Short

My hair has been long (to some degree) my entire life, and I like it that way. Last summer I decided that I wanted to grow my hair out to terminal length (the length at which it breaks off rather than growing any longer). I anticipated that my 'ideal' length was about my tailbone--36" long--but since it had never gotten that long before, I wasn't sure whether it could get that long, thus the goal to find terminal. It grew quite fast for the first few months, but has slowed a lot since the new year. I presumed this meant I was approaching terminal, and while it hadn't quite stopped, it was definitely feeling like this was about all there was.
In addition, in the last few weeks I had realized that my hair was longer than what I like. It's been getting in my way and has been noticeably thinner at the end. I have concluded that my ideal length--my perfect length--is right about my waist (in the 28-29" range). Having reached that conclusion, when Hubby asked me to cut his hair last night, I asked him to cut mine too. He asked how much, and I said "well, cut it to wherever strikes your fancy; I like it around my waist, but it can always grow." He enjoys the variety as much as the length, so I figured he'd cut it a little above my waist. He took all my hair in a big handful and cut it in one big SNIP (remember how I have thin hair? Yeah, not difficult to cut it all at once!). Then he let go and discovered that it was pretty slanted, so he had to even it up a bit, and voila, now I have short hair.

Before: 33" long

After: 25" long

Ok, so it's short to me anyway! It's just going to grow. But this time, rather than making every effort to reach terminal length, I'll probably just get it out to my waist and then keep it trimmed there.
Or maybe not.
That's the fun thing about hair: so long as you take care of it, you don't really have to commit to a length, because it will keep growing. ☺

Long + Grey = Beautiful

Surely I can't be the only one who finds this beautiful: long, thick, healthy, grey hair.

When did we become afraid of aging? Traditionally a woman's lifetime was divided into three (or four) parts: (child), maiden, mother, and wisewoman (aka crone). Each age had it's own purpose: an age for learning, an age for growing, and age for bearing children, and an age for teaching. Each age is beautiful in it's own way. Just as menarche indicates the transition from childhood to maidenhood, so grey hairs indicate the maturity and wisdom of a wisewoman.

(this is the hair I want!)

In ancient times cutting off ones hair was a sign of mourning. Now it seems that millions of women cut their hair as it turns grey. Are they mourning the passage into the next phase of life? There is nothing to mourn! It is true that our current society is quite negative about age (and denies it with everything from botox to viagra), but I am a believer in "be[ing] the change you wish to see in the world, " [Ghandi]. Here in rural Alaska there are strong influances from the native cultures, and one thing they really have right is respect for elders. I love that. I am glad that my son is seeing that respect beyond our own family, and hope that he will teach it to his children as well.
But we fear aging, and so we fear gray. My mother in law has been dying her hair since before Hubby was born. I doubt that even she knows what color her real hair truly is anymore. My husband started greying at his temples in his mid-20s. After we were married he got much greyer (apparently being married to me is stressful!) ☺ and now he has the "salt and pepper" look with silver temples. His mother is greatly bothered by the grey: all her older children dye their hair, so 'baby' Hubby is the only one who's grey. We were at a family gathering a couple of years ago when she told him that he really should start dying his hair, and surely his wife would appreciate it if he did. I smiled at her and said "actually I rather like the grey." ♥ She has not brought it up since.
My own mother dyed her hair for a few months but decided it was not worth the expense. Her light red hair is now streaked with white, but I think it is as beautiful as it has ever been. It's a new kind of beautiful, but it is beautiful nonetheless.


Oh, you may say, that's all well and good to go au natural when you're 50 or 60 or 80, but what if you're going grey in your 30s or 20s? I'd invite you to visit some of the links below before making up your mind. I just always remember that at some point one has to stop dying, right? And then, rather than a gradual changing hair-by-hair, there is a vicious stripe growing out from the roots. Honestly that stripe is one of the biggest reasons I don't ever plan to dye away my greys.

• Consider the BlogHer article That Touch of Gray (it kinda suits you anyway)
• Or how about the Going Gray Blog, where they proudly declare that "gray hair is the new black"
• Check out the Everyday Goddess and her quest for natural hair (with the greys): she quit dying one day and it took her about a year and a half to grow it out long enough that she could cut off the dyed part (and still have a nice feminine haircut). She now describes her hair as "various shades of beautiful." I ♥ that! At least visit this post (the unabbreviated version of "BS" is used a couple of times...just fyi). She's young, unmarried, and living in LA. If she can do it, so can you!

I'm 27 and I've found a few greys. (For the newbies here, I wear my hair long--I'm currently on a quest to find my own terminal length and right now it's about hip-length). I currently use henna in my hair because of it's various nutritive benefits, but I don't think of it as a hair colorant (that's just a side-effect), and I don't intend to use it to cover grey. I use it in small doses so that it brightens my hair but doesn't fully 'cover' it. My hope is that with a few years of use my hair will be stronger and I won't need the henna anymore. I plan to go happily into old age with my own color on the long hair I love, twisted up into some graceful bun. Motherhood is now, but Wisewomanhood is next, and both are beautiful.

Why Henna?

OK, you've been waiting patiently...and here it finally is: the post about why anyone would want to put henna in their hair (aside from the color, of course!)
The color was actually the thing that kept me from trying it for as long as I did, because it is permanent, and I wasn't' sure if I was ready to commit to being a henna-head for the long term!
The red--at least in my case--is really bright at first but fades a bit with time. Of course the brightness of the red varies by your natural color and also how much henna powder you use and how long you leave it in, and some people with particularly dark hair do not get any color change, although they can still reap the other benfits of henna. If you'd like to see a gallery of before/after pictures, go visit this page!

So why do henna?

Short version: henna seals the hair shaft (totally coats it). If you recall the picture I posted of a hair shaft, you'll see why sealing it can be so helpful for fragile hair.

♥ Some people find it to have a drying effect, but I have not (although I live in a rainforest, so your results may vary).
♥ Some people feel their hair is less dry (because each hair is protected).
♥ Many people find that they get fewer split ends (I sure have--I've only found a dozen in the last year--and trust me I look!).
♥ Many people report their hair feeling/seeming thicker (because if each individual hair is coated, then each one is slightly thicker, and that adds up to the whole mass feeling thicker). I have definitely found that in my case.
♥ Pretty much everyone (so far as I know) agrees that it's strengthening.
♥ Many people report loss of curl--I haven't noticed that in particular, although my first time doing henna ended up being less than a month before we moved to Pelican, and the transition from Utah desert to Alaska rainforest drastically changed my curl situation anyway, so I don't know what might have happened if I'd been staying in one place...as you can see though, my curl is not gone (and in my opinion it's about the same as it has been my entire life--UT or WA or AK)
♥ Some people do it just for the color.

I have had healthier, smoother, shinier, less-tangly, stronger and (of course) redder hair in the year and a half I've been using henna than I ever did before. It seems to be growing faster, and it's now gotten longer than it has ever been in my life--I honestly believe the henna has made it strong enough to do those things. I am delighted! ☺ Hubby seems to find it sexy--when I first did it he called me 'Red' for two weeks, and when I mentioned last fall that I was thinking about doing another henna treatment and he said "ooo, let me get it for you for christmas, ok?! I like the henna!"

There is a lot of henna info on LongHairCommunity, but I actually first learned about it from my friend Laminathegreat on a NaturalLDSMoms yahoo group. She recommended HennaforHair and I just poked around there for a while and kinda figured things out myself.
One of the things I really like about H4H is that it has the before & after gallery (which I linked above). The photos there were submitted by dozens of people who have henna'ed their hair, and they each include info about how much they used and how long they let it sit... So you can find someone with a similar natural color to yours and get somewhat of an idea of what your hair would be likely to do (what color it would turn) if you do henna.
H4H also has a list of links for good places to get henna for your hair. They recommend using body-art quality henna (which is more expensive, but the best quality). The particular place where I bought mine (HennaCaravan) has body-art quality henna that is a couple of years old--older than ideal for body-art use, but sufficient for hair. It's still the high quality henna, it's just past its prime, and thus the price is reduced.

So, if you're thinking about doing it yourself, you probably want the info about how much to use and how long to leave it in, right?
I can't tell you. It's different for everyone.
The general guideline I read was 100 grams for every 10 inches of hair. I have thin hair, and have used only 50 grams per application. The first time I chose the smaller amount because I was nervous about how much it would affect my color, the second time I only had 50 grams left (I had purchased a 100 gm box). This last time I prepared 50 grams out of habit, but I did notice that while there was plenty for the top of my head, there was not much left for the length of my hair, so next time I may try 100 grams.
As for how long to leave it in, again, a general guideline is 30-60 minutes. The longer you leave it, the more color you'll get. The first time I was nervous and did just 30 minutes. The second time I was bolder and did 60. Last month I'm not sure I even timed it very well, I just left it in for around an hour. Or, if you're feeling really scientific, choose a lock of hair from somewhere discreet (such as along your neck) or *gasp* cut off a lock of hair (or gather the trimmings after a haircut), and actually treat that lock with henna, keeping track of how long you treat it for, and noting what color it turns. I was too impatient to do that and just jumped in with both feet, (making guesses based off the information on the gallery page). My results matched my expectations based on what I'd read/seen at H4H. This is why I recommend visiting the gallery page--you can read what others did, how much they used, how long they let it sit, and see what colors resulted.

I'm a Henna Head! (pic heavy)

I got henna for Christmas, and put it in my hair that evening...and how I have been trying for three weeks for decent sunlight so I could get the 'after' photo for this post...but I finally got it, so here is the photographic story of putting henna in my hair!

(very soon I'll do the post about why I put henna in my hair, but I didn't want to wait on the pictures!)

Along with my 'before' and 'after' pictures, I'm also showing the process.
Henna comes in a green powder (it's a ground root, after all). Mix it with really warm water until it's well dissolved into a thick paste (about the texture of pudding). Let it sit for around two hours before use.
Get your hair wet. Squeeze or pat (never wring) to get out excess moisture. Then start goomping the henna into your hair.
Yes, it looks like mud, but it has a wonderful fresh, wild, weedy scent.
Once it's all in, gently pile your hair up on top of your head--I just use a claw clip or two to hold it up, but some people recommend wrapping your hair in plastic wrap and then a warm towel...
Let it sit for a while (20-60 min) then take a shower and wash it all out, shampoo as normal, and voila!
Take care to not get henna on your skin, because it will dye your skin as well as your hair... I recommend wearing plastic gloves, or else wash your hands really well as soon as you're done. Henna won't hurt you, but it will turn you orange. Henna WILL stain your clothing too, so put an old towel around your collar, and wear a button-up shirt that you can take off without it touching your hair. As soon as you've got your henna in, take a damp cloth and wipe off any bits that got on your hairline/ears/arms. If you henna your eyebrows (which I did), I recommend a damp q-tip.
I'll have more details about how much to use and how long to let it sit in the other henna post.

Here are the indoor before and after pictures taken that night--you can sortof see that it's redder...the ends are not that different, but the top really is (my last henna treatment was Nov 2007, so I had 5-6inch roots...one of the great things about henna is that it doesn't change your hair color so much as enhance it, so there was never a harsh line between the colored and un-colored hair).

and finally (this is what you waited three weeks for) pictures of henna-head in sunlight.

(yes, I was on the phone with my sister--who has a birthday today. Happy Birthday K!)

And here are before and after pictures in direct morning sunlight (seriously, that is so hard to get here!) In the 'before' shot you can see some hints of the old henna...but obviously a fresh treatment brings a whole new glow!

before (sep 08) / after (jan 09)

Hubby is calling me "Red" again. ☺

Locks of Wha...?

"Oh, you have such long pretty hair, you should donate it to Locks of Love!"
"I'm growing my hair to donate."
"I love my long hair, and I can imagine how hard it would be to have to lose it, so I'm going to donate mine to a kid with cancer..."
Sound familiar? I've heard them all...in fact, that last one was me up until a couple of years ago. I planned to donate, and actually felt a little guilty that I wanted to wait until after my wedding (because I wanted to have long hair in my wedding pictures). How selfish of me, eh?
Then I learned that Locks of Love ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Some basic facts: the hair does NOT go to kids with cancer. It goes to people with permanent hair loss, such as alopacia (sp?) or scalp burns. Granted, these are good causes...but it's false advertising. Even if it did go to kids with cancer, human hair wigs are hard to care for, and actually wouldn't be good for kids anyway...they're better for adults. (Now, as someone who has worked with wigs in the theatre, I will vouch for human hair being superior to synthetic wigs...it's just much harder to take good care of it.)
LoL cannot use any hair that is damaged, has been color-treated in any way, or even that has been conditioned with silicone-based conditioner (ie, the majority of hair in the USA). They will sell it to get cone-free hair from other countries. Most of the hair ends up either thrown away (because it's damaged or otherwise unusable) or else it is sold. NOT donated. The hair that is sold is used for things like extensions, or theatrical wigs (think Hollywood).

Here are some numbers which really opened my eyes:
A little math using information from LoL's own website and the BBB:
LoL receives about 2000 donations per week, by mail.
That's 104,000 per year.
Let's say that only half of that is usable for wigs.
That's 52,000 per year.
It takes 6-10 ponytails to make a wig.
Ok, let's say each one takes 10.
That's potentially 5200 wigs per year.
Now, in fiscal year 2002, how many wigs did LoL provide?
113

So, given those facts, I realized that it didn't make sense to donate my hair--it wasn't going to do the good I had been led to believe it would. (I also realized that my hair wasn't terribly healthy and wouldn't make a good donation anyway).

If you want to cut your hair anyway, and it's long enough to do something with, then sure, donate to LoL. They are making SOME wigs for bald people, after all.
There are also a lot of other places where you could donate hair.
Or these guys use donated hair (in any condition) to make mats to clean up oil spills. (That is so cool!)
Alternatively, many theatre groups would love to have some hair for making their wigs.
Also you can sell the hair yourself, and use the money to keep or donate. (A long thick ponytail can bring in hundreds of dollars.)

However, if you love your long hair (which, I might add, you grew yourself, and have a right to keep) then hey, keep it. After all, it's yours. The New Testament says a woman's hair is her glory and is given to her for a covering...I don't think it's selfish or vanity to like your own hair. Some folks may not have to give it much attention, but if you're like me then you have to baby your hair to have it long and pretty, and hey, you're entitled to the fruits of your labors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some more reference sites:
The Better Business Bureau reports that LoL does not comply with all of the standards of being a non-profit organization. For one thing, they have documentation of LoL earning money... uhhhh...
This blog post is well laid out and has lots of reference links.
The New York Times wrote an article about this.
Even the Wikipedia article has mention of it.
LiveJournal threads from longhairs about LoL.
LongHairCommunity thread. Another LHC thread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And next time someone says "Oh, you have such long pretty hair, you should donate it to Locks of Love!" I will retort "Oh, you have such nice blood, you should donate it to people who are dying!" And then I'll fill them in on the truth about Locks of Love.

How long can you grow YOUR hair?

This is just for fun, but hey, I had fun there!
How long can you potentially grow your hair?
You'll need to give it an estimate of how many hairs you lose each day, as well as an estimate of how much your hair grows each month. (FYI, the average person's hair grows about 1/2 inch per month.) You'll also need to give an estimate of how many hairs are on your head--but it has some guidelines for helping you figure that out. ☺ (Make sure you read the directions about how to enter the numbers--if you use a comma it will mess up the equasion!)
I adjusted the numbers a few times since of course they're all estimations...it gave me numbers from 23 inches to 46 inches...with most of them between 35-39inches. Since my hair is currently about 29 inches, and my goal length is 36 inches, it sounds like that's probably realistic!

Hair Washing Routines

In a previous post I spoke about how over-washing (or washing too often) actually hurts hair health more than helps it. (Wow, that was a lot of H-words all together)

Since we're clear on the fact that less-often is generally healthier, now I want to talk a bit about the actual washing routine.
Each person's hair is different, and will need to be handled differently, including different lengths of time between washings, and different shampoos/conditioners as well as methods for washing. So my goal here is to share a few that I have tried or learned about which might be helpful for you. With each method I've listed what hair types it is probably best suited for.

A few basic guidelines:

• Don't pile your hair on top of your head or flip your head over and wash it upside-down. Remember how it's bad to rub hair the wrong way, especially when wet? Well, this would be a classic case of that. Just keep it down, work with it from top to bottom, and spray the water in from top to bottom. Remember your hair is like fine antique lace! Treat it like you love it, and it will love you back!
• If you comb your hair when wet, use only a wide toothed comb--never a brush, and not too narrow a comb as either can stretch or break hairs.
• Remember that there is no 'one method fits all' way to wash hair. Your climate, hair length, and personal body chemistry will all affect what your hair needs. But hopefully these suggestions will help you see some of the alternatives you can utilize to improve your routine!
• The fewer products (sprays, gels, etc) you use in your hair, the less often and less harshly you'll need to wash it. Oh, and the less often you wash it--stripping all it's natural oils--the more healthy it will look and the more soft and manageable it will feel. At least, that has been my experience! Using product was a vicious cycle...I'm so glad I ditched all that stuff!
• Be wary of 'cones' or silicone products in conditioners. Essentially they coat your hair with silicone, which does give lovely shine and reduces tangling, but then requires harsher shampoos to get the goop back off. It can make damaged hair look great, but the subsequently harsher shampooings may cause more damage than there was to begin with. Most of the top-shelf conditioners contain cones. Cones are not inherently evil, and I recommend reading the article I linked there to help you understand them and make your own decision about whether you want them around or not. (The article also has a list of 'cone' ingredients, since the ingredient list on most conditioners looks like latin!)

Condition-Shampoo-Condition
good for dry ends and oily scalp, or for any hair that is dry/damaged at the ends
Get all your hair wet, then put in conditioner from about the ears down to the ends. Next, shampoo just the scalp--the conditioner on the rest of the hair will prevent the shampoo from getting into it and stripping it. Massage the shampoo on the scalp and roots. Fully rinse hair. Condition full head as normal.

"CO" or Conditioner-Only see details here
can be nice for dry hair, but won't work if your hair is very oily or you use a lot of product
If you go this route, you definitely need a cone-free conditioner. Basically you just only use conditioner. No shampooing. The benefit here is that you never fully strip the natural oils from your hair...

"No-Poo" (no shampoo) or washing with baking soda
this is an excellent deep clean, and certainly cheaper than standard shampoo!
Get some baking powder, put it in a cup, mix in some hot water until you have a paste...then goomp it in your wet hair and massage your scalp thoroughly with the pads of your fingers--not your nails. Spend several minutes on the massaging part, as baking soda is gentler than mainstream shampoos and needs longer to work.. The baking soda will absorb oils and pick up dirt, so you are left with very clean hair and scalp.. The one downside of this is that it affects the ph balance of your hair, so especially if you do it regularly you will need to replace the natural acidity of your body/hair by doing a vinegar rinse afterwards--mix a couple Tbs of vinegar with warm water and rinse through. I'm told this leaves remarkably shiny and clean-feeling hair.
Please note that I have had people tell me that they fried their hair doing this long term...my own experience is limited to the occasional deep-cleansing wash this way, and I still use regular conditioner afterwards

Deep Condition with Mayo
this is nice for dry hair, or just to pamper your hair if you live in a dry climate
Both oil and egg can be beneficial to hair. Get your hair damp with warm water. Goomp in mayonnaise that has been blended with some water to thin it out--focus the mayo on whatever areas need the moisture, and don't put it on oily places. Wrap it all up in a warm towel, and let it sit for 20+ minutes. Then take a good shower, washing well... I did a double shampooing to get it out, I've heard others say they have a hard time getting it out but I think the secret is to get your hair damp before putting the mayo in.

Oiling Your Hair
a lot like doing the mayo, only vegan, and a little classier☺
This helps keep hair moist all the way to the ends, as well as being a detangler. It won't do much good on its own, but is supposed to be excellent as part of a healthy-hair-care routine. I've never done this, but here is an article explaining the how and why of it, as well as discussing different types of oil and where to get them.

Oh, and did you want to know what *I* do? I do plain old shampoo at the scalp and then condition (cone-free) from the middle down and comb it through (distributing the conditioner). I finish up with a cold rinse. Occasionally I deep-clean with a no-poo treatment. If my hair seems on the drier side I do a condition-shampoo-condition routine for a couple of weeks. I also use henna from time to time. Of course, when I lived in Utah I did things totally differently.

I have mentioned before about doing a cold rinse at the end of your wash cycle to stimulate growth? Well, here is an article which explains how that works--and it seems that this cold-rinse thing helps with hair strength as well as growth, because it's stimulating the muscles that hold the hair shaft (basically giving yourself 'goosebumps' on your head).

Here is a link to several articles with additional details/recommendations for healthy hair care.

By the way, I'm currently only washing my hair every 8 or 9 days...up from 6 or 7. It just doesn't seem to need it sooner than that...it's lovely! I know that keeping it up or braided does help because I'm not playing with my hair (getting dirt in or stirring up scalp oils). Even if I do leave it loose though I can easily go a week without it looking greasy or gross. Is that cool or what?! Nice for a busy mommy who has a hard time finding time for anything!

Hairtoys!

I'm having some trouble with formatting on this post...it's making me crazy but I can't figure out how to fix it, so sorry!

So here is the post where I tell you about all the cool hair accessories that won't damage your hair!
The basic guideline for good accessories is this: it should not snag/rip/tear/pull out your hair. Ever. Simple enough, right? The thing is that many of the most common accessories do not follow this rule (a list of evil accessories is at the end of this post)
Here are a few specific hair toys that are long hair-friendly. You will notice that most of these happen to be good for holding up long hair, and may not be so useful for anything shorter than about shoulder length.

• Hair Sticks--An updated version of chopsticks, they come in singles or pairs. I prefer metal, wood, bamboo, or bone, but they are also made with plastic, and many have beads on the ends. They are used by weaving them through hair that has been twisted or tucked up. They are snug while worn, yet slip out easily at day's end.
• Forks--usually two pronged, although sometimes with three, a fork is used the same way as a stick (and made with the same sorts of materials) They usually do not have so much decoration on the top. I find the wooden ones particularly beautiful.
• Combs--essentially a fork with more prongs... combs sometimes have short teeth and are good for pulling hair back, while the longer pronged ones are good for securing updos.
• Slides/Stick Barrettes--a personal favorite, these have a wrapped front portion with a hole in each end, and it is secured by wrapping the front around the hair, then sliding a stick through the first hole, behind the hair, and back out through the other hole.
  
• Scrunchies
• Hairpins also called Amish Hair Pins, these are straight and U-shaped (like the fork shown, only small and metal...) they do not pinch, and secure a bun by weaving back and forth between the twisted part and the scalp hair.
  
• Snoods--Seriously I love these, but Hubby doesn't so I don't use them. I like that you can just shove all your hair in it and go...so what if your hair is a little greasy, or being weird and uncontrollable today...tuck it in and you're done. Fast, easy, and looks classy.
  

Here are a few etsians who sell happy hair toys:
Brigit: leather stick barrettes (shown at right)
Northwestgoods: metal , metal combs (shown above), metal stick barrettes (shown above)
Ettamae: handcarved wooden forks (shown above)
Archeress Arts: hair sticks
The Far Grove: bone hair sticks (shown above)
NightBlooming: hair sticks (shown at top)
Wenchie: hair sticks (shown at top)
American Carver: wooden forks (shown at top)
Gypsy Trading Company: hair sticks (shown below)
Isis Arts: hair sticks (shown below)

The following accessories are not bad per se, but they can be problematic if they are not chosen wisely and used with care.

• Metal or plastic barrettes
• Scarves or kerchiefs (just keep hair out of that knot!)
  
• Claw clips
• Bobby pins--these are the hairpins that have little rubber tips and are squeezed shut. They are great so long as the rubber is on...if the tip comes off, throw out the bobby pin. They're cheap to replace, but will be damaging without the tips.
  
• Hair elastics--some are thin, some are thick, and so long as there is no metal joint on them, they should be fine if used with care...thicker ones are usually preferable
• Elasticized Hair bands--just as with hair elastics, the wrong one can tear out your hair. So if you like them, great! Just pay attention to which ones you choose to use.

Here are a few accessories to avoid at any cost:

• French Barrettes--these are the metal barrettes with the little springs...they were extremely popular in the 90s--usually with large bows attached. Thankfully they are not as common now, but are still too readily available. These will rip and snag hair like crazy.
• Rubber Bands--yes, the actual rubber bands like from office supply stores. Don't ever let one touch your hair. Seriously.
• Hair Elastics with the metal joint. Just don't do it!!!

Growing It Out, Wearing It Long

So, having talked about how I love my long hair, I thought I'd take the time to post about some of the things one can do to grow out, maintain, and style long hair.

1--In order to have long healthy hair, you must begin with healthy hair, even if that means cutting it short. Damage begins at the ends but will travel up the hair shaft, so leaving even a little damage will affect more and more hair no matter how good your subsequent care routines are. For years I trimmed a little here and a little there. I went on 'search and destroy' missions, going through my hair little bit by little bit and carefully trimming individual split ends. It still looked frizzy and damaged--because it was. I had been treating my hair well for nearly a year with little effect, so finally, in early 2006, I had my sister cut of 2/3 off my length. That was when my hair really took a turn for the better.
By the way, after a major cut like that, it grows much faster.

2--Hair is delicate. If you want it to be healthy, and be able to grow long (or just to look good whatever length), you must handle it with care. Remember that it grows from the top, so the at ends of your hair are 1, 2, 10 or even more years old, and once broken they cannot repair themselves, they can only be cut off. Some longhairs speak of treating their hair like 'fine antique lace.' I found it helpful to understand the physical structure of hair. Here is an article about the biology of hair, and here is a closeup photo ------------>
As you can see, each hair has small overlapping scales, and when brushed/smoothed one direction (away from the scalp) they are fine, but if you brush/tease/rub your hair the other way, the layers peel apart, literally splitting the hair and causing irreparable damage.
Here are a few specific tips on handling hair with care:

• Never ever brush it when wet. Use a wide-toothed comb. Some choose to never brush at all, and use combs exclusively. (Combs-only has made a huge difference for me)
• If you ever take an accessory out of your hair, and find it has pulled out hair with it, then don't ever put it back in your hair. Throw it away! I recommend investing in a few hair-friendly accessories, such as hair sticks, ficcare clips, or classic hair pins. I will talk more about those in a future post!
  
• If your hair is long, wear it back or up to protect it from being caught and broken in doors, seatbelts, jewelry, and other things.
• Protect it from chemicals such as chlorine--fully saturate it with clean water before swimming, and consider putting it in a braid, bun, or under a cap for further protection.
• Braid it (or wear a cap) for sleeping, and avoid static-causing pillowcases. Don't laugh! We can do a lot of damage to our hair while rolling around at night, especially if you share a bed with someone!
  
• Avoid products such as sprays, gels, or dyes, and DO NOT USE HEAT (blow driers, curling irons, etc). Many longhairs refer to blow driers as 'blow fryers'!
  

3--Hair is at its most fragile when wet, so take extra care with it. Never twist it when wet--only squeeze. Never rub it with a towel--just place it between two layers of towel and gently pat or squeeze. Avoid piling it on top of your head or rubbing it around while washing--put the products in, gently massage your scalp, and comb or finger comb it through the length, then rinse out.
4--To stimulate growth, stimulate your scalp. Gently massage it with the finger pads (not nails) while shampooing and any other time you feel like it. After washing your hair, rinse it with cold water--as cold as you can stand. This stimulates growth by rejuvenating the scalp, and also protects existing hairs by helping tighten up the scales on the shaft.
5--Don't wash it so often. Washing strips the natural oils (sebum) from your hair, causing it to dry out. Ironically that dryness also causes the head to produce extra sebum, so your hair will be dry but look oily. Sebum protects hair better than any conditioner can--it's what it was made for! If you are not using products in your hair, you will not need to wash them out, so all that's left is a little dust/dirt/dead scalp skin and you can get that once a week or so (don't be grossed out, we get dead skin everywhere silly, and that doesn't mean it's dandruff!) Start by going one day longer than normal between washings. After a few cycles your scalp and hair will adjust, and then you can go a day longer than that. Not everyone's hair will prefer the same timing as mine, but for healthy long hair you should definitely not be washing more than twice a week. I do recommend an occasional deep conditioning--that will also be covered in another post.

For your additional education, here are a few links:
Long Locks--this site primarily sells hair sticks (really fancy expensive ones), but she does have some nice pages on braiding and "the ultimate guide to growing long hair."
Long Hair Community--if you are serious about hair health or length, these forums are a wealth of information, support, and inspiration. If you care to join, I am 'brightonwoman' there. Come look me up!
Long Hair Loom--information and discussion forums with styling tips, growing helps, and more--includes a section specifically for teens and pre-teens!

Why I Wear My Hair Long

(Yes, both photos are of my hair, it's just that the lighting in my bathroom is apparently vastly different from the lighting in my hallway! Also, it is extraordinarily difficult to take a photo of one's own hair!)

I wear my hair long.
It is not for religious reasons (although the New Testament does suggest that a woman's hair is her glory and her covering). It is not particularly because my husband wants me to--although he does like it. No, I wear my hair long for me.
There is something elegant about long hair. Obviously it should be healthy hair, not ragged and damaged and unkempt, neither does it have to be knee-length, thick, curly, or any other specific style. I like my own hair at least to my waist, but to each her own. I can see the beauty in most lengths of hair, with the exception of those short cropped cuts--especially the ones where I have to stop and ask "so is that a woman or a man..."Why do I feel so strongly about this? Well, I was raised in a household where "girls have long hair" and that was the end of that. I had long hair, we trimmed the split ends but otherwise did nothing special. I learned to make braids and buns but knew very little of how to best care for my tresses.

I have always felt that long-haired women seemed to age more gracefully. Do you remember the scene in "Anne of Green Gables" where Anne is crying in the night (I believe it's after Matthew's death), and Mirilla comes up the stairs in her nightgown to comfort her...Mirilla has a long grey braid down her back, and I always thought wow, she has such grace, even in her nightgown. There was a woman at our church when I was a teenager who wore her grey hair in a long braid looped around her head--it gave her an air of childlike wonder and perfectly matched the twinkle in her eye. There was another woman at church who had snow white hair and wore it in a tiny tidy bun on the back of her head. There was yet another lady whose hair was mostly grey with a wide streak of white on one side, and she wore it in a simple braid down her back. One week she appeared with very short curly hair, and with that haircut, her face seemed to age 15 years. If ever I were to consider cutting my hair short, I need only to remember her, and my desire to preserve my youth will surely keep me away from the scissors!

It is not just a matter of aging well. There is something in long hair that captures the epitome of femininity and womanhood. I have relatively thin hair, but my length allows me to create the illusion that it's not (as in the photo above). Long hair is also infinitely more versatile than short hair--I can do anything from a plain braid to a practical bun to an elaborate updo. The shortest I can ever remember having my hair was just below my shoulders, and I can tell you that waist-length is much easier to care for than shoulder-length. I wash it less often, need no styling aids, and can style it just as fast (if not faster). I wash my hair about once a week, so even with the length I'm guessing I use less shampoo than most short-haired ladies. I usually only spend 5-10 minutes styling in in the morning, so there again I think I have the upper hand. My hair was not always in good condition, but in recent years I have learned how to really care for it, and, as the top photo shows, my hair is as shiny as the shampoo commercials--and I'd venture to say it's a whole lot healthier.
Feeling as I do about long hair, I thought I'd share some of my favorite resources here--information about how to get (or keep) healthy hair, styling tutorials for those who think that long hair is just too complicated, and some tips for getting long hair if it's something you are interested in too.

With my hair long I feel pretty.
I feel graceful and delicate.
I feel elegant and sophisticated.
I feel strength and wisdom.
I feel like the goddess I know I can be.

Scary Hair

Why is it that babies always have weird hair? S has a full out mullet!

Yikes! 3 weeks old and I'm already considering giving him his first haircut!