Weight of hair

Today on "Weird things you find yourself wondering about": How much does my hair actually weigh?

Since my hair haven't been near water since yesterday, I thought it was a good time to check. I'm guessing it grows way, way heavier with any moisture exposure.

And the answer is: 172-175 grams. 
Or 6.067- 6.172 ounces. 

I actually thought my calf length hair would be heavier?

(And yes, I felt a bit silly. Can you tell?)

Measure in

Trim and measure

Mr Igor trimmed my hair and helped me measure in for the first time in years: Around 152 cm or 59,8 inches.

December 23rd

Today is an anniversary of sorts: If I hadn't trimmed at all since I started regrowing my hair, my ends would now be a legal adult. How weird!

I'm not sure how much "age" is in the length I have after all the trims I've done over the years, but it's not 18 years old at the ends.

But still, crazy to think that I started from nothing and now I'm at... knee-ish? I'm honestly not entirely sure how long it is at this point since it's hard to see accurately (And I honestly stopped caring about how long it is exactly)
I really need a good length shot, but that will have to wait for a day where I can be bothered to wash and airdry it completely without restraining it at all.

It's on my to do-list.

Today's Schwarzkopf Christmas calendar holds another tiny little 5 ml bottle of "oil" that would have rattled around the drawer if it wasn't for the shredded paper filling.

Ingredient list for Schwarzkopf Ultime Marula finishing oil
Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, Alcohol denat (18,79%), Phenyl Trimethicone, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Linalool, Helianthus Anuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Anise Alcohol, CI 40800 (Beta Carotene)

So: Cone, cone, alcohol, cone, oil, fragrance, fragrance, oil, fragrance and pigment (In a colourless product. Uhh...?)

Trim day

I don't believe in the Lunar hair care idea, but I also can't see why it could hurt. Of course it doesn't help me believe in this more when the different sources can't agree to what days should be beneficial, and for what aspects, but whatever...
According to the European dates, there is a full moon which should be good for strengthening hair October 10th to 12th.
So why not trim after the dates since I happen to have found a day that fits with when I have the time to S&D and trim anyways? I wouldn't go out of my way to make it fit into my other plans, but why not trim today since I have time anyways?

American, European, Asian and Australian dates here

So anyways.

Maybe some day I'll try the Morocco Method products too. Looking over them, I see nothing special about the ingredient lists. But they list their ingredients on the website! Praise the hair gods! Extra points for that to Morocco Method!
But they are pretty well known in the longhair circuit, so it could be fun to try. It almost feels like one of those "Should try" things.

Anyways.

I had mr Igor trim off two centimeter today and had him take pictures of the results. Unfortunately the weird October light (Sharp and summery one second and completely gone the next) made the pictures basically worthless which I didn't see until after I transferred them to my computer.

And mr Igor didn't check I had enough of my calves in the picture, which is... Pretty important when you have below knee-length hair?

Trimless 2019?

So, uh, huh... I just realized I haven't trimmed at all this year? I usually document this in my blog (Well, that was the original purpose of having it) and I can't find any mention of a trim.
So I guess I haven't trimmed at all and now we're almost halfway through 2019?

It's funny how these things just happens on their own without any planning. I've been so preoccupied with work, school and attempting to have any sort of life that trimming my hair just slipped off the list of priorities.

Maybe I should just keep at it and stick with S&D's for 2019 and see where I end up lengthwise?

"I won't cut my hair" or "Short hair", anyone?

Disneyland after dark: I won't cut my hair

Lyrics

I got hair in my ears

I got hair in my nose

I got hair on my back

And between my toes

When the time comes and my hairwash is due

I'm gonna use one ton of shampoo

But don't give me those sentimental eyes

'Coz I'm proud and my hair is nice

It's not fair when people they stare

I love the colours I wear

I wont cut my hair

I wont cut my hair

Oh no, I wont cut my hair

'Coz I'm proud of my hair

It's like in the funny fairytale

I dry my hair the Rapunzel way

You just climb up the six floors

To my hairy home

And I'll fix u a smoke in the blend of my own

Yeah, I'll make you a hot pot of tea

Take off your clothes and feel free

And get down in my hair

And make me insane

Lets get airborn on a window-pain

It's not fair when people they stare...

I'll diiiiie without my hair

Yeah right I play in the band

And I would love to be your private disneyland

I'll be your own amusement park

Then you can ride me

And ride me after dark

If they send me to the rows of death

For having illegal dope

I will order my last meal

Before it's the chair

Hamburger french fries'n'coke

Take those scissors away

I wont cut my hair

'Cause I'm proud and my hair is nice

I love my hair

I'm in love with my hair

I'm in love with my haaaaiiiir

AOA: Short hair

(Plus translation/lyrics)

Post-henna colour check

Pre-combing picture of my hair after having been left alone in a braid since the henna. I gave it a few drops of coconut oil and it left a beautiful curl-formation at the ends.
As far as I can tell, the henna didn't change the colour at all. Perfect!

As usual when I ask Mr Igor to take pictures for me, I find a lot of pictures I didn't ask for in my phone... Unfortunately, he often catches a cool sequence, so it's hard to dissuade him from doing it because he sees I use them!

Post-combing fluffiness!

My hemline looks really uneven in this picture!
Mr Igor was pretty upset, because he is my designated trimmer and he thought he had messed it up. But after a shower and having damp hair, it looked pretty even, so I guess it was just the braid/curl formation that created that effect?

17 years

So today it has been 17 years since I shaved my head.
Wow.
Next year it will be half my life ago. (Now that´s a thought that makes me feel old!!!)
Unfortunately I got stuck at work, so I can´t find the energy to take a length shot today.
I´ll try to get it done soon.

That brings back memories...

The snailcast did a podcast on the evolution of selfcare. I actually like the topic and agree with a lot of the points they made. It seems like selfcare devolved into "whatever people decide it means" instead of a constructive thing to do to help yourself dealing with pressure. Some "selfcare" seems to be quite destructive actually.
Some selfcare is still true to the meaning of the word though: I like this month challenge here.

However, in the beginning of the episode they talk about how Chel from Holy Snails shaved her head. It brought back a lot of memories and was really fun to listen to for me.

Episode 32: The evolution of self-care

I could have listened to a whole podcast on this!
The only thing that bothered me with it, was that she/they at no point talk about experiencing bad reactions to this. But I guess it was too new at that point to have encountered any people with opinions being jerks about something that in no way affect them.

Personally, I really enjoyed having my head shaved, as short as it lasted. It was a fun, but strange and memorable experience. Sort of having tried bungee-jump or something, I guess? Something that I'm happy I have tried, but will never do again.

I did learn a lot about people though. People can be complete and total bastards about something that in no way affects them or have anything to do with them.

Story time

But first a slight detour and some explanation for the story:

I've written about this a lot on my blog before. I have super sensitive skin that takes a lot of careful planning and care to maintain. It sucks now and it sucked worse when I was younger. It has gotten a lot better since I discovered Korean skincare back in 2014, but it will probably never be pretty and flawless. Just ten years ago, it seemed like the western market only had three skintypes: "Normal", "combination" and "trouble skin". Well, I didn't have normal skin, or combination skin, so I would have to have trouble skin, right? And it was troublesome, so it's logical to assume it. So spent most of my skincare time trying to exfoliate and dry out my skin to fix it, based on what I believed was right. Of course I only made it worse.

I learned how people can be absolute and total assholes based on what your skin looks like: The immediate assumption is that you're unhygienic, lazy, possibly stupid and dirty. People will more or less insult you, and then immediately recommend their own products even if they have an opposite skin type from you. All people believe they are good, but most are really horrible, shallow and well, sometimes just plain evil.

Now on to the story itself:

When I moved away from home to go to uni, I made a really good friend. We lived in opposite dorm buildings and pretty much spent all day together every day. She was a big girl. Like, really big. We bonded over how people can be assholes based on your appearance. True story!

Instead of gaining "The freshman 15", she actually lost weight. First unintentionally, I guess because she was removed from mom and dads cooking and had less money for snacks. But as soon as she noticed the weight loss, she started working on eating better and even started exercising. 

She unloaded to me how awful it made her feel that people now treated her differently from before. Suddenly she wasn't that fun, fat one in any group. 

I felt for her. It's a horrible lesson in human shallowness and horribleness.

We bonded further on this. I have noticed the same reaction when I wear makeup or not.

Then I shaved my head.

Something that in no way affected anyone else. And yet a lot of people were awfully rude about it. I learned a lot about so-called "friends" and their true colours.

But my best friend at the time? The one I thought would be the one who would really understand that my change in appearance had nothing to do with her, and I could use someone to unload on when people reacted "funny" to it?

She was embarrassed to be seen with me.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The one friend I thought would understand what I was going through, was being the worst of them all. 

It really hurt.

People are awful.

I don't regret shaving my head. It was a fun experience and it thought me a lot about people. If I could go back, I would do it again.

16 years!

Crazy that it has been so long, isn't it?

Picture didn't turn out so well. I came home late and it was completely dark by the time my hair had dried.

I put it in a braid while almost dry for just a few minutes to eat dinner, and yet it left wave-tracks. Arrrgh!

Attempted length shot

Ugh. None of these turned out well and I could't tell until after I had put my hair back up and transferred the pictures to my computer.

Hubby's "candid" shots were the best, actually. Heh...

Trim

A visit to my parents usually means I ask my mom to trim my hair, haha.

I've been falling behind on my idea that I would maintain my hair at fingertip length for a while. 

Funny how that works: Hair growth is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

Sorry for the slightly blurry picture. It doesn't show the resulting trim very well.
Mom took quite a bit off! And yet I couldn't tell after braiding it again, haha.

My first white hair!

I found it yesterday at work. I had gone to the bathroom and while washing my hands I found something... glittering... in my hair.

It is completely and totally white. Not grey or any hint of my naturally brownish, blondish reddish thing.

I actually feel strangely proud of it. Also a little amused, because I guess this shows how much I really have of red tones in my hair (Redheads go directly to white, all other hair colours go through grey first)

Length shot

I believe I owe a length shot?

For the first time, probably since I shaved my head, my hair feels short.
Crazy, huh?
All the trims I've had over the years (decade and a half about now!) this is the first time a trim left my hair feeling short.
It's not a bad thing though! My ends feels thick and awesome and healthy.
It's so much easier to comb too: One, big swoop with the comb and done. No need to grab the ends and bring them up and into reach.
I enjoy braiding my hair all the way to the ends now. Instead of thinning down to a sad little thing that isn't worth braiding, my hair now ends almost abruptly.
I love it!

Damp hair

Dry hair

Trim

I totally lost the patience with the trim-schedule today and asked hubby to take off 10 cm or more. 

Yep, even I will take stress out on my hair. Hmm.

Anyways. I'm actually really happy with it. For the first time in years my hair feels "short", but also for the first time in years I feel that my ends have really thickened up!
Also, I'm finally back at fingertip length and combing is a breeze.
No regrets.
Length shot will come later when I can be bothered to let it air dry on it's own.

Ugh!

Serious question: How does those nasty little knots that you have to cut out even manage to form?

I mean, that is some complicated motions required for them to knot up like this! 

How can they just randomly form when you try to detangle your hair?

Trim

When did I last trim?
If I got a trim last month, I didn't blog about it, so I guess maybe I didn't?
Well, I asked Hubby to take off 5-6 cm to make up for it and stay on the trim back-plan.

Slightly messy "before" 

"After", where Hubby didn't feel my head was important to get in the shot?

It's funny, now that I've made the decision to trim back to mid thigh, it still feels like I'm not really getting anywhere! It's just like when I was growing to knee-length: It's such a long, long stretch that even with a plan, it will take a while. Half of 2016 has passed already and I still seem to be "stuck" around knee-length!

It actually makes me quite happy to see this amount of hair on the floor. 

Some of the trims I had when it was at its longest was just 50 hairs or so.

I'm still very happy with my decision to trim back to mid thigh length. I really enjoy feeling how my ends are getting thicker and are getting easier to get to for detangling and braiding.

Trim

When it comes to hair care tips, I tend to mentally separate them into three categories: "The good", "the bad" and the "Meh, I guess it can't hurt". 

The Morocco Method's lunar trimming schedule falls under the  "Meh, I guess it can't hurt" for me. Meaning that I don't really believe my hair could in any way care about when I cut it, but hey, why not?

I can't explain why it would it work, but I cannot explain why it would hurt either. 

Also, I have a "Holy f***ing shit, what the f***ing hell is wrong with you to give out such shit advice, motherf***er??!? Are you actively trying to kill people?!11!"-category, but luckily that one is very rare. Last case of that category I remember was a nutcase on a hair forum, who claimed that as long as you took your supplements "With a good attitude" you would never encounter side effects. 

Uh. Wut.

So there you have it: Anyone who ever encountered side effects from medication, interactions from medication, allergies and other problems: It's your own damn fault for having a bad attitude.

Great advice.

Anyways. The Morocco Method. 

Lunar Hair Care charts

Back when I went "Try all the things!!" to get my hair to grow faster I would S&D after days like thicken, lengthen and strengthen. 

Of course it never seemed to do anything for my hair growth, but still... Can't hurt, can it?

It felt a bit nostalgic to check the lunar chart before trimming.

Pre-trim: Dripping wet hair.
We're experimenting with how wet my hair should be to make it easiest for Hubby.

Trim. Hubby took off exactly 3 cm.
I think I would have preferred a bit more, but he was so proud of how exact he was I didn't want to complain.

After trim.
Didn't make a lot of difference, did it?

Side by side comparisons...
I'd say the only difference is in that the "post trim" was combed out a little smoother?
Oh well. Still good to get rid of some of the old ends.

As always, afterwards I put my hair in a low ponytail and snipped a tiny bit (Like, less than ½ cm) of the ends.
I think when you make a trim with loose hair, you can get a "wrong" hemline for your updos: I'd like my braids to be as long as possible with as little tassel as possible, so I should trim for that effect.

Trim

Did I remember to trim last month at all?

I really need to write these things down.... Hmm.

Hubby took off 3-4 cm according to the plan and I put the trimmings out in the kitchen window for the birds. They're probably nesting already judging from how huffed up on hormones and spring they are at the moment! 

I feel rejected though: Usually they love Hubby's blonde hair, but they had no interest in mine. Little jerks!

Trim

I had hubby take off 4 cm today. I would say I was pleased with the result, but once my hair was dry again, I honestly couldn't tell the difference!

When dry, it's right below the knee structure.

(Hubby also felt the need to almost trim off my head when he took the after-pictures. Hmm?)