what has your new legnth brought to you?

[**SaSSy**]

I suffer from really bad hair anorexia, so even thought to other people my hair is "long", but to me I still feel like I'm stuck in that awful place called "between SL and APL". Maybe I will be cured when my hair gets to full BSL. I started on the board between NL and SL.

 

[loulou82]

Longer hair hasn't brought me anything but a growing number of hair products. My hair hasn't been close to this long in years but I'm not satisfied. I think I'll have to be BSL before I feel I've achieved anything.

 

[Lady Esquire]

For the ladies who started with "above the shoulder" length hair and now has past SL hair..what has this done for you? Has it given you a boost of confidence, self esteem, femininity, do you feel more attractive, do you get more attention.

I was just sitting here fantasizing about having longer hair (hair that passes my shoulders) and I got chills lol. Some months ago I got my hair cut into a style (short/shaved in the back long coming towards my face on both sides). My hair is now growing out, the sides were SL and the back was neck length. It was nice but I just cut it even all the way around (chin length) and it is healthy and full of body and bounce but I miss the length I had before the cut (on the sides anyways).

I need encouragement How has your longer hair affected you?

Before LHCF, I wore my hair short, coifed, "done" for many years. The short dos made me feel sexy and my confidence was fine. Women in my family have longer and better textures than me. Looking back, I had coily hair and a ton of shrinkage.

So when I became a teenager, I was okay being the stylish sister with the fly hair cut. I had been content being the one with the nice short hair cuts. Part of it was because I never gave it much thought because I was more concerned with frying it and having it look pretty and done then grow long. I was happy with it at that time.

When I decided I wanted long hair years later, I sought info on how to acheive it. Now that I have it, I feel less restricted to that one identity that I had carved out for myself. It was fun though.

 

[jetbeauty09]

I did not vote b/c it really hasn't done any of the choices but it has given me other joys

It gives joy everyday to be able to play in my hair and know its growing. I love stretching different pieces and surprising myself w/my progress. I've ALWAYS had scraggely neck length hair and now I'm knocking on SL's door w/healthy hair.

 

[LongHairNWaiting]

My new found length has given me HAIR TOYS!!! Hair bands to be exact...lol When you have a TWA (IMO) it doesn't look good when you are wearing a hand band. It looks like you are struggling to produce a look that's not there. But.....when your hair begins to grow, it works! Today is my first day of wearing a Hair Band on my natural hair and I am loving it!!!...lol

Grow baby....grow! Yesterday TWA -- tomorrow...BSL baby! ..lol <ok, I am in denial --but I will get there...lol>

 

[beans4reezy]

So when I became a teenager, I was okay being the stylish sister with the fly hair cut. I had been content being the one with the nice short hair cuts. Part of it was because I never gave it much thought because I was more concerned with frying it and having it look pretty and done then grow long. I was happy with it at that time.

Same here LadyEsquire. I wore a short Halle Berry cut for years. I figured, hey, my hair can't grow, I might as well rock the fly hair cut. My desire for longer hair wasn't as strong at this point in my life; because I always looked so darn cute in my cuts!

 

[PPGbubbles]

I voted.

When I started I cut my hair to about chin/ neck length to get rid of heat damaged ends and now my hair is APL-ish (still not claiming till its full) lol

 

[LaidBak]

I started out just below the chin. I am below collarbone now. I feel more feminine. It has also given me style versatility.

 

[Jazala]

I voted all of the above but my confidence boost came from my healthy hair and body transformation.

Sure, I feel sexier and more feminine -- particularly since I used to wear a short feather cut.

But unfortunately the thing medium length has brought me most is mocking and teasing about wearing a weave. (which I've NEVER worn).

I'm not even at my goal length (waist) and won't be for 2-3 years I guess but I'm a teacher and at my school I walk down the hallway to smart allecky girls saying "Hi Weave!" and boys asking "Is that a hairpiece?" All the while they go on and on over white people with hair beyond shoulders.

Honestly, with Chris Rock, Sherry, Tyra and the whole social view that all black women wear weaves... it's brought me nothing but suspicion. Sometimes I think I just want to stay at this length, because the longer I get the more I'll be criticized and frowned on -- for wearing my own hair.

I'd rather the smart *** children tease me for something true than to assume I have a weave. Who ever heard of being mocked for something you consider an achievement?

Seriously, a black woman with her own hair gets no glory for the achievement these days. It's not worth it. At least shoulder length hair is believable. Anything beyond that is just suspicious.

Perhaps there's an opportunity here to educate the young people in your school. If not formally, maybe just by showing by example. Maybe try out wearing some styles that prove that your hair is real.

Longer hair hasn't brought me anything but a growing number of hair products. My hair hasn't been close to this long in years but I'm not satisfied. I think I'll have to be BSL before I feel I've achieved anything.

To my surprise, the longer and healthier my hair gets, the LESS product I need to use.

 

[Lyoness]

Re: what has your new length brought to you?

GREED!! I want more!!!

 

[CurlyMoo]

I voted, "no difference." I'm a layered BSL which means I don't really feel it's long and I don't wear it down often so there isn't much reaction. I'll check back when I'm waist length.

 

[lovenharmony]

I would say it boosted my self confidence! I've always felt feminine, but I haven't felt like I've acomplished much when it came to my self image. I used to be thin, but throughout the years, I've gained allot of weight and it started to have a detrimental affect to how confident I was in wearing certain fashions that I used to wear when I was thinner. My weight was one of the things I thought I wouldn't have to worry about since I was was thin for half of my life.

I've always wanted long hair, but thought I would never attain it, so I gave up on being able to control that aspect of my life and fell back on "well, at least I won't ever be fat!" Big mistake! When I hit my mid 20s, I was overweight and my cycle was out of wack due to my weight issues. It was only in my late 20s when my esteem was at its lowest (my bf of 5 years dumped me for a younger, thinner girl with long waistlength hair) that I decided to find out more about taking care of highly textured hair and how it's possible for some to grow it long. It all started with finding Cathy Howse's book online, which led me to doing other searches online for curly hair maintenance. After I found LHCF, the rest was history.

Once I started seeing progress, I no longer felt that I wasn't in control of at least something in my life. Once I got over SL, my attitude changed. I felt that if I put in the work, that I could look the way I wanted, so I took the initiative to stop eatinng the bad foods that make me gain weight and in about two months, I lost 15 lbs (without exercise). Not only did I look better, I felt better and became more healthy because of it! My blood pressure went down to normal, and my cyle is back on track

I still need to lose more in order to wear the clothes I would like to, but it's refreshing to know that I don't have to go to Ashley Stewart and Lane Bryant to get my tops all the time (top heavy). To think a simple thing like growing your hair out would have such an impact on me is profound. Yup, it ran that deep for me

I'm just glad that I've come to a point in my life where I wouldn't lose my sanity if for any reason I lost all my hair. Hair is hair and it will grow back Health is definitely more important!

 

[laurend]

Nothing really.

 

[laurend]

I take that back. Criticism. I did a blowout twistout and my hubby said I really don't look good with long hair. It does nothing for me.

 

[lovenharmony]

I take that back. Criticism. I did a blowout twistout and my hubby said I really don't look good with long hair. It does nothing for me.

Can I have it?

 

[Toy]

I feel More Feminine and Purrty!!!!

 

[Victorian]

I voted all of the above. I feel prettier with longer hair, and I get more compliments. While I've always had shoulder length or longer hair, when I get to APL is when my ponytail starts looking "cute" to me, and my hair starts to actually seem longish in my eyes.
I do get hair anorexia from time to time

 

[R4L]

sometimes my hair gets caught on a purse strap or trapped in shirts when I change...it takes me a minute to figure out what's going on....

 

[lovenharmony]

I voted all of the above. I feel prettier with longer hair, and I get more compliments. While I've always had shoulder length or longer hair, when I get to APL is when my ponytail starts looking "cute" to me, and my hair starts to actually seem longish in my eyes.
I do get hair anorexia from time to time

You ain't never lied! My hair is grazing APL and I still feel like my hair is NL! I guess once I reach BSL, I'll finally feel like I have APL hair

 

[wannabelong]

I voted gives me more attention because I used to rock a ceasar hair cut for 10 years and then a short pixie cut, so all my friends and family are used to seeing me with little to no hair. LOL

 

[Tickin4Gold]

Respect! For all the doubters/haters who thought I couldn't grow my hair, now they looking at me with new respect.
Oh yea, I voted confidence.

 

[beans4reezy]

Respect! For all the doubters/haters who thought I couldn't grow my hair, now they looking at me with new respect

I really like this post. I get laughed at by my family all the time because of my long hair aspirations.

 

[Tickin4Gold]

Don't let them bother you, just do your thing. When I started my hair journey I tried not to share my long hair aspirations with anyone- family or otherwise because I knew that they'd think I'm crazy. My mom thought I was crazy, now she is like "wow, your hair is so long".

I really like this post. I get laughed at by my family all the time because of my long hair aspirations.

 

[IMFOCSD]

This thread is so inspirational..

I wanna read more...

 

[Ms_Twana]

Sorry, I voted before I read your post. I started out SL and I'm now about an inch from BSL.

I voted that it gives me more attention. It also gets my hair caught under my purse strap a lot.


ETA: It is an ego boost, too; in the sense that I was able to grow my hair this long (longer than it's EVER been) without a stylist!!!

 

[Queen V]

I voted "all of the above," but the biggest confidence booster is knowing that I've set a goal and I'm accomplishing it and the results are visible! My healthy hair journey is one of the greatest things I've ever done for myself.

 

[Chrissy811]

Voted all of the above.

I feel more actractive because I can style my hair in different ways, braidouts, twists outs, etc, don't look so weird on me anymore . So I have the confidence to take more chances, when I had a bob that was all could really do. And the new styles gets me more attention especially when I use the curlformers/rods and make my curly fro (mostly when I am stretching) my co-workers luvvvv this look

 

[Nice Lady]

I have APL hair and I am still a bit insecure about my hair--I am happy that it is longer because I like the fact that it is long but I want to reach full APL to BSL until I am fully confident.

 

[brittanynic16]

It makes me feel sexier. I love when people point out my bounce and swang.

 

[EccentricRed]

I said all of the above. I started with nape length hair, and now I am halfway between SL and APL. No rush, I'm happy!

My homeboy made my ringtone "Ego" because when I straighten my hair he says I suddenly get a whole new swag. But seriously, when my hair was at my nape, it was also very unhealthy and that's obvious for anyone to see, and it really hurt my self-esteem. I set this goal of growing my hair out, and keeping it healthy and if feels good to see I've accomplished those goals.

And about attention? I straightened my hair and when to a party a few weeks ago, and my male friends were pulling my hair all night. Not anything ignorant, 'cuz I'll spazz, but just lil' tugs. That hasn't happened to me since I was a lil' girl.

It's been a big change.