 After 2 years of growing my hair to waist length, I finally decided to get it cut at the hair salon. I was debating about cutting my hair for a while before actually doing it. My hair was the longest it had ever been and I didn't want to have to start from scratch again. I was also really hesitant about going to the hairdressers because often when you ask for a trim, they almost always cut off half your hair, and I didn't want to lose the long hair that had taken me so long to grow. After never having hair longer than just below my shoulders, I decided to try and grow it out for as long as possible before it needed to be cut, from too many split ends forming. The first time I did this, I lasted about a year, but I used a lot of heat treatment and chemical products like conventional shampoos and conditioners on it, which stripped my hair of its natural protective oils so it was really dry and brittle by the time I got it cut again. A few years later, I tried again. This time, I was determined to do it properly. By then I was already making most of my own personal care products such as skin care, hair care and body care products like soap, so my hair was looking a lot healthier. I wasn't using any heat treatment on my hair at this point either, as straightening my hair felt like too much of an effort and I knew how much damage it could bring if I used it too often. So I cut it out of my hair care routine completely during the two years I grew my hair out. Instead, I began doing regular hair masks with coconut oil and rosemary oil and used rosemary water on my hair to help it grow longer more quickly. Honestly, applying the hair masks weekly was one of the biggest factors in what kept my hair looking so healthy, shiny and strong during the two years it took me to grow my hair to waist length. I'll link my full natural hair care routine for long hair in the cards above and description below. While my hair looked healthy and lush overall, by the end of the two years the bottoms of my hair were looking a little ratty from the split ends that had formed. Brushing my hair had also become a bit of a workout and it was getting more and more challenging to brush with each passing month. I didn't want to leave it too long where the split ends became unmanageable and travelled further and further up my hair, breaking off even higher so that I'd have to get the majority of my hair cut off to where the split ends stopped. So I bit the bullet and booked an appointment with my local hair salon. Upon booking the appointment I didn't want to go to just any hair salon. I was determined to find one that used only natural, chemical free products. I looked around online and found Eva Organic Hair and Beauty Salon which used only natural, cruelty free, vegan friendly and organic products to wash, style and dye hair. On the day of the appointment I was really nervous. I was sure the hairdresser would have to cut away my long hair because it had been so long since I last got it cut. But to my surprise she really only did give it a trim. She said the hairs that appeared to be split ends further up my hair were just the new hairs growing through. As hair goes through different cycles of growth and will grow at different stages and that it was just the ends that needed removing. She commented that my hair was really healthy for someone who hadn't gotten it cut in two years which I attributed to the hair oil masks as they're truly life-changing. Good morning everyone. Today is the day that I finally cut my hair after over two years of growing it out. So they're both a sad day and I'm very clean to have it just sort of cut. It's getting really hot up here on the Gold Coast and I'm finding it's becoming just like this is the longest it's ever been. And oh what a journey to get here. I do sew to reach my hair growing this long to using rosemary oil and rosemary water. They've been life-changing. I'm going to do it again the second time around but I want to make sure that I take a bit more care in the ends because I've found that yeah that's looking a little bit ratty. Naturally this life you know wears them down. The reason I'm actually cutting it is because the ends are becoming a bit ratty. They're getting a lot of split ends and I'm concerned that those split ends are just going to keep going up and up and up and up so I thought I should kind of cut them while they're still at the bottom so I can keep more of my hair and just reset it and regrow it out again. And the second time around I'm going to make sure to do a little bit more maintenance and care on the ends of my hair to help prevent the split ends from forming as much as I have this first time around. This first time has been a lot of trial and error. So I feel like I'm equipped now with the knowledge of how to take care of my hair going into the next round of growing out. So I'm definitely going to keep doing the rosemary oil and rosemary water because they have been so life-changing. I reckon that's why my hair's gotten this long because last time I did it, I think I did it a few years ago where I didn't cut my hair for a couple of years. It wasn't nearly as long so I swear by them they're amazing products. So I'll be going to a natural hair salon on the Gold Coast. I looked at one near me and they look amazing. I'm very excited. I've never been to them before so this is the first time for me. So I'm very excited to try it out. The package that I got includes a haircut, a hair washer and a hair dryer. So that'll be fun. Be like a little self-care pamper day for me and parting ways with my hair. I was going to donate it. I looked online how to donate my hair because I thought that'd be really nice. But I found out that if your hair's been bleached or it's lightened in any way or dyed at all, you can't really donate it. Unfortunately, I've been lightening my hair over the past few months. It's much lighter now using my lemon juice. So I was thinking that may exclude me from the people that can donate hair. I think it comes under that. Lemon juice lighting, I'm not sure. So next time around, I was thinking actually I would donate my hair the next time I get it cut, give it a nice and long again. There's something I'd love to do to help like donate it for weeks and things that would be really cool. So my appointment's at 9 a.m. and it's 7.30 so I have to go get ready. So I had the ends of my hair cut and had my hair styled to frame my face a little more. The whole experience was absolutely amazing. I'd never been to a salon before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had the full experience. I got my hair washed, had a head massage. The chair I was sitting in was also a massage chair. I had my hair blow-dried and styled as well as cut. And I was given a complimentary coffee and brownie to enjoy while the hairdresser cut my hair. I felt beyond relaxed by the end. Depending on the length, type and whether or not you color or use any heat treatment on your hair will be factors that determine how often you get your hair cut. For a long hair like mine, it's recommended to cut hair every 3 to 6 months, particularly if you don't color or use heat on it. However, it's worth noting that long hair can appear thinner and break easier. So keep an eye on your hair to see when the time is right for a trim. End comfy. So I've just had my hair cut. She didn't actually need to cut as much as I thought she would off. She said my hair was so healthy and I was like, oh thank you. Been taking really good care of it, trying to keep it healthy. And the split ends were just down here so I think she cut about that much off my hair. So from the bottom. And then she just blow-dried it and washed it and it's very nice. It's finally cut. I got her to frame it around my face so I got her to do layers just around the front. She said if I did it around the back it could make the ends of my hair look very thin. So we just kept it to the front. It was so nice. Oh, she did such a great job. I'm so happy with how my hair looks now. It feels so healthy too at the bottom, which I'm just like, oh I haven't had like this in so long. It's lovely. Oh, it was the most amazing experience. Like I've never had someone wash my hair and do like that scalp massage. Oh, it was amazing. And then she put like a little blanket over me. Well, I was getting my hair washed so I thought it was nice and snug. And the chair was like a massage chair so I could feel it like my brain on my back and stuff. It was really nice. And then she got me coffee and brownie while I was getting my hair cut. Oh my gosh, it was like a five star experience. I've never had that before. It was so nice. Usually I just go get my hair cut and then go home. Yeah. For me, my hair has been one of my most defining features. I've taken a lot of pride in my hair, particularly over the last couple of years. And this was a huge reason why I'd put off cutting my hair for so long. Out of fear that I wouldn't be as beautiful without it. Logically, I know this isn't true. Whether I have long or short hair, I am still me. My hair has been kind of a shield for me. Something I can hide behind or use as a way to build myself up. But what I've learnt and what I'm actively working on doing is to identify and change the meanings I've attached about myself around my hair. I'm working on healing and changing the stories I've been subconsciously playing in my mind. The beliefs that I'm only beautiful with my long hair or that if I were to cut it, it would change the way people see me. I have decided to grow my hair out again. I would love to grow it longer than I had before, but this time I want to have maintenance cuts every now and then. Getting it cut every three months or so to prevent the ends from getting too out of control again and minimise the amount of split ends that form. The hair masks will still continue to be a regular part of my haircare routine and I'll be sure to update you all on any new products I discover and use on my hair along the way. Thank you so much for following along. I hope you're having a wonderful day or night wherever you are in the world. I send you all my love and I'll see you soon again.