new thread
I'm creeping up on ten months of growth and my hair just keeps getting better. As a reminder my hair is thick and straight with a bit of wave that showed up after about seven months (three inches of growth). My bangs (frontal hairs) now touch my cheeks. It seems like only yesterday my bangs were constantly poking me in the eyes behind my glasses. Now they are constantly hanging IN FRONT of my glasses! I do tuck them behind my ears and they will stay... as long as I don't move my head! Otherwise I am happy with my progress. My hair in the back is well past my collar. From the front it looks like my hair goes past my shoulders (of course it doesn't). The hair on the sides is well below my earlobes. Any visible trace of "lopsidedness" from the original side-part cut is long gone. My hair stays parted in the middle even with the wind whipping things up. I have been experimenting with different haircare products. I tried L'Oreal Melting Gel and it produced a nice shine and good hold but doesn't seem to withstand recombing (I have a habit of wet combing my hair a few times a day just to freshen it up). I'm perfectly happy with my Aussie Moist shampoo but I got caught without and ended up buying a bottle of Paul Mitchell Awapuhi shampoo at one of these mall salon stores. Pricy but I must say it is very nice. It makes my hair very, very soft and somewhat shiny. Of course this Paul Mitchell shampoo has Sodium Laureth Sulfate and the dreaded Dimethicone so I expect my hair will start falling out and my brain will begin to shrivel at any moment now ;) (For those who arrived late, these chemicals are the subject of a number of dire Internet rumors).
I got some high-quality all-fabric covered ponybands. My ponytail is not much to admire since only about 1/3 of my hair makes it. I found a practical application for this "training tail". I use it when I wear a showercap to keep the hair in the back tucked in and dry. Don't get me wrong - I wash my hair just about daily but sometimes when I work out I have to take an extra shower during the day. Anyway, I figure by August (12 months) my bangs will make it into the tail and by December (14 months) I will have a reasonable ponytail.
I think I hit an important milestone today - I went and bought a hairdryer! Perhaps bad for the hair? I don't really know but I won't be using it to make my hair bone dry, I will leave my hair slightly damp and let it air dry. The problem is my hair is taking longer and longer to dry naturally to the point where I find myself going out in the cold air either with damp hair or with a wool hat over my damp hair. Bad news in either case. I'd appreciate hearing your views on hairdryers.
I promise picture updates soon. I haven't posted any pictures lately but I have a good reason. I'm in the process of moving from one country to another! Virginia, USA to Ottawa, Canada (my hometown). I have been driving back and forth for the past few months and let me say it is very difficult to live in two countries at once!
On a related topic, my elderly father (who lives in Ottawa) has been extremely concerned that my "long hair" would cause me problems at the border! He is quite sure they don't let "longhairs" into the USA... Of course, I haven't had any problems. I am a professional and present myself as such at the border. There is a lot more to me than my hair. Sheesh. To be fair, I know there WAS a time (about thirty years ago) when long haired men WOULD have trouble crossing the border into the USA. I believe that was the case in many countries at the time.
Folks, keep your spirits up and your hair growing. Please don't let anyone else determine how you feel about yourself. Thanks to everyone for your comments, advice, and inspirational pictures over these last few months. It has made all the difference for me. I will do my part and post progress pictures in a couple of weeks.