Dead Ends Un Do The Do -- Growing Hair Out

[VickySGV]

This may have been said TOO MANY times before, but if you are growing your hair out for it to become your feminine self hair do, it will go better and faster if you go in for regular service in having the split ends trimmed out. I have hair appointments every 5 weeks, and while I pay female prices (about 3 times a boy cut) my hair is long and looks very feminine. I do not have a lot cut off, and I trust my stylist to know what she is doing and am very happy. Use controlled cutting and be up front with your goal when talking to a stylist.

[Guest April Kristie]

I agree fully Vicki, my cis SO gives me a quick end cutting monthly as I see my stylist every three months for frosting , and my hair is finally growing longer, can't wait for mid back!

[Guest Brenda Hailey]

I am still crying over the haircut that everyone is seeing me with right now, I have since then promised myself I am never ever cutting it again.

But maintenance isnt really cutting per say if I am trying to get it to grow long and look its best so I think I will consider this a viable option.

For some reason wigs and me dont quite get along in the mirror,so I am going this route and cant wait for it to grow out so I can finally look good and play with my hair while chewing gum.

I still have to tell my "stylist" that we are changing my style though. She would always tell me what great hair I have while she whacks it all off, it is wavey and curly, and she says its what "most" women want in hair and I have it naturally. I hope it turns out as she suspects it could.

Brenda Hailey

[Guest Freegrl]

I'm kind of jealous. I've been fussing with my natural hair for almost two weeks and it's too thin. I haven't cut it for six-weeks as I usually have a "high and tight" type of barber that I trust, but after letting it grow out, I'm conviced that I'm better off just keeping my hair short so that my wig investments will fit better.

If I were a GG, I would probably try to salvage my remaining hair by bleaching (to thin the follicles and create less of a contrast between brunette and pale scalp) and a hair style long enough to curl/perm in my natural color, but because I'm a private stay-at-home CD, it's not a realistic option for me.

I really do miss the days when I could nurture my hair and cut and style it at home, so again, I kind of have hair envy. I think that you should grow your hair out and learn to style it yourself as long as it's a fun activity for you.

The only advice I can give that might be worth mentioning is that is that much as is practially possible, you should try to keep human hair out of the drain/plumbing. I think I've had my days when I had better hair and learned a lot and loved my hair a lot and grew it out and had a lot of fun with it, but oh, how I missed those days when I tried different curling systems, pre-treating, and the feel and results of styling your own hair. It can take hours at first and then later a lot less time, but I've never had a better hair experience than growing what I had and styling it myself for those nights that were special to myself.

Hairdos!

-tina

[JJ]

When living female one of my best features was very thick but superfine and silky naturally blond hair and I liked it long. I was usually told by stylists I had roughly double the normal amount of hair. But I also had to do a lot of special care to get it there. If I treated it the way I do now as a male I would have had a real mess with broken off hair looking frizzy and split ends that would keep me from ever growing it out. I was just thinking the other day what a difference it was to just shampoo and towel dry now.

There are a few things I learned over the years that made a huge difference-Never ever towel dry hair. It is very vulnerable wet and the rubbing motion damages it. Wrap a towel around your had or hair and squeeze but never rub. Another is not to blow dry unless you have tons of thick hair to spare and like it short. Heat damages and weakens hair. Period. No way to use heat on hair and have it in good condition long. Products will disguise the damage but not repair it and eventually even the products fail. And never ever brush it wet for the same reason. Only a wide tooth comb will work without damage. I also always conditioned my hair and covered it in the sun as much as I could. Also brushed it a lot and only shampooed once or at most twice a week because nothing is better than natural oils. Brushing takes them down through your hair. Sometimes when you are used to shampooing every day it takes the overstimulated oil glands awhile to quit overworking and you look a little greasy but eventually it balances. I have never known anyone who shampooed more than once or twice a week to be able to grow their hair long because shampoo has alcohol and other chemicals that weaken and damage hair.

Bleaching and coloring will also do damage and require very careful handling afterwards. You can feel a fuzzy feeling in your scalp awhile after coloring and bleaching -it's the hair that broke off to the scalp growing back.

I sometimes grew my hair to my waist. Often mid-back and even in my 60s had regular compliments on it and how thick and rich it was. In spite of very literally having hair finer than many young children. It was one thing that I really thought I would miss when I transitioned-and haven't. But I hope some of the things I learned can help others have beautiful hair as well. I found in my life most women really didn't know how to best care for their hair and were always asking why mine looked so good. With extensions that is even more the case because you no longer have to learn in order to have it long.

And Vicky is spot on about the trims. When the ends start to split they just keep breaking until you have them trimmed. But if you are getting a lit of split ends it is an indication something in your hair care routine needs to be changed and is damaging your hair

Johnny