having me come in twice a month for a deep condition and flat iron. She charged me $160 very visit and said she would do whatever I needed for this "low" rate. She did a good job at flat ironing but I didn't have the cash to continue.

Was Waist Length your original goal? At first I just wanted my hair to grow longer than shoulder length. Which is where it's been most of my life.

What is your current length? MBL when Straight and past shoulders when kinky.

What was the board like compared to today? The board was amazing. Sooo much positive energy and everyone wanted to help. Everyone was involved with teaching and uplifting. It was a amazing not to mention the way the pics were set-up. Much easier to navigate than now.

 

[SVT]

One of my hair inspirations BlkMane posted?!? After 50-11 umpteen years?!?

Good to hear from you!

Chick had gorgeous, luscious, voluminous jet black hair! Loved it!

 

[cmw45]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

I was excited to find a place where women were collectively sharing knowledge about hair freely.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

I eagerly drank the LHCF Kool-Aid...I definitely thought (and think) it is attainable.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

1. I still wasn't as gentle with my hair as I should have been...I have a lot of hair, not to be confused with thick hair, but a lot of hair. I got impatient and I suffered some breakage.
2. I went abroad to an East Asian country for over a year and my hair which hovered between APL and BSL was thinned significantly from lack of products, poor water, stress, etc.

When was retention discovered? Once I figured out how to correctly protective style (without putting stress on my edges) and how to properly moisturize. Moisture is KEY.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural? Natural

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when? I started my journey with LHCF on May 6, 2006. I BC'd on August 31, 2006. And I BC'd again on February 21, 2012.

Was Waist Length your original goal? My original goal was BSL.

What is your current length? Fade; about a half-inch.

What was the board like compared to today? I am not on the board as much as I used to be, so it is difficult to comment, however, I frequently come back when I am dealing with a specific challenge. I may begin posting (participating) more frequently as I found when I am more active on the board I take better care of my hair.

 

[Southernbella.]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

I thought it felt like home. It was exactly what I needed and what I was looking for.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

I definitely thought it was attainable. Everyone who had the hair I wanted was brown like me with kinky hair...Sylver2, Southerngirl, Macheriamour, Sistaslick, etc.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

My problem was always retention. I had the thickness but using curling irons every day, not deep conditioning, not using heat protectant, relaxing every 5 weeks, etc. were killing my hair. It just would not pass SL for anything!

When was retention discovered?

After I joined here. I started deep conditioning, stretching my relaxer, rollersetting, and just generally loving and taking care of my hair. I saw immediate results.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?

When I joined I was relaxed. I am now natural.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?

Yes I did.

Was Waist Length your original goal?

Yes, and I reached it relaxed. Once that was done, I went natural and I recently reached WL natural as well.

What is your current length?

WL

What was the board like compared to today?

I think there was just a lot more great information floating around. We had some brilliant women who knew the science of haircare (Navseda (sp?), Gymfreak, Sistaslick, etc. would come in here and school you on everything like protein/moisture balance, ph, how to read ingredient lists, proper use of heat protectants, you name it.

 

[yorkpatties]

I originally became familiar with the board in 2004. I can't recall my old screen name; I've gone through too many internet monikers. I only used the board as a resource for finding out about particular products which I wanted more info on (Phytospecific was my brand of choice back then). I have only become active on the board in the past year, and thanks to the board I went from stretching, to transitioning, to BCing in less than 1 year. For so many years I didn't utilize this board as the special resource that it is. In turn, I can't speak to changes on the board and all of the drama that's occurred throughout the years. Like they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. I took the plunge when I was good and ready.

 

[Evolving78]

answering these questions based off of what i have observed since being on this board. (in general)

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined? Jan 2004

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)? yes, i came from another hair board, so LHCF was alright with me.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
as far as the board, MTG, Monistat, MSM, Hair Vits, etc... as for me, just doing too much, or just cutting my hair inpulsively for no reason, but to have change.

When was retention discovered?

back in early 2000-2001

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural? currently relaxed

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when? no, i started in 2001

Was Waist Length your original goal? no, it was BSL. thought i would look like Cousin It with WL hair.

What is your current length? Past Collar close to APL

What was the board like compared to today? crowd was much older, a little more mature.

 

[sylver2]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
i was amazed at all the good info from different women and the photos of proof

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
i did think most had that 'good hair'..until i found Southerngirl's album. i use to look thru her album and couldn't believe the things she could do with her hair. i even commented that she must have 'good wavy hair' i was very hair naive back then.
Seeing women with a kinky texture like my own(4a/b).. growing long hair inspired the heck out of me. growing up all that had long hair were spanish women and mixed women or the jasmine guys, chilli's and vanity's.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
i use to relax every 4 weeks. i combed/brushed all day every day, hardly deep conditioned, never used leaves ins. my hair was a dry mess that would break off either at the ends or demarcation point.

When was retention discovered?
i have to give credit to the ladies of this board. My hair never grew like this until i came here. i started stretching my relaxers, learned about braidouts, bantu knots, leave ins, moisturizers. and PATIENCE. this board honestly...saved my hair life.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Relaxed!

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
yes

Was Waist Length your original goal?
no, my original goal was hair that covered my nipples lol. after that happened i said..hey..maybe i can really achieve waist. never in my wildest dreams did i ever think id have hair this long.

What is your current length?
i cut it a few times but its grown back. i'm just grazing waist length again.

What was the board like compared to today?
more of a smaller, cozy community. almost a sisterhood.
honestly this board saved my hair life, no matter what i may feel about it it today...that's what it boils down to

 

[Supergirl]

If your join date is 2002-2006, please drop some history and old school knowledge on us.

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
I was excited that such a site existed. I was addicted to the site and I loved trying new products. I was a PJ before LHCF, but LHCF made it 10X worse.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
At the time that I joined (2002), there were very few women with super long (MBL and beyond) hair. I could count them on one hand. I didn't even really consider waist length for myself. I don't know if it was because I didn't think it was attainable or if I just didn't consider it. I probably just ignored waist length possibilities because the thought that I could get there didn't really enter my mind. I wanted 29 inches which was MBL for me. I felt I could get there. Shortly after joining LHCF I realized that my hair was remaining the same length because of my scissor happy stylist. I left her and within 4 months, I was at BSL.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
Everything went pretty smoothly as long as I left scissor happy stylists alone. In 2004, I finally reached mbl. I really had no intention of going past this, because it was a beautiful length, but then I saw my hair still going and eventually got to waist length. I had some set backs, but none of them really cost me length until 2008. I had to cut off 4 inches of hair after a stylist ripped through my wet hair with a rattail comb. My hair was back to the bottom of my bra strap. I was mad. I told the stylist eventually too.

When was retention discovered?
when I left scissor happy stylists alone; I did find a stylist that trimmed my hair conservatively, and eventually I started doing my own trims

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Relaxed

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
Not really, but I went hard core when I started reading beauty boards and listservs. I started healthier hair practices during college. I wasn't a protective styler then, and I was still using heat once a week. After college, I cut out the blow dryer and would only flat iron (using a curling iron) on air dried hair once a week. I did notice a major difference in my hair when I stopped blow drying

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No

What is your current length?
Waist Length

What was the board like compared to today?

As I mentioned earlier, we didn't have a lot of super-long haired ladies on the board. There was Jade, Allandra, Adrienne0914, Zanna, Leejure, and those are really the only ones I remember. NOW, there are tons of us.

Also, then most had relaxed hair, probably 95%. Now, we have an equal split, if not more natural heads on LHCF.

We didn't have all the youtube tutorials and hair blogs then. If someone wanted to do a tutorial, it was done in an online hair photo album. Hair photo albums were one of the big excitements on the board. Everyone loved looking at everyone else's albums. Most of us had Fotki (I still do ). I should do some updates!!!

When we posted threads about a product we'd tried or a new style, it was okay to just tell about it. No one threw stones if you didn't post pics too. (but I understand the desire to see pics now, makes total sense).

LHCF was free when I joined, but I have no problem at all paying the $6.50. I have learned SO DANG MUCH on LHCF over the years, not just hair stuff. Sometimes I feel like I've gotten more education on LHCF than in my doctoral program.

 

[Lynnerie]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?When I subscribed it was $5.00. I was addicted to LHCF when I first joined but only the hair forum. That was a priority for me and I didn't even venture off into the other forums (something I regret now) But anywho I was so excited because I never I mean NEVER saw women in real life with long hair. I had one friend with long hair and her mom was mixed so I attributed her hair to that fact. To me shoulder-length was long.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
I thought the women here were using magic potions or OD'ing on vitamins to have long hair so I basically focused on trying to find what they were taking and what they were putting on their scalps. If someone did have long hair I would look at the texture and if it didn't look like mine I'd keep it moving.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
When I first came my hair was a chewed up and relaxed. I never stretched a relaxer and I used heat on my hair every day. I tried MTG, Glover's, Sulfur 8 mixed them all together, I tried MN, and Surge. Surge broke me out terribly my scalp was actually peeling off and everything else just stank so bad. I was not consistent with anything either. If MTG ruined jewelry of mine and broke me out. I remember trying the Gueye hair vitamins and putting cayenne pepper in my scalp mixes. Lawd have mercy!
When was retention discovered?
When I stopped getting trims at the salon. One stylist cut my hair so short I left crying. I was able to get my hair healthy and almost APL in the back. I never did any protective styling but I think if I had done that and been able to let go of using a lot of heat I would've had more progress. I also started stretching relaxers to 8 weeks.

Are you relaxed, texlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Texlaxed now.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I feel like I have had many journeys here on this site. I was relaxed and then I went to relaxing lightly and back to bone straight.Then I transitioned and did the BC and was natural for a couple of years. I tried heat training and now I'm back to lightly relaxing. Its like full circle but I have learned so much through it all. I can say one thing. Each time I did my own thing with each stage of my hair. I learned to avoid heat when your relaxed but I still did it. I wanted to enjoy my hair and I didn't want to protective style. When I was natural I wore wash n go's instead of wearing twists. I didn't want to wear twist outs cause they took to long to do. I used a lot of gel and hardly ever trimmed. My hair has always grown but retention has always been an issue because its not good enough to just know what to do if you don't sacrifice and do it. I kinda feel like I'm officially starting my Healthy Hair Journey now. Before I was just in a hair journey but it wasn't a healthy one so I didn't retain. I can be an indecisive person but this time around I'm sticking with light relaxers and I'm going to protect my ends. I'm putting away the heat tools and taking this thing seriously.

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No it was mid-back and still it

What is your current length? I think I'm at collar-bone length right now.

What was the board like compared to today?
I thought the board was a lot more "nicer" back then. Everyone was REALLY helpful. Not that its not now but a lot of the long haired ladies who helped me aren't here or maybe they just don't post as much. I also remember the look of the board was different and folks were so upset when they changed the format.

There were definitely more relaxed heads back then. There were a few Big chops every now and then and I'd always be like oh heck no or she only did that cause she's so pretty.
I used to stay on Fotki just looking at albums. LHCF was a getaway for me and still is. Out of all the forums I have been on LHCF is my favorite.

 

[Victorian]

we didn't have a lot of super-long haired ladies on the board. There was Jade, Allandra, Adrienne0914, Zanna, Leejure, and those are really the only ones I remember. NOW, there are tons of us.

This is SOOO true! There are many members with REALLY long hair now! It's nice to see so much progress

Adrenne0914 was my first LHCF hair idol. Her hair pics were always so impressive!

 

[Avaya]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

I liked it here. I found people to be less combative than the ones on the message board I started off using.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

I knew I could grow my non-mixed negro hair . I actually was lead to message boards because I was looking for ways to manage my new-growth in between touch-ups

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

When I was younger, my aunt, who was studying to be a cosmetologist, did my hair and I used to buy whichever products she was using. This one time, she used this reconstructor on my hair. Well, of course I bought it and used it too. Instead of just using it like once a month, however, I used it with every wash, sometimes twice a week ! My ends turned into some brittle, dried out mess! After that I got the "Halle Berry" cut.

When was retention discovered?

When I started wearing cornrows and buns. In short, once I started protective styling exclusively.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?

I am natural. It will be two years this May .

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?

I guess I was on my journey when I joined. I think I was doing cornrows when I joined.

Was Waist Length your original goal?

Waist length was my eventual goal but not my initial goal. My initial goal was midback. I don't know if I can handled waist length kinky, unstraightened hair .

What is your current length?

I'on know. It is differently lengths all around. I can stretch the back past my shoulders, the middle to my neck, the sides to my chin, and the front to my lips. I haven't used heat (with the exception of one failed attempt at diffusing my hair) since my last relaxer back in September 2009.

What was the board like compared to today?

Hmmmmm . Actually, the board is about the same today as it was in the past. I know some say that people on the board are a lot ruder, sarcastic, patronizing, argumentative, arrogant, condescending, etc. now than they used to be. The truth of the matter is, those type of people have always existed on the board, ALWAYS! I see it all the time, BigB*tch82 acts like a jerk - some love her evil @ss, some can't stand her. She pops off at the wrong time, gets banned, and BiggerB*tch92 rises up and takes her place . It happens over and over and over again.

I do think there are more "mean" people on here than there used to be, but I think that is because there are more people on here period. I mean, if the number of people increases from 10 to 10,000 (as an example), there are bound to be more personalities that are less than preferred.

 

[My Friend]

This is SOOO true! There are many members with REALLY long hair now! It's nice to see so much progress

@Adrenne0914 was my first LHCF hair idol. Her hair pics were always so impressive!

Is she still on the boards?

 

[Supergirl]

Is she still on the boards?

She shows up every now and again, but it's very rare. I bet her hair is to her knees by now!

 

[Imani]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
I started lurking in 05 and joined in 06. I thought it was the bomb and that I had finally found a solution to getting my relaxed hair past Neck Length.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
I immediately drank the kool-aid. I would spend hours looking thru fotkis and searching through old threads. There were several members who identified as type 4 relaxed/texlaxed long hair so I figured all I had to do was do what they were doing and my hair would be down my back. So I just jumped on whatever reggie they were doing and was confused when my hair didn’t progress. I didn’t realize at the time that curl pattern alone isn’t really the best indicator that someone’s hair is similar to yours. I didn’t take into consideration porosity, thickness, etc. I have fine kinky porous hair and all of the people’s reggie’s I was copying had thick coarse hair.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
I tried EVERYTHING as a relaxed head- Dominican products (silicon mix was big), NTM, ORS pack, baggying, stretching relaxers, no heat, ACV rinses, rollersetting, S-curl, biotin, msm, Phyto, bunning, MTG, keracare/affirm (humetco was big, I had the big tub of it), Crème of Nature, Apoghee ("the stinky one") etc. I spent sooo much time and money on stuff and I never saw much progress.

After about three years mostly stuck at NL (I did hit SL one time very briefly), I kinda gave up for a little while and got frustrated. Seemed like all this stuff was working for everyone but me. I came back when I decided to transition.

When was retention discovered?
When I went natural. My last relaxer was Aug 09 and I did a long transition with no BC.

My hair and scalp just don’t respond well to chemicals no matter what I tried; when I let the relaxer go, my hair immediately started to flourish. And even more so when I cut out heat and switched to natural products.

Are you relaxed, texlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Natural. I started out intending to be a heat trained natural, but felt that it would probably be best to use only occasional heat since my strands are fine/fragile.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I immediately jumped in trying stuff when I first started lurking in 05

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No, my main long term goal was APL. I was so desperate when I first joined, I would have just been happy with full SL

What is your current length?
I haven’t done an official length check in several months but I think I’m APL. Which will be the longest my hair has ever been in my life.

What was the board like compared to today?
Not as many naturals. It felt a lot smaller/fewer people. You knew who the main/popular posters were, many of whom are no longer here. There weren’t as many online vendors, most of the products folks raved about you could get at the beauty supply store or drug store except for maybe the Dominican products. I don’t think there were as many youtubers, so there weren’t threads dedicated to critiquing and analyzing youtubers. There are waay more posters with hair similar to mine on here now. Back then it seemed like all the long haired type 4's had much thicker hair than I do.

Imo not as much drama, cattiness, and negativity.

 

[FlowerHair]

I joined in 2003!

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
I came here from another site that was a primitive type of message board. There was a lady there called Yvette if I remember correctly who had grown her hair to waist length in a year. I thought: if she can do it, I can too! After a while I wondered where everyone had gone and I found them here.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
I have mixed hair myself, but wasn't even aware of the differences between hair types. Yes I thought it was attainable!

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
Mainly when I had used too much hair color that broke my hair off, other than that I've been lucky.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Natural.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I started before that, around ten years ago.

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No, my first goal was bra strap.

What is your current length?
My hair is a mess after having a baby, but the longest layers are hip length.

What was the board like compared to today?
Much calmer, friendlier, fewer people, a lot of fun. I miss some people a LOT!! But it's still a great place all in all

 

[kizzylonghair]

Great Post

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

I starting lurking in 2004, Boy I stalked this site. If my old company checked my history...I would of been sacked
The responses were crazy to questions even with the UK time difference, and when people posted progress pics it was like no where else.
It was links that members made to their fotki albums that sealed the deal.
The good ones seemed to be always LOCKED...So I had to get a membership to view the password...LOL
There certainly were the super stars that if they posted...we listened


Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

I thought it was all Type 3 hair, or Course resistant hair as why they had grown to those lengths.
The pictures were the truth for me, I loved looking at the JOURNEY, thats what gave me hope. I also found many hair twins that had managed to get great lengths.


What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

I have had 2 main hair growing journeys, the first one. I tried to pick and choose which of the methods I would adopt, e.g Products down, Relaxer Stretch...BUT Washing in the sink (Tangles---->Breakage), Not suited Relaxer (No LYE for me), cheap brand, no process following scissor happy stylist etc

The great thing is looking at my old posts, I asked you guys questions about everything in journey 1, even whether to dump my stylist. Check out my fotki to view journey 1, It was getting healthier, longer but it was not 100%. I know how my hair should be now

Journey 2, I adopted ALL the healthy regime practices that have helped me to get to BSB and I truly know what healthy hair is. I have my moments but I always figure out how to fix it. (Ask you guys of course!!)


When was retention discovered?
I discovered mid way through journey 1, but it was always shorted lived.
Journey 2 I have had crazy retention from the start..


Are you relaxed, texlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
I am relaxed, with a mild relaxer, not left on for long with my hair protected with vaseline. I dont know why I bother at all


Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I start my journey, but as above I selected little elements and would wonder why I did not see huge progress


Was Waist Length your original goal?
No my goal was SL, all the same length and thickness.
WL for for the Super Stars, Shoot...I thought BS was for the lucky one

What is your current length?
BSB


What was the board like compared to today?
You ladies are still on point when I ask a question, and I will never know all there is to know, there are still some products I am planning on Junking..
But generally when you have been around the block a couple times you get it........That excitement the site created for me when I first joined can never be replicated.
BUT I plan to stick around and help other newbies with questions and make them feel as welcome as I did.
HOPEFULLY I can inspiring someone..

 

[kizzylonghair]

Bump..............

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I guess I qualify though I am not gangta by any means. I probably would be waist length if I could figure out if I want relaxed or natural. I have recently texlaxed, but I still need to use a lot of heat to do what I want. My hair thrives relaxed because I need less heat to style my hair and keep it styled. When I was natural, I did retain length, but my styles just never lasted more than 3 days. I hoping to find a good relaxed regimen to follow so I can grow my hair out. My past relaxed journeys, I retained the majority of my growth due to less heat use and less manipulation. My styles lasted all week until my next wash.

 

[BeautifulNameX]

If your join date is 2002-2006, please drop some history and old school knowledge on us.

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
That all the ladies had long beautiful hair and if I did exactally what they did Ill have long hair like that too.

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
I knew it was attainable but everyone I showed the sit to said these ladies were not all the black and had good hair.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
Um the biggest was when I was forced (my sister said I needed to learn) to self relax

When was retention discovered?
Deep conditioning, and cowashng

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Natural

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I started before I joined when I was on Black Beauty Black Hair but everyone dispersed on that site, But I always lurked here anyway sooo

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No, Apl

What is your current length?
SL

What was the board like compared to today?
I think back then it was more about products, and super extensive regimens, bagging, daily co-wash, growth aids, and band waggons. Now it seems to be more challenges, and results (length checks post with pics of styles).

 

[hothair]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

Information overload. I went away for almost a year before coming back.


Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

I thought it was attainable but would be difficult to do.


What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

Hmmm, not learning how to deal with my hair when it wasn't in a protective style. So the minute I leave it out I lost all my progress.


When was retention discovered?
When I simplified my regimen to pre-poo, wash and dc once a week and ignore hair pretty much until next washday.


Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
Relaxed.


Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I would say 2007 (see first answer)


Was Waist Length your original goal?
Yup

What is your current length?
BSL


What was the board like compared to today?
I haven't been on as much recently. But there was a lot of information and reviews then, and all sorts of hair types and relaxed,natural texlaxed,loc-ed got the same amount of interest and better tolerance when folk experimented with out of the norm stuff? There's always been periods of drama though don't get it twisted lol but it made things fun

 

[metro_qt]

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
I was in love. A whole board dedicated to my new obsession. It just furthered my obsession. I loved the people, the culture, the understanding...

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?

I knew long hair was attainable, but i also knew that there were different textures involved, and people with hair that was a different texture than mine might have an easier time growing their hair.
It's here, i learned about moisture, and the fact that hair is hair, and it's all how you treat it. I had to find women with 4a hair and see how they treated and grew their hair for inspiration.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
I've been on many band wagons. I can't say that I had failed attempts, but i've had MANY set backs. 1 being one of my salon texturizers in 2006 which i did not keep up because of the cost going to that salon... months later, my hair matted something horrible, and i had to get a wig. Lots and Lots of hair came out, and i actually had a bald spot in the middle of my scalp because of it. My hair grew back successfully from that mishap ...

When was retention discovered?
back when i joined, it only took a couple of months of DCin and over night conditionings and babying my hair for my hair to start thriving.
One of the biggest compliments i got was going to a salon, and the stylist saying, what ever it was I was doing to my hair at home, keep doing it, because it's working...

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
since i've been here, i've been EVERYTHING... texlaxed, relaxed, long term stretched, heat trained, you name it... i was just trying to find my hair's comfort zone, and styles that worked with my lifestyle

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
I sure did. Right when I joined.

Was Waist Length your original goal?
It was, and it still is

What is your current length?
Between Brastrap and Mid back

What was the board like compared to today?

I still love the board, but i'm not as... drawn to it anymore.
I had *friends* and posters I could identify with. The board was funny and compelling. Yes, there was drama, but there were good people to lean on and cry with. I remember coming home from work each day, excited to catch up with my 'hairboard' members... they were my girls...

 

[levette]

If your join date is 2002-2006, please drop some history and old school knowledge on us.

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?

* I thought it was the best thing and too good to be true!

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
* I thought it was attainable based on the pics of people like Adrienne and others

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?

*My failure to be consistent with protective styling. And using that stinky Wildgrowth hair oil and surge

When was retention discovered?
*within a year of joining
Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
*Relaxed

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
*I had already started it but this forum helped me alot. I first started when Wanakee had her hair products.

Was Waist Length your original goal?
--*No, that is too much for me

What is your current length?
* I am between apl and bsl

What was the board like compared to today?

*I remember when it was free... There were fewer forum choices----a lot more people now

 

[nissi]

This is cute OP! Sorry, I have a paper due and taking a break.

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined?
Was into the hair thing pre-LHCF, but thought it was wonderful and I was excited to start my journey!

Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?
Noticed the different textures and the corresponding journeys, still thought it was attainable.

What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair?
My failed attempts? It was never failed in growing, just in keeping it.

When was retention discovered?
Through careful bunning and the baggy method. Edited to add: wigs.

Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural?
As of this year, natural for now.

Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when?
Yes, was ready to start implementing right away.

Was Waist Length your original goal?
No, prefer BSL.

What is your current length?
BSB

What was the board like compared to today?
More groundbreaking with members making genuine hair care discovery, which is why the archives are valuable. Also, not a lot of petty snapping at each other. They were more likely to go PM, than go off on each other publicly. Also, not a lot of "-Gates," (scandals) a la Shima, MopTopMaven, SparklingFlame, etc., until a few years in... HTH!

 

[nissi]

This is SOOO true! There are many members with REALLY long hair now! It's nice to see so much progress

Adrenne0914 was my first LHCF hair idol. Her hair pics were always so impressive!

Adrienne0914 was definitely a fabulous inspiration on the board. She was the main one who proved it could be done, because she had a relate-able AA hair texture (3c/4a I think), and was very open, sharing and generous with her methods (baggie and bunning), which she documented step by step.

 

[My Friend]

I joined in 2003!

.

What is your current length?
My hair is a mess after having a baby, but the longest layers are hip length.


Congratulations!

 

[My Friend]

bump bump bump

 

[youwillrise]

i originally joined in 2004 under the name TastesLikeMusic...signed up with the name runrunrunner in 2005 and changed my name to the one i currently use last year.

What did you think about LHCF when you first joined? i just thought it was a source of good information. i would ogle over the hair of members like CaramelHonee, Hairlove, Peachtree, etc lol


Did you think having long hair was attainable or did you think LHCF members were crazy and/or mixed (good hair)?i did think having long hair was attainable, for sure


What were some of the failed attempts to grow long hair? well, there were many many many failed attempts. where would i even start?


When was retention discovered? well, i kinda started to retain more recently, but still not on the level i really want. i gave myself a much needed cut recently because the ends were crazy. i made it to a longer length, but it wasnt a good look. hopefully this time i can grow long and keep my ends healthy


Are you relaxed, terlaxed, natural or a heat trained natural? i am natural now. when i first joined my intention was to grow my relaxed hair.


Did you start your journey when you joined? If not, when? i guess i kinda did? i mean, like i said...when i originally joined, it was my intention to grow my relaxed...but then i became natural a bit more than a year later...so i guess there were 2 different journeys


Was Waist Length your original goal? no, back then my goal was just a tad past midback.

What is your current length? since my cut...front - bottom of bottom lip, sides - top of collarbone, back -top of armpit (before cut it was: front - below chin, sides - top of armpit, back - past armpit)

What was the board like compared to today? it waaaass...free? LOL. nah, the vibe was a bit different back then...dynamics were different, but still a wealth of haircare information and entertainment just like it has now.

 

[JerriBlank]

I just wonder how the originators feel today,being in the stores and seeing products on the shelves,with terminology that they had a hand in,or started,and they get no credit for it. That bothers me. Really,really good thread.