new thread
hey all, came across these boards a couple of years ago it must have been, i first decided to grow my hair when i was 12/13, lasted around 6 months maybe a bit more but i got it cut because of other peoples remarks and because it genuinely looked bad. Anyway about a year ago when i was 15 i decided to give it another shot, i'm now 16, haven't been to a hairdressers in a year, my hair still isn't at the length i would like it to be at, and can be a real pain in the ass at this length when i get bad hair days, not as bad as what it's like at around the 6 month mark though. I'm planning on either growing my bangs down to my shoulders and leavin the back at the length it would be anyway (a lot longer than my bangs) or either cutting the back so its the same length as my bangs, or maybe just leaving my hair grow till its wayyyyyy past my shoulders and getting the dreadlocks i've been wanting for so long. Just a few questions i'd like answered...
1. My hair is very thick and wavy, i usually staighten it every day, but after 10-15mins of walking round it tends to go slightly curly/wavy again and lose its straightness, i know it's not the straighteners that suck cos i have 2 different ones which are both good, is it due to my hair being very thick?
2. Kinda related to question 1, but if i was to get my hair thinned, would this help keep it straight after being straightened? Also if i did get my hair thinned would this make it harder for me to get dreadlocks, because i heard thick hair is best for dreads.
I've uploaded some pics of my hair, by the way my hair is not straightened in these pics, i just left it natural ;)
Hi taxi,
First off, your hair looks to be of excellent quality. Thick hair is something to be treasured. Sure, it may be a little more difficult at this stage of growing, but once it gets longer, it will look incredible.
Straightening is not recommended. There are a couple of members here who do it. I guess it's up to you but you have to remember that your hair is going to have to last a long time. What didn't affect it before could have consequences when your hair is literally years old and far down your back.
Thinning is without question THE worst thing you could possibly do if you want long hair. Those hairs will regrow and then you'll have all these short hair sticking out all over the place while you're trying to have long hair. Makes no sense!
thanks for the replies guys, i'm going to keep straightening my hair until my bangs reach shoulder length-ish when my hair is un-straightened after that i won't use straighteners anymore, i don't see the point in leaving my hair wavy/curly at this length if im just going to hate it every day, and about the dreads u say once they're in they're pretty much impossible to get ur hair back to like it was before and the only real option is to cut them off? Maybe ill think twice about dreads lol.
added a front view pic, it's a bit crappy cos it was taken in a dirty mirror but i cant be bothered to take another pic now so it'll have to do :P
I'm with Jason on this one. When I was in HS (a *long* time ago) I tried to straighten my hair, and the results we're mixed at best. Finally in college a wiser friend convinced me to let it follow its natural course, and I soon realized he was right.
Your hair looks great in the pic.
Arnold
Looking good so far, good progress. If you want to have healthy hair, STAY AWAY from the straightening irons! I used them almost daily before discovering this board 2 months ago and really regret that now, as I'm sure my hair would be in much better shape and probably longer, due to less breakage from split ends, etc.
Also, it's better to keep the bangs longer for ease in tying back in a ponytail, as they will fit in the tie easier if at least a couple of inches below chin.
Also, I strongly advise, DO NOT thin. The thicker, the better, especially as hair gets longer you will want all the thickness you can get. Also, thick seriously before going the dreadlock route, as once the hair is in dreads, it is pretty well irreversible unless cut off.
Hope this helps and healthy growth,
David
I really like it wavy like that. Forget straighteners!
I do actually prefer it like that myself, but it's not naturally like that, it's actually a lot wavier normally, it only looks like that because i straightened my hair the night before :P
Astonishing progress for only twelve months! At this rate , You can grow waist length hair in a very short period of time. Great progress and hopefully it stays that way. By the way , In my opinion , You shouldn't straighten your hair. Your hair looks awesome as it is!
- chris -
thanks :) yeh my hair grows really abnormally fast, i used to hate this when i had short hair as i had to go to the hairdressers every 3 weeks-ish but god do i love the rate my hair grows at now that i'm growing it ^^ another question i've got thats really been annoying me, whenever i wash my hair it'll go all fluffy for like 4-5 days this is why i HATE washing my hair because it looks terrible for a few days afterwards, i've tried using some cream that i put on my hair while it's wet and leave it to dry with that on, this helps a bit but not as much as i'd like it to, when my hair hasn't been washed for about 5 days it looks a lot better and doesn't mess up during the day as easily only problem is it's greasy -_-
uploaded a pic of the hair type of hair i'm aiming for, i estimate another 6months maybe a bit longer till its that length.
Thats Kurt Cobain! I love his hair. I agree, I hate washing my hair too, and I find that I enjoy my hair way more when its been unwashed for a week or so. One of my hair inspirations is Cobain. Way cool hair to strive for!
hey taxi,
your hair is looking great!!and it also appears to grow very fast...I'm at the 15-month mark right now and it seems your hair is slightly longer than mine!
anyway,as others have said...STAY AWAY FROM STRAIGHTENERS!thick hair is something to be cherished, for it will look AWESOME when your hair reaches mid-back (and beyond) length...I too contemplated on thinning my hair (undercut)..I'm glad I changed my mind!!
As far as dreads go...I think the process is reversible (to get rid of dreads WITHOUT cutting your hair) I'm not sure though...you might want to ask THAT "BALL" GUY as he is the expert here as far as dreads go...
You have some of the best hair possible. Please don't go ruining it with straightening irons or dreads... That'd be a real shame. =)
Well thanks for the replies everyone, i'll be staying active on these forums from now on, and i'll post progress pics every few months :)
Ithink it looks great just the way it is, congratulations on your one year!!