# TWA to MBL in 3 years, *pics*



## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

I did the BC in late August of 2006. My relaxed hair was between shoulder and APL at that time, and I cut it down to a TWA. Here is a pic from a few months after that, around Christmas.

The other pic is my flat ironed hair on Christmas this year. I'm not sure if it's MBL or if it's WL... My waist is hard to see as clearly in the pic, as I'm going on 6 months preggo. Either way, it's pretty long  

My goal length is classic length. I don't know if I'll make it or not... but I'll get as close as I can. 

And yes, I know, I'm fat. No need to tell me about it. I'm working on it. 

I hadn't shown my real hair to my family in years. It was fun hearing the comments. My fave: "Hey, you have hair! And it's actually REALLLLLY LONG!"


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## Ms Lala (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow your hair grows FAST and you retained alot of length!  Congrats on your progress.


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## sunshinelady (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow, that's awesome!  Did you do anything to assist the growth?  And, what did you do to retain length?

Oh and what's your hair type?


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## lovenharmony (Dec 31, 2009)

Congrats! Awesome progress!!


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## MissLawyerLady (Dec 31, 2009)

Great progress! Beautiful hair and your baby is beautiful too.


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## AllAboutMoi (Dec 31, 2009)

Long and it looks thick.  Very pretty.  Congrats on the baby!


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## Brooklyn72 (Dec 31, 2009)

Good job! Looks great.


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## panamoni (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow! Way to go. Your hair is beautiful.


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## mrsjohnson75 (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow..that's great progress! Congratulations, your hair looks beautiful


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## topnotch1010 (Dec 31, 2009)

WOW! Great progress!! Beautiful!!

This gives me hope of where I can be in three years!!


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## melissa-bee (Dec 31, 2009)

Wonderful. How tall are you?


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## mkd (Dec 31, 2009)

Amazing progress!


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## RockCreak (Dec 31, 2009)

In 3 yrs (or less) i wanna be just like you.

gorjus baby!


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## MrsHdrLe (Dec 31, 2009)

Beautiful hair!  Thanks for sharing and helping to inspire others to stay on the straight and narrow.


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## BellaLunie (Dec 31, 2009)

congrats on the progress!


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## Ganjababy (Dec 31, 2009)

Great progress!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

Awww....  Thank you ladies so much for your comments! 

I guess I should have included my reggie, huh  lol

*Year 1:* Well, for about the first year I just wore an afro/afro puff. I co-washed a lot but didn't do a lot of DCing. I tried a bunch of different products, most of which didn't work well for me. My hair was either greasy or dry much of the time.  I started doing Crown & Glory braids after about 8 months.

*Year 2:* This is when I began to jock Chiccoro (sp) hard!!!  I used the Crown and Glory braid regimen for about this whole year. As I was braiding my hair, I would wet it with a mix of water and Infusium. I would then apply a good deep conditioner to my hair and seal it with Dabur Vatika oil. I didn't apply the conditioner or the oil to the scalp or about 2 inches from the scalp in order to avoid buildup. I sprayed my hair with a mix of water, braid spray and Infusium. Later on in this year I began to wear some wigs and I had a few disasterous but addictive weave experiments. (Oops, forgot to mention I texlaxed once this year. Haven't done it again though.) I also started taking biotin and B-complex. 

*Year 3:* I wore a weave briefly this year... it ripped my hairline out. Again. Now it's growing back nicely though. I also wore braids briefly. I knew it would be the last time I wore braids because to braid all that length takes a dog's age and I just don't have the time or energy. Mostly I have stuck to wearing wigs this year. I still follow my procedure of opening the hair cuticle with water, massaging in the conditioner (usually Kenra MC or Suave Humectant  ) and then sealing with a variety of greases, or shea butter. I use the cheap mineral oil grease to seal in that good conditioner and my hair stays crazy moisturized. 

*The Future for my hair*  : This year I'll be wearing wigs like crazy. I finally got a heating cap for Christmas  So I'll be doing lots more DCing than I have in the past. To fit this hair under a wig takes some doing, lol. I cornrow it in an around-the-world- pattern and tuck the tail in among the spaces. It works for me.

ETA: Thanks on the compliments of my baby! She is adorable, lol. And my height is either 5'5" or 5'6" I'm not sure.


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## Vintageglam (Dec 31, 2009)

Your hair and babies are beautiful  !


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## Itllbeokbaby (Dec 31, 2009)

It's beautiful!  Congrats on the progress!


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## Tif392002 (Dec 31, 2009)

Thats great, and your hair is pretty. Im so jelly , im TWA, im hope my hair grows as fast.


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

My goodness, I forgot to mention that I started taking Biotin with a B-complex vitamin during the second year. I don't know how much of a difference that made. I tried to really protect my hair 24/7... but after I texlaxed I had increased problems with splits that made me do multiple trims. Plus I hacked off a couple of inches on my first nappiversary. 

I don't think my hair grows faster than anyone elses... I think I've just been  about protective styling. My own family hadn't seen my hair out in YEARS.


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## sunshinelady (Dec 31, 2009)

So, you put deep conditioner on while you braided and just left it in?  What kind did you use because I've been afraid to do that.

That's it, I'm jumping back on G&G.


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## Miss AJ (Dec 31, 2009)

Very inspiring!  Forgive me if you have already answered this, but over the past 3 years, what parts of your regimen were you consistent with and do you think that helped you retain length?


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## tenderheaded (Dec 31, 2009)

Your hair grows like some of the women at TLHC

Marvelous growth, and I think whatever length you want is yours!

HHG!!!


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## Detroit2Dallas (Dec 31, 2009)

BEAUTIFUL girl! Wheres your fotki so i can jock YOU lol! that baby is so cute!!!! okay anyway, thanks for sharing you are an inspiration to twa's all over lhcf


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## flowinlocks (Dec 31, 2009)

Amazing progress. Congratulations.


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

sunshinelady said:


> So, you put deep conditioner on while you braided and just left it in?  What kind did you use because I've been afraid to do that.
> 
> That's it, I'm jumping back on G&G.



Yes, as I sectioned off each area to be braided, I sprayed it with my bottle of infusium/water mix, sometimes with braid spray in there as well. Then I would slather the section of hair with a good deep conditioner. I swear by Suave Humectant. I have not had lots of money available to my hair journey, so I live and die by cheapies. I did buy myself a gallon of Kenra MC for Christmas last year and I often use that. 

So I apply it to the hair, and massage it in. I don't stop until my hair has totally absorbed the conditioner. This might take 60 seconds, which doesn't seem like a long time until you consider the sheer number of braids on your head. 

Immediately after, I slather on either cheapo grease (works great for this) or shea butter, or Vatika oil. The Vatika oil makes my hair SO SOFT. When I take my braids down they feel like silk. It is kinda a pain in the winter though, because you have to melt it in hot water before you can use it, and it may resolidify during the process. 



Miss AJ said:


> Very inspiring!  Forgive me if you have already answered this, but over the past 3 years, what parts of your regimen were you consistent with and do you think that helped you retain length?



:scratchch What was consistent... hmmm. I think once I hit my stride and found what worked for me, the main thing that has been consistent is the application of deep conditioner to wet hair followed by sealing, and serious protective styling. I also ALWAYS sleep with a satin bonnet AND on a satin pillowcase in case it falls off. Some people have clowned me on here for that... *shrugs* I'm still waiting on THIER MBL pics 

ETA: My hair type is either 4a or 4b. Not exactly sure. It's tiny tight spirals in some places, pencil sized coils in others, and really loose curls in other places.

I have no fotki. I'm not big on sharing pics on here. But when I saw how much my hair had grown, I thought about when I was a newbie... it meant a lot to me to see inspiring hair stories with pictures. So even though I'm a bit out of my comfort zone, lol, I hope I may inspire someone.


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## Shandell (Dec 31, 2009)

Your hair is Fabulous!! That is some serious growth you go girl!!


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## AvaSpeaks (Dec 31, 2009)

LadyPaniolo said:


> Awww....  Thank you ladies so much for your comments!
> 
> I guess I should have included my reggie, huh  lol
> 
> ...


 
Congrats on the growth!!! I will be trying to work on hair retention in 2010 myself!!!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

I have stayed far far away from any stylists during this whole HHJ. I never let anyone touch my hair. Back when I did go to others, they always jacked my stuff up. Well, never again. 

For retention I think the key things are making sure your hair is totally utterly saturated with quality moisture, sealing, and then hardcore protective styling. For ladies who like to wear thier hair out... I think that may hinder progress.

My goal for Christmas next year is to be hip length... and I think I may get there :crossfingers:


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## MsBoinglicious (Dec 31, 2009)

CONGRATS!!!


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## MoniintheMiddle (Dec 31, 2009)

Whoa!  Ok, yo are really my hair inspiration...beautiful!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

^^^ OMG!  Thank you! It's a bit weird for me to put my pics up, but knowing that I can inspire someone really makes it worth it.


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## janeemat (Dec 31, 2009)

Very nice lady!


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## vainღ♥♡jane (Dec 31, 2009)

cool. i want that to be me but i doubt i'll surpass bsl next year.  ♥


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## pookaloo83 (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow! Great Progress Lady!


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## Chaosbutterfly (Dec 31, 2009)

Your hair looks really great! Congrats on all your growth!

And is that your baby in the corner of the first pic?
Her hair is bangin too...I love her curls.


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## AnitaTheLengths (Dec 31, 2009)

All that hair in 3 years!    That is AWESOME retention!  I'd say you're definitely WL and Congrats on the beautiful family!  

This is such an inspiration!  Thank you for sharing!  I'm really looking forward to year 3 of my HHJ!


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## yaya24 (Dec 31, 2009)

Awesome progress. Very inspirational. I was hoping for at least BSL at year 3. This raises the bar for me. Congrats on the new pregnancy and have a blessed New Year!!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

Aww, thank you! Yes, my DD is 4 years old now, and her hair is tailbone length beautiful spirals. She has the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen. It takes some doing to comb all of that hair, but I make sure to keep it looking great. Can't have my honeypuss looking rough.

For my own hair, there were lots of setbacks along the way. There was dryness, breakage, and I have cut huge hunks of my hair out while taking down braids and weaves before  But I kept pushing and kept trying. I am going to redouble my efforts for year 4... I really want Hip Length by this time next year, and I'm going for it!  Look out FlowerHair! I'm coming for you,


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## nissi (Dec 31, 2009)

thank you, thank you, thank you! i am officially inspired!


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## isabella09 (Dec 31, 2009)

wow! Congratulations on your progress, you’ve done an awesome job!  Congratulations on your forthcoming bundle of joy .


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

Thank you ladies for all the kind comments  

I think one thing that really helped me is that I stayed away from trends. This is not due to some great inner quality of mine but rather due to my lack of :dollar:  I think lots of folks stay doing too much.


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## yamilee21 (Dec 31, 2009)

Nice to see so much growth AND retention; you've hit on a good method of growing out hair. 

Just out of curiosity, are you waiting for your hair to get to hip or longer before you stop wearing wigs? You've certainly got enough hair to do a variety of nice bun styles now, which would also be protective.


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## Minnie (Dec 31, 2009)

You grow girl.

Awesome progress.

Your hair is very pretty.


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

I'm not sure when I'll start wearing my hair out. Maybe once I hit hip length... not sure. But I really like keeping my hair protected to the fullest extent possible. Many of the hair styles I like are old fashioned styles that were designed for women with hair that is around hip length. I've never really been good at styling hair though... and my hair is seriously thick, which makes it hard to style.


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## MA2010 (Dec 31, 2009)

That is just amazing! Congrats and please post more of that MBL hair! It's gorgeous!!!!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

I wore it down for one day, and then I braided it up again... I don't have more pics. Sorry!

I don't know when I'll take it down again (of course I unbraid, brush out the shed hair, and rebraid every few weeks) I'm considering flat ironing again at the end of the summer... if I do, I'll post pics.


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## beans4reezy (Dec 31, 2009)

Fantastic progress!


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## shinyblackhair (Dec 31, 2009)

Congrats! This is soooo inspirational to me as a lady rocking a twa. I can be where you are in 3 years if I stick with it!!! Yessssss!

Congrats on your pregnancy and the little one in the pic is SO cute!!!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

Absolutely, you can do it! Anybody can. I wish I could go back to middle school and show those folks how long and healthy my hair is. My hair was the laughing stock of the whole community  It was awful. Just chewed, raggedy, awful. Terrible. I HATED my hair and I would literally cry over how awful I looked. And now....


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## beans4reezy (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow, I have  read all your posts in this thread. You offer GREAT advice. I especially like that fact that you said that your family hasn't even seen your hair out in years; that is quite some dedication and it obviously has paid off. You should really post in the waist length thread...your  journey is indeed inspiring. 

*Waist Length and Beyond, Names + Regimens:*
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=321851


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## Rocky91 (Dec 31, 2009)

wow!! congrats! that's great progress! 
you and the kiddies are adorable


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

beans4reezy said:


> Wow, I have  read all your posts in this thread. You offer GREAT advice. I especially like that fact that you said that your family hasn't even seen your hair out in years; that is quite some dedication and it obviously has paid off. You should really post in the waist length thread...your  journey is indeed inspiring.
> 
> *Waist Length and Beyond, Names + Regimens:*
> http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=321851



:blush3: Gosh, I hadn't thought to post in there. Are you sure my hair is long enough to "qualify" lol? 

I'm glad my advice could be helpful to you  and I look forward to posting my Hip Length pics next Christmas, hopefully I'll have slimmed down, too


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## countrychickd (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your inspirational progress! I hope I can be there in 3 years.  Your hair is thick and gorgeous! Great job! What's your regimen?

ETA: I just saw your regimen! Great advice!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

I've posted much of what I do in this thread, and there is a bulleted list of my reggie in the Waist Length and Beyond thread as well  even though I don't think I'm quite at waist just yet.


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## Diva_Esq (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow!  Super awesome progress!  3 years is a great length of time!


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## Lyoness (Dec 31, 2009)

wooooo!!!! amazing!!!


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## LadyPaniolo (Dec 31, 2009)

I wonder what length I'll have in another 3 years??? Will I make it to Classic Length? :crossfingers:


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## OhSoOthentik (Dec 31, 2009)

Very inspiring. Thank you for sharing


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## ConvolutedCurly (Dec 31, 2009)

your hair looks great!!!
i hope you make it to classic length.lol.


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## sky035 (Dec 31, 2009)

Your progress is just amazing! Keep up the good work.


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## Tene (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow, wonderful progress and your hair looks great!


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## mariofmagdal (Dec 31, 2009)

You did an excellent job with your hair.


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## PPGbubbles (Dec 31, 2009)

I love it!!! I have been diligent with my Protective Styling and posts like this give me hope! 

Thanks so much! 

And I agree with other ladies you have a wealth of information to share... you definately should post more often


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## danigurl18 (Dec 31, 2009)

You grow girl!!! Congrats on your progress


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## Mrs. Verde (Dec 31, 2009)

Inspirational!!! Congrats!


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## chebaby (Dec 31, 2009)

what do you mean your family hasnt seen your hair in years? were you ps'ing with weave?


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## jamaicalovely (Dec 31, 2009)

speechless


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## FlowerHair (Dec 31, 2009)

Congratulations on your progress!! 
That's some seriously beautiful hair!!


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## prettywhitty (Dec 31, 2009)

Awesome progress!!


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## ~~HoneyComb~~ (Dec 31, 2009)

Awesome  !!


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## Firstborn2 (Dec 31, 2009)

Congratulations......


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## KatKronicles (Dec 31, 2009)

This is what inspires me.
More happy hair growing.


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## Nova (Dec 31, 2009)

Congrats on your hair growth!   Your hair is beautiful and thick!


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## curlydrea (Dec 31, 2009)

Your my new idol


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## sunshinelady (Dec 31, 2009)

I love the fact that you got there and you haven't had long hair all of your life.  It sounds like it took work.  Now, one more question, how many children have you had during your hair growth?  I want to make sure I'm not getting my hopes too high.


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## Shoediva (Dec 31, 2009)

WOW!, great progress. you hais beautiful! keep growing!


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## hillytmj (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow, what an inspiration to all of us. Congrats!


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## amwcah (Jan 1, 2010)

LadyPaniolo said:


> I also ALWAYS sleep with a satin bonnet AND on a satin pillowcase in case it falls off. Some *people* have *clowned* *me* on here for that... *shrugs* *I'm still waiting on THIER MBL pics* .


 
_I hear that!!!!_



> I have no fotki. I'm not big on sharing pics on here. But when I saw how much my hair had grown, I thought about when I was a newbie... it meant a lot to me to see inspiring hair stories with pictures. So even though I'm *a bit out of my comfort zone*, lol, I hope I may inspire someone.


 
_I can understand that. You are truly an inspiration!!! Thank you so much for posting and I'm sure you will be at classic length in no time with your diligence._


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## BostonMaria (Jan 1, 2010)

Your hair is beautiful! Congratulations your baby. Happy new year!


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## Kellum (Jan 1, 2010)

Wow, your progress is wonderful.


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## PrincessLinzz (Jan 1, 2010)

I agree with everyone...true inspiration!


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## wavezncurlz (Jan 1, 2010)

Loves it! You are doing an amazing job. Keep us posted!


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## Truth (Jan 1, 2010)

Such inspiration, that It can be done... Great progress!


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## LadyPaniolo (Jan 1, 2010)

chebaby said:


> what do you mean your family hasnt seen your hair in years? were you ps'ing with weave?



Most of the time my hair was either in braids, which I usually wore bunned, or under a wig. I never just wore my natural hair down. I can count a few days out of the past 3 years that my DH saw my real hair... but even then it was in an updo.

I did, however, have some pretty rough and gnarly experiences with weave. One time I made a thread about it... after I got pure white vinegar in my EYES while trying to de-funk a weave. Because my hair is pretty thick, my cornrows just can't really be made small enough... so the base is super difficult to dry. The result? Funktified weave. Plus I never really had much skill in DIY weave installation, so I looked a pure HAM.  It was terrrrrrble  



ppg0069 said:


> I love it!!! I have been diligent with my Protective Styling and posts like this give me hope!
> 
> Thanks so much!
> 
> And I agree with other ladies you have a wealth of information to share... you definately should post more often



:blush3: OMG... I do post in the hair threads, sometimes. I guess because I haven't shown what my hair looks like until now, people didn't pay me much mind, lol. Perhaps now people will be more willing to listen to my little opinion? We'll see... 



sunshinelady said:


> I love the fact that you got there and you haven't had long hair all of your life.  It sounds like it took work.  Now, one more question, how many children have you had during your hair growth?  I want to make sure I'm not getting my hopes too high.



My hair did not grow any faster during pregnancy than it did otherwise. I know lots of women do get an increase in hair growth with pregnancy, and then post-partum shedding after. I never did. I have had one child during my HHJ, and I'm expecting now. My growth rate hasn't budged at all. I wish it would! But sadly, it remains constant. Perhaps that's because I've been taking prenatal vitamins constantly, whether I was pregnant or nursing or not, for years now.

I DID notice an uptick in my growth rate once I started taking Biotin and B-complex. Some say the biotin doesn't work, but for me it most definately did. It's a nutrient that can be hard to get in your diet in sufficient amounts.


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## LadyPaniolo (Jan 1, 2010)

Goodness... I just realized several things I forgot to include in my reggie on here  

Henna- I henna to cover my greys about every 3 months... but now I'm thinking to switch to indigo for darker color.

Aphogee 2 step- I was having crazy breakage until I stepped it up with the aphogee... now I do this every 6-8 weeks. It's really helping.


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## TeeWhyAre (Jan 1, 2010)

That is beautiful progress! Congrats! Thank u for sharing.


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## amwcah (Jan 1, 2010)

LadyPaniolo, I have a few questions.

How exactly is your hair braided underneath the wigs?  As you mentioned, your hair is thick, so I can't imagine.  Are you braiding it or someone else?

When you were doing the C&G method, what style of braids were you wearing?  Do you wear extensions or were you just braiding your hair?

TIA


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## hairedity (Jan 1, 2010)

*^^^*I was about the ask the same questions amwcah lol!

Beautiful, healthy hair LadyPaniolo, and thnx for sharing!!!


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## Highly Favored8 (Jan 1, 2010)

Congratulations.


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## lalla (Jan 1, 2010)

Congrats!
Your hair looks WL to me.


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## LadyPaniolo (Jan 1, 2010)

amwcah said:


> LadyPaniolo, I have a few questions.
> 
> How exactly is your hair braided underneath the wigs?  As you mentioned, your hair is thick, so I can't imagine.  Are you braiding it or someone else?
> 
> ...



I braid my hair myself. I never allow any other person to do my hair... it took some pretty terrible experiences with stylists to come to that decision. 

To fit my hair under a wig is no joke, lol. I cornrow it in an around-the-world pattern, like people sometimes do for a sew-in weave.

Currently, I have my front hairline area unbraided, so that I can wear half-wigs. I pull this loose hair back into a small ponytail which is then braided. I have to kind of swirl it around my head, along with the tail from my snake-pattern cornrows, and tamp it down with a weave net. I try to tuck it in between the cornrows when I have time. 

My cornrows are pretty thick. I can't see any way of getting around it, no matter how small I make the parts. So if someone were to pat my head while I am wearing a wig (they better not ) they would definately feel the lumps. Because my cornrows are the same height, so to speak, I don't think it's that visually noticeable.

When I did the C&G method, I used the cheap Kanekalon jumbo braid hair. Sometimes I took Robin's advice and removed the base from the hair by sitting it in warm water & vinegar... but I found that this made the hair look ratty sooner. I tried to only add a small amount of hair per braid. This minimized the product being wasted by absorbing into the fake hair instead of my own. I tried to follow Robin's advice to the letter as far as how to braid, wash and maintain the braids. Later I stumbled on the idea of preparing the hair for braiding by doing the deep conditioning treatment as I braid it up.


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## LadyPaniolo (Jan 1, 2010)

If any of you ladies who live in central NJ (Mercer County/Burlington County) would like me to do your braids like I do mine, hit me up via PM.


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## thaidreams (Jan 1, 2010)

You really do look like you are WL!!!  Great job, your hair is beautiful!!!


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## beans4reezy (Jan 1, 2010)

LadyPaniolo said:


> Later I stumbled on the idea of preparing the hair for braiding by doing the deep conditioning treatment as I braid it up.


 
Sorry to make you repeat yourself, I just want to make sure I understand. So, you deep condition, and without rinsing the conditioner out you seal, let the hair dry and then braid?


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## LadyPaniolo (Jan 1, 2010)

beans4reezy said:


> Sorry to make you repeat yourself, I just want to make sure I understand. So, you deep condition, and without rinsing the conditioner out you seal, let the hair dry and then braid?



Not quite... as I sit there braiding up my hair, I section off the small piece to be braided. I spray it with water or a water/Infusium mixture, to open the cuticle. I apply a deep conditioner to that small section of hair, and massage it into the hair until it is all absorbed. Right that second, I seal the hair with something kinda heavy: grease, shea butter, or Vatika oil. Then I take the fake hair and braid that piece of hair until about one inch past my real hair, and tie it off. Then I go on to the next little piece of hair to be braided. 

The hair dries on its own in the braid, I don't do a whole head DC and then dry, then braid. The hair is wet as it is being braided.


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## Nonie (Jan 1, 2010)

:notworthy Just ........WOW! :notworthy


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## beans4reezy (Jan 1, 2010)

LadyPaniolo said:


> Not quite... as I sit there braiding up my hair, I section off the small piece to be braided. I spray it with water or a water/Infusium mixture, to open the cuticle. I apply a deep conditioner to that small section of hair, and massage it into the hair until it is all absorbed. Right that second, I seal the hair with something kinda heavy: grease, shea butter, or Vatika oil. Then I take the fake hair and braid that piece of hair until about one inch past my real hair, and tie it off. Then I go on to the next little piece of hair to be braided.
> 
> The hair dries on its own in the braid, I don't do a whole head DC and then dry, then braid. The hair is wet as it is being braided.


 
Thank you so much for this explanation!!


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## FlightsWifey (Jan 1, 2010)

Your hair is amazing! Do you have a regimen for your DD's hair?


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## Angel of the North (Jan 1, 2010)

Excellent progress!!! your hair looks long silky and very healthy, I'd be interested in knowing how you PS


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## GodsGrace (Jan 4, 2010)

Dang! That's amazing! You did a fantastic job, it looks great!


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## *Happily Me* (Jan 4, 2010)

*gasp*

WOW

You GROW girl!


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## LadyPaniolo (Feb 10, 2010)

FlightsWifey said:


> Your hair is amazing! Do you have a regimen for your DD's hair?



Thanks :blush3: My DD has her hair pre-poo'd with whatever condish I have handy and within arm's reach, lol. Then after washing I style it, usually just in braided pigtails. I use the same spray mixture that I use on my hair on hers. Usually it's Infusium, water, aloe vera gel or braid spray in there, sometimes with a squirt of tea tree oil or jojoba oil. I use Aussie Moist as a leave-in on her head and it really makes her hair soft and smell great. I NEVER let her walk around without her hair braided up. The few times I have done this  it has been like torture getting it back in shape. I let my mom do her hair ONCE. Never again.



Angel of the North said:


> Excellent progress!!! your hair looks long silky and very healthy, I'd be interested in knowing how you PS



Nowadays it's wigs all the way. Though I am going back and forth about a sew-in... 


Thank all of you ladies so very much for all of your kind words and compliments. I bumped this thread in response to some PMs I got about my reggie. 

Hopefully this time next year I'll have a new thread to show my progress!  Probably nothing nice like Jamaica Lovely's videos though lol.


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## beans4reezy (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks for bumping. My hair is braided and I had some questions about your reggie that you've answered in this thread.


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## JFK (Feb 10, 2010)

Lady Paniolo, congratulations!

How did you stay on track/schedule with your regimen while nursing and/or taking care of 3 kids?!


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## Janet' (Feb 23, 2010)

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!!


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## LadyPaniolo (Feb 23, 2010)

JFK said:


> Lady Paniolo, congratulations!
> 
> How did you stay on track/schedule with your regimen while nursing and/or taking care of 3 kids?!



Thanks!

It isn't easy.... that's all I can say. The kids are a lot of work. I love them but.... well. You SAHMs out there know what I'm talking about. 

I don't do a lot of day-to-day fussing with my hair. Once I put it into cornrows I don't fuss with it. I do my DCs and spray my leave ins but I'm not styling my hair on a regular basis. Once my hair gets long enough, I'll start doing more styles with my own hair like this one in the pics... that's Yulia Tymoshenko. My mom used to do my hair like that when I was a toddler, before they cut my hair all off  and her hair was worn like that back in the day as well. Maybe by June I'll have the length to pull it off, or I'll try some other old school hairstyles I love that take zero time to put together and are still protective.


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## butter_pecan (Feb 23, 2010)

That's a whole lotta healthy growth! Congrats!


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## Kurly K (Feb 24, 2010)

congrats!!!! wowww!! such inspiration


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## aa9746 (Feb 28, 2010)

LadyPaniolo said:


> Awww....  Thank you ladies so much for your comments!
> 
> I guess I should have included my reggie, huh  lol
> 
> ...


 

How often do you dust or trim/or both???


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## femmemuscle (Feb 28, 2010)

Wow!  there's still hope for me!!!  Thank you for posting such wonderful progress!


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## ckisland (Feb 28, 2010)

To repeat what everyone else has already said, your hair is absolutely gorgeous . I cut down to a 1 inch TWA too and I'm hoping to hit MBL at the end of this year. I have a ways to go, but luckily I have no waist and am all legs . 
Congrats on your growth, and thank you for sharing your knowledge


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## LadyPaniolo (Feb 28, 2010)

aa9746 said:


> How often do you dust or trim/or both???



I did one trim at my 1st nappiversary. BIG mistake! It was in its shrunken state, and I ended up cutting off a couple inches in the back, when I really didn't need to. Sigh. 

Since then I've been hardcore about NOT trimming. What I do is S&D (Search and Destroy). I don't do it very frequently, but when I see splits I will cut them. I ONLY cut off the damaged hair, I refuse to cut off the healthy part. Some people love blunt ends or ends in a U or V or whatever... not me. I just want my hair to grow to its maximum length possible. Fairy tale ends are fine with me. 

It takes about a week to S&D this whole head. It takes dedication and patience, lol, but I feel it's worth it.


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## BostonMaria (Mar 1, 2010)

LadyPaniolo, your baby is so adorable!


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## Creatividual (May 5, 2010)

What great inspiration! I'm practically 1.5 years in my natural hair journey after a 7 month transition. I too started off with a TWA and this just gets me more amped up for my personal challenge to get my hair to MBL-WL 2 years from now. So this really excites me and gives me something to look forward to. Thanks for sharing!


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## Solitude (May 5, 2010)

Beautiful hair. I didn't see this thread before. Your baby is beautiful, too.


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## WyrdWay (Sep 8, 2010)

Bumping for for new thread


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## LadyPaniolo (Sep 8, 2010)

BostonMaria said:


> LadyPaniolo, your baby is so adorable!



That baby in the pic just turned 5yo! Where does the time go...



AGrlCanMAC said:


> What great inspiration! I'm practically 1.5 years in my natural hair journey after a 7 month transition. I too started off with a TWA and this just gets me more amped up for my personal challenge to get my hair to MBL-WL 2 years from now. So this really excites me and gives me something to look forward to. Thanks for sharing!



Alright!  You can do it!



Solitude said:


> Beautiful hair. I didn't see this thread before. Your baby is beautiful, too.


 
Thanks! It's a good thing they are cute  or they would be getting it  lol



WyrdWay said:


> Bumping for for new thread



Thanks for bumping... there's info in here some would find useful.


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## BillsBackerz67 (Sep 8, 2010)

I saw a youtube tutorial last night with Longhairdontcare doing a replica of this style except it was a twist instead of a braid. I wish my hair was long enough to replicate it but not yet 

Your Baby Paniolo's are so cute 




LadyPaniolo said:


> Thanks!
> 
> It isn't easy.... that's all I can say. The kids are a lot of work. I love them but.... well. You SAHMs out there know what I'm talking about.
> 
> I don't do a lot of day-to-day fussing with my hair. Once I put it into cornrows I don't fuss with it. I do my DCs and spray my leave ins but I'm not styling my hair on a regular basis. Once my hair gets long enough, I'll start doing more styles with my own hair like this one in the pics... that's Yulia Tymoshenko. My mom used to do my hair like that when I was a toddler, before they cut my hair all off  and her hair was worn like that back in the day as well. Maybe by June I'll have the length to pull it off, or I'll try some other old school hairstyles I love that take zero time to put together and are still protective.


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## BostonMaria (Sep 12, 2010)

Wow it hasn't even been a year since you posted this and you had SOOO much growth!  Great job!


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## LadyPaniolo (Sep 12, 2010)

BostonMaria said:


> Wow it hasn't even been a year since you posted this and you had SOOO much growth!  Great job!


 
Thanks! 

I don't feel like it was so much growth  but I'm happy for what I do have. I'm in dire need of a search and destroy mission but I just do not have the time. Maybe at Christmas time I'll do one.


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## Caramel Jewel (Sep 12, 2010)

beautiful....you are like my inspiration...

now if I could keep my hands out of my hair I'd be more confident  about my hair....


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## LadyPaniolo (Sep 12, 2010)

I just went back to look at the pics again... I have really lost weight. Man. It's crazy because I look so fat in those pics from last year, but I didn't feel at the time that I looked as big as I actually did. I was in like a 24/26  Now I'm in a size 10. I still have a bit to lose, but man oh man am I slimmer than before.


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## aa9746 (Sep 12, 2010)

LadyPaniolo said:


> I just went back to look at the pics again... I have really lost weight. Man. It's crazy because I look so fat in those pics from last year, but I didn't feel at the time that I looked as big as I actually did. I was in like a 24/26  Now I'm in a size 10. I still have a bit to lose, but man oh man am I slimmer than before.


 
24/26????  Wow, what did you do to get down to a size 10?


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## LadyPaniolo (Sep 12, 2010)

aa9746 said:


> 24/26????  Wow, what did you do to get down to a size 10?


 
It's hard to notice just from the pics, huh? I think that's because my body's shape pretty much stays the same no matter what size I am. It's a blessing and a curse. 

I lost this weight because of my 3rd child. I had high blood sugar (gestational diabetes). I knew that I needed to work out in order to keep my blood sugar low, so I did exercises for 30-60 minutes per day. I was put on a low carb diet by my OB. The weight simply FELL off. I was able to reduce and eventually eliminate the medication they had put me on for diabetes (glyburide) even before the baby was born. I stayed on the same diet after she was born, it's a habit to eat this way now. I haven't been able to exercise as much, but I still do. I'm breastfeeding. That's all. Nothing fantastic or strange lol.


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## aa9746 (Sep 12, 2010)

I didn't mean it that way, i've been trying to lose weight for over a year but it's coming off slowly.  i'll be happy if i can get to a size 12.  Nice job, keep it up!


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## gabbywicks (Sep 21, 2010)

[/QUOTE]





LadyPaniolo said:


> I just went back to look at the pics again... I have really lost weight. Man. It's crazy because I look so fat in those pics from last year, but I didn't feel at the time that I looked as big as I actually did. I was in like a 24/26  Now I'm in a size 10. I still have a bit to lose, but man oh man am I slimmer than before.


 
ikr!!!! You have progressed wonderfully!!! you ARE workin it girl Sooooooo inspiring!!


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## aa9746 (Apr 18, 2011)

LadyPaniolo said:


> My goodness, I forgot to mention that I started taking Biotin with a B-complex vitamin during the second year. I don't know how much of a difference that made. I tried to really protect my hair 24/7... but after *I texlaxed* I had increased problems with splits that made me do multiple trims. Plus I hacked off a couple of inches on my first nappiversary.
> 
> I don't think my hair grows faster than anyone elses... I think I've just been  about protective styling. My own family hadn't seen my hair out in YEARS.



Do you still texlax and how often do you use direct heat?  tia


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## g.lo (Apr 18, 2011)

congrats and the baby is sooooooooooo muncheable





LadyPaniolo said:


> I did the BC in late August of 2006. My relaxed hair was between shoulder and APL at that time, and I cut it down to a TWA. Here is a pic from a few months after that, around Christmas.
> 
> The other pic is my flat ironed hair on Christmas this year. I'm not sure if it's MBL or if it's WL... My waist is hard to see as clearly in the pic, as I'm going on 6 months preggo. Either way, it's pretty long
> 
> ...


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## LadyPaniolo (Apr 18, 2011)

aa9746 said:


> Do you still texlax and how often do you use direct heat?  tia



Thanks ladies for your supportive comments 

No, I don't texlax anymore. I did it once, and I regret it to the bones. I will NEVER use chemicals again. 

I rarely use direct heat. Right now I do have my hair flat ironed straight, which is fun  At the Easter Egg Hunt yesterday the breeze blew my hair all around and I was like  

You can see my most recent hair update :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUiBneQVI9M


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## adamson (Apr 18, 2011)

Amazing growth! I'm envious!

And I love your personality (from the video, haha)!


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## Mandy4610 (Apr 18, 2011)

Your hair grows fast. WOW, congrats.


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## LadyPaniolo (Apr 18, 2011)

Thank you! I feel like it grows soooo slowly  because I didnt get much growth since last length check  but overall I'm happy with my hair


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## loved (Mar 20, 2012)

thanks for the inspiration, OP!


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