It's SO Good To Be Back!!!

Hello, my friends. Well, a few day's vacation from blogging turned into a few weeks, which then turned into a few months, which ended up turning into 21 months! Life just got crazy busy in so many ways, and the Internet wasn't on my mind, I'm afraid. Time does fly though. It doesn't feel as though I've been away from you for that long.

Since I last posted, I turned 50 and this year I turned 51. I like it! I still feel young, but I feel that I have more wisdom (I hope). I still have so much more to learn, though. I said to a friend recently that I wouldn't go back to being 18 for ANYTHING. I mean it. I wouldn't even go back to being 40, or 30. Truly.

I've trimmed more hair than I've grown since I last blogged, but it was to remove the thin ends caused by what I now know was a pre-menopausal shed. I'm back in growing mode. My hair is now 28 inches/71 cm long, just about three inches from being well at waist length. I don't regret the trimming at all. This is the thickest that my ends have ever been at this length.

 I no longer have a particular goal in mind, but I'm just going to see how long my hair will grow and still look decent at the ends. As I've said before, fairytale ends look beautiful on some people, but not on me, with my very fine, straight, hair. I really would like to get to tailbone if possible, but we'll see.

 My hair is in good condition. I've really got my hair care regimen simplified though. I pretty much just wash it with conditioner, put a few drops of olive, coconut or jojoba on it, bun it when dry, and that's it, these days. When I'm feeling ambitious, I do a deep treatment of some sort, but not often enough. I'm happy to say that I don't have any split ends, even when I look with a magnifier.

So much has changed since I was last here, but I'll get into that in later entries. For now, I'll leave you with my latest length shots and my comparison photo (All photos clckable for larger viewing).

I have missed you all so much! Love to all, and extra hugs to anyone feeling ill today. xoxo

To Dye Or Not To Dye?

It's pretty much agreed upon by everyone that colouring hair is damaging, and that to attain extreme hair lengths, it's best to stick with one's natural colour.


However many of us, for whatever reason, choose to dye our hair.  For many in their teens and twenties, it's to experiment with colour.  For those of us who are older it may be to cover the silvers.  That is the case for me.  I use L'Oreal's Preference hair colour in Medium Blonde.  It's not to ashy and not too golden--just right for me.

While I know many beautiful women with salt and pepper or silver hair, it's just not a look that I'm comfortable with.  I feel as though I'd disappear if my hair was its natural colour, which is now predominantly white.


I may or may not be correct in that assessment, but I am not prepared to give up my blonde locks.  Whether or not that may change in the future, I don't know.


I do know that by the very fact that I'm colouring my hair, I am limiting its ultimate length. While my real final goal is tailbone length hair, I may have to accept that I won't be able to grow healthy looking hair beyond waist length. I guess I won't know until I get there.


There are some things that I've learned that have helped keep my coloured hair in better shape than it's been in the past.


There has been research done that shows that the application of anti-oxidants before colouring may help to reduce peroxide damage. Ktani, a member of the Long Hair Community, found that coconut oil has these properties. I was one of her first guinea pigs, and I've been coconut oiling my hair before colouring for over a year and a half now. While the evidence thus far is merely anecdotal, I've been very pleased with the results.


I apply coconut oil all over the length of my hair, right up to the roots before a touch-up.  I leave it on for a minimum of 15 minutes and sometimes as long as several hours before I apply the dye to my roots.





I make sure that I rinse very, very thoroughly, and I use a lot of colour safe conditioner afterwards.


Additionally, I try to go as long as possible between touch-ups; I go about 6 weeks.


With regular deep moisture treatments in between colourings, and my regular small trims, I'm managing to keep my hair looking and feeling relatively healthy, and I'm happy to say, split-end free thus far.


So while I would never recommend that anyone dye their hair, I know that many will anyway, so I thought I'd share some of the tips that I've learned.  While they may work for me, they may not work for everyone.  And remember; dying your hair is a commitment.  It does require upkeep, and should you decide to go natural, depending on the colour you use, there will be demarcation during grow-out.  Not everyone is comfortable with this idea.


However, for me, it's a small commitment of time and energy, and it keeps me feeling happy.  Feeling happy with my hair is all that I really want from my hair anyway.

Blow Drying

Blow drying can really impede the healthy growing of long hair.  Of course every head of hair is different, and some hair types can withstand blow drying more than others.

However, generally speaking blow-dryers need to be used with caution.  

My own personal experience with giving up heat styling in general has resulted in a difference like night and day with my hair.  In my heat styling days, I would frequently have many split ends when my hair was not yet shoulder length.  My hair is at least 8 inches longer than that now, and I don't yet have a split end.  I imagine that as my hair gets longer again, splits will be inevitable, but right now, I am split-free.

There are reasons why heat is so dangerous that people don't sometimes don't take into consideration. If your blow dryer is blowing air hot enough to burn your skin, you know it's hot enough to scorch your hair.  Skin heals.  Hair doesn't.  It will likely fray, then break off at the scorching point.

Too often people will put a hot dryer much closer to their hair than they would to their skin because obviously, your hair doesn't have nerves that could tell you, "ouch".  If the blow dryer is too hot to use 6 inches away from your skin, then you can bet that it is too hot for using 6 inches from your hair.

Does this mean that under no circumstances can you use a blow dryer on your hair?   That is not realistic for everyone, I well know.  There will always be a time that you may need to use a blow dryer if the weather is cold and you have a wet head.

The key to using a blow dryer when necessary is to make sure that you have absorbed as much water from your hair as possible with an absorbent towel.  When you use the blow dryer use a warm or cool setting (not hot) and hold the dryer well away from the hair.  Do not attempt to dry your hair 100%.  Stop the blow drying before it's absolutely dry.  If you keep blow drying when your hair is already completely dry, you will dry your hair out far more than necessary.

Also, I know that many people have slightly wavy hair and blunt bangs.  It's okay to tame them with a round brush and a blow dryer, but again, don't use a hot setting.  A warm setting, finished by a blast of air will do the trick.  While you may not be concerned with damaging your bangs, as they are trimmed so often, you never know when you may want to grow them out.

So the bottom line is to use common sense.  And as with everything, moderation is the key.

The Silicone Debate

A lot of people don't realize that most hair products contain silicones.  There is a lot of debate as to whether using silicone-containing products is good for the hair or not.

There are benefits to silicones and there are drawbacks.  Having an informed opinion, and knowing how to care for your hair if you use silicones is very important.

Silicones do provide a lot of slip to hair, and prevent tangles very well.  They can provide shine, smoothness and they seal in moisture.  They can also help hide chemical damage and split ends.

The downside is that they also seal moisture out, and they do create buildup.  Eventually, this can lead to dull hair and potential breakage.

So if you feel that silicone products are beneficial for you, here are some tips on how to prevent problems down the line.

1.  Clarify hair.  I wrote an entry on April 9, 2010 that explains how to clarify your hair.

2.  Do a deep moisture treatment with a non-silicone based moisturizing conditioner.  I described a good moisturizing treatment in that same April 9, 2010 entry.

3.  When that is rinsed out, use the silicone-based conditioner of your choice.  There are also many smoothing and shining serums that contain silicones as well.

4.  Periodically, repeat the clarifying and deep moisture treatment process.  This will prevent the hair from damaging buildup, dullness and dryness that can occur with regular silicone usage.


I myself was on a regimen of non-silicone based products for about 2 years.  After dying my hair from dark brown back to blonde, I incurred damage that still remains in the last several inches of my hair.  It will be some time before it's all trimmed out. So I do use silicones now, and will likely until the damage is gone.

Most hair products these days have a full list of ingredients on the bottle.  Here is a comprehensive list, compiled by Nightshade from the Long Hair Community, of most of the most common silicones that are found in hair products.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to silicones.  It's all about what works for you and your hair, and knowing how to care for your hair if you use them.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Earth Day!

Putting Your Hair To Bed

Unless you sleep like Lily Munster, you likely move around a lot while sleeping, and the friction that your rubbing against your pillow puts a lot of wear and tear on your hair.  There are some steps you can take to prevent this, and no matter how short your hair might be right now, it's not too soon to start protecting your hair at night.  Remember that whatever hair you have now will be one, two or three years old if you're planning on growing it long.  Proper care now will help your hair to be healthier down the road.


Pillowcases can be hard on hair.  To minimize friction, I suggest silk pillowcases, satin silk pillowcases or if your budget does not allow, then a regular satin pillowcase will do just fine.  Satin pillowcases are not terribly expensive and are much worth the price.


Also, bedtime is a very good time to apply oil to your hair.  What I like to do is to put a few drops of jojoba oil on my detangled hair from the ears down.  Then I brush with a boar bristle brush to evenly distribute the oil.  Also, sometimes I like to do a deep oiling.  That entails using a large amount of the oil of your choice.  I usually use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or coconut oil for deep oil soaks. 


Some people use satin sleep caps.  Personally, I move around to much to ever be able to keep a sleep cap on, and frankly I don't think I'd feel comfortable wearing one, but for those of you who have a lot of damage, or whose hair is fragile, it's a good idea.


How you wear your hair to bed can also help to reduce wear.  When my hair is too short to bun, I like to use double braids or a single braid as a bedtime hairstyle.

At the length my hair is now, my favourite bedtime 'do is a bun placed right on top of my head and held with a satin scrunchie.  This style is extremely comfortable, as well as being functional and secure. Also, when I take my hair out of the bun in the morning, I have a bit of extra volume, and also, I have no tangles!


So think about protecting your hair at nigh time.  It takes almost no time at all, but the rewards can be great.

Here is a photo of my hair deeply oiled and in my sleep bun. 

Bangs, Fringe--It's All The Same

I've had bangs all of my life, with the exception of about 2 years from 2006-2008 when I grew them out. I loved the way they look grown out, but with my fine, straight hair, they were always in my face, and I had to clip them back, even when they were well grown out. I finally caved and cut bangs again.

Not everyone is a fan of the fringe, but I guess it's just part of my identity. I'm including a photo of me at the age of 10. Basically, I have the same hair style now as I had then. After years of perms, curling irons and even crimpers (yipes) in an effort to have bigger, wavier hair, I've finally come to love my straight hair, and I find it ironic that I wear my hair the way I did when I was 10. It's all come full circle.

My hair grows fairly quickly, so I need to trim my bangs every 2-3 weeks. Fortunately, I have a good pair of scissors and I've learned to trim them myself. It's quite easy. In fact I cut the bangs I have now from the grown out bangs myself. I am quite pleased that I don't have to worry about going to salons for those trims anymore.

So, today, the bangs are falling in my eyes, and I guess it's time for a trim. Again.


The clarifying yesterday went well. I didn't end up having time to do the hour-long deep conditioning, so I loaded my hair with a ton of conditioner in the shower and left it for about 5 minutes. I'll have to do the deep conditioning tomorrow.

Nonetheless, my velcro ends are gone, and my hair feels less tangly. So if you ever find that your ends are tangling, don't forget; clarify before doing anything else, like getting a trim.

I can't say that my hair looks any different after clarifying, but it feels different and is better behaved. So much about hair is not visible to the eye but is visible to the touch.


After a gloomy week of rain here in Southern Ontario, I'm delighted that the sun is out again. It looks to be a promising week of Spring weather. I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.

Off to trim the bangs.

Velcro Ends OR: Time to Clarify

Every few weeks, no matter how well I care for my hair, the ends tend to get a bit tangly or "velcro-like". Usually this means that there is buildup on my hair, and that means it's time to clarify and deep moisturize my hair. Today, I'm noticing velcro ends, so I think it's clarifying time.

It's easy to clarify one's hair. Some people mix a bit of baking soda with their regular shampoo to clarify. While that works well for some, it's too harsh for my hair.

Many drugstore brands have special clarifying shampoos, which is what I use. They basically strip all of the buildup from product, environment, and even some elements of hard water from the hair. I no longer use mousse, gel, or hairspray, but buildup is pretty much inevitable. Clarifying is very easy and fairly quick. I rinse my hair very well, apply clarifying shampoo and work the lather through to the ends. I leave it for about 3 minutes and rinse extremely well, making sure as I can that every trace of shampoo is gone.

Of course now my hair is stripped and exposed, so this means a very deep conditioning treatment. My favourite is a blend of moisturizing conditioner and honey. I use a mix of about 2 parts conditioner to one part honey. I warm the mixture up in the microwave for just about 15 seconds. This prevents the honey from lightening my hair, which can occur.

I apply a generous amount, (about 1/2 cup for my hair's current length). I work the conditioner through to the ends, and then I cover it with plastic. I often use a plastic grocery store bag, as it's easy to tie around my hair. I cover that with aluminum foil and cover that whole mess with a towel. It's not exactly a pretty sight, and is best done when I'm home alone. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way, so I do get a bit of teasing once in a while.

I leave the deep conditioner on for an hour at least, and then rinse it out completely. The difference in my hair is amazing afterwards. It's soft and silky and feels like new hair.

It sounds like a lot of work to some, but it's just like a spa treatment for my hair that I only need to do every few weeks.

So that's what I'll be doing either tonight or tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Now if I could just figure out what to do about these dishpan hands.

My Mission

When I was approaching my 45th birthday in the summer of 2006, I made a decision to grow my hair as long as it would grow. Why? Well lots of reasons. First of all, I'd always wanted long hair, but all my life I'd been told that my fine hair was "thin" and wouldn't look good long. I was inspired by some of the older women who were sporting long hair and I decided that I was going to do my own thing and just see how long I could grow it. I wanted to have the hair that I always wanted, and I decided that the social conventions of women having shoulder length hair or shorter after the age of 40 was irrelevant to me. I had a notion of me as an old lady with very long hair which my grandchildren would ask to see take down out of a bun or braid. I also had a sense of the growth of hair as being a measurable way to somehow chart the growth of wisdom that I hope to gain with maturity. Some reasons might seem silly, but they're all very meaningful to me.

In trying to learn not only how to care for my hair, but also to learn how to style it, without blow-driers or curling irons, I joined a long hair forum, The Long Hair Community. I began learning how I had been previously abusing my hair with heat styling products, using ultra light blonde shades of hair dye that were far too harsh on my hair, and not even brushing and combing my hair properly.

I came into my long hair quest with fairly damaged hair, but I vowed to change all of that, and I was doing pretty well with it. However, there were a few things I goofed up on.

First of all, about a year into my journey with my hair closing in on waist length, I had the--ahem--bright idea to dye my hair medium brown. It was almost immediately that I knew I had made a mistake. My predominantly white natural roots popped out almost immediately after colouring. This made it necessary to colour far more often than I had been with a medium blonde shade. Oops. So it wasn't long before the previous damage became more apparent than ever. So I chopped off 5 inches. Back to square one.

My hair was actually looking great at this point, because the hair that had been previously damaged by "ultra light" blonde hair colouring was just about gone. However, now I was stuck with this brown shade that in some places was almost black. While I enjoyed being a brunette for a change, it really was far too dark for my colouring. I hung in with it until March of '08.

Now, how does one safely go from dyed dark brown to blonde without damaging one's hair. Well, the short answer is it really can't be done. So I bleached out (ouch) the brown, and started colouring with medium blonde again. But the damage! I couldn't live with it. So another 5 inches cut off. And there was still plenty of damage. Another 3 inches off. Still more damage. I just maintained my length until January of this year 2010, when most of the damage was cut out and I decided to start growing again. By February, the length of my hair was back to where it was when I first decided to grow it. Back to square one yet again.

It's now April of 2010, and my hair, when measured from the hairline on my forehead to the tip of my ends is 24 inches, as pictured above. My current goal is to reach BSL length, which means "Bra Strap Length". I hope to be there before the end of this year. By summer of 2011, I'm hoping that my hair will be at waist length.

I'm on my way again. I'm still dying my hair, but in my low-maintenance medium blonde shade. Now I have the knowledge of hair care, and I've learned my lesson about trying wacky colour experiments (I promise). I've learned lots of protective hairstyles, which are featured in my hairstyle/haircare website. This time, I'm going to do it!