"I am still amazed at people’s reactions. I had one guy almost fall out of his chair in a restaurant when he saw my hair! The other night I was at this same restaurant and a little girl started pointing at my hair! People are very nice and complimentary when they see my hair, and all ages too. I have never had anyone be unkind about it."
- Jill T.
Jill, thanks you so much for agreeing to do this interview with the Loom! Since you are a newer member to our group, this is such a fun way to get to know you better! Let's start with some of the basics!
When did you start growing out your hair, and how long was it at that time?
I started to grow it out 8 years ago when it was 17 inches long.
What inspired you to grow it long?
My husband asked me “when are you going to grow your hair long again”? I had it to classic length in the ‘80’s and cut it first to my shoulders and finally to a pixie cut. What was I thinking?
How long is your hair now?
After a trim of 4 inches to get of rid of damage caused by wearing it in a bun, it is back to 51 inches. It was 55”. Before the trim my hair was just touching my calves (I’m 5’7”), now it is just above my knees.
Jill T.
How long do you want to grow?
My final goal is ankle length, which I expect to achieve by next year.
Were your family and friends supportive of your desire to grow your hair long?
No, not all of them. My mother and father did not like my long hair, but my husband and friends are supportive of my long hair.
What is your hair type?
It is normal, fine, with a slight wave to it.
What are some of the challenges you've faced with super long hair?
Keeping it away from things like ovens, car doors, seat belts, door knobs, normal everyday things you don’t think about until your hair reaches at least classic length. Each stage presents a different challenge.
What are your favorite hair styles?
I like to wear it down or in a braid. I wish I could wear it in a bun sometimes, but because of previous experience I am afraid to.
Can you tell me about this bad bun experience you had?
I think, from what other people have told me, I was twisting my hair all the way down to the ends and perhaps too tightly, and that I should have “wrapped” it more than twisting so much. Someone else said wearing it in the same bun all the time might have contributed to the damage. I was wearing the Figure 8. It’s too bad because I really liked that bun and enjoyed wearing it. Another thing someone mentioned is that I might not have tucked enough of the ends underneath the bun because the damage was on the last few inches. So, I wear a braid now and it seems to be fine, no more damage and very few split ends. There may have other contributing factors to the damage besides the bun though. I had to replace my favorite comb because I found a very tiny rough spot in-between the teeth, plus I was using regular towels instead of the micro fiber type. All little things, but they all probably contributed to the damage.
Yes, I would imagine it was more likely a combination of things than just a bun style. However, wearing different styles and not the same one all the time, is great advice! It doesn't put stress on the same area of hair over and over when you change it up!
What is your favorite hair accessory?
I have a beautiful, hand made lace snood by Melanie Moore that is just gorgeous. Very elegant!
Melanie Moore Snood
And you are able to fit ALL of your hair in there?
I admit that I was skeptical about this before purchasing it, but I can fit all my hair into it with no trouble!
What type of brush and comb do you use?
I only use a Madora Ivory wide tooth comb. It’s the best! I stopped using brushes at all, even BBB’s because they tear my hair out.
Madora Detangler Comb, (Ivory) IV-#116
I have a Madora Ivory Rake too! I also love my Mason Pearson Rake. I think that Madora and Mason Pearson rakes are wonderful for long hair!
What are your favorite hair products?
I have tried SO many hair products, and I keep coming back to Aussie.
What Aussie products work best for your hair?
I like the Aussie Mega Conditioner because despite its name it’s for daily use so that’s what works best for my conditioner washes. The Mega Shampoo is fine too, if I decide to shampoo. The conditioner washes make my hair soft and shiny all the way down to the ends, and that’s something that no shampoo or oil, or any other product has been able to do.
How long does it take you to wash your hair, and how long does it take to dry?
Since I mostly do conditioner washes, it takes about 20 minutes to wash and 4 hours to dry.
What is your procedure for washing?
I have tried several different kinds of conditioner for the wash but have found the Aussie Mega to do the best job of cleansing since it's light and a lot of conditioners are “heavy duty” so they won’t clean as well as a daily one. I start out of course by wetting the hair, then I use several “palmfuls” of conditioner and spread it evenly over my head and scalp, and sometimes on the rest of the hair. I then put all my hair in a shower cap and finish my shower. Then I step out, still with the hair in the shower cap, and leave it in for about 20 minutes. I’ve found that leaving it in for 20 minutes cleans the best. Then I step back in the shower after 20 minutes and rinse it out well. For my final rinse I use distilled water (no chemicals) sometimes with a little white vinegar thrown in. I find that Micro fiber towels are much gentler on hair than regular towels so I have gone back to using them when I dry my hair.
How often do you do these conditioner only washes? I wash twice a week, or about every 4 or 5 days depending on how oily my scalp is.
Do you color your hair?
Yes, but only by my hairdresser whom I‘ve had for about 10 years. He’s great with my hair!
How often do you trim?
As little as possible and only if I have to. I’ve had too many unnecessary trims in the last year. One was necessary because of the damage.
Do you find that split ends are a problem for you?
Not normally! Only this past bun experience did I have so many split ends. Usually they are only very few, and not enough to do anything about.
How do people react when they see how long your hair is?
I am still amazed at people’s reactions. I had one guy almost fall out of his chair in a restaurant when he saw my hair! The other night I was at this same restaurant and a little girl started pointing at my hair! People are very nice and complimentary when they see my hair, and all ages too. I have never had anyone be unkind about it.
Have you ever had any bad experiences with your hair?
No, just the bun ordeal.
What do you think is the most important thing to do when you are growing out your hair?
To me, it’s more what you don’t do. Treat your hair gently, use as little product as possible, and leave it alone. Don’t trim unless you absolutely have to. Get used to uneven ends if you want to get it as long as possible in the shortest amount of time. Trimming only makes it shorter and the ends even. If you’re not in a hurry to get to your goal, then keep trimming as you grow.
Jill T.
What are some things you think people don't realize about hair your length?
How easy it is to take care of, and how little I do to it!
Jill, thanks so much for taking the time to let us get to know more about you and your hair! You have reached an amazing length that some of us can only dream of! Thanks for sharing your tips for growing out long hair. We are glad you are part of the Loom family and look forward to posting with you on the board!
If you would like to contact Jill, post to "Jill T." on our long hair discussion board. She is more than happy to "talk hair" with you!
-Fox
March 24, 2007
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