# Grow It Long 2020 Challenge



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 16, 2019)

*Lets Grow and Retain all 2020!*

*Challenge open to anyone*

*Give me the DETAILS:*

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:

Current Length:*

*Goal Length:*

*Plan to reach goal length:*

*Regimen:*

*Protective Styles:*

*Staple Products:*

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED*

*Check ins every 3 months*

*1st check in: April 1st
2nd check in: July 1st
3rd check in: October 1st
Final pic: December 31st*

*I want to keep this challenge fun, interesting and inspiring to one another so pics are required on or around check in dates! I love looking at pics as much as I love posting them. *

*Tips:*

*Moisturize and seal. *

*Trim only when absolutely necessary (ex. frayed; thinning ends, stagnant hair length, excessive shedding). 

Protective styles (styles with ends tucked) help retain length. *

*Deep conditioning is your hairs bestfriend. *

*Heat without heat protectant is a no-no.*

*Length retention is more important than growth. *

*Tight ponytails and buns cause tension on hair strands resulting breakage.*

*Detangle gently. If you're making a face while detangling then you're handling your strands too rough.*

*If it doesn't have SLIP, throw it away.

Stay hydrated and take your vitamins!!*

*Treat your hair with love and care; it will AMAZE you. *

*Happy Growing in 2020!*

​


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 17, 2019)

I'll go...

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural

*Current Length: *Hip Length

*Goal Length: *
My long term goal was once Tailbone Length. Tailbone is now my short term goal.
Thigh/Classic length is my long term goal.

*Plan to reach goal length: *Protective styling, keeping hair hydrated, moisturizing ends more often as well as sealing. No heat.

*Regimen: *
Week 1: Co-wash
Week 2: Shampoo & Condition
Week 3: Co-Wash
Week 4: Clarify (or just shampoo depending on how hair feels) & Deep Condition

Moisturize and seal after every wash.

*Protective Styles: *Plait rolled into a bun or just multiple plaits.

*Staple Products: *Scurl, Shea Butter, Doogro growth oil, AsIAm Co-wash, SM JBCO DC & Leave In. SM Intense Hydrating Poo, Conditioner & DC, Tressemme Moisture Rich Conditioner for detangling. (I use plenty of products in rotation but these are my staples).

*Starting Pic: *


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## syrk (Dec 17, 2019)

Beautiful @NaturalShe94

Determined to reach my length goals this next year.  Ending 2019 at a similar length to where I started, but much healthier.  I have 2 years of trial and error with my natural hair down now and I've learned a lot about what to do and what not to do. Just need to stick to my tried and true techniques and products and all should be good. No more looking for shortcuts to cut down wash day time, it's almost never worth it.

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural, 4b

*Current Length: *Around APL, 11 inches for the shortest pieces in the front, 14.5 for the longest pieces

*Goal Length: *Waist length, I think this will be 18 inches or so on me

*Plan to reach goal length: *From what I've learned the past 2 years or so, I think the keys for me will be:

*Professional trims every 3 months*.  In March 2019 I had my hair straightened for the first time in over a year and my ends were a mess, had several inches cut off. I had no idea my hair was so damaged, I had been "trimming" the ends of my twists ever so often. I thought it was fine. Nope. Regular professional trims from now on on straightened hair.
*Henna treatments every month*. My hair is always the healthiest when I henna regularly, this is a must for me. Keeps my hair strong, smooth and soft.  My mixes will include henna, indigo, amla, coconut milk and water. Trying out aloe vera powder for my next mix too, so that might be added to the regular rotation.
*Stick to my tried and true wash routine, no shortcuts*. I think my gentle, but thorough wash day routine will be key to my length retention as well. I keep my hair in small sections (about 10) the entire time.  I detangle and apply products in those sections and loosely braid up each section after I'm done working with it.  I shampoo with those braids in so I have easy access to my scalp and my hair doesn't tangle up throughout the shampoo process.  10 sections seems excessive but that combined with the braids keeps my hair detangle and stretched, preventing knots and unnecessary breakage.  I am also able to make sure my hair is fully saturated with product, taking my time to smooth it in each section thoroughly which is key for my DC especially. Every time I've tried to work with larger sections to cut down on time it just doesn't work out well, I end up with so many tangles and knots.

*Regimen:
*
*Weekly - *Prepoo with DIY oil mix, detangle, shampoo, DC under dryer, twist

*Monthly *- Henna Treatment

*Every 3 months *- Straighten on 380-400F and trim​
*Protective Styles: *None. I'll be wearing my hair in a twist out the majority of the time and I think I can make it work.  It's low tension and low manipulation.  I twist my hair on wash day, dry it under the hooded dryer, untwist and I don't have to touch it at all throughout the week except for putting it up in a pineapple to workout or sleep. Drying my twists under the hooded dryer makes the resulting twistout fairly smooth and stretched a bit. I loosely band the hair hangout out of my pineapple at night for more stretch.

*Staple Products:*
DIY Oil blend (Avocado oil, emu oil, fenugreek seeds, amla)
Devacurl Wash Day Wonder Pre-Cleanse Slip Detangler
Redken Cleansing Cream
Design Essentials Almond and Avocado Shampoo
TGIN Honey Miracle Mask
Kinky Curly Knot Today
Eden Bodyworks Coconut Shea Curl Defining Cream
Almond Oil
*
Starting Pic: *attached


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 18, 2019)

syrk said:


> Beautiful @NaturalShe94
> 
> Determined to reach my length goals this next year.  Ending 2019 at a similar length to where I started, but much healthier.  I have 2 years of trial and error with my natural hair down now and I've learned a lot about what to do and what not to do. Just need to stick to my tried and true techniques and products and all should be good. No more looking for shortcuts to cut down wash day time, it's almost never worth it.
> 
> ...



Your hair is so beautiful and healthy! I understand the trimming every 3 months, but do you know your growth rate?


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## syrk (Dec 18, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Your hair is so beautiful and healthy! I understand the trimming every 3 months, but do you know your growth rate?



Thank you! Not sure of my growth rate, I should look at that more closely. I just measured my hair a few days ago so I'll measure again in a month. Maybe I'll track monthly for the year to see.  

The hope is that if I'm following my regimen consistently there shouldn't be much to trim off, hopefully just a light maintenance dusting will be all I need.  I'll see what my hair looks like at the 3 month mark when I go in for my first trim and decide if I can push it to every 4 months.

Curious what your growth rate is and how you determined it? Just measured periodically for a while?


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## apple_natural (Dec 18, 2019)

NaturalShe94 has beautiful long hair and Syrk is where I should be if I didn't have nasty ends I had to cut and if i kept up crossfit lol.... I should join!

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:*
Natural

*Current Length:*
Neck to Shoulder length
Behind RT ear - 9 inches
Behind LT ear - 9 inches
Front center - 9 inches
Bottom LT corner section - 9inches

*Goal Length:*
16 inches

*Plan to reach goal length:*
Strengthening treatments. Oil. Prepoo. Nutrient rich diet. Biotin, MSM, Collagen, Evening primrose oil. Hydrolized protein in products if necessary.

*Regimen:*
In braids:
Weekly: wash with old products to use up. Dc with joiko kpak or some other protein 
A few times a week: acv rinse to scalp, herbal leave-in, herbal oil, shea butter, greenhouse
Daily: Oil scalp and massage, greenhouse &/or cover with scarf at night

Out of braids:
Weekly: henna gloss OR rhassoul clay DC, oil, shea butter blend - twist and clip up
A few times a week: oil, moisturizing spray, shea butter blend. greenhouse
Daily: Oil scalp and massage

*Protective Styles:*
The plan is to keep braids until June. Then, Shea/Cocoa butter and Buns 

*Staple Products:*
Henna and other herbs, clays, and flowers. ACV, aloe vera juice. I'm trying natural products this year unless I straighten. My staple commercial products include the macadamia nut oil line, joiko k-pak, chi keratin spray and silk infusion.

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED*
In media


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 18, 2019)

syrk said:


> Thank you! Not sure of my growth rate, I should look at that more closely. I just measured my hair a few days ago so I'll measure again in a month. Maybe I'll track monthly for the year to see.
> 
> The hope is that if I'm following my regimen consistently there shouldn't be much to trim off, hopefully just a light maintenance dusting will be all I need.  I'll see what my hair looks like at the 3 month mark when I go in for my first trim and decide if I can push it to every 4 months.
> 
> Curious what your growth rate is and how you determined it? Just measured periodically for a while?



Like you, I cut several inches off my hair Thanksgiving of 2016. It was more like an actual hair cut (I cut 12 inches). From just past WL to just above CBL. My ends were horrific. I straightened and from BSL to WL was all dangly thinned out ends. When I did my cut I measured my hair in 4 different sections then waited a month and measured again.... Did that for about 3 months. 

The back of my hair grows at an inch a month, my crown and front grows just under an inch a month (.7 inches if I had to guess) and the sides grow just under a half an inch per month. I’ve also learned that my diet affects this growth. When I cut out carbs and milk from my diet, it affects my growth rate. My entire growth rate slows down by half. 

This is when I realized I needed to stop focusing on hair growth and focus on my ends and retaining them because regardless I know for a fact Im at LEAST getting a half an inch a month. 2017 was a year of trial and error and finding what works. 

Yeah, I’d definitely find out growth rate first, you can lose a lot of progress from trimming too often. I trim once a year & dusting in between.


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## syrk (Dec 18, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Like you, I cut several inches off my hair Thanksgiving of 2016. It was more like an actual hair cut (I cut 12 inches). From just past WL to just above CBL. My ends were horrific. I straightened and from BSL to WL was all dangly thinned out ends. When I did my cut I measured my hair in 4 different sections then waited a month and measured again.... Did that for about 3 months.
> 
> The back of my hair grows at an inch a month, my crown and front grows just under an inch a month (.7 inches if I had to guess) and the sides grow just under a half an inch per month. I’ve also learned that my diet affects this growth. When I cut out carbs and milk from my diet, it affects my growth rate. My entire growth rate slows down by half.
> 
> ...



Wow, .7 - 1 inch a month in the back and crown is great and super interesting that carbs and milk slow down your growth rate so much.  I'm definitely going to start paying more attention. I always just kind of assumed I get the average half inch per month, but never really thought to track it.  

I hear you about overtrimming, though. I wanted to do maintenance trims every 3 months because I never want to be in a position again where I had a bunch of splits and had to cut off more than I wanted at one time. I want to stay on top of it.  That and the fact that I'll be wearing my hair out most of the time, which I don't really want to compromise on. I guess this year will be a test to see if I can retain length without protective styling if the rest of my regimen is on point.

A lot to consider though. Maybe I'll go in for my first dusting at 4 months instead of 3 and see how everything is looking and re-asses from there.


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 19, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> NaturalShe94 has beautiful long hair and Syrk is where I should be if I didn't have nasty ends I had to cut and if i kept up crossfit lol.... I should join!
> 
> Eta: if I take my braids out for a photo by the end of the month, I'll join. Otherwise, I'll be rooting from the side lines



Thank you


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 19, 2019)

syrk said:


> Wow, .7 - 1 inch a month in the back and crown is great and super interesting that carbs and milk slow down your growth rate so much.  I'm definitely going to start paying more attention. I always just kind of assumed I get the average half inch per month, but never really thought to track it.
> 
> I hear you about overtrimming, though. I wanted to do maintenance trims every 3 months because I never want to be in a position again where I had a bunch of splits and had to cut off more than I wanted at one time. I want to stay on top of it.  That and the fact that I'll be wearing my hair out most of the time, which I don't really want to compromise on. I guess this year will be a test to see if I can retain length without protective styling if the rest of my regimen is on point.
> 
> A lot to consider though. Maybe I'll go in for my first dusting at 4 months instead of 3 and see how everything is looking and re-asses from there.



Oh yeah. Definitely understand since you plan to wear your hair down as well. Im excited to see your progress!


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## apple_natural (Dec 19, 2019)

Although unofficially in this challenge I wanted to say I just had to cut my little hair due to TONS of incomplete splits and knots. I blame hygral fatigue and friction. I'll be trying to combat thatthis year with strengthening treatments, pH balanced products to stop the cuticle opening and closing (I dont believe my inner hair layers want water), and oils that penetrate to protect.

Thank you for mentioning that you measured once a month. I can add that to my schedule. Also, I guess I won't have to take down all of my braids. I'll pick a few and keep track of those. I want to keep the parts I have in now for as long as possible, but I'll use sections I can find even if I don't keep these particular parts in. I can do this on December 31st, so I'll be here with my starting photo then.


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 19, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> Although unofficially in this challenge I wanted to say I just had to cut my little hair due to TONS of incomplete splits and knots. I blame hygral fatigue and friction. I'll be trying to combat thatthis year with strengthening treatments, pH balanced products to stop the cuticle opening and closing (I dont believe my inner hair layers want water), and oils that penetrate to protect.
> 
> Thank you for mentioning that you measured once a month. I can add that to my schedule. Also, I guess I won't have to take down all of my braids. I'll pick a few and keep track of those. I want to keep the parts I have in now for as long as possible, but I'll use sections I can find even if I don't keep these particular parts in. I can do this on December 31st, so I'll be here with my starting photo then.



Have you done a protein treatment?


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## apple_natural (Dec 19, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Have you done a protein treatment?



Not yet. I did some light protein treatments over the last year like cholesterol and kpak dc, but nothing like an aphogee 2 step. Its all braided right now, but I could still pit on something if it washes out well. What kind of protein treatment do you suggest?


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## ckisland (Dec 19, 2019)

@NaturalShe94  First off your hair is incredible!!!! Totally goals    Secondly, I want to join  but I'll be back to post my answers. I need to figure out my plan for 2020.


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 19, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> Not yet. I did some light protein treatments over the last year like cholesterol and kpak dc, but nothing like an aphogee 2 step. Its all braided right now, but I could still pit on something if it washes out well. What kind of protein treatment do you suggest?



How is your hair doing since the light protein treatments? Does it seem to be in better shape? If so then keep doing what you're doing. But, if you're experiencing tons of breakage or your hair feels really limp or dead (like how hygral fatigue makes your hair feel) then I'd go in with a strong protein treatment one time. I do love Aphogee 2-step. I was experiencing tons of breakage myself when I was learning how to care for my hair and Aphogee 2-step really helped a ton! I wasn't experiencing breakage that much anymore at all, probably none for a good while actually.


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## apple_natural (Dec 19, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> How is your hair doing since the light protein treatments? Does it seem to be in better shape? If so then keep doing what you're doing. But, if you're experiencing tons of breakage or your hair feels really limp or dead (like how hygral fatigue makes your hair feel) then I'd go in with a strong protein treatment one time. I do love Aphogee 2-step. I was experiencing tons of breakage myself when I was learning how to care for my hair and Aphogee 2-step really helped a ton! I wasn't experiencing breakage that much anymore at all, probably none for a good while actually.



It was feeling fine as far as vibrancy after the cut, but I've only cut out the damage November 19th. I braided up after that. I can try to see how it responds to my new regimen. If it isn't looking very good, I'll put on an aphogee treatment at the first check in.


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 19, 2019)

ckisland said:


> @NaturalShe94  First off your hair is incredible!!!! Totally goals    Secondly, I want to join  but I'll be back to post my answers. I need to figure out my plan for 2020.



Lol sure! and thank you


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## PlanetCybertron (Dec 19, 2019)

Im in!!!
*
Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *
Relaxed
*Current Length:*
My most current length measurement was 40.5 inches. Which is 2 inches past Classic on me.
*Goal Length:*
I was settling for Thigh Length, but I might go just a bit longer or until it’s just about too long for my arms to reach. We will see.
*Plan to reach goal length:*
So long as I leave my hair alone for any extended period of time, it’s able to keep growing. The longer it gets the less I can do things to it. 
*Regimen:*
Beginning of this year, and years passed I had a set regimen. Usually deep conditioning once a week, co-washing 1-3 times a week, shampooing once or twice a week, detangling after every wash, leave-Ins after washing, and protein treatment every two weeks. 

As of now I’ve gone all the way down to simply shampooing and conditioning every 2-3 days. I’ll use watered down conditioner to spritz in between washes mostly for work to look decent, and put a silicon serum on my ends. That’s it. No brushing, and no combing. 
*Protective Styles:*
Chunky twists
Buns
Bantu Knots
*Staple Products:*
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration
Sheseido Deep Conditioning Treatment
CPR-1 Ceramide injection
Elizavecca Collagen coating treatment
Cupuaçu Butter
Cedarwood Oil
Nioxin 2% Shampoo
*Starting Pic: REQUIRED*[/QUOTE]
I promise I’ll upload a more recent photo tonight once my hair dries.  I’ll use My avatar for reference since I took that around October this year, even though all of my hair isn’t in the frame. Apologies lol.


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 19, 2019)

PlanetCybertron said:


> Im in!!!
> *
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *
> Relaxed
> ...


I promise I’ll upload a more recent photo tonight once my hair dries.  I’ll use My avatar for reference since I took that around October this year, even though all of my hair isn’t in the frame. Apologies lol.[/QUOTE]

Heyyy girl! Your hair is length goalsssssss!
How often do you trim/dust?


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## PlanetCybertron (Dec 19, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> I promise I’ll upload a more recent photo tonight once my hair dries.  I’ll use My avatar for reference since I took that around October this year, even though all of my hair isn’t in the frame. Apologies lol.
> Heyyy girl! Your hair is length goalsssssss!
> How often do you trim/dust?



I actually haven’t trimmed since starting my hair growth journey 5 years ago. So I haven’t in five years.

I’ll be very honest, I’m perfectly okay with that tapered look, or fairy tail ends. I go back forth with myself sometimes about trimming or at least making the hemline blunt or U shaped though, but I tend to just not follow through with it.

Every so often (3-4 months give or take) I’ll S&D. Spend maybe 30 mins and be done with it.


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## PlanetCybertron (Dec 19, 2019)

PlanetCybertron said:


> Im in!!!
> *
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *
> Relaxed
> ...


I promise I’ll upload a more recent photo tonight once my hair dries.  I’ll use My avatar for reference since I took that around October this year, even though all of my hair isn’t in the frame. Apologies lol.[/QUOTE]

Picture taken tonight. Didn’t really wait long enough for my hair to dry, so it’s still mostly on the wet side.





I apologize for how janky I’m standing but These short arms of mine were doing their best lol.

I’m deep into a 3 and a half month stretch, so I apologize again for the giant length discrepancy between the stretched and non-stretched sides.


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## GettingKinky (Dec 19, 2019)

I’m in. I always wear my hair curly, so I’ll be judging my progress based on unstretched hair.

*
Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural

*Current Length: *chin length (curly) APLish stretched. 

*Goal Length: *APL (curly)

*Plan to reach goal length: *Consistency and regular trim. Keep my hair hydrated with twice weekly washing. 

*Regimen:
Weekly
- *1st wash with regular shampoo & conditioner
-2nd wash with moisturizing shampoo & conditioner
I detangle in the shower with conditioner
*Monthly*
- clarify and DC with protein
*Every 3-4 months* 
-trim 

*Protective Styles: *none I will wear a wash n go

*Staple Products:*
Shampoos- Kinky Curly, Innersense Pure Harmony, Elucence Moisture
Conditioners - Elucence Moisture, Innersense Hydrating Cream Bath, Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair
Leave in- Kinky Curly Knot Today 
Gel- Kinky Curly Curling Custard

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED *I have to take one. I’ll be back with it by Monday.


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## apple_natural (Dec 19, 2019)

@PlanetCybertron I like your style. Search and destroy and keep it moving. The closest I can get to this is to section my hair and treat each section individually. I just made sections and put them in braids. I hope it leads to your hair length eventually


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## pinkchocolatedaisy (Dec 20, 2019)

I'm in!

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:

Natural

Current Length:*
APL stretched (but I only plan to wear my hair curly)

*Goal Length:*
Big voluminous fro!

*Plan to reach goal length:*
Back to what's always worked: wng's and revisiting henna


*Regimen:*
Weekly DC
Style (WnG)
Cover/protect at night
Cowash mid week if needed
No heat (diffuse occasionally, cool setting)

*Protective Styles: *

*Staple Products:

As I am Coconut cowash
Mielle Organics Honey and Ginger gel*
Tresemme Botanique (silicone free)

I also have other gels/custards in my rotation.

I got a Deva cut today and it's looking a little bed head-ish. I wanted my hair to not look so flat. I'm aiming to grow it bigger and bigger.

*I no longer use TMC gel as it was really drying. I can get definition without dryness using the Honey and Ginger gel
*


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 20, 2019)

pinkchocolatedaisy said:


> I'm in!
> 
> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:
> 
> ...



sis bouta be like


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## BeautifulRoots (Dec 20, 2019)

I'm in!

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:*
Natural

*Current Length:*
Just grazing hip length

*Goal Length:*
Tailbone.  This year I'm concentrating on length retention to get to full hip length, then I'll starting pushing for tailbone

*Plan to reach goal length:*
December 2020

*Regimen:*
(My wash days are every 2 weeks)
Detangle
Overnight prepoo with infused oil
Wash hair with black soap
deep condition with heat at least 1 hour
KCNT leave in on damp hair
seal with shea butter
Will begin doing protein treatments every 2-3 months in 2020

*Protective Styles:*
Buns, braids, braids with buns, medium sized two strand twists

*Staple Products:*
Kinky Curly Curling Custard
Kinky Curly Knot Today
African Black Soap
Vatika oil
Various DIY oil infusions
Shea nilotica
ORS Aloe shampoo
Aphogee green tea and keratin leave in

I will have to come back and post a starting picture...


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## apple_natural (Dec 20, 2019)

I feel like I'm in the big kids class!


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 20, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> I feel like I'm in the big kids class!



Haha! You’re so funny. Hilarious because I remember that feeling. Like awe shnappp, WL here, HL there, Lawd is that TBL? Lol.


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## GettingKinky (Dec 20, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> I feel like I'm in the big kids class!



In this group I definitely feel like I have really short hair. But one day I hope to catch up.


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## ckisland (Dec 20, 2019)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:*
Natural
*Current Length:*
past APL (?)
*Goal Length:*
WL
*Plan to reach goal length:*
My hair seems to have done very well being kept straight, so I plan to keep my hair straightened the majority of the time. I also hope to increase my growth rate through exercise and healthy eating. Since I'm wearing my hair straight, I plan on trimming 1/4 in. every other month.
*Regimen:*
Shampoo
DC for 10-30 mins
Spray heat protectant
Blowdry
Flatiron @419-455
Repeat every 10-14 days
*Protective Styles:*
N/A
I wear my hair down 80% of the time. I only put my hair away when I'm too lazy to flatiron.
*Staple Products:*
ORS Aloe Shampoo
ORS Coconut and Baobob DC
Aphogee 2 Min
Tresemme heat protectant spray
*Starting Pic: REQUIRED
   *


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## GettingKinky (Dec 21, 2019)

Here’s my starting picture. I don’t know if shrinkage will ever let me get APL curly hair, but I’m going to try.


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## NaturalShe94 (Dec 21, 2019)

GettingKinky said:


> Here’s my starting picture. I don’t know if shrinkage will ever let me get APL curly hair, but I’m going to try.
> View attachment 453859



Shrinkage is so disrespectful. Lol. Nice length. You look a few inches past APL stretched. Maybe BSL?


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## PlanetCybertron (Dec 21, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> @PlanetCybertron I like your style. Search and destroy and keep it moving. The closest I can get to this is to section my hair and treat each section individually. I just made sections and put them in braids. I hope it leads to your hair length eventually



Sorry for the late reply, but thank you!
I do realize there’s a bit of a caveat to not trimming. In my opinion I don’t think taper is inherently bad. But in general your method sounds simple and super efficient all around. 

I’d like to at least have some sort of evenness, but I just don’t really care for it at the same time lol. However I think it would do my hair a bit of justice especially towards the back in the middle.
The picture I posted really doesn’t flatter that middle area whatsoever. Even more so when wet, and even when dry it’s still sparser in those areas compared to my sides.

I know a lot of folks would look at my picture and go: “Goodness look at those ends! So uneven!” But I guess it really comes down to the individual.


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## Nightingale (Dec 21, 2019)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:* Natural
*
Current Length: *A little above WL stretched, see pic below
*
Goal Length:  *Hip Length stretched with healthy ends
*
Plan to reach goal length*: Be consistent, baby my ends, trim as needed
*
Regimen: *
Weekly- wash, heat DC, blowdry with Revair, style. Moisturize length and seal ends as needed.
*
Protective Styles: *Twists, single braid, updo, dutch braids, buns.

*Staple Products:*
Ion Hard Water Shampoo
ITDF Moisture Wash
ITDF Intense Moisture Cream
Joico KPak Liquid Reconstructor



*Starting Pic: *
1/3/20- I blowdried my hair and the ends looked ROUGH. I immediately cut off 4-6 inches and I may need to trim off more in the next couple months.  Sorry for wearing black, I didn't even think about it until afterward and I was too tired to take more pics. I'll do better the next update.
* *



1st check in: April 1st
2nd check in: July 1st
3rd check in: October 1st
Final pic: December 31st


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## GettingKinky (Dec 21, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Shrinkage is so disrespectful. Lol. Nice length. You look a few inches past APL stretched. Maybe BSL?



I may be BSL. If I’m BSL is will probably have to get to ankle length to get APL curly hair.


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## syrk (Dec 21, 2019)

GettingKinky said:


> I may be BSL. If I’m BSL is will probably have to get to ankle length to get APL curly hair.




Pretty hair! Do you ever stretch you hair when it's curly state to show a bit more length? Either through banding or I often see people pull the hair taught while blowdrying with warm air section by section.


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 21, 2019)

syrk said:


> Pretty hair! Do you ever stretch you hair when it's curly state to show a bit more length? Either through banding or I often see people pull the hair taught while blowdrying with warm air section by section.



Thanks!  I just finally got my wash n go down a few months ago. Whenever I try to stretch my hair my curls get all distorted and frizzy, but I have a break from work for the next two weeks so maybe I’ll try again.


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 21, 2019)

First attempt at my herbal leave in spray. I'm going to let the herbs steep overnight before I finish it. Hope I get it to the right pH and a way that I like it before the new year


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 22, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> First attempt at my herbal leave in spray. I'm going to let the herbs steep overnight before I finish it. Hope I get it to the right pH and a way that I like it before the new year



Is it a DIY herbal leave in?


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 22, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Is it a DIY herbal leave in?



Oh. Yes, sorry. First time attempting to make an herbal leave in spray. It's basically ACV and aloe vera juice spray with herbs.


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 22, 2019)

PlanetCybertron said:


> Im in!!!
> *
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *
> Relaxed
> ...


I promise I’ll upload a more recent photo tonight once my hair dries.  I’ll use My avatar for reference since I took that around October this year, even though all of my hair isn’t in the frame. Apologies lol.[/QUOTE]
When you measure, are you measuring root to tip, or from front hairline over the head and down to length in back?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 23, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> Oh. Yes, sorry. First time attempting to make an herbal leave in spray. It's basically ACV and aloe vera juice spray with herbs.



Ive heard a lot of good things on ACV and Aloe Vera. Never tried it myself though. Definitely update on how your hair reacts .


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 23, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Ive heard a lot of good things on ACV and Aloe Vera. Never tried it myself though. Definitely update on how your hair reacts .



I already use ACV spray often.. like every few days when I'm in braids. My hair does very well with it. I'm thinking of leaving out the ACV next time, but Ill see how it works together with my scalp oil and butters. Today, it seems good.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 23, 2019)

Hi all, this is my first time posting on this forum, excited to be joining! My main goal this year is to improve the condition of my hair and ends, but retaining some length along the way never hurt  

here are my stats:

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:*
Natural

*Current Length:*
APL

Back 9.5in
Front 12 in
Crown 9 in
Left Side 10 in
Right side 10 in

*Goal Length: *
BSB/BSL
And/or +4 inches all over

*Plan to reach goal length:*
Wear hair in twists or stretched buns during the week, and only out on the weekends.

*Regimen:*
Still a work in progress, hoping to nail it down this year and stop being a PJ/ use up my stash. But as for now it is

shampoo/ DC every sunday. Currently experimenting with prepooing as well
Apply leave in, cream or oil, and gel
Twist hair or stretch with blow dryer or wave formers
Bun it up until Friday
*Protective Styles:*
Twists and buns, without added hair

*Staple Products:*
Lol, help

current pics attached. My hair looks crazy right now lol


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 23, 2019)

Mapleoats said:


> Hi all, this is my first time posting on this forum, excited to be joining! My main goal this year is to improve the condition of my hair and ends, but retaining some length along the way never hurt
> 
> here are my stats:
> 
> ...



Welcome to the forum! Your regimen is almost identical to mine when I first joined, except the gel and blow out. Lol.


----------



## Bun Mistress (Dec 23, 2019)

Ok I want to join.  I am hoping for a good year in 2020.  I had a major cut this time last year and have been growing out ever since.

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:  *Natural, but I BKT every 3 to 4 months (maybe more)

*Current Length:  *grazing MBL after a cut to above APL a year ago , but I haven't straighted in month so this is stretched 

*Goal Length:  *My goal is MBL in a braid-out. I am think this is going to be HL or TBL, I got there years ago then had an unintended cut. I may not get there in a year we will see.   

*Plan to reach goal length:  *I am going to PS a few days a week, no heat except BKTs, shea butter and coconut oil blend daily.  

*Regimen:  *Henna once a month of more, condition weekend, detangle daily, stay moisturized.

*Protective Styles:  *Buning on some days.

*Staple Products:  *I have henna shea butter and hair lotion (hand made) anything else is a rotation at the moment. 

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED  *
*
I will come back with a picture when I take me hair down in the morning I promise!*


----------



## Kiaray8 (Dec 24, 2019)

*  Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: My hair is natural, low porosity, high density, medium & coarse strands. I’m not sure what my hair type is in terms of curl pattern (would like input if anyone can tell). My hair is very frizzy in the front and some parts don’t usually curl without me using gel to curl etc.

Current Length: Just past shoulder length. Front is 10inches, middle is 11 and the back is 9(that’s my fault I did a choppy trim a few months back). *

*Goal Length: Waist length for the moment but ultimate goal is tailbone. *

*Plan to reach goal length: I will be trimming every 3 months. I am planning to only wear wash and gos next year and bun when I really don’t want to do WNGs. Oiling my ends every day.*

*Regimen: Prepoo with oil, soak hair completely, shampoo hair twice. Deep condition for 30-45minutes with hot head then leave in conditioner, curl smoothie, oil then gel. I will apply oil and serum on the ends when necessary. I will only re style frizzy hair during the week but only when necessary. I usually pineapple my hair at night and stretch using the tension method with a blow dryer on medium heat or banding.*

*Protective Styles: Buns. I will do braids or mini twists if I am really bored with my hair but I prefer to wear my hair out.*

*Staple Products: Grapeseed oil. Vatika oil. Aloe vera gel. Herbal essences hello hydration conditioner. Cantu leave in conditioner shea butter. Maui moisturise curl smoothie.  I don’t have a staple shampoo at the moment. *


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 24, 2019)

@Kiaray8 I LOVE your hair!


----------



## CurliDiva (Dec 24, 2019)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural

Current Length: TWA (big chopped in October)*

*Goal Length: APL*

*Plan to reach goal length: deep conditioning with heat*

*Regimen:*
KISS (keep it simple)
Finger detangle only
More protein treatments
Deep conditioning with heat
Daily scalp massages

I keeping a Hair Journal (for the first time) to record everything I do to my hair.

*Protective Styles:*
Wigs

*Staple Products:*
I'm still trying to use up products- Shampoos, deep conditioners, and diy whipped shea butter

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED*
Big chopped October;


*Check ins every 3 months*

*1st check in: April 1st
2nd check in: July 1st
3rd check in: October 1st
Final pic: December 31st*


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 24, 2019)

Welcome @Mapleoats i like your name! I'm also thinking of weekly dc. I have braids because its easy but I'm seriously considering taking them out just so I can dc properly.

@Kiaray8 OMG CURLS! you need a shirt that says that

@CurliDiva I'm with you with the daily scalp massages. I've started a few weeks ago. Are you using an oil, a utensil, or just a massage?

As for me, I need 7 inches to make it to BSB. I'm remaking my hair oil (batch 3) and leave in spray (batch 2). I added "Amazing Grass - Green Superfood" to my daily smoothie. (I believe nutrients will support my hair growth).


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Dec 24, 2019)

Hey guys! I have been coming back to this forum for a couple of months to a year now and I finally decided to join a challenge! I'm really excited and its my first time ever joining a hair growth challenge. 

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *I am currently relaxed, and I get a relaxer once or twice a year. 

*Current Length:* My currently length is between APL and Bra strap length *I believe* (sorry new to the world or hair growth journey) 

*Goal Length:* My ultimate goal would be waist length but I'm unsure if ill achieve that in 2020.

*Plan to reach goal length:* Keep protective styles in and keep up with my trims. 

*Regimen:* Keep my hair braided in order to reduce manipulation, absolutely no heat unless I want to do a length check, and to keep my hair moisturized. 

*Protective Styles:* My go to protective style is box braids that I have been wearing for the past couple of months. I wear them for about a month to a month and a half depending on how fast or slow my hair grows that month. 

*Staple Products:* I love using Shea Moisture products as well as The Mane Choice products. I'm open to using other products and have been interested in Chebe powder. 

*Starting Pic:* 
* *


"*If it doesn't have SLIP, throw it away*" - what does that mean? Sorry again lol newbie over here! 

Also what are some vitamins that you ladies use? I was thinking about using the OLLY brand hair vitamins. Thanks everyone and good luck!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 25, 2019)

Kiaray8 said:


> *View attachment 453939View attachment 453941View attachment 453943View attachment 453945View attachment 453943 View attachment 453941 Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: My hair is natural, low porosity, high density, medium & coarse strands. I’m not sure what my hair type is in terms of curl pattern (would like input if anyone can tell). My hair is very frizzy in the front and some parts don’t usually curl without me using gel to curl etc.
> 
> Current Length: Just past shoulder length. Front is 10inches, middle is 11 and the back is 9(that’s my fault I did a choppy trim a few months back). *
> 
> ...



Lovely hair! Love the up-down style.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 25, 2019)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Hey guys! I have been coming back to this forum for a couple of months to a year now and I finally decided to join a challenge! I'm really excited and its my first time ever joining a hair growth challenge.
> 
> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *I am currently relaxed, and I get a relaxer once or twice a year.
> 
> ...



Welcome to the board! 
Is your hair at your bra strap or a little past it? Asking because it looks like you’re sitting right at MBL. 
Slip in leave ins, conditioners and detanglers lubricate the hair, making detangling easier as well as helping shed hairs slip out easier. This prevents breakage.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Dec 25, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Welcome to the board!
> Is your hair at your bra strap or a little past it? Asking because it looks like you’re sitting right at MBL.
> Slip in leave ins, conditioners and detanglers lubricate the hair, making detangling easier as well as helping shed hairs slip out easier. This prevents breakage.



Hi! Thank you for welcoming me to the challenge & Merry Christmas!
I am unsure, what MBL is ... (mid back length?) I haven't worn a bra in almost a year lol. Around our April update, I will make sure to throw one on and see. Please don't mind the handmade length shirt, I could't find any online at the time  My next TRUE length check wont be until around July 24th, with my birthday being on the 25th; I'll treat myself to a relaxer & wash and set.  So I'll post 2 updates that month since July 1st is our second check in. My last relaxer was in October, and I'm going to make my next one stretch to July which isn't a problem for me since my hair will remain in protective styles for the remainder of my stretch. I personally like stretching my perms because I like the surprise of how much it grows. Do you have any recommendations on a good relaxer aside from ORS. I currently use ORS, but I want to try a different one that might make my hair a bit more silky!


----------



## CurliDiva (Dec 25, 2019)

Hi @apple_natural ,

I'm just using my hands sometimes dry  to move my natural sebum or sometime with oils for extra lubrication. 

I also have one of those hard, plastic shower massager that I might start using more often.


----------



## PlanetCybertron (Dec 25, 2019)

nyeredzi said:


> I promise I’ll upload a more recent photo tonight once my hair dries.  I’ll use My avatar for reference since I took that around October this year, even though all of my hair isn’t in the frame. Apologies lol.


When you measure, are you measuring root to tip, or from front hairline over the head and down to length in back?[/QUOTE]

I do from the front hairline over the head and down the length. I just use that as my personal measuring method, because I can never get an accurate reading when I do sections from the roots to the tips.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 25, 2019)

@apple_natural thanks! 

Any naturals on this thread have advice for preventing SSK and splits ? I have so many as well as split  ends that I'm trying to slowly cut out. But everytime I get a trim they show up again like the next day .  Really prevents me from growing  as I feel like I always need a trim.

I'm 4a/4b maybe a little 3c in the front, coarse and medium density if that helps.


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 25, 2019)

Mapleoats said:


> @apple_natural thanks!
> 
> Any naturals on this thread have advice for preventing SSK and splits ? I have so many as well as split  ends that I'm trying to slowly cut out. But everytime I get a trim they show up again like the next day .  Really prevents me from growing  as I feel like I always need a trim.
> I'm 4a/4b maybe a little 3c in the front, coarse and medium density if that helps.



How do you usually wear your hair?


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 25, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Welcome to the forum! Your regimen is almost identical to mine when I first joined, except the gel and blow out. Lol.


Nice! I haven't been on this regimen too long. Did you find the twist help prevent SSK and splits?


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 25, 2019)

PlanetCybertron said:


> When you measure, are you measuring root to tip, or from front hairline over the head and down to length in back?



I do from the front hairline over the head and down the length. I just use that as my personal measuring method, because I can never get an accurate reading when I do sections from the roots to the tips.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. That's how they do it in Long Hair Community as well.


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 25, 2019)

syrk said:


> I hear you about overtrimming, though. I wanted to do maintenance trims every 3 months because I never want to be in a position again where I had a bunch of splits and had to cut off more than I wanted at one time. I want to stay on top of it.  That and the fact that I'll be wearing my hair out most of the time, which I don't really want to compromise on. I guess this year will be a test to see if I can retain length without protective styling if the rest of my regimen is on point.
> 
> A lot to consider though. Maybe I'll go in for my first dusting at 4 months instead of 3 and see how everything is looking and re-asses from there.



I think that's a good plan. I have my doubts about how much one can retain having a stylist trim your hair every 3 months. Almost all of them over trim, saying you "need" it. What does need even mean for hair,  which is dead? If your hair was not causing you problems before and it looked okay to you before, who's to say that your hair "needed" several inches trimmed off. Needed for what? Definitely assess again after the first trim.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Dec 25, 2019)

Okay got my starting picture.


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 25, 2019)

@BeautifulRoots I need to borrow some of your hair for my starting photo!


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 25, 2019)

nyeredzi said:


> How do you usually wear your hair?



Either a twist out, or pulled back into a bun. The last few months I've been wearing it in twists the majority of the time tho which I think has helped some. I never wear wash n go's


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 25, 2019)

I haven’t focused on growth in years. But now that I wear my hair curly, I’m so impatient for it to get longer. 

I’ve never had hair shorter than SL, I just feel weird wearing it this short. Every time I look in the mirror, it catches me off guard and I’ve been wearing it this way for 6 months now. I NEED more hair.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Dec 25, 2019)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Okay got my starting picture.View attachment 453991



Wow! Your hair is so beautiful, are you relaxed or natural ?


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Dec 26, 2019)

apple_natural said:


> @BeautifulRoots I need to borrow some of your hair for my starting photo!



Aww, thanks!



Rhealthyhair said:


> Wow! Your hair is so beautiful, are you relaxed or natural ?



Thank you! I'm natural.


----------



## syrk (Dec 26, 2019)

nyeredzi said:


> I do from the front hairline over the head
> 
> 
> 
> I think that's a good plan. I have my doubts about how much one can retain having a stylist trim your hair every 3 months. Almost all of them over trim, saying you "need" it. What does need even mean for hair,  which is dead? If your hair was not causing you problems before and it looked okay to you before, who's to say that your hair "needed" several inches trimmed off. Needed for what? Definitely assess again after the first trim.



Will do. I do trust my stylist, though. She’ll tell me how much she thinks needs to be trimmed, but will then ask me how much I want her to take off and will only take off that much. So far so good after a year of seeing her. Very particular about who touches my hair, definitely wouldn’t sit in anyone’s chair. I agree, though. It's so hard to find trustworthy stylists. Not a lot of good options around me, but I think I found a decent one.

My original thoughts were - assuming I get the average half inch per month, that would be 6 inches per year of growth.  I was fine with having .25 inches or so taken off every 3 months for a maintenance trim if it meant always having fresh healthy ends. I’d still retain most of my length, that would be about 1 inch trimmed for the year and 5 inches retained. In my mind even 4 inches retained would be a win (if I ended up having to trim slightly more sometimes).

I hear you guys though, I could be retaining even more. I think I'm just paranoid from constantly hearing how splits will travel up the hair shaft and cause even more damage and how single strand knots will cause even more knots so I want to stay on top of it.  Will keep this all in mind, thank you.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 26, 2019)

syrk said:


> Will do. I do trust my stylist, though. She’ll tell me how much she thinks needs to be trimmed, but will then ask me how much I want her to take off and will only take off that much. So far so good after a year of seeing her. Very particular about who touches my hair, definitely wouldn’t sit in anyone’s chair. I agree, though. It's so hard to find trustworthy stylists. Not a lot of good options around me, but I think I found a decent one.
> 
> My original thoughts were - assuming I get the average half inch per month, that would be 6 inches per year of growth.  I was fine with having .25 inches or so taken off every 3 months for a maintenance trim if it meant always having fresh healthy ends. I’d still retain most of my length, that would be about 1 inch trimmed for the year and 5 inches retained. In my mind even 4 inches retained would be a win (if I ended up having to trim slightly more sometimes).
> 
> I hear you guys though, I could be retaining even more. I think I'm just paranoid from constantly hearing how splits will travel up the hair shaft and cause even more damage and how single strand knots will cause even more knots so I want to stay on top of it.  Will keep this all in mind, thank you.



From personal experience, splits and SSK have been haunting me for YEARS, so I would definitely suggest staying on top of it. This coming year, or atleast the first 6 months of this year I plan to get 1/8 to 1/4 trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Finally think I have found a stylist I can trust with this. Hopefully that'll solve my problems and still allow me to see some growth.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 26, 2019)

Mapleoats said:


> Nice! I haven't been on this regimen too long. Did you find the twist help prevent SSK and splits?



Protective styling and low manipulation have helped with that.  I’ve come to realize that I cannot prevent split ends 100 percent as long as the wind blows. When hair gets longer, it WILL split. If you trim just because you see splits, you’ll never see progress. Once my hemline is full, my ends are not thinned, stragely, see through, resisting so much I can’t even get my fingers through it, or Im not seeing a ton of breakage then they dont bother me. My ends are tucked and unexposed everyday of the week and is under a bonnet as long as I am home. 

ETA: I never see SSKs. I think its because my hair is always in a plait.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 26, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Protective styling and low manipulation have helped with that. I’ve come to realize that I cannot prevent split ends 100 percent as long as the wind blows. When hair gets longer, it WILL split. If you trim just because you see splits, you’ll never see progress. Once my hemline is full, my ends are not thinned, stragely and resisting so much I can’t even get fingers through it, then they dont bother me. My ends are tucked and unexposed everyday of the week and is undee a bonnet as log



Thanks, maybe I need to just accept the splits then, even though they drive me crazy  haha


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 26, 2019)

Mapleoats said:


> Thanks, maybe I need to just accept the splits then, even though they drive me crazy  haha



Regular dusting every few months and one professional trim a year is good for me.


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 26, 2019)

Do you ladies trim your hair straight or curly?  I haven’t straightened my hair in a little over 2 years because the last time I got my hair straightened I  got heat damage. 
In the past 7 months I’ve gotten 2 Deva cuts, but I’m not sure how thoroughly that type of cut is for removing all the SSKs.


----------



## keranikki (Dec 26, 2019)

I'm in lurk mode, if you guys don't mind.  I'm already in two challenges thus far (one hair, one health) and I want to ensure I can maintain. My interest is peaked though.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 26, 2019)

GettingKinky said:


> Do you ladies trim your hair straight or curly?  I haven’t straightened my hair in a little over 2 years because the last time I got my hair straightened I  got heat damage.
> In the past 7 months I’ve gotten 2 Deva cuts, but I’m not sure how thoroughly that type of cut is for removing all the SSKs.



I dust on curly hair. I get my hair trimmed on straight hair, or if I choose to trim myself, it’ll be on straight hair. To prevent heat damage, use a heat protectant. Also, do not straighten on the highest setting. Use a lower setting just to get your hair straight enough to trim.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 26, 2019)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Okay got my starting picture.View attachment 453991



your hair is beautiful!


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 26, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> I dust on curly hair. I get my hair trimmed on straight hair, or if I choose to trim myself, it’ll be on straight hair. To prevent heat damage, use a heat protectant. Also, do not straighten on the highest setting. Use a lower setting just to get your hair straight enough to trim.



I never straighten my hair myself. I always let my stylist do it. But now I’m so paranoid about heat damage, I don’t plan to straighten unless I plan to stop wearing it curly.


----------



## faithVA (Dec 26, 2019)

I'm representing the shorties on the board. I hope to grow and retain more than I have before.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed*: Natural*

Current Length*: SL*

Goal Length*: APL*

Plan to reach goal length*: 
I've cut off all of my bad ends. I have made changes to my regimen to try to retain moisture. I will keep fine tuning my regimen, try to keep my ends healthy and try to improve my growth rate. *

Regimen*:*
1*. Cleanse weekly
2. Deep condition
3. Oil rinse
4. LOC or LCO (leave-in, moisturizer, pomade)
5. Moisturize ends and reseal with pomade
6. Flat twist *

*If doing 2 strand twists
4. Need to work on LOC ingredients (leave-in, ?, gel)
5. 2 strand twist*

Protective Styles*: Flat twist, 2 strand twist*

Staple Products*: 
TGIN leave-in
TGIN honey hair mask
Home made oil blend
Mane Choice Daily Moisturizer*

Starting Pic*:
   *


----------



## Napturallypretty1908 (Dec 26, 2019)

Hi ladies!!!

I'm growing out my hair from a blonde short cut. I cut off all the blonde in September but I'm still learning my hair so some of my answers might not be too detailed.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural

Current Length: Neck length, stretched

Goal Length: my main focus is getting my thickness back along my edges but long term goal is mid back stretched

Plan to reach goal length: Protective Style and monitor diet and stress levels through journaling (I think the thinking came from stress).

Regimen: I'm thinking Protective Style for 3 months and then trim while straighten/stretched. Wear out for 1 month then go back to protective styling for 3 months.

Protective Styles: sew-ins, wigs and braids

Staple Products: My hair hasn't been responding all that well to my current staples so I'm trying out new things.

Starting pics aren't uploading but I will try again.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ptubFLiAN2t14L4HA


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Dec 26, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> your hair is beautiful!


Thank you!


----------



## ckisland (Dec 27, 2019)

syrk said:


> Will do. I do trust my stylist, though. She’ll tell me how much she thinks needs to be trimmed, but will then ask me how much I want her to take off and will only take off that much. So far so good after a year of seeing her. Very particular about who touches my hair, definitely wouldn’t sit in anyone’s chair. I agree, though. It's so hard to find trustworthy stylists. Not a lot of good options around me, but I think I found a decent one.
> 
> My original thoughts were - assuming I get the average half inch per month, that would be 6 inches per year of growth.  I was fine with having .25 inches or so taken off every 3 months for a maintenance trim if it meant always having fresh healthy ends. I’d still retain most of my length, that would be about 1 inch trimmed for the year and 5 inches retained. In my mind even 4 inches retained would be a win (if I ended up having to trim slightly more sometimes).
> 
> I hear you guys though, I could be retaining even more. I think I'm just paranoid from constantly hearing how splits will travel up the hair shaft and cause even more damage and how single strand knots will cause even more knots so I want to stay on top of it.  Will keep this all in mind, thank you.





Mapleoats said:


> From personal experience, splits and SSK have been haunting me for YEARS, so I would definitely suggest staying on top of it. This coming year, or atleast the first 6 months of this year I plan to get 1/8 to 1/4 trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Finally think I have found a stylist I can trust with this. Hopefully that'll solve my problems and still allow me to see some growth.



Since I keep my hair straight, my hair can't hide any damage or bad ends. My ends were looking a mess earlier this year because of being fried to death, and they looked just awful. My hair seems to grow about 7 in. a year, so I plan to retain about 5 in. trimming 1/4 in every other month starting in January. It's sounds excessive, but it's less than what I usually end up randomly cutting in a year


----------



## ckisland (Dec 27, 2019)

@BeautifulRoots  Your hair is soooooo thick!!!! Gorgeous!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 27, 2019)

Napturallypretty1908 said:


> Hi ladies!!!
> 
> 
> *Staple Products: My hair hasn't been responding all that well to my current staples so I'm trying out new things.*
> ...



What are your current staples that your hair isn't responding well too? Also, how is your hair not responding well?


----------



## ckisland (Dec 28, 2019)

I just watched 2 long haired youtubers, who both keep their hair straight (one relaxed, one natural). I want to start the new year off on the right foot, so I'm going to do a major overhaul of my regimen and see if I get better retention. I used to take such good care of my hair years ago, but I've gotten so half-butt over the years.

Changes to Regimen:
Only comb hair on wash day
Only use a wide tooth comb (I use a paddle brush and denman)
Use sulfate-free shampoo
DC once a week
Handle hair gently and in sections
Moisturize and seal between washes
No heat all of January

It's crazy, but I don't do these things now. Like I haven't been on here for a thousand years and know better


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 28, 2019)

ckisland said:


> I just watched 2 long haired youtubers, who both keep their hair straight (one relaxed, one natural). I want to start the new year off on the right foot, so I'm going to do a major overhaul of my regimen and see if I get better retention. I used to take such good care of my hair years ago, but I've gotten so half-butt over the years.
> 
> Changes to Regimen:
> Only comb hair on wash day
> ...



I just recently (3 months ago) added using a Felicia leatherwood brush to my regimen ( I used to only use a wide tooth comb). So far I’m liking it. The brush is so much better at getting out shed hair and I have fewer tangles.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Dec 28, 2019)

GettingKinky said:


> I just recently (3 months ago) added using a Felicia leatherwood brush to my regimen ( I used to only use a wide tooth comb). So far I’m liking it. The brush is so much better at getting out shed hair and I have fewer tangles.


Nice! How does the felicia leatherwood brush compare to denmans brushes?


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Dec 28, 2019)

ckisland said:


> @BeautifulRoots  Your hair is soooooo thick!!!! Gorgeous!


Thank you so much!


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 28, 2019)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Nice! How does the felicia leatherwood brush compare to denmans brushes?



the bristles are closer together in the FL brush and the handle is wider. I haven’t used a denman to detangle since I was young and would dry brush my hair 
My feeling is that the FL does a better job.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 28, 2019)

My hair seems to be getting a bit weak near the ends. It is still straightened, but I noticed some breakage while running my fingers through it last night. I shouldn't be getting breakage while my hair is straightened. Going in with a hard protein treatment later today. Aphogee 2-step.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Dec 28, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> My hair seems to be getting a bit weak near the ends. It is still straightened, but I noticed some breakage while running my fingers through it last night. I shouldn't be getting breakage while my hair is straightened. Going in with a hard protein treatment later today. Aphogee 2-step.



What do you do for your protein treatment ?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 28, 2019)

Rhealthyhair said:


> What do you do for your protein treatment ?



I shampoo twice then apply the treatment, sit under a hooded dryer for 15 mins or until the treatment gets really hard over my entire head; wash it out with step 2 (aphogee balancing conditioner) then deep condition under the hooded dryer with SM Intensive Hydrating Masque for 30-45 mins, rinse; style as usual.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 29, 2019)

Just wanted to throw in an example of ends that bother me. This is November of 2016. This same day I chopped it all off the CBL. I was so bothered.


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 29, 2019)

I have heard that gelatin is as effective as Aphogee 2-step. I bought it to try. Aphogee 2 step has wheat germ oil so I'll mix my gelatin with it if i can find some... It also has silk protein... Ah well. I'll use gelatin and wheat germ oil or vitamin e.


----------



## ckisland (Dec 29, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Just wanted to throw in an example of ends that bother me. This is November of 2016. This same day I chopped it all off the CBL. I was so bothered.
> View attachment 454143


I feel you!! I would try to grow my hair out a little more, but I would start chopping too!


----------



## Napturallypretty1908 (Dec 29, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> What are your current staples that your hair isn't responding well too? Also, how is your hair not responding well?



I typically do Camille Rose's Lavendar Leave-In paired with their Curl Maker or Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic. Lately I haven't been able to get my hair to hold a twist out. It just turns into a fro the first day tho it has been softer than usual.


----------



## Victorian (Dec 29, 2019)

I'm trying to reach a first-time length, so I'm joining to help me focus.


*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural
*
Current Length: *BSL-ish at longest layer

*Goal Length: *WSL

*Plan to reach goal length:*

Continue:
Keeping the scissors out of my hair
Current wash day regimen
Hair vitamins (Sugarbear Hair gummies)

Stop:
Sleeping on cotton pillowcase
Going to bed with hair every which way

Start:
New cute updos - protect ends
Silk pillowcases and hair scrunchies
Maybe a growth aid (will explore)
Tracking hair growth monthly

*Regimen:*

I've been wearing my hair straightened 90% of the time because I find it simpler to deal with on a daily basis
I wash 2-3 times a month with roughly these steps:
Clarify
Treat
Shampoo
Deep condition
Blow dry
Flat iron

I put a jet black or blue black rinse in it every blue moon when the mood strikes.
Moisturize ends every couple days or so if needed.
*Protective Styles:*

Standard bun or folded under pony - I want to learn some new ways to make it look like I put in some effort.

*Staple Products:*
These are my "Holy Grail" products that I'm stocking up on and won't be changing this year:

*Shampoo*
Redken Clean Maniac Cleansing Cream -- _Clarifying/chelating shampoo.  Saved my hair when it was crunchy no matter what I did (turns out we had ridiculous amounts of chlorine in our water!).  We have a filtering system for the whole house now, but I still use this shampoo with almost every wash because it cuts through product buildup so well._

*Conditioner*
Redken Extreme Lengths Primer -- _This is my main conditioner whether for quick conditioning or deep conditioning with heat, and I love it with my whole heart.  Great mix of strength and moisture._

*Treatment*
Olaplex #3 - _I just started using this last year and it has become a regular step in my wash day routine.  I really like how it keeps my ends smooth.  I'm considering testing out the #1/#2 to see if I benefit from more of the active ingredient._

*Moisturizers/Daily maintenance*
Kerastase Nutritive Creme Magistral -- _Smells divine and moisturizes like nobody's business.  I use this as my hair starts to get "old" before my next wash and I don't plan on wearing it down (can cause some reversion if you use too much)_
Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream -- _This is sort of my secret weapon for maintaining straightened hair and I've been using it for years.  Works magic for making your hair polished and glossy (just like it promises)._
_Both of these need to be used *very *sparingly but they work great._

*Straightening products*
Redken Anti-Snap - _Classic strengthening leave-in used before blow drying_
Kerastase Oleo Relax serum -_ I've tried a number of their serums and this one is definitely the best for my hair. Used before blow drying (after anti-snap) and a bit more on ends before flat ironing._

*Other products in rotation:*

Redken Extreme Shampoo
Redken All Soft Conditioner
Kerastase Initialiste and Extensioniste scalp serums
Kerastase 8H Magic Night Hair serum
Kerastase Discipline Fluidissime 
*Starting Pic: *
Over Christmas my family all commented on how long my hair is getting 
My mom sent me some pictures she had snapped during the week showing my hair and I was surprised to see that I actually think my hair is looking long now.  Also, I was patting myself on the back over my flat ironing job that looks about as straight as my sister's relaxed hair (I'm in the red sweater).

My hair is dirty and gross now and I'll be washing it in the next couple days to take real pictures and measurements.  But for now here's what it looks like.  By the end of the year I want my hair to be hanging around where the bottom of this sports bra is (which is just above my waist), so it will need to be at least full WSL when I'm pulling on it.

   


I'm also hoping that as I work on my diet and exercise and drink lots of water this year for my health and body goals, this will benefit my hair as well!


----------



## keranikki (Dec 29, 2019)

*I decided to join after realizing I was lurking in this thread a little bit too much.  I became a stalker, lol.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:  Natural, but color-treated; fine, soft hair

Current Length:  Neck length in crown, SL on sides, APL in nape (on straight hair)*

*Goal Length:  Full APL*

*Plan to reach goal length:  NO DIRECT HEAT, NO SALON TRIMS, wash with gloved hands, finger detangle mainly, fully detangle only once a month (with denman), slather with Queen Shea*

*Regimen:  
Weekly- Cowash, Protein, DC (moisture) w/steam, Leave-in, Queen Shea
Monthly- Clarify, no protein, DC (moisture) w/steam, Leave-in, Queen Shea*

*Protective Styles: Bunning- consists of a braid rolled into a bun (may add hair to prolong bun), maybe wigs (depends on my edges)*

*Staple Products:
Sirod Naturals- Soapnut shampoo (clarify), Rice water leave-in
Shescentit- Tahiti Cowash, Marumallow DC (moisture)
Mizani- Kerafuse (hard protein)
OGX- Keratin Oil conditioner (mild protein)
Annabelle's Perfect Blends- various conditioners, curl puddings (her products make great creamy leave-ins to layer under Shea butter)
DIY Shea mix*

*Starting Pic:  *


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 29, 2019)

Question for everyone -- how much breakage do you consider acceptable? I know some amount of breakage can't be avoided but I'm still not sure how much to consider normal vs a red flag.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 29, 2019)

ckisland said:


> I feel you!! I would try to grow my hair out a little more, but I would start chopping too!



Yep. I tried to let it keep going but it was getting ridiculous. My ends were getting thinner and thinner. I also didn’t properly know how to self trim so I just got fed up and starting chopping lol.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 29, 2019)

Napturallypretty1908 said:


> I typically do Camille Rose's Lavendar Leave-In paired with their Curl Maker or Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic. Lately I haven't been able to get my hair to hold a twist out. It just turns into a fro the first day tho it has been softer than usual.



Camille Rose Lavender has glycerin as a main ingredient which is why your hair may be frizzing instantly especially if it’s dry outside. Not too familiar with Uncle Funkys. Try clarifying your hair. When products start to stop working, clarifying usually helps.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 30, 2019)

keranikki said:


> *I decided to join after realizing I was lurking in this thread a little bit too much.  I became a stalker, lol.
> 
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:  Natural, but color-treated; fine, soft hair
> 
> ...



Bout time! Lol!




Mapleoats said:


> Question for everyone -- how much breakage do you consider acceptable? I know some amount of breakage can't be avoided but I'm still not sure how much to consider normal vs a red flag.



If you’re noticing you’re filling up the sink or tub or its more than a just a few little hairs. Honestly if i see more than 4 or 5, I’m like .
Here’s a small example though


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Dec 30, 2019)

Victorian said:


> I'm trying to reach a first-time length, so I'm joining to help me focus.
> 
> 
> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural
> ...



  Your hair is beautiful! I appreciate you sharing how you use your products and how they work. I haven't heard of the majority of them so its nice to see what's out there.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 30, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Bout time! Lol!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ohh that graphic clears it up, thank you! I think I am somewhere close to level 2, definitely not level 3, but I mostly get little tiny pieces of breakage from the ends  

I’m going to be more mindful of my m/p balance.


----------



## MzSwift (Dec 30, 2019)

OOOOHHHH, I've found my new thread to lurk!!

Resident Lurker here. 






I wish I could join but I keep things way too simple. I won't be able to check in as often as required  But if it's ok, I'd like to join in the convo and learn from you ladies as well.


----------



## MzSwift (Dec 30, 2019)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Hi! Thank you for welcoming me to the challenge & Merry Christmas!
> I am unsure, what MBL is ... (mid back length?) *I haven't worn a bra in almost a year lol. *Around our April update, I will make sure to throw one on and see. Please don't mind the handmade length shirt, I could't find any online at the time  My next TRUE length check wont be until around July 24th, with my birthday being on the 25th; I'll treat myself to a relaxer & wash and set.  So I'll post 2 updates that month since July 1st is our second check in. My last relaxer was in October, and I'm going to make my next one stretch to July which isn't a problem for me since my hair will remain in protective styles for the remainder of my stretch. I personally like stretching my perms because I like the surprise of how much it grows. Do you have any recommendations on a good relaxer aside from ORS. I currently use ORS, but I want to try a different one that might make my hair a bit more silky!



<--  Jealous!!

Your regi sounds like mine.  I also relax 2, maybe 3 times per year and keep my hair in a PS most of the time.  I also like the big surprise at relaxer day.


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Dec 30, 2019)

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed*: natural*

Current Length*: I'm not really sure.  I think if I had a professional silk press, it would be in the middle of my back.  But I'm not trying to burn the heck out of my hair to see if I'm right.  So I will safely claim BSL*

Goal Length*:  WL or as long as it will grow and I can maintain *

Plan to reach goal length*:  Protective styling for all of 2020 with quarterly passes to wear hair out for a week's time*

Regimen:*  Weekly washing and deep conditioning and style for the week,  I'm going to try to finish the vitamins that I have but I'm not consistent, so this challenge will keep me accountable.  

Retaining length and only trimming depending on the health of my ends.  I'm going to attempt at keeping my ends protected heavily with shea butter.*

Protective Styles:* Buns and 2-strand twists*

Staple Products*: I'm currently using Kreyol Essence's haircare line ( I'm loving it, but when that is finished I'm going back to my reliable Shea Moisture Low Porosity Protein free Baobab & Tea Tree Oil shampoo and conditioner and deep conditioning with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and restorative masque*

Starting Pic*:  *


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 30, 2019)

guyaneseyankee said:


> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed*: natural*
> 
> Current Length*: I'm not really sure.  I think if I had a professional silk press, it would be in the middle of my back.  But I'm not trying to burn the heck out of my hair to see if I'm right.  So I will safely claim BSL*
> 
> ...




Those two are my favorite from the Shea Moisture Line. The LowPo line just has a strong smell but its so moisturizing.
Eta: I didnt see your starting pic before, your hair is beautiful and so voluminous.


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Dec 30, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Those two are my favorite from the Shea Moisture Line. The LowPo line just has a strong smell but its so moisturizing.


 Yes,  I love it I'm on my third purchase.  I'll even go so far as to say those are my holy grail products.   I'm still a Product Junkie, and I did like the Kreyol Essence products ALOT but I'm not going to repurchase at those prices unless there's a sale.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 30, 2019)

guyaneseyankee said:


> Yes,  I love it I'm on my third purchase.  I'll even go so far as to say those are my holy grail products.   I'm still a Product Junkie, and I did like the Kreyol Essence products ALOT but I'm not going to repurchase at those prices unless there's a sale.



Your hair def looks MBL btw. So beautiful. Do you trim often? Your ends look really good as well.


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Dec 30, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Your hair def looks MBL btw. So beautiful. Do you trim often? Your ends look really good as well.



Thank you.  no I don't trim often.  Only as needed.  But I did get a professional trim in September 219 and she only cleaned up my ends which was appreciated.
I'm pretty lazy with my hair.

You really think I'm MBL?  Cool.  On my way!!!!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 30, 2019)

guyaneseyankee said:


> Thank you.  no I don't trim often.  Only as needed.  But I did get a professional trim in September 219 and she only cleaned up my ends which was appreciated.
> I'm pretty lazy with my hair.
> 
> You really think I'm MBL?  Cool.  On my way!!!!



If you stretch it, yeahhh lol. Im pretty sure on silk pressed hair you’ll be definitely grazing right there at MBL.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 30, 2019)

@guyaneseyankee oh my goodness your hair is so thick and lovely!!


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Dec 30, 2019)

Mapleoats said:


> @guyaneseyankee oh my goodness your hair is so thick and lovely!!




Thank you @Mapleoats 

I know,  I'm like cousin IT!!!!


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 30, 2019)

Washed braids and put in joiko kpak. I decided to use up some products.

@guyaneseyankee I would need to grow every single broken strand for about 3 years to maybe look like this. Your hair is my goal.

ETA: nope I still think you have my head of hair plus a half


----------



## yamilee21 (Dec 30, 2019)

@guyaneseyankee Your hair is gorgeous, wonderfully thick and you are definitely at MBL.


----------



## keranikki (Dec 30, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Bout time! Lol!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I know it, lol!  Thank you for the hair shedding tidbit!  It just confirmed that I was right to trim my ends today.  I'm excited for 2020.  I have a lot going on and I feel all of this positive energy in my spirit!  Every year is a great year, but this year is definitely going to be an abundant year!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 30, 2019)

keranikki said:


> I know it, lol!  Thank you for the hair shedding tidbit!  It just confirmed that I was right to trim my ends today.  I'm excited for 2020.  I have a lot going on and I feel all of this positive energy in my spirit!  Every year is a great year, but this year is definitely going to be an abundant year!



To be so honest girl, myself as well! I'm looking so forward to 2020. It feels different. Can't quite put my finger on it, but it's a positive, uplifting energy. I'm super excited.


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Dec 30, 2019)

yamilee21 said:


> @guyaneseyankee Your hair is gorgeous, wonderfully thick and you are definitely at MBL.



thank you. Aight’ imma claim it!!!


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 30, 2019)

Alright, I'm in. I don't see a HL 2020 challenge, so I guess this is the one for me.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: natural

Current Length: MBL, ~16" root to tip

Goal Length: HL ~20" root to tip

Plan to reach goal length: follow, mostly regimen below, and stop trimming so often. No more than 2 times in the year.

Regimen: detangle thoroughly once every 3 washes, wash every 7-10 days. blow dry with attachment that detangling wash, and the other two don't. one of them, finger detangle. protein treatment once every 1-2 cycles  deep condition every 1-2 washes. apply at least oil, maybe leave-in + oil, after every wash, and reapply oil every 3-4 days.

Protective Styles: medium twists 2 of the 3 wash cycles. twist out the last.

Staple Products: Trader Joe's Nourish Spa shampoo and conditioner, KCNT, coconut oil, castor oil, some sort of butter (right now it's QB cocoa tree detangling ghee). some sort of protein treatment, i don't have a staple yet, but have used Aveda Damage Remedy and Aphogee 2 minute.

Starting Pic: This is right before a small trim I gave myself. But it's close enough to what it is now. I told myself I wasn't going to trim, but did it anyway. :/


----------



## alanaturelle (Dec 31, 2019)

I would love to be in!!!

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural

*Current Length: *APL

*Goal Length: *My long term goal is hip length;

*Plan to reach goal length: *Protective styling, no heat, only finger detangling

*Regimen: *in 2020, i'm revamping my hair regimen but I will keep the wash at every two weeks

Every month: clarify and do an Aphogee 2 step protein treatment

Every two weeks:

Prepoo: Ayurvedic hot oil
Wash: mix of Rhassoul clay + African black soap
Deep condition: Moringa Honey Deep Conditioner
Rinse out conditioner: Hisbiscus conditioner
Leave in conditioner (liquid): Mango leave in conditioner
Leave in conditioner (cream): Matcha tea leave in
Braid: Chebe hair butter
I will rebraid using LCO method every five days in between wash but the oil part will be the Chebe hair butter

*Protective Styles: *Single braids under a wig or two strand twists

*Starting Pic:
*


----------



## MzSwift (Dec 31, 2019)

nyeredzi said:


> Alright, I'm in. I don't see a HL 2020 challenge, so I guess this is the one for me.
> 
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: relaxed
> 
> ...



Sis @nyeredzi , you meant to say "NATURAL" right????

Because let me tell you whose jaw hit the floor when I read "relaxed"


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 31, 2019)

alanaturelle said:


> I would love to be in!!!
> 
> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural
> 
> ...


 
Why such a hard protein like aphogee 2-step treatment monthly?


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 31, 2019)

MzSwift said:


> Sis @nyeredzi , you meant to say "NATURAL" right????
> 
> Because let me tell you whose jaw hit the floor when I read "relaxed"


Goodness, what was I thinking?! Yes, natural, lol. Let me go correct that, thank you.


----------



## MzSwift (Dec 31, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Why such a hard protein like aphogee 2-step treatment monthly?



Thank you so much for posting this!  You just reminded me that there is a 2-step and a 2-min.  I have a few Aphogee products and thought about trying their protein but I don't like hard protein txs on my hair.


----------



## ckisland (Dec 31, 2019)

Question: What are y'all considering WL? Is it the smallest part of your waist or is it to your belly button?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 31, 2019)

MzSwift said:


> Thank you so much for posting this!  You just reminded me that there is a 2-step and a 2-min.  I have a few Aphogee products and thought about trying their protein but I don't like hard protein txs on my hair.



yeah, cause thats a pretty tough treatment. When I use the 2-step, i dont need to use it again for a good while. Like another year. Of course being relaxed, maybe every 3 months. But, monthly may do more harm than good.


----------



## ckisland (Dec 31, 2019)

Another straight haired natural (@Victorian )!! Yay!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 31, 2019)

ckisland said:


> Question: What are y'all considering WL? Is it the smallest part of your waist or is it to your belly button?



Nooo. Im full HL and when I pull my hair to the front it doesn’t hit my belly button just yet. I’m like a tinsy winsy bit before I get to my belly button. Less than a quarter of an inch. When you pull your hair to the front it’s actually shorter. I believe at WL, when you pull the hair to the front , it will most likely sit right under the bra .

eta: i said a half inch to my belly button at first, I lied. I just rechecked it. Lol. Its like a tiny bit before my belly button.


----------



## ckisland (Dec 31, 2019)

I consider WL the smallest part of my waist from the back, but I've seen some ladies consider WL to be where the waist of their pants hit, around where the belly button would be from the front.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Dec 31, 2019)

ckisland said:


> I consider WL the smallest part of my waist from the back, but I've seen some ladies consider WL to be where the waist of their pants hit, around where the belly button would be from the front.



Thats actually what the waist is though lol. That small curve after your upper back. Thats what I considered WL as well. Where the belly button is, is W’hip Length. That point between Waist and Hip.


----------



## alanaturelle (Dec 31, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Why such a hard protein like aphogee 2-step treatment monthly?



My hair thrives with that stuff although I haven't done one in a while. I might do the 2 minutes when I don't have time.


----------



## yamilee21 (Dec 31, 2019)

ckisland said:


> Question: What are y'all considering WL? Is it the smallest part of your waist or is it to your belly button?


 As a person with severe diastasis recti from childbearing, my belly button sadly no longer has anything to do with the vicinity of my waist. I think of “waist” as the smallest, indented part of the torso.


----------



## metro_qt (Dec 31, 2019)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Why such a hard protein like aphogee 2-step treatment monthly?


My hair thrives with a hard protein treatment or Plex type treatment once a month as well.
I believe though, that because my hair is very coloured and needs a lot of moisture, the protein provides  a balance ...


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 1, 2020)

ckisland said:


> Question: What are y'all considering WL? Is it the smallest part of your waist or is it to your belly button?


I consider it my actual waist, from the back. I can just feel my waist, where the torso indents. 

Similarly for hip, I consider it the top of my hip bone, from the back .


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 1, 2020)

Happy New Years, ladies!

Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?


----------



## Kiaray8 (Jan 1, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



Happy new year too! I always deep condition with heat as I have low porosity hair. I currently just use the hot head bonnet which I heat in the microwave and leave it on 30-45minutes. I do want to invest in a  hooded dryer later on in the year.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Jan 1, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



Yes I also deep condition with heat.  I sit under my hooded dryer at least an hour.


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 1, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



Yes, with heat is my favorite way.  I've used a cheap plug in conditioning cap to DC for almost 2 decades. Lol

This one or one like it:



Thermal Spa conditioning cap


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 1, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



Happy New Year to you! And with a hooded dryer under high heat and a plastic shower cap always. I have a Hair Flair one that you connect your blow dryer, but, its for back up in case my hooded dryer stops working on me or Im traveling.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 1, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> <--  Jealous!!
> 
> Your regi sounds like mine.  I also relax 2, maybe 3 times per year and keep my hair in a PS most of the time.  I also like the big surprise at relaxer day.



Haha! I wish it wasn't the case but I'm currently the president of the itty bitty committee so bras don't even do anything for me lol     .. stretching the perms are so fun!  I was thinking about getting a relaxer in April, but I decided I'm just going to wait until our July check-in... I'll thank myself later !


----------



## keranikki (Jan 1, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



I use plastic cap (body heat) if I have things to do or I use steam for 20 minutes.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 1, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> I shampoo twice then apply the treatment, sit under a hooded dryer for 15 mins or until the treatment gets really hard over my entire head; wash it out with step 2 (aphogee balancing conditioner) then deep condition under the hooded dryer with SM Intensive Hydrating Masque for 30-45 mins, rinse; style as usual.



So what product are you sitting under the dryer with? I don't really know anything about protein treatments but I always read about them in these challenges. Is it something you do every wash day? When my hair isn't in its protective style I will usually go to the salon by me about once every 10 days, and have them sit me under the dryer with a deep conditioner for about 15/20 minutes. I always thought was was sufficient, but I guess being relaxed I should do more.

I just purchased the Shea Moisture manuka honey and yogurt leave in spray and it smells really amazing. My hair is in box braids for the next 3 weeks (I got them 2 weeks ago) and my issue is needing to moisturizing my hair without causing excessive build up. I have great results with Shea Moisture and it might be my favorite product line at the moment. Oh ! ... and I also purchased the OLLY brand hair, skin, and nails gummy vitamins. I'll give an update in a month or two to see if I notice any difference, even though I think it takes about 2/3 months of consistent use to see any real progress.


----------



## faithVA (Jan 1, 2020)

Got started on my health regimen right after Christmas. I found a nice vitamin. I'm back on my smoothies. I started exercising. I'm back to oil rinsing. Now I just need to up my vegetable intake.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 2, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> So what product are you sitting under the dryer with? I don't really know anything about protein treatments but I always read about them in these challenges. Is it something you do every wash day? When my hair isn't in its protective style I will usually go to the salon by me about once every 10 days, and have them sit me under the dryer with a deep conditioner for about 15/20 minutes. I always thought was was sufficient, but I guess being relaxed I should do more.
> 
> I just purchased the Shea Moisture manuka honey and yogurt leave in spray and it smells really amazing. My hair is in box braids for the next 3 weeks (I got them 2 weeks ago) and my issue is needing to moisturizing my hair without causing excessive build up. I have great results with Shea Moisture and it might be my favorite product line at the moment. Oh ! ... and I also purchased the OLLY brand hair, skin, and nails gummy vitamins. I'll give an update in a month or two to see if I notice any difference, even though I think it takes about 2/3 months of consistent use to see any real progress.



So you do not need a protein treatment every wash day. When your hair is feeling mushy or you’re realizing a ton of breakage, that is usually the best time to use a really hard one like Aphogee, or any hard protein treatment. The SM Manuka Honey & Yogurt line is packed with protein and your hair is relaxed so that may be why it works really well for you. If your hair doesn’t feel like it needs a heavy treatment (you’re not noticing any breakage or weak strands) then I’d say keep on doing what you’re doing the SM line you’re using is probably keeping your well balanced with all the protein already in it. 
As far as how the treatment is used: The protein treatment itself (step 1) is what I sit under the dryer with. I rinse with step 2, the balancing moisturizer. I get back under the dryer with my own deep conditioner for an hour. I only do this treatment when my hair is getting weak at the ends. Once a year or 8 months maybe? My hair is low to normal porosity so regular protein treatments won’t do well for me.
Also, to get the maximum benefits from your deep conditioner, sit under the dryer for a minimum of 30 mins.


----------



## alanaturelle (Jan 2, 2020)

I deep condition with heat as well and use a hair steamer. 


CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?


.


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 2, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



I have been deep conditioning in a plastic cap overnight. I will not be doing that anymore. I'm going all the way to the instructions on the container for commercial products and about 15 minutes for my diy because my hair is so porous.

I'm doing some protein as I can, but I haven't taken the braids out for a "hard protein" and I still don't think it will fix all my split shafts and white spots... It may fill the white spots actually but I doubt it will fix the split hairs. ... I don't know how much I have still but I'm assuming a ton

Eta: I'll take the braids out to put on the aphogee treatment but then I'll have to braid it back up huuuuughhhh.


----------



## PlanetCybertron (Jan 2, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I do from the front hairline over the head and down the length. I just use that as my personal measuring method, because I can never get an accurate reading when I do sections from the roots to the tips.



Thanks. That's how they do it in Long Hair Community as well.[/QUOTE]

Since that was the first hair community I’ve ever joined I just adopted that method as well. I’ve done it for so long I also figured just to keep it.


----------



## kim1006 (Jan 2, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Bout time! Lol!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My shedded/broken hairs look like number 3.  However, I just realized it is partly because of an iron deficiency as well as coloring the very front part of my hair black with permanent color.  Fortunately, my hair is still very dense.  

I am a natural, mostly DIYer who patronized salons exclusively in the past.  Being a natural DIYer is really helping me learn my hair.  During my salon days, I was told I lost a LOT of hair at the bowl, but because I am really blessed to have extremely dense hair it was never a concern.  

Thanks for sharing!!!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 2, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Happy New Years, ladies!
> 
> Question: Do you deep condition with heat? If so, what do you use for your heat source?



I usually DC under my hooded dryer for 20-30 minutes 




kim1006 said:


> My shedded/broken hairs look like number 3.  However, I just realized it is partly because of an iron deficiency as well as coloring the very front part of my hair black with permanent color.  Fortunately, my hair is still very dense.
> 
> I am a natural, mostly DIYer who patronized salons exclusively in the past.  Being a natural DIYer is really helping me learn my hair.  During my salon days, I was told I lost a LOT of hair at the bowl, but because I am really blessed to have extremely dense hair it was never a concern.
> 
> Thanks for sharing!!!



how often do you wash your hair? If you’re not washing that often and it’s only shed hairs you’re seeing, it might not be an issue. I think that image was 
 referring to the amount of broken hairs you see, not shed.
I’m also iron deficient, recently started taking iron supplements so fingers crossed they help my hair as well.


----------



## lalla (Jan 2, 2020)

*I'm in !

 Texlaxed

Current Length: WL *

*Goal Length: HL *

*Regimen:*
*Relax every 4 months 
Protein once a month 
Olaplex 
Scurl + shea butter as often as needed *

*Protective Styles:
Buns or wigs *

*Staple Products:
Affirm relaxer system 
Olaplex 
Aphogee 2 step 
Joico moisturizing conditioner 
Scurl 
Shea butter 


*


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 2, 2020)

lalla said:


> *I'm in !
> 
> Texlaxed
> 
> ...



Do you do the at home olaplex or the salon strength one? Also, love how simple your regimen is!


----------



## kim1006 (Jan 2, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I usually DC under my hooded dryer for 20-30 minutes
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I wash and deep condition my hair once a week.  Additionally, I may co-wash a few times a week in warmer months during this time I have a lot less shedding.

Thank you for clarifying.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 2, 2020)

This is the amount of hair I lose (mostly shed I assume) when I go for a week between washing my hair. I don’t go through the hair and look to see if every strand has a bulb attached.


----------



## syrk (Jan 2, 2020)

Bleh, I want a nice light protein DC that is also moisturizing and has plenty of slip to alternate with my moisturizing DC. I think I tend to get too close to the overmoisturizing line and need to do a better job of keeping my balance in check. Love my henna, but I learned reading through some old threads on here that henna is not a substitute for protein.

Tried Miche Beauty's Strengthen DC last wash day and I thought it might be the one. Felt nice going on, good slip and hair was soft enough when I rinsed.  My final twistout was way frizzier than normal though. That one's out. Maybe I can mix it with my TGIN HMM until it's used up.

Any suggestions for light protein DC's that have a good amount of moisture? Saw the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey &  Yogurt line mentioned. SM products don't usually work well for me, but maybe I'll try it and see. Anyone used the Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment?


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 2, 2020)

syrk said:


> Bleh, I want a nice light protein DC that is also moisturizing and has plenty of slip to alternate with my moisturizing DC. I think I tend to get too close to the overmoisturizing line and need to do a better job of keeping my balance in check. Love my henna, but I learned reading through some old threads on here that henna is not a substitute for protein.
> 
> Tried Miche Beauty's Strengthen DC last wash day and I thought it might be the one. Felt nice going on, good slip and hair was soft enough when I rinsed.  My final twistout was way frizzier than normal though. That one's out. Maybe I can mix it with my TGIN HMM until it's used up.
> 
> Any suggestions for light protein DC's that have a good amount of moisture? Saw the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey &  Yogurt line mentioned. SM products don't usually work well for me, but maybe I'll try it and see. Anyone used the Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment?



Have you tried Mielle organics babassu mint DC? I like it alot and it has good proteins in it


----------



## keranikki (Jan 2, 2020)

PlanetCybertron said:


> Thanks. That's how they do it in Long Hair Community as well.



Since that was the first hair community I’ve ever joined I just adopted that method as well. I’ve done it for so long I also figured just to keep it.[/QUOTE]

I may adopt this technique. It will put me at neck length instead of APL, due to layers, but I think it will work out. Especially since my goal is to grow out my layers.


----------



## syrk (Jan 2, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Have you tried Mielle organics babassu mint DC? I like it alot and it has good proteins in it



Haven't tried that one or any other Mielle products. Will pick one up next time I am in Target, thanks!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 2, 2020)

Just finished setting up my new LCL beauty hooded dryer to replace my tourmaline tools dryer. Anybody here using the LCL beauty one?


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 2, 2020)

syrk said:


> Haven't tried that one or any other Mielle products. Will pick one up next time I am in Target, thanks!


It comes in an annoyingly small container but the slip is GREAT. Literally melts into the hair and spreads easily so I find I don’t need to use as much as I would for other DCs.


----------



## LonDone (Jan 2, 2020)

@syrk 

Vatika Egg Protein is wonderful! It's dark yellow, very thick and smooth and the consistency feels like a balm - it feels so silky going on.  It's not a hard protein but enough to get the job done.  It's £6 here in the UK so you won't be out of pocket if it doesn't agree with your hair.

Another soft protein is Vitale Olive Oil mayonnaise - this would be my favourite but it had little "herb" bits in it about 10 years ago, and I got fed up picking them out post-wash which is the only reason I stopped using it.  If they've reformulated without those (you should be able to see them through the jar) I'll make it my staple in a heartbeat.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 2, 2020)

@syrk I don’t have a lot of DC experience, but I have the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair DC for a protein DC and I like it. My hair always feels better after I use it.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 2, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> This is the amount of hair I lose (mostly shed I assume) when I go for a week between washing my hair. I don’t go through the hair and look to see if every strand has a bulb attached.
> View attachment 454339



Breakage usually falls to the floor (or sink/tub) while combing, brushing or handling your hair. They're a lot shorter so they tend not to get mixed in with the shed hairs. This is how I know my breakage different from my shed hairs... Are those hairs after washing and styling? Or is it just after washing alone?


----------



## syrk (Jan 2, 2020)

LonDone said:


> @syrk
> 
> Vatika Egg Protein is wonderful! It's dark yellow, very thick and smooth and the consistency feels like a balm - it feels so silky going on.  It's not a hard protein but enough to get the job done.  It's £6 here in the UK so you won't be out of pocket if it doesn't agree with your hair.



Oh this looks interesting. I've heard of the Vatika oil that I feel like used to be popular back in the day, but never this mask.  Think I'll pick up a jar from Amazon, thanks.



LonDone said:


> @syrk
> 
> Another soft protein is Vitale Olive Oil mayonnaise - this would be my favourite but it had little "herb" bits in it about 10 years ago, and I got fed up picking them out post-wash which is the only reason I stopped using it.  If they've reformulated without those (you should be able to see them through the jar) I'll make it my staple in a heartbeat.



Looks like some of the Amazon reviews mention there's still bits of stuff in there lol too bad. Thanks for the rec



GettingKinky said:


> @syrk I don’t have a lot of DC experience, but I have the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair DC for a protein DC and I like it. My hair always feels better after I use it.



Thanks! I have a small trial tube of this. I think I tried it on a section wasn't feeling it for some reason but I can't remember. I'll go find it and try it out again.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 2, 2020)

So, I'll be 6 months postpartum tomorrow. Starting at about 3 months postpartum my hair started shedding a ton, I mean like a whole lot. I cried. I was staying on my prescribed prenatal vitamins like my doc told me too (I am breastfeeding), my hormones are out of control due to me breastfeeding. I've had one cycle since I had my girl and haven't had one again. I've also gained a ton of weight for no reason. Like for real. I was all belly during my pregnancy, my doc even had me going to monthly ultrasounds because she claims I wasn't gaining like I'm suppose too. Then suddenly 2 months postpartum all this weight came on out of no where. So my body is just doing its' own thing apparently. Anyway, starting about a week ago I ditched my prenatals and bought postnatal vitamins that I happen to just run into while in Target. My shedding has calmed down TREMENDOUSLY and I even feel a lot better. My cycle just came on too, not sure if that's a good or bad thing being that I'm breastfeeding, but, I'm super happy that my hair shedding is back to normal. I started worrying about my ends. Hopefully, this means my hormones will be regulated a little better as well because I'm also not sure if postpartum/breastfeeding hormones have affected my growth rate.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 2, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Breakage usually falls to the floor (or sink/tub) while combing, brushing or handling your hair. They're a lot shorter so they tend not to get mixed in with the shed hairs. This is how I know my breakage different from my shed hairs... Are those hairs after washing and styling? Or is it just after washing alone?



That’s after washing and styling. I don’t think I lose any more after I detangle, but we have dark stones on our shower floor, so I can’t tell for sure.

Congrats on the new baby!


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 2, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So you do not need a protein treatment every wash day. When your hair is feeling mushy or you’re realizing a ton of breakage, that is usually the best time to use a really hard one like Aphogee, or any hard protein treatment. The SM Manuka Honey & Yogurt line is packed with protein and your hair is relaxed so that may be why it works really well for you. If your hair doesn’t feel like it needs a heavy treatment (you’re not noticing any breakage or weak strands) then I’d say keep on doing what you’re doing the SM line you’re using is probably keeping your well balanced with all the protein already in it.
> As far as how the treatment is used: The protein treatment itself (step 1) is what I sit under the dryer with. I rinse with step 2, the balancing moisturizer. I get back under the dryer with my own deep conditioner for an hour. I only do this treatment when my hair is getting weak at the ends. Once a year or 8 months maybe? My hair is low to normal porosity so regular protein treatments won’t do well for me.
> Also, to get the maximum benefits from your deep conditioner, sit under the dryer for a minimum of 30 mins.



Thank youu, okay awesome I'm finally getting it, good to know! Okay so since my hair isn't really suffering from breakage then I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing with my products. I consistently use the SM Jamaican back castor oil shampoo and conditioner. The other products such as hair lotions & deep conditioners I like to switch up but I think I like the Manuka Honey & Yogurt line the best.  I'm going to stay away from the protein treatment for now in case it does more harm than good

Just read your postpartum post .. firstly congrats on the baby   ! Did being pregnant affect your hair growth ?


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 2, 2020)

syrk said:


> Bleh, I want a nice light protein DC that is also moisturizing and has plenty of slip to alternate with my moisturizing DC. I think I tend to get too close to the overmoisturizing line and need to do a better job of keeping my balance in check. Love my henna, but I learned reading through some old threads on here that henna is not a substitute for protein.
> 
> Tried Miche Beauty's Strengthen DC last wash day and I thought it might be the one. Felt nice going on, good slip and hair was soft enough when I rinsed.  My final twistout was way frizzier than normal though. That one's out. Maybe I can mix it with my TGIN HMM until it's used up.
> 
> Any suggestions for light protein DC's that have a good amount of moisture? Saw the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey &  Yogurt line mentioned. SM products don't usually work well for me, but maybe I'll try it and see. Anyone used the Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment?


 
Are you wearing your hair out or in a protective style? So far all of SM products have worked wonders on my hair however, I have it mostly in a protective style & that could be a huge reason why. Once I achieve my desired length and wear protective styles less, the product may work differently on my hair. What I really need to find is a deep conditioner that makes my hair super soft.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 2, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> That’s after washing and styling. I don’t think I lose any more after I detangle, but we have dark stones on our shower floor, so I can’t tell for sure.
> 
> Congrats on the new baby!



Thank you and thats actually really good for after washing and styling after one week.




Rhealthyhair said:


> Thank youu, okay awesome I'm finally getting it, good to know! Okay so since my hair isn't really suffering from breakage then I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing with my products. I consistently use the SM Jamaican back castor oil shampoo and conditioner. The other products such as hair lotions & deep conditioners I like to switch up but I think I like the Manuka Honey & Yogurt line the best.  I'm going to stay away from the protein treatment for now in case it does more harm than good
> 
> Just read your postpartum post .. firstly congrats on the baby   ! Did being pregnant affect your hair growth ?



No problem and thank you! And eh, nope. I noticed a couple things though, I had almost no shedding. Im talking I’ll go through an entire wash day and style with little to no shed hairs. Also, my hair became super shiny and super strong. I would wash my hair and let it air dry and it wouldn’t frizz with NO product in it. It would dry tamed, like my hair would soak up the moisture and actually hold it. I even took a pic. Besides having no volume it was pretty amazing. This is 8 months pregnant.
Eta: the hairs hanging lower are from pulling to do a length check.


----------



## syrk (Jan 2, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Are you wearing your hair out or in a protective style? So far all of SM products have worked wonders on my hair however, I have it mostly in a protective style & that could be a huge reason why. Once I achieve my desired length and wear protective styles less, the product may work differently on my hair. What I really need to find is a deep conditioner that makes my hair super soft.



I usually wear it out. Haven't tried a SM DC in a while though, I probably have a whole different head of hair now and it's worth trying again.  Have you tried the TGIN Honey Miracle Mask? It makes my hair so buttery soft. Even after the recent formula change it's probably the best DC I've ever used.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 2, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So, I'll be 6 months postpartum tomorrow. Starting at about 3 months postpartum my hair started shedding a ton, I mean like a whole lot. I cried. I was staying on my prescribed prenatal vitamins like my doc told me too (I am breastfeeding), my hormones are out of control due to me breastfeeding. I've had one cycle since I had my girl and haven't had one again. I've also gained a ton of weight for no reason. Like for real. I was all belly during my pregnancy, my doc even had me going to monthly ultrasounds because she claims I wasn't gaining like I'm suppose too. Then suddenly 2 months postpartum all this weight came on out of no where. So my body is just doing its' own thing apparently. Anyway, starting about a week ago I ditched my prenatals and bought postnatal vitamins that I happen to just run into while in Target. My shedding has calmed down TREMENDOUSLY and I even feel a lot better. My cycle just came on too, not sure if that's a good or bad thing being that I'm breastfeeding, but, I'm super happy that my hair shedding is back to normal. I started worrying about my ends. Hopefully, this means my hormones will be regulated a little better as well because I'm also not sure if postpartum/breastfeeding hormones have affected my growth rate.


Probably didn't affect the growth rate but all the loss is the hair you didn't lose while pregnant. Sucks but it subsides.  Your hair is super gorgeous btw!!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 3, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Probably didn't affect the growth rate but all the loss is the hair you didn't lose while pregnant. Sucks but it subsides.  Your hair is super gorgeous btw!!



thank you and yeah so I figured. This is my actual hair washed with no product in it. And it’s not even 100% dry lol! Amazing how the difference in hormones can affect our hair.
(sometime in early 2018)


----------



## lalla (Jan 3, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Do you do the at home olaplex or the salon strength one? Also, love how simple your regimen is!


I do OLAPLEX 1 and 2. Those are easy to buy in France


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 3, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I have been deep conditioning in a plastic cap overnight. I will not be doing that anymore. I'm going all the way to the instructions on the container for commercial products and about 15 minutes for my diy because my hair is so porous.
> 
> I'm doing some protein as I can, but I haven't taken the braids out for a "hard protein" and I still don't think it will fix all my split shafts and white spots... It may fill the white spots actually but I doubt it will fix the split hairs. ... I don't know how much I have still but I'm assuming a ton
> 
> Eta: I'll take the braids out to put on the aphogee treatment but then I'll have to braid it back up huuuuughhhh.



Do you mean braid extensions?  If so, you don't have to take them out in order to add protein.  

I'm in extensions now as well and I've always used my own spray mix of 90% water, a squirt of condish, drops of EOs for scent/stimulation (peppermint included) and fill the rest with Infusium 23 protein leave in.  I've been using that spray mix since 2009 with very little buildup at take down.  My hair always feels nicely conditioned but I always clarify and do a protein-moisture DC after take down just to be careful.  

Oh, this year I started regularly using an ayurveda tea mix as half of my "water" and I love it!  My hair has been shinier using the tea.

Maybe something like that could work for you too?


----------



## gemruby41 (Jan 3, 2020)

lalla said:


> *I'm in !
> 
> Texlaxed
> 
> ...


How often do you use Olaplex?


----------



## Nightingale (Jan 3, 2020)

I finally made it back to update my initial post with the starting pic (I wore a black shirt, sorry). After using the Revair, my hair was a very rough looking hip length. So I ended up cutting off 4+ inches. Clearly, I need to make changes in my regimen since my hair wasn't healthy, so I'll be hopping on @faithVA 's regimen challenge too.

https://longhaircareforum.com/threads/grow-it-long-2020-challenge.847329/page-2#post-25382663


----------



## lalla (Jan 3, 2020)

gemruby41 said:


> How often do you use Olaplex?


 With every relaxer and once a month .


----------



## gemruby41 (Jan 3, 2020)

lalla said:


> With every relaxer and once a month .


You do a stand-alone with No 1 & 2 once a month or only use No 2?


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 3, 2020)

Nightingale said:


> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:* Natural
> *
> Current Length: *A little above WL stretched, see pic below
> *
> ...



Can you share a little more how you use your revair? I have one but rarely use it as I didn't really like the way my hair came out the few times that I've used it. 

What heat/tension settings are you using it on? Are you worried about damage when using it weekly? How do you style your hair after using  it? The main thing I didn't like about it is that it doesn't stretch my roots at all. I knew  this when I purchased it but didn't realize it would be such a deal breaker to me until I used it. Lovely hair BTW.


----------



## kim1006 (Jan 3, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Thank you and thats actually really good for after washing and styling after one week.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your hair and skin are absolutely beautiful.


----------



## faithVA (Jan 3, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Can you share a little more how you use your revair? I have one but rarely use it as I didn't really like the way my hair came out the few times that I've used it.
> 
> What heat/tension settings are you using it on? Are you worried about damage when using it weekly? How do you style your hair after using  it? The main thing I didn't like about it is that it doesn't stretch my roots at all. I knew  this when I purchased it but didn't realize it would be such a deal breaker to me until I used it. Lovely hair BTW.


It definitely can stretch your roots. How many sections are you doing?


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 3, 2020)

faithVA said:


> It definitely can stretch your roots. How many sections are you doing?


Honestly I can't remember how many sections. Probably just small enough to fit in the thing. I recall that 1-2inches of roots were still damp/not reached, and it took just as long to do as a regular dryer. I much prefer the results I got from the revlon 1step, which takes like 30 minutes to do my whole head


----------



## faithVA (Jan 3, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Honestly I can't remember how many sections. Probably just small enough to fit in the thing. I recall that 1-2inches of roots were still damp/not reached, and it took just as long to do as a regular dryer. I much prefer the results I got from the revlon 1step, which takes like 30 minutes to do my whole head


Ok. The revair isn't going to be faster. Its selling point is to be less drying and to use less heat. Those two things make it feasible to use it weekly without a lot of concern.

Lots of ladies have success with the Revlon. Some of us it's too drying and leads to breakage so the Revair works better.

It will stretch and dry the roots. It's just a matter of technique after using it a few times.


----------



## lalla (Jan 3, 2020)

gemruby41 said:


> You do a stand-alone with No 1 & 2 once a month or only use No 2?



*I do once a month*
N°1 mixed with n°2 
then aphogee 2 step 
then joico moisturizing conditioner


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 3, 2020)

faithVA said:


> Ok. The revair isn't going to be faster. Its selling point is to be less drying and to use less heat. Those two things make it feasible to use it weekly without a lot of concern.
> 
> Lots of ladies have success with the Revlon. Some of us it's too drying and leads to breakage so the Revair works better.
> 
> It will stretch and dry the roots. It's just a matter of technique after using it a few times.



True, I probably gave up on it too soon! I'll definitely be revisiting it this year


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 3, 2020)

kim1006 said:


> Your hair and skin are absolutely beautiful.



Thank you


----------



## Nightingale (Jan 3, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Can you share a little more how you use your revair? I have one but rarely use it as I didn't really like the way my hair came out the few times that I've used it.
> 
> What heat/tension settings are you using it on? Are you worried about damage when using it weekly? How do you style your hair after using  it? The main thing I didn't like about it is that it doesn't stretch my roots at all. I knew  this when I purchased it but didn't realize it would be such a deal breaker to me until I used it. Lovely hair BTW.



I've only used it a few times,  so I'm not sure how helpful my responses will be, but here goes.

1. I used tension 7 with low and high heat, on damp hair. The high heat made my hair a little smoother than using low, but I'll likely use low heat from now on.
2. I'm not currently worried about heat damage at low heat, but will assess my hair at a later date to see if damage has occurred.
3. The only styles I've done so far are a single braid and buns. I planned on trying flexirods for a beach wave look, but after the cut I'm focusing on protective styles rather than down styles.

I didnt have any issue getting my roots stretched with the device, so long as I work front to back on damp hair. Some areas had a little wave to them, but they were definitely stretched. 

The problem area for me are my ends. They arent getting as smooth as the length and feel a bit rough. I'm going to start drying them first and test out different settings. If they're still rough, I may need to trim a little more off.

I hope this helps.


----------



## BlackRinse (Jan 3, 2020)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural

Current Length: APL - Roughly 14"*

*Goal Length: 18"*

*Plan to reach goal length: Trim every 4 months, Oil Mix*

*Regimen: Wear cornrows 6-8 weeks at a time while I wear a wig, apply my oil mix which consists of: Castor Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil and Amla.

*Listed from highest to lowest.

If my hair is out / not styled / in a bun I seal my ends with dax vegetable pomemade. 

Supplements: [Daily]
5,000 mcg - Liquid Biotin 
5,000 mcg - MSM 
450 mcg - Colloidal Silica 
Drink Bamboo Leaf Tea (Silica) [I typically consume the tea 3x a week]. I use the Uncle Lee Hibiscus Flavoured one as hibiscus is also great for hair and it taste better than the BB one.*

*Protective Styles: Cornrows with different 360 wig variations.*

*Staple Products: Castor Oil, I may add Miconazole Nitrate back into the mix.*

*Starting Pic:*


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 3, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Do you mean braid extensions?  If so, you don't have to take them out in order to add protein.
> 
> I'm in extensions now as well and I've always used my own spray mix of 90% water, a squirt of condish, drops of EOs for scent/stimulation (peppermint included) and fill the rest with Infusium 23 protein leave in.  I've been using that spray mix since 2009 with very little buildup at take down.  My hair always feels nicely conditioned but I always clarify and do a protein-moisture DC after take down just to be careful.
> 
> ...



I was just thinking of all the damage and set backs I've had over this issue of improper moisture protein balance. I will leave the braids in. Thanks for the encouragement. I retain length so well in braids.

I'm also using ayurvedic tea in my diy herbal spray! I use it every few days. I started like a week ago though lol. Hopefully that is helping to protect... I didn't add a protein to it though... you know instead of replacing these braids one by one, I will just take a section out and put the aphogee on that section. I'll do the front and top tomorrow.
Each side, middle, and back on other days

My little routine us really getting set! I just have to keep fighting the urge to change it without a need. Plus I'm excited by all the people in this challenge hopefully I get longer hair by electronic osmosis (I just made that up)


----------



## long.hair.dont.care (Jan 3, 2020)

I'd be at my current goal length if i hadnt neglected my hair due to a broken heart back in 2018. That doesnt matter now, because it is in the past.  I am looking forward to the future!
*
Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:*
Natural
*
Current Length:*
BSL
*
Goal Length:*
WL
*
Plan to reach goal length:*
I'm going to set reminders on my phone to help me stay consistent with scalp messages, moisturizing and sealing. And i'm sticking to the products that have been faithfully good to me.
*
Regimen:*
daily scalp massages, water and oil hair then seal the ends with shea butter
hot oil treatment (pre-poo) or oil rinse (as needed)
biweekly shampoo and dc (+1 tsp of henna) with heat
protein treatment (once a month)
trim every 3-4 months

*Protective Styles:*
braids/twists w/ extensions, wigs, crochet

*Staple Products:*
homemade water spray (mixed with a few drops of acv & oil)
aphogee keratin & green tea restructurizer
homemade scalp oil (ayurvedic oil, peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus essential oil, sulfur)
argan oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil
shea butter (whipped with fenugreek, kalpi tone, henna, amla infused sunflower oil)
wild growth hair oil (to detangle)
earthtones naturals moisturizing shampoo
live clean argan oil restorative conditioner
shea moisture manuka honey mafura mask
live clean fresh water hydrating conditioner (protein treatment)
dabur vatika coconut oil (hot oil treatment)

*Starting Pic:
 *


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 3, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> thank you and yeah so I figured. This is my actual hair washed with no product in it. And it’s not even 100% dry lol! Amazing how the difference in hormones can affect our hair.
> (sometime in early 2018)
> View attachment 454363



Omg .. Your hair is beautiful either way !




syrk said:


> I usually wear it out. Haven't tried a SM DC in a while though, I probably have a whole different head of hair now and it's worth trying again.  Have you tried the TGIN Honey Miracle Mask? It makes my hair so buttery soft. Even after the recent formula change it's probably the best DC I've ever used.



No I haven't! I just looked up the reviews though and everyone seems to really love it so its definitely a purchase I'll be making before I take my braids out. Thank you for recommending it, hopefully its the miracle I'm searching for. Have you ever blow dried your hair after using it, do you find that its made a difference on your hair even after applying heat? Because if this product works really well for me, this is what I would take with me to the salon to sit under the dryer with. I do roller sets & then a blow out if that makes a difference.


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 3, 2020)

Right section behind ear - 10 inches
Front center- 10 inches


----------



## syrk (Jan 3, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Omg .. Your hair is beautiful either way !
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I don't think I've blow dried after using it, but I pretty much alway sit under the dryer with it in, which is what I think gets my hair nice and soft and buttery. I do also sit under the dryer to dry my twists for a twist out after rinsing the DC and my hair always comes out nice and soft after drying as well.

Let me know how it goes if you do end up using it and following up with a blowdry, would be interested in hearing.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 3, 2020)

syrk said:


> I don't think I've blow dried after using it, but I pretty much alway sit under the dryer with it in, which is what I think gets my hair nice and soft and buttery. I do also sit under the dryer to dry my twists for a twist out after rinsing the DC and my hair always comes out nice and soft after drying as well.
> 
> Let me know how it goes if you do end up using it and following up with a blowdry, would be interested in hearing.



Oh absolutely... this challenge board will be the first place I come to with my results. It won't be for some time though because I only put heat on my hair when I relax, which isn't until July lol. I will be using it for deep conditioning though in the meantime. I'm interested in the results as well!


----------



## ckisland (Jan 4, 2020)

@long.hair.dont.care You're going to be at WL in no time 

Protective styles aren't my thing, but having my hair not straight means that styles don't last more than a day or two. Having to reset my hair at night is kinda annoying and I don't want to be manipulating my hair a ton. I also need to figure out where these bumps near my hairline are coming from  . I wore my bonnet for the first time in close to a year, and hated having it on. I wore my scarf the 2 days after and now I have all of these bumps!! I'm going back to sleeping with my hair loose!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 4, 2020)

ckisland said:


> @long.hair.dont.care You're going to be at WL in no time
> 
> Protective styles aren't my thing, but having my hair not straight means that styles don't last more than a day or two. Having to reset my hair at night is kinda annoying and I don't want to be manipulating my hair a ton. I also need to figure out where these bumps near my hairline are coming from  . I wore my bonnet for the first time in close to a year, and hated having it on. I wore my scarf the 2 days after and now I have all of these bumps!! I'm going back to sleeping with my hair loose!


 
do you sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase?


----------



## ckisland (Jan 4, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> do you sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase?


I sleep on a satin pillow case!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 4, 2020)

ckisland said:


> I sleep on a satin pillow case!



Well, ditch the bonnet if it bothers you. Satin pillowcase should definitely be good enough.


----------



## Lita (Jan 4, 2020)

I use a satin pillow case & silk scarf..I’m currently PS in the back and I have a side swoop.

Happy Hair Growing!


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 4, 2020)

I'm in 


*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:  Natural 

Current Length:  *

*Goal Length:  unknown *

*Plan to reach goal length: low manipulation and no trims *

*Regimen:  once a week ... 
Shampoo, DC with thermal cap, moisturize and seal and twist 
Acv to clarify as needed 
Protein treatment as needed *


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 5, 2020)

My hair is feeling so much stronger since the protein treatment and Im realizing my curls are suddenly staying clumped even after shampooing. My curls don’t usually stay clumped unless I use Shea Butter or any other butters or deep conditioner to keep them clumped.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 5, 2020)

My hair made it one more day! I'm washing tomorrow, but I need to figure out how I'm going to where my hair. I may do a bun on damp hair. Hmm. . . .


----------



## Amerie123 (Jan 6, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I think that's a good plan. I have my doubts about how much one can retain having a stylist trim your hair every 3 months. Almost all of them over trim, saying you "need" it. What does need even mean for hair,  which is dead? If your hair was not causing you problems before and it looked okay to you before, who's to say that your hair "needed" several inches trimmed off. Needed for what? Definitely assess again after the first trim.



This was my number 1 set back for the last two years. And it finally clicked when I went for my last trim. I was like why is my hair still the same length as last year, when I know it’s been growing a lot and I take good care of it. And it was bc them “professional trims” every three months. Nahh. I’m doing my own trims every 5 months (or as needed) and see how that works. I just hate that it took so long for me to realize. And I kept thinking i was gonna finally see progress bc i thought I was being patient and doing everything right.


----------



## Amerie123 (Jan 6, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Regular dusting every few months and one professional trim a year is good for me.


 
I think I will do this.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Jan 6, 2020)

LonDone said:


> @syrk
> 
> Vatika Egg Protein is wonderful! It's dark yellow, very thick and smooth and the consistency feels like a balm - it feels so silky going on.  It's not a hard protein but enough to get the job done.  It's £6 here in the UK so you won't be out of pocket if it doesn't agree with your hair



I've been eyeing those vatika conditioners since I love vatika oil so much. I may grab a jar next time I'm at the indian store.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 6, 2020)

I used the ion crystal clarifying treatment on my hair yesterday and after shampooing it out my hair was so soft! Even without conditioner I had minimal frizzing and puffiness at the roots, and my curls clumped as if I had products in. Hard water is definitely a no bueno for my hair


----------



## LonDone (Jan 6, 2020)

BeautifulRoots said:


> I've been eyeing those vatika conditioners since I love vatika oil so much. I may grab a jar next time I'm at the indian store.



Please take the plunge, and please do update us when you've had the chance to try it!

I can only vouch for the Protein one but I VOUCH FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 6, 2020)

Updated plaited bun. I can no longer do a loose plaited bun with a scrunchie. My hair is too long, to heavy and with now Shea Butter added, it’s even heavier. The bun either comes undone and I have to redo it multiple times a day or I’ll have to pull the bun tight which I don’t want to result to doing often. I now secure the bun with a long thick bobby pin. @Chicoro thought I’d tag you since the bun I showed you was so long ago.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 6, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I used the ion crystal clarifying treatment on my hair yesterday and after shampooing it out my hair was so soft! Even without conditioner I had minimal frizzing and puffiness at the roots, and my curls clumped as if I had products in. Hard water is definitely a no bueno for my hair



This is my hair as well after using Aphogee 2-step treatment! Loving it. Hair feeling brand new lol.


----------



## periwinklepeach (Jan 6, 2020)

I meant to post in here at the beginning of the year and forgot!

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: natural

Current Length: between 12 and 12.5 inches on the sides and front, 14 inches in the back, about 15.5 inches at the crown (translates to around bra strap length on me)*

*Goal Length: retain 6 inches by the end of the year*

*Plan to reach goal length: protective styling (lazy buns), low manipulation, consistent moisturizing, stop skipping wash days and going 2 weeks between washes*

*Regimen: wash and condition with Giovanni smooth as silk once per week, deep condition every other week, alternating with bentonite  clay treatment every other week. After wash, use a creamy leave in. Seal with Shea butter. Spritz with rose water every other day. Re-apply Shea as needed.*

*Protective Styles: buns*

*Staple Products: Giovanni smooth as silk shampoo and conditioner, Shea butter, rose water, Shea moisture manuka honey DC. Everything else is meh.*

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED 

*ETA: I'll try taking better pics this weekend
*


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 6, 2020)

periwinklepeach said:


> I meant to post in here at the beginning of the year and forgot!
> 
> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: natural
> 
> ...



Where are you buying Giovanni products? I wanted to try their Shampoo & Conditioner but a Sallys employee told me they're discontinued neither can I find their products at Walmart nor Target.


----------



## periwinklepeach (Jan 6, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Where are you buying Giovanni products? I wanted to try their Shampoo & Conditioner but a Sallys employee told me they're discontinued neither can I find their products at Walmart nor Target.



Marshall's or Tjmaxx usually has them! They usually have the line I don't want though. It's tough to find the smooth as silk. Really hope it's not discontinued.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 6, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Where are you buying Giovanni products? I wanted to try their Shampoo & Conditioner but a Sallys employee told me they're discontinued neither can I find their products at Walmart nor Target.


OTG: Sprouts, Whole Foods, TJ Maxx (the huge bottles for cheap), The Vitamin Shoppe, sometimes Target.
Online: Direct from Giovanni, Vitacost, iHerb, The Vitamin Shoppe, Lucky Vitamin, etc. 

SN: I should really just officially join this thread lol. Too lazy to take a pic rn though.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 6, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> OTG: Sprouts, Whole Foods, TJ Maxx (the huge bottles for cheap), The Vitamin Shoppe, sometimes Target.
> Online: Direct from Giovanni, Vitacost, iHerb, The Vitamin Shoppe, Lucky Vitamin, etc.
> 
> SN: I should really just officially join this thread lol. Too lazy to take a pic rn though.



Ill try those. The vitamin shoppe? Oh wow. I figured the last absolute thing I’d do is get on the website and order.
C’monnnnnnnnnn all you need is a mirror, a phone and some hair (your hair highly preferred)


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 7, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Ill try those. The vitamin shoppe? Oh wow. I figured the last absolute thing I’d do is get on the website and order.
> C’monnnnnnnnnn all you need is a mirror, a phone and some hair (your hair highly preferred)


I took a pic and then remembered I was wearing a black shirt lmao. I'll take another tomorrow.


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 7, 2020)

Washed and conditioned last night with old carols daughter rhassould clay. I had to replace some braids at thw top Sunday morning but I didn't get a chance to put my protein treatment on. It's ok. Next time

I found a ton of huge Giovanni conditioners at TJMaxx this past weekend and had to get at least one although I don't need them. I have like two or three years worth of macadamia nut brand, but ....now I see they are being discontinued, I'm going to get a few to try


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 7, 2020)

periwinklepeach said:


> Marshall's or Tjmaxx usually has them! They usually have the line I don't want though. It's tough to find the smooth as silk. Really hope it's not discontinued.



My TJMaxx only has smooth as silk. Try another store if you can


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 7, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 Thank you for making this thread! You have 25+ challengers so far... I think... if I got everybody

NaturalShe94
syrk
apple_natural
PlanetCybertron
GettingKinky
pinkchocolatedaisy
BeautifulRoots
ckisland
Nightingale
Mapleoats
Bun Mistress
Kiaray8
CurliDiva
Rhealthyhair
faithVA
Napturallypretty1908
Victorian
keranikki
nyeredzi
guyaneseyankee
alanaturelle
BlackRinse
long.hair.dont.care
water_n_oil
metro_qt
mayoo
periwinklepeach
HappyAtLast
SmilingElephant
TamaraShaniece
No starting photos
1. Honeypot


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 7, 2020)

How do you guys track your progress and stay motivated? And How do you help feel cute during protective styling?

This has been my go to style for the past 6 months and has allowed me to retain a lot but I feel like a frumpy librarian lol.

View media item 130487
Or if anyone has any other simple protective style ideas suitable for thick APL hair it would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 7, 2020)

I washed last night with my CD sulfate-free shampoo, and used my Mielle Hydrating Conditioner packet as my DC. I moisturized with EBW Curl Defining Creme. Didn't know what to do with the 'do, so I put my hair in a low flattwists bun. The bun lasted overnight, but once I got to work I took it down, and now I have a wavy ponytail LOL! I look better with my hair out, and I just love having my hair down too much


----------



## ckisland (Jan 7, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How do you guys track your progress and stay motivated? *And How do you help feel cute during protective styling?*
> 
> This has been my go to style for the past 6 months and has allowed me to retain a lot but I feel like a frumpy librarian lol.
> 
> ...


The bold is my problem too!! I won't even protective style because I don't look cute in the ones I can do. My hair won't lay flat (it frizzes up in the back no matter what I do), so cute high buns are out for me


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 7, 2020)

ckisland said:


> The bold is my problem too!! I won't even protective style because I don't look cute in the ones I can do. My hair won't lay flat (it frizzes up in the back no matter what I do), so cute high buns are out for me



I find I can’t do buns (that I like atleast ) on my hair at its current length (without blowing out first) because I have to pull too tightly, and it gives me a headache so I imagine it’s not good for my hair either. I switched to this pinned up twisted style because I got fed up with the headaches and was surprised by how much length I started retaining. I also notice I get hella tangles when I bun my hair too.


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 7, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I find I can’t do buns (that I like atleast ) on my hair at its current length (without blowing out first) because I have to pull too tightly, and it gives me a headache so I imagine it’s not good for my hair either. I switched to this pinned up twisted style because I got fed up with the headaches and was surprised by how much length I started retaining. I also notice I get hella tangles when I bun my hair too.


It's about self esteem . There's nothing unattractive about that style you're wearing


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 7, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How do you guys track your progress and stay motivated? And How do you help feel cute during protective styling?
> 
> This has been my go to style for the past 6 months and has allowed me to retain a lot but I feel like a frumpy librarian lol.
> 
> ...


We got the same look, lol. I also feel a little librarian-ish. Do you ever wear contacts? I find the glasses + bun makes me doubly librarian. If you have time, you could try loose hair styles, or at least the same style on twist outs, which tend to look cuter than just the twists themselves.  I'm not good at makeup, but I find that helps too.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 7, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> @NaturalShe94 Thank you for making this thread! You have 25 challengers so far... I think... if I got everybody
> 
> NaturalShe94
> syrk
> ...



You're the sweetest. Thank you so much for making the list. I was going to do this, but didn't get around to it. Lol! We're bussin' out of length cages this year!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 7, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How do you guys track your progress and stay motivated? And How do you help feel cute during protective styling?
> 
> This has been my go to style for the past 6 months and has allowed me to retain a lot but I feel like a frumpy librarian lol.
> 
> ...



Your style is cute. You may just be tired of it. You can try flat twists into a bun, two braids cornrowed back into a bun. A high sleek bun. A plaited bun.... There's different ones you can do.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 7, 2020)

Thanks for the suggestions/encouragement everyone   I‘m gonna play around and find a few other protective styles I can add to the mix.


----------



## LonDone (Jan 7, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> It's about self esteem . There's nothing unattractive about that style you're wearing



This.  Maybe it makes you look a bit young, but that's all - and that's nothing bad lol.

I have been in the saaaaame PS since May 2017 lol, and I keep myself motivated/going by a few things:

1) The cost of long hair is time.
2) I  Want Day 2 Waist Length Straightened Hair.  
3) I  Want Day 2 Waist Length Straightened Hair YESTERDAY. 

So now I know what I want, and now I know how to get there - ONLY by growing through EL/NL/SL/APL/BSL and MBL. I will not grow to WL without growing through those other markers. This is non-negotiable and unavoidable. FOR EVERYONE. This, coupled with the fact that I want that hair to *already* be on my head, keeps me doing what I need to have what I want in the soonest time possible: PS and PS and PS.  It's like losing weight: you won't lose 5 stone unless and until you lost stones 1, 2, 3 and 4.  

So far it's been 2 years 8 months in the same hairstyle.  I estimate in another 6 months and 1 day I will have what I want: Day 2 Waist Length Straightened Hair YESTERDAY!


----------



## keranikki (Jan 7, 2020)

After my workout this morning, something possessed me to oil rinse my hair instead of cowashing it. 

Cons: created three knots and a few tangles, I was able to gently remove them; too oily throughout the day

Pros: my hair was so soft, my scalp wasn’t itchy from the cold

I still had to use a leave-in conditioner to detangle my hair, but my hair laid down so well that I didn’t have to use gel. I layered some Shea butter over the leave-in and placed my hair into a braided bun. 

I may tweak this oil rinsing a bit, so as to not be too oily and to minimize tangles.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 7, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How do you guys track your progress and stay motivated? And How do you help feel cute during protective styling?
> 
> This has been my go to style for the past 6 months and has allowed me to retain a lot but I feel like a frumpy librarian lol.
> 
> ...



I think your PS looks great, its so nicely done I love it! I do understand the frustration with staying motivated with the same PS. I have been in box braids for a little over a year and a half, and what motivates me is pretty much seeing the new growth in my braids. I usually do a length check every other month when I take them out & every 6 months when I relax. Seeing the progress, in my opinion, is a huge motivational factor to keep the PS. Also I switch up my box braids a lot, I change the color, parting, and length all the time so I don't get so bored. I like to track my progress by using my length shirt when I length check & I also compare my pictures before I started my hair growth journey to where I am currently and then I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I agree with everything @LonDone said. Spot on! I'm new to the regimented hair growth journey, but I do realize that my hair wouldn't be anywhere near where it is without my PS. Btw my goal is also WL lol at the rate I'm going, I hope this time next year I should be nearing full MBL starting to approach WL ... fingers crossed.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 8, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I find I can’t do buns (that I like atleast ) on my hair at its current length (without blowing out first) because I have to pull too tightly, and it gives me a headache so I imagine it’s not good for my hair either. I switched to this pinned up twisted style because I got fed up with the headaches and was surprised by how much length I started retaining. I also notice I get hella tangles when I bun my hair too.



My buns use to do this as well when my hair was APL and shorter, I’d get some serious tugging at my nape too.  Secure the bun with a bobby pin until it gets long enough to where you can use a scrunchie.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 8, 2020)

LonDone said:


> This.  Maybe it makes you look a bit young, but that's all - and that's nothing bad lol.
> 
> I have been in the saaaaame PS since May 2017 lol, and I keep myself motivated/going by a few things:
> 
> ...



2 years and 8 months! I admire your patience lol. But you’re right. My short term goal is BSL, so I’m gonna keep pushing with this style until then. Hopefully another 8 months will get me there!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 8, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> I think your PS looks great, its so nicely done I love it! I do understand the frustration with staying motivated with the same PS. I have been in box braids for a little over a year and a half, and what motivates me is pretty much seeing the new growth in my braids. I usually do a length check every other month when I take them out & every 6 months when I relax. Seeing the progress, in my opinion, is a huge motivational factor to keep the PS. Also I switch up my box braids a lot, I change the color, parting, and length all the time so I don't get so bored. I like to track my progress by using my length shirt when I length check & I also compare my pictures before I started my hair growth journey to where I am currently and then I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
> 
> I agree with everything @LonDone said. Spot on! I'm new to the regimented hair growth journey, but I do realize that my hair wouldn't be anywhere near where it is without my PS. Btw my goal is also WL lol at the rate I'm going, I hope this time next year I should be nearing full MBL starting to approach WL ... fingers crossed.



Thank you! I should start thinking of a long term goal, I think that’ll help my motivation as well. And I guess just taking lots of pictures to look back on and see how far I’ve come


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 8, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> My buns use to do this as well when my hair was APL and shorter, I’d get some serious tugging at my nape too.  Secure the bun with a bobby pin until it gets long enough to where you can use a scrunchie.



I actually haven’t tried using just a bobby pin. I’ll give that a try next time, thanks!


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 8, 2020)

[QUOTE="BlackRinse, post: 25391473, member: 44507
*
Supplements: [Daily]
5,000 mcg - Liquid Biotin

View attachment 454373 *[/QUOTE]

How does the liquid biotin taste?


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Jan 8, 2020)

Protected for the week. Drenched in Shea butter


----------



## keranikki (Jan 8, 2020)

guyaneseyankee said:


> Protected for the week. Drenched in Shea butter View attachment 454577View attachment 454579



I think I’m going to try your hair style. It looks as if there isn’t a lot of tension, compared to a bun.


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Jan 8, 2020)

keranikki said:


> I think I’m going to try your hair style. It looks as if there isn’t a lot of tension, compared to a bun.



Check out Naptural 85's video for tutorial.  Titled "Asymmetrical Twisted Crown"

Yes, no tension at all


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 8, 2020)

Why don't y'all just wear the twists down.  That's not gonna harm anything.


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 8, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How do you guys track your progress and stay motivated? And How do you help feel cute during protective styling?



I also wear my twists in buns. I think it matches me lol. Anything looks good with earings and mascara... Also neat parts. I sectioned my hair last month and I'm aiming to keep the same sections until the end of the year.

Braids and twists help me stay motivated because I can see the new growth 



Honeypot said:


> Why don't y'all just wear the twists down.  That's not gonna harm anything.



Honeypot, have you taken your starting photo and updated your entry post with a current length? Where do you want to be by the end of the year?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 8, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> Why don't y'all just wear the twists down.  That's not gonna harm anything.



Or wear them in a pony. I prefer plaited buns. They’re super low maintenance. Also easy to re-quench. I don’t take down the plait until wash day. Every morning just spritz with water, brush whatever flyaways back and roll the plait into a bun.


----------



## Napturallypretty1908 (Jan 8, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Camille Rose Lavender has glycerin as a main ingredient which is why your hair may be frizzing instantly especially if it’s dry outside. Not too familiar with Uncle Funkys. Try clarifying your hair. When products start to stop working, clarifying usually helps.



Thank you! That's good to know. Will certainly try next time my hair is out.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 8, 2020)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural

Current Length: BSL in the front, MBL in the back*

*Goal Length: WL (apparently closer to that than I realized)*

*Plan to reach goal length: Sticking to the same ol', same ol'. *

*Regimen: Hair gets wet (via shower) and detangled every 5 days alternating between cleansing and WO. Follow-up with shea blend and 4-8 braids. Braidout 1-3 days later if I choose to do so. *

*Protective Styles: 4-8 braids on wash day. Not a fan of regularly protective styling. *

*Staple Products: Shea butter. I don't have anything else that's an absolute must. *

*Starting Pic: *


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 8, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural
> 
> Current Length: BSL in the front, MBL in the back*
> 
> ...



Uh, ma'am.  I don't see any "MBL" going on in that picture.  You look straight up WL!!  That strand is beyond the middle of your back. LOL.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 8, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Uh, ma'am.  I don't see any "MBL" going on in that picture.  You look straight up WL!!  That strand is beyond the middle of your back. LOL.


Lol! It's close but not quite. In between the two I should've said.


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 8, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I also wear my twists in buns. I think it matches me lol. Anything looks good with earings and mascara... Also neat parts. I sectioned my hair last month and I'm aiming to keep the same sections until the end of the year.
> 
> Braids and twists help me stay motivated because I can see the new growth
> 
> ...


I have to post a photo when I get a chance


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 8, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Or wear them in a pony. I prefer plaited buns. They’re super low maintenance. Also easy to re-quench. I don’t take down the plait until wash day. Every morning just spritz with water, brush whatever flyaways back and roll the plait into a bun.


That's another option but I don't like my hair being pulled back.   I just let mine hang


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 8, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Lol! It's close but not quite. In between the two I should've said.



Pshhhhhhh.... You don’t even look WL to me. You look W’hip Length. You sure? Lol.


----------



## GGsKin (Jan 8, 2020)

I can see you are at WL or already past. Your hair isnt even straight in this pic lol


water_n_oil said:


> Lol! It's close but not quite. In between the two I should've said.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 8, 2020)

GGsKin said:


> I can see you are at WL or already past. *Your hair isnt even straight in this pic lol*


Taking that into account, it probably is then lmao. Guess my goal should be HL or TBL? My visible goal is 2 braids @ BSL. They're at APL now.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 8, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural
> 
> Current Length: BSL in the front, MBL in the back*
> 
> ...



I love how simple your regimen is!  Do you ever deep condition? How much time  does your wash day routine usually take?


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 8, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I love how simple your regimen is!  Do you ever deep condition? How much time  does your wash day routine usually take?


I dc every once in a while. Wash day is around 30-45min. Longer if I decide to do some sort of treatment.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 8, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Taking that into account, it probably is then lmao. Guess my goal should be HL or TBL? My visible goal is 2 braids @ BSL. They're at APL now.



Is your hair past your inward curve?
You look not far from HL, make it TBL


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 8, 2020)

Does anyone have experience deep conditioning with a PS such as box braids? I was lurking another thread and read that the Shea Moisture rose oil DC is really amazing and hard to find so I ordered some single packets to try. I want to deep condition with it now but I don't take my braids out for another 2 weeks.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 8, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> I dc every once in a while. Wash day is around 30-45min. Longer if I decide to do some sort of treatment.


My wash day takes at least 2hrs . Your long healthy hair is inspiring me to figure out how to cut it down.


----------



## LonDone (Jan 9, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Does anyone have experience deep conditioning with a PS such as box braids? I was lurking another thread and read that the Shea Moisture rose oil DC is really amazing and hard to find so I ordered some single packets to try. I want to deep condition with it now but I don't take my braids out for another 2 weeks.



My box braids are WL.  I use a big ol' tub of cheapie Aunt Jackie's Super Duper Moisturizing conditioner. I slather it on then "squeeze" it into the braids.  Plastic bag and a scarf, leave for 30 minutes.

My latest discovery, to moisturise I use the same slather/squeeze method with a big ol' tub of cheapie moisturiser (Elasta QP Mango Butter or Cantu Leave-In Conditioner) mixed with oil.  I then ponytail/bun the braids, wrap a t-shirt over the hair, then a scarf on top, and keep on overnight to allow the oil/moisturiser mix to absorb into the hair while the hair dries.


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 9, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Does anyone have experience deep conditioning with a PS such as box braids? I was lurking another thread and read that the Shea Moisture rose oil DC is really amazing and hard to find so I ordered some single packets to try. I want to deep condition with it now but I don't take my braids out for another 2 weeks.



I do!
If I leave my extensions in longer than 4 weeks at a time, I wash and DC.  I usually make a diluted mix of both poo and condish and I pour them on and rinse in the shower. Then I let my braids hang to dry.  Poo I dilute 80/20, water/poo.  Condish 90/10, water/condish.  I'm too afraid of buildup to use too much product.


----------



## metro_qt (Jan 9, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> @NaturalShe94 Thank you for making this thread! You have 25 challengers so far... I think... if I got everybody


Me!!! @apple_natural 
I thought I made a starting post in this thread to join, since I subscribed to it,  but I guess I didn't. 
Please add me to the list of challengers, I'll post my starting info below!


----------



## metro_qt (Jan 9, 2020)

*Natural:

Current Length:*
BSL in back, APL on sides

*Goal Length:*
WL in back, BSL on sides

*Plan to reach goal length:*
Weekly or Biweekly:

Washing, 
Steaming 
Deep Conditioning
Plex treatments
also, new wash and go processes to 
have less manipulation on my hair
i.e- a new detangling brush (behairful)
that is on pre order for Jan.

*Regimen:*
Same as my plan above.
*Protective Styles:*
None, necessarily, always wash and go.

*Staple Products:*
Shea Moisture Manuka ...Deep Conditioner

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED
Will add.*


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 9, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> I have to post a photo when I get a chance



Yay!

@metro_qt as self appointed secretary to this board, i will add you lol.

@Rhealthyhair  I'm also in waist length box braids. I am using up my old conditioner and it sounds like i use a very similar method to londone.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 9, 2020)

So I put my hair into a flattwist bun after I washed it. That bun turned into a flattwist ponytail later that night. I took the flattwists out and put my hair up in a ponytail. I took my hair down to do a chunky braid n'curl for today, and I had SO MUCH BREAKAGE!!!! I pretty much only saw short hairs . Yeah I switched styles, but I didn't comb my hair and I was gentle with each take down. Seeing that much breakage legitimately scared me  .


----------



## keranikki (Jan 9, 2020)

ckisland said:


> So I put my hair into a flattwist bun after I washed it. That bun turned into a flattwist ponytail later that night. I took the flattwists out and put my hair up in a ponytail. I took my hair down to do a chunky braid n'curl for today, and I had SO MUCH BREAKAGE!!!! I pretty much only saw short hairs . Yeah I switched styles, but I didn't comb my hair and I was gentle with each take down. Seeing that much breakage legitimately scared me  .



Do you think you twisted your hair too tight!


----------



## ckisland (Jan 9, 2020)

keranikki said:


> Do you think you twisted your hair too tight!


I may have done my bun too tight. My hair wasn't soaking wet but it was very damp. My hair is weak at ends (and length) from being heat damaged/trained. My hair may not have liked being twisted up like that at all. When I took my hair down today, I didn't see any breakage.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 9, 2020)

@LonDone @MzSwift  Thanks girls! I'll probably do it this weekend while I have the time to let it air dry. Should I rinse out the deep conditioner? Also have either of you used the TGIN hair mask as a deep conditioner? @syrk first mentioned it to me when I was looking for a good DC. I'm afraid my products might be too much protein and not enough moisture. I use mostly Shea Moisture products for "dry, brittle, hair" to try and balance out my relaxers.


----------



## LonDone (Jan 10, 2020)

@Rhealthyhair - Yes rinse out the conditioner after awhile, squeeze the excess rinse water, then generously apply a mix of leave-in or moisturiser mixed with oil, squeeze into the braids, cover hair completely with an old t-shirt and leave to dry overnight.  

You should have evenly dried moisturised hair (I used to blowdry after washing braids and the roots were always damp the next day and after 4 or 5 days the hair smelled mildewy.  This new method gets rids of that problem.) Another thing I have learned is wait until my hair is completely dry before taking down and re-doing any messy braids.  Wet manipulation isn't for my hair. Look forward to hearing how it goes.


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 10, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> Why don't y'all just wear the twists down.  That's not gonna harm anything.


I don't like the way my medium twists look loose. The back of the head never looks right. Wearing it in a bun or ponytail looks better.


----------



## Bronxcutie (Jan 10, 2020)

My hair is in the best condition it’s ever been, even though it’s bleached! I think getting it colored professionally instead of the box color, properly balancing protein and moisture and using Olaplex #3 helped.  Now I want to grow out my tapered cut.  The top and sides are much longer than the nape area.  Everyone tells me that I should still be able to get it braided.  I’m thinking about knotless box braids.  Do you ladies think that will damage my hair?


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 10, 2020)

Bronxcutie said:


> My hair is in the best condition it’s ever been, even though it’s bleached! I think getting it colored professionally instead of the box color, properly balancing protein and moisture and using Olaplex #3 helped.  Now I want to grow out my tapered cut.  The top and sides are much longer than the nape area.  Everyone tells me that I should still be able to get it braided.  I’m thinking about knotless box braids.  Do you ladies think that will damage my hair?



As long as you do a good protein tx before install to help strengthen your hair, I think you'll be ok.


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 10, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> @LonDone @MzSwift  Thanks girls! I'll probably do it this weekend while I have the time to let it air dry. Should I rinse out the deep conditioner? Also have either of you used the TGIN hair mask as a deep conditioner? @syrk first mentioned it to me when I was looking for a good DC. I'm afraid my products might be too much protein and not enough moisture. I use mostly Shea Moisture products for "dry, brittle, hair" to try and balance out my relaxers.



Yes, please rinse out the DC.  I don't apply any additional product to my extensions besides my braid spray mix.  But @LonDone 's descriptions sound so yummy. Lol.  I've never tried the TGIN but I've heard ladies say good things about it over the years.  

Product wise, I don't think you should change anything. From what you've posted, including your avi, your hair seems to be doing very well with what you've been using and the way you've been PSing to retain in between relaxers. I would say to just use whatever DC you would use if your hair were loose.  Just dilute it so that it is easier to rinse from the braids. 

From what I've observed over the years on the hair boards, when ladies started to make changes to a regi that was working for them, it would trigger a setback.  Now it's a different story if you're trying to solve a particular hair or process issue though.  Try whatever you want to get the results you want.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 10, 2020)

Took my twists out earlier today and decided to try out some protective styles on the twist out, based on some of the suggestions received. It was a success! 

Here are my favourites: 

 

 

Only a couple of weeks in this challenge and I've already  learned so much from you all! Thank you!!


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 10, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Took my twists out earlier today and decided to try out some protective styles on the twist out, based on some of the suggestions received. It was a success!
> 
> Here are my favourites:
> 
> ...


Love it. I'm telling you, we got the same look, lol. I even showed my husband and was like "think quick, is this me or nah". He knew it wasn't me, but admitted it was close! Now tell us about that hair accessory.

I undid my twists today for a twist out. Looks fab, if I do say so myself. I'll probably wash in a day or two, which will be the last wash of my 3 wash cycle. I absolutely love that I figured out a way to only comb once every 3-4 weeks.


----------



## Nightingale (Jan 10, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I also wear my twists in buns. I think it matches me lol. Anything looks good with earings and mascara... Also neat parts. I sectioned my hair last month and I'm aiming to keep the same sections until the end of the year.
> 
> Braids and twists help me stay motivated because I can see the new growth



I hate regular buns, but twists in buns are super cute to me.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 10, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Took my twists out earlier today and decided to try out some protective styles on the twist out, based on some of the suggestions received. It was a success!
> 
> Here are my favourites:
> 
> ...



Oh wow, beautiful!


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 10, 2020)

@Mapleoats - I LOVE your twist out updo.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 11, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> From what I've observed over the years on the hair boards, when ladies started to make changes to a regi that was working for them, it would trigger a setback.  Now it's a different story if you're trying to solve a particular hair or process issue though.  Try whatever you want to get the results you want.



This is me all day!! I feel like I'm experiencing the start of a setback  . I wanted to go heatless this month, but I don't seem to know how to handle my hair in _this _state without it. I'm going to wash, DC and flatiron my hair in the next day or two.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 11, 2020)

@Mapleoats Your PS is very pretty!!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 11, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 @GettingKinky @ckisland thank you ladies!




nyeredzi said:


> Love it. I'm telling you, we got the same look, lol. I even showed my husband and was like "think quick, is this me or nah". He knew it wasn't me, but admitted it was close! Now tell us about that hair accessory.
> 
> I undid my twists today for a twist out. Looks fab, if I do say so myself. I'll probably wash in a day or two, which will be the last wash of my 3 wash cycle. I absolutely love that I figured out a way to only comb once every 3-4 weeks.



Thanks! Haha that is so funny! The accessory has a small comb attachment and just slides into the hair! It’s by the Scunci brand, got from the dollar store. Only combing once every 3-4 weeks? Tell me more! If I go more than a week without a thorough detangling I’d have a very long wash day ahead of me lol.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 11, 2020)

Hey ladies~

Can I join?* 

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural~

*Current Length: *Hip length

*Goal Length: *Tailbone

*Plan to reach goal length: *Consistency ~~ keeping my hair DCed and Shea buttered up.

*Regimen:*
Wash 1x per week
DCing 1x per week
Apply leave in, Oil and butter
Twist or braid up. Twists and buns are usually worn in a bun throughout the week and then unravelled on Friday

*Protective Styles:*
Twists and Braid-outs styled in bun

*Staple Products:*
Raw Shea butter
22nd century Shampoo bar 
Cheapie conditioner 
Extra virgin Olive oil 

*Starting Pic: attached~*


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 11, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> @NaturalShe94 @GettingKinky @ckisland thank you ladies!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I posted the basics of my regimen here:
https://longhaircareforum.com/threads/grow-it-long-2020-challenge.847329/page-4#post-25388591
I used to also detangle every week, couldn't figure out how to wash and then not detangle because every wash would cause too many tangles. But I often didn't get my hair *thoroughly* detangled, and honestly can't without that blow dry. Keeping in twists the majority of the time + the thorough detangle once a month + the intermediate finger detangle seems to do the trick. Also, though, I have less hair than I used to. I'm still not 100% sure it would have worked on the volume of hair I had before I had my 2 kids and just got older.


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 11, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Hey ladies~
> 
> Can I join?*
> 
> ...





Uh ma'am, this here is a "Grow It Long" challenge. Seems you've lost your way.  Perhaps you're looking for the  "I Can't Sit Down Without My Long Hair Getting In The Way" challenge or the "I Don't Have to Hurt Myself While Pulling My Hair for a Length Check" challenge??












j/k 

Your hair is bananas!!  Beautiful! Love it!!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 11, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Hey ladies~
> 
> Can I join?*
> 
> ...



Nope. Nope. No you cannot!
Not until you tell me what "cheapie conditioner" is.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 11, 2020)

@mayoo your hair is beautiful - so long and thick. This has confirmed for me that I probably need hip length hair for my wash n go to have any kind of length.


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 11, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So, I'll be 6 months postpartum tomorrow. Starting at about 3 months postpartum my hair started shedding a ton, I mean like a whole lot. I cried. I was staying on my prescribed prenatal vitamins like my doc told me too (I am breastfeeding), my hormones are out of control due to me breastfeeding. I've had one cycle since I had my girl and haven't had one again. I've also gained a ton of weight for no reason. Like for real. I was all belly during my pregnancy, my doc even had me going to monthly ultrasounds because she claims I wasn't gaining like I'm suppose too. Then suddenly 2 months postpartum all this weight came on out of no where. So my body is just doing its' own thing apparently. Anyway, starting about a week ago I ditched my prenatals and bought postnatal vitamins that I happen to just run into while in Target. My shedding has calmed down TREMENDOUSLY and I even feel a lot better. My cycle just came on too, not sure if that's a good or bad thing being that I'm breastfeeding, but, I'm super happy that my hair shedding is back to normal. I started worrying about my ends. Hopefully, this means my hormones will be regulated a little better as well because I'm also not sure if postpartum/breastfeeding hormones have affected my growth rate.



Congratulations, new Mommy!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 11, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Congratulations, new Mommy!



Thank you! I see your siggy, Congrats to you too!!!
How old is your little one?


----------



## HealthyHair2020 (Jan 11, 2020)

I've had in my box braids for 3 weeks now. Trying to keep them in for 1 or 2 weeks more. It has been great not having to do my hair every week lol.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 11, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Uh ma'am, this here is a "Grow It Long" challenge. Seems you've lost your way.  Perhaps you're looking for the  "I Can't Sit Down Without My Long Hair Getting In The Way" challenge or the "I Don't Have to Hurt Myself While Pulling My Hair for a Length Check" challenge??
> 
> j/k
> 
> Your hair is bananas!!  Beautiful! Love it!!



yoooo you are sooo funny, I cannot. Pshh I wish it was long enough to sit on. Still got a long way to go 

Thank you, though. You're very kind.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 11, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Nope. Nope. No you cannot!
> Not until you tell me what "cheapie conditioner" is.



 I just use the phrase to describe every cheap conditioner that I detangle with

The current one I'm using is from Sainsbury's (British supermarket)- pic attached if you're interested

Since I'm no longer in the UK, I'm gonna start using Suave

Can I join now?  Pretty please ~~~~


----------



## mayoo (Jan 11, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> @mayoo your hair is beautiful - so long and thick. This has confirmed for me that I probably need hip length hair for my wash n go to have any kind of length.




Thank you~
Your hair in your profile pic is just 

Good luck with the wash and go though... Mine are still neck length at best lol


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 11, 2020)

mayoo said:


> I just use the phrase to describe every cheap conditioner that I detangle with
> 
> The current one I'm using is from Sainsbury's (British supermarket)- pic attached if you're interested
> 
> ...



 
Our secretary @apple_natural will be adding you to the list! 

Such gorgeous hairrrr


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 11, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Thank you~
> Your hair in your profile pic is just
> 
> 
> Good luck with the wash and go though... Mine are still neck length at best lol



Thanks!  My profile picture is so old. I haven’t straightened my hair in over 2 years, but my stylist used to do an amazing job with the flat iron. 

Are you serious? All that hair and your wash n go is neck length? Maybe I should just accept that shrinkage is always going to win.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 11, 2020)

@mayoo Omgoodness, your hair is everything! That 22nd Century shampoo bar is the best. I haven't used it in a while though with the price increase plus the cost of shipping.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 11, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Thanks!  My profile picture is so old. I haven’t straightened my hair in over 2 years, but my stylist used to do an amazing job with the flat iron.
> 
> Are you serious? All that hair and your wash n go is neck length? Maybe I should just accept that shrinkage is always going to win.



Unfortunately, I'm serious 
At the same time I'm really bad at wash and gos... The shrinkage plus the refusing the dry are the main reasons why there is no day-2 for my hair. I mean, if yours can hack it then I guess your hair could be more stretched too?


----------



## mayoo (Jan 11, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> @mayoo Omgoodness, your hair is everything! That 22nd Century shampoo bar is the best. I haven't used it in a while though with the price increase plus the cost of shipping.



Thank you~
Yeah, the price and shipping kill me. I ordered 2 a few months ago so I'll be good for a long while. 

In the meantime, I'm looking for a replacement shampoo bar (mainly on etsy). 

Have you tried any others that you like?


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 11, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Unfortunately, I'm serious
> At the same time I'm really bad at wash and gos... The shrinkage plus the refusing the dry are the main reasons why there is no day-2 for my hair. I mean, if yours can hack it then I guess your hair could be more stretched too?



I could stretch my hair, but every time I try my curls are distorted and I don’t like the way they look.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 12, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Thank you~
> Yeah, the price and shipping kill me. I ordered 2 a few months ago so I'll be good for a long while.
> 
> In the meantime, I'm looking for a replacement shampoo bar (mainly on etsy).
> ...


Chagrin Valley (they ayurvedic one especially) and most of the bars from Bobeam. I've been trying to find a good replacement too though. I've been contemplating trying Ethique but they're pretty expensive plus it ships all the way from New Zealand which I feel is kind of wasteful (trying to be more zero/low waste) not to mention expensive af to ship if ordered direct. I've heard nothing but praise for Wildlands ACV bar on Etsy but I haven't tried it yet.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 12, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I could stretch my hair, but every time I try my curls are distorted and I don’t like the way they look.



Same~~~ that's one of the main reasons I couldn't ever master day 2 hair 
What went up, never really came down


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 12, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Same~~~ that's one of the main reasons I couldn't ever master day 2 hair
> What went up, never really came down



I can do a loose pineapple and get my hair to come back down, but I’ve switched from pineapple-ing to using a buff.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 12, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Chagrin Valley (they ayurvedic one especially) and most of the bars from Bobeam. I've been trying to find a good replacement too though. I've been contemplating trying Ethique but they're pretty expensive plus it ships all the way from New Zealand which I feel is kind of wasteful (trying to be more zero/low waste) not to mention expensive af to ship if ordered direct. I've heard nothing but praise for Wildlands ACV bar on Etsy but I haven't tried it yet.



I think I've seen the Wildlamds ACV bar on etsy! Seems like my cue to buy


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 12, 2020)

Omg @mayoo this thread is just rich with all you long haired folk. I'm so in love

Challengers list on page 8


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 12, 2020)

@MzSwift & @LonDone ..okay sooo I washed and conditioned my hair in the box braids yesterday. I used the Shea Moisture Jamaican black castor oil line for both. And then I used the Mane Choice Tropical Moringa Sweet Oil & Honey Mask for my deep condition. I left it in for an hour with no heat. And then I finished with a no rinse leave in, the Shea Moisture Jamaican black castor oil brand. 

@MzSwift you made me start thinking after you mentioned not changing what works for me in order to avoid setbacks so I just used my staple products. I love all Shea Moisture and Mane Choice products & I think I might be a product junkie lol 

Only bad side is that I probably have to get my braids re done a little sooner because my new growth is now more noticeable ... or a lot more noticeable  .. which is okay it just means my hair is growing good! Thanks for the advice I'm going to DC in my PS for now on!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 12, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Chagrin Valley (they ayurvedic one especially) and most of the bars from Bobeam. I've been trying to find a good replacement too though. I've been contemplating trying Ethique but they're pretty expensive plus it ships all the way from New Zealand which I feel is kind of wasteful (trying to be more zero/low waste) not to mention expensive af to ship if ordered direct. I've heard nothing but praise for Wildlands ACV bar on Etsy but I haven't tried it yet.



@mayoo @water_n_oil  I loooveeeee ethique shampoo bars!!! And they are now available on Amazon prime! Atleast here in Canada


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 12, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Thank you! I see your siggy, Congrats to you too!!!
> How old is your little one?



She's 16 months - walking and trying to talking!


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 12, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> @mayoo @water_n_oil  I loooveeeee ethique shampoo bars!!! And they are now available on Amazon prime! Atleast here in Canada


Available with Prime in the US as well. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet since I wanted find something made a bit more locally. Might get one of the sampler sets first. I also want to try their laundry bar for dishes and shoes. Which Ethique bar do you like for your hair?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 12, 2020)

Cowash day ! I must say Asiam Jamaican Black Castor Oil Cowash is my new cowash staple instead of the Asiam Coconut Cowash. The JBCO one has so much more slip. I love it. I won’t be rebuying the coconut one.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 12, 2020)

It's official. I had a setback. My sister looked at my hair and told me that it looked shorter and choppy . I don't know how it happened so fast! I'm so sad.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 12, 2020)

ckisland said:


> It's official. I had a setback. My sister looked at my hair and told me that it looked shorter and choppy . I don't know how it happened so fast! I'm so sad.



I’m so sorry. :-(


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 13, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Available with Prime in the US as well. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet since I wanted find something made a bit more locally. Might get one of the sampler sets first. I also want to try their laundry bar for dishes and shoes. Which Ethique bar do you like for your hair?


I've tried the sample kit and used the regular size healie kiwi and St clements. To me they all seem to work more or less the same. The St clements was probably my favourite. One thing I've noticed is that they melt very easily in the shower tho. Not sure if that's normal of other shampoo bars


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 13, 2020)

ckisland said:


> It's official. I had a setback. My sister looked at my hair and told me that it looked shorter and choppy . I don't know how it happened so fast! I'm so sad.


Something caused breakage


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 13, 2020)

My only real challenge is  Learning to not over trim  my hair


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 13, 2020)

ckisland said:


> It's official. I had a setback. My sister looked at my hair and told me that it looked shorter and choppy . I don't know how it happened so fast! I'm so sad.



Oh Nooo 
Any idea what could’ve caused that?


----------



## pinkchocolatedaisy (Jan 13, 2020)

Ordered some henna and a henna gloss from henna sooq. Trying to embrace my grays but my hair looks ashy and blue lol. My grays are also not as curly as the rest of my hair.


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 13, 2020)

I'm too heavy handed when applying products!

A greasy neck,  night scarf, and pillow case are not sexy!


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 13, 2020)

HealthyHair2020 said:


> I've had in my box braids for 3 weeks now. Trying to keep them in for 1 or 2 weeks more. It has been great not having to do my hair every week lol.



I loveeeeeee box braids. I would say its my favorite PS but it's honestly the only PS that I have used and its shown to work miracles on my hair. I'm at 3 weeks now but I just started a bunch of OLLY brand vitamins so hopefully that's why I'm having to get them re done so soon. I can usually last like about 5 weeks, the 5th week I'm usually looking a lil rough though lol. Are you going to get them re installed ?


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 13, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> My only real challenge is  Learning to not over trim  my hair



Do you trim your own hair ?


----------



## ckisland (Jan 13, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Oh Nooo
> Any idea what could’ve caused that?


The only things that I did differently were that I washed my hair more often, I styled without heat and I styled my hair more often. I've found some heat trained youtubers with long hair that I'm going to watch.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 13, 2020)

I’m getting a curly cut in Feb. Hopefully I can get the shape I want without losing too much length. Then I’m all about growing.


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 13, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> Do you trim your own hair ?


Yea...I'm just gonna stick to dusting


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 13, 2020)

ckisland said:


> The only things that I did differently were that I washed my hair more often, I styled without heat and I styled my hair more often. I've found some heat trained youtubers with long hair that I'm going to watch.


I wouldn't do heat training.  You're asking for heat damage.  That's all it is.  Probably need to pay more attention on how you handle your hair


----------



## ckisland (Jan 13, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> I wouldn't do heat training.  You're asking for heat damage.  That's all it is.  Probably need to pay more attention on how you handle your hair


I'm already heat trained. I've been wearing my hair straight since last April/May, and I experienced heat damage in the beginning. My hair's been growing consistently since then. I lost less hair the last time I straightened it at the end of December than I did when I was doing my hair without any heat. It's very possible that my hair has just worn out, and I'll be able to tell over the next few weeks of wearing it straight.


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 14, 2020)

ckisland said:


> I'm already heat trained. I've been wearing my hair straight since last April/May, and I experienced heat damage in the beginning. My hair's been growing consistently since then. I lost less hair the last time I straightened it at the end of December than I did when I was doing my hair without any heat. It's very possible that my hair has just worn out, and I'll be able to tell over the next few weeks of wearing it straight.


 
I'm too lazy to search on YouTube. What is heat training? Are you pressing your natural hair after each wash? are your curls looser? TIA


----------



## ckisland (Jan 14, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I'm too lazy to search on YouTube. What is heat training? Are pressing your natural hair after each wash? are your curls looser? TIA


Yes, basically. The degree your hair loosens varies from person to person, but there's a loss in the tightness of your original curl pattern. I'm natural but my hair looks very much like relaxed hair when it's wet. I have a wave to my hair and barely any shrinkage. I have to "touch up" my roots with the flatiron because I essentially have new growth that doesn't match the length of my hair.


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 14, 2020)

ckisland said:


> I'm already heat trained. I've been wearing my hair straight since last April/May, and I experienced heat damage in the beginning. My hair's been growing consistently since then. I lost less hair the last time I straightened it at the end of December than I did when I was doing my hair without any heat. It's very possible that my hair has just worn out, and I'll be able to tell over the next few weeks of wearing it straight.


What do you mean "has just worn out"?


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Jan 14, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> I loveeeeeee box braids. I would say its my favorite PS but it's honestly the only PS that I have used and its shown to work miracles on my hair. I'm at 3 weeks now but I just started a bunch of OLLY brand vitamins so hopefully that's why I'm having to get them re done so soon. I can usually last like about 5 weeks, the 5th week I'm usually looking a lil rough though lol. Are you going to get them re installed ?


I love OLLY brand vitamins. Anytime someone asks me about my hair or nails, I point to OLLY.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 14, 2020)

So herlucidsky updated her fotki ( https://public.fotki.com/Herlucidsky/my-natural-hair-) in December and she included a picture of her ends which are 11 years old, and said were looking weathered and needed a trim. 

Her 11 year old weathered ends look honestly better than my ends _after_ a fresh trim. I've been struggling with my ends for years and it's significantly impacted my ability to retain length I believe. Does anyone have experience with improving their ends and still gaining length? I feel like I have to choose one or the other at this point..

Or are her ends just the exception and most ends don't actually look that good? Lol


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 14, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I'm too lazy to search on YouTube. What is heat training? Are pressing your natural hair after each wash? are your curls looser? TIA


Basically damaging your hair with heat so that the texture is loose


----------



## MzSwift (Jan 14, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> @MzSwift & @LonDone ..okay sooo I washed and conditioned my hair in the box braids yesterday. I used the Shea Moisture Jamaican black castor oil line for both. And then I used the Mane Choice Tropical Moringa Sweet Oil & Honey Mask for my deep condition. I left it in for an hour with no heat. And then I finished with a no rinse leave in, the Shea Moisture Jamaican black castor oil brand.
> 
> @MzSwift you made me start thinking after you mentioned not changing what works for me in order to avoid setbacks so I just used my staple products. I love all Shea Moisture and Mane Choice products & I think I might be a product junkie lol
> 
> Only bad side is that I probably have to get my braids re done a little sooner because my new growth is now more noticeable ... or a lot more noticeable  .. which is okay it just means my hair is growing good! Thanks for the advice I'm going to DC in my PS for now on!



Yay!  And Lol, yeah the new growth is less stretched once I wash and condition.  One of the things I do to get a little more wear out of the style is to put it into an updo that I leave in for 1-2 weeks.  I get style inspiration from loc updos a lot.  But once it's up, I don't have to do much manipulation to it for a while, only spraying my scalp every other day or so.

Here are some of my old updo pix:

View media item 111831View media item 111829
View media item 107711View media item 107709
View media item 107707View media item 107703


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 14, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So herlucidsky updated her fotki ( https://public.fotki.com/Herlucidsky/my-natural-hair-) in December and she included a picture of her ends which are 11 years old, and said were looking weathered and needed a trim.
> 
> Her 11 year old weathered ends look honestly better than my ends _after_ a fresh trim. I've been struggling with my ends for years and it's significantly impacted my ability to retain length I believe. Does anyone have experience with improving their ends and still gaining length? I feel like I have to choose one or the other at this point..
> 
> Or are her ends just the exception and most ends don't actually look that good? Lol



Myself as well. I struggled with terrible ends for a while. I keep my ends tucked and moisture infused. I go to work 5 days a week, I don't care to have a luscious wash n go, twist out, braid out or whatever for work. Hair jail for work all week, simple.  Also the ends are also the most weak and highly porous part of your hair, so keeping up with some sort of protein treatment or a leave in with a lot of protein in it once in a while will strengthen them. Another thing I do is keep up with regular dusting, not trimming, but dusting. Please get sharp shears. Dull ones cause more damage. You'll also notice more splits after a trim if dull shears were used. I can't run away from  splits, its just not possible for my hair. Looking out for "weathered" ends like herlucidsky or ends with, what I like to call, triple splits is what I take off. Also when you decide to wear your hair out and you've got ends that's frizzing up, while the rest of your hair is in tact, that needs to go. As well as pay attention to your hemline. If your hemline is thin then, chop chop.... If none of the above apply to your hair then PUT THE SHEARS DOWN.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Jan 14, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Yay!  And Lol, yeah the new growth is less stretched once I wash and condition.  One of the things I do to get a little more wear out of the style is to put it into an updo that I leave in for 1-2 weeks.  I get style inspiration from loc updos a lot.  But once it's up, I don't have to do much manipulation to it for a while, only spraying my scalp every other day or so.
> 
> Here are some of my old updo pix:
> 
> ...


Love these updos!


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 15, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So herlucidsky updated her fotki ( https://public.fotki.com/Herlucidsky/my-natural-hair-) in December and she included a picture of her ends which are 11 years old, and said were looking weathered and needed a trim.
> 
> Her 11 year old weathered ends look honestly better than my ends _after_ a fresh trim. I've been struggling with my ends for years and it's significantly impacted my ability to retain length I believe. Does anyone have experience with improving their ends and still gaining length? I feel like I have to choose one or the other at this point..
> 
> Or are her ends just the exception and most ends don't actually look that good? Lol


Sounds like you need to dust and not trim


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 15, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So herlucidsky updated her fotki ( https://public.fotki.com/Herlucidsky/my-natural-hair-) in December and she included a picture of her ends which are 11 years old, and said were looking weathered and needed a trim.
> 
> Her 11 year old weathered ends look honestly better than my ends _after_ a fresh trim. I've been struggling with my ends for years and it's significantly impacted my ability to retain length I believe. Does anyone have experience with improving their ends and still gaining length? I feel like I have to choose one or the other at this point..
> 
> Or are her ends just the exception and most ends don't actually look that good? Lol


What's wrong with her ends? It sounds like @NaturalShe94 is saying her ends don't curl anymore, or don't stay together in twists anymore? Is that possible for our hair type? I assumed from that pic that her whole length was twisted and she just unraveled her ends to show them to us. And they don't look bad to me. They look like the entire length of my hair. i don't get it.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 16, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> What do you mean "has just worn out"?


I'm sorry. I'm just seeing this post.
I mean that I may have eaten up the outer layers of my hair strands from using heat so often. That would make my hair super fragile and the length would just break right off. My hair would be past the point of no return.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 16, 2020)

I've noticed that I've had less breakage since I straightened my hair again. My ends may not feel that great, but they're not snapping off when I run my fingers along my hair. I also found a way to wrap my hair using a wide tooth comb instead of a paddle brush! I hope my hair appreciates the difference.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 16, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> What's wrong with her ends? It sounds like @NaturalShe94 is saying her ends don't curl anymore, or don't stay together in twists anymore? Is that possible for our hair type? I assumed from that pic that her whole length was twisted and she just unraveled her ends to show them to us. And they don't look bad to me. They look like the entire length of my hair. i don't get it.



I think by herlucidsky’s standards her ends don’t look as good as she would like them to or is used to them being. I agree they don’t look bad to me either lol.


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 16, 2020)

To avoid a possible setback, I've decided not to dye (to cover greys) my hair in 2020. This may make my braids look funky but length retention is important to me.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 17, 2020)

ckisland said:


> I've noticed that I've had less breakage since I straightened my hair again. My ends may not feel that great, but they're not snapping off when I run my fingers along my hair. I also found a way to wrap my hair using a wide tooth comb instead of a paddle brush! I hope my hair appreciates the difference.



That's one of the things I hate about straightening my hair, using a paddle brush to wrap.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 17, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> To avoid a possible setback, I've decided not to dye (to cover greys) my hair in 2020. This may make my braids look funky but length retention is important to me.



Why will your braids look funky? Because of the gray streaks?


----------



## mayoo (Jan 17, 2020)

Last look at this week's braid out before I wash, deep conditioner and set again for the next week


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 18, 2020)

Eek, breakage! I retwisted my hair from a twist out in prep for the last wash of my 3 was cycle, and I saw some broken hairs on the sink. I washed and did an Aphogee 2 minute. Hopefully that stops the breakage like it did a couple months ago.


----------



## keranikki (Jan 18, 2020)

Last Monday, I realized that my protein products need to be used together, to get the most out the them. So yesterday, I used SSI cowash first, to detangle in the shower. Then I used OGX Keratin Oil Shampoo/Conditioner. When the OGX products are used together, the slip from the conditioner is much better. I followed it up with an oil mix layered with SSI Marumallow. 

I also noticed that while the protein conditioner seems to close my cuticles and define my curls, the moisturizing conditioner does the opposite. Next wash day, I’m not going to use a moisture DC after a light protein to see how my hair reacts. Using a light protein every wash day has kept the breakage away.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 18, 2020)

keranikki said:


> Last Monday, I realized that my protein products need to be used together, to get the most out the them. So yesterday, I used SSI cowash first, to detangle in the shower. Then I used OGX Keratin Oil Shampoo/Conditioner. When the OGX products are used together, the slip from the conditioner is much better. I followed it up with an oil mix layered with SSI Marumallow.
> 
> I also noticed that while the protein conditioner seems to close my cuticles and define my curls, the moisturizing conditioner does the opposite. Next wash day, I’m not going to use a moisture DC after a light protein to see how my hair reacts. Using a light protein every wash day has kept the breakage away.



Oh Lawd. Makin' my product junkie senses tingle. I'm trying to stop lol. 
I used to use OGX Coconut Milk Poo & Con... Then I just stopped.... Not sure why... I just did. But, I'm always looking for way to stop even the slightest amount of breakage lol.


----------



## keranikki (Jan 18, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 

I hope they never change the formula. I have two other protein products I need to use up, but I never break them out. One is Mizani Kerafuse (hard) and SSI Okra Reconstructor (weak). There is just no need for them.


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 18, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Why will your braids look funky? Because of the gray streaks?



Yes, my greys are concentrated at the hairline so it looks weird.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 18, 2020)

ItsMeLilLucky said:


> I love OLLY brand vitamins. Anytime someone asks me about my hair or nails, I point to OLLY.




Honestly I have been taking them for almost a month and I am OBSESSED. I have had minimal to no break outs. I took my acrylics off and my natural nails are growing so well under the gel and I had to take my braids out two weeks early !! I love them so much I bought 3 more different ones. I also bought flawless complexion and lustrous hair (and a probiotic for my tummy but not important to this challenge lmao) not all hair skin and nail vitamins work for me and for the longest time I used to think biotin made me breakout but I guess I just needed to trial and error until I found ones that worked lol story of our lives


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 18, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Yay!  And Lol, yeah the new growth is less stretched once I wash and condition.  One of the things I do to get a little more wear out of the style is to put it into an updo that I leave in for 1-2 weeks.  I get style inspiration from loc updos a lot.  But once it's up, I don't have to do much manipulation to it for a while, only spraying my scalp every other day or so.
> 
> Here are some of my old updo pix:
> 
> ...



Wow your updo’s are so beautiful & neat! Love itt. I’m definitely going to think of some way to wear it up cute next month to make it last longer. Idk if it’s healthy or not but I like to have maximum amount of growth before I take them down lol


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 18, 2020)

Something is definitely up with my hair. Last wash day it just wasn't acting right, difficult to Detangle and my products weren't absorbing well. Out of frustration I ended up blow drying with my revair and wearing it in a bun all week. This week I've experienced some breakage at the ends. Tomorrow's wash day and I'm gonna clarify and either do a diy treatment or do a aphogee treatment.


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 18, 2020)

So I took my PS out last night (box braids) and I’m getting them redone today at 4. I have noticed a HUGE difference in how moisturized and soft my hair was during the take down since doing a deep conditioning while in the PS. I had almost no shedding, which I’ve noticed I haven’t been shedding much for the past 3 months or so. I also bought Dr. Miracles Gro Oil last week and was using it twice a day. Unsure if that helped with the moisture but I will keep using it. Also I deep conditioned with the Shea Moisture Peace Rose Oil treatment masque. I have never used it before but I read amazing things about it and I needed a deep conditioner that wasn’t protein to balance out how much protein products I use. I’m literally sitting under the dryer now so I’ll update how I like it once I post my new PS later tonight.

I also have a pic that I’ll upload later to show how moisturized my hair was after take down, all I did was brush out the braid waves. I’m not sure how much it grew because I’m not wearing my length check shirt I’m waiting for the April check in for that lol


----------



## ckisland (Jan 18, 2020)

I need to decide if I'm washing my hair every week, or stretching it out. If I do that, I'll need to see about cutting out blowdrying and lowering my flatiron temperature. I might try that just to see if DCing more helps.


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 18, 2020)

Simple is best for me


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 19, 2020)

Im still eating healthy thanks to thinking it's helping my hair growth. I took out my braids and twisted up the sections in order to rebraid when I get the chance.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 19, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Im still eating healthy thanks to thinking it's helping my hair growth. I took out my braids and twisted up the sections in order to rebraid when I get the chance.



Myself as well, but not just for my hair but because Ive gained a lot of weight in general since I had my girl. My hair growth may have slowed down a little bit. I stay at 1000 to 1100 calories a day until Ive reached my prepregnancy weight.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 20, 2020)

Keeping up the weekly wash consistency (begrudgingly). This time I used Elasta QP DPR-11

Also reviewed if anyone is interested 
https://longhaircareforum.com/blogs...p-penetrating-remoisturising-conditioner.897/

Pic of hair after washing it out attached. It weighed my hair down a lot... I was actually shocked 

Hair is currently in braid-out bun for today


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 20, 2020)

Skipped wash day Sunday. Ugh, and now my scalp is on fire. Ive gotta do it today after work.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 20, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Keeping up the weekly wash consistency (begrudgingly). This time I used Elasta QP DPR-11
> 
> Also reviewed if anyone is interested
> https://longhaircareforum.com/blogs...p-penetrating-remoisturising-conditioner.897/
> ...



So petroleum and mineral oil are sealants AND you have low porosity hair is why your hair felt weighed down and applying products made it frizzy and undefined. I typically like mineral oil in oils like the DoGro Stimulating Growth Oil, not in my DC though. It practically stops any other moisture from entering your cuticle. That DC would probably be ideal for someone with damaged high porosity hair. That DC would def be a no for me.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 20, 2020)

I'm not entirely sure shea butter is for me. It makes my hair feel soft which is nice but it seems to build up in my hair quickly and takes all the slip right out my hair as soon as I apply it. Since I leave my hair in twists the majority of the time I don't really lose moisture / it's also really quick and easy to refresh the moisture so I probably don't need such a heavy Sealant anyway.

I like the Leavein-Cream- Gel method I've been using, and adding oils to my twists/ends throughout the week as needed.

Next week I'll experiment with LCG on wash day and adding water and shea butter midweek to my ends. I think my ends can take a heavy sealing better than the length of my hair.  Or maybe I'm just using too much shea butter? Or I could also try Leave in, gel and then shea butter???

Not sure.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 20, 2020)

Hey @syrk your wash day / regimen sounds similar to mine, except I leave my twists in during the week. Are you using the EBW coconut curl cream for your twist outs as well?


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 20, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Myself as well, but not just for my hair but because Ive gained a lot of weight in general since I had my girl. My hair growth may have slowed down a little bit. I stay at 1000 to 1100 calories a day until Ive reached my prepregnancy weight.



Are you breast feeding?  If so, please don't restrict your calories.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 20, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> Are you breast feeding?  If so, please don't restrict your calories.



I know I know. But, I decided to diet now because she now eats other things and I also mix her milk with oatmeal now with less breastmilk most days.


----------



## mayoo (Jan 20, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So petroleum and mineral oil are sealants AND you have low porosity hair is why your hair felt weighed down and applying products made it frizzy and undefined. I typically like mineral oil in oils like the DoGro Stimulating Growth Oil, not in my DC though. It practically stops any other moisture from entering your cuticle. That DC would probably be ideal for someone with damaged high porosity hair. That DC would def be a no for me.



That makes so much sense  
I knew that it wouldn't work beforehand but I am determined to experiment. If I can find some lesser-known staples for less £££, that would be great 

If you have any DC recommendations, please let me know!

I'm usually a product minimalist so looking for new staples is a headache for me why do they have to reformulate and discontinue things


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 20, 2020)

mayoo said:


> That makes so much sense
> I knew that it wouldn't work beforehand but I am determined to experiment. If I can find some lesser-known staples for less £££, that would be great
> 
> If you have any DC recommendations, please let me know!
> ...



Girl, you asking the right & wrong person cause I'm a product junkie lol. I have so many deep conditioners, it's not funny. And none of them are cheap. I think my cheapest are the Shea Moisture ones. My favorite? Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Masque, but that joints pricey on another level. Second fave (cheaper): Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil DC or Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Marufa Oil Intense Hydrating DC (I say both for 2nd bc I rotate between the two for protein & moisture) . If I come across anything cheaper and works great, I'll let you know.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 20, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I'm not entirely sure shea butter is for me. It makes my hair feel soft which is nice but it seems to build up in my hair quickly and takes all the slip right out my hair as soon as I apply it. Since I leave my hair in twists the majority of the time I don't really lose moisture / it's also really quick and easy to refresh the moisture so I probably don't need such a heavy Sealant anyway.
> 
> I like the Leavein-Cream- Gel method I've been using, and adding oils to my twists/ends throughout the week as needed.
> 
> ...



Gel then Shea Butter??? I don't know about that girl. That sounds like a ton of residue, build up and 4 shampoo's.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 20, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Gel then Shea Butter??? I don't know about that girl. That sounds like a ton of residue, build up and 4 shampoo's.


 that's what I'm thinking too. But I just can't let go of my gel noooo. Not with twists, maybe braids but these twists need gel lmao


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 20, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> that's what I'm thinking too. But I just can't let go of my gel noooo. Not with twists, maybe braids but these twists need gel lmao



Then do what works for you girl. If your twists flourish in gel then so be it. I see naturals use Shea Butter for their wngs, not me. I need my gel lol. I'll use it for a bomb braid out though.


----------



## syrk (Jan 20, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Hey @syrk your wash day / regimen sounds similar to mine, except I leave my twists in during the week. Are you using the EBW coconut curl cream for your twist outs as well?



Yep. EBW Coconut Curl Cream is my staple cream for my twist outs. Always sandwiched between a leave in and an oil. Hair always comes out soft and defined. Do you/have you used it for your twists?


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 20, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I'm not entirely sure shea butter is for me. It makes my hair feel soft which is nice but it seems to build up in my hair quickly and takes all the slip right out my hair as soon as I apply it. Since I leave my hair in twists the majority of the time I don't really lose moisture / it's also really quick and easy to refresh the moisture so I probably don't need such a heavy Sealant anyway.
> 
> I like the Leavein-Cream- Gel method I've been using, and adding oils to my twists/ends throughout the week as needed.
> 
> ...


I can't seal with Shea butter


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 21, 2020)

syrk said:


> Yep. EBW Coconut Curl Cream is my staple cream for my twist outs. Always sandwiched between a leave in and an oil. Hair always comes out soft and defined. Do you/have you used it for your twists?


Yep it's my staple as well! I sandwich it between leave in and gel . I try new things but I always have it in my stash


----------



## Rhealthyhair (Jan 21, 2020)

My braider cancelled on me twice! .. Supposed to go see her tonight, I guess we'll see. In the meantime I went to get DUSTING and the hair stylist took an INCH off I could cry. I've had my first set back I think ... My hair is shorter than my starting pic I'm so upset


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 21, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> My braider cancelled on me twice! .. Supposed to go see her tonight, I guess we'll see. In the meantime I went to get DUSTING and the hair stylist took an INCH off I could cry. I've had my first set back I think ... My hair is shorter than my starting pic I'm so upset



Sounds like you need a back-up braider!


----------



## snoop (Jan 21, 2020)

I've been lurking, but I'm finally ready to jump into this challenge.*
*
I've been having issues with my hair over the last two years.  At first I thought it was some breakage, but I realize now that I'm also shedding a lot.  I think it's due to stress, so I'm working on managing that.  My hair is various lengths, but I'm not willing to cut it to one length, at the moment.
*
Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:*  Natural
* 
Current Length:  *Almost WL

*Goal Length:  *HL

*Plan to reach goal length:*  Baby my hair as much as possible.  Meditation and relaxation to help stop this stress shedding.

*Regimen:  *Wash weekly, moisturize every 1 to 3 days.  Exfoliate every other week.  Protein treatment monthly.  Trim every 3 months.

*Protective Styles:  *Two strand twists are my go to style

*Staple Products:  *Kaolin clay (cleansing), Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner, diluted Giovanni Direct Leave In (daily spray), DIY moisturizer, broccoli seed oil (to seal).

I was also using Komaza Hair Care products, but am now looking at ayurvedic options.  The goal is to be as DIY as possible so that I don't get stuck for products, ever again.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 21, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> My braider cancelled on me twice! .. Supposed to go see her tonight, I guess we'll see. In the meantime I went to get DUSTING and the hair stylist took an INCH off I could cry. I've had my first set back I think ... My hair is shorter than my starting pic I'm so upset



I’m so sorry. My stylist is so good about that. She always shows me how much she is going to cut before she snips.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 21, 2020)

Rhealthyhair said:


> My braider cancelled on me twice! .. Supposed to go see her tonight, I guess we'll see. In the meantime I went to get DUSTING and the hair stylist took an INCH off I could cry. I've had my first set back I think ... My hair is shorter than my starting pic I'm so upset



Awww. I totally feel you, an inch isn't terrible though hun. Any idea how many inches you retain yearly or monthly? I'm surprised she didn't show or ask you how many inches was okay before then. Were your ends in desperate need of a trim?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 21, 2020)

snoop said:


> I've been lurking, but I'm finally ready to jump into this challenge.
> 
> I've been having issues with my hair over the last two years.  At first I thought it was some breakage, but I realize now that I'm also shedding a lot.  I think it's due to stress, so I'm working on managing that.  My hair is various lengths, but I'm not willing to cut it to one length, at the moment.
> *
> ...



Yayyyy!! Despite the shedding, your twists look really good!


----------



## mayoo (Jan 21, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Girl, you asking the right & wrong person cause I'm a product junkie lol. I have so many deep conditioners, it's not funny. And none of them are cheap. I think my cheapest are the Shea Moisture ones. My favorite? Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Masque, but that joints pricey on another level. Second fave (cheaper): Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil DC or Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Marufa Oil Intense Hydrating DC (I say both for 2nd bc I rotate between the two for protein & moisture) . If I come across anything cheaper and works great, I'll let you know.



Thank you!! I will try your SM recommendations!
The morrocan oil Masque is a little too steep for me £££-widlse but I might try it as a one-off.

My interest is now peaked


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 22, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Myself as well, but not just for my hair but because Ive gained a lot of weight in general since I had my girl. My hair growth may have slowed down a little bit. I stay at 1000 to 1100 calories a day until Ive reached my prepregnancy weight.



You have a lot more willpower than me. My hair is the only thing that makes me stick to my diet. Now, I make sure I'm eating regularly and getting all my nutrients lol.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 22, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> You have a lot more willpower than me. My hair is the only thing that makes me stick to my diet. Now, I make sure I'm eating regularly and getting all my nutrients lol.



You dont have to diet for your hair, just make sure you’re adding in a ton of water and fruits and veggies somewhere throughout the day... Everything you eat adds nutrients and nourishment to grow your hair from cookies and cakes to fruits and veggies. I recommend eating healthier foods for the sake of your own health but Id be lying if I said those not so healthy things dont help your hair grow. I found this out couple years back. When I ate whatever I wanted (and most of it was crap) my hair grew so fast, whenever I dieted, my hair growth slowed down a lot.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 22, 2020)

I washed my hair Monday, and I lost a little less hair than I did the wash before. I was supposed to set my hair in braids to air dry before I flatironed, but I ended up unconsciously adding a styler to my hair   . So that turned into a 4 braid braidout. I wasn't feeling it the first day, but I slept in 2 braids last night and it's super cute today. I haven't seen any breakage either.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Jan 22, 2020)

I’m doing my masters atm & exam period just came up so I just had to bun my hair for the week which I hate doing but alas. I can’t wait to do my monthly length check as I’ve never done one so I’m interested to see how long my hair actually grows per month. I need to jump back onto the healthy eating too!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 22, 2020)

I finally washed yesterday but to moisturize, instead of using Scurl like usual, I used SM Raw Shea Extra Moisture Detangler as my leave in because it has the best slip I have ever come across among any leave in I have ever used. I used to use it every wash day but when I got introduced to Scurl and Scurls’ lovely price, I just stopped using everything else. As much as I love Scurl and I truly believe it played a big role in my length retention, it lacks slip and with these new lengths and milestones, I absolutely need slip in my products to reduce breakage as well as prevent tangles and knots. Think Ill be putting down the Scurl for a good while.


----------



## snoop (Jan 23, 2020)

I'm currently pre-pooing with a random mix of oils, butters, and ayurvedic herbs.  I'm taking down these twists after 4 weeks.  My hair was feeling so soft and lush, but I'm looking forward to finally washing my hair.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 23, 2020)

snoop said:


> I'm currently pre-pooing with a random mix of oils, butters, and ayurvedic herbs.  I'm taking down these twists after 4 weeks.  My hair was feeling so soft and lush, but I'm looking forward to finally washing my hair.


How do you maintain your twists for so long?


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 23, 2020)

i washed my hair last night because I missed wash day Saturday. I got to it super late in the week, but my hair seems okay.

I'm planning to apply the aphoghee 2 step this weekend and I'm thinking of twists as a style of at least the next week instead of replacing the braids.

This is because I have twists in right now to preserve my parts. They're in a bun. To make the front neat, I twisted a few with one of the million gels that my mom bought me last year (and I haven't made use of, but I did keep for the right time) and I LOVE IT! They look so neat and nice. Thank you mother!

I will keep my current parts by use two sections for one twist.... i feel like a genius.


----------



## snoop (Jan 24, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How do you maintain your twists for so long?



My twists were really frizzy at the roots because part way through I started moisturizing with glycerine.  I usually wash my hair each week and keep my twists in for two weeks at a time, but this time I went 4 weeks without washing them.


----------



## apple_natural (Jan 24, 2020)

snoop said:


> I usually... keep my twists in for two weeks at a time...



How do you detangle when you are ready to take them down? Do you wear it in any certain way, especially at night? I have my own in a top bun right now


----------



## snoop (Jan 24, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> How do you detangle when you are ready to take them down? Do you wear it in any certain way, especially at night? I have my own in a top bun right now



I finger detangle.  I'm only just learning that a mix of oil and conditioner is the way to take them down to reduce breakage. 

When I'm at home I throw my hair into a twist/updo (in the pictures).  Basically, I two strand twist my twists and then tuck the pony tail part underneath.  I don't need elastics and there is no tension.  Sometimes I sleep this way, but mostly I just wear my twists down to sleep and just tie the scarf loosely in the back so it kind of acts like a loc soc.


----------



## periwinklepeach (Jan 24, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> @NaturalShe94 Thank you for making this thread! You have 25+ challengers so far... I think... if I got everybody
> 
> NaturalShe94
> syrk
> ...


I don't see me on here! Can you add me please?


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 25, 2020)

Welp, I've done something wrong. My hair is either the same length or shorter this month than it was a month ago. :/ Perhaps I left the detangling too long. I got all excited at this new wash-3-time-detangle-once regimen, and went even longer between each wash. I ended up going 5 weeks without detangling. It took more force to detangle, I didn't even do it as thoroughly as I want, and I had breakage. I told you guys I noticed breakage a couple weeks ago too. So frustrating.

Okay, I'm going to have to detangle all the way next week, and blow dry again with my attachment. Manipulation or not, I need to get my hair thoroughly detangled to get back on the path of being able to go multiple washes without detangling. But after that, I'll try to be better and not leave it as long. I'll wash weekly and then detangle after the 3rd wash, meaning detanling after 21 days, instead of 35 like I did this past time.


----------



## ckisland (Jan 25, 2020)

My little braidout life seems to be working out!! I still have breakage, but much much less than before. Only a few pieces when I go through my hair. My hair is also looking really voluminous which I love. When I wash this Tuesday or Wednesday, I won't stumble into doing another braidout by accident .


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 25, 2020)

My hair is a bit messy in my January pic, but here’s my update for the month.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 26, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> My hair is a bit messy in my January pic, but here’s my update for the month.
> 
> View attachment 454999



Is your hair shorter in the front than in the back? The December pic looks longer than January but then I realized you’re stretching two different parts of your hair.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jan 26, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Welp, I've done something wrong. My hair is either the same length or shorter this month than it was a month ago. :/ Perhaps I left the detangling too long. I got all excited at this new wash-3-time-detangle-once regimen, and went even longer between each wash. I ended up going 5 weeks without detangling. It took more force to detangle, I didn't even do it as thoroughly as I want, and I had breakage. I told you guys I noticed breakage a couple weeks ago too. So frustrating.
> 
> Okay, I'm going to have to detangle all the way next week, and blow dry again with my attachment. Manipulation or not, I need to get my hair thoroughly detangled to get back on the path of being able to go multiple washes without detangling. But after that, I'll try to be better and not leave it as long. I'll wash weekly and then detangle after the 3rd wash, meaning detanling after 21 days, instead of 35 like I did this past time.



You dont get more breakage detangling every 3 weeks vs every wash day or weekly?


----------



## GettingKinky (Jan 26, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Is your hair shorter in the front than in the back? The December pic looks longer than January but then I realized you’re stretching two different parts of your hair.



I think it is longer in the back. Ever since I stopped straightening my hair I’ve been really bad at length checks.


----------



## nyeredzi (Jan 26, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> You dont get more breakage detangling every 3 weeks vs every wash day or weekly?


Can't say for sure, but I don't think so. At the end of last year  I retained 2 inches in 3 months detangling once every 2-3 washes and extending the time between my washes as well. But the main driver for trying to extend my detangling is time. I don't have a lot of time to devote to my hair.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 26, 2020)

It’s wash day, and my hair is still soft and moisturized and doesn’t look bad at all. I could go another few days but I won’t. In the past by time wash day rolled around it’d be dry af and in desperate need of moisture, so this is a good sign .

im hoping to see minimal breakage today. And I think slowly but surely I’m getting a solid routine down. I like @GettingKinky ’s idea of monthly length checks so I think I may do a length check next week.

I can’t believe January is almost over already. This month I was heavy handed with my scissors doing search and destroys. I’ve hid my scissors, and I’ll be going in for a professional trim/ dusting at the end of February!


----------



## snoop (Jan 26, 2020)

snoop said:


> I'm currently pre-pooing with a random mix of oils, butters, and ayurvedic herbs.  I'm taking down these twists after 4 weeks.  My hair was feeling so soft and lush, but I'm looking forward to finally washing my hair.



The mix worked really well and take down was a breeze.  This is the first time that I've taken my hair down and lost sooooo little hair.  Even shed hairs.  

My wash day got messed up a bit and I wasn't able to keep my hair damp while I waited for some time to do my hair.  I had to rehydrate it.  I got some broken hairs, but nothing like what I was considering normal.  I didn't think that I detangled well and so yesterday I re-did my hair.  Unfortunately, it resulted in a bit more broken hairs, but not much, but I was also able to remove a couple of knots as well.  

It was an eye opener.  I realize now that I've not been as gentle with my hair as I could have been.  If I had had wash days like this all along, I'd probably be at hip length by now.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 26, 2020)

All done with wash day. Tried cocktailing my shea butter mix with some conditioner. Now my hair feels greasy. Meh. I'm ready to throw the whole shea away lol.  I'll continue to use the mix up on my hair and body until it's finished. Then I'll switch to trying mango butter.

On the bright side! My hair looked and felt really good this wash day. I think I've discovered my favourite conditioning oil - babassu. It is everything that coconut oil is supposed to be. Light, not super greasy, absorbs quickly and provides great slip.


----------



## Bun Mistress (Jan 26, 2020)

I reported in another thread nut not here, I got two phone ponies and I will be waerhing these for the near future to PS and to save myself some effort.


----------



## syrk (Jan 26, 2020)

Bleh 2nd go with a protein DC didn't go well.  I tried the Miche Beauty Strengthen Protein DC a few weeks ago and my hair didn't like it much. So my idea last week was to mix it with my TGIN Honey Miracle Mask, so that way I'd get a bit of protein in but still plenty of moisture. Did about 1/3 Miche Beauty Protein DC and 2/3 TGIN HMM. Nope. My hair is soft as usual when rinsing the DC, but my resulting twistout is again dry and frizzy, resulting in more opportunity for tangling and knots.

Just going to stick with Henna and amla for my strengthening needs for the rest of the year. I said in my opening post in this thread that I was going to stick to my tried and trues and not be experimenting with different product and techniques too much. Need to heed that.


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Jan 26, 2020)

Bun Mistress said:


> I reported in another thread nut not here, I got two phone ponies and I will be waerhing these for the near future to PS and to save myself some effort.


I’m wearing one of mine today I posted a picture in the Everyday thread.


----------



## snoop (Jan 26, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> All done with wash day. Tried cocktailing my shea butter mix with some conditioner. Now my hair feels greasy. Meh. I'm ready to throw the whole shea away lol.  I'll continue to use the mix up on my hair and body until it's finished. Then I'll switch to trying mango butter.
> 
> On the bright side! My hair looked and felt really good this wash day. I think I've discovered my favourite conditioning oil - babassu. It is everything that coconut oil is supposed to be. Light, not super greasy, absorbs quickly and provides great slip.



I used babassu a lot last year since coconut oil is a no-go for me.  It's a great oil!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 27, 2020)

snoop said:


> I used babassu a lot last year since coconut oil is a no-go for me.  It's a great oil!


It really is! Yeah raw coconut oil is a no bueno for me as well. I’m hoping that mango butter will fall in the same category as the babassu oil - a great alternative/dupe for what I was hoping Shea butter would do


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 27, 2020)

Washed yesterday and my twists look and feel really good. Shampoo bar, acv rinse, oil blend #1 on hair, a little shea on the ends, oil blend#2 on the scalp. I added cedarwood EO to the second oil thanks to @PlanetCybertron and it's a game changer for my scalp. The mix was already good w/o it but it's a great boost.


----------



## PlanetCybertron (Jan 27, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Washed yesterday and my twists look and feel really good. Shampoo bar, acv rinse, oil blend #1 on hair, a little shea on the ends, oil blend#2 on the scalp. I added cedarwood EO to the second oil thanks to @PlanetCybertron and it's a game changer for my scalp. The mix was already good w/o it but it's a great boost.



Glad you liked it!


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Jan 28, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Washed yesterday and my twists look and feel really good. Shampoo bar, acv rinse, oil blend #1 on hair, a little shea on the ends, oil blend#2 on the scalp. I added cedarwood EO to the second oil thanks to @PlanetCybertron and it's a game changer for my scalp. The mix was already good w/o it but it's a great boost.



Did you wash your hair in twists?

My friend twisted my hair two weeks ago.  My scalp needs to be washed.

She did such an excellent job twisting my hair, that I don't want to take them out.  But they are frizzing and unraveling

It's only Tuesday, so i'm telling myself, I can hold out until the weekend, to take them out and wash.  
But MY twists don't look as good as HERs do and she out of state.....

I just asked her to give me a detailed account of how she did my hair.
and she did it in an hour.... Amazing


----------



## Mapleoats (Jan 28, 2020)

Im realizing  that the ends of my twists tend to dry out really quickly and really badly. Leading to frizz, whispy tangles and ultimately SSKs and splits. I'm experimenting with smoothing  them down with a hydrating gel as opposed to just water/oil during the week. The gel gives definition and holds the curl in place, which is really key to preventing the tangles, maybe even more so than keeping it moisturized.  Hopefully this might just be a break through aha moment for me!


----------



## HappyAtLast (Jan 29, 2020)

Hi, Ladies Are there any long-term transitioners in here? I didn't see any. I need a hair home!


----------



## water_n_oil (Jan 29, 2020)

guyaneseyankee said:


> Did you wash your hair in twists?
> 
> My friend twisted my hair two weeks ago.  My scalp needs to be washed.
> 
> ...


No but I've washed in twists many times. It was only 4 twists in this case though.


----------



## Honeypot (Jan 30, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Im realizing  that the ends of my twists tend to dry out really quickly and really badly. Leading to frizz, whispy tangles and ultimately SSKs and splits. I'm experimenting with smoothing  them down with a hydrating gel as opposed to just water/oil during the week. The gel gives definition and holds the curl in place, which is really key to preventing the tangles, maybe even more so than keeping it moisturized.  Hopefully this might just be a break through aha moment for me!


Flax seed gel on the ends


----------



## snoop (Jan 31, 2020)

I had my hair in plaits all week.  I wasn't feeling them as a long term style so I installed mini twists that I hope to keep in for 3 weeks.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Jan 31, 2020)

I’m really trying to minimise my routine in terms of products so basically looking for holy grails so I stop spending. I tried the crece polo deep conditioner. It was amazing - smoothed my hair and really defined my curls so I’m going to keep using it a few times but I think it’s probably a new HG. I did my first WnG after the last 2 weeks as it was exam period for me. I need my partner to double check for me but I did my first monthly length today and my hair has grown & retained an inch all round. I’ve noticed as I do WNGs majority of the time too that my hair seems to be defining very easily even parts of my hair that usually frizz.


----------



## CurliDiva (Jan 31, 2020)

Realized that I can't keep these cornrows in for 8 weeks as originally planned to minimize manipulation. Re-braiding more often will keep my new growth better protected and stretched. I also plan to combine every two braids to alternate my exposed parts for a total of only  7 braids. 

The next time I re-do my hair, I'll split them back into 14 cornrows.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 1, 2020)

Skipped last wash day and didn't even wash or take this bun out since. I am definitely washing tomorrow and it will definitely be one long, detangling wash day. Why did I do this?


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Feb 1, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> All done with wash day. Tried cocktailing my shea butter mix with some conditioner. Now my hair feels greasy. Meh. I'm ready to throw the whole shea away lol.  I'll continue to use the mix up on my hair and body until it's finished. Then I'll switch to trying mango butter.
> 
> On the bright side! My hair looked and felt really good this wash day. I think I've discovered my favourite conditioning oil - babassu. It is everything that coconut oil is supposed to be. Light, not super greasy, absorbs quickly and provides great slip.


Where did you purchase your babassu oil?


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 1, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Skipped last wash day and didn't even wash or take this bun out since. I am definitely washing tomorrow and it will definitely be one long, detangling wash day. Why did I do this?


How long do you think it will take you?


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 1, 2020)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Where did you purchase your babassu oil?



PipingRock.com


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 1, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> How long do you think it will take you?



30 mins detangling
Entire wash day (Poo, DC, style) 
About 2.5 hours.  

If I didn’t have to detangle from skipping last wash day, it would be about an hour and a half (I sit under the hooded dryer for 45 mins) 

Poo/Regular Con/Style: 45 mins- to an hour. 30 mins if I don’t have to detangle again before styling. 

Co-wash/Style: 20 mins.


----------



## keranikki (Feb 1, 2020)

Right now, I refuse to purchase anything hair related until I use up my stash.  My product junkie self went out of control in 2019.  Today, I oil rinsed my hair with apricot oil, then added APB Spinach Mask.  I layered my hair with Sirod Naturals Rice Leave-In and SPB Curl Pudding.

Two weeks ago, I realized that I may wash my hair too often.  My hair was unusually dry for the month of January, even after clarifying.  So for the month of February, I'm going to try to wash my hair every two weeks instead of once a week.  If stretching my wash days out doesn't help, then I know it's the products I'm using and I may need to revamp.
​@HappyAtLast

I'm transitioning from being color-treated.  Color treatments change my curl pattern, since my hair is so fine.  I finally took notice when I looked at a completely virgin shed hair.  My natural hair not only has a tighter curl pattern, but it's slightly thicker (still considered fine).  So I'm slowly going to cut the color out of my hair.  My next trim won't be until April.  What are you transitioning from?


----------



## CurliDiva (Feb 1, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> 30 mins detangling
> Entire wash day (Poo, DC, style)
> About 2.5 hours.
> 
> ...



Ok, I haven't timed myself but these are good guides. My wash routine is super short, which may or may not be a good thing.

I need to be more careful about each step in my wash process.


----------



## ckisland (Feb 1, 2020)

I washed my hair on Tuesday using ORS poo and Joico Moisture Balm. I left it on for 10 mins and my hair was so soft . Then I put my hair in 2 banded ponytails to let it air dry overnight. Got up the next day, and flatironed on 419. Hair came out great!! It wasn't as bone straight as usual, but it looked fuller and healthier! I wrapped it overnight and it smoothed out some more. Everything took me about 2 hours to wash, DC, detangle, band and flatiron. Not bad! I'll keep sleeping with my hair just pulled back and tied with a scarf.
I'm actually feeling good about my hair! I think I've retained a little bit of length


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Feb 1, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> PipingRock.com


Thank you! Just purchased some babassu oil. Can't wait to try it.


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 1, 2020)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Thank you! Just purchased some babassu oil. Can't wait to try it.


Awesome!! Hope it works just as well for you!


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 2, 2020)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Thank you! Just purchased some babassu oil. Can't wait to try it.


Definitely going to order some as well. I've been wanting to try it for a while. Will wait til I get closer to running out of my current oil though.


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 2, 2020)

Meanwhile, baby sis hit baby TBL. I swear  her hair grows and retains so effortlessly.


----------



## snoop (Feb 2, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Meanwhile, baby sis hit baby TBL. I swear  her hair grows and retains so effortlessly.



Baby girl has so much HAIR!!!


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 2, 2020)

"baby tailbone"  so cute.

So, I'm not sure what's going on with my scalp. I had dandruff last year, I took care of it with dandruff shampoo. First used it several washes in a row and then went on a 'maintain' schedule of once a month since I prefer gentler shampoo most of the time. At least, I thought I took care of it. I don't have any visible dandruff. Do you have to see dandruff in order to have the fungal infection that typically causes dandruff? I don't see any dandruff, but my head still itches shortly after washing sometimes, and my scalp feels tender. Especially at my temples and at my devil's horns area, like right at the top of my head, off center on either side. I've been thinking of trying minconazole nitrate cream, because I can't really be washing my head with dandruff shampoo every 5 days or whatever, and I saw @PlanetCybertron say that it really stopped the itching for her. Like, maybe i can apply that once in between wash days and that would stop the weird itching and tenderness.

I wonder if my scalp is just dry? I try to never put anything on it because experience earlier in my hair journey says putting stuff on my scalp makes it itch. But maybe I should try again. I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking, too, of trying to see a dermatologist to just have them look at my scalp and give a professional opinion.


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 2, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> "baby tailbone"  so cute.
> 
> So, I'm not sure what's going on with my scalp. I had dandruff last year, I took care of it with dandruff shampoo. First used it several washes in a row and then went on a 'maintain' schedule of once a month since I prefer gentler shampoo most of the time. At least, I thought I took care of it. I don't have any visible dandruff. Do you have to see dandruff in order to have the fungal infection that typically causes dandruff? I don't see any dandruff, but my head still itches shortly after washing sometimes, and my scalp feels tender. Especially at my temples and at my devil's horns area, like right at the top of my head, off center on either side. I've been thinking of trying minconazole nitrate cream, because I can't really be washing my head with dandruff shampoo every 5 days or whatever, and I saw @PlanetCybertron say that it really stopped the itching for her. Like, maybe i can apply that once in between wash days and that would stop the weird itching and tenderness.
> 
> I wonder if my scalp is just dry? I try to never put anything on it because experience earlier in my hair journey says putting stuff on my scalp makes it itch. But maybe I should try again. I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking, too, of trying to see a dermatologist to just have them look at my scalp and give a professional opinion.


That's a good question because I've had the itch without the flakes before too (though I generally get flakes). Lately I've been using cedarwood EO in a DIY infused oil(infused with green tea, moringa, hibiscus, and fenugreek) and it has helped tremendously. I rarely have the itchies anymore. @PlanetCybertron mentioned the EO a little while ago so I gave it a shot.


----------



## BlackRinse (Feb 2, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> "
> 
> I've been thinking of trying minconazole nitrate cream, because I can't really be washing my head with dandruff shampoo every 5 days or whatever, and I saw @PlanetCybertron say that it really stopped the itching for her. Like, maybe i can apply that once in between wash days and that would stop the weird itching and tenderness.
> 
> I wonder if my scalp is just dry? I try to never put anything on it because experience earlier in my hair journey says putting stuff on my scalp makes it itch. But maybe I should try again. I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking, too, of trying to see a dermatologist to just have them look at my scalp and give a professional opinion.



If the Miconazole Nitrate doesnt work try adding neem & peppermint oil into your regimen. Ive found that the MN helped with itchy scalp though.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 3, 2020)

So, in preparation for 30 mins of careful finger detangling in the shower, I grabbed my Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner, wide toothed comb (for shed hairs after detangling), 6 clips, and a bottle of cold water (to drink)..... I needed none of it. As the hot water ran down my strands it reactivated the Shea Butter in my hair giving it tons of slip. Finger detangling my hair took 10 mins or less. Only two clips needed and I didn’t use the conditioner. I detangled without using up the hot water!
Way to go Shea Butter! I must say that on wash days I’m pretty heavy handed with my SB and it seems to be working out great.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Feb 3, 2020)

Wash and go today 2nd day hair (not stretched). I used camile rose honey leave in with Eden body works almond serum and camile rose curl maker. My hair is extremely soft but a bit tacky (doesn’t bother me). I’ve noticed my hair is kinda mushy when I do this mix so I might try using a stronger gel but I’m loving this combo for the moment. Also I used one of my Anita grant rhassoul marshmallow clay cubes to DC and surprisingly not impressed I used to use it a lot before I cut my hair. So I think I might try out some new clays when I come off my spending ban. I really feel like WnGs will help length retention for me as the lack of styling and tension is less stress.


----------



## MzSwift (Feb 3, 2020)

@Kiaray8 

I'm not sure what you mean by "tacky" but your hair looks fabulous to me!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 3, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> Wash and go today 2nd day hair (not stretched). I used camile rose honey leave in with Eden body works almond serum and camile rose curl maker. My hair is extremely soft but a bit tacky (doesn’t bother me). I’ve noticed my hair is kinda mushy when I do this mix so I might try using a stronger gel but I’m loving this combo for the moment. Also I used one of my Anita grant rhassoul marshmallow clay cubes to DC and surprisingly not impressed I used to use it a lot before I cut my hair. So I think I might try out some new clays when I come off my spending ban. I really feel like WnGs will help length retention for me as the lack of styling and tension is less stress.
> 
> View attachment 455263



Bomb 2nd day hair!


----------



## Kiaray8 (Feb 3, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> @Kiaray8
> 
> I'm not sure what you mean by "tacky" but your hair looks fabulous to me!



oh Lool I definitely used the wrong word! It makes my hair feel sticky on the 1st day. I think it’s probably one of the ingredients in the Eden body works almond serum although it really stretches my hair at the same time. Thank you too! & thank you! @NaturalShe94


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 3, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So, in preparation for 30 mins of careful finger detangling in the shower, I grabbed my Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner, wide toothed comb (for shed hairs after detangling), 6 clips, and a bottle of cold water (to drink)..... I needed none of it. As the hot water ran down my strands it reactivated the Shea Butter in my hair giving it tons of slip. Finger detangling my hair took 10 mins or less. Only two clips needed and I didn’t use the conditioner. I detangled without using up the hot water!
> Way to go Shea Butter! I must say that on wash days I’m pretty heavy handed with my SB and it seems to be working out great.


I do this all the time and love it. Just did so last night as a matter of fact on an old puff lol. A routine I used to do was wetting my hair every 5 days alternating using a cleanser and just rinsing under the water (i.e., actually washing every 10 days). Reapplied shea afterward each time.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 3, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> I do this all the time and love it. Just did so last night as a matter of fact on an old puff lol. A routine I used to do was wetting my hair every 5 days alternating using a cleanser and just rinsing under the water (i.e., actually washing every 10 days). Reapplied shea afterward each time.



You reaapply SB even after water washing only? Do you find it harder to wash out when you cleanse?


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 3, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> You reaapply SB even after water washing only? Do you find it harder to wash out when you cleanse?


Yep. Only hard to wash if I go ham with it and/or the mix is thick. I now make lighter mixes and apply maybe a nickle size amount to both sides.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 4, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Yep. Only hard to wash if I go ham with it and/or the mix is thick. I now make lighter mixes and apply maybe a nickle size amount to both sides.



Ohhh okay makes sense. I have to either shampoo or cowash because Im heavy handed with my SB and I use it raw, no mix. Lol.


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 4, 2020)

I'm transitioning from relaxed to natural, about 7 months post. I'll be back for my starting post and picture.


keranikki said:


> Right now, I refuse to purchase anything hair related until I use up my stash.  My product junkie self went out of control in 2019.  Today, I oil rinsed my hair with apricot oil, then added APB Spinach Mask.  I layered my hair with Sirod Naturals Rice Leave-In and SPB Curl Pudding.
> 
> Two weeks ago, I realized that I may wash my hair too often.  My hair was unusually dry for the month of January, even after clarifying.  So for the month of February, I'm going to try to wash my hair every two weeks instead of once a week.  If stretching my wash days out doesn't help, then I know it's the products I'm using and I may need to revamp.
> ​@HappyAtLast
> ...


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 4, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Ohhh okay makes sense. I have to either shampoo or cowash because Im heavy handed with my SB and I use it raw, no mix. Lol.


Yeah using it raw was way harder to wash out.


----------



## PlanetCybertron (Feb 4, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> "baby tailbone"  so cute.
> 
> So, I'm not sure what's going on with my scalp. I had dandruff last year, I took care of it with dandruff shampoo. First used it several washes in a row and then went on a 'maintain' schedule of once a month since I prefer gentler shampoo most of the time. At least, I thought I took care of it. I don't have any visible dandruff. Do you have to see dandruff in order to have the fungal infection that typically causes dandruff? I don't see any dandruff, but my head still itches shortly after washing sometimes, and my scalp feels tender. Especially at my temples and at my devil's horns area, like right at the top of my head, off center on either side. I've been thinking of trying minconazole nitrate cream, because I can't really be washing my head with dandruff shampoo every 5 days or whatever, and I saw @PlanetCybertron say that it really stopped the itching for her. Like, maybe i can apply that once in between wash days and that would stop the weird itching and tenderness.
> 
> I wonder if my scalp is just dry? I try to never put anything on it because experience earlier in my hair journey says putting stuff on my scalp makes it itch. But maybe I should try again. I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking, too, of trying to see a dermatologist to just have them look at my scalp and give a professional opinion.



You don’t have to have dandruff to have a fungal infection, but you also don’t have to have a fungal infection to have dandruff. It’s one of those “yes, but also no, but possibly both” things.  I’m currently just a Dermatology student, but often times, a lot of scalp issues are caused by contact dermatitis. Which is just your scalp skin reacting to things such as sweat, dirt, dust, products, allergens, hats, combs, brushes, oil production/lacktherof, etc. The list starts to become endless when you think about everything that can come into contact with your hair and scalp.

If you feel the need to see a professional please do. I have the same issues you mentioned, but I've been managing to get and keep my scalp in a much happier state. Essentially what I had/have, is some weird hybrid of dandruff/contact dermatitis. It gets really bad when my scalp tries to compensate by over producing sebum, which masks the typical dandruff signs concerning flaking, but the sebum will catch and hold onto literally anything like salt deposits from sweat, dust, pet dander, pollen (which I’m allergic to as well), etc. So I get contact dermatitis from all these different irritants.

I also get that itchy feeling after showering, but I find it’s not so much things to do with bacteria, allergens, or fungal stuff, and mostly from the physical washing motion, and the friction involved during typical shampooing. As soon as my scalp and hair begin to dry the itching feeling tends to subside. Sometimes my sebum has gone overboard and even a sulphate shampoo can’t seem to cut through it. When that happens I tend to wash back to back for 1-2 days because if I don't manage to break apart that sebum buildup I end up with full blown inflammation.

I do realize that washing with shampoo in general with that type of frequency isn’t realistic for everyone, and often times it also isn’t good for my own strands. Cedar wood helps me quite a bit because I can put it in the shampoo and kind of ward off the drying effect of the shampoo by diluting the formulation to some degree. Cedarwood also is the only thing that’s consistently worked for me for some time now because it’s light enough to not smother my scalp, but it’s potent enough to really calm the overreaction of my scalp when it comes into contact with irritants. It also allows my scalp to chill out with the oiliness.

You could also try the Miconozol Nitrate, but I’d suggest starting with a very diluted mix, and just doing spot treatments to the areas that need it the most. I went overboard and used it straight from the tube all over my head because I just wanted any type of relief and as quickly as possible, but I ended up with Tinnitus (ringing sound in the ears) for a couple of days. It’s not detrimental or anything, just annoying.


But I do have a few washing tips for you that might help.
1. Concentrate the shampoo on the areas that are the most irritated. Sometimes we shampoo our entire head with too much shampoo, so while it is cleansing the irritated areas, it’s also drying out the areas that are otherwise not irritated. I find this holds for both sulfate and SLS free shampoos.
2. Get the roots only. If you can manage to keep the shampoo from going past your ears this helps tremendously. Even better if you can keep the shampoo somewhere between 1-3inches of the scalp. I find that shampooing out of the shower and spritzing with water to activate the suds helps, and then getting in the shower to rinse. It gets difficult to keep the shampoo confined when you’re in the shower under the running water.
3. Coat your hair from the ears down in either oil, butter, or some type of silicone based product so that the shampoo run-off doesn’t completely dry your hair out. Rarely if ever is it necessary for shampoo to be getting on your ends.

Hopefully this ramble was helpful for you. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d want to discuss. And I hope your hair and scalp get better!


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 4, 2020)

@PlanetCybertron thank you for that informative post. I do try some of those suggestions. I also thought about just putting shampoo on outside of the shower for just the reason you said. But didn't because it was faster to just put it on in the shower. :/  dandruff shampoo. My hair was fully coated in oil though before the wash. But just a day after washing it's itching again. I don't think it's too much sebum, not sure how I'd know. Rubbing my scalp, I don't feel any thick oil or anything.

My miconazole comes tomorrow. I'll thin it out with some oil. It's especially the parts right on top of my head, and behind my ears toward the nape.


----------



## CurliDiva (Feb 4, 2020)

I knew my hair did not like Auntie Jackie's in control conditioner as I applied it! Tried to make it work by adding oils.

My hair has been dry, hard and itchy ever since. I need to re-wash and deep condition asap!


----------



## ckisland (Feb 4, 2020)

Length check!!!


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 4, 2020)

*Hi, Ladies! I'm happy to join and desire serious hair care, growth, and retention as I long-term transition.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Transitioning, relaxed to natural. 6 months post. Last relaxer 7/25/19.

Current Length: above APL*

*Goal Length: MBL*

*Plan to reach goal length: Super simplicity. Low-tension buns, pin-ups, & faux ponytails/buns while being conscious of placement and tension of combs, pins, and scrunchies. *

*Regimen: Wash, deep condition every 7-10 days. Oil my scalp 1x weekly with coconut oil/tea tree oil/rosemary blend. Truly trying to eat right, vitamins, get more protein, and exercise.*

*Protective Styles: Buns, pin-ups*

*Staple Products: Cream of Nature shampoo, Aussie Moist to detangle, cholesterol or Joico Moisture Recovery to deep condition. M&S products - still experimenting since transitioning.*

*Starting Pic: 



*


----------



## GettingKinky (Feb 4, 2020)

I’m going to be a hair model for a hair cutting class on Sunday! I’m excited, but I’m not sure what I want to ask them to do. I want to grow my hair out, but I want it to look “together” while it’s growing out. I feel like I may have to lose a good amount of length in the back to have my hair look polished in a wash n go.

I like the way my hair looks now when it’s freshly fluffed, but after awhile it starts to look uneven.


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 5, 2020)

Bun Mistress said:


> I reported in another thread nut not here, I got two phone ponies and I will be waerhing these for the near future to PS and to save myself some effort.


Can you post pics of your faux ponies. I'm rotating these 3. Outre Softie, Outre Sweetie, Freetress Twisted Bun and Bang.


----------



## Bun Mistress (Feb 5, 2020)

HappyAtLast said:


> Can you post pics of your faux ponies. I'm rotating these 3. Outre Softie, Outre Sweetie, Freetress Twisted Bun and Bang.


I like the bun one I was thinking i wanted something just like this for my none ponytail days.  Will be back with links.


----------



## Bun Mistress (Feb 5, 2020)

This is the one I am wearing right now:  Its from Heat free hair.  I have the everyday full, I think the picture is must be damp because after a day or wear or dry it looks more like the ultra full.


----------



## Bun Mistress (Feb 5, 2020)

Same for this one.  I did have to flat iron this to better match my "blow out" hair.  Which really wasn't blow out I just used gel and a soft brush.  And some oil.  My curls don't hold so byt the end of the week I have to rebraid or twist or it looks like a blow out.


----------



## Honeypot (Feb 5, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> @PlanetCybertron thank you for that informative post. I do try some of those suggestions. I also thought about just putting shampoo on outside of the shower for just the reason you said. But didn't because it was faster to just put it on in the shower. :/  dandruff shampoo. My hair was fully coated in oil though before the wash. But just a day after washing it's itching again. I don't think it's too much sebum, not sure how I'd know. Rubbing my scalp, I don't feel any thick oil or anything.
> 
> My miconazole comes tomorrow. I'll thin it out with some oil. It's especially the parts right on top of my head, and behind my ears toward the nape.


You should check with the dermatologist but you may be using something that is making your scalp worse.  Diluted acv every two weeks , and using my own DIY black soap shampoo has helped.  I wash my scalp when it tells me to which is every 5 days.  You can also try spot treating with aloe Vera juice between washes.  Also when I need a deep cleanse I use a true clarifying shampoo ( suave clarifying shampoo)   your head shouldn't be itching right aftering washing it . It is either not getting clean or something is irritating your scalp .  I don't recommend using that miconazole without speaking to a doctor first .


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 5, 2020)

Both the curly and straight ones are very pretty! 





Bun Mistress said:


> This is the one I am wearing right now:  Its from Heat free hair.  I have the everyday full, I think the picture is must be damp because after a day or wear or dry it looks more like the ultra full.


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 5, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> You should check with the dermatologist but you may be using something that is making your scalp worse.  Diluted acv every two weeks , and using my own DIY black soap shampoo has helped.  I wash my scalp when it tells me to which is every 5 days.  You can also try spot treating with aloe Vera juice between washes.  Also when I need a deep cleanse I use a true clarifying shampoo ( suave clarifying shampoo)   your head shouldn't be itching right aftering washing it . It is either not getting clean or something is irritating your scalp .  I don't recommend using that miconazole without speaking to a doctor first .


hmm, okay, thank you for this post. it has been a while since i used an actual clarifying shampoo. i figured sulfates were enough. but trying a clarifying solution is at least an easy thing to try. going to the dermatologist is such a pain. i got at least 2 other doctor appointments i have to make but am behind on because it's so annoying going to the doctor.

i have tried both aloe vera juice and acv in the past with no noticeable difference. maybe it would be different now because maybe the dandruff shampoo changed something to make those things more likely to have an affect. *sigh* i should go to a doctor, but it even sounds so lame as it comes out of my mouth. like, why did you come to see me today? "my head itches sometimes"


----------



## Honeypot (Feb 5, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> hmm, okay, thank you for this post. it has been a while since i used an actual clarifying shampoo. i figured sulfates were enough. but trying a clarifying solution is at least an easy thing to try. going to the dermatologist is such a pain. i got at least 2 other doctor appointments i have to make but am behind on because it's so annoying going to the doctor.
> 
> i have tried both aloe vera juice and acv in the past with no noticeable difference. maybe it would be different now because maybe the dandruff shampoo changed something to make those things more likely to have an affect. *sigh* i should go to a doctor, but it even sounds so lame as it comes out of my mouth. like, why did you come to see me today? "my head itches sometimes"


What happens when you don't use the dandruff shampoo?  I do acv as a prepoo then shampoo


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 5, 2020)

Honeypot said:


> What happens when you don't use the dandruff shampoo?  I do acv as a prepoo then shampoo


Without the dandruff shampoo, the problem is worse. in fact, i thought the dandruff shampoo had solved the problem, but it seems to have come back.


----------



## apple_natural (Feb 5, 2020)

i've added happy at last


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 6, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> @PlanetCybertron thank you for that informative post. I do try some of those suggestions. My hair was fully coated in oil though before the wash. *But just a day after washing it's itching again*. I don't think it's too much sebum, not sure how I'd know. Rubbing my scalp, I don't feel any thick oil.



at the bolded: that use to be me, turned out it was my coconut oil.

I also use to have dandruff. Id wash my hair almost everyday. This was yearssss ago though. Not sure why, but it just went away. I used to use Sulfur 8 medicated shampoo and rub the shampoo on my scalp before getting in the shower. That helped too.

Eta: Now that I think back, I think the Medicated shampoo is what made my dandruff go away. Not long after using it, my dandruff went away. I hadn’t even gone through the bottle.


----------



## mayoo (Feb 9, 2020)

Have finally cracked the code on how I can get maximum hangtime with my braid outs! Too bad I'm about to wash today, loving the look right now (attached)


----------



## GettingKinky (Feb 9, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Have finally cracked the code on how I can get maximum hangtime with my braid outs! Too bad I'm about to wash today, loving the look right now (attached)



So what’s the secret? Enquiring minds want to know.


----------



## mayoo (Feb 9, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> So what’s the secret? Enquiring minds want to know.



Loool sorry girl. Was waiting on someone to ask because sometimes I feel like I'm just talking to myself lol

So I think 3 things have been important:

1. Not a lot of moisture--I only moisturuze VERY lightly (just smoothing hair down with a little bit of leave-in) throughout the week. The length of my hair is never really "wet" which helps to keep it stretched. I do, however, wet and seal the ends every night while Re-braiding

2.Time. I won't get the best hang time until at least 4 days in unfortunately. My hair just won't stretch enough before then

3. Most importantly... Braiding pattern. I've been playing around with them and I've noticed that braiding towards the back, rather than out to the sides gives a flatter, sleeker look.
Also, the number of braids matter. I used to think that the more braids, I Re-braid in, the more stretched my hair would be. But actually it's the opposite for me. I am down to rebraidimg with 1-3 braids before bed. 1 braid (with middle or side parting) gives the best results for me in terms of a flattish stretched braid out that I can wear out

By day 4 my hair is looking like it's a braid out on old straightened hair.

I'm liking the look right now.

I hope this makes sense!

If you guys have any other tips for this, please share~ <3


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 9, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Loool sorry girl. Was waiting on someone to ask because sometimes I feel like I'm just talking to myself lol
> 
> So I think 3 things have been important:
> 
> ...



Thanks for this! Can you post a pic of how you wear your braids in a bun?


----------



## GettingKinky (Feb 9, 2020)

@mayoo do you do french braids?


----------



## mayoo (Feb 9, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Thanks for this! Can you post a pic of how you wear your braids in a bun?



Hey girl ~

Do you mean the first day after I wash? If so, that's today so here's a pic attached. I usually wear this braided bun until my hair is fully dry.

When I wear my bun throughout the week, it's usually not braided but already in the braid-out state.

There are a lot more braids because I do the initial setting and drying in 8-10 braids 

Hope this makes sense!


----------



## mayoo (Feb 9, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> @mayoo do you do french braids?



Not really. I attempt them once in a while but the process makes my head hurt and my hair gets set in odd directions (my head shape is not forgiving in terms of mistakes in braiding pattern lol)

Plus, my hair clumps a lot in braid outs and I found that keeping the same clumps keeps my hair mostly detangled throughout the week. Everytime I try and French braid, I disturb the clumps and end up ripping them apart. 

Hope this makes sense!


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 9, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Hey girl ~
> 
> Do you mean the first day after I wash? If so, that's today so here's a pic attached. I usually wear this braided bun until my hair is fully dry.
> 
> ...


Pretty!! Thanks!


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 10, 2020)

Can any braid out lovers on here share why they prefer braids over twists? Do you find braids give you better stretch or less tangles?

I think I want to start auditioning for a new main style. Starting to feel like these twists / twist outs might be causing excessive tangling for me due to not stretching the hair enough. 

@mayoo @water_n_oil you guys do braid outs right? Any thoughts?


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 10, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Can any braid out lovers on here share why they prefer braids over twists? Do you find braids give you better stretch or less tangles?
> 
> I think I want to start auditioning for a new main style. Starting to feel like these twists / twist outs might be causing excessive tangling for me due to not stretching the hair enough.
> 
> @mayoo @water_n_oil you guys do braid outs right? Any thoughts?


Yep, better stretch, less tangles, and more definition. It also lasts longer than my twistouts. I do twist the last 3" or so on each braid (a maximum of 8 braids for me).


----------



## mayoo (Feb 10, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Can any braid out lovers on here share why they prefer braids over twists? Do you find braids give you better stretch or less tangles?
> 
> I think I want to start auditioning for a new main style. Starting to feel like these twists / twist outs might be causing excessive tangling for me due to not stretching the hair enough.
> 
> @mayoo @water_n_oil you guys do braid outs right? Any thoughts?



I agree with @water_n_oil, more stretch and less tangles and its easier and quicker for me to remoisturise. Same for me with twisting the last few inches as well. As for the very last inch or so, I don't twist. I just "twirl" to avoid tangles
Co-signing in the longer - lasting effect too. I could only wear twistouts for 2 days at the longest. I cam maintain a braid out for up to 2 weeks if I want to

Hope this helps!


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 10, 2020)

mayoo said:


> I agree with @water_n_oil, more stretch and less tangles and its easier and quicker for me to remoisturise. Same for me with twisting the last few inches as well. As for the very last inch or so, I don't twist. I just "twirl" to avoid tangles
> Co-signing in the longer - lasting effect too. I could only wear twistouts for 2 days at the longest. I cam maintain a braid out for up to 2 weeks if I want to
> 
> Hope this helps!


Yes, twirling the ends as well! Way easier to remoisturize. I often will just do water and castor oil then rebraid when it starts looking old.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 11, 2020)

@water_n_oil & @mayoo What products do you guys use to prepare for a braid out? Do bigger plaits result a better braid out vs finer plaits? Do you get a better braid out styling on already dried stretched hair or on damp hair?


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 11, 2020)

@water_n_oil @mayoo thank you ladies!!!


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 12, 2020)

I just conducted a porosity test on clean hair (5 times) and discovered I have low porosity hair. I don't know why that surprises me, but it does! It also may explain a lot of my past natural hair frustrations! I made sure to cut the natural hair from the relaxed hair (both are low porosity).  I feel like this is about to open up a deep rabbit hole! So before I go down it, I'll ask you low-porosity ladies what works for you. I'd appreciate any feedback!

Deep conditioners?
Leave-ins?
Layering products? Like LOC method, etc?
Oils/greases?
Applying leave-ins on wet, damp, or dry hair?
Particular must-have ingredients?


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 12, 2020)

HappyAtLast said:


> I just conducted a porosity test on clean hair (5 times) and discovered I have low porosity hair. I don't know why that surprises me, but it does! It also may explain a lot of my past natural hair frustrations! I made sure to cut the natural hair from the relaxed hair (both are low porosity).  I feel like this is about to open up a deep rabbit hole! So before I go down it, I'll ask you low-porosity ladies what works for you. I'd appreciate any feedback!
> 
> Deep conditioners?
> Leave-ins?
> ...



Be careful with those tests, they typically aren’t very accurate


----------



## snoop (Feb 12, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Be careful with those tests, they typically aren’t very accurate



I was going to say the same thing


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 12, 2020)

So how do you test your porosity?





Mapleoats said:


> Be careful with those tests, they typically aren’t very accurate





snoop said:


> I was going to say the same thing


----------



## snoop (Feb 12, 2020)

HappyAtLast said:


> So how do you test your porosity?



This way:  If you go to wash your hair and it takes a long time for your hair to get wet, then chances are you're lo-po.  If your hair takes in water quickly, then chances are you're hi-po.

Conversely, if when you come out of the shower and it takes a long time for your hair to dry then you're probably lo-po.  If your hair dries quickly, you're probably hi-po.

Lo-po -->  water in and out with difficulty
Hi-po -->  water in and out easily

The water test has too many moving parts that people never describe when they're giving the instruction:  your hair has to be clean, the water needs to be room temp, etc. etc. etc.  But, if I read correctly, the way that hair is composed (layers, lipids, etc.), it will pretty much always float.


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 12, 2020)

I’ve decided that for the rest of the year I’m going to challenge myself to wear stretched styles _atleast_ 75% of the time (3/4 weeks of every month)

After years of wearing twist outs and twist out buns daily my hair never grew past collar bone length. Twist outs in a bun actually seem to make my hair tangle more than when I wear them out. 

6 months after drastically reducing my twist outs to 2-3 days/ week ( by leaving the twists in for 4-5 days) I was at arm pit length. So as much as I love the look, I just have to admit that they aren’t beneficial for my hair growth.

I’ll be doing mostly roller/rod sets and braid n curls, worn in a bun. This should give me enough stretch to make detangling more manageable, reducing SSKs and splits hopefully. I have an appointment to get my hair rollerset this weekend at an Ethiopian salon that uses those hourglass rollers. really looking forward to that, and not having to do my own hair haha  

I hope not to have to trim this weekend, but depending on what my ends are looking like after the set, I may have to


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 12, 2020)

HappyAtLast said:


> So how do you test your porosity?


I agree with everything @snoop said. Bri Hall also has a really good video on porosity


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 12, 2020)

Thanks, Ladies. I'll look this through and try again. The only thing I know for sure is that when I let my hair air-dry, it never takes "forever." It's not super fast, but I never felt it was slow drying. And I also know the ONLY leave-in that makes my natural hair feel moisturized for days is Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioning Repair Cream used on dry hair with no sealant. So IDK what all that means!


snoop said:


> This way:  If you go to wash your hair and it takes a long time for your hair to get wet, then chances are you're lo-po.  If your hair takes in water quickly, then chances are you're hi-po.
> 
> Conversely, if when you come out of the shower and it takes a long time for your hair to dry then you're probably lo-po.  If your hair dries quickly, you're probably hi-po.
> 
> ...





Mapleoats said:


> I agree with everything @snoop said. Bri Hall also has a really good video on porosity


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 12, 2020)

snoop said:


> This way:  If you go to wash your hair and it takes a long time for your hair to get wet, then chances are you're lo-po.  If your hair takes in water quickly, then chances are you're hi-po.
> 
> Conversely, if when you come out of the shower and it takes a long time for your hair to dry then you're probably lo-po.  If your hair dries quickly, you're probably hi-po.
> 
> ...


Product usage will also make a difference in this as well. If I layer 2-3 different things for a wng then my hair will take ages to dry. If I simply slap on a leave in and/or oil it dries pretty quickly.


----------



## HealthyHair2020 (Feb 12, 2020)

Have been keeping my hair in twists for the past few and I don't mind it at all! Wish I looked older than 17 while wearing them but oh well


----------



## snoop (Feb 12, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Product usage will also make a difference in this as well. If I layer 2-3 different things for a wng then my hair will take ages to dry. If I simply slap on a leave in and/or oil it dries pretty quickly.



I should have clarified to say that I was referring to naked hair


----------



## snoop (Feb 12, 2020)

HappyAtLast said:


> Thanks, Ladies. I'll look this through and try again. The only thing I know for sure is that when I let my hair air-dry, it never takes "forever." It's not super fast, but I never felt it was slow drying. And I also know the ONLY leave-in that makes my natural hair feel moisturized for days is Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioning Repair Cream used on dry hair with no sealant. So IDK what all that means!



You might be normal porosity.  I find that people rarely address this porosity level.


----------



## Royalq (Feb 13, 2020)

Yes I have highly porous hair and it dries within an hour if left to it’s own devices and will feel very dry. If I do a good protein treatment then DC my hair takes many hours to dry


----------



## mayoo (Feb 13, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> @water_n_oil & @mayoo What products do you guys use to prepare for a braid out? Do bigger plaits result a better braid out vs finer plaits? Do you get a better braid out styling on already dried stretched hair or on damp hair?



Sorry I missed this!
Here are my answers~

*What products do you guys use to prepare for a braid out*?

I braid on freshly washed hair with my leave in (currently looking for a staple. Using Maui Moisture Curl Milk currently), raw shea butter and olive oil on top.

Rebraid with water, leave-ins, shea butter only on ends

Undo braids in the morning with oil only 

*Do bigger plaits result a better braid out vs finer plaits?*
For me, yes. I prefer a more stretched braid out. With finer braids, it ends up more angled and puffy for me.

*Do you get a better braid out styling on already dried stretched hair or on damp hair? *
Do you mean initally or rebraiding?
When I first start it, it's always on wet hair right after deep conditioning.

When rebraiding, I don't wet the braid apart from the ends. Otherwise I get a lot of tangles. 

Hope this answered the questions


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 13, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Sorry I missed this!
> Here are my answers~
> 
> *What products do you guys use to prepare for a braid out*?
> ...


  You rebraid nightly?


----------



## mayoo (Feb 13, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> You rebraid nightly?



Yep, I rebraid and moisturise ends nightly 

If not, it will be in a weird shape + have tangles + not as stretched the next day


----------



## mayoo (Feb 16, 2020)

DCed today with Africa's Best Coconut Creme Restorative Conditioner... Mistake. Found a lot if short pieces of hair while I was styling. I'm starting to think that protein DCs really aren't for me 

Full review here if you are considering trying it:https://longhaircareforum.com/blogs...st-coconut-creme-restorative-conditioner.929/


----------



## GettingKinky (Feb 16, 2020)

My ends ( the last 5-6 inches of my hair) are really damaged and tangly. Part of me wants to cut them off and start fresh, but my hair already shrinks so much, so I’m just going to grow them out. I’m the meantime I’ll use protein DCs and olaplex #3 on them.


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 16, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> My ends ( the last 5-6 inches of my hair) are really damaged and tangly. Part of me wants to cut them off and start fresh, but my hair already shrinks so much, so I’m just going to grow them out. I’m the meantime I’ll use protein DCs and olaplex #3 on them.



I can relate. I got my hair rollerset yesterday and had to trim about an inch or so off. So I’m more or less cut off all the length I’ve gained so far this year  but it was necessary. Maybe try wearing your hair stretched a little more to help reduce the tangling?


----------



## CurliDiva (Feb 17, 2020)

I tried the Auntie Jackie's in control conditioner again. A big NO!


----------



## mayoo (Feb 19, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I tried the Auntie Jackie's in control conditioner again. A big NO!


Oh noooo, I literally bought it 5 minutes ago.  What's wrong with it?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 19, 2020)

mayoo said:


> DCed today with Africa's Best Coconut Creme Restorative Conditioner... Mistake. Found a lot if short pieces of hair while I was styling. I'm starting to think that protein DCs really aren't for me
> 
> Full review here if you are considering trying it:https://longhaircareforum.com/blogs...st-coconut-creme-restorative-conditioner.929/



You better stop it with it with the protein missy!  You’re gonna have to clarify to get the excess protein out now. Your hair is most likely low porosity which resists protein because the cuticle is tightly closed. Low porosity hair is already super healthy so there’s no need for added protein. You recently used a strong protein DC and now you’ve gone in with another so now you’ve got breakage!


----------



## CurliDiva (Feb 19, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Oh noooo, I literally bought it 5 minutes ago.  What's wrong with it?



I threw it away! It has a weird consistency and never melted into my hair as a conditioner should. My hair turned hard and dry.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Feb 19, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Just finished setting up my new LCL beauty hooded dryer to replace my tourmaline tools dryer. Anybody here using the LCL beauty one?


How are you liking the LCL dryer so far?


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 19, 2020)

My head was itching a bit. It's about 3 days after washing. I just mixed a little olive oil with a few drops of tea tree oil and cedarwood oil and massaged it into the parts of my scalp that itch. Let's see if it makes any difference.

I also finished retwisting my medium twists (16 twists) with QB cocoa tree detangling ghee and they are looking and feeling good. I was able to pull out some shed hairs in the retwisting too. It's a nice product. I'm almost out. The shea thread people have convinced me to try shea next, again. I haven't tried a mostly shea product in so long I've forgotten what it's like. So that will be my next leave-in. As a I said, I'm not a product junkie, so for me it's 1 leave-in at a time, plus an oil if I feel it helps.


----------



## mayoo (Feb 20, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> You better stop it with it with the protein missy!  You’re gonna have to clarify to get the excess protein out now. Your hair is most likely low porosity which resists protein because the cuticle is tightly closed. Low porosity hair is already super healthy so there’s no need for added protein. You recently used a strong protein DC and now you’ve gone in with another so now you’ve got breakage!


 
￼￼￼ You're so right 

I'm being so silly with my hair, lately. I used to exclusively use moisturising DCs and my hair was thriving. Not really sure when I forgot that...


----------



## mayoo (Feb 20, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I threw it away! It has a weird consistency and never melted into my hair as a conditioner should. My hair turned hard and dry.





CurliDiva said:


> I threw it away! It has a weird consistency and never melted into my hair as a conditioner should. My hair turned hard and dry.




Oh wow. My hair usually loves Aunt Jackie's DCs so I wanted to try it out... I hope my hair doesn't have the same reaction


----------



## CurliDiva (Feb 20, 2020)

*


NaturalShe94 said:



			You better stop it with it with the protein missy!  You’re gonna have to clarify to get the excess protein out now. Your hair is most likely low porosity which resists protein because the cuticle is tightly closed. Low porosity hair is already super healthy so there’s no need for added protein. You recently used a strong protein DC and now you’ve gone in with another so now you’ve got breakage! 

Click to expand...


This is great advice! *


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 20, 2020)

BeautifulRoots said:


> How are you liking the LCL dryer so far?


So far so good!!! I use it weekly to DC, but I’m going to dust off my tabletop steamer and start steaming instead. I plan to do rollersets and rod set going forward, so I’ll still be using the dryer atleast 3 times a month, if not weekly


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Feb 20, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So far so good!!! I use it weekly to DC, but I’m going to dust off my tabletop steamer and start steaming instead. I plan to do rollersets and rod set going forward, so I’ll still be using the dryer atleast 3 times a month, if not weekly



Good to know!  That's great you can use it for DC too.

I'm mainly looking to try roller setting as well as setting my braid outs.  Tired of the multi-day damp hair, lol.  Going to save my coins to purchase it in the future.


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 20, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> My head was itching a bit. It's about 3 days after washing. I just mixed a little olive oil with a few drops of tea tree oil and cedarwood oil and massaged it into the parts of my scalp that itch. Let's see if it makes any difference.
> 
> I also finished retwisting my medium twists (16 twists) with QB cocoa tree detangling ghee and they are looking and feeling good. I was able to pull out some shed hairs in the retwisting too. It's a nice product. I'm almost out. The shea thread people have convinced me to try shea next, again. I haven't tried a mostly shea product in so long I've forgotten what it's like. So that will be my next leave-in. As a I said, I'm not a product junkie, so for me it's 1 leave-in at a time, plus an oil if I feel it helps.



My head isn't itching today. It comes and goes, so I'm not sure if the oil is what helped. But I'm at least happy that it didn't make my head itch more. For years I've avoided putting things directly on my scalp because my recollection was that it made my head itch. I'm still going to avoid putting conditioners on my scalp, still too scared to do that. But I'm happy for now to have evidence that it's possible for me to put oil on my scalp and have it not itch.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Feb 20, 2020)

mayoo said:


> ￼￼￼ You're so right
> 
> I'm being so silly with my hair, lately. I used to exclusively use moisturising DCs and my hair was thriving. Not really sure when I forgot that...



See look atcha! Overwhelming those beautiful tresses with protein because you wanna “experiment”


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 21, 2020)

BeautifulRoots said:


> Good to know!  That's great you can use it for DC too.
> 
> I'm mainly looking to try roller setting as well as setting my braid outs.  Tired of the multi-day damp hair, lol.  Going to save my coins to purchase it in the future.



 I previously had a cheaper dryer before purchasing this one. My old dryer got the job done but the LCL is so much better! It is quite a bit big tho, I usually take the hood off the stand and store it in my closet when not in use.

and yess! Glad to hear someone else is venturing into the rollersetting space  I’m new to rollersets so I would love to hear your experience as well.


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 21, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> My head isn't itching today. It comes and goes, so I'm not sure if the oil is what helped. But I'm at least happy that it didn't make my head itch more. For years I've avoided putting things directly on my scalp because my recollection was that it made my head itch. I'm still going to avoid putting conditioners on my scalp, still too scared to do that. But I'm happy for now to have evidence that it's possible for me to put oil on my scalp and have it not itch.



have you tried diluted ACV, mixed with some drops of essential oil? I would apply this to my scalp 2-3 times a week with a dropper bottle and that really helped clear up dandruff’s and itchiness. Now I only apply it to my scalp once a week (wash day), or twice if I’m gonna be stretching my wash. I don’t rinse it out.


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 21, 2020)

I've been experimenting today to find the right moisturizer. I think I found a strong contender. This is my first time trying the LOC method. It's been on my hair since early this morning and it still feel very nice. More testing to come.

L - 50/50 blend of avj & Infusium, plus a few drops of glycerin.
O - Ultra Sheen grease (yep)
C - Aussie Moist conditioner


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 22, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> have you tried diluted ACV, mixed with some drops of essential oil? I would apply this to my scalp 2-3 times a week with a dropper bottle and that really helped clear up dandruff’s and itchiness. Now I only apply it to my scalp once a week (wash day), or twice if I’m gonna be stretching my wash. I don’t rinse it out.


I've tried diluted acv before, not with essential oils. I've tried versions of rinsing my hair and scalp with it after washing, and a spray mix of avj and acv. I can't say I noticed a difference. If just the oil mix is not working out again, I might try the acv + oils. Thanks.

I got my melanin haircare twist elongating cream today. They must have beamed it to me, it came so fast. I hate paying $10 shipping for just 1 item, but I didn't really need anything else at the moment. and after the disappointing reviews for the multi-use cream, which I was going to try, I decided to just get the twist cream. I just have to tell my head it's $27 for 16 oz. If it's very good, that's an okay price. I paid $38 for 16 oz of QB cocoa ghee, so it's not out of norm. Though, that is also expensive.  I console myself with the knowledge that I don't buy as many products as some others. I have basic oils (olive, coconut, castor) which are quite affordable and last forever, and 1 creamy leave in at a time. And that's it for leave in things.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Feb 22, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I previously had a cheaper dryer before purchasing this one. My old dryer got the job done but the LCL is so much better! It is quite a bit big tho, I usually take the hood off the stand and store it in my closet when not in use.
> 
> and yess! Glad to hear someone else is venturing into the rollersetting space  I’m new to rollersets so I would love to hear your experience as well.



Thanks for the storage tip, I may try that when I puechase.

Yes will have to come back and update on the rollersetting when I get it. The goal is to go from wet to dry with the rollers vs having to flat iron or blow dry first, then rollerset. Fingers crossed it works!


----------



## keranikki (Feb 22, 2020)

I'm feeling scissor happy, 'tis all.  I just want to cut my color off.


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 23, 2020)

keranikki said:


> I'm feeling scissor happy, 'tis all.  I just want to cut my color off.


How much inches of color do you have left?


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 23, 2020)

I tried a bentonite clay wash (a real one, not my disaster of an attempt to mix myself) today for the first time. A Terressentials I picked up on a whim when I was at an organic store looking for fenugreek (the supposed magical seed). That stuff is indeed totally different from shampoo. Usually people recommend products to me, and the new product is quite similar to some other product I've tried. But that clay is totally different from shampoo. I didn't condition after, I actually totally forgot  how could i, I wonder, because my hard was hard as heck.  I put melanin twist cream on and sealed with castor oil, hair is stiff and hard. I think for this kind of clay, you absolutely need to really condition afterwards. I do usually condition, but there are times when I haven't and just added a little conditioner to my hair afterwards and left it in. That would be a no go for this wash. I also had some breakage, broken hairs on my hand. But that's been going on off and on for a couple of months. Nevertheless, my hair is retaining some, overall, over the last couple of months.

This was also my first time trying the melanin hair care cream. Not impressed, but then again, it's not really fair given how my hair was after using the clay. I'm willing to try it again in different circumstances. But I also tried it on my daughter's hair, where I didn't use the clay, and still not impressed. I remember why I don't really use shea butter products. As a general rule, I'm not impressed by them. I'd rather have kinky curly knot today and/or Qhemet Biologics cocoa tree detangling ghee. Oh well, it was worth a try.


----------



## nyeredzi (Feb 23, 2020)

So, there's something I wonder about. For a while, when I was having the most breakage, I was measuring weekly. Seemed like my hair wasn't budging. Then one week, it seemed at least a half inch, in some parts almost an inch longer. I don't know if it was a previous error of measurement or what. But it made me wonder if hair really grows at a steady clip. Or if most hairs on the head can be resting at the same time and then you have a sudden spurt over most of them, and then a rest again? If so, then I really can't trust when people report a lot of growth with a product or method, as it might have just been coincidence that their hair had a spurt at that time. What do you guys think?


----------



## snoop (Feb 23, 2020)

This weekend I washed my hair after leaving my hair in mini twists for a month.  

The pros were that I wasn't refreshing my hair often.  The cons... I didn't wash my hair for a month.  I wasn't planning on doing this again any time soon, but if I do, I will be sure to cleans my scalp somehow weekly and then wash my strands at the end of the month.

I did have some breakage, but I always do.  I think this is partly to do with how I handle my hair.  It was WAY less than I normally get.  I also had less shedding than I'm used to getting for my normal shed.  Both of these things combined makes me wonder just how long my hair would have gotten over the past 8 years if I had learned how to properly detangle my hair.


----------



## HappyAtLast (Feb 23, 2020)

Well, I big chopped yesterday. I just really got tired of the scraggly relaxed hair dangling from my thick, textured natural hair. More importantly, I got tired of caring for, investing time, and using products on hair I planned to eventually cut anyway. So I'm 7 months post, from APL to TWA and it feels great!


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 24, 2020)

I tried rollersetting my own hair yesterday. Blah, what a frustrating experience lol.  The lady at the salon made it look so easy!! I definitely had to comb my hair more times than I was comfortable with, struggled to get the rollers secured, and the end results were just okay. No where near as smooth and stretched as when I got it done lol, but hey first time. I think I will continue to practice rollersetting, but biweekly, and just try to stay gentle with my hair even if I get frustrated with the rollersetting


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 24, 2020)

HappyAtLast said:


> Well, I big chopped yesterday. I just really got tired of the scraggly relaxed hair dangling from my thick, textured natural hair. More importantly, I got tired of caring for, investing time, and using products on hair I planned to eventually cut anyway. So I'm 7 months post, from APL to TWA and it feels great!


Congratulations!!


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 24, 2020)

snoop said:


> This weekend I washed my hair after leaving my hair in mini twists for a month.
> 
> The pros were that I wasn't refreshing my hair often.  The cons... I didn't wash my hair for a month.  I wasn't planning on doing this again any time soon, but if I do, I will be sure to cleans my scalp somehow weekly and then wash my strands at the end of the month.
> 
> I did have some breakage, but I always do.  I think this is partly to do with how I handle my hair.  It was WAY less than I normally get.  I also had less shedding than I'm used to getting for my normal shed.  Both of these things combined makes me wonder just how long my hair would have gotten over the past 8 years if I had learned how to properly detangle my hair.


What are you doing differently now that you weren’t doing before? (When detangling, or just in general haha)


----------



## Fine 4s (Feb 24, 2020)

I am about WL now but I think I'm getting a cut soon. My hair is thinning mid twists in several areas and I have too much breakage. I've always had breakage visible on wash day but it's getting to me. Hopefully I will be back at WL by the end of the year but for now, I think it's time to let go


----------



## snoop (Feb 24, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> What are you doing differently now that you weren’t doing before? (When detangling, or just in general haha)



Normally, I was just moisten my hair with my super diluted spritz then take down my mini twists.  These past two months I used fenugreek/coconut oil/shea butter/etc. and conditioner and I had much more slip.  Even more than when I've done it with shampoo and coconut oil.  I think that my next course of action is to see if I can make a detangling spray or detangling cream because having slip makes a world of a difference, especially since my hairs LOVES to curl around each other.


----------



## pinkchocolatedaisy (Feb 25, 2020)

Still in it ladies. Washing weekly with a dc or as if late, a henna gloss. WnGs are my staples. My hair stays fluffy, soft and moisturized. I feel a slight change in the amount of body it has. I'm going up to 7 days with my WnGs.


----------



## mayoo (Feb 27, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
*
Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *

So after the protein overload debacle last week, I used the dollowing products :

Shampoo: usual shampoo bar
Conditioner: Suave coconut conditioner (first time using)
DC: Shea moisture manuka honey
Leave in: Beautiful textures tangle taming leave in conditioner (first time using), shea butter, olive oil

So as soon as I began applying the DC, I knew that something was wrong. My hair just felt sticky and odd. It even felt like weird when I was detangling with my conditioner in the shower. 

Fast-forward to styling and I am applying the products and my hair just feels wet and SUPER DRY and my curl pattern had basically disappeared. I powered through and braided up my hair  as usual. Ladies, this was Monday... ITS THURSDAY NIGHT... and my hair is still not dry.... It feels soggy, like wire and super tangled.

*I guess my question is... Is this protein overload? Or is this something else? If it is protein overload, what do I do?

I don't think my shampoo bar is gonna cut it this time, so I guess I need a clarifying shampoo?

Anything I need to do afterwards? How do I know when my hair is better?

Please help 

This is what I get for experimenting... You were right @NaturalShe94 *


----------



## GettingKinky (Feb 27, 2020)

mayoo said:


> @NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
> *
> Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *
> 
> ...



I’m not an expert, but to me sticky hair sounds like you have lots of product build up. I think your idea to clarify is a good one.


----------



## snoop (Feb 27, 2020)

@mayoo Unfortunately, I don't have any advice.  I think you should try clarifying then going back to all of your original, tried tested and true products (conditioner, dc, and leave in) to see if your hair feels closer to normal.


----------



## water_n_oil (Feb 27, 2020)

@mayoo Depending on your water quality it could be build up from the shampoo bar. Most shampoo bars are simply soap and don't do so well with hard water. I'd start with clarifying.


----------



## MzSwift (Feb 27, 2020)

mayoo said:


> @NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
> *
> Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *
> 
> ...



When henna made my hair hard and NOTHING I tried to DC with would help, I added 2 tbsp of salt (yes, table salt) to a moisturizing DC  and that was the only thing to help soften my hair. After that, salt in my moisturizing DC became a staple since 2010.  I have used it on both natural and texlaxed 4b/a hair. I mix salt into Queen Helene Cholesterol with a little EVOO or Grapeseed oil. I've used both iodized salt as well as sea salt with no discernible difference.  Whichever DC you use, try to make sure it's a thick one. The salt will make it more watery once it's mixed in.

For extra moisturizing, you can add baby food bananas (trust me on that) and a little honey.  DC with heat under a plastic cap.  GL to you sis!  ((BIG HUG))

Protein overload scares the mess out of me *shivers*

BTW, Suave Tropical Coconut has also been my staple all-purpose condish since 2019 (cowash, leave in, daily moisturizer, ayurveda mixes, moisturizing sprays and braid sprays), it has silk protein in it so I dunno if you wanna keep trying that right now.


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 27, 2020)

mayoo said:


> @NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
> *
> Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *
> 
> ...



Ohhh noooo!! I would definitely clarify with the next wash. I’m not sure if it’s too much protein causing this but I would probably just do a super moisturizing DC that you know works for your hair, and stick to tried and true products until your hair is back to normal?


----------



## Mapleoats (Feb 27, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> When henna made my hair hard and NOTHING I tried to DC with would help, I added 2 tbsp of salt (yes, table salt) to a moisturizing DC  and that was the only thing to help soften my hair. After that, salt in my moisturizing DC became a staple since 2010.  I have used it on both natural and texlaxed 4b/a hair. I mix salt into Queen Helene Cholesterol with a little EVOO or Grapeseed oil. I've used both iodized salt as well as sea salt with no discernible difference.  Whichever DC you use, try to make sure it's a thick one. The salt will make it more watery once it's mixed in.
> 
> For extra moisturizing, you can add baby food bananas (trust me on that) and a little honey.  DC with heat under a plastic cap.  GL to you sis!  ((BIG HUG))
> 
> ...


Salt... I’ve never heard of adding it to a DC. What is it supposed to do? If anything I thought it would be drying...


----------



## keranikki (Feb 28, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> How much inches of color do you have left?



Due to my hair growing in layers, I have 4-6 inches of color to cut off. I have decided to cut off 1-1.5 inches every length check in.


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Feb 28, 2020)

keranikki said:


> Due to my hair growing in layers, I have 4-6 inches of color to cut off. I have decided to cut off 1-1.5 inches every length check in.


My hair grows in layers too. I’m so not fond of it.


----------



## GettingKinky (Feb 29, 2020)

I got a haircut a few weeks ago and based on my pictures my hair doesn’t look any longer than 2 months ago. But since I want to have a shape to my hair I will probably get a trim every 12-16 weeks.  Plus the last 10 inches of my is in pretty  bad shape, so regular cuts are necessary.


----------



## MzSwift (Feb 29, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Salt... I’ve never heard of adding it to a DC. What is it supposed to do? If anything I thought it would be drying...



Back in 2010, I read about salt on another hair board. It sounded like something I'd need to try after my henna mishap.  I figured I had nothing to lose since I had already tried 3 other moisturizing DCs with no success  

On that board back then, the ladies were talking about how salt makes one retain water and how the effects transfer into haircare.  All I can say is I used it weekly in my moisturizing DC for years since 2010, religously, LOL, with no adverse effects. Grew from shaved Ceasar cut to WL in 4.5 years.  My hair was always butter soft after using it.  

Then recently, I was answering this question for someone else in another thread and learned @divachyk did a blog post about using salt to counter protein overload. In her post, she mentions how salt breaks down protein bonds. Makes sense to me! LOL

http://adaybyjay.com/correct-protein-overload-hair-salt/

HTH!


----------



## divachyk (Mar 1, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Back in 2010, I read about salt on another hair board. It sounded like something I'd need to try after my henna mishap.  I figured I had nothing to lose since I had already tried 3 other moisturizing DCs with no success
> 
> On that board back then, the ladies were talking about how salt makes one retain water and how the effects transfer into haircare.  All I can say is I used it weekly in my moisturizing DC for years since 2010, religously, LOL, with no adverse effects. Grew from shaved Ceasar cut to WL in 4.5 years.  My hair was always butter soft after using it.
> 
> ...



Thank you sis!


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 1, 2020)

My hair is still short.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 1, 2020)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Completely Natural

Current Length: Midback, almost WL again*

*Goal Length: Tailbone Length*

*Plan to reach goal length: Bunning Mon-Thurs; Co-wash twice a week, Shampoo & Deep Condition weekly.*

*Regimen: Co-wash with Aussie Moist or Aussie Curls Conditioner or Shea Moisture Conditioners twice a week (I will co-wash more often in the Summer), Shampoo with Aussie Shampoos or Shea Moisture shampoos, and deep condition with Shea Moisture Deep Conditioners. I use EcoStyler Crystal and the Curl Enhancing Smoothie as well as an oil to style a wash n go or a bun.*

*Protective Styles: Buns!!! Buns have always grown my hair out, especially wet bunning. *

*Staple Products: Mainly Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus, JBCO, and Raw Shea Butter Lines, despite the changes that have happened with their formulas over the years, I find that Shea Moisture still works great on my hair. I also love Aussie's products, I do also plan to use Camille Rose, Mielle, etc. but Aussie and Shea Moisture have been growing my hair back out since the major set back I had with Devacurl & Diet change back in 2018.*

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED

 

I don't understand why I can't upload pics here  What's good?*


----------



## snoop (Mar 2, 2020)

@SmilingElephant You might have to resize your pics and make them smaller.


----------



## snoop (Mar 2, 2020)

Yesterday, I detangled my hair using a comb.  I think that I'm going to start doing this more often, to see if my hair responds better to it.  The only problem is that I get a lot of breakage combing, however,  combing my hair leaves it smoother (and therefore softer) and gets rid of the tangles that I miss by finger detangling.  I feel like I miss so many of them, that they turn into knots which causes me to loose more hair than necessary.  I was thinking of detangling each time I wash, but that may be too often so I'll try monthly and if anything go back to once every 3 months.  I have been doing annually for the past two years from 3 to 4 times per year.

That said, I threw my hair into 8 plaits.  Even though I try to avoid braids -- I hate taking them down -- I figure that I'd get a better stretch than if I put them into twists.

Also, I need to get better and putting my twisted ends into bantu knots.  As I type, I realize that I didn't do that last night, so I'll have to remember to do so before bed.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 2, 2020)

snoop said:


> @SmilingElephant You might have to resize your pics and make them smaller.



Thanks! It worked!


----------



## Mapleoats (Mar 3, 2020)

Soooo.... I washed on Friday last week and decided I’d try washing again today to see if multi week washing could be a thing for me...

Um, no thanks. Too much hassle and manipulation. And more than anything I just don’t have the energy for it. Halfway through washing the conditioner out I gave up and got out the shower . I set my hair in 9 braids and now I’m just hoping that the Giovanni smooth as silk also works as a leave in .


----------



## nyeredzi (Mar 3, 2020)

snoop said:


> Yesterday, I detangled my hair using a comb.  I think that I'm going to start doing this more often, to see if my hair responds better to it.  The only problem is that I get a lot of breakage combing, however,  combing my hair leaves it smoother (and therefore softer) and gets rid of the tangles that I miss by finger detangling.  I feel like I miss so many of them, that they turn into knots which causes me to loose more hair than necessary.  I was thinking of detangling each time I wash, but that may be too often so I'll try monthly and if anything go back to once every 3 months.  I have been doing annually for the past two years from 3 to 4 times per year.
> 
> That said, I threw my hair into 8 plaits.  Even though I try to avoid braids -- I hate taking them down -- I figure that I'd get a better stretch than if I put them into twists.
> 
> Also, I need to get better and putting my twisted ends into bantu knots.  As I type, I realize that I didn't do that last night, so I'll have to remember to do so before bed.


Are you saying you have only been detangling once a year? Or, only using a comb once a year?


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 3, 2020)

im getting back to oiling. i made another mix with less of a smell. also, i have been spraying with aloe vera/rose water and an essential oil blend. i fell off with my vitamin drink, but i have been pretty consistent with B12 drops. I should probably mix it in with the vitamin drink in order to combine the habits.


----------



## keranikki (Mar 3, 2020)

@ItsMeLilLucky I don’t like the fact that my hair grows in layers either. The front of my hair grows slower than the back. I also go through a thickening phase, where new hair will start to grow, but I do not gain length. It’s different. 

@GettingKinky Your hair has definitely grown. I can tell by the way it lays and your hair looks denser. 

I just cut an inch off the back of my hair and my curls look so much better. I should have taken a before and after pic. I will take a pic tomorrow morning. I started taking vegan supplements (sea moss, bladderwrack, iron) and noticed a difference in my energy levels. I think it’s too soon to see what it will do for my hair.


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Mar 4, 2020)

@keranikki mine grows the opposite lol not to mention I believe I have coarse and fine strands, multiple textures, and I may be low porosity. I relax when my natural hair gets on my nerves too much, I shave it off when I miss my natural hair instead of transitioning like a normal person. Transitioning takes too long lol. It’s the circle of strife  

It’s like I can’t make it past two years without dramatically changing my hair texture. That’s why I try to say never, but we know how flaky I get lmao. It’s just I believe in (whatever I’m saying I will/won’t do) it with all my heart at the time, but a few months down the line my heart changes

I tell you one thing, I’m glad hair grows back


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Mar 4, 2020)

I really be putting stuff in my Ammyzon cart like I’m about to buy it.


----------



## snoop (Mar 4, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Are you saying you have only been detangling once a year? Or, only using a comb once a year?



Detangling with a comb once a year.  I finger detangle every one to two weeks, depending on how long I keep my twists in.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 4, 2020)

I would suggest that you get a good old fashioned sulfate shampoo and scrub all of that stuff out of your hair. I learned a very long time ago to treat shampoo bars like co-washes (and I LOVE my co-washes!), but they don't completely cleanse your hair or your scalp. Pull out a real shampoo every 1-2 weeks and follow with a good deep conditioner. I would even suggest getting Aussie Moist 3 minute miracle deep conditioner. It's very thick and creamy and it will definitely give you moisture 




mayoo said:


> @NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
> *
> Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *
> 
> ...


----------



## HealthyHair2020 (Mar 6, 2020)

Thinking about starting a hair, nail and skin vitamin to strength my nails and ultimately my hair. Also thinking about adding rose water as a refresher since my eyebrows really grew when I was using rose water as a toner. Things to think about....


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 12, 2020)

i have 20 more days before I want to get my hair ready to straighten - deep condition and baggy dry ends (if they're really dry).

I want to henna *for color* and a little strength support, but I know I need to put on a serious protein treatment that I still haven't put on since January.  Should I henna soon and then wait until the end of the month to put on the aphoghee??? OR aphogee soon and then put on the henna at the end of the month... or does it matter?


----------



## TamaraShaniece (Mar 12, 2020)

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Natural

*Current Length: *Bra Strap Length

*Goal Length: *Mid Back Length (stretch) Big Voluminous BSL/APL  twist out / wash n go

*Plan to reach goal length: *Weekly deep conditioning, low manipulation styling, protective styling, water, and vitamins.

*Regimen: *Alternating Weeks

Treatment: Aphogee 2-Minute Reconstructor
Deep Condition: Shea Moisture High Porosity + Hibiscus, Amla, Belle Bar)

Treatment: Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator
Deep Condition: Edens Bodywork + Henna (Brahmi, Belle Bar) nding on how hair feels)

Leave Ins: Natty Naturals & Kinky Curly
Styler: Camille Rose Coconut Water Setter
Oil: Baobab Oil & Melanin Hair Care

Butters: Belle Bar Argan & Shine, Curl Smiler

Vitamins: Yaeyama Chlorella, MSM, Laminine or Irish Sea Moss

*Protective Styles: *2 Strand Twists, Stretched Protective Styles. (Ex: stretched hair into a bun, baggie, cover with a halo braid), half wigs, head wraps.

*Staple Products: *
(Hot Oil) • Kréyol Haitian Black Castor Oil
(Cleanser) • Tropicgyal Herbal Hair Wash, Shikakai Shampoo Bar
(Instant Treatment) • Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator, Aphogee 2-Min Reconstructor
(Deep Conditioners) • Shea Moisture High Porosity, Eden Body Works, Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint, HennaSooq Henna + Gloss
(Moisturizer) • Water, Melanin Hair Care leave in

*Staple Brands: *HennaSooq, Belle Bar Organics, Mielle Organics.


*Starting Pic: *


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 12, 2020)

added


----------



## GGsKin (Mar 13, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> i have 20 more days before I want to get my hair ready to straighten - deep condition and baggy dry ends (if they're really dry).
> 
> I want to henna *for color* and a little strength support, but I know I need to put on a serious protein treatment that I still haven't put on since January.  Should I henna soon and then wait until the end of the month to put on the aphoghee??? OR aphogee soon and then put on the henna at the end of the month... or does it matter?



I would do the Aphogee soon and then henna later to seal everything. I just feel that way round, the protein has a better chance of really penetrating your hair strands.


----------



## Mapleoats (Mar 13, 2020)

Hey ladies! Long post ahead 

It’s been roughly a month of experimenting with styling/stretching methods and how that affects the tangling of my hair. Boy I’ve learned a lot!

The general gist of what I’ve learned is *to achieve the least amount of tangles I need a combination of both stretch and smoothness. *

For instance. When I stretch my hair in 8 or less braids, WITHOUT following up with a blow dryer. My results were not very smooth, because I wasn’t able to get enough tension due to the size of the braids vs the length of my hair. I ended up getting some matting/tangles because of this.

On the other hand, when I was doing twists/twist outs my results were very smooth because I was doing many (15-20) twists, but not very stretched, so I still got some tangles.

Best way I’ve found to get stretch AND smoothness : roller sets, or flexi rod sets. But those are time consuming since I’m not very good at them (yet   )

9-10 braids followed up with light blow drying gives a smooth enough stretch and is pretty quick to do (35 mins to braid, 10ish mins to take down and blow dry the next day) but I find it requires too much maintenance during the week, and then I still have to restyle on Thursday if I want to wear my hair out on the weekend.

Next week I’m getting knotless braids (definitely need a hair break after all this experimenting) and I’ll keep those in until the end of April. Once the braids are out I’ll be alternating between roller sets, and my 5 day twists/2 day twist out routine. I’ll be experimenting with the twisting routine to see how I can stretch my ends better to reduce tangling.

 On days when I’m tired/don’t want to spend too much time doing my hair it’ll be a quick 9 braid braidnblow out  

Feels good to finally have a routine that works with my lifestyle, is safe for my hair, and allows for predictable styling results . I’m now working on finding holy grail products to go with this routine!


----------



## Royalq (Mar 13, 2020)

mayoo said:


> @NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
> *
> Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *
> 
> ...


Shampoo bars tend to make my hair feel tacky and sticky. The honey manuka DC is great but not for my relaxed hair. It makes my hair feel heavy and sticky. Maybe do a clarifying wash


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 14, 2020)

GGsKin said:


> I would do the Aphogee soon and then henna later to seal everything. I just feel that way round, the protein has a better chance of really penetrating your hair strands.



Makes sense to me! Thank you for the input! I will be doing this tomorrow, which means I will need to take my twists out. i kind of want to do that already. I'll french braid it for a week at a time until April


----------



## mayoo (Mar 14, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m not an expert, but to me sticky hair sounds like you have lots of product build up. I think your idea to clarify is a good one.



@Mapleoats @water_n_oil @MzSwift
@snoop @GettingKinky
@Royalq 
So sorry for my late reply! Work got ahead of me, ladies

Thank you so much for your advice! In the end, I followed it and ended up not applying any extra product. My hair felt much more normal after day 6 or so. I skipped my normal wash day and decided to leave it alone for an extra week.

Then last weekend, I clarified with Aunt Jackie's Oh so Clean clarifying shampoo. However my scalp usually reacts badly to shampoos so I still used my shampoo bar on my scalp.

Deep conditioned with Aunt Jackie's DC and my hair is mostly back to normal. It's still kind of stiff, though so I'm avoiding coconut oil right now.

I'm gonna stay away from the protein for a LONG WHILE

Once again, thank you so much, ladies

P. S. I'm gonna try the salt in my dc!


----------



## TamaraShaniece (Mar 14, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Hey ladies! Long post ahead
> 
> It’s been roughly a month of experimenting with styling/stretching methods and how that affects the tangling of my hair. Boy I’ve learned a lot!
> 
> ...



I agree. Even when I’m cleansing my hair. I keep my hair stretched/slightly taunt and massage the cleanser on my scalp. Then I rinse it out, smoothing the suds/product down my length. 

keeping my hair stretch/taunt.... I apply my conditioner, 2 strand twist it, and wrap it into a Bantu knot. The smoothing motion helps keep the tangles and frizz away.


----------



## Mapleoats (Mar 14, 2020)

TamaraShaniece said:


> I agree. Even when I’m cleansing my hair. I keep my hair stretched/slightly taunt and massage the cleanser on my scalp. Then I rinse it out, smoothing the suds/product down my length.
> 
> keeping my hair stretch/taunt.... I apply my conditioner, 2 strand twist it, and wrap it into a Bantu knot. The smoothing motion helps keep the tangles and frizz away.


I’m going to give this a try on my next wash day, thanks for sharing


----------



## ckisland (Mar 14, 2020)

It took me 45 mins to flatiron my whole head today!!!! I think that that's the fastest I've ever done it! A guest checked in and said that my hair was flowing like a waterfall ! 

I know that I said that I was going to transition but I'm feeling my straight hair again  . I saw a lady at the store with the prettiest WL hair, and in my head I was like gooooooooaaaaalllssssss!!


----------



## mayoo (Mar 14, 2020)

My mum just returned from Nigeria and sent me a jar of fleshly-made shea butter 

The difference is ASTOUNDING!
(Compared to the store-bought version)
The one that my mum brought has:
*Richer and nuttier smell (so I have to use less) 
*Less is more 
*Non-grainy texture-more smooth 
*Doesn't take as long to melt in my hands 
*Feels less dry after it melts 
*Applies to hair much more smoothly 
*Slightly less - consistent texture (chunks and smoothness alike) 
*Colour is the same 

Has anyone noticed a difference between store-bought shea butters? 
If so, please let me know if you have found a butter with the properties above as I know I'll run out of this jar within the next few months


----------



## water_n_oil (Mar 14, 2020)

mayoo said:


> My mum just returned from Nigeria and sent me a jar of fleshly-made shea butter
> 
> The difference is ASTOUNDING!
> (Compared to the store-bought version)
> ...


Do you mean "store-bought" as in from like a beauty supply store or something? A lot of people (myself included) now order their shea from 3CayG which comes straight from Ghana and Benin.


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 16, 2020)

Took my twists out. Put on aphogee two step. I put two packets in a dish and dipped the ends of my sections into it, squeezed the excess off and put it on the higher parts of the sections. I liked doing it this way as compared to pouring it on my head. I rinsed it out with macademia brand rinse. Sleeping in twists. I plan to put in 4 French braids in the morning


----------



## Bette Davis Eyes (Mar 16, 2020)

@TamaraShaniece  How do you like the curl smiler and how do you use it? Ive been following for awhile but never "knew anyone " that used her products before


----------



## keranikki (Mar 16, 2020)

On a whim, I went to the Hair Cuttery for a blowout. The stylist was so gentle with my hair! It truly was a treat. She trimmed an inch off of my ends, which caused me to lose all of my progress. On the other hand, my ends look so healthy and my hair looks fuller. Overall, I’m happy and will post a picture later.

Edit: my picture
 
Sorry, not the best pic and it’s sideways. My hair is really coming in nicely. I will be back to APL in no time. Reaching BSL by December may be a reach, but I will still strive for it.


----------



## nyeredzi (Mar 16, 2020)

Hair so time-consuming to detangle!  I detangle like 4 twists a day and it takes 30 minutes. I have 18 twists.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 16, 2020)

My hair has definitely grown! My starting pic was taken in December 2019, this pic is my hair today! It has been about 3 months since I took a picture of my hair in a ponytail and I am sooooo happy to see the swift results!


----------



## nyeredzi (Mar 16, 2020)

keranikki said:


> On a whim, I went to the Hair Cuttery for a blowout. The stylist was so gentle with my hair! It truly was a treat. She trimmed an inch off of my ends, which caused me to lose all of my progress. On the other hand, my ends look so healthy and my hair looks fuller. Overall, I’m happy and will post a picture later.


I might do this! Just blow it out myself and ask for a 1" trim. But not until mid-year, so as to not lose all my progress. I hope I can get away with a 1 inch trim twice a year


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 16, 2020)

This is my goal. I just want my hair to look like this. I LOVE Joyjah 

I am sticking to products that I am familiar with and that work for me, which is mainly drugstore products. After a suspected bad run-in with DevaCurl, losing my hip length hair, (my curls used to hang to BSL at one point!) I can't gamble on spending so much money on products just for my hair to fall out again Aussie, Tresseme, Cantu, and Shea Moisture products are all I have been using for the past few months.

And taking my vitamins, drinking more water, and using more oils like I used to. Simple stuff.


----------



## GettingKinky (Mar 16, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> This is my goal. I just want my hair to look like this. I LOVE Joyjah
> 
> I am sticking to products that I am familiar with and that work for me, which is mainly drugstore products. After a suspected bad run-in with DevaCurl, losing my hip length hair, (my curls used to hang to BSL at one point!) I can't gamble on spending so much money on products just for my hair to fall out again Aussie, Tresseme, Cantu, and Shea Moisture products are all I have been using for the past few months.
> 
> And taking my vitamins, drinking more water, and using more oils like I used to. Simple stuff.



Her hair is beautiful!  I think my hair would have to be floor length to look like that. 

You had to cut your hair because of Deva products?


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 16, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Her hair is beautiful!  I think my hair would have to be floor length to look like that.
> 
> You had to cut your hair because of Deva products?



No, it fell out. I was thinking it was because I went vegan around the same time I was using their products  in 2018. It fell out in huge clumps and I had crazy acne. I never broke out like that before in my face! 

I saw a bunch of other girls that had the same reaction as me, recently. It was the DevaCurl!


----------



## GettingKinky (Mar 17, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> No, it fell out. I was thinking it was because I went vegan around the same time I was using their products  in 2018. It fell out in huge clumps and I had crazy acne. I never broke out like that before in my face!
> 
> I saw a bunch of other girls that had the same reaction as me, recently. It was the DevaCurl!



That’s awful!!!  How long were you using Deva?


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 17, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> That’s awful!!!  How long were you using Deva?


I didn't use DevaCurl often, it was mainly a brand that I would treat myself to every once in a while and I LOVED their conditioners! So, the last time I used them was around the Fall/Winter time of 2018 during my very last semester of college. I had also taken up veganism 4 months prior...and before I knew it, my hair was gone! My hair went from near Hip Length alllll the way up to APL/BSL and it happened over a quick period of time before I realized that my ponytails and pineapples were no longer full-looking. You could see through my hair when it was down when my hair was so full and long and lush looking. 

It happened very quickly...within weeks.


----------



## GettingKinky (Mar 17, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> I didn't use DevaCurl often, it was mainly a brand that I would treat myself to every once in a while and I LOVED their conditioners! So, the last time I used them was around the Fall/Winter time of 2018 during my very last semester of college. I had also taken up veganism 4 months prior...and before I knew it, my hair was gone! My hair went from near Hip Length alllll the way up to APL/BSL and it happened over a quick period of time before I realized that my ponytails and pineapples were no longer full-looking. You could see through my hair when it was down when my hair was so full and long and lush looking.
> 
> It happened very quickly...within weeks.



I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m glad your hair is making a recovery.


----------



## snoop (Mar 17, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> I didn't use DevaCurl often, it was mainly a brand that I would treat myself to every once in a while and I LOVED their conditioners! So, the last time I used them was around the Fall/Winter time of 2018 during my very last semester of college. I had also taken up veganism 4 months prior...and before I knew it, my hair was gone! My hair went from near Hip Length alllll the way up to APL/BSL and it happened over a quick period of time before I realized that my ponytails and pineapples were no longer full-looking. You could see through my hair when it was down when my hair was so full and long and lush looking.
> 
> It happened very quickly...within weeks.



Not that it really matters, but did it break off or did it shed?

I'm glad to hear that you're turning it around.  You've done it before, I have no doubt that you can reach full HL this time.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 17, 2020)

snoop said:


> Not that it really matters, but did it break off or did it shed?
> 
> I'm glad to hear that you're turning it around.  You've done it before, I have no doubt that you can reach full HL this time.



Thanks @snoop !!

It literally did both. I had a small bald patch at the crown of my head, and broken areas everywhere. It really destroyed my hair.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 23, 2020)

Does anyone else come here to escape the madness that's going on right now in the world? Like, I just want to talk about hair and growing it and products and stuff to keep my mind away from everything.


----------



## Mapleoats (Mar 23, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Does anyone else come here to escape the madness that's going on right now in the world? Like, I just want to talk about hair and growing it and products and stuff to keep my mind away from everything.



Same, same!


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 23, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Same, same!


Im surrounded by ppl who want to keep talking about it and I feel like the danger of the situation is causing me to become manic (I have Bipolar). I'm doing what I can to stay leveled.

So...I went yesterday and found some green Xtreme Wetline Gel. It's okay, but I prefer EcoStyler (the clear one).

I also have been using the Doo Gro oil for stimulating the scalp and I think it's been working. Along with my hsn vitamins.

I can't wait to do another comparison pic in June


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 23, 2020)

im here because i'm bored to death. no one else seems as bored as I am. plus, i always get obsessed with my hair in spring and fall.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 23, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> im here because i'm bored to death. no one else seems as bored as I am. plus, i always get obsessed with my hair in spring and fall.



Same!! I'm so happy to have more time to socialize here on LHCF! 

What are your hair plans for this Spring/Summer


----------



## snoop (Mar 23, 2020)

I mentioned in one of the off topic challenges that the boards feel abandoned since the new year started.  I find myself hanging on the hair side more... it's a lot merrier here.  

In hair news, my hair doesn't seem to be shedding as much as it was at the beginning of the year.  I do get some breakage, but nothing that seems out of the ordinary.  However, the lack of shedding now is less than I feel like I've been getting ever, so I'm wondering if I have a breakage problem but just don't recognize it because this amount is my "normal".

I think my hair my hair is getting longer, again.


----------



## apple_natural (Mar 23, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Same!! I'm so happy to have more time to socialize here on LHCF!
> 
> What are your hair plans for this Spring/Summer



well now! i'm happy you asked. i'm happy to have this forum too!! cute swimming pool gif thing

this spring/summer i am going to be wearing my own hair out since I actually like it now. i've been a i'm a hide-your-hair natural, but not anymore. i'm going to wear it out in protective styles with my own hair and just some twist outs, braids outs, perm rods. i really hope perm rods work for me, that inspired the whole thing.

i'm going to actually put it into a fancy other-than-everyday style at least twice, but up to 4 times. i will likely use extensions during those times (up to a week each max)

i'm doing my weekly hair care regimen and taking my vitamins. hopefully I end up with longer hair,  but I really want it to be strong, hydrated hair!

what about you!!?


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## SmilingElephant (Mar 23, 2020)

snoop said:


> I mentioned in one of the off topic challenges that the boards feel abandoned since the new year started.  I find myself hanging on the hair side more... it's a lot merrier here.
> 
> In hair news, my hair doesn't seem to be shedding as much as it was at the beginning of the year.  I do get some breakage, but nothing that seems out of the ordinary.  However, the lack of shedding now is less than I feel like I've been getting ever, so I'm wondering if I have a breakage problem but just don't recognize it because this amount is my "normal".
> 
> I think my hair my hair is getting longer, again.



Niiiiice!


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## apple_natural (Mar 23, 2020)

snoop said:


> I mentioned in one of the off topic challenges that the boards feel abandoned since the new year started.  I find myself hanging on the hair side more... it's a lot merrier here.
> 
> In hair news, my hair doesn't seem to be shedding as much as it was at the beginning of the year.  I do get some breakage, but nothing that seems out of the ordinary.  However, the lack of shedding now is less than I feel like I've been getting ever, so I'm wondering if I have a breakage problem but just don't recognize it because this amount is my "normal".
> 
> I think my hair my hair is getting longer, again.



Your braids are beautiful! Happy to hear the good news! Goodbye shedding! Hello length! As for breakage, hopefully not especially because youre also seeing length. is it particular areas you feel could be breaking?


----------



## SmilingElephant (Mar 23, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> well now! i'm happy you asked. i'm happy to have this forum too!! cute swimming pool gif thing
> 
> this spring/summer i am going to be wearing my own hair out since I actually like it now. i've been a i'm a hide-your-hair natural, but not anymore. i'm going to wear it out in protective styles with my own hair and just some twist outs, braids outs, perm rods. i really hope perm rods work for me, that inspired the whole thing.
> 
> ...




Lol "pool gif thing"  Gurrrlll I've been part of this board for so long, I still remember how to use the little c" for them to pop up! 

I am so happy to hear that you will be wearing your own hair out now! The more love you give it, the more it will respond in your favor 

My plans for this Spring/Summer is to co-wash like crazy. At least every other day, and then shampoo every week or two followed by a deep conditioner.

That's the main thing that has helped me recover quickly from a set back, as well as making sure I use oil on my hair and scalp.


----------



## snoop (Mar 23, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Your braids are beautiful! Happy to hear the good news! Goodbye shedding! Hello length! As for breakage, hopefully not especially because youre also seeing length. *is it particular areas you feel could be breaking?*



No.  It's generally from all over, but not a lot.  Since the beginning of the year, I've come to realize that I'm not as gentle with my hair as I thought, so I'm learning to style my hair more slowly.  Some of what I loose is from shed hair getting caught and knotted in the length, so I have to trim them out.  Something as simple as massaging my hair can lead to me loosing hair on my front edges so I try not to massage -- shed hair and it doesn't matter how gentle I am.  I did a light protein treatment on the weekend, but I'll have to do a heavier one soon.


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## water_n_oil (Mar 23, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Does anyone else come here to escape the madness that's going on right now in the world? Like, I just want to talk about hair and growing it and products and stuff to keep my mind away from everything.


I'm around but not doing much to my hair so not much to share lol.


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## apple_natural (Mar 23, 2020)

snoop said:


> No.  It's generally from all over, but not a lot* **WHEW!***.  Since the beginning of the year, *I've come to realize that I'm not as gentle with my hair as I thought, so I'm learning to style my hair more slowly. * Some of what I loose is from shed hair getting caught and knotted in the length, so I have to trim them out.  Something as simple as *massaging my hair can lead to me loosing hair on my front edges so I try not to massage* -- shed hair and it doesn't matter how gentle I am.  I did a light protein treatment on the weekend, but I'll have to do a heavier one soon.



ME TOO x2

hopefully we both can see note that there was a turn around by the end of this year... less broken hairs and healthy edges. I know that I have a TON TON TON of broken hairs right now. So much that I feel like I actually wouldn't be exaggerating to say that half of my hair is broken and not reaching the end of its section. For this, I hope my weekly dc help condition and make it easier to detangle more gently.



SmilingElephant said:


> Lol "pool gif thing"  Gurrrlll I've been part of this board for so long, I still remember how to use the little c" for them to pop up!
> 
> I am so happy to hear that you will be wearing your own hair out now! The more love you give it, the more it will respond in your favor
> 
> ...



Well, it must work. Your hair is lovely!! I'm definitely using this as encouragement to not hold back from a cowash or two midweek. Also, you're reminding me to oil my scalp.


----------



## Mapleoats (Mar 24, 2020)

So nice to read all the updates from you ladies! My braid appointment got cancelled, along with everything else lol. So looks like I’ll be doing my hair more next month than originally planned. I don’t really mind, I am working from home so I can deep condition all day and I’m not too worried if my hair starts looking crazy lol. Did a twist out last week with mielle pomegranate and honey cream and my hair is so soft still! But super frizzy cus I’ve just been wearing it in a bun and sleeping on it .

When this whole thing is over I might just get my hair professionally straightened. I haven’t had it straightened professionally in over a year and I’m kinda worried it’s growing wonky/uneven. 

How are you ladies treating your hair during this time? Are you abandoning it cus you ain’t gotta be anywhere (me, kinda lol) or taking extra time to care for it cus you have more time?  And if you still have to go out in all this craziness, I salute you!


----------



## Mapleoats (Mar 24, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So nice to read all the updates from you ladies! My braid appointment got cancelled, along with everything else lol. So looks like I’ll be doing my hair more next month than originally planned. I don’t really mind, I am working from home so I can deep condition all day and I’m not too worried if my hair starts looking crazy lol. Did a twist out last week with mielle pomegranate and honey cream and my hair is so soft still! But super frizzy cus I’ve just been wearing it in a bun and sleeping on it .
> 
> When this whole thing is over I might just get my hair professionally straightened. I haven’t had it straightened professionally in over a year and I’m kinda worried it’s growing wonky/uneven.
> 
> How are you ladies treating your hair during this time? Are you abandoning it cus you ain’t gotta be anywhere (me, kinda lol) or taking extra time to care for it cus you have more time?  And if you still have to go out in all this craziness, I salute you!



Okay hold up my hair is SO SOFT. I’ve used the mielle cream before and never had these amazing, long lasting results. I was pretty unimpressed with it the first few times I used it. Prior to twisting my hair I DC’ed over night for the first time in YEARS (I stopped because the Internet said it would give me moisture overload) and wow I am shocked. Just goes to show don’t listen to the internet, do what works for YOUR hair. I will definitely do a dc overnight again!


----------



## GettingKinky (Mar 24, 2020)

I’m still doing my normal wash n gos. Still trying to improve my technique. Last time I spent more effort on smoothing and I really like the results, but for some reason my part won’t stay in place. I think I diffused my hair in the wrong position.


----------



## water_n_oil (Mar 24, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So nice to read all the updates from you ladies! My braid appointment got cancelled, along with everything else lol. So looks like I’ll be doing my hair more next month than originally planned. I don’t really mind, I am working from home so I can deep condition all day and I’m not too worried if my hair starts looking crazy lol. Did a twist out last week with mielle pomegranate and honey cream and my hair is so soft still! But super frizzy cus I’ve just been wearing it in a bun and sleeping on it .
> 
> When this whole thing is over I might just get my hair professionally straightened. I haven’t had it straightened professionally in over a year and I’m kinda worried it’s growing wonky/uneven.
> 
> How are you ladies treating your hair during this time? *Are you abandoning it cus you ain’t gotta be anywhere (me, kinda lol)* or taking extra time to care for it cus you have more time?  And if you still have to go out in all this craziness, I salute you!



Meeee lol. Not neglecting entirely though. Washing as needed and doing braids while in the shower with a little oil on the ends.


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## SmilingElephant (Mar 24, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m still doing my normal wash n gos. Still trying to improve my technique. Last time I spent more effort on smoothing and I really like the results, but for some reason my part won’t stay in place. I think I diffused my hair in the wrong position.



Are you creating your part in the shower? Or after you get out the shower? If you part your hair during the shower while you detangle and everything and apply your products, the part will stay put.


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## SmilingElephant (Mar 24, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> ME TOO x2
> 
> hopefully we both can see note that there was a turn around by the end of this year... less broken hairs and healthy edges. I know that I have a TON TON TON of broken hairs right now. So much that I feel like I actually wouldn't be exaggerating to say that half of my hair is broken and not reaching the end of its section. For this, I hope my weekly dc help condition and make it easier to detangle more gently.
> 
> ...



Thank you!  Yes, I have had numerous setbacks and the current one from 2018-2019 has been the worse since I've been natural since 2011; but the one thing that has been my best friend in each setback is co-washing regularly and use oils. I have been a part of this board since 2008 when I was relaxed, and even then, co-washes jumpstarted my hair growth. 

I use regular degular conditioners for co-washing. I don't necessarily buy co-wash products because cowashing was never a product to buy, its a method to enhance the moisture in your hair while very gently cleansing the scalp. And I use a regular degular shampoo to wash my hair every 1-2 weeks. I used to be a natural nazi about silicones, sulfates, that kind of thing...I just have to use what works and that I can afford and my hair still grows from it. Yes, I love natural hair products, but if all I can get is my $5 jug of Aussie conditioner, then that's what's up.

My hair personally  LOVES co-washing! So, I co-wash daily during the Summer, put in a leave-in, an oil, and a styler and keep it up in a bun most days (most days it NEEDS to be in a bun bc I don't like it all in my face! ) or I will wear a curly ponytail like my profile pic.

Most of us with very long hair and the tendency to grow it very long have very simple regimens. Just make sure your hair is moisturized, has enough strength to it, and just put it up and throw some oil on it.


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## GettingKinky (Mar 24, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Are you creating your part in the shower? Or after you get out the shower? If you part your hair during the shower while you detangle and everything and apply your products, the part will stay put.



I parted my hair in the shower but I blew my hair towards the back of my head when I was drying it. I think that was my mistake.


----------



## water_n_oil (Mar 25, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Thank you!  Yes, I have had numerous setbacks and the current one from 2018-2019 has been the worse since I've been natural since 2011; but the one thing that has been my best friend in each setback is co-washing regularly and use oils. I have been a part of this board since 2008 when I was relaxed, and even then, co-washes jumpstarted my hair growth.
> 
> I use regular degular conditioners for co-washing. I don't necessarily buy co-wash products because cowashing was never a product to buy, its a method to enhance the moisture in your hair while very gently cleansing the scalp. And I use a regular degular shampoo to wash my hair every 1-2 weeks. I used to be a natural nazi about silicones, sulfates, that kind of thing...I just have to use what works and that I can afford and my hair still grows from it. Yes, I love natural hair products, but if all I can get is my $5 jug of Aussie conditioner, then that's what's up.
> 
> ...


Amen to not caring anymore. I picked up some Aussie today. It's funny in the beginning 99% of was regular ol' drugstore products then I somehow decided I needed the more expensive all natural stuff even though my hair was just fine prior. A lot of stuff has gotten harder to find now that the more expensive brands have taken over the shelves of drugstores and Target.


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## I Am Number Four. (Mar 25, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Amen to not caring anymore. I picked up some Aussie today. It's funny in the beginning 99% of was regular ol' drugstore products then I somehow decided I needed the more expensive all natural stuff even though my hair was just fine prior. A lot of stuff has gotten harder to find now that the more expensive brands have taken over the shelves of drugstores and Target.



I strangely ended up doing the same thing, but I doubt that I would have even bought "natural hair" products if Tresmee Naturals was not discontinued.  Albeit I need copious, expendable conditioner to detangle my hair, so the switch back was inevitable.


----------



## water_n_oil (Mar 25, 2020)

I Am Number Four. said:


> I strangely ended up doing the same thing, but I doubt that I would have even bought "natural hair" products if Tresmee Naturals was not discontinued.  Albeit I need copious, expendable conditioner to detangle my hair, so the switch back was inevitable.


Absolutely! I think that was the same time I started looking at other stuff. I loved that conditioner so much. I followed MahoganyCurls heavily back then and she only used that and eco. So simple.


----------



## nyeredzi (Mar 25, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> So nice to read all the updates from you ladies! My braid appointment got cancelled, along with everything else lol. So looks like I’ll be doing my hair more next month than originally planned. I don’t really mind, I am working from home so I can deep condition all day and I’m not too worried if my hair starts looking crazy lol. Did a twist out last week with mielle pomegranate and honey cream and my hair is so soft still! But super frizzy cus I’ve just been wearing it in a bun and sleeping on it .
> 
> When this whole thing is over I might just get my hair professionally straightened. I haven’t had it straightened professionally in over a year and I’m kinda worried it’s growing wonky/uneven.
> 
> How are you ladies treating your hair during this time? Are you abandoning it cus you ain’t gotta be anywhere (me, kinda lol) or taking extra time to care for it cus you have more time?  And if you still have to go out in all this craziness, I salute you!


I have not been neglecting, nor doing more work than I would otherwise. Things only really started closing here less than 2 weeks ago, so I've only had 1 or 2 wash cycles anyway, and I've kept them. What I am doing today, though, is wearing a style I would not wear at work, which is just 2 large twists or blow dried hair, just hanging down. If I had 10 big twists like this, I'd at least put in a ponytail or bun or something. I'm embracing the full Celie.


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## CurliDiva (Mar 25, 2020)

I've been hanging out in the loc thread just because I'm bored and knew nothing about dreadlocks! This lead me to watching loc videos on YouTube.... Anyhoo, all of this has inspired me to BRAID my hair! 

I will start tonight after the baby goes to sleep. I want mini (not micro) braids and can hopefully finish before the weekend - not that I have any where to go!


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## NaturalShe94 (Mar 28, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> My hair has definitely grown! My starting pic was taken in December 2019, this pic is my hair today! It has been about 3 months since I took a picture of my hair in a ponytail and I am sooooo happy to see the swift results!



Nice progress!


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## NaturalShe94 (Mar 28, 2020)

mayoo said:


> @NaturalShe94 @snoop @Mapleoats @everyone
> *
> Ladies, I need your help! Please let me know if you have any advice! Any advice would be good right now! *
> 
> ...



Clarify TWICE. That's how my hair feels after skipping too many shampoo's and piling on products hoping "water washing" will be enough 3 weeks in a row. (I know, terrible)


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## guyaneseyankee (Mar 28, 2020)

So after straightening I’m disappointed to say that breakage and dyeing my hair didn’t help in this challenge. It grew but not for the time since 12/27.  I trimmed my ends between this time but only a little. My ends don’t feel bad and back into twists I go


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## NaturalShe94 (Mar 28, 2020)

Still reading through all the updates. COVID19 has me so busy at work. We've been having an outrageous amount medical supplies and equipment being shipped. So I've been working a ton. My job finally cut their hours and days so now I'm finally getting in some relaxation lol.
Haven't done anything quite special with my hair, but I noticed some breakage and I can bet it's due to lack of moisture. I'll be Hot oil treating, DC-ing, moisturizing, sealing and the whole nine yards tmrw.


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## MzSwift (Mar 28, 2020)

guyaneseyankee said:


> So after straightening I’m disappointed to say that breakage and dyeing my hair didn’t help in this challenge. It grew but not for the time since 12/27.  I trimmed my ends between this time but only a little. My ends don’t feel bad and back into twists I go



It certainly looks like you've made GREAT progress to me!  You can esp see it in the side/profile pic. Your layers were more pronounced and now it looks like it's grown out.  They look even.  Great job!  KUTGW!


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## GettingKinky (Mar 28, 2020)

@guyaneseyankee Your hair definitely looks longer, and it’s so thick and beautiful!!


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## nyeredzi (Mar 29, 2020)

I realize I don't remember if I've been measuring my hair dry or wet for this challenge. Let's just do dry-ish measurements from now on. Done on essentially dry hair, but I have to dampen and oil a little just to be able to manipulate it and stretch it for the measurement. My hair measurement comes out longer on wet hair, so let's do (mostly) dry.

Part of starting post:


nyeredzi said:


> Alright, I'm in. I don't see a HL 2020 challenge, so I guess this is the one for me.
> 
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: natural
> 
> ...



So starting length was ~16". 1st quarter check in is ~17". I'm not doing a comparable update pic, because my hair was flat ironed in the starting pic and it's not now. I'm not sure when the next time I flat iron will be. But I'll do a pic of a section of hair measured, which is actually how I track my progress (or lack of) anyway.


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## GettingKinky (Mar 29, 2020)

Here’s my March update. I’m getting better at diffusing my hair so my shrinkage isn’t as bad as it was in December. I had a haircut in Feb so I don’t think my hair is that much longer than when I started


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## ms.tatiana (Mar 30, 2020)

I wanna join, just in time for the April 1st post!

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural 

Current Length: Pass armpit length *

*Goal Length: Mid back length *

*Plan to reach goal length: Protective style & LOC method *

*Regimen: Wash & DC weekly*

*Protective Styles: Crochet braids, wigs, & weaves*

*Staple Products: I use everything*

*Starting Pic:  *


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## keranikki (Mar 31, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Here’s my March update. I’m getting better at diffusing my hair so my shrinkage isn’t as bad as it was in December. I had a haircut in Feb so I don’t think my hair is that much longer than when I started  View attachment 457385



Your looks thicker, as if all of your strands are even with each other.


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## Kiaray8 (Mar 31, 2020)

April check in:
I think my growth rate is roughly 0.5 inch/just over per month all over. I’m going compare the photos I use today from now on as the ones I took in January aren’t really good for comparison. I was going to trim but I think I will just keep going on with the challenge and trim at the end of the year I’m not having any issues with my hair so I don’t see the need to continuously trim.

Things I will be changing for the next few months:
- Going to do more medium twists or buns with my hair as I have work/uni work to do while on quarantine so I don't see the point of doing WnGs for home.
- I skipped using rinse out conditioner and detangling the last few months before DC and now realise I need to include that again. I also purchased the wet detangler tangle teezer which is making things easier for me.

Front: 10 inches to 12 inches, Middle - 11 to 13 inches, Back - 9 inches to 11. All photos will be my comparison from now and just a recent WnG.


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## apple_natural (Mar 31, 2020)

* Spring Check IN!!  *

NaturalShe94
syrk
apple_natural
PlanetCybertron
GettingKinky
pinkchocolatedaisy
BeautifulRoots
ckisland
Nightingale
Mapleoats
Bun Mistress
Kiaray8 
CurliDiva
Rhealthyhair
faithVA
Napturallypretty1908
Victorian
keranikki 
nyeredzi
guyaneseyankee
alanaturelle
BlackRinse
long.hair.dont.care
water_n_oil
metro_qt
mayoo
periwinklepeach
HappyAtLast
SmilingElephant
TamaraShaniece
ms.tatiana 
snoop 
Prettymetty 
curly.123
and our Honeypot. Welcome storm777007!


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## CurliDiva (Apr 1, 2020)

My photos don't show growth easily, so I'm going to measure my length!

April Measurements:

*Left*:
Side 4.25" / middle 4.50" / nape 4.25"
*Top*:
Front 4.25" / middle 4.25" / nape 4"
*Right*:
Side 5.25" / middle 5" / nape 4"

Observations:

I started with  a twa too short to braid, now I can braid/twist with ease. I just pulled natural, unstretched hair along ruler, so the above measurements are estimates.


My hair need hard core *protein* (Aphogee 2 step) on a regular basis. I suffered breakage because I avoided separate protein treatments. My deep conditioning was not enough.


No co-washing. My hair responds better to real shampoo and deep conditioning.


I need to do better with protective styling. I like to touch my hair and will undo and re-braid just for kicks.


I need to start up my scalp massages and inversion again.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Apr 2, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> My photos don't show growth easily, so I'm going to measure my length!
> 
> April Measurements:
> 
> ...


What do you use to do scalp massages?


----------



## yamilee21 (Apr 2, 2020)

@guyaneseyankee It’s only 3 months, so the growth wouldn’t be drastically visible, but I do see some growth, especially where the lengths were shorter or uneven before.


----------



## CurliDiva (Apr 2, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> What do you use to do scalp massages?



 Hi @Kiaray8.
I made a blend of grapeseed, castor, aragan and coconut oils.


----------



## Mapleoats (Apr 2, 2020)

I haven’t seen much growth, overall my measurements are pretty much the same except the sides are 1 inch longer . Not really surprised, as I’ve been focusing on trying different things and learning my hair.


This will be my pic for future comparisons, hair is stretched from a rollerset.

Gonna keep it simple for the rest of the year, no more experiments. I know what works for my hair now. Twists majority of the time, occasional twist out or rollerset when I wanna get fancy. Trim every three months or so. I’ve learned how to finger detangle as well so I’ll be doing that mostly now. 

Stay safe everyone, happy hair growing!!


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Apr 2, 2020)

yamilee21 said:


> @guyaneseyankee It’s only 3 months, so the growth wouldn’t be drastically visible, but I do see some growth, especially where the lengths were shorter or uneven before.


IKR  I want hair down to my butt in 3 months.  LOL

The following day, I used a different flat iron.  My trusty Sally GVP which works better at straightening that the Duvolle I used in the pics.
Growth is more visible to me but I didn't bother post pics.

HHG


----------



## snoop (Apr 2, 2020)

Checking in.  I happened to take a photo in mini twists, by wasn't actually trying to measure.  I can't tell if it's the exact same spot, but if it is, there looks like some growth since the new year. (Comparing the far left picture with the right one.)


----------



## metro_qt (Apr 3, 2020)

Checking in, but I guess I need to take pics at some point.

My sides are now at armpit length.
Which means my back layers are at MBL, I'll have to double check and confirm tomorrow


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 4, 2020)

I intend on blowing all my hair out, but since i did a clay mask and its all cute and curly, i can't bring myself to straighten it. i need to in order to trim and get a good photo, though.

i did straighten one section behind my left ear. it was 9 inch in December. it is 10.5 inches now. it was a bit past that, but I trimmed it. now it is definitely 10.5


----------



## GettingKinky (Apr 4, 2020)

@Kiaray8 your wash n go (or is it a twist out) is sooooo cute.


----------



## BlackRinse (Apr 4, 2020)

April update:

I cant find my original post, I straightened half of my head yesterday. I will do the other half eventually today. I'm in the process of fermenting some ayurvedic oil I think the addition of fenugreek will help. Castor oil has definitely increased the thickness of my hair.

Im going to do a search and destroy and when this covid mess is over get my hair professionally trimmed.

I will now be oiling my hair 2x daily.


----------



## water_n_oil (Apr 4, 2020)

I haven't taken any pics but in Jan I was just shy of WL and now I'm WL stretched without a doubt. The front is slightly past APL stretched. I've just been doing wngs or two braids.


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## SmilingElephant (Apr 4, 2020)

Oh snap! My most recent pic (which is also currently my profile pic. My nape is currently Midback length and my crown/longest point is right at WL 

I bought a new bottle of lavender jbco and mixed some in my bottle of DooGro oil and have been massaging that in my scalp every other day.

I cowash twice a week still, Bunning at least 5 days a week. Shampooing and Deep Conditioning weekly.

I just tried the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Masque (I guess that's the name?) But it was exactly what I needed in a deep conditioner! My hair was mosturized but still felt strengthened. Today my hair still feels hydrated and healthy  That line and the JBCO line are my favorites from Shea Moisture.

My hair was about BSL 3-6 months ago, before I started back actively growing it back out. I think the bunning has really helped the most


----------



## Kiaray8 (Apr 5, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> @Kiaray8 your wash n go (or is it a twist out) is sooooo cute.


Thank you it’s a wash and go. I think that was day eight hair I usually try stretch them for a week or just over.


----------



## GettingKinky (Apr 5, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> Thank you it’s a wash and go. I think that was day eight hair I usually try stretch them for a week or just over.



That is amazing day 8 hair!! What do you use to keep the frizz away?  How do you refresh it?


----------



## Kiaray8 (Apr 5, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> That is amazing day 8 hair!! What do you use to keep the frizz away?  How do you refresh it?



Thank you! For the frizz I just noticed with me continuously deep conditioning with moisturising deep conditioners every week my hair doesn’t get as frizzy and my curl pattern shows through all the time now. I’ve removed protein DCs from my routine as it just makes my hair frizz more and I think my hair is protein sensitive.

For that wash and go I prepoo’d with African pride coconut and aloe prepoo then used Giovanni smooth as silk shampoo twice then deep conditioned with Eden body works jojoba monoi DC. I oil rinse with vatika oil. I just used ice curls by aunt jackies to do my WnG on soaking wet hair. I didn’t use a leave in for that WnG.

To refresh I usually spritz any leave in conditioner spray. & when I notice my curls have dropped a few days after I’ve washed it I coat my strands with a small amount of Shea butter per section. Oh and I don’t blow my hair I air dry so I think that might contribute to it being moisturised throughout the days.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Apr 9, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> Thank you! For the frizz I just noticed with me continuously deep conditioning with moisturising deep conditioners every week my hair doesn’t get as frizzy and my curl pattern shows through all the time now. I’ve removed protein DCs from my routine as it just makes my hair frizz more and I think my hair is protein sensitive.
> 
> For that wash and go I prepoo’d with African pride coconut and aloe prepoo then used Giovanni smooth as silk shampoo twice then deep conditioned with Eden body works jojoba monoi DC. I oil rinse with vatika oil. I just used ice curls by aunt jackies to do my WnG on soaking wet hair. I didn’t use a leave in for that WnG.
> 
> To refresh I usually spritz any leave in conditioner spray. & when I notice my curls have dropped a few days after I’ve washed it I coat my strands with a small amount of Shea butter per section. Oh and I don’t blow my hair I air dry so I think that might contribute to it being moisturised throughout the days.



How do you like the Aunt Jackie's Ice Curls? I've been eyeballing the crap out of it but scared to try it lol


----------



## Kiaray8 (Apr 10, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> How do you like the Aunt Jackie's Ice Curls? I've been eyeballing the crap out of it but scared to try it lol



I loved it definitely in my list now for cheap gels (reminds me of aloe Vera gel in terms of good definition not as natural but definitely cheaper). Really defined the curls and my curl definition stayed through the 8 days. It did have slight flakes although I didn’t use a leave in I did use a oily DC before so that could be the reason. As it isn’t that pricy I would definitely say try it!


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 10, 2020)

4/7- blow out and I tried to flat iron it. It was not cooperating. It was a big poof. I did trim the ends though. I think they look pretty good.

I'm putting photos in my media. I think it's pretty short and I have one little point that is actually arm pit length. The rest is shoulder length but I'm going to just keep trying to grow it. Maybe when it's professionally straightened, I'll see more length. Idk. Otherwise I hope to be bsl by this time next year


----------



## SmilingElephant (Apr 10, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> I loved it definitely in my list now for cheap gels (reminds me of aloe Vera gel in terms of good definition not as natural but definitely cheaper). Really defined the curls and my curl definition stayed through the 8 days. It did have slight flakes although I didn’t use a leave in I did use a oily DC before so that could be the reason. As it isn’t that pricy I would definitely say try it!



I will definitely be trying it after I finish my huge jar of Green Xtreme Wetline gel that I have come to really like!  Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Prettymetty (Apr 12, 2020)

* Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural 4b, low density, mixed fine and coarse strands

Current Length: Bsl/Mbl*

*Goal Length: Waist length *

*Plan to reach goal length: I plan to trim every 3-4 months instead of every 2 months. I’ll also be using a stimulating oil on wash days to increase circulation.*

*Regimen: I am a straight hair natural. I wash every 4 days when time permits. I usually dc after every wash. Sometimes I do an extended prepoo instead of a dc and a quickie conditioner after I wash. I blow dry after each wash. Although I may start doing wash n God. I’ve been natural long enough it’s time I learn. My lack of curl pattern has discouraged me, but I’ve noticed that as I apply my keratin treatments the product defines my coils and it’s beautiful. I just need to find a product to do the same thing. *

*Protective Styles: Buns, up dos, occasionally wigs, braids (rarely)*

*Staple Products: Ion Keratin Shampoo, Keracare Humecto, Chi Silk Infusion, Sabino Moisture Block, Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship, Kerastase Therapiste pre shampoo, evoo, coconut oil *

*Starting Pic: above. I’ll post a pic of the back next wash day*


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 12, 2020)

Hi,
Is it too late to join?


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 12, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> What do you use to do scalp massages?


This is a great one...it feels sooo good.


----------



## snoop (Apr 12, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> This is a great one...it feels sooo good.



Which brand is this?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 13, 2020)

Running late on my check in! But here it is lol.
Decided to wear the same fit especially since my starting pic was on straight hair. Definitely got some length! Grazing BCL again but not fully there as of yet. Im excited!


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 13, 2020)

I'm putting in mini twists


----------



## keranikki (Apr 13, 2020)

I apologize for my lateness. Hopefully these pics post properly. I’m currently in mini braids, which are working for me. Mini braids have allowed me to see that parts of my hair lacked moisture.
I had my hair trimmed back to shoulder length in mid March. While I lost my progress, my ends feel so much better. My goal for the next three months is to keep my ends happy and massage my scalp on a regular basis.

 

I have made some progress since my trim. My hair is slightly thicker and I have gained approximately 1/2” overall.


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 13, 2020)

i love it! @keranikki I'm in the middle of mini twists.


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 13, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> Hi,
> Is it too late to join?



starting photo please


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 20, 2020)

Hi,
Sorry it took me soo long to respond. In the middle of moving. The attached is the make/model.


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 20, 2020)

snoop said:


> Which brand is this?


Here you go...


----------



## snoop (Apr 20, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> Here you go...



Thank you!


----------



## Prettymetty (Apr 20, 2020)

I am so ready for my xcel21 goodies to come in

eta I usually trim every 2-3 months to maintain a thick hemline, but since I’m on the grow again I’ll space my trims out to 4-6 months


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 20, 2020)

@Prettymetty what is xcel21? (googled) what do you like about that line?

finished my first month of hairfinity. i have two more months


----------



## Prettymetty (Apr 20, 2020)

I just measured a section (middle left) of my hair. My goal is to end the year at 20 inches. My growth rate is about 1/4-1/3 inch per month.


----------



## Prettymetty (Apr 20, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> @Prettymetty what is xcel21? (googled) what do you like about that line?
> 
> finished my first month of hairfinity. i have two more months


It’s a spray that grows hair. I love hairfinity! I used it years ago and it worked well


----------



## CurliDiva (Apr 21, 2020)

I ordered and applied Chebe powder to my hair. My goal is to use it for 6 months for maximum retention.

It's messy and has a strong earthy smell but now is a great time to try it!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 21, 2020)

I just realized they discontinued SM Low-Po Protein free line. My heart is broken


----------



## alanaturelle (Apr 21, 2020)

I finally took a progress picture last weekend. In December, I trimmed off about 1" off and I grew it back so I'm happy. My goal is to reach line #7 by end of June for Q2.

April 2020:




December 2019


----------



## nycutiepie (Apr 21, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I ordered and applied Chebe powder to my hair. My goal is to use it for 6 months for maximum retention.
> 
> It's messy and has a strong earthy smell but now is a great time to try it!


I just read about this somewhere. I'm going to research and perhaps order. Where did you buy?


----------



## CurliDiva (Apr 21, 2020)

nycutiepie said:


> I just read about this somewhere. I'm going to research and perhaps order. Where did you buy?



I bought the original brand (from Amazon) associated with the video of the Chad tribal women.


----------



## apple_natural (Apr 22, 2020)

i ran out of my biotin (5000mcg) and replaced it with another liquid biotin that is 10000 mcg. we'll see how this goes. it is definitely not as tasty and there are no markings on the droplet so i need to replace it with another one that has a marking at 1ml


----------



## GettingKinky (Apr 25, 2020)

I just want shoulder length curls. I think I could get there next summer as long as my shrinkage doesn’t get worse.


----------



## snoop (Apr 25, 2020)

Since last summer, I've noticed that my crown hair is coarser than the rest.  I'm not sure if it's always been like that and I haven't noticed it if it's changed.  My crown is also a shorter length than the rest of my hair, so I'll have to take extra care to baby it.


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 25, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I ordered and applied Chebe powder to my hair. My goal is to use it for 6 months for maximum retention.
> 
> It's messy and has a strong earthy smell but now is a great time to try it!



lol I just ordered some too...been watching UPS tracking website like crazy .


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 25, 2020)

*Give me the DETAILS:
I’ve been trying to grow my hair in its natural state since 2013, but didn’t really get serious until 2015; however I’ve had numerous horror stories and set backs due to going to salons. on the last incident I lost 7” of hair. I cried for a week! After the 3rd set back I decided From that day forward I swore off salons and grow my hair myself (with the help of forums like this). It’s been trial and error but I’m determined. Below is my info. If you have ANY pointers or helpful tips please let me know because I’ve only retained 5” in 5 years and I’m so ready to break past BSL. Thanks everyone!*

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: natural

Current Length: 15” in back, 13 1/2” on side, and 13” bangs.*

*Goal Length: 20” by end of 2020*

*Plan to reach goal length: moisture and sealing hair and protective styling.*

*Regimen: moisturizing daily. Washing and DC weekly. *

*Protective Styles: will be twisting my hair into small twist with French braids.*

*Staple Products: shampoo eden peppermint tea tree, moisture dc tgin, protein dc IC deep penetrating creme and Shea moisture bamboo charcoal purification masque w/tea tree oil. leave in Cantu mixed with shea moisture JBCO. Various oils for growth or sealing: clary sage, thyme, cedarwood, neem, avocado,emu, and others.*

*Starting Pic: REQUIRED - below pics is my bangs (13”), sides (13 1/2”) and back (15”).*


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 25, 2020)

This is the protective style I’m rocking for the next couple of months. I clipped my ends on the April full moon.


----------



## Mapleoats (Apr 25, 2020)

snoop said:


> Since last summer, I've noticed that my crown hair is coarser than the rest.  I'm not sure if it's always been like that and I haven't noticed it if it's changed.  My crown is also a shorter length than the rest of my hair, so I'll have to take extra care to baby it.



Me too! Trying to be extra gentle with it and apply more products with that area, no success so far though.


----------



## CurliDiva (Apr 25, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> lol I just ordered some too...been watching UPS tracking website like crazy .


 
Good luck! I'm enjoying Chebe in my hair.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (Apr 26, 2020)

Its been a crazy few months, sorry I haven't posted as much. I do plan to post my progress pic soon.

As far as hair goes, I have been revisiting hair grease. I moved to a VERY dry desert climate a few weeks ago and my hair has been the driest I've ever seen it.  None of my heavy duty products were working, shea butter, DCs, oil infusions, etc. Randomly I remebered I had some natures blessings grease deep in my stash. My hair has been soft and moisturized ever since I've been using grease to seal.  We'll see how it goes over time. I haven't used grease for at least 10 years, but its working wonders for me in this new climate.


----------



## silenttullip (Apr 26, 2020)

I like grease to seal i have been using the natural one by carols daughter


----------



## MzSwift (Apr 26, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> This is the protective style I’m rocking for the next couple of months. I clipped my ends on the April full moon.
> View attachment 458547



So pretty!!


----------



## MzSwift (Apr 26, 2020)

snoop said:


> Since last summer, I've noticed that my crown hair is coarser than the rest.  I'm not sure if it's always been like that and I haven't noticed it if it's changed.  My crown is also a shorter length than the rest of my hair, so I'll have to take extra care to baby it.



Same here, sis!  I apply extra product to that area.  I primarily finger detangle so it's not mechanical damage.  I just accepted that it's the way my hair is and I accept her as she is.  My nape is also a different texture than the rest of my hair.


----------



## GettingKinky (Apr 26, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 your hair is amazing!!! is that a braidout in your length check picture?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 26, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> @NaturalShe94 your hair is amazing!!! is that a braidout in your length check picture?



Thank you. & no, its just damp.


----------



## GettingKinky (Apr 26, 2020)

Length checks were way more fun when I would get my hair flat ironed. Seeing progress on hair that shrinks a different amount every day is hard.

I need a shape up haircut, but who knows when that will happen.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 26, 2020)

I have a love/hate relationship with Cantu Leave In. It lacks slip and it doesn’t seem really “moisturizing” while applying it. It also feels like its weighing my hair down. However, after it dries, my hair is so defined. Not very voluminous either but definitely defined, frizz free & shiny.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 27, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> i ran out of my biotin (5000mcg) and replaced it with another liquid biotin that is 10000 mcg. we'll see how this goes. it is definitely not as tasty and there are no markings on the droplet so i need to replace it with another one that has a marking at 1ml



Im told liquid is better anyway because your body absorbs it better and you get the full benefits vs pill form you only get 75%. Not sure if this is different with gel tablets though.


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 28, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Im told liquid is better anyway because your body absorbs it better and you get the full benefits vs pill form you only get 75%. Not sure if this is different with gel tablets though.


Ohh that’s good to know. I’ve also been hearing good reviews on the liquid biotin. I just received my first order (see attached pic). I’ve been doing the pill form off and on, But I really need to stick to my regimen so I can have the length and strength I desire.  Getting my hair to look healthy and luxurious is a new discovery since I’ve gotten older.  My hair started to thin (the actual strains); now they are strong, thicker and healthy.  I wish I would have enjoyed my hair more when I was younger; however, the flip side to that is I’ve found a fun hobby and I enjoy growing my hair out and discovering how to change the structure of my strains.
Happy hair growing my LHCF family!


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 28, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> So pretty!!


Thank you


----------



## storm777007 (Apr 28, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> I have a love/hate relationship with Cantu Leave In. It lacks slip and it doesn’t seem really “moisturizing” while applying it. It also feels like its weighing my hair down. However, after it dries, my hair is so defined. Not very voluminous either but definitely defined, frizz free & shiny.


Ok so it’s not just me...I’ve been adding oil and another leave in to my Cantu now until it’s gone. I have soo many other products lined up in my cabinet that I need to try out ‍.


----------



## Prettymetty (Apr 28, 2020)

I spritzed with xcel21 this morning and just massaged my scalp with the cream. Maybe I’ll cowash tomorrow. Maybe not


----------



## Mapleoats (Apr 29, 2020)

So I just blew out my hair for the first time since December. My measurements must have been off cus my hair has definitely grown!!! I’m about 2 inches away from BSL, so even with trims I should (fingers crossed) make it there by the end of the year!!! Im dying to have my hair straightened, haven’t flat ironed since last August.


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Apr 29, 2020)

@NaturalShe94   gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.  I want to be like you when I grow up!

I'm disappointed to heae SM discontinued the lo-po .  It worked lovely on my hair.  The conditioner is bomb.  Even the shampoo seemed to detangle my tresses
I've been using the Garnier honey something or nother.  Bouught at Walmart cause I didn't feel like going to Target
Kreyol Essence works really nicely for my hair too, but I need them to lower their prices with all the hair I have on my head


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 30, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> Ok so it’s not just me...I’ve been adding oil and another leave in to my Cantu now until it’s gone. I have soo many other products lined up in my cabinet that I need to try out ‍.



It seems pretty heavy already, adding to it just seems like it’ll weigh my hair down even more. What do you add to yours?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Apr 30, 2020)

guyaneseyankee said:


> @NaturalShe94   gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.  I want to be like you when I grow up!
> 
> I'm disappointed to heae SM discontinued the lo-po .  It worked lovely on my hair.  The conditioner is bomb.  Even the shampoo seemed to detangle my tresses
> I've been using the Garnier honey something or nother.  Bouught at Walmart cause I didn't feel like going to Target
> Kreyol Essence works really nicely for my hair too, but I need them to lower their prices with all the hair I have on my head



Lol!!!! Your compliment cracked me, thank you though! Your hair is so full and beautiful by the way.

Ill check those products out, thank you!


----------



## guyaneseyankee (Apr 30, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Lol!!!! Your compliment cracked me, thank you though! Your hair is so full and beautiful by the way.
> 
> Ill check those products out, thank you!


Kreyol Essence has items on sale for mother's day.  I haven't checked them out, just told my sis and daughter to buy for me.  LOL


----------



## CurliDiva (May 1, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> i ran out of my biotin (5000mcg) and replaced it with another liquid biotin that is 10000 mcg. we'll see how this goes. it is definitely not as tasty and there are no markings on the droplet so i need to replace it with another one that has a marking at 1ml



How did you like the liquid biotin? How do you take it? I read some do under the tongue or gums.

I was taking a 5,000 mcg biotin gummy, but been reading that liquid is best for absorption.


----------



## apple_natural (May 1, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> How did you like the liquid biotin? How do you take it?



this first one is the 5k mcg one that i finished recently. i liked it better although it is super sweet

the second one is the 10k one i have now... its blah. i should try to regularly get it under my tongue, but i just swirl it around and squeeze the doppler (it only fills up about 1ml) and take it

i can't tell if either are really working because i already get quite a bit of hair growth and i am also taking hairfinity. i will continue to take it, though. i don't think its hurting


----------



## storm777007 (May 2, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> It seems pretty heavy already, adding to it just seems like it’ll weigh my hair down even more. What do you add to yours?


I add olive oil, black castor oil and mix it with another leave in. My 4c hair seems to love the thicker consistency. Then I seal with shea butter.


----------



## storm777007 (May 2, 2020)

snoop said:


> I mentioned in one of the off topic challenges that the boards feel abandoned since the new year started.  I find myself hanging on the hair side more... it's a lot merrier here.
> 
> In hair news, my hair doesn't seem to be shedding as much as it was at the beginning of the year.  I do get some breakage, but nothing that seems out of the ordinary.  However, the lack of shedding now is less than I feel like I've been getting ever, so I'm wondering if I have a breakage problem but just don't recognize it because this amount is my "normal".
> 
> I think my hair my hair is getting longer, again.


Wow you’re 4c too?


----------



## snoop (May 2, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> Wow you’re 4c too?



Yes ma'am!


----------



## Prettymetty (May 3, 2020)

It’s been 7 days since I started using xcel21 again (cream and spray.) after the 21 days I’ll do a progress pic


----------



## keranikki (May 5, 2020)

I finally took down my mini braids. While I loved the low maintenance, I will never do braids that small again. My hair just looked a frizzy mess, lol.
I thought I was keeping my hair moisturized, but four dreads that formed in my crown proved me wrong. It took “mad” conditioner to loosen the shed hair in those dreads. I’m very thankful that I didn’t lose any hair.
Overall, my hair is healthy and it grew very well in braids. I’m going to attempt to install knotless braids this weekend. My goal is to keep my hair braided and moisturized until July 1st.

Below is my progress from 16 March to 4 May. I fought hard not to trim my hair. I will wait until 1 July.


----------



## HealthyHair2020 (May 6, 2020)

Sorry that I haven't checked in in a while. I will posting my pics tomorrow since I will be doing a protective style.


----------



## Prettymetty (May 9, 2020)

Yesterday’s length check. I’m shooting for waist length by December. My natural-versary is in August so that would be a nice gift.


----------



## Missjaxon (May 10, 2020)

Prettymetty said:


> Yesterday’s length check. I’m shooting for waist length by December. My natural-versary is in August so that would be a nice gift.View attachment 459133


 
@Prettymetty 
Do you mean hip length, for example wear your pants rest? It looks like you are grazing or at your natural waist to me. Either way beautiful progress.


----------



## BeautifulRoots (May 10, 2020)

Missjaxon said:


> @Prettymetty
> Do you mean hip length, for example wear your pants rest? It looks like you are grazing or at your natural waist to me. Either way beautiful progress.


Looks like you're at waist to me, too.


----------



## snoop (May 10, 2020)

Missjaxon said:


> @Prettymetty
> Do you mean hip length, for example wear your pants rest? It looks like you are grazing or at your natural waist to me. Either way beautiful progress.



I agree!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (May 10, 2020)

Prettymetty said:


> Yesterday’s length check. I’m shooting for waist length by December. My natural-versary is in August so that would be a nice gift.View attachment 459133



You’re definitely WL girl!


----------



## BlackRinse (May 10, 2020)

Prettymetty said:


> Yesterday’s length check. I’m shooting for waist length by December. My natural-versary is in August so that would be a nice gift.



You're definitely going to get to WL by December.


----------



## apple_natural (May 10, 2020)

@Prettymetty definitely wl to me too

@keranikki thank you first telling us that the braids frizzed. I thought my hair would do that with braids 

I redid my mini twists yesterday.  I thought they were matting, but they actually didn't. It doesn't take me very long to do these at all. I used aloe vera juice and water to take them down. Then, I used some TGIN curl cream when I put them back in. They are in a top knot right now


----------



## Prettymetty (May 10, 2020)

The way these rolls are set up I don’t even know where my waist is these days. I’ve put on 10lbs since lockdown 

Either way I’m on the grow super hard for the rest of this year. I just massaged my scalp with xcel21 cream and put in my Celie braids. My mom gave me a new wig today. I put some herbal essences ltr cream on my ends also. 

New wig who dis?!


----------



## water_n_oil (May 11, 2020)

I think my new goal is BSL in two braids. Already met my previous goal of APL braids.


----------



## GettingKinky (May 11, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> I think my new goal is BSL in two braids. Already met my previous goal of APL braids.



Do your braids shrink a lot? My braids don’t even reach my shoulders unless I stretch my hair first.


----------



## water_n_oil (May 11, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Do your braids shrink a lot? My braids don’t even reach my shoulders unless I stretch my hair first.


Not much. I brush the length with the Felicia Leatherwood every time I cross a section over the other until I finish the braid. If i braided my hair as is, it'd shrink more.


----------



## GettingKinky (May 11, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Not much. I brush the length with the Felicia Leatherwood every time I cross a section over the other until I finish the braid. If i braided my hair as is, it'd shrink more.



I’ve never tried that before. But I’m so uncoordinated that would take me forever.


----------



## water_n_oil (May 11, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’ve never tried that before. But I’m so uncoordinated that would take me forever.


It does take a little longer but worth a shot. Results in a smoother, shinier, and more elongated braid.


----------



## snoop (May 13, 2020)

So, this year I've been paying super attention to my hair like it's year 2 again.  I've been so happy with how it's looking and feeling.

So what did I go and do this weekend? After I washed my hair (in twists), I decided to be lazy and African thread my twists into 4 sections without properly restyling them _first_. Three days later my hair is a matted mess.

So, now my pam is to spend one day detangling each of the 4 sections.  I've never tried stretching mont detangling days out like this before but we'll see how this goes.

Note to self: I can't be lazy with my hair on wash day.


----------



## metro_qt (May 13, 2020)

snoop said:


> So, this year I've been paying super attention to my hair like it's year 2 again.  I've been so happy with how it's looking and feeling.
> 
> So what did I go and do this weekend? After I washed my hair (in twists), I decided to be lazy and African thread my twists into 4 sections without properly restyling them _first_. Three days later my hair is a matted mess.
> 
> ...


K... so... these Covid times has me not caring about my hair at all.
For 2 years, I would clear my calendar for wash day, and be as happy as Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music doing my hair... i was in looooove with my hair.

Now, I wash my hair... put it in a bun.... and leave it for a while... a week or 2 later... I wash/repeat.

My hair is a matted mess. (on the inside/at the roots)
Is there a way to get back on track and really detangle these roots without losing all of my hair?
(Also my hair is coloured, and shedding a lot now... which makes it no fun to wash or play with-Yes... i'm using Olaplaex.... when i feel like it)


----------



## snoop (May 14, 2020)

metro_qt said:


> K... so... these Covid times has me not caring about my hair at all.
> For 2 years, I would clear my calendar for wash day, and be as happy as Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music doing my hair... i was in looooove with my hair.
> 
> Now, I wash my hair... put it in a bun.... and leave it for a while... a week or 2 later... I wash/repeat.
> ...



One that I've used for a while has been Kinky Curly Knot Today + conditioner +oil.  That works well.

I've also used, coconut oil mixed with conditioner (1:1).  Leave it in for a few days then go to town using more conditioner as necessary.  I've had success with this, too.

I'm trying shea butter, oil, and conditioner this time so we'll see.  I've been avoiding detangling but this baggy has been on my head for two days already 

For shedding, I've been mixing my own ayurvedic oils and using them on my hair and scalp -- two different blends.  The one for my scalp has coffee infused oil in it.  I started in January.  My shedding reduced within the week and after 3 months I get barely anything.  Like, I've never lost so little hair, maybe even while being pregnant?  I got the coffee oil idea from @ElevatedEnergy in the shea butter threads, but instead of using it on my body, decided to add some to my scalp oil. I think the herbs on their own help a lot with the shedding since I started without the coffee, but the addition of coffee might have upped the potency.


----------



## snoop (May 14, 2020)

snoop said:


> So, this year I've been paying super attention to my hair like it's year 2 again.  I've been so happy with how it's looking and feeling.
> 
> So what did I go and do this weekend? After I washed my hair (in twists), I decided to be lazy and African thread my twists into 4 sections without properly restyling them _first_. Three days later my hair is a matted mess.
> 
> ...




So I finger detangled it all today.  I feel like I lost more hair today than I have all year.  Lesson learned.  Even if it means throwing in some temporary jumbo twists, I can't do what I did last week.


----------



## nyeredzi (May 14, 2020)

snoop said:


> So, this year I've been paying super attention to my hair like it's year 2 again.  I've been so happy with how it's looking and feeling.
> 
> So what did I go and do this weekend? After I washed my hair (in twists), I decided to be lazy and African thread my twists into 4 sections without properly restyling them _first_. Three days later my hair is a matted mess.
> 
> ...



I've done this many times, usually not over 4 days, but frequently over 2, sometimes 3.  It just takes soooo long and who has hours and hours of time at once.


----------



## snoop (May 15, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I've done this many times, usually not over 4 days, but frequently over 2, sometimes 3.  It just takes soooo long and who has hours and hours of time at once.



Right? That would be the "right" way to do it, but I get so frustrated with having to do it over a long period of time that I just slug it out.

That was also probably my longest detangling session since the beginning of the year.  I'm getting the hang of how to keep my hair from excessive matting so that my detangling sessions go quickly.


----------



## apple_natural (May 16, 2020)

I just hope my hair is growing. I redid my mini twists last week, Saturday. My mom took a photo when I was leaning over. It looks shiny and everything but it better be growing


----------



## storm777007 (May 16, 2020)

Prettymetty said:


> Yesterday’s length check. I’m shooting for waist length by December. My natural-versary is in August so that would be a nice gift.View attachment 459133


Wow beautiful growth!!!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (May 16, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I just hope my hair is growing. I redid my mini twists last week, Saturday. My mom took a photo when I was leaning over. It looks shiny and everything but it better be growing



Its definitely growing. Lets hope you’re retaining all that extra length!


----------



## CurliDiva (May 18, 2020)

I plan not to touch my hair for the next TWO weeks! It's cornrowed - wear wig or scarf, as needed.

ETA: I did pretty well, leaving my hair alone....


----------



## CurliDiva (May 18, 2020)

storm777007 said:


> lol I just ordered some too...been watching UPS tracking website like crazy .



Hi  @storm777007  how areyou liking the Chebe?


----------



## Prettymetty (May 18, 2020)

I sprayed my xcel21. I may wash and blow dry later. I can try the 8 second wonder water too


----------



## curly.123 (May 20, 2020)

Is it too late to join?


----------



## apple_natural (May 20, 2020)

curly.123 said:


> Is it too late to join?



our host @NaturalShe94 requires a starting photo to officially be in the challenge, but I don't think she has a deadline on when people can start


----------



## curly.123 (May 20, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> our host @NaturalShe94 requires a starting photo to officially be in the challenge, but I don't think she has a deadline on when people can start


Tkx girl, gonna upload a photo now


----------



## curly.123 (May 20, 2020)

Photo from 4 weeks ago when I did a keratin treatment ( not a BKT) I dont use much heat on my hair ( less than once a year) and always have dry cuts/trim as I have a 3c hair.
I can see a BSL and I hope to be a full MBL going towards HL by December 2020.

I dont have a very strict regimen but will be focusing on


Moisturizing and sealing with oil/butter every other day
Keeping moisture/protein balanced
Ayurveda  ( henna, powders and oils)
DC 2x a week
Taking vitamins (bought a 6 months Hairfinity supply)


----------



## keranikki (May 20, 2020)

@curly.123 Welcome!!!!

I know I said that I wasn't going to cut my hair until July, but I lied to you all and myself.  I trimmed 1/4" off today and my ends feel so much better.  My last trim was on March 16, so I'm pretty happy with myself that I made it this far without cutting my hair.  When July comes, I wont trim it like I planned.....


----------



## GettingKinky (May 31, 2020)

Shrinkage is crazy. Five months later and the difference is so small.


----------



## keranikki (May 31, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Shrinkage is crazy. Five months later and the difference is so small.
> 
> View attachment 459891



Shrinkage can really put a damper on the ego, lol. I’m also noticing that the longer my hair gets, the more it shrinks. My dreams of wearing visibly long curly hair is slowly fading away, lol.


----------



## GettingKinky (May 31, 2020)

keranikki said:


> Shrinkage can really put a damper on the ego, lol. I’m also noticing that the longer my hair gets, the more it shrinks. My dreams of wearing visibly long curly hair is slowly fading away, lol.



That’s not what I want to hear.


----------



## apple_natural (Jun 2, 2020)

im going to work on retwisting my hair again. its been several weeks. time is flying!  thats good.

@GettingKinky I feel like i can see a difference! i like it. the top is down longer in the second photo


----------



## I Am Number Four. (Jun 3, 2020)

snoop said:


> So, this year I've been paying super attention to my hair like it's year 2 again.  I've been so happy with how it's looking and feeling.
> 
> So what did I go and do this weekend? After I washed my hair (in twists), I decided to be lazy and African thread my twists into 4 sections without properly restyling them _first_. Three days later my hair is a matted mess.
> 
> ...



Same... I had the misfortune of not properly combing my hair for 2 months while wearing it in two loose French braids. Needless to say, I had to spend upwards of two months detangling my hair while balancing school work. Detangle. Twist. Sleep. School. Detangle. Twist. Sleep. School. Lol...

Surprisingly, it was not matted, but the amount of shed hairs made it a laborious "hobby" of mine until school finished. 

Hopefully, the shedding will lighten up and you will get back into a good routine!


----------



## curly.123 (Jun 4, 2020)

Sprayed onion juice on my scalp for the first time


----------



## mayoo (Jun 6, 2020)

Checking in ladies~~~

*I don't even know what length this is, ladies loool. What do you think?* 
Maybe TBL? 


Pic in the hoody is January 2020, pic in bra is this morning (June 6th 2020)
Along the way, I have done 2 super-mini trims 

*Length*
Longest layers are about 23-24inch and ultimate goal is 30inch (for now).

*Regimen*
Wash 1x p/week with shampoo bar 
Detangle with conditioner in the shower 
Deep condition under dryer for 20-30 minutes 
Set in braids or twists for the week. Wear twist out /braid out end of week
Sometimes, remoisturise and re-braid/re-twist mid-week 



*What I've learned/changed this year*
-Less use of my tangle teezer. This was my main tool becuase I love how easy it is to use and how smooth it leaves my hair. However, I decided to just use my fingers for the last couple of months, and I'm seeing less breakage.

-Started treating my hair like it's more fragile. I have "heavy hands" that tend to destry everything they touch lol. So I'm concentrating more on treating my hair softly

-More consistent. Since quarantine started, I have been very consistent since I am working from home

-Too much water that isn't running (aka not the shower) makes my fine strands tangle

-I don't need to add everything to my deep conditioner. I'm going back to using the product as it is


----------



## snoop (Jun 6, 2020)

In relation to the earlier convo on shrinkage:  I feel like, one just kind of has to live with it.  

Photo:  My shrunken hair, compared to my twisted hair, compared to my twists when stretched.


----------



## GettingKinky (Jun 6, 2020)

snoop said:


> In relation to the earlier convo on shrinkage:  I feel like, one just kind of has to live with it.
> 
> Photo:  My shrunken hair, compared to my twisted hair, compared to my twists when stretched.



I agree I’m going to just have to live with my shrinkage and appreciate my volume instead. But I still thought that I would see length progress with time.  It seems like my shrinkage just compensates for my growth.  

Maybe I’ll switch my comparison picture to my hair in a puff.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jun 6, 2020)

@mayoo what shampoo bar are you using?


----------



## ms.tatiana (Jun 6, 2020)

Due to Covid & still having to go to work, I decided to keep my hair braided. So since March I’ve just been washing my hair & getting it braided. I make sure to moisturizer & oil my scalp. Hopefully I see some growth when I take my hair down.


----------



## mayoo (Jun 7, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> @mayoo what shampoo bar are you using?



I'm still using the 22nd century shampoo bar. The mango butter one because it doesn't sting my eyes


----------



## keranikki (Jun 7, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Checking in ladies~~~
> 
> *I don't even know what length this is, ladies loool. What do you think?*
> Maybe TBL?
> ...



I would claim TBL. Claiming it really depends upon whether you want to wait for the bulk of your hair to reach that point or not.


----------



## yamilee21 (Jun 9, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Checking in ladies~~~ ... *I don't even know what length this is, ladies loool. What do you think? ...*


I remember an old thread with a few of us stretching our hair out to about that length; we were wearing pants with pockets in our pictures so we called it MPPL... mid pants pocket length, . Or it can be called BCL (butt crack length). Whatever the name, you are well on your way to classic length.


----------



## Mapleoats (Jun 11, 2020)

Y’all I feel like my hair is growinggg. I’m so excited for the next length check but nervous cause I don’t wanna be disappointed lol


----------



## curly.123 (Jun 13, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Y’all I feel like my hair is growinggg. I’m so excited for the next length check but nervous cause I don’t wanna be disappointed lol


Same here lol did a lenght check in april, I'm aproaching MBL but im to scared to do a lenght check, dont want to be disapointed hahahaha


----------



## CurliDiva (Jun 15, 2020)

I've gotten lazy........just keeping my hair in plaits and scarf when home. Hopefully my growth won't suffer.


----------



## snoop (Jun 15, 2020)

CurliDiva said:


> I've gotten lazy........just keeping my hair in plaits and scarf when home. Hopefully my growth won't suffer.



I'm sure it'll be fine as long as you're moisturizing in between.


----------



## keranikki (Jun 15, 2020)

I know I’m supposed....I’m just scissor happy and this color is getting on my nerves. It has thinned out my hair and loosened my curl pattern. I cut two inches off this evening. My hair feels better. 
I will not reach my original goal, but I’m still striving for longer lengths. My goal is now APL by December.


----------



## ms.tatiana (Jun 16, 2020)

I brought some garlic & onion oil (yeah it smells) on Instagram the makers claimed it helps with thickness, currently applying it to my edges.


----------



## keranikki (Jun 16, 2020)

ms.tatiana said:


> I brought some garlic & onion oil (yeah it smells) on Instagram the makers claimed it helps with thickness, currently applying it to my edges.



Don't forget to massage the area.  It helps with circulation and relieves tension in that area.  Tight muscles can hinder growth.


----------



## curly.123 (Jun 17, 2020)

ms.tatiana said:


> I brought some garlic & onion oil (yeah it smells) on Instagram the makers claimed it helps with thickness, currently applying it to my edges.


Add some lemongrass EO to your mix and it wont smell bad


----------



## ms.tatiana (Jun 17, 2020)

curly.123 said:


> Add some lemongrass EO to your mix and it wont smell bad



Thank you. I was trying to figure something out I was like almond oil or almond oil both aren’t that stronger tho.


----------



## curly.123 (Jun 17, 2020)

keranikki said:


> View attachment 460323 I know I’m supposed....I’m just scissor happy and this color is getting on my nerves. It has thinned out my hair and loosened my curl pattern. I cut two inches off this evening. My hair feels better.
> I will not reach my original goal, but I’m still striving for longer lengths. My goal is now APL by December.
> 
> View attachment 460321


healthy hair is better than long hair with dry ends


----------



## ms.tatiana (Jun 17, 2020)

keranikki said:


> Don't forget to massage the area.  It helps with circulation and relieves tension in that area.  Tight muscles can hinder growth.



Thanks. I try to massage it it, but I’ve wondered if I should get a derma roller. I heard that it’s only good on freshly washed hair.


----------



## TamaraShaniece (Jun 17, 2020)

Bette Davis Eyes said:


> @TamaraShaniece  How do you like the curl smiler and how do you use it? Ive been following for awhile but never "knew anyone " that used her products before



Im super duper late: I love it. I use it as part of the LOC Method to seal everything in. I compare this to Belle Bar Argan & Shine Butter. 

I’ll wash my hair, use leave in, oil, and styling cream to plait (6). The next day, I’ll lightly mist w/ a curl refresher spray and seal w/ the Curl Smiler and begin to 2 strand twist (24). My hair stays moisturized for 2 days. I’ll spray twist w/ a refresher spray, squeeze in some leave in and seal w/ the curl smiler. HTH


----------



## Prettymetty (Jun 18, 2020)

My bday braids. I did them a week ago. I’ll probably take them down in a week or 2. I really want to try the prismax Hair Botox my boyfriend got me, but I should wait until August. I’ll do a trim at that time. I may put in some more braids for 4th of July or wear my short curly wig. Either way I’ll be cute! I learned to do lashes so I’m super excited


----------



## nyeredzi (Jun 20, 2020)

So it's about time for our 2nd progress update, in about 10 days. I'm intending to do a small trim. But I've been thinking about the logic of trims. I don't really have split ends. What I have are knots. If I trim just the last 1/4" or something, I'll only get a small number of knots. Most of the knots are probably 1/2"-1" above the end of the hair. So it doesn't make a lot of sense for me to trim for the purpose of cutting out knots if I cut less than the length where all the knots are. I'd trim that 1/4" and still have all the knots. Which is one of the reasons I don't do trims that short anyway.

On the other hand, if I cut 1" more often than about once every 3 months, my hair would stay about the same length, since 1" is what I've been retaining per 3 months for the last half a year or so. So I have to cut enough for it actually have an effect, but I can't cut too often or I won't see any growth.  After I cut, knots will develop quickly again, so it's not even like cutting gives me more than a month of easier detangling.

I think I"m going to aim for 1/2" this trim. That will get some of the knots, certainly not all of them. I'm not even sure if it will get most of them. But maybe it will be enough to make a difference. I might go ahead and flat iron, too, since I'm off most of this week. That would mean that of the roughly 2" I've retained in the last 6 months, I can keep 1 1/2" of it.

This woman, whose hair is nothing at all like mine, was talking about how she only trims once a year. I don't know if I'd be willing to go that long, but it was interesting to hear her talk about it (around 2:00)


----------



## apple_natural (Jun 24, 2020)

keranikki said:


> My goal is now APL by December.


Good news is that your ends look thick!  

As for me, I took out my mini twists a few days ago (like literally 3 days ago). .. I mean I tore out my mini twists. 

It felt like hay, i've been baggying with conditioner. Its getting better. i will do an acv rinse when i shower 

I wasn't sure why i was getting so much shedding until I remembered that I have not been taking my iron supplements since it is in a multi and I was not sure if I can take them at the same time as the hairfinity . I'm going to alternate the iron multi and the hairfinity. im afraid of getting too much of a synthetic vitamin in a day

well.. i hope i'm growing some hair. if i happen to make my bsl goal, the next year or two, I am going to just cut it as it passes bsl


----------



## snoop (Jun 24, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Good news is that your ends look thick!
> 
> As for me, I took out my mini twists a few days ago (like literally 3 days ago). *.. I mean I tore out my mini twists.
> 
> ...



What happened?

Did you moisturize your mini twists while you were wearing them?

Did you prep them before taking them down?


----------



## apple_natural (Jun 24, 2020)

snoop said:


> What happened?
> Did you moisturize your mini twists while you were wearing them?
> Did you prep them before taking them down?



I was moisturizing them at first, but then I fell off, so I took them all out. The roots looked matted, but they weren't. I did put on some conditioner to take them down, but not every section.

Last night, I did an ACV rinse and detangled. I didn't lose as much hair, which was great! I cowashed with Roux Porosity Conditioner something and then put on Megatek. I just rinsed that out and put more on the ends. 

ETA: I just put castor oil on the roots


----------



## Lita (Jun 24, 2020)

I applied NJoy’s growth pomade on my edges & CCN Fenugreek growth oil on the rest of my scalp.

Happy Hair Growing!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jun 25, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Checking in ladies~~~
> 
> *I don't even know what length this is, ladies loool. What do you think?*
> Maybe TBL?
> ...



Your hair looks literally an inch longer than mine. I wonder myself, is that considered TBL? It looks TBL to me! Is classic your goal? Cause you’re almost there lol!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jun 25, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> So it's about time for our 2nd progress update, in about 10 days. I'm intending to do a small trim. But I've been thinking about the logic of trims. I don't really have split ends. What I have are knots. If I trim just the last 1/4" or something, I'll only get a small number of knots. Most of the knots are probably 1/2"-1" above the end of the hair. So it doesn't make a lot of sense for me to trim for the purpose of cutting out knots if I cut less than the length where all the knots are. I'd trim that 1/4" and still have all the knots. Which is one of the reasons I don't do trims that short anyway.
> 
> On the other hand, if I cut 1" more often than about once every 3 months, my hair would stay about the same length, since 1" is what I've been retaining per 3 months for the last half a year or so. So I have to cut enough for it actually have an effect, but I can't cut too often or I won't see any growth.  After I cut, knots will develop quickly again, so it's not even like cutting gives me more than a month of easier detangling.
> 
> ...



I follow her. Her tips seem useful but I dont think it can work for everyone. I trim once a year, but I can do that because my ends are tucked majority of the time year round & I only flat iron once a year. About 8 years ago when I use to straighten all the time & wore my hair down practically everyday I trimmed every 8-10 weeks..... Do you think there’s anything you could do different to prevent knots at your ends?


----------



## nyeredzi (Jun 25, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> I follow her. Her tips seem useful but I dont think it can work for everyone. I trim once a year, but I can do that because my ends are tucked majority of the time year round & I only flat iron once a year. About 8 years ago when I use to straighten all the time & wore my hair down practically everyday I trimmed every 8-10 weeks..... Do you think there’s anything you could do different to prevent knots at your ends?



If there's something I could do to prevent knots, I either don't know it or am not willing to do it. I never wear loose hair these days, I wear twists, usually in a bun, but sometimes in a ponytail. It's now to the point where I feel physically uncomfortable when I feel hair touching my skin. I use mild heat to blow dry occasionally, and I actually think this reduces the number of knots. But, actually, I just remembered, I am trying something new. I'm trying flax seed gel on the ends of my twists, followed indigenous strands' advice.

When you trim, why do you do it? What is wrong with your ends that makes you trim?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jun 25, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> If there's something I could do to prevent knots, I either don't know it or am not willing to do it. I never wear loose hair these days, I wear twists, usually in a bun, but sometimes in a ponytail. It's now to the point where I feel physically uncomfortable when I feel hair touching my skin. I use mild heat to blow dry occasionally, and I actually think this reduces the number of knots. But, actually, I just remembered, I am trying something new. I'm trying flax seed gel on the ends of my twists, followed indigenous strands' advice.
> 
> When you trim, why do you do it? What is wrong with your ends that makes you trim?



Because they split and I dont want it to start looking thinned out. I also want to keep it growing together.


----------



## apple_natural (Jun 29, 2020)

My little hair piece behind my left ear started out at 9" flat-ironed. It is 11" pulled wet now.... it may be a .5 inch longer if it was flatironed. I clipped .5 inch in April. 

I have not been taking my iron supplements. I have taken 2 month of Hairfinity. For the rest of the year, I will be sure to take my iron supplements. I will finish the one bottle of Hairfinity that I have left, but I will not be replacing it. I will continue with my biotin that I've been taking all year until it finishes. I don't think that is doing anything for my hair, but it may be doing something for my skin.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jun 30, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> My little hair piece behind my left ear started out at 9" flat-ironed. It is 11" pulled wet now.... it may be a .5 inch longer if it was flatironed. I clipped .5 inch in April.
> 
> I have not been taking my iron supplements. I have taken 2 month of Hairfinity. For the rest of the year, I will be sure to take my iron supplements. I will finish the one bottle of Hairfinity that I have left, but I will not be replacing it. I will continue with my biotin that I've been taking all year until it finishes. I don't think that is doing anything for my hair, but it may be doing something for my skin.



Are you taking a multivitamin as well? I was taking hairfinity at one point. But I switched to Nature Bounty Hair Skin & Nails and I actually notice results with a multi vs just one vitamin.


----------



## apple_natural (Jun 30, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Are you taking a multivitamin as well? I was taking hairfinity at one point. But I switched to Nature Bounty Hair Skin & Nails and I actually notice results with a multi vs just one vitamin.



Usually! My iron is in a multi vitamin. That is the one I am going to start taking again. I'll see how it affects my hair growth the next few months


----------



## GettingKinky (Jul 1, 2020)

Here’s my June update. I’m going to start looking at my puff growth in addition to looking at my stretched hair.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Jul 1, 2020)

June update - So my hair is still on a average growth rate. The front grew 2 inches, middle and back grew 1.5 so the front is now 14 inches, middle is 14.5 and the back is 12.5. My hair is now the top of my bra strap. However I have noticed that I seem to have a lot of knot split ends. Does anyone have any experience with them or remedies or should I just trim? (I do plan to do that once this challenge is complete at the end of the year but I won’t be during this challenge). Plan is to bun for the next few months no gel. Hopefully I can stick to that I like having my hair down too much aha

Update on staples: Shampoo is Shea moisture Manuka honey & Mafura oil, imbue curl liberating sulphate free shampoo
Rinse out conditioner - Tresemme Moisture Rich 
DCs - SM Manuka honey DC, Crece pelo & Eden body works jojoba monoi 
Leave ins- S curl, kinky curly knot today 
I just realised I haven’t been oiling my ends as much so I need to resume that. I usually use grapeseed oil.


----------



## apple_natural (Jul 2, 2020)

*SUMMER Check IN!! *

NaturalShe94
syrk
apple_natural





PlanetCybertron
GettingKinky
pinkchocolatedaisy
BeautifulRoots
ckisland - big chopped
Nightingale
Mapleoats
Bun Mistress
Kiaray8 
CurliDiva
Rhealthyhair
faithVA
Napturallypretty1908
Victorian
keranikki 
nyeredzi
guyaneseyankee
alanaturelle
BlackRinse
long.hair.dont.care
water_n_oil
metro_qt
mayoo
periwinklepeach
HappyAtLast
SmilingElephant
TamaraShaniece
ms.tatiana 
snoop 
Prettymetty 
curly.123
storm777007
Curls&Caramel WELCOME!
along with our Honeypot


----------



## Mapleoats (Jul 2, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> View attachment 460763 View attachment 460773 June update - So my hair is still on a average growth rate. The front grew 2 inches, middle and back grew 1.5 so the front is now 14 inches, middle is 14.5 and the back is 12.5. My hair is now the top of my bra strap. However I have noticed that I seem to have a lot of knot split ends. Does anyone have any experience with them or remedies or should I just trim? (I do plan to do that once this challenge is complete at the end of the year but I won’t be during this challenge). Plan is to bun for the next few months no gel. Hopefully I can stick to that I like having my hair down too much aha
> 
> Update on staples: Shampoo is Shea moisture Manuka honey & Mafura oil, imbue curl liberating sulphate free shampoo
> Rinse out conditioner - Tresemme Moisture Rich
> ...


Awesome progress! 

Your hair seems very thick and kinky/ curly like mine. How do you manage to get it in a bun? Do you stretch first or wet buns? I would love to wear more buns but they usually give me a headache


----------



## Kiaray8 (Jul 2, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Awesome progress!
> 
> Your hair seems very thick and kinky/ curly like mine. How do you manage to get it in a bun? Do you stretch first or wet buns? I would love to wear more buns but they usually give me a headache



Thank you! It depends what look I am going for. If I want a sleek bun I will do a wash and go but once its dry it kind of reactivate the moisture so it is very easy to sleek my hair. However when I want a more fluffy look I usually do a twist out first then slick my hair back. Because my hair is thick I need to make sure I really do moisturise each section & I do make sure to work in sections when putting the bun together.

Two of my favourite youtube videos on that:


----------



## alanaturelle (Jul 2, 2020)

Hello!! Here is my progress so far. My goal is to reach full BSL and graze MBL by December.


----------



## ckisland (Jul 2, 2020)

Oh I forgot to update!! I big chopped again back in April! So I'm out of this challenge for this year LOL!! 
Good luck ladies!!


----------



## water_n_oil (Jul 3, 2020)

Will post an updated pic on my next wash. I've been rocking two braids as of late and just keeping it simple.


----------



## nyeredzi (Jul 3, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I realize I don't remember if I've been measuring my hair dry or wet for this challenge. Let's just do dry-ish measurements from now on. Done on essentially dry hair, but I have to dampen and oil a little just to be able to manipulate it and stretch it for the measurement. My hair measurement comes out longer on wet hair, so let's do (mostly) dry.
> 
> Part of starting post:
> 
> ...



Okay, my mid-year update. I'm around 17.5 - 18" . I think my hair is in pretty good condition. I'm going to hold off on the trim, though I do occasionally trim out knots. But my hair is pretty even, few splits, and even the knots are not terrible. I tried recently slathering the ends of my twists in flaxseed gel from Indigenous Strandz advice and I like the results so far. It does seem to keep the ends from tangling as much. Just smoothing the ends of the twists when you get to that part and covering in the gel. I also did it twirling/ rope twisting the ends, and it really helped. I washed my hair in twists and didn't detangle, just undid the ends and redid them that way with the gel and today when I went to untwist them, the result was much better in terms of ends not tangling.

Anyway, here's a picture for the update.


----------



## curly.123 (Jul 5, 2020)

My lenght check :


Yes, I got fatter 


First foto was on abril 20th, as my ends was not in a good shape, the lenght was average BSL
Second photo was today 5th july and I can tell that I'm MBL and I probably can reach WL by december
Thrid photo is t-shirt measurements, it grown a lot, I cant believe it!


----------



## Mapleoats (Jul 6, 2020)

Not an official length check but still a nice progress pic. Here’s my rollerset in March vs a rollerset from this past weekend. I’m in desperate need of a trim though


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Jul 7, 2020)

ckisland said:


> Oh I forgot to update!! I big chopped again back in April! So I'm out of this challenge for this year LOL!!
> Good luck ladies!!


Dang you’re just like me with the chopping hair off


----------



## Mapleoats (Jul 8, 2020)

I brushed out my rollerset and gave myself that well needed trim and a proper length check. Side note - brushed out rollerset gave me the softest fluffiest “blow out” I’ve ever had, I could cry lol 

Here’s a side by side comparison of December, April and July! My hair is slightly longer but also so much thicker now since April!!



I think by my next length check in October I should officially be grazing BSL!!


----------



## CurliDiva (Jul 8, 2020)

I'm approx 3 inches to APL but suffering some breakage in nape area. Time to step it up and stop being lazy.


----------



## apple_natural (Jul 9, 2020)

did i already mention that I have 11" pulled wet hair on my piece that i'm tracking. it may be a bit longer if I were to straighten it. i'm expecting to end this year at 13" and meet my goal of 15" by next year june.

i put on a bentonite clay/acv/aloe mask yesterday. deep conditioned with my macademia brand dc. i rinsed that out today and i have it in random twists that i pinned up. we dont have anywhere special to go


----------



## snoop (Jul 13, 2020)

I haven't had a chance to install mini twists to do a comparison.  I think my hair is finally starting to retain length, again.

Except for the crown area and the front.  Not sure what's going on there.  Does anyone have any tips for babying this area specifically?  I've been wearing medium-sized twists then french braid them and tucking in the ends into a bun.  Or just throwing everything into a loose bun.  Should I just start wearing my twists in multiple bantu knots?  (We're still in isolation over here, so I'm at home pretty much all day.)


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Jul 15, 2020)

snoop said:


> I haven't had a chance to install mini twists to do a comparison.  I think my hair is finally starting to retain length, again.
> 
> Except for the crown area and the front.  Not sure what's going on there.  Does anyone have any tips for babying this area specifically?  I've been wearing medium-sized twists then french braid them and tucking in the ends into a bun.  Or just throwing everything into a loose bun.  Should I just start wearing my twists in multiple bantu knots?  (We're still in isolation over here, so I'm at home pretty much all day.)


Is it kinkier in those areas? Depending on your hair, it might need more attention moisture/product wise but less manipulation and vice versa. Or it could simply be tired of being in that particular style.


----------



## snoop (Jul 15, 2020)

ItsMeLilLucky said:


> Is it kinkier in those areas? Depending on your hair, it might need more attention moisture/product wise but less manipulation and vice versa. Or it could simply be tired of being in that particular style.




I've recently noticed that my crown is coarser and possibly looser.  I think that the front is the same texture as the rest of my hair.

I restyle my hair every 1 to 2 weeks, but I do wear my twists in either buns or braids.  I will try to moisturize more and find some styles that have less tension on twists in those areas.

Thanks!


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Jul 15, 2020)

@snoop No problem, I’m happy to help.


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## Mapleoats (Jul 16, 2020)

My hair has been acting so weird lately. Just frizzy and undefined. I think it needs a detox. I’m either gonna do a clay mask next wash or use a mineral build up remover (ion crystal clarifying pack)


----------



## ItsMeLilLucky (Jul 16, 2020)

Rain water makes my hair so soft. If I was thinking, I should have set a bucket out to catch some water. I set a cup out to get a little bit.


----------



## apple_natural (Jul 24, 2020)

i haven't been using regular shampoo in a while. i used the last bit a few days ago to empty it out 1 and 2 to clean my scalp in case of build up. my hair felt like hay afterwards and im still scratching the crap out of my scalp. ... good news is that i have no more shampoo in the house! i prefer to use clay or acv or some blend. they have been working out


----------



## water_n_oil (Jul 24, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> i haven't been using regular shampoo in a while. i used the last bit a few days ago to empty it out 1 and 2 to clean my scalp in case of build up. my hair felt like hay afterwards and im still scratching the crap out of my scalp. ... good news is that i have no more shampoo in the house! i prefer to use clay or acv or some blend. they have been working out


Same here. I started using some other things again but my scalp very much prefers more basic things. I've gone back to HiBAR shampoo bar and will probably reincorporate acv rinses and Dr. Bronner's.


----------



## snoop (Jul 24, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Same here. I started using some other things again but my scalp very much prefers more basic things. I've gone back to HiBAR shampoo bar and will probably reincorporate acv rinses and Dr. Bronner's.



I'd never heard of HiBar before so I had to look it up.  Their moisturizing shampoo looks like a solid moisturizer -- those ingredients look yummy.


----------



## water_n_oil (Jul 24, 2020)

snoop said:


> I'd never heard of HiBar before so I had to look it up.  Their moisturizing shampoo looks like a solid moisturizer -- those ingredients look yummy.



I love it. I've only used the moisturize shampoo & conditioner bars so far.


----------



## Prettymetty (Jul 25, 2020)

I need to really detox my hair and scalp. The last couple washes I had buildup still and when I straighten my hair it just feels heavy. I’ll shampoo it Monday a few times and use a quickie conditioner just to make detangling easier.


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## apple_natural (Jul 25, 2020)

took about an hour to spray my scalp {and hair while im at it} with aloe vera juice and I put some camille rose cocoa nibs and honey stuff on my scalp too. my mom gave this to me some time ago. its going to good use...


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jul 27, 2020)

Heyy! Sorryyyyy for the super late update. I’ve been out of town the last three weeks with family.
Anywho, so I’m definitely at BCL again  my hair pulled to the front is at my belly button! 
Making my way to TBL but Ive gotta get a trim soon so we’ll see.


----------



## Curls&Caramel (Jul 27, 2020)

Wow all of you have gorgeous hair! I'm super late to the party but I'm hoping to join in. My hair is a MESS. Super uneven with scraggly ends. I can't find anyone here in Japan with experience cutting black hair and I'm a hair newbie so I'm not grabbing the shears.  Welcoming all suggestions.

*Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Relaxed. (I don't think I'm texlaxed, but my hair is thick)

*Current Length: Shoulder length*

*Goal Length: *Short term APL *Forever Hair Goals: *Between BSL and MBL

*Plan to reach goal length: *Create and stick to a healthy regimen. Reduce heat to 1-2x every 2 months.  Experiment with stretching relaxers.

*Regimen:
I'm pretty sure that it's all over the place. Please remember that I just started my HHJ last month.

Daily (Braid Out or Bun):* LCO- As I AM liquid leave-in/Cantu Creme leave-in/Coconut oil
*Daily (Straight hair)*: Keracare liquid leave in/Coconut oil

*Weekly*: 
Sunday- Pre-poo with coconut oil, Shampoo with Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo, DC with Keracare Humecto Creme Conditioner mixed with olive, avocado, and coconut oil, 30 minutes under heat cap, leave-ins, blow dry on cool (straight hair), air dry and braid (braid out).

Thursday- Cowash with cheapie Japanese conditioner and olive, avocado, and coconut oil.

*Monthly*: Haven't gotten there yet. Thinking of adding a protein like Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor

Relaxer every 8 weeks. (Used to be 5 or 6. Yeah, I know. Crazy.)

*Protective Styles: *Bun? Braid out is low manipulation right?

*Staple Products: *Keracare line, As I AM leave in. Experimenting with other creme leave-ins

*Starting Pic: Hubby took the pic and I freaked when I saw how uneven my hair really is. But I gotta start somewhere I guess.*


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Jul 27, 2020)

Curls&Caramel said:


> Wow all of you have gorgeous hair! I'm super late to the party but I'm hoping to join in. My hair is a MESS. Super uneven with scraggly ends. I can't find anyone here in Japan with experience cutting black hair and I'm a hair newbie so I'm not grabbing the shears.  Welcoming all suggestions.
> 
> *Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: *Relaxed. (I don't think I'm texlaxed, but my hair is thick)
> 
> ...



A ton of the women with super long hair tend to have braid outs as go-to styles. I think they’re low manipulation and safe. I cant master a braid out to save my life so Im strictly bun life lol.


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## Curls&Caramel (Jul 27, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> A ton of the women with super long hair tend to have braid outs as go-to styles. I think they’re low manipulation and safe. I cant master a braid out to save my life so Im strictly bun life lol.


Your curls are to die for. No need for a braid out for you. I'm trying to get into bunning, but it requires that I air dry my hair straight. Which always leaves my damaged hair a crispy mess. Braid outs mean I can braid it up damp and for some reason my ends don't turn into sandpaper. It's FAR from perfect though. With all that moisture, my new growth brings cotton fields to mind lol.


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## nyeredzi (Jul 27, 2020)

Length update is a little over 18". I already started tiny trimming the front, then got tired and forgot that I was doing it, so I don't remember where I left off. But I will do, like, the back 2/3 of my head soon. Definitely no more than 1/2". Just hitting WL.


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## apple_natural (Jul 27, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Length update is a little over 18".



GORGEOUS!!! OMG I was just looking at your previous post because it is my goal for next year and this you posted this one!!! i love it. your hair is my hair's big sister. We wear the same style and it looks the same as my own. Hopefully I have your hair next year December 2021.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jul 28, 2020)

Curls&Caramel said:


> Your curls are to die for. No need for a braid out for you. I'm trying to get into bunning, but it requires that I air dry my hair straight. Which always leaves my damaged hair a crispy mess. Braid outs mean I can braid it up damp and for some reason my ends don't turn into sandpaper. It's FAR from perfect though. With all that moisture, my new growth brings cotton fields to mind lol.



My curl pattern seems to have loosened as my hair has gotten longer. Pretty sure it has to do with the weight of the hair on top of the fact that I have pretty thick strands. It’s more S-shaped than corkscrewed now. I do want to get good at braid outs as a way to keep my hair clumped when I want to wear it out. Have you ever tried damp or wet buns? You don’t necessarily have to let it dry completely before bunning it.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jul 28, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Length update is a little over 18". I already started tiny trimming the front, then got tired and forgot that I was doing it, so I don't remember where I left off. But I will do, like, the back 2/3 of my head soon. Definitely no more than 1/2". Just hitting WL.
> 
> View attachment 461485



Oh my goodness!!!!! & it’s most likely even longer if it were straightened! Beautiful progress!


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## NaturalShe94 (Jul 28, 2020)

@nyeredzi you’ve got me thinking about measuring again. Think I’m gonna go home and measure some parts of my hair today


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## Curls&Caramel (Jul 28, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> My curl pattern seems to have loosened as my hair has gotten longer. Pretty sure it has to do with the weight of the hair on top of the fact that I have pretty thick strands. It’s more S-shaped than corkscrewed now. I do want to get good at braid outs as a way to keep my hair clumped when I want to wear it out. Have you ever tried damp or wet buns? You don’t necessarily have to let it dry completely before bunning it.


No I haven't but it sounds like exactly what I need. As long as my new growth and ends cooperate. I love my braid outs because I can hop right out of the shower and finish in 20 minutes or so and go about my evening while it dries. Do you know of any good how to videos on damp bunning? I ran a quick search through the forums but it just has ladies describing if it works for them.


----------



## nyeredzi (Jul 28, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> GORGEOUS!!! OMG I was just looking at your previous post because it is my goal for next year and this you posted this one!!! i love it. your hair is my hair's big sister. We wear the same style and it looks the same as my own. Hopefully I have your hair next year December 2021.


Thanks. Always on the lookout or hair twins, or siblings. Let me go look again at your posts.


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## nyeredzi (Jul 28, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> @nyeredzi you’ve got me thinking about measuring again. Think I’m gonna go home and measure some parts of my hair today


Will your arm reach?  Measuring is the only way I know what's happening before it's too late. Otherwise, I can only discern big changes


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## CurliDiva (Jul 29, 2020)

I did Pop Smoke braids (never heard of the late rapper but saw a YouTube video) in about an hour!

Low manipulation for rest of summer!!!!


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## nyeredzi (Jul 30, 2020)

Curls&Caramel said:


> Your curls are to die for. No need for a braid out for you. I'm trying to get into bunning, but it requires that I air dry my hair straight. Which always leaves my damaged hair a crispy mess. Braid outs mean I can braid it up damp and for some reason my ends don't turn into sandpaper. It's FAR from perfect though. With all that moisture, my new growth brings cotton fields to mind lol.


You can always burn your braid out


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## Curls&Caramel (Jul 30, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> You can always burn your braid out


LOL! At least it'll be useful.


----------



## nyeredzi (Jul 30, 2020)

Curls&Caramel said:


> LOL! At least it'll be useful.


Sorry, I meant bun it, not burn it! omg.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jul 30, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Will your arm reach?  Measuring is the only way I know what's happening before it's too late. Otherwise, I can only discern big changes



I tried measuring, I’ve gotta wait till wash day when I detangle and my hair is freshly moisturised and elastic. I took my plaited bun down and ended up getting some tangles trying to take a small section to measure, plus my hair is so dry sheesh. I measured one piece anyway just because and it was 24 inches. Going to wash this weekend and try again. I need accuracy lol.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jul 30, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Sorry, I meant bun it, not burn it! omg.



Lmaoo!


----------



## Curls&Caramel (Jul 30, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Sorry, I meant bun it, not burn it! omg.


That makes sense too! Hahahaha. I can't tell you how many times I've considered just starting over. But I'm gonna work with what I got...for now


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## ItsMeLilLucky (Jul 30, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> You can always burn your braid out


Ngl, at first I was like  but the more I read it the more I was like


----------



## Prettymetty (Jul 31, 2020)

My hair is growing y’all. I haven’t trimmed since February so I’m retaining it all. I ordered a split ender and another prismax hair botox. I’ll do a dusting in December.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jul 31, 2020)

So does anyone measure their hair like this? I was doing some research (googling) on hair measuring & the long hair community forum came up.... I started lurking.... I was seeing BSL hair being measured at 27 inches. And TBL at like nearly 40 inches. I was like wth? How? Im near TBL but definitely not near 40 inches. Then I saw this method... I feel like Ive been measuring wrong for years now 

https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement


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## Prettymetty (Jul 31, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So does anyone measure their hair like this? I was doing some research (googling) on hair measuring & the long hair community forum came up.... I started lurking.... I was seeing BSL hair being measured at 27 inches. And TBL at like nearly 40 inches. I was like wth? How? Im near TBL but definitely not near 40 inches. Then I saw this method... I feel like Ive been measuring wrong for years now
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement


I measure like this


----------



## nyeredzi (Jul 31, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So does anyone measure their hair like this? I was doing some research (googling) on hair measuring & the long hair community forum came up.... I started lurking.... I was seeing BSL hair being measured at 27 inches. And TBL at like nearly 40 inches. I was like wth? How? Im near TBL but definitely not near 40 inches. Then I saw this method... I feel like Ive been measuring wrong for years now
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement


I used to be on that forum (LHC), though never posted that much. I think @PlanetCybertron measures like this. Since I know this is how some people measure, I usually try to be explicit by saying "18 inches root to tip" so it's clear how I'm doing the measurement. I don't really like measuring the other way, it's not as informative for me because like 8-9" is just the length of your head. So your hair can literally be 1" root to tip and you'd say your hair is 9". But it may make more sense for people's hair that has been given a blunt cut across the bottom, because the hair all over their head will be different lengths. Like, the hair at the front of my head would have to be 8" longer than the hair at the back of my head to fall to the same part of my body, on the back, but some people's hair is like this. Especially the straight haired people on that site, they're more likely to have hair like that. For me, though, the hair all over my head is roughly the same length, so I don't have to really give a bunch of different measurements to say what it is root to tip. It's all pretty much between 17 and 18.5 inches, root to tip.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Aug 1, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So does anyone measure their hair like this? I was doing some research (googling) on hair measuring & the long hair community forum came up.... I started lurking.... I was seeing BSL hair being measured at 27 inches. And TBL at like nearly 40 inches. I was like wth? How? Im near TBL but definitely not near 40 inches. Then I saw this method... I feel like Ive been measuring wrong for years now
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement



I just tried this now & mine comes up to 23 inches. I think it depends on how you wear your hair really if I was still frequently straightening my hair or using protective styles that stretched my hair I would definitely use this method of measuring. However with shrinkage I think it’s easier to do root to tip. I think I might record both ways as it’s a interesting way of doing it.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 1, 2020)

So I measured both ways in the shower on soaking wet hair, sectioning from root to tip and from hairline all the way back. The back, front & sides measure at 25 inches, crown at 28 inches. From hairline all the way back measure at 35 inches. Makes sense, my crown does grow faster than the rest of my hair.


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 2, 2020)

Here’s my puff progress. I’ll do one with my hair down after I wash tomorrow


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 3, 2020)

Hair down progress. I think it will take many, many, many years for me to see a real difference here.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 3, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Hair down progress. I think it will take many, many, many years for me to see a real difference here. View attachment 461695



Definitely fuller hair. You’ve got growth.


----------



## MzSwift (Aug 3, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Hair down progress. I think it will take many, many, many years for me to see a real difference here. View attachment 461695



Maybe you can find a shirt that you will use for your length checks?  Even if it isn't a true length check shirt with the lines, etc.  I found that once I did that, it became easier to see my progress.  

IA, I can see the growth!


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 3, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> Maybe you can find a shirt that you will use for your length checks?  Even if it isn't a true length check shirt with the lines, etc.  I found that once I did that, it became easier to see my progress.
> 
> IA, I can see the growth!



I was thinking that. I’ll have to see if I have any shirts that could serve that purpose.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 4, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> So does anyone measure their hair like this? I was doing some research (googling) on hair measuring & the long hair community forum came up.... I started lurking.... I was seeing BSL hair being measured at 27 inches. And TBL at like nearly 40 inches. I was like wth? How? Im near TBL but definitely not near 40 inches. Then I saw this method... I feel like Ive been measuring wrong for years now
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement
> https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/about-hair/hair-measurement



Maybe I would measure my hair this way if the length of the front of my hair actually met the end of the back... or at least came close. I fear that this would make me think that it is longer than it actually is. It wouldn't represent any one single strand on my head at the moment.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 4, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Thanks. Always on the lookout or hair twins, or siblings. Let me go look again at your posts.



I have only been photographing my hair straight. I think our natural hair texture matches. I'll try to get a photo of that at the end of the year. Maybe next year I'll photograph it just natural like this  thanks for the idea!!


----------



## keranikki (Aug 4, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Good news is that your ends look thick!
> 
> As for me, I took out my mini twists a few days ago (like literally 3 days ago). .. I mean I tore out my mini twists.
> 
> ...



In reference to taking synthetic vitamins, have you thought about herbal vitamins, such as Alkaline Herbs or Gherbs? I currently use Alkaline Herbs Iron supplement.


----------



## keranikki (Aug 4, 2020)

I have been out of the loop for a minute. I’m currently on my second install of knotless braids. My hair loves being braided like this! My hair grew well, but I do not have a good progress picture. I tried blowing my hair out to take a picture before my install, but my hair shrunk lol. I will post a length check after this install.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 5, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Maybe I would measure my hair this way if the length of the front of my hair actually met the end of the back... or at least came close. I fear that this would make me think that it is longer than it actually is. It wouldn't represent any one single strand on my head at the moment.



I feel like measuring that way isn’t accurate to true hair strand length but it gives you better progress results. Root to tip can be off slightly showing progress unless you know you’re parting the exact same part of your hair each time.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 5, 2020)

Question:

Has anybody noticed a significant difference in growth when they stopped using gel? I'm on a curl cream kick right now and haven't used gel in about 2 weeks. My hair is feeling longer and healthier and I noticed that I have less tangles and knots.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Aug 6, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Question:
> 
> Has anybody noticed a significant difference in growth when they stopped using gel? I'm on a curl cream kick right now and haven't used gel in about 2 weeks. My hair is feeling longer and healthier and I noticed that I have less tangles and knots.



What have you been using instead to seal?

My hair is the opposite, gel works as a sealant for me. I prefer strong hold gels like xtreme wetline but I get by with soft hold gels too like as I am curling jelly or curl maker.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 6, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> What have you been using instead to seal?
> 
> My hair is the opposite, gel works as a sealant for me. I prefer strong hold gels like xtreme wetline but I get by with soft hold gels too like as I am curling jelly or curl maker.



I usually always use an oil to seal in moisture. If I don't, the gel eventually dries my hair out. I haven't really used oil this week bc I've been experimenting with curl creams but I will definitely be putting it back into rotation.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 6, 2020)

keranikki said:


> In reference to taking synthetic vitamins, have you thought about herbal vitamins, such as Alkaline Herbs or Gherbs? I currently use Alkaline Herbs Iron supplement.



thank you for these suggestions! I'm looking into them...

ETA: i made a "henna gloss" and applied it monday. i rinsed it out the next morning i think. i decided to put on a deep conditioner sit under a dryer today. i did that for at least 30 minutes. my hair feels pretty good. i didn't get any breakage when I was rinsing out the conditioner. i put on my shea butter mix and its in 10 twist bantu knots.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 7, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Question:
> 
> Has anybody noticed a significant difference in growth when they stopped using gel? I'm on a curl cream kick right now and haven't used gel in about 2 weeks. My hair is feeling longer and healthier and I noticed that I have less tangles and knots.



The tangles and knots are probably causing breakage as a result of the gel. Usually the super hold gels like Wetline does this. I use Blueberry Bliss Curl Control jelly or regular ol Ecostyler Olive Oil whenever Im wearing a wng & I wont get those tangles and knots.


----------



## snoop (Aug 8, 2020)

I'm late with my check-in.  My hair is still different lengths, but I feel like it's getting longer.  Some twists were BSL and other parts were longer.  At the end of the year, I'll do a loose length check.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 8, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> The tangles and knots are probably causing breakage as a result of the gel. Usually the super hold gels like Wetline does this. I use Blueberry Bliss Curl Control jelly or regular ol Ecostyler Olive Oil whenever Im wearing a wng & I wont get those tangles and knots.



I think I'm allergic to Wetline. I tried to use it a few weeks ago, they have a new formula and it had my scalp BURNING itching! Which was another reason I stopped with the gels for a while. I've been using gel since I first went natural almost 10 years ago and never had that issue with my scalp. :/

I do have some Kinky Curly custard and leave in, but I'm gonna save that for a day that I really want definition and shine lol. Might be a while bc I don't go no where!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 9, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> I think I'm allergic to Wetline. I tried to use it a few weeks ago, they have a new formula and it had my scalp BURNING itching! Which was another reason I stopped with the gels for a while. I've been using gel since I first went natural almost 10 years ago and never had that issue with my scalp. :/
> 
> I do have some Kinky Curly custard and leave in, but I'm gonna save that for a day that I really want definition and shine lol. Might be a while bc I don't go no where!



Another member made a post about the new Wetline in the forum. The new one has some harsh chemicals in there. Lye especially, which is used in relaxers and also causes scalp irritation. That’s not good for your hair at all. I wouldn’t recommend it for any natural.
& Girl I totally get it. I barely go anywhere either. Can’t remember when’s the last time I had to use gel because Im always in a bun lol. However, my fiance decided to treat us out today since restaurants & activities have opened back up here. Well because of your post, I decided “hmm let me do a wng with gel” I used Auntie Jackies Dont Shrink gel for the first time. It’s awesome! No crunchy feeling, no tangles & a lot less shrinkage. I just got home tonight and plaited my hair back to bonnet it and didnt go through having to split any knots. Maybe you should try!


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 9, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Another member made a post about the new Wetline in the forum. The new one has some harsh chemicals in there. Lye especially, which is used in relaxers and also causes scalp irritation. That’s not good for your hair at all. I wouldn’t recommend it for any natural.
> & Girl I totally get it. I barely go anywhere either. Can’t remember when’s the last time I had to use gel because Im always in a bun lol. However, my fiance decided to treat us out today since restaurants & activities have opened back up here. Well because of your post, I decided “hmm let me do a wng with gel” I used Auntie Jackies Dont Shrink gel for the first time. It’s awesome! No crunchy feeling, no tangles & a lot less shrinkage. I just got home tonight and plaited my hair back to bonnet it and didnt go through having to split any knots. Maybe you should try!



Girl I don't know why I can't find that gel!!!

Wait...maybe it's the ice curls one I'm thinking about  I think I've seen the one you're talking about. The next time I see it while hair product shopping I will buy it lol


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 9, 2020)

Lemme tell y'all something....the Brazilians are ON POINT with the curl creams!

I bought this one: 
And I swear it's like a gel and a leave in in one! It's super super thick and creamy and it does pretty good with definition. My hair is so moisturized!


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 9, 2020)

I hardly ever measure the length of my hair, but I did in May 2019 after my first curly haircut. Since then I’ve had 2 more cuts the last one in February 2020. 

Well I measured my hair today and it’s the same length it was in May 2019.  I didn’t think I had much cut off in Oct 2019 or Feb 2020, but I guess I did. 

 I need to actually measure more often so that I know what’s going on.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 10, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I hardly ever measure the length of my hair, but I did in May 2019 after my first curly haircut. Since then I’ve had 2 more cuts the last one in February 2020.
> 
> Well I measured my hair today and it’s the same length it was in May 2019.  I didn’t think I had much cut off in Oct 2019 or Feb 2020, but I guess I did.
> 
> I need to actually measure more often so that I know what’s going on.



Same! My hair is the same length as it was in the same month of 2018. 

xxx

My hair is usually a dry matted mess by the time I wash it the next week. This week is different, which is making me keep pulling at it. I can't believe it is actually still kind of soft. This is how I end up with missing patches though.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 14, 2020)

Just found this old pic of a wng in 2017 and I find it amazing how much my wngs have changed since my hair grew. I have more definition and less volume now. As the hair grows the weight of it makes the wng longer.


----------



## MzSwift (Aug 14, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 

Beautiful!  That's awesome growth AND retention!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 14, 2020)

MzSwift said:


> @NaturalShe94
> 
> Beautiful!  That's awesome growth AND retention!



Thank you


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 14, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Just found this old pic of a wng in 2017 and I find it amazing how much my wngs have changed since my hair grew. I have more definition and less volume now. As the hair grows the weight of it makes the wng longer.
> View attachment 462105



Wow!! That is amazing.   When my wash n go grows up I want it to look like yours.

How do your do your wash n go?  On soaking wet hair, damp hair, stretched hair?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 14, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Wow!! That is amazing.   When my wash n go grows up I want it to look like yours.
> 
> How do your do your wash n go?  On soaking wet hair, damp hair, stretched hair?



“when my wng grows up”  & I do it on damp hair. I notice more frizz when I do it on soaking wet hair. Maybe the water to product balance is off when I use soaking wet hair? Not sure, but definitely damp hair always.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 17, 2020)

i clipped my hair a little bit a couple of days ago. thats all the clipping I will be doing this year. 

i want to put my hair away for at least a month at a time. im thinking of chunky box braids. i could put in clip ins sometimes. i have some clip in hair i think.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 20, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Just found this old pic of a wng in 2017 and I find it amazing how much my wngs have changed since my hair grew. I have more definition and less volume now. As the hair grows the weight of it makes the wng longer.
> View attachment 462105


My hair is where you were in 2017. Sis please tell me your regimen or if you have it posted somewhere. Gorgeous hair and beautiful growth!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 20, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> My hair is where you were in 2017. Sis please tell me your regimen or if you have it posted somewhere. Gorgeous hair and beautiful growth!



Girlllll when I first joined, you were at HL! Did you cut it? My regimen now is totally different from my regimen to get here. In 2017 I faithfully shampoo’d & deep conditioned every two weeks under my hooded dryer. The weeks in between I would just cowash. Wash days were, and still are, always Sunday. I moisturize with a leave in or moisturizer then seal with DoGro oil , plait it & put on a bonnet. The next morning, I just brush back any flyaways and roll my plait into a bun and off to work I go. I didn’t touch my hair again until wash day. I’ve been doing that for the past 4 years since I cut it to shoulder length in 2016. I came across SCURL in 2018 and started using that as my moisturizer faithfully and Dogrow was, and still is, my sealing oil. Dogro does an AWESOME job sealing in moisture even if I use it with water only. I whip it with SB in the winter. I can’t say I faithfully used SB though because I hadn’t but I definitely faithfully used my Dogro to seal on EVERY wash day for the last 4 years. There’s also some protein treatments in the journey using Aphogee 2-step. I only pull out that if I start noticing more breakage. In the last 4 years, I’ve only used it 3 times. The length of my hair is protected so much that I don’t find myself having to do much protein treating or using protein products though. Ohhh and vitamins! I’d be lying if I said I dont believe they dont make a difference, THEY DO! Im back on my Nature Bounty HSN, I was on prenatals for a while being pregnant then breastfeeding, but I totally notice a difference in hair shedding when I dont take my vitamins (& my nails break easier). My regimen is still pretty much the same except I no longer use SCURL on a regular because it doesnt have much slip & I need slip now more than ever with this booty length hair lol. It’s so quick to tangle. & I don’t deep condition much anymore. My hair holds moisture very well now compared to a year or two ago. I DC every.... 6 to 8 weeks. I cowash like every wash day now. I use shampoo once a month or unless I’ve worn a style that required using some type of heavy butter or gel. I always use a clarifying shampoo before DC now because I realize when my hair isn’t totally stripped, the DC doesn’t penetrate like it’s supposed too. & I definitely shampoo like 3 times now. I go through shampoo just as fast as conditioner now (I never thought I’d see that day come lol). & I only trim once a year, dust every now and then. Ummm, I think thats about it.... I think lol.
ETA: Oh & I use to prepoo every two weeks and do monthly hot oil treatments.


----------



## Lucia (Aug 22, 2020)

Glad to see this challenge is still going strong. I see a lot of beautiful hair in here. Links to the old threads so all of you can benefit from the hair info there. 

OG Grow it long




__





						Grow It Long Challenge Keep Growing On...
					

Hey ladies, This is the next step after the  don't cut it challenge. Thanks :wave:  Aireen I borrowed her organizing and prize ideas. So this challenge officially starts in mid May (used to be June) but you can join and quit at any time.  Those of us who were in the previous challenge and want...



					longhaircareforum.com
				




Ask a WL Lady




__





						Spinoff: Ask a WSL and Beyond Lady
					

Spinoff from the WSL reggie thread, Thanks for the idea Carrie A  her original post http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=6647035&postcount=189  http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=321851&page=10  1st page:  http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=321851...



					longhaircareforum.com
				





I cant link to the don’t cut it challenge before but maybe it’s archived.  With the new boards a lot of things are lost or gone.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 22, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Girlllll when I first joined, you were at HL! Did you cut it? My regimen now is totally different from my regimen to get here. In 2017 I faithfully shampoo’d & deep conditioned every two weeks under my hooded dryer. The weeks in between I would just cowash. Wash days were, and still are, always Sunday. I moisturize with a leave in or moisturizer then seal with DoGro oil , plait it & put on a bonnet. The next morning, I just brush back any flyaways and roll my plait into a bun and off to work I go. I didn’t touch my hair again until wash day. I’ve been doing that for the past 4 years since I cut it to shoulder length in 2016. I came across SCURL in 2018 and started using that as my moisturizer faithfully and Dogrow was, and still is, my sealing oil. Dogro does an AWESOME job sealing in moisture even if I use it with water only. I whip it with SB in the winter. I can’t say I faithfully used SB though because I hadn’t but I definitely faithfully used my Dogro to seal on EVERY wash day for the last 4 years. There’s also some protein treatments in the journey using Aphogee 2-step. I only pull out that if I start noticing more breakage. In the last 4 years, I’ve only used it 3 times. The length of my hair is protected so much that I don’t find myself having to do much protein treating or using protein products though. Ohhh and vitamins! I’d be lying if I said I dont believe they dont make a difference, THEY DO! Im back on my Nature Bounty HSN, I was on prenatals for a while being pregnant then breastfeeding, but I totally notice a difference in hair shedding when I dont take my vitamins (& my nails break easier). My regimen is still pretty much the same except I no longer use SCURL on a regular because it doesnt have much slip & I need slip now more than ever with this booty length hair lol. It’s so quick to tangle. & I don’t deep condition much anymore. My hair holds moisture very well now compared to a year or two ago. I DC every.... 6 to 8 weeks. I cowash like every wash day now. I use shampoo once a month or unless I’ve worn a style that required using some type of heavy butter or gel. I always use a clarifying shampoo before DC now because I realize when my hair isn’t totally stripped, the DC doesn’t penetrate like it’s supposed too. & I definitely shampoo like 3 times now. I go through shampoo just as fast as conditioner now (I never thought I’d see that day come lol). & I only trim once a year, dust every now and then. Ummm, I think thats about it.... I think lol.
> ETA: Oh & I use to prepoo every two weeks and do monthly hot oil treatments.



Chyyyy DevaCurl ruined my hair back in 2018 while I was finishing college.  It fell out so bad I lost a lot of length and thickness, went from HL to Brastrap length within weeks of using their stuff that year! I didn't realize that's what happened until I started seeing all these other women online having the same exact issues I had!

So I've been actively back to growing my hair out since about February 2019 and I'm at Waist Length. I feel ill be HL again later in the year since my WL and HL are only 2-3 inches apart from each other on me.

We have very very similar regimens, so I'm just gonna keep doing what I've been doing and YES!!! VITAMINS ARE LIFE!!! 

The only difference is that this year, I have been doing quarterly dustings to keep my ends a lot more healthy. I have not used heat on my hair in 4 years, and I haven't colored my hair since about 2010 when I started transitioning...I just stick to cowashing regularly, deep conditioning every 1-2 weeks, and use oils when I style my hair and on my scalp when I wear buns.

I'm just ready for my hair to be long and grown like yours!


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 22, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Chyyyy DevaCurl ruined my hair back in 2018 while I was finishing college.  It fell out so bad I lost a lot of length and thickness, went from HL to Brastrap length within weeks of using their stuff that year! I didn't realize that's what happened until I started seeing all these other women online having the same exact issues I had!
> 
> So I've been actively back to growing my hair out since about February 2019 and I'm at Waist Length. I feel ill be HL again later in the year since my WL and HL are only 2-3 inches apart from each other on me.
> 
> ...



Girl you’ll be HL in no time! I have a ton of Devacurl products that I have not touched, but I bought them in 2017. Now Im so afraid to use them. If my hair start falling out I may cry. A lot of work went into getting here. Did your hair just start breaking off from using it? Or was it more like really bad shedding?


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 22, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 @SmilingElephant I feel like I'm eating popcorn and enjoying life by keeping up with this conversation. It is so interesting to me. Thank you for answering that question so thoroughly NaturalShe. I was wondering what protective style you used. I remembered you posted a photo about it once though,  so I didn't ask afterall.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 22, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> @NaturalShe94 @SmilingElephant I feel like I'm eating popcorn and enjoying life by keeping up with this conversation. It is so interesting to me. Thank you for answering that question so thoroughly NaturalShe. I was wondering what protective style you used. I remembered you posted a photo about it once though,  so I didn't ask afterall.



Sure! No problem! & yeah, I’ve seen a lot of Youtubers say, “dont bun too much” for whatever reason, but I like low manipulation as much as possible. I can’t think of any other style that won’t allow me to manipulate my hair as well have my hair not touching my clothes. Low buns have been doing me well for the last 4/5 years.


----------



## nyeredzi (Aug 23, 2020)

Some parts of my hair are so matted, at the root. I've ended up washing my hair a couple of times in twists because it's itched a lot. I've now gotten Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo and it's helped a fair bit, but sometimes it itched so bad I couldn't wait until I had time to detangle properly. Full time work and 2 young kids means I hardly have any time at all, so sometimes I have to wash when I don't have time detangle, and my hair is very prone to tangling in such situations. I did have just enough time to unravel the ends and coat in flaxseed gel and oil, which helped keep the ends from tangling. But the roots! Especially I got this itchy scalp cream that I would apply between washes, and adding moisture and goo and not detangling also increases matting. One of the 20 twists I had took me 30 minutes to get through, finger detangling and then following up with my Yellow Bird. I did 5 other twists, thank goodness none were as bad as that one. That section was especially itchy and I applied more cream there, which I'm sure increased matting. The other ones take about 10 minutes each.

I'll be doing 2 or 3 twists at a time until I'm through with the other 15. Hopefully I can get through them all by the time my head is so itchy that I feel I have to wash again. I guess that gives me another 5 days or so. :/


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 23, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Sure! No problem! & yeah, I’ve seen a lot of Youtubers say, “dont bun too much” for whatever reason, but I like low manipulation as much as possible. I can’t think of any other style that won’t allow me to manipulate my hair as well have my hair not touching my clothes. Low buns have been doing me well for the last 4/5 years.



I've heard that too. I think it's just that their buns are too tight



nyeredzi said:


> Some parts of my hair are so matted, at the root. I've ended up washing my hair a couple of times in twists because it's itched a lot. I've now gotten Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo and it's helped a fair bit, but sometimes it itched so bad I couldn't wait until I had time to detangle properly. Full time work and 2 young kids means I hardly have any time at all, so sometimes I have to wash when I don't have time detangle, and my hair is very prone to tangling in such situations. I did have just enough time to unravel the ends and coat in flaxseed gel and oil, which helped keep the ends from tangling. But the roots! Especially I got this itchy scalp cream that I would apply between washes, and adding moisture and goo and not detangling also increases matting. One of the 20 twists I had took me 30 minutes to get through, finger detangling and then following up with my Yellow Bird. I did 5 other twists, thank goodness none were as bad as that one. That section was especially itchy and I applied more cream there, which I'm sure increased matting. The other ones take about 10 minutes each.
> 
> I'll be doing 2 or 3 twists at a time until I'm through with the other 15. Hopefully I can get through them all by the time my head is so itchy that I feel I have to wash again. I guess that gives me another 5 days or so. :/



I use apple cider vinegar mixed with either aloe vera juice or water on my scalp when it itches. If it's really bad, the itching will be gone by the time it dries from that. Nothing else solves my itchy scalp

××

I put in my jumbo box braids. I have 15. We shall see how it goes. I hope to keep them in until October before rebraiding.


----------



## nyeredzi (Aug 23, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I've heard that too. I think it's just that their buns are too tight
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's interesting the different things that work for people. None of the homeopathic things work for me. I have tried acv, and also fenugreek which has its big fans, also tea tree oil, but those didn't really help. I'd forgotten about, but think I'll be going back to, Nizoral. I found a half bottle in my stash. It worked so well before, that I forgot about it once my problem was solved and stopped using it. But I really need to keep in mind to, even after the issue seems solved, use it periodically to keep it under control.


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 24, 2020)

I really, really  want long hair, but I need a better shape for my wash n go. I may need to cut quite a bit off to get a shape I like.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 24, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> It's interesting the different things that work for people. None of the homeopathic things work for me. I have tried acv, and also fenugreek which has its big fans, also tea tree oil, but those didn't really help. I'd forgotten about, but think I'll be going back to, Nizoral. I found a half bottle in my stash. It worked so well before, that I forgot about it once my problem was solved and stopped using it. But I really need to keep in mind to, even after the issue seems solved, use it periodically to keep it under control.



Oh my goodness! I hope the Nizoral helps then! Itchy scalp is so terribly annoying. I'm so sorry you are dealing with it.


----------



## colorful_coils (Aug 26, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> It's interesting the different things that work for people. None of the homeopathic things work for me. I have tried acv, and also fenugreek which has its big fans, also tea tree oil, but those didn't really help. I'd forgotten about, but think I'll be going back to, Nizoral. I found a half bottle in my stash. It worked so well before, that I forgot about it once my problem was solved and stopped using it. But I really need to keep in mind to, even after the issue seems solved, use it periodically to keep it under control.



Nizoral and ayurvedic remedies really help keep my itchy scalp/seb derm away. I use Nizoral once a month, and a shampoo with shikakai, neem and amla once a week. My scalp has never been better. I hope this helps


----------



## nyeredzi (Aug 26, 2020)

Thanks for the tips on itchy scalp, everyone!


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 26, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Girl you’ll be HL in no time! I have a ton of Devacurl products that I have not touched, but I bought them in 2017. Now Im so afraid to use them. If my hair start falling out I may cry. A lot of work went into getting here. Did your hair just start breaking off from using it? Or was it more like really bad shedding?



From what I can remember, my hair started falling out in BIG clumps in the shower to the point that I would cry because I didn't know what was happening. I was already stressed from school, plus I was a vegan for a few months so I figured it must have been that...

.....but then I was getting these HUGE volcano pimples all over my face, something I had NEVER experienced in my life!

I found out that thousands of other women were having issues EXACTLY like me a whole year after I finished using my DC products!!!  I won't touch their products anymore! One, for what happened to my hair, and secondly for how the company has been handling the situation by brushing us off. No more DevaCurl for me!

I switched to Aussie, Tresseme, and Shea Moisture. My hair grows just fine with drugstore products.


----------



## Prettymetty (Aug 26, 2020)

I’ve just been leaving my hair alone and letting it grow in peace. I’m currently between blowouts so I’m rocking Celies under a wig. I’m using this time to spray my scalp with surge daily.


----------



## werenumber2 (Aug 26, 2020)

WL and beyond ladies - how tall are you?


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 26, 2020)

added peppermint and MSM to my hair oil. i tried to make a henna tea. i don't know if it really came out well, but I'm going to still use it in the shower because it definitely runs a reddish brown. I've added glycerin and some essential oil.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Aug 27, 2020)

werenumber2 said:


> WL and beyond ladies - how tall are you?



5'8 but i'm mostly legs


----------



## snoop (Aug 27, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> added peppermint and MSM to my hair oil. i tried to make a henna tea. i don't know if it really came out well, but I'm going to still use it in the shower because it definitely runs a reddish brown. I've added glycerin and some essential oil.




Let me know what you think of the MSM in oil.  I've been using it that way for months, but MSM isn't oil-soluable.  I've been meaning to add it to some sort of DIY spray, but haven't been inspired to create a recipe yet.  I think it would be better if dissolved into a liquid.  I hope to get on it soon.


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Aug 27, 2020)

werenumber2 said:


> WL and beyond ladies - how tall are you?



5’3”


----------



## nyeredzi (Aug 27, 2020)

werenumber2 said:


> WL and beyond ladies - how tall are you?


5'2". WL for me is 18" from nape.


----------



## keranikki (Aug 28, 2020)

I'm taking out my braids this Sunday.  I will post length check pics after, since I missed the last check in.


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 30, 2020)

Even though I’m planning a significant cut, I’ll keep posting my progress until I cut it.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Aug 30, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Even though I’m planning a significant cut, I’ll keep posting my progress until I cut it.
> View attachment 462543View attachment 462545


Beautiful! Love the change in your amount of hang time from Dec to August.


----------



## keranikki (Aug 30, 2020)

I took my braids down and I'm currently rocking a WNG.  My WNG is shrinking.  My is growing, but the curl pattern is tightening.  I will take a picture on stretched hair later this week.


----------



## Mapleoats (Aug 30, 2020)

I’ve had my hair in knotless braids the past couple weeks and I’m soooo loving not having to do my hair. I don’t wanna go back to spending 3-4hrs a week on my hair y’all . I think once I take this out in a few weeks I’m gonna start stretching my wash day to every other week cus life is too short lol. Maybe I’ll start doing more blow outs and rollersets because those are easy to stretch to 2weeks. Twist outs are a week tops for me


----------



## GettingKinky (Aug 30, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> Beautiful! Love the change in your amount of hang time from Dec to August.



Thanks! I think part of it is better diffusing technique.


----------



## apple_natural (Aug 31, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m planning a significant cut


 but whyyyyyy?????



snoop said:


> Let me know what you think of the MSM in oil.  I've been using it that way for months, but MSM isn't oil-soluable.  I've been meaning to add it to some sort of DIY spray, but haven't been inspired to create a recipe yet.  I think it would be better if dissolved into a liquid.  I hope to get on it soon.



I'm not sure that I need it to dissolve as long as it can mix, which I think it does. However, to be sure, I did add it to my spray


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 1, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> but whyyyyyy?????



LOL.  I don’t like the shape of my current haircut and I think in order to get a good shape that will look nice while I’m growing it out, I will have to cut quite a bit. I found a new stylist so once she opens up again I’ll see what she thinks.


----------



## nyeredzi (Sep 1, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Some parts of my hair are so matted, at the root. I've ended up washing my hair a couple of times in twists because it's itched a lot. I've now gotten Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo and it's helped a fair bit, but sometimes it itched so bad I couldn't wait until I had time to detangle properly. Full time work and 2 young kids means I hardly have any time at all, so sometimes I have to wash when I don't have time detangle, and my hair is very prone to tangling in such situations. I did have just enough time to unravel the ends and coat in flaxseed gel and oil, which helped keep the ends from tangling. But the roots! Especially I got this itchy scalp cream that I would apply between washes, and adding moisture and goo and not detangling also increases matting. One of the 20 twists I had took me 30 minutes to get through, finger detangling and then following up with my Yellow Bird. I did 5 other twists, thank goodness none were as bad as that one. That section was especially itchy and I applied more cream there, which I'm sure increased matting. The other ones take about 10 minutes each.
> 
> I'll be doing 2 or 3 twists at a time until I'm through with the other 15. Hopefully I can get through them all by the time my head is so itchy that I feel I have to wash again. I guess that gives me another 5 days or so. :/


Finally got through detangling all the hair yesterday. So I could finally wash tonight. I used Head and Shoulders again. I think it does work too, I just have to not go longer than 7 or 8 days. I have some Elvive Total repair in my hair now. I'll rinse it out tomorrow and dry with the Revair. I don't use the Revair super often because it doesn't help detangle at all, unlike my dryer with comb attachment. But since I just detangled, it should be okay to use it just to stretch the hair quickly.


----------



## curly.123 (Sep 2, 2020)

The october check is getting closer but I dont know if I ll see any results, I'm still washing, dcing and sometimes applying henna/ayurvedic herbs but I'm feeling very lazy, 2020 is definitely not a good year


----------



## snoop (Sep 2, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Finally got through detangling all the hair yesterday. So I could finally wash tonight. I used Head and Shoulders again. I think it does work too, I just have to not go longer than 7 or 8 days. I have some Elvive Total repair in my hair now. I'll rinse it out tomorrow and dry with the Revair. I don't use the Revair super often because it doesn't help detangle at all, unlike my dryer with comb attachment. But since I just detangled, it should be okay to use it just to stretch the hair quickly.




When I anticipate that my hair will be difficult to detangle, I use Naturally High's method (minus the water and ACV). In the video she says she keeps it in for an hour before detangling, but I know that she also sometimes keeps it in for days. I've done both ways and both ways work well. 


Starts at 13:30


----------



## snoop (Sep 2, 2020)

curly.123 said:


> The october check is getting closer but I dont know if I ll see any results, I'm still washing, dcing and sometimes applying henna/ayurvedic herbs but I'm feeling very lazy, 2020 is definitely not a good year



I started off strong, but the last two months have caught me slacking.  

Let's finish the year in a high note!


----------



## apple_natural (Sep 3, 2020)

@GettingKinky I hope you make your waist length goal, but I understand your desire to have your hair look nice as it's growing

@snoop Yes! Lets finish on a high note! I'm with you! I think we have done really well so far this year

As for me, I keep thinking I have broken hairs, but I forget I only retained about 2-3 inches so far this year and before this, I just cut out tangles and damage in these sections. I think it could be the hair growing back that I am noticing now. Either way, I am using castor oil in these areas. I tried to start my braids off loose so that I wasn't snapping my hair trying to make the braid tight. I took out my right side edges. That hair wants no tension whatsoever. I feel like I've been in these chunky braids forever, but it has seriously only been like a week or two.


----------



## curly.123 (Sep 3, 2020)

snoop said:


> I started off strong, but the last two months have caught me slacking.
> 
> Let's finish the year in a high note!



Trying to get back on track! I'm not doing everything I could but at least I'm taking my vitamins, DC every single wash and Ayurvedic treatments


----------



## Prettymetty (Sep 3, 2020)

So this is my 4th consecutive day working out. I’m trying to break a personal record of 30 days. With that being said, this blowout ain’t gonna make it. I sweat too much. I may do some box braids this weekend or pick up a new wig. Something short and cool. It’s super hot in Houston right now


----------



## VictoriousBrownFlower (Sep 4, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> LOL.  I don’t like the shape of my current haircut and I think in order to get a good shape that will look nice while I’m growing it out, I will have to cut quite a bit. I found a new stylist so once she opens up again I’ll see what she thinks.


you may not need to cut much as far as length at the nape area... For me the perfect cut was about lots of layers...


----------



## apple_natural (Sep 4, 2020)

note to self: when wearing box braids please do not pull strands out that are in the braid too tight. this causes weakness/tears in the strand

I took down my right edge braid and looked at one shed hair. It had a small tear about an inch from the root. I was wondering how that happened. I braided the section back up and it was still kind of too tight, so I pull some strands looser... tear! I literally heard a little tear sound.... and i wonder why i have no hair.


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 4, 2020)

VictoriousBrownFlower said:


> you may not need to cut much as far as length at the nape area... For me the perfect cut was about lots of layers...



Did you get your hair cut curly?


----------



## VictoriousBrownFlower (Sep 4, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Did you get your hair cut curly?


i cut it myself and yes i cut it curly and just did the areas around my face and left the back alone.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Sep 12, 2020)

I dusted my ends back in August and i think I took off just a little more than I meant to.

I need to get my act together hairwise. My goal is to be at Hip Length by the end of December and I feel so lazy about my hair. I just make sure it's super moisturized and deal with it about once a week. I mist it with water everyday and use some oil on it.

Haven't deep conditioned my hair in almost a month.


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 12, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> I dusted my ends back in August and i think I took off just a little more than I meant to.
> 
> I need to get my act together hairwise. My goal is to be at Hip Length by the end of December and I feel so lazy about my hair. I just make sure it's super moisturized and deal with it about once a week. I mist it with water everyday and use some oil on it.
> 
> Haven't deep conditioned my hair in almost a month.



I’m super lazy and I’ve only DCd a few times in my life. I can never motivate myself enough to do it. Even when I use DC I just leave it on my hair while I wash myself and then rinse it out. I’ve also never had hip length hair, so maybe I’m missing an important step.


----------



## water_n_oil (Sep 12, 2020)

Finally took pic since probably the beginning of the challenge lol. Roughly 2", give or take, shy of TBL.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Sep 13, 2020)

You know what? I just re-evaluated my routine that I've been doing since I started repairing my hair earlier this year. I'm going to just leave my hair alone. It's long enough where I don't need to redo my curls every other day...just put it in a bun and keep it moisturized and oiled.

I'm gonna do this until February.

I used to do this all the time and my hair grew SO much. I forget who it was upthread that told me she was doing this too, but it never clicked in my head to do that myself! 

I'm just going to do my hair once a week, the whole wash day. And refresh in the middle of the week. Just put my hair up!


----------



## SmilingElephant (Sep 13, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m super lazy and I’ve only DCd a few times in my life. I can never motivate myself enough to do it. Even when I use DC I just leave it on my hair while I wash myself and then rinse it out. I’ve also never had hip length hair, so maybe I’m missing an important step.



Deep conditioning regularly will honestly change your hair life! I have just been slacking lately


----------



## Mapleoats (Sep 14, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Finally took pic since probably the beginning of the challenge lol. Roughly 2", give or take, shy of TBL.


beautiful hair !!!!! *drools*


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 14, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Deep conditioning regularly will honestly change your hair life! I have just been slacking lately



What differences do you notice when you deep condition regularly? And how often do you consider regularly?


----------



## apple_natural (Sep 15, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> What differences do you notice when you deep condition regularly? And how often do you consider regularly?



I also want to know this please


----------



## nyeredzi (Sep 16, 2020)

I have not been doing right by my hair. Just don't have the energy and time.


----------



## snoop (Sep 16, 2020)

I can't figure my hair out. I feel like I've been on top of the breakage and shedding but no real movement in terms of length. 

It looks a _lot _healthier, though.


----------



## MzSwift (Sep 16, 2020)

snoop said:


> I can't figure my hair out. I feel like I've been on top of the breakage and shedding but no real movement in terms of length.
> 
> *It looks a lot healthier, though.*



Good, then your healthy hair is surely growing!  
My hair has gone through seasons like this where it seemed it wasn't getting longer but it was shinier and stronger.
This is one of the reasons I only do an official length check once a year.


----------



## Mapleoats (Sep 18, 2020)

Taking out my box braids tmw after 6 weeks. I’m excited and nervous. I hope the minimal hair care I did was sufficient


----------



## apple_natural (Sep 20, 2020)

@Mapleoats I hope so too! Braids are usually forgiving, in my experience... Please let us know how it goes!


----------



## SmilingElephant (Sep 21, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> What differences do you notice when you deep condition regularly? And how often do you consider regularly?


When I deep condition regularly, which for me would be at least weekly for 1 hour, I notice my hair holds moisture in a lot longer and a faster rate of retention of growth. It just feels a lot better.


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 21, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> When I deep condition regularly, which for me would be at least weekly for 1 hour, I notice my hair holds moisture in a lot longer and a faster rate of retention of growth. It just feels a lot better.



That takes a lot of dedication. I know I’m too lazy for that.


----------



## Mapleoats (Sep 22, 2020)

Everything went well with taking down my braids. But my hair is feeling so dry  I’ll need a few wash and DC sessions before it gets back to normal I think. I definitely see some growth progress from the last length check. It’s a little hard to tell in the pic but this Length check actually felt more comfortable /easier to grab my hair, and the strand is now grazing the tank top but my hand covers it.

first pic is dec, then July then September
2nd pic (front view) is dec then September


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 22, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Everything went well with taking down my braids. But my hair is feeling so dry  I’ll need a few wash and DC sessions before it gets back to normal I think. I definitely see some growth progress from the last length check. It’s a little hard to tell in the pic but this Length check actually felt more comfortable /easier to grab my hair, and the strand is now grazing the tank top but my hand covers it.



Wow! Your hair has grown a lot!!


----------



## KidneyBean86 (Sep 22, 2020)

I would like to join this til the end of 2020. I have been living in crochet braids for almost 8 months and got a blow out and trim today. I would like do more with my hair so it can be longer and I would like for my hair to get healthy. 

I plan to keep my hair low maintenance and to start hair vitamins 

Starting pic attached


----------



## apple_natural (Sep 22, 2020)

Mapleoats It has grown so much!! I'm excited for you. 

KidneyBean86 Your hair is thick and beautiful. Welcome!


----------



## Mapleoats (Sep 22, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Mapleoats It has grown so much!! I'm excited for you.
> 
> KidneyBean86 Your hair is thick and beautiful. Welcome!





GettingKinky said:


> Wow! Your hair has grown a lot!!



thank you ladies !


----------



## BlackRinse (Sep 24, 2020)

I got a "trim" that turned into a hair cut in July.

Heres my update:
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Edit: As of OCT 3 my new regimen for extreme hair growth is:

Protective Style - 10 wks (Wig)
Oil Hair - Sunday & Wednesday w/
Ayuervedic & Miconazole Nitrate mix

Supplements:
D3
B12
MSM - 5,000
Biotin - 10,000
Bamboo Leaf Tea - 2x Daily


----------



## mayoo (Sep 25, 2020)

Hey ladies
Checking in~~
I have been a little lazy with my hair lately. 
I have contemplated cutting it way too many times. I did ammini twists, wash-and-go (mini setback. It's a no-no at this length apparently), and now I'm back to my usual braid outs 

I haven't been washing every week as much (getting back on track). 

Also, lately, I've noticed that deep conditioner affects my hair better when I don't use wash-out conditioner to detangle. 

So now I'm washing my hair in big twists and just shampooing my scalp.

Then I apply deep con thoroughly and heavily while doing a mini-detangle and sit under my dryer for an hour. 

It's been good to me so far


----------



## GettingKinky (Sep 26, 2020)

I’m starting to see progress in my curly hair, but my pull test looks about the same. But I know I’ve grown at least 3 inches since March because that’s how long my gray hairs were before I was able to get them colored. 

I still need a haircut. I want more of a blunt shape so some length in the back will have to go.


----------



## lindseyerinc (Sep 27, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Hey ladies
> Checking in~~
> I have been a little lazy with my hair lately.
> I have contemplated cutting it way too many times. I did ammini twists, wash-and-go (mini setback. It's a no-no at this length apparently), and now I'm back to my usual braid outs
> ...


Are you still using the 22nd century natural Products?


----------



## Mapleoats (Sep 27, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m starting to see progress in my curly hair, but my pull test looks about the same. But I know I’ve grown at least 3 inches since March because that’s how long my gray hairs were before I was able to get them colored.
> 
> I still need a haircut. I want more of a blunt shape so some length in the back will have to go.
> View attachment 463599View attachment 463601


I can See the progress!! The pull test looks much longer now in the September pic!


----------



## apple_natural (Sep 28, 2020)

On 9/21, I did a pull test left side behind my ear (photo in media). This piece started at 9 inches (flat ironed) as all the other test pieces began with. It is only 11.5 I think with the pull test. I am hoping for a miraculous 13 inches by the end of the year... I do usually get a little bit of a hair growth spurt in fall. Plus, I changed a few things. We'll see how it goes.  I'll have to flat iron the pieces again in December to get a better comparison.


----------



## water_n_oil (Sep 28, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m starting to see progress in my curly hair, but *my pull test looks about the same.* But I know I’ve grown at least 3 inches since March because that’s how long my gray hairs were before I was able to get them colored.
> 
> I still need a haircut. I want more of a blunt shape so some length in the back will have to go.
> View attachment 463599View attachment 463601



Looks longer to me.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Oct 1, 2020)

Hey ladies October check in: 1st October: + 1.5 all over - F: 15.5 M: 16 B: 14. I’ve been consistent with mainly doing wash and goes, still don’t use oils I’ve been sealing with serums like John freida extra strength serum. If I continue doing wash and goes I will most likely start incorporating Shea butter into my routine due to winter weather. I think I’m close to MBL now.


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 1, 2020)

*FALL Check IN!!  *

NaturalShe94  
syrk
apple_natural 




PlanetCybertron
GettingKinky 
pinkchocolatedaisy
BeautifulRoots
ckisland - big chopped
Nightingale
Mapleoats  
Bun Mistress
Kiaray8 
CurliDiva 
Rhealthyhair
faithVA
Napturallypretty1908
Victorian
keranikki 
nyeredzi  
guyaneseyankee 
alanaturelle 
BlackRinse _
long.hair.dont.care
water_n_oil  
metro_qt 
mayoo  
periwinklepeach
HappyAtLast
SmilingElephant 
TamaraShaniece 
ms.tatiana 
snoop 
Prettymetty 
curly.123 
storm777007
Curls&Caramel .
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



KidneyBean86 WELCOME!..
Daina WELCOME!


----------



## nyeredzi (Oct 4, 2020)

I'm posting pics, but no progress this check in. In fact, a little regression, now back to just a little past 17". I'm not surprised, as I said earlier


nyeredzi said:


> I have not been doing right by my hair. Just don't have the energy and time.



My hair got really matted as I posted earlier:


nyeredzi said:


> Some parts of my hair are so matted, at the root. I've ended up washing my hair a couple of times in twists because it's itched a lot. I've now gotten Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo and it's helped a fair bit, but sometimes it itched so bad I couldn't wait until I had time to detangle properly. Full time work and 2 young kids means I hardly have any time at all, so sometimes I have to wash when I don't have time detangle, and my hair is very prone to tangling in such situations. I did have just enough time to unravel the ends and coat in flaxseed gel and oil, which helped keep the ends from tangling. But the roots! Especially I got this itchy scalp cream that I would apply between washes, and adding moisture and goo and not detangling also increases matting. One of the 20 twists I had took me 30 minutes to get through, finger detangling and then following up with my Yellow Bird. I did 5 other twists, thank goodness none were as bad as that one. That section was especially itchy and I applied more cream there, which I'm sure increased matting. The other ones take about 10 minutes each.
> 
> I'll be doing 2 or 3 twists at a time until I'm through with the other 15. Hopefully I can get through them all by the time my head is so itchy that I feel I have to wash again. I guess that gives me another 5 days or so. :/



And it took me a long time to recover from that, and took a lot of physical manipulalation. I wanted to cornrow my hair and put in crochet braids. But my hair is so tangly, it is hard for me to cornrow it. Every time I try pull my finger through to grab a new part of hair, my finger gets caught in tangles. So I blow dried with attachment every week for the last 3 weeks, and once a couple weeks before then. Despite all my combing, blow drying, my strands are so resistant to letting go of one another. They are like zippers. Anyway, with much effort, and breakage, I did manage to get my hair into cornrows and put in passion twists today. The gods willing, I can keep them in for 1 month. I do have to wash once every 7-10 days, though, because of my itchy scalp. I'll attach a pic of that, too.


----------



## ShortyDooWhop (Oct 5, 2020)

I’ve been silently lurking. I straightened my hair last night for the first time in a while (maybe a year or more), and realized how thin my hair is. I cut off about 1 - 2 inches, after previously cutting about 4 inches on one side due to a flat iron length check mishap (why my plats look lopsided). I’m natural and wear protective styles (wigs) 99% of the time. All of that being said, I‘m at lower back, but it’s So thin. Any tips on How to thicken thin/fine hair?


----------



## NaturalShe94 (Oct 11, 2020)

Okay, here’s my update. Is this TBL yet? Im not sure. However, I have realized slow progression. I only grew an inch and a half since the last update.


----------



## GettingKinky (Oct 11, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Okay, here’s my update. Is this TBL yet? Im not sure. However, I have realized slow progression. I only grew an inch and a half since the last update.
> View attachment 464331



I’m drooling. You have beautiful mermaid hair


----------



## Daina (Oct 13, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Okay, here’s my update. Is this TBL yet? Im not sure. However, I have realized slow progression. I only grew an inch and a half since the last update.
> View attachment 464331



Ummm yes Sis that is definitely TB length!!! Just beautiful and looks really healthy!


----------



## water_n_oil (Oct 13, 2020)

Your hair  looks incredible!! @NaturalShe94


----------



## mayoo (Oct 14, 2020)

lindseyerinc said:


> Are you still using the 22nd century natural Products?



Hey girl, 

Sorry I'm late. 
I finished my shampoo bar, and started using the Aunt Jackie's shampoo once a week instead and honestly I don't see that much difference. Plus it's liquid so it's easier to use and can get to my scalp easier. 

Becuase of that, I haven't Re-bought the bar yet. Not sure if I will yet~~

I also had her gel that I bought last year but I left it out of the fridge and it was filled with mould after the summer so I had to get rid of it. 

I may repurchase some of her stuff in the future though


----------



## mayoo (Oct 14, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Okay, here’s my update. Is this TBL yet? Im not sure. However, I have realized slow progression. I only grew an inch and a half since the last update.
> View attachment 464331


￼￼￼￼￼￼ what do you meeannnn. Defo tbl length! Think you're even heading to mid-butt length if that's a thing lol


----------



## mayoo (Oct 15, 2020)

Length check in:
I think I've only gained about 2 inches this year overall in the back but the rest of my hair has caught up a lot so I'm happy with the progress. Inching closer to my goal of WL braid outs

Here's a pic of my braid out from a couple of days ago. Braid out is about 4 days old View attachment 464411

Changes to regimen recently : 
- Not using Wash-out conditioner right now. Have started to shampoo while hair is in twists to minimise breakage and tangles. Done in 6 twists. Then I leave in these twists until I apply deep conditioner. I detangle very lightly applying DC. 

Then I dc with hear for 1h. After washing out, I'm skipping the leave in lately (since I'm leaving Japan soon, I don't want to increase my luggage lol) and going straight to oil (jojoba) then shea butter (mixed with plain lanolin--helps with sealing)


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 15, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Length check in:
> I think I've only gained about 2 inches this year overall in the back but the rest of my hair has caught up a lot so I'm happy with the progress. Inching closer to my goal of WL braid outs
> 
> Here's a pic of my braid out from a couple of days ago. Braid out is about 4 days old View attachment 464411
> ...


Lovely! I think we have a very similar hair type!!! I hope I’m where you’re at in 2-3 years . Can’t remember if I’ve asked you this before...how did you wear your hair when it was shorter ? Like between APL and BSL/BSB


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 15, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Okay, here’s my update. Is this TBL yet? Im not sure. However, I have realized slow progression. I only grew an inch and a half since the last update.
> View attachment 464331


Beautiful hair!!! You’ll be at classic in no time!!


----------



## GettingKinky (Oct 15, 2020)

@mayoo I’m drooling over your hair. Maybe in 3 years I can get there.


----------



## Lita (Oct 15, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 Your hair is looking fantastic,keep growing..Nice & Full..Love it 

*Yes,your tailbone length

Happy Hair Growing!


----------



## mayoo (Oct 15, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Lovely! I think we have a very similar hair type!!! I hope I’m where you’re at in 2-3 years . Can’t remember if I’ve asked you this before...how did you wear your hair when it was shorter ? Like between APL and BSL/BSB



Hey girl~~~

Nice! I'm always looking for hair twins to stalk lol 
So in my first hair journey, I usually wore my hair in buns on the very top of my head and left it there for like 5 days at a time when I was between APL and BSL 

This time, I wore my hair in big chunky twists most of the time. These were worn in a bun for work quite a bit as well 

How do you like to wear your hair?


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 16, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Hey girl~~~
> 
> Nice! I'm always looking for hair twins to stalk lol
> So in my first hair journey, I usually wore my hair in buns on the very top of my head and left it there for like 5 days at a time when I was between APL and BSL
> ...


Thanks!! I usually do medium sized twists worn in a bun, and lately I’ve been getting into rollersets worn in a bun as well


----------



## keranikki (Oct 16, 2020)

October length check: no progress per se

Im maintaining shoulder length right now. My hem line has thickened as most of the layers of my hair have grown out. My hair is the healthiest its ever been!


Don’t mind the slight fluffiness in the second picture. The humidity got to me. 
My hair is so fine. I don’t think I’m going to straighten it ever again. My hair looks better curly.


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 17, 2020)

keranikki said:


> October length check: no progress per se
> 
> Im maintaining shoulder length right now. My hem line has thickened as most of the layers of my hair have grown out. My hair is the healthiest its ever been!
> 
> ...


Curly or straight your hair is beautiful! Reminds me a lot of my moms hair, which is very fine but also very soft! I bet yours is too


----------



## mayoo (Oct 17, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Thanks!! I usually do medium sized twists worn in a bun, and lately I’ve been getting into rollersets worn in a bun as well



Oh wow, I've been  thinking about trying my first roller sets as I am exploring how to get different texture outcomes without heat 

If you don't mind me asking, what do you usually apply? 
How long does it take your hair to dry? (and how do you dry it?) 
What are your results like?


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 18, 2020)

mayoo said:


> Oh wow, I've been  thinking about trying my first roller sets as I am exploring how to get different texture outcomes without heat
> 
> If you don't mind me asking, what do you usually apply?
> How long does it take your hair to dry? (and how do you dry it?)
> What are your results like?



im still trying to figure out my routine, but last set i used its a 10 keratin leave in with ogx penetrating oil serum, saturated each section with a lot of water/avj and then rolled with hourglass rollers. sat under the dryer for 1hr and 20 mins. my hair was slightly sticky so i think i used too much product. im used to piling on product for curly styles, learning that straight/stretched styles actually need a lighter hand.

i get pretty smooth results, even though i consider myself to have coarse hair. not entirely sure what my hair type is. 4 something.


wet hair no product


rollerset before and after separating

i recommend looking at some of the old setting to success threads, theres a lot of good info there if you want to start rollersetting! it does take a long time but the results are lovely and i dont have to do my hair again for 2 weeks


----------



## keranikki (Oct 18, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Curly or straight your hair is beautiful! Reminds me a lot of my moms hair, which is very fine but also very soft! I bet yours is too



Thank you!


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 19, 2020)

I cowashed my braids and put on shea butter. Oiled my scalp. That's going okay. It air dried and I am about to put on a bonnet while I work. 

My hair is barely pulling to 13inches, but it is getting there. I thought I wouldn't see it until December based on this year's suuuuper slow growth. I'm hoping for 15 inches by the end of December


----------



## SmilingElephant (Oct 20, 2020)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Okay, here’s my update. Is this TBL yet? Im not sure. However, I have realized slow progression. I only grew an inch and a half since the last update.
> View attachment 464331



And ALL the goals! Love it!


----------



## SmilingElephant (Oct 20, 2020)

Nothing new with me, just bunning it up and shampoo/deep condition/ style every week. I've also decided to give hair grease another try and use it over my leave ins to seal in the moisture.


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 22, 2020)

i took out my braids. now i have twists with coconut oil in a bag and bonnet... i think i'll rebraid in January. until then.. maybe buns.  perm rods, flexi rods are next. I was going to wait until my hair is longer, but.. why


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 23, 2020)

i finally got a chance to purchase Natty Naturals Leave in conditioner, which i just did. i dont know what i'm going to do with my hair right now though. i'm working on perm rod set, but i dont know the best way to go about the whole process yet. i'm deliberating while i work


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 23, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> i finally got a chance to purchase Natty Naturals Leave in conditioner, which i just did. i dont know what i'm going to do with my hair right now though. i'm working on perm rod set, but i dont know the best way to go about the whole process yet. i'm deliberating while i work


Have you looked up any YouTube tutorials? How long is your hair again ? I think Janae Mason on YouTube has a lot of perm rod videos and DayeLeSoul, their hair is around APL if I recall correctly


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 23, 2020)

thank you @Mapleoats !!! yes i'm around their length. aww i feel loved. you suggested people my length and texture lol


----------



## snoop (Oct 24, 2020)

No picture updates, this time, but I think I'm onto a new way of taking care of my hair.

I am out of my twisted hair style.  That was 4 weeks in medium twists.  

To set the style for the week, I was heavy handed with my LCOB method.  Extra emphasis on the B -- shea butter.  Then I threaded my twists into whatever style I was feeling.  I water washed or honey washed at the end of each week and then re-threaded my hair.  After the first week, I tucked my ends upwards before threading.

I did a proper hair wash today (clay wash), but I think that I am going to live one more week in medium twists then do the same process, but in mini-twists.  I feel like I had way less breakage doing this.  So what I'm hoping to do after this week is done is start a new 4 week routine:

Start:  full wash day routine, install twists.  Oil up my hair like crazy, then thread it.
End of weeks 1 to 3, a light wash routine (water, honey, etc.), oil up my hair like crazy, then thread it.
End of week 4, start again.


----------



## nyeredzi (Oct 25, 2020)

snoop said:


> No picture updates, this time, but I think I'm onto a new way of taking care of my hair.
> 
> I am out of my twisted hair style.  That was 4 weeks in medium twists.
> 
> ...



I'd be interested in seeing your threaded hair styles.


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 26, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I'd be interested in seeing your threaded hair styles.


 me too!


----------



## nyeredzi (Oct 26, 2020)

I'm happy to report that my hair is back on track. I had it in the cornrows for just 2 weeks. I couldn't take the weight of the added hair and took the crochet twists out after about 5 days. But I left the cornrows themselves in until 2 weeks. They didn't look great, because I'm not good at cornrowing and taking out the fake hair messed them up further. But whatever. After 2 weeks I carefully took them down and took advantage of some of the cornrow parts to put my hair into medium twists. And left those in for another week. In that time, I washed my hair once, while still in the cornrows. I've now started washing my hair again, but in sections. Because of time constraints. This is a strategy I've used before, but not for a while. It makes it more workable time-wise and is also less stressful for me. Before when I did my hair in sections, I'd do half at a time. This time I just couldn't. I washed the most difficult quarter, the front right quadrant, a couple of days ago. I did another 1/3 or so tonight. The remainder I just undid the twists, coated with leave in and oil and retwisted. They'll have to wait another couple of days. The process was: wash with dandruff shampoo, coat heavily with cheapie Suave (which has great slip!), finger-detangled most of the way, and then gently used a brush to get out the remaining shed hair. Retwists, rinse out conditioner, then dry with Revair. Coat with leave-in and oil and retwist.

I've done my ends like this woman. It seems a good strategy to keep them from tangling:


The only reason I was able to do this was because I was able to not wash weekly. My scalp's been doing well allowing me to go a couple of weeks without washing. When I wash I pretty much have to detangle, so being able to wash less allows me to detangle less. I must remember to keep up with the dandruff shampoo, even once the issue has been mostly controlled.


----------



## snoop (Oct 26, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I'd be interested in seeing your threaded hair styles.




They totally are not fancy or neat, as it was not part of my culture so I'm still learning and I'm a finger comber so my parts are messy.  Also, my household still indoors since March so I really don't have anywhere to go, so the basic suffices.  I've added a couple of a baby boy and baby girl who I use threading on for the same reason.

The mini twist picture are a bunch of mini twists that I gathered up to thread in larger sections, which is a style I wore earlier this summer for about a week.

The pigtail and ponytails are styles that I wore last month for a week each.  You can see the slow progression of the frizz at my roots, but my twists held up over time.  The twists look emaciated after taking the threads out, but they plumped up when I rinsed them at the end of each week.


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 28, 2020)

Posting some random hair thoughts here... but they are all growth and retention related so I think it fits 

Washed and DCd last night. My hair is really changing for the good. While rinsing my DC my hair felt so soft and was really weighed down by the water and just very smooth... it was so weird to me lol. My roots and length were so smoothed I could feel a noticeable puffiness on my ends from tangles and SSKs. Usually my whole head is puffy so I don’t notice if my ends are misbehaving.

I also have had very minimal breakage since my last wash when I did a protein treatment. I never thought I had excessive breakage before  but these past two washes I have had only a few broken hairs.  I think I’m nearing the point where I don’t need to DC with each wash, but I will continue to anyway lol

lastly, I think I’m very near to becoming a semi straight haired natural. I’ve always been a twist out girl, but the last 6 weeks I had my hair semi straight ( one blow out and two back to back rollersets). Last week I wore my hair in twists and wore the twists out, and then in a bun for a few days before washing and the difference in tangles was just insane! I think the extra time/ manipulation required to stretch hair is worth it for the time (and hair) saved in detangling

I have my hair in some twists now and I don’t even think I’ll bother to wear them out, I’ll just leave them in until the next wash to avoid any tangles. I have definitely been spoiled by these rollersets lol.


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 28, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I'm happy to report that my hair is back on track. I had it in the cornrows for just 2 weeks. I couldn't take the weight of the added hair and took the crochet twists out after about 5 days. But I left the cornrows themselves in until 2 weeks. They didn't look great, because I'm not good at cornrowing and taking out the fake hair messed them up further. But whatever. After 2 weeks I carefully took them down and took advantage of some of the cornrow parts to put my hair into medium twists. And left those in for another week. In that time, I washed my hair once, while still in the cornrows. I've now started washing my hair again, but in sections. Because of time constraints. This is a strategy I've used before, but not for a while. It makes it more workable time-wise and is also less stressful for me. Before when I did my hair in sections, I'd do half at a time. This time I just couldn't. I washed the most difficult quarter, the front right quadrant, a couple of days ago. I did another 1/3 or so tonight. The remainder I just undid the twists, coated with leave in and oil and retwisted. They'll have to wait another couple of days. The process was: wash with dandruff shampoo, coat heavily with cheapie Suave (which has great slip!), finger-detangled most of the way, and then gently used a brush to get out the remaining shed hair. Retwists, rinse out conditioner, then dry with Revair. Coat with leave-in and oil and retwist.
> 
> I've done my ends like this woman. It seems a good strategy to keep them from tangling:
> 
> ...


I’ve come to realize that half the battle with tightly coiled hair is in the detangling, doing it right costs a lot of time, not doing it right costs a lot of hair lol


----------



## GettingKinky (Oct 28, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I’ve come to realize that half the battle with tightly coiled hair is in the detangling, doing it right costs a lot of time, not doing it right costs a lot of hair lol



how long does it take you to detangle?


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 28, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> how long does it take you to detangle?


It really depends on my hair that day. Anywhere between 15 minutes (if I’m coming from straight hair) to an hour (if it’s been a while). On average maybe 30 - 35 mins. What about you?


----------



## GettingKinky (Oct 30, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> It really depends on my hair that day. Anywhere between 15 minutes (if I’m coming from straight hair) to an hour (if it’s been a while). On average maybe 30 - 35 mins. What about you?



If I wash my hair 2x a week it takes me about 5 minutes to detangle. When I wash 1x a week it’s 7-10 minutes. This is why I’m trying to stick to my 2x a week schedule.


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 30, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> If I wash my hair 2x a week it takes me about 5 minutes to detangle. When I wash 1x a week it’s 7-10 minutes. This is why I’m trying to stick to my 2x a week schedule.


5 minutes detangling? Sounds like a dream  , but unfortunately my hair could never LOL


----------



## apple_natural (Oct 30, 2020)

I forgot that I wanted to do a prepoo/hot oil treatment before I detangled my perm rod set for wash day... it was a reeeeally long detangle.


----------



## GettingKinky (Oct 30, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> 5 minutes detangling? Sounds like a dream  , but unfortunately my hair could never LOL



I could probably stand to be a lot more gentle, but I just can’t see myself going much slower than I do now.


----------



## nyeredzi (Oct 30, 2020)

It takes my an hour to detangle on the best day, with not being gentle. The normal time is 2 hours


----------



## GettingKinky (Oct 31, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> It takes my an hour to detangle on the best day, with not being gentle. The normal time is 2 hours



This is how I know I don’t really belong in this thread. I don’t have LONG hair. Do you detangle on wet hair with conditioner?


----------



## Mapleoats (Oct 31, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> It takes my an hour to detangle on the best day, with not being gentle. The normal time is 2 hours


 Your hair is so thick, long and lovely though!


----------



## nyeredzi (Oct 31, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> This is how I know I don’t really belong in this thread. I don’t have LONG hair. Do you detangle on wet hair with conditioner?


The time difference between detangling my medium length hair and my long hair is not that great. Detangling on wet hair with conditioner is one common way I might do it, but not the only method i use.


----------



## Daina (Oct 31, 2020)

snoop said:


> They totally are not fancy or neat, as it was not part of my culture so I'm still learning and I'm a finger comber so my parts are messy.  Also, my household still indoors since March so I really don't have anywhere to go, so the basic suffices.  I've added a couple of a baby boy and baby girl who I use threading on for the same reason.
> 
> The mini twist picture are a bunch of mini twists that I gathered up to thread in larger sections, which is a style I wore earlier this summer for about a week.
> 
> The pigtail and ponytails are styles that I wore last month for a week each.  You can see the slow progression of the frizz at my roots, but my twists held up over time.  The twists look emaciated after taking the threads out, but they plumped up when I rinsed them at the end of each week.


I'm curious about the benefits of threading...is it just another means to keep the hair stretched?


----------



## keranikki (Oct 31, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I’ve come to realize that half the battle with tightly coiled hair is in the detangling, doing it right costs a lot of time, not doing it right costs a lot of hair lol



I totally agree! You really have to decide what is more valuable, your hair or your time.
Today, I washed my hair in sections, which is something I don’t normally do. While it took more time to complete, I had less shedding because of it. Washing my hair in sections caused me to use less tension to detangle. Also keeping my hair in four plaits, under a wig, for the week helped.


----------



## Daina (Oct 31, 2020)

Hi Ladies, pray everyone is safe and well! I don't believe I ever joined this challenge? Currently my hair is HL I think and I think I will shoot for TBL or is BCL the next length? I'm not sure but after that I am going to go into maintenance mode and try to maintain. I am extremely hair lazy these days and just don't have the patience anymore. Most weeks(3 out of 4) I wet bun cause it's quick and easy right out of the shower. It will last me all week and I like not having to do anything to it during the week. The other week I typically do a twistout. Right now my hair is straight and hoping to keep it straight for another 2 weeks. The pic below is after blow drying using my Revair before I flat ironed, so I will use this as my starting point. Hopefully this challenge will give me the motivation to stop being so lazy.


----------



## snoop (Oct 31, 2020)

Daina said:


> I'm curious about the benefits of threading...is it just another means to keep the hair stretched?




You can use it for threading, but these past weeks I've been using it to protect my twists from frizzing.  My 4 week old threaded twists looked like my 2 week old unthreaded twists.  
I did water rinses weekly so that I wouldn't over agitate my hair.  With the heavy moisturizing and butters, my hair was a breeze to take down.


----------



## water_n_oil (Oct 31, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> This is how I know I don’t really belong in this thread. I don’t have LONG hair. Do you detangle on wet hair with conditioner?


I personally only spend 15-20min detangling.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Nov 2, 2020)

I spend roughly 20 minutes detangling I only detangle in the shower when I wash my hair.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Nov 2, 2020)

Daina said:


> Hi Ladies, pray everyone is safe and well! I don't believe I ever joined this challenge? Currently my hair is HL I think and I think I will shoot for TBL or is BCL the next length? I'm not sure but after that I am going to go into maintenance mode and try to maintain. I am extremely hair lazy these days and just don't have the patience anymore. Most weeks(3 out of 4) I wet bun cause it's quick and easy right out of the shower.



BEAUTIFUL hair!! what is your routine when wet bunning & what products do you use?


----------



## Daina (Nov 2, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> BEAUTIFUL hair!! what is your routine when wet bunning & what products do you use?


Thank you! My routine is super simple because as of late my hair has taken a big back seat. The routine below is when my hair is in its curly state:
1. I cleanse once a week - 2 weeks out of the month I co-wash and deep condition. To co-wash I use Wen Fig or Sweet Almond mint; to deep condition I use Alikay Naturals honey and sage deep conditioner.
2. The other 2 weeks I cleanse with either African black soap (currently really liking the Melanin hair care ABS) or I clay wash using bentonite, rhassoul, amla and ACV; after the clay mask I deep condition usually with the Alikay.
3. I detangle in the shower and will usually add my leave-in...I don't have a staple leave-in that I love but use either Alikay lemon grass, Wen, or Camille Rose moisture milk
4. If I wet bun I add a little more water and then seal with either grapeseed oil or Melanin multipurpose oil; finally I use either wet line (original as I have 2 big tubs left) or ecostyler olive oil gel

That's it pretty basic, the longest step is deep conditioning which I try to do for at least an hour. I leave the bun in all week and sleep with a satin scarf. My scarf is typically on most of the time when I am in the house. On the weeks that I don't bun I do a twistout. Now that it is turning colder I will probably do more twistouts versus wet bunning unless I can let my hair somewhat dry before going outside or I will wear my scarf and use one of my trusty slap caps. My routine is super boring at this point!


----------



## water_n_oil (Nov 2, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> I personally only spend 15-20min detangling.


Apparently that was an overestimate based on last night's wash. More like 8-10min. Takes longer if I go a while with only finger detangling or minimal detangling. I use the FL brush in the shower w/ just the water.


----------



## GettingKinky (Nov 2, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Apparently that was an overestimate based on last night's wash. More like 8-10min. Takes longer if I go a while with only finger detangling or minimal detangling. I used the FL brush in the shower w/ just the water.



I really like that brush. I get out a ton of shed hair. I’ve stopped worrying about breakage, and just go straight for the brush without using a wide tooth comb first.

I do some finger detangling while I’m shampooing and conditioning, but that brush makes it so easy to finish the job.


----------



## water_n_oil (Nov 2, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I really like that brush. I get out a ton of shed hair. I’ve stopped worrying about breakage, and just go straight for the brush without using a wide tooth comb first.
> 
> I do some finger detangling while I’m shampooing and conditioning, but that brush makes it so easy to finish the job.


Yup, I'll usually do light finger detangling when there's anything in my hair but I use the brush prior to that point. For my girls I brush before and after adding their leave in. That brush makes tangles almost a non-factor.


----------



## Prettyeyes (Nov 2, 2020)

I am interested in doing this next year


----------



## GettingKinky (Nov 2, 2020)

Here’s my latest progress.


----------



## Mapleoats (Nov 2, 2020)

Prettyeyes said:


> I am interested in doing this next year


Yes definitely. We should have another round for 2021


----------



## Mapleoats (Nov 2, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> Here’s my latest progress.


Your curls are hanging noticeably lower now


----------



## GettingKinky (Nov 2, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Your curls are hanging noticeably lower now


 
Thanks! 
I’m finally starting to notice progress. I think it’s a combination of growth + better technique. My diffusing skills have definitely improved since December, and I’m way better at applying my gel.


----------



## keranikki (Nov 4, 2020)

water_n_oil said:


> Apparently that was an overestimate based on last night's wash. More like 8-10min. Takes longer if I go a while with only finger detangling or minimal detangling. I use the FL brush in the shower w/ just the water.



The FL brush changed my life!  ‘Tis all.


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 4, 2020)

What is the FL brush? Is that the brush that looks like fingers


----------



## keranikki (Nov 4, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> What is the FL brush? Is that the brush that looks like fingers



I tried to upload a picture, but it won’t attach. It is like fingers, but stiffer. There is flexibility, but not as flexible as the remakes shown on Instagram.


----------



## GettingKinky (Nov 4, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> What is the FL brush? Is that the brush that looks like fingers
> [/QUOTE
> 
> It’s the Felicia Leatherwood brush.


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 4, 2020)

@keranikki @GettingKinky Thank you Thank you! My mom bought me one of these. I wasn't so sure about it so I didn't use it for a long time and then I did. It works! I only need to use it once or twice per section.

xx

Thinking of winter haircare.
Eyebrows: Castor oil... once a day.. hopefully twice
Edges: Castor oil... once a day.. hopefully twice
Baggy: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Oil Prepoo: Before every wash
Trim: I sort of dusted the ends today
Diet: added more greens to my daily Green Smoothie
Vitamins/Supplements: bought gold brand MSM
Water: Note to self - Please drink water.


----------



## Mapleoats (Nov 14, 2020)

Quick length check / check in.

I needed a trim so I blow dried and did one pass with the flat iron at like 325 just to get my ends a bit smoother. I think I trimmed a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. I know there’s still about a month and a half left in this challenge but I’m feeling pretty good about my results so far. My goal was BSB / BSL, and I think I’ve made BSB. for some reason BSL on my body is almost MBL. Am I wearing my bras wrong?  Lol.
I’ll do one last length check in December, maybe with some luck I’ll hit my actual BSL


----------



## keranikki (Nov 14, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Quick length check / check in.
> 
> I needed a trim so I blow dried and did one pass with the flat iron at like 325 just to get my ends a bit smoother. I think I trimmed a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. I know there’s still about a month and a half left in this challenge but I’m feeling pretty good about my results so far. My goal was BSB / BSL, and I think I’ve made BSB. for some reason BSL on my body is almost MBL. Am I wearing my bras wrong?  Lol.
> I’ll do one last length check in December, maybe with some luck I’ll hit my actual BSL
> View attachment 465289


 I wear my bras at the same point, but my band is thicker.  Do you have a short or long torso?


----------



## Mapleoats (Nov 14, 2020)

keranikki said:


> I wear my bras at the same point, but my band is thicker.  Do you have a short or long torso?


I feel like I have an average torso? Not sure...


----------



## SmilingElephant (Nov 19, 2020)

Just came to report that I've been using Blue Magic on my hair for the past month on top of my leave in....when I tell you I'm not looking back? 

My hair is SO moisturized and it's not shedding as much. It's only been a month so no significant hair growth yet, BUT I can tell that I'm retaining length. It easier to detangle my hair and I see a significant reduction in fairy knots!

I use the blue, Blue Magic every 2-3 days (Ugh! The nostalgia!). I want to go back to ALLLLL the grease now! 

Now I'm gonna be on the hunt for the Castor Oil Blue Magic, their leave ins, and the black Dax. Now that I know how to properly use this on my hair, I'm going back to it and saving me some money!


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 21, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Just came to report that I've been using Blue Magic on my hair for the past month on top of my leave in...


I have been thinking about this. I watched some videos on youtube about using these old school products. We didn't use blue magic when I was a child, but we had this herbal grease that smelled really good. I don't know what it was. It had bits in it. We also used pink moisturizer.

Here is my question, though, does it go down your neck?

I have a shea butter mix that I am finally getting to the bottom of so I'm in the market for a cream. I may make another batch but I may buy one of these other products for the fun of it.


----------



## nyeredzi (Nov 21, 2020)

I feel like the last check in in this challenge will be a good one for me. I've managed to treat my hair mostly gently recently and with my mother in town to help me with the kids for the next few weeks, I'll have a little of the time stress lifted from me and just have the time to be more gentle.

On another note, I can really tell my hair has thinned. Age, I think.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Nov 21, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I have been thinking about this. I watched some videos on youtube about using these old school products. We didn't use blue magic when I was a child, but we had this herbal grease that smelled really good. I don't know what it was. It had bits in it. We also used pink moisturizer.
> 
> Here is my question, though, does it go down your neck?
> 
> I have a shea butter mix that I am finally getting to the bottom of so I'm in the market for a cream. I may make another batch but I may buy one of these other products for the fun of it.



It depends on how much grease you use. I use a light amount so I don't have grease running down my face or neck like that. I use more grease when my hair feels the need.


----------



## Missjaxon (Nov 21, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I have been thinking about this. I watched some videos on youtube about using these old school products. We didn't use blue magic when I was a child, but we had this herbal grease that smelled really good. I don't know what it was. It had bits in it. We also used pink moisturizer.
> 
> Here is my question, though, does it go down your neck?
> 
> I have a shea butter mix that I am finally getting to the bottom of so I'm in the market for a cream. I may make another batch but I may buy one of these other products for the fun of it.


@apple_natural That sounds like Indian Hemp grease


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 21, 2020)

Missjaxon said:


> @apple_natural That sounds like Indian Hemp grease



I thought so too. I went to the beauty supply store and it looks and smells just like what I have in mind, but the container in my memory is smaller. I'm thinking a different brand or I'm just not remembering it correctly. Either way, I bought the blue magic brand Indian hemp. 

Now I'm just staring at it. There is no reason for me to have it. I already use shea butter and I love my leave in. I'm even afraid of the petrolatum in it, but i couldn't resist purchasing it, so i own it now.

Maybe I'll put shea on one side and this in the other for the week and see how it works out.


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 21, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> It depends on how much grease you use. I use a light amount so I don't have grease running down my face or neck like that. I use more grease when my hair feels the need.


Have you left any products for this one? Have you used shea butter?


----------



## SmilingElephant (Nov 21, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Have you left any products for this one? Have you used shea butter?



I've tried shea butter, oils, everything. I have mainly 3c hair, so all these years I've been doing what the 3c youtubers do and my hair gets dried out with the quickness.

Knowing how to use grease properly has been a game changer for me this past month.


----------



## water_n_oil (Nov 21, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I thought so too. I went to the beauty supply store and it looks and smells just like what I have in mind, but the container in my memory is smaller. I'm thinking a different brand or I'm just not remembering it correctly. Either way, I bought the blue magic brand Indian hemp.
> 
> Now I'm just staring at it. There is no reason for me to have it. I already use shea butter and I love my leave in. I'm even afraid of the petrolatum in it, but i couldn't resist purchasing it, so i own it now.
> 
> Maybe I'll put shea on one side and this in the other for the week and see how it works out.


Possibly the Africa's Best Super Gro? Smells like candy kinda and has bits of herbs in it.


----------



## snoop (Nov 21, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> I thought so too. I went to the beauty supply store and it looks and smells just like what I have in mind, but the container in my memory is smaller. I'm thinking a different brand or I'm just not remembering it correctly. Either way, I bought the blue magic brand Indian hemp.
> 
> Now I'm just staring at it. There is no reason for me to have it. I already use shea butter and I love my leave in. I'm even afraid of the petrolatum in it, but i couldn't resist purchasing it, so i own it now.
> 
> Maybe I'll put shea on one side and this in the other for the week and see how it works out.



I was wondering if it was Doo Gro, but I can't find pics of the inside and I'm not sure if it had herbs in it. 

Growing up we tried so many different greases to grow our hair and nothing worked.


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 22, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> I've tried shea butter, oils, everything. I have mainly 3c hair, so all these years I've been doing what the 3c youtubers do and my hair gets dried out with the quickness.
> 
> Knowing how to use grease properly has been a game changer for me this past month.



Okay. I got the indian herb one. I have been staring it at all evening. I finally put it on my back two twists. I think it'll be okay  I'm happy it's working for you!



water_n_oil said:


> Possibly the Africa's Best Super Gro? Smells like candy kinda and has bits of herbs in it



This was it!!!!  Thank you so much! lol I remember the container, the herb bits, the color and definitely the scent. I wish I got this one today



snoop said:


> I was wondering if it was Doo Gro, but I can't find pics of the inside and I'm not sure if it had herbs in it.
> 
> Growing up we tried so many different greases to grow our hair and nothing worked.



Awww thank you for looking for me. How sweet that everyone is trying to help me remember it


----------



## lorr1e1 (Nov 22, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Just came to report that I've been using Blue Magic on my hair for the past month on top of my leave in....when I tell you I'm not looking back?
> 
> My hair is SO moisturized and it's not shedding as much. It's only been a month so no significant hair growth yet, BUT I can tell that I'm retaining length. It easier to detangle my hair and I see a significant reduction in fairy knots!
> 
> ...


I remember blue magic I think the one I had used came in a blue tin not the Red tin/pressing oil, am I right?


----------



## lorr1e1 (Nov 22, 2020)

Anyone here used this, this was my go to for breakage back in the day used to help my hair, can't seem to buy this anymore . 

I've just bought JBCO hope it will be just as effective.


----------



## keranikki (Nov 22, 2020)

lorr1e1 said:


> Anyone here used this, this was my go to for breakage back in the day used to help my hair, can't seem to buy this anymore .
> 
> I've just bought JBCO hope it will be just as effective.



I remember this brand! I couldn’t use the grease, for the smell was too strong for me.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Nov 22, 2020)

lorr1e1 said:


> I remember blue magic I think the one I had used came in a blue tin not the Red tin/pressing oil, am I right?



I've always known Blue Magic to come in blue or green in the clear plastic jars. I just recently discovered the pressing oil in the red tin.


----------



## snoop (Nov 22, 2020)

I don't think that my hair is as thick as it was a couple of years ago, but I've been noticing that my twists are getting longer.  Looking forward to the end of year check-in.


----------



## lorr1e1 (Nov 23, 2020)

snoop said:


> I don't think that my hair is as thick as it was a couple of years ago, but I've been noticing that my twists are getting longer.  Looking forward to the end of year check-in.


You have to remember as you get older hair naturally thins out. You must choose styles that do not put on added pressure stress to the strands.


----------



## snoop (Nov 23, 2020)

lorr1e1 said:


> You have to remember as you get older hair naturally thins out. You must choose styles that do not put on added pressure stress to the strands.



Thanks for the reminder.  In my head I look 16, but feel like 61.  (I'm exaggerating on both ends.)

I pretty much have lived in two strand twists for the past 7 years.  I realize that I have to work on detangling as _gently_ as possible, because this is where I seem to lose the most hair.


----------



## Prettymetty (Nov 24, 2020)

Now that the length is coming I can focus on beautifying my hair. I googled best conditioner for shiny hair and came across an article. I bought the Suave keratin infusions from a link in the article with my target cash that I didn’t know existed! I’ll try it out Thanksgiving. 

I’ve also been focused on controlling the frizz. Humidity in Houston is usually 60-90% every day, so I need something solid. I just did a hair Botox last week (prismax). I’ll see how it behaves after my first wash Thursday. I used hair Botox for the first time this July. It made my hair super sleek after the first wash, but I don’t remember the staying power.

Keratin treatments work great, but they are complicated and hard on your hand and respiratory system if you diy. Expensive af if you go to a salon. Hair Botox is just like a softening deep conditioner. A face lift for your hair. And I’m all the way here for it. My treatment costs 12.99 and lasts 1-3 months.


----------



## apple_natural (Nov 29, 2020)

putting on my henna gloss


----------



## snoop (Dec 2, 2020)

I think that I'm finally seeing progress!  Yay!   I did a length check on the weekend and I think that I'm finally back to waist length.  


ETRemove one pic.


----------



## Rastafarai (Dec 2, 2020)

Speaking of old school hair products, do you all remember this? I remember my mom using this on wash days and my hair being thick and shiny for days! Makes me reconsider all this PJism, lol.


----------



## Rastafarai (Dec 2, 2020)

@snoop definitely seeing progress! Your shrinkage is no joke!


----------



## snoop (Dec 2, 2020)

Rastafarai said:


> @snoop definitely seeing progress! Your shrinkage is no joke!


Thanks!  And that first picture is on wet hair.  It would be shorter if it had dried.


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 3, 2020)

I straightened almost all of it. it's choppy because I cut each section as much as I think needs to be cut without regard for shape. now...  i can wear my clips ins. I could now braid it...I could completely trash this straightening job, deep condition and forget it. idk what i'll do.

final photo in media. i was finally able to capture how it draws up before I'm done straightening it making me think I'm not growing anything. I have to get it done at a salon for it to stay straight for a couple of hours longer


----------



## yamilee21 (Dec 4, 2020)

Rastafarai said:


> Speaking of old school hair products, do you all remember this? I remember my mom using this on wash days and my hair being thick and shiny for days! Makes me reconsider all this PJism, lol.
> 
> View attachment 465913


My aunt in Haiti used the version that came in a tube (why, I will never know; there were better products available). At one point, it became impossible to find/afford there, so I would have to scour stores here that I would normally avoid, in order to send some to her.


----------



## GettingKinky (Dec 5, 2020)

I’m starting to figure out how to dry my hair to prevent some of the shrinkage.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Dec 8, 2020)

Sooooooo....I swear this part of my hair never grows THIS long!   

I've been staying faithful to my regimen for 3 months now, which is to shampoo/dc/moisturize/seal with grease/gel for hold of my curls and bun throughout the week until next wash day.

I have gone back to grease, silicones, and sulfates and my hair seems to be retaining length a LOT faster than it has in the past few years!  

It wasn't about the ingredients, it was about learning how they work and how to use them. 

I cannot wait to see what my hair looks like in another 3 months! I gotta take more pics bc my hair has definitely made a major turn around in the past few months! I can't believe the SIDES of my hair are at BSL! They are usually so prone to breakage and usually only reach APL.

GREASE!!!


----------



## Newhottie (Dec 8, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> Okay. I got the indian herb one. I have been staring it at all evening. I finally put it on my back two twists. I think it'll be okay  I'm happy it's working for you!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Allways Indian Hemp I’m sure of it. Smelled like cocoa butter and I swore was growing my hair every time I applied it (not likely)!


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 8, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Sooooooo....I swear this part of my hair never grows THIS long!
> 
> I've been staying faithful to my regimen for 3 months now, which is to shampoo/dc/moisturize/seal with grease/gel for hold of my curls and bun throughout the week until next wash day.
> 
> ...


I'm really glad to hear you've got something that's working. Stick to it! Some of the old methods are best.

My hair is doing well, too. I've managed to find pockets of time for the last couple of months, and with my mother here for the last 3 weeks, I can give my hair the care it deserves. I know what needs to be done, really. It's just that generally I don't have time to do it. So I'm always looking for shortcuts, which in the end never work out. Some people have hair that is, frankly, just easier. Less time-consuming with equally good results. I'm not one of those people. My hair sounds the way people below describe their hair, and their regimens sounds time-consuming as well. IndigenousStrandz mostly spreads her time out, doing something to parts of her hair throughout the week, like retwisting 2-3 twists at a time, which might be my best shot, because I don't have large blocks of time at once because of the kids. Even her, though, she says sometimes she takes her daughter to her mother's for 4 hours to focus on her hair, and that's a luxury I usually don't have.

This video is really long, but I like to play it while I do my hair. 


She goes longer periods of time without doing a whole lot, but then has long detangling and take-down sessions:

Seeing how she manipulates her hair and it responds, her hair also seems a lot like mine:


----------



## snoop (Dec 8, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I'm really glad to hear you've got something that's working. Stick to it! Some of the old methods are best.
> 
> My hair is doing well, too. I've managed to find pockets of time for the last couple of months, and with my mother here for the last 3 weeks, I can give my hair the care it deserves. I know what needs to be done, really. It's just that generally I don't have time to do it. So I'm always looking for shortcuts, which in the end never work out. Some people have hair that is, frankly, just easier. Less time-consuming with equally good results. I'm not one of those people. My hair sounds the way people below describe their hair, and their regimens sounds time-consuming as well. IndigenousStrandz mostly spreads her time out, doing something to parts of her hair throughout the week, like retwisting 2-3 twists at a time, which might be my best shot, because I don't have large blocks of time at once because of the kids. Even her, though, she says sometimes she takes her daughter to her mother's for 4 hours to focus on her hair, and that's a luxury I usually don't have.
> 
> ...



IndigenousStrandz has all the hair int he world on her head.  She needs those hours.

I think my hair and regimen mostly resembles Naturally High's though my shrinkage is WAY more than hers which is what makes detangling time consuming for me.  My hair is 4c and cottony.  Over the past 2.5 months I've been testing out a new low maintenance method of taking care of my hair and it's working.  Instead of redoing my twists every one to two weeks, I've managed to do them monthly.  I still wash each week, but I've been threading my hair after each wash day.  I've been using DIY herbal shampoos to wash my hair, but it can easily be done with diluted shampoo and conditioner.  I've found that setting my hair into medium twists, with the roots braided then senegalese/rope twisting the length works best to minimize the frizz and therefore minimizing the amount of detangling time I need at the end of the month.  The threading also helps to minimize the frizz and it's been great for my ends, especially since I bantu knot them first.

I have kids as well, so I totally hear you about not having the time to spend doing your hair on the regular.


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 9, 2020)

snoop said:


> IndigenousStrandz has all the hair int he world on her head.  She needs those hours.
> 
> I think my hair and regimen mostly resembles Naturally High's though my shrinkage is WAY more than hers which is what makes detangling time consuming for me.  My hair is 4c and cottony.  Over the past 2.5 months I've been testing out a new low maintenance method of taking care of my hair and it's working.  Instead of redoing my twists every one to two weeks, I've managed to do them monthly.  I still wash each week, but I've been threading my hair after each wash day.  I've been using DIY herbal shampoos to wash my hair, but it can easily be done with diluted shampoo and conditioner.  I've found that setting my hair into medium twists, with the roots braided then senegalese/rope twisting the length works best to minimize the frizz and therefore minimizing the amount of detangling time I need at the end of the month.  The threading also helps to minimize the frizz and it's been great for my ends, especially since I bantu knot them first.
> 
> I have kids as well, so I totally hear you about not having the time to spend doing your hair on the regular.


IndigenousStrandz does have a ridiculous amount of hair! She seems to be in love with it, though, so it works out. Like, she actually likes attending to her hair. I used to, but don't anymore. I used to have way more hair, too (not as much as her, obvs), but now it's thinner. Which I don't mind because it saves me time. My hair is like Naturally High's too. Not sure if our shrinkage differs; she blow dries her hair pretty often, right?

I did note you talked about your new regimen a while back, using threading. I missed the bantu knotting part, though. Did you see my post about the lady who wraps the ends of her twists around the shaft? It makes the hair look shorter, but I find this helps with ends tangling, too. Rope twisting + threading makes my twists look too emaciated for my tastes, though, but I do see how it can work. I'm going to see how long I can keep up IndigenousStrandz' method of doing a few twists every few nights. I have about 25 twists right now, so if I can do 5 every 3 nights or so, that should get me to 2 weeks. And then if I can wash my hair once every 2 weeks, that works out. I just have to actually do it. :/ Like Naturally High, I don't like doing hair maintenance before bed, and I'm usually just so tired I don't want to. But, I do find that it's less stressful to me if I'm only using my fingers. Fingers don't do as efficient a job, but somehow I'm more stressed when using a comb. I'll still use a comb or comb attachment on the dryer every 4-6 weeks, though; otherwise I don't get all the shed hair out and it really builds up.


----------



## snoop (Dec 9, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> IndigenousStrandz does have a ridiculous amount of hair! She seems to be in love with it, though, so it works out. Like, she actually likes attending to her hair. I used to, but don't anymore. I used to have way more hair, too (not as much as her, obvs), but now it's thinner. Which I don't mind because it saves me time. My hair is like Naturally High's too. Not sure if our shrinkage differs; she blow dries her hair pretty often, right?
> 
> I did note you talked about your new regimen a while back, using threading. I missed the bantu knotting part, though. Did you see my post about the lady who wraps the ends of her twists around the shaft? It makes the hair look shorter, but I find this helps with ends tangling, too. Rope twisting + threading makes my twists look too emaciated for my tastes, though, but I do see how it can work. I'm going to see how long I can keep up IndigenousStrandz' method of doing a few twists every few nights. I have about 25 twists right now, so if I can do 5 every 3 nights or so, that should get me to 2 weeks. And then if I can wash my hair once every 2 weeks, that works out. I just have to actually do it. :/ Like Naturally High, I don't like doing hair maintenance before bed, and I'm usually just so tired I don't want to. But, I do find that it's less stressful to me if I'm only using my fingers. Fingers don't do as efficient a job, but somehow I'm more stressed when using a comb. I'll still use a comb or comb attachment on the dryer every 4-6 weeks, though; otherwise I don't get all the shed hair out and it really builds up.



I think you're right in that Naturally High Hair blow dries.  I'm not sure where I got that from because she doesn't talk about it much, but her hair doesn't really seem to shrink at all.  Mine just has to _hear _the weather forecast before it starts creeping into my scalp.

Yes, I saw your post about the lady who wraps her twists around the shaft of her hair.  I'd actually started doing that with my hair a couple of days before I saw your post.  I find this has been working much better for me than to just wrap my ends alone.  I also don't twist my hair individually.  I'll braid my twists into a single ponytail or two pigtails (or more sections) and then I will thread that group of hair.  It's so much faster for the install and take down of the thread.  We have been in covid isolation since March, so I don't have to worry about the styles looking any particular way since I'm at home.  If I have to go out I'll either throw on a hat or not thread my hair for the week or whatever.

I need to watch Naturally's latest clumping video.  I get it in theory, but my hair doesn't hang like hers.  I think the braided roots is what helps with detangling.  Between carefully styling my hair and using a good amount of shea butter, I have been finding that I can now keep my twists in for a month without having to spend any more time on my take down than if I'd kept them in for two weeks.


----------



## Silkylover (Dec 10, 2020)

Indigenous strands been growing her hair for 15yrs.   I wish she was more transparent about that


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 11, 2020)

Silkylover said:


> Indigenous strands been growing her hair for 15yrs.   I wish she was more transparent about that


Well, we've all been growing our hair all our lives   I never know how to answer the question "how long have you been growing your hair?" Because, when is the start? Like, when was the last time I stopped and when did I restart?  Or have I been trying for my whole 42 years? Is it from the time you went natural, assuming your hair was ever relaxed (my hair was only relaxed for ~7 years of my life). Or is it the time you started "trying" to grow hair by reading forums and stuff, the time you started a "hair journey"? Does your 'start' time have to be when you are bald, or do you get to 'start' growing at shoulder length? That feels kind of unfair, to get to start when you already have life 6 inches  How long are we all in our "hair journey", and will be be thigh length once we've been on it for 15 years? I don't mean to attack you, I'm realizing it might be coming off that way, and I'm sorry if it's sounding like that. I've just never understood the idea that hair necessarily gets longer as time passes. For most people, it doesn't. Hair grows, but most of us don't retain very well, or hit a wall and don't retain past that, regardless of how many years pass. For me, things get difficult getting past waist length, not matter how many years I've been on a hair journey.


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 11, 2020)

@SmilingElephant my sides never want to grow either. I see them kind of trying now though. Great job at sticking to your regimen!


----------



## snoop (Dec 11, 2020)

Silkylover said:


> Indigenous strands been growing her hair for 15yrs.   I wish she was more transparent about that



I thought she said recently (this week) that it was 9 years... interesting.... 

ETA:  Quite possible that I misread something


----------



## snoop (Dec 11, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Well, we've all been growing our hair all our lives  I never know how to answer the question "how long have you been growing your hair?" Because, when is the start? Like, when was the last time I stopped and when did I restart?  Or have I been trying for my whole 42 years? Is it from the time you went natural, assuming your hair was ever relaxed (my hair was only relaxed for ~7 years of my life). Or is it the time you started "trying" to grow hair by reading forums and stuff, the time you started a "hair journey"? Does your 'start' time have to be when you are bald, or do you get to 'start' growing at shoulder length? That feels kind of unfair, to get to start when you already have life 6 inches  How long are we all in our "hair journey", and will be be thigh length once we've been on it for 15 years? I don't mean to attack you, I'm realizing it might be coming off that way, and I'm sorry if it's sounding like that. I've just never understood the idea that hair necessarily gets longer as time passes. For most people, it doesn't. Hair grows, but most of us don't retain very well, or hit a wall and don't retain past that, regardless of how many years pass. For me, things get difficult getting past waist length, not matter how many years I've been on a hair journey.



A lot of people, who are serious about (starting) their hair journey usually ask the follow up questions:  Did you big chop?  How long was your hair when you BC'd?  Have you had any setbacks?  Then hopefully, by then you'll have figured out which starting point they want to hear about.


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 11, 2020)

snoop said:


> I thought she said recently (this week) that it was 9 years... interesting....
> 
> ETA:  Quite possible that I misread something


In a video I watched from last year, she said she hadn't trimmed her hair in 7 years. Would that be the "start" of her growing her hair?


----------



## nyeredzi (Dec 11, 2020)

snoop said:


> A lot of people, who are serious about (starting) their hair journey usually ask the follow up questions:  Did you big chop?  How long was your hair when you BC'd?  Have you had any setbacks?  Then hopefully, by then you'll have figured out which starting point they want to hear about.


I almost never get these questions anymore. I don't wear my hair out anymore and I think I also don't engage people much with hair talk. Also long natural hair is more common than it used to be, so it's not as big a deal. A woman asked me a week ago, though, how long it took me to grow my hair. I told her 3 years because... it seemed like a reasonable answer.  I think my hair does grow the average of 6 inches a year or so. Regardless of breakage, then, regardless of my efforts or failures, the oldest ends of my hair are probably about 3 years old, since my hair is around 18" root to tip.

I guess the most reasonable interpretation of 'when did you start growing your hair' is 'when did you start being intentional about growing out your hair', no?


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## snoop (Dec 12, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> In a video I watched from last year, she said she hadn't trimmed her hair in 7 years. Would that be the "start" of her growing her hair?


I wouldn't calculate from a trim, because a trim and a hair cut are not the same, IMO.  

I am not sure how she started her journey, i.e. big chop, transition or whatever, but if she were calculating based on your comment above she would have said 1 year, not 9... (she commented this past October).


----------



## snoop (Dec 12, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> I almost never get these questions anymore. I don't wear my hair out anymore and I think I also don't engage people much with hair talk. Also long natural hair is more common than it used to be, so it's not as big a deal. A woman asked me a week ago, though, how long it took me to grow my hair. I told her 3 years because... it seemed like a reasonable answer.  I think my hair does grow the average of 6 inches a year or so. Regardless of breakage, then, regardless of my efforts or failures, the oldest ends of my hair are probably about 3 years old, since my hair is around 18" root to tip.
> 
> *I guess the most reasonable interpretation of 'when did you start growing your hair' is 'when did you start being intentional about growing out your hair', no?*



Agreed.


----------



## SmilingElephant (Dec 13, 2020)

apple_natural said:


> @SmilingElephant my sides never want to grow either. I see them kind of trying now though. Great job at sticking to your regimen!


Try a little grease on the ends/length of them after you condition & moisturize and keep them up and out of the way.

I was using bobby pins to keep them up in my bun earlier in the year, but now I don't need the bobby pins anymore.


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## nyeredzi (Dec 13, 2020)

Another day, another bun of twists. Stole my daughter's hair bow. I stole it right out the gate, too. She didn't even get a chance to wear it. And it matched my new sweater dress perfectly




Yes, it is a child's bow, and yes, I love it. She ain't neva getting it back! (she couldn't care less, actually)


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## snoop (Dec 13, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Another day, another bun of twists. Stole my daughter's hair bow. I stole it right out the gate, too. She didn't even get a chance to wear it. And it matched my new sweater dress perfectly
> View attachment 466277
> 
> View attachment 466279
> ...




Your twists look so soft and pretty.  I want to touch them....


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## Mapleoats (Dec 16, 2020)

Going to be straightening my hair on Friday for my final length check. I’m nervous and excited. It’ll be the first time seeing my hair pressed out since August 2019. I wanted it done professionally but due to lock down that’s not an option, so I bought a flat iron and I’ll do it myself


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## Mapleoats (Dec 18, 2020)

Here’s my final check in 

Very happy with my progress this year, went from barely touching armpit length to being comfortably BSB I think. BSL still feels like a world away but I’m sure I can make it next year

sidenote — Wish I took a better starting pic lmao why would I take that pic with my hair looking all crazy smh I was new lol


----------



## Theresamonet (Dec 19, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Here’s my final check in View attachment 466431
> 
> Very happy with my progress this year, went from barely touching armpit length to being comfortably BSB I think. BSL still feels like a world away but I’m sure I can make it next year
> 
> sidenote — Wish I took a better starting pic lmao why would I take that pic with my hair looking all crazy smh I was new lol




I think your bra is sitting at a MBL on you. BSL = BSB, they aren’t two separate goals. BSL was basically changed to BSB cause folks bras were sitting all over the place, from their armpits to their waist.  BSB is the more static marker. So you’ve already hit that milestone. Your next one is MBL.


----------



## Mapleoats (Dec 19, 2020)

Theresamonet said:


> I think your bra is sitting at a MBL on you. BSL = BSB, they aren’t two separate goals. BSL was basically changed to BSB cause folks bras were sitting all over the place, from their armpits to their waist.  BSB is the more static marker. So you’ve already hit that milestone. Your next one is MBL.


This makes sense cus BSL changes depending on the bra of the day and it’s hard to keep track of


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## nyeredzi (Dec 22, 2020)

Final length check is at 19". As a recap, initial check in was around 16"
Starting point

At Spring check in, I was at 17"
Spring check in

At Summer check in, I was at about 18"
Summer check in

At Fall check, I was back down to around 17.5". I was not surprised at the time, because I had already posted that I'd not been treating my hair properly
Fall check in

Now I'm at about 19"



I want to blow dry for a good stretch to take a good pic, and then also perhaps do a trim for the start of the next year (and next challenge!), but I don't know if I have the energy or will to do it.

I'm currently following a Indigenous Strandz-inspired regimen. Or rather, the thing I'm mostly copying is leaving hair in twists and redoing a few every 2-3 nights. And no combs when I do it, just hands. This has made my hair more manageable since I haven't had to do all my hair at once.  I've been doing this for just a month or two, so hopefully I can continue.

My goal was 20" and I didn't make it, but I'm still pretty satisfied with getting the 3". For next year, I'd start off with max 1" cut and hope and hope to get another 3" to bring me to 21". 20" is grazing hip on me, 18" is waist length.


----------



## long.hair.dont.care (Dec 23, 2020)

I'm a bit sad that I didnt reach my goal this year, but at least I didnt lose length!

On a positive note, my ends look good (I cut an inch off in june) and i'm retaining moisture for longer while protective styling, this makes detangling on wash day wayyyy less longer. 

Here are photos from earlier this year and one taken yesterday (from BSL to BSL lol).


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## Kiaray8 (Dec 25, 2020)

Final check-in for the year ladies! Hope you are all having an amazing holiday! Started the year off with front: 10 inches, middle: 11 inches and back 9 inches. Now I’m at F: 17 M: 17.5 B: 15.5. Really happy with my results - didn’t hit my 8-inch mark but that was probably a bit too ambitious considering how many wash and goes I did. I definitely plan to do more protective styles this coming year and hoping I will hit waist length by March than just maybe hip length by the end of next year. The first photo is December 2019, 3rd is October 2020. The final photo is my last check-in photo as I’m unfortunately terrible at taking photos from the back, as I’m not with my partner atm.


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## Mapleoats (Dec 25, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> View attachment 466651
> 
> Final check in for the year ladies! Hope you are all having an amazing holiday! Started the year off with front: 10 inches, middle: 11 inches and back 9 inches. Now I’m at F: 17 M: 17.5 B: 15.5. Really happy with my results - didn’t hit my 8 inch mark but that was probably a bit too ambitious considering how many wash and goes I did. I definitely plan to do more protective styles this coming year and hoping I will hit waist length by March then just maybe hip length by the end of next year. Final photo is my last check in photo as I’m unfortunately terrible at taking photos from the back, as I’m not with my partner atm.


Wow amazing progress! your hair grew so much in a year. Do you naturally have an above average growth rate or do you do anything to enhance it?


----------



## bzb1990 (Dec 25, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> Final length check is at 19". As a recap, initial check in was around 16"
> Starting point
> 
> At Spring check in, I was at 17"
> ...


Getting on it... Thanks for mentioning the regimen. lurking + snoozing when people mentioned the name earlier and shared about her.
 I googled it and it sounds really simple... Thigh Length Natural Hair | Indigenous Strandz - Twists & Turbans (twistsandturbans.com)
Despite being longer than I can dream of for myself, a lock of your hair pulled down is* pretty much even from root to end, *mine will knot and break all over the place, usually midstrand...the second it grows past jaw length.
Your hair reminds me of my main hair inspiration person for at least 5 years now (Jostylin)


----------



## Kiaray8 (Dec 25, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> Wow amazing progress! your hair grew so much in a year. Do you naturally have an above average growth rate or do you do anything to enhance it?


Thank you! I don’t do anything to enhance it but I am vegetarian so that may contribute to it. I am also pretty active which I notice has a impact - I was working out like 5 times a week at the gym pre covid. Now with covid I just walk a lot although it doesn’t have the same effect weight wise but I assume it affects hair growth.


----------



## bzb1990 (Dec 25, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> Thank you! I don’t do anything to enhance it but I am vegetarian so that may contribute to it. I am also pretty active which I notice has a impact - I was working out like 5 times a week at the gym pre covid. Now with covid I just walk a lot although it doesn’t have the same effect weight wise but I assume it affects hair growth.



I saw a special on the Marilyn Denis show on fitness during Covid19 lockdowns (without gym and if ppl live in small apartments erc)
(ETA it was also specifying for older ppl 50s and up.. because M.D. was asking about how they can boost their metabolism since it slows down.. the expert herself was in that age group)

I don't watch that show (do not like the lady seems a bit fake to me.. seems to have a young handsome black man thrown in to be 'cool' it seems .. as she is so out of sync... it comes off as awkward and fake friendliness on her part..but he is a nice person and goes with it
.but she has good topics)  but it was playing at the ups waiting room.

This guest fitness instructor said she walks 45 minutes minimum a day. She said after about 30 to 45 min is when your fat burning kicks in during proper walks...
So she advised 30 min minimum (walks for ppl daily if they cannot more)... and do 10 or so minutes of weights like simple dumbbells afterwards (indoors).
She also said something about veggies mainly etc
So I think you are spot on based on that expert's advice.


----------



## Kiaray8 (Dec 25, 2020)

bzb1990 said:


> This guest fitness instructor said she walks 45 minutes minimum a day. She said after about 30 to 45 min is when your fat burning kicks in during proper walks... So she advised 30 min minimum (walks for ppl daily if they cannot more)... and do 10 or so minutes of weights like simple dumbbells afterwards (indoors). She also said something about veggies mainly etc So I think you are spot on based on that expert's advice.


Ooo I never knew this! It’s nice to know. I’ve definitely fallen off exercise wise this year but I think the walking helps with clearing your mind & patience as you have to do lengthy walks if you want to burn anything really. I know a lot of people take supplements like vitamins etc and see amazing results so that might be something to consider too.


----------



## apple_natural (Dec 26, 2020)

Kiaray8 said:


> Thank you! I don’t do anything to enhance it but I am vegetarian so that may contribute to it. I am also pretty active which I notice has a impact - I was working out like 5 times a week at the gym pre covid. Now with covid I just walk a lot although it doesn’t have the same effect weight wise but I assume it affects hair growth.


I think being active is also what got my hair to grow a ton a couple years back. I have been abnormally sedative for like two years and so has my hair growth


----------



## keranikki (Dec 27, 2020)

keranikki said:


> *I decided to join after realizing I was lurking in this thread a little bit too much.  I became a stalker, lol.
> 
> Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:  Natural, but color-treated; fine, soft hair
> 
> ...



I did not reach my goal, but my hair is in a healthier state. I spent most of the year cutting out the ginger color in my hair. I have four more inches to cut, mainly in the crown and front portion of my head. Overall,  I'm pleased with my progress. Even my edges are making an appearance. My hair length ranges from 10-12" right now. 

Sidenote: I hope this post appears correctly.


----------



## bzb1990 (Dec 27, 2020)

keranikki said:


> I did not reach my goal, but my hair is in a healthier state. I spent most of the year cutting out the ginger color in my hair. I have four more inches to cut, mainly in the crown and front portion of my head. Overall,  I'm pleased with my progress. Even my edges are making an appearance. My hair length ranges from 10-12" right now.
> 
> Sidenote: I hope this post appears correctly.


Literally, 10 to 12 inches is my goal length (in hidden writing in signature).

Congrats.Detangling with gloved hands is brilliant.


----------



## felic1 (Dec 27, 2020)

SmilingElephant said:


> Just came to report that I've been using Blue Magic on my hair for the past month on top of my leave in....when I tell you I'm not looking back?
> 
> My hair is SO moisturized and it's not shedding as much. It's only been a month so no significant hair growth yet, BUT I can tell that I'm retaining length. It easier to detangle my hair and I see a significant reduction in fairy knots!
> 
> ...


I recently bought the blue magic coconut clearer version. I think because it started with petrolatum. I hope it protects my hair from breakage. I'm steal using the naturelle grow scalp balms for edges and broken areas.


keranikki said:


> The FL brush changed my life!  ‘Tis all.


I need to consider this. My root areas are really coarse.


----------



## felic1 (Dec 27, 2020)

keranikki said:


> I did not reach my goal, but my hair is in a healthier state. I spent most of the year cutting out the ginger color in my hair. I have four more inches to cut, mainly in the crown and front portion of my head. Overall,  I'm pleased with my progress. Even my edges are making an appearance. My hair length ranges from 10-12" right now.
> 
> Sidenote: I hope this post appears correctly.


Your hair looks good.


----------



## felic1 (Dec 27, 2020)

GettingKinky said:


> I’m starting to figure out how to dry my hair to prevent some of the shrinkage.View attachment 466015


I am resenting how good your hair looks. Is today Sunday? Forgive me God...


----------



## keranikki (Dec 27, 2020)

felic1 said:


> Your hair looks good.


Thank you!


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## nyeredzi (Dec 31, 2020)

@NaturalShe94 and all other ladies in this challenge, is there one for 2021? I'd be interested in a "grow it long" challenge generally, or for lengh-specific, a "WL and longer" challenge. I already see length-specific challenges for shoulder and APL-MBL. I've got to make hip next year, dangit!


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## Mapleoats (Dec 31, 2020)

nyeredzi said:


> @NaturalShe94 and all other ladies in this challenge, is there one for 2021? I'd be interested in a "grow it long" challenge generally, or for lengh-specific, a "WL and longer" challenge. I already see length-specific challenges for shoulder and APL-MBL. I've got to make hip next year, dangit!


I hope the challenge continues or atleast a WL+ challenge. I’m in the APL-MBL but I still wanna hang out with you extra long haired ladies


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## nyeredzi (Dec 31, 2020)

Mapleoats said:


> I hope the challenge continues or atleast a WL+ challenge. I’m in the APL-MBL but I still wanna hang out with you extra long haired ladies


I see the @NaturalShe94 hasn't been online for 2 months. Maybe I'll start it.


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## water_n_oil (Dec 31, 2020)

Hey ladies, hair is twisted up so no pic but the bulk of my hair is WL with the very back at TBL. Stretched opposed to straightened so who knows lol. I think the biggest thing for me is the fact that the front of my hair is roughly APL stretched after having lost those sections last year.


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## apple_natural (Jan 1, 2021)

Congrats everyone! I'm so happy this challenge stayed alive all year. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind hanging out in the big kids class next year too (or this year since it's after midnight)


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## GettingKinky (Jan 2, 2021)

Here’s my summary for the year


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## NaturalShe94 (Jan 4, 2021)

Hi! So I will no longer be active on the forum, at least not for a long while. I started logging in a lot less but I wanted to be sure I kept up with the progress updates. I’ve got a ton of things on my plate (not bad things), things that are keeping me quite busy and helping me reach a few personal and family goals. So here’s my last update before I go. I’ve made it to full TBL, not quite classic yet but definitely almost there. I will be trimming soon though. It’s been about a year since my last trim. I’ve discovered a ton of new things about my hair on this journey and I’ve changed up a lot in my regimen. I’d also like for it to help out a few sisters that live by certain regimen simply because it’s suppose to be “healthier” for your hair.

I’ve noticed my hair is now super low porosity, it dries within minutes after a wash. Because of this, I’ve had to change up a few things. I cannot use heavy moisturising deep conditioners. They do not penetrate my stands even with heat. I also can no longer cowash, it just causes build up. I now use a 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner in between Shampoo washes and that works much better. I can at least use a light leave in after washing with a 2 in 1. If Im going to deep condition, I have to clarify everytime under hot water or the deep conditioner will not do anything. I also do not need to deep condition often anymore. My hair seals in moisture quite well. I only DC maybe every 2 to 3 months now. After deep conditioning, using a Leave In is pointless because after washing out the DC nothing else will penetrate. All a Leave In will do is cause more frizz because it will sit on top of my hair. Instead, Ive dabbled in DC that has Silicone in it and it works wonders. The Silicone stops my hair from frizzing and all I need is a little oil at the ends. My hair is also so long that my plaited bunning protective style isnt so useful anymore. It causes tension on my edges and causes more tangles. So now I plait my hair in two pigtails and twist them together and make a bun. This has decreased knots and makes wash day easier. Ive also had to leave Shea Butter alone , it also has caused too much build up. Now I believe Shea Butter is part of the reason why my hair is in an ultimate healthy state now. My hair cuticle is so tightly closed that once moisture gets in, I don’t even need a sealant. I use my Dogrow oil very lightly and Im all set. If I use any sort of leave in or moisturiser, its aimed only toward my ends.
I believe that sort of wraps it up lol


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## Mapleoats (Jan 4, 2021)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Hi! So I will no longer be active on the forum, at least not for a long while. I started logging in a lot less but I wanted to be sure I kept up with the progress updates. I’ve got a ton of things on my plate (not bad things), things that are keeping me quite busy and helping me reach a few personal and family goals. So here’s my last update before I go. I’ve made it to full TBL, not quite classic yet but definitely almost there. I will be trimming soon though. It’s been about a year since my last trim. I’ve discovered a ton of new things about my hair on this journey and I’ve changed up a lot in my regimen. I’d also like for it to help out a few sisters that live by certain regimen simply because it’s suppose to be “healthier” for your hair.
> 
> I’ve noticed my hair is now super low porosity, it dries within minutes after a wash. Because of this, I’ve had to change up a few things. I cannot use heavy moisturising deep conditioners. They do not penetrate my stands even with heat. I also can no longer cowash, it just causes build up. I now use a 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner in between Shampoo washes and that works much better. I can at least use a light leave in after washing with a 2 in 1. If Im going to deep condition, I have to clarify everytime under hot water or the deep conditioner will not do anything. I also do not need to deep condition often anymore. My hair seals in moisture quite well. I only DC maybe every 2 to 3 months now. After deep conditioning, using a Leave In is pointless because after washing out the DC nothing else will penetrate. All a Leave In will do is cause more frizz because it will sit on top of my hair. Instead, Ive dabbled in DC that has Silicone in it and it works wonders. The Silicone stops my hair from frizzing and all I need is a little oil at the ends. My hair is also so long that my plaited bunning protective style isnt so useful anymore. It causes tension on my edges and causes more tangles. So now I plait my hair in two pigtails and twist them together and make a bun. This has decreased knots and makes wash day easier. Ive also had to leave Shea Butter alone , it also has caused too much build up. Now I believe Shea Butter is part of the reason why my hair is in an ultimate healthy state now. My hair cuticle is so tightly closed that once moisture gets in, I don’t even need a sealant. I use my Dogrow oil very lightly and Im all set. If I use any sort of leave in or moisturiser, its aimed only toward my ends.
> I believe that sort of wraps it up lol
> ...


Thank you for this update. Gorgeous hair and super helpful information. You will certainly be missed on the forum!

One question, (hopefully you are still checking responses) how did you know that your hair no longer needed leave ins/ less frequent DC etc. What signs/changes did you notice in your hair that led you to this realization?


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## keranikki (Jan 4, 2021)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Hi! So I will no longer be active on the forum, at least not for a long while. I started logging in a lot less but I wanted to be sure I kept up with the progress updates. I’ve got a ton of things on my plate (not bad things), things that are keeping me quite busy and helping me reach a few personal and family goals. So here’s my last update before I go. I’ve made it to full TBL, not quite classic yet but definitely almost there. I will be trimming soon though. It’s been about a year since my last trim. I’ve discovered a ton of new things about my hair on this journey and I’ve changed up a lot in my regimen. I’d also like for it to help out a few sisters that live by certain regimen simply because it’s suppose to be “healthier” for your hair.
> 
> I’ve noticed my hair is now super low porosity, it dries within minutes after a wash. Because of this, I’ve had to change up a few things. I cannot use heavy moisturising deep conditioners. They do not penetrate my stands even with heat. I also can no longer cowash, it just causes build up. I now use a 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner in between Shampoo washes and that works much better. I can at least use a light leave in after washing with a 2 in 1. If Im going to deep condition, I have to clarify everytime under hot water or the deep conditioner will not do anything. I also do not need to deep condition often anymore. My hair seals in moisture quite well. I only DC maybe every 2 to 3 months now. After deep conditioning, using a Leave In is pointless because after washing out the DC nothing else will penetrate. All a Leave In will do is cause more frizz because it will sit on top of my hair. Instead, Ive dabbled in DC that has Silicone in it and it works wonders. The Silicone stops my hair from frizzing and all I need is a little oil at the ends. My hair is also so long that my plaited bunning protective style isnt so useful anymore. It causes tension on my edges and causes more tangles. So now I plait my hair in two pigtails and twist them together and make a bun. This has decreased knots and makes wash day easier. Ive also had to leave Shea Butter alone , it also has caused too much build up. Now I believe Shea Butter is part of the reason why my hair is in an ultimate healthy state now. My hair cuticle is so tightly closed that once moisture gets in, I don’t even need a sealant. I use my Dogrow oil very lightly and Im all set. If I use any sort of leave in or moisturiser, its aimed only toward my ends.
> I believe that sort of wraps it up lol
> ...



Congratulations and may you surpass your family goals!


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## NaturalShe94 (Jan 4, 2021)

Mapleoats said:


> Thank you for this update. Gorgeous hair and super helpful information. You will certainly be missed on the forum!
> 
> One question, (hopefully you are still checking responses) how did you know that your hair no longer needed leave ins/ less frequent DC etc. What signs/changes did you notice in your hair that led you to this realization?


No problem. I noticed because my hair doesn’t really get “dry” anymore unless I skip one too many wash days. It pretty much holds moisture for a good while. I have very minimal breakage and my hair is pretty elastic now more than ever. For those reasons, I don’t need to deep condition often, it would just be a moisture overload. I also noticed that the Leave Ins were causing frizz or even making my hair look more dry. This is because it was sitting on top of my hair. After DC or even using regular Conditioner, once my hair is rinsed, my cuticle closes. Nothing else is getting in. Only at my very ends. So now, I use just a moisturizer and plait it up. Only after using my 2in1 Poo&Con will my hair benefit from using a Leave In. Havent exactly firgured out why but I’ve def noticed.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jan 4, 2021)

keranikki said:


> Congratulations and may you surpass your family goals!


Thank you


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## Mapleoats (Jan 4, 2021)

NaturalShe94 said:


> No problem. I noticed because my hair doesn’t really get “dry” anymore unless I skip one too many wash days. It pretty much holds moisture for a good while. I have very minimal breakage and my hair is pretty elastic now more than ever. For those reasons, I don’t need to deep condition often, it would just be a moisture overload. I also noticed that the Leave Ins were causing frizz or even making my hair look more dry. This is because it was sitting on top of my hair. After DC or even using regular Conditioner, once my hair is rinsed, my cuticle closes. Nothing else is getting in. Only at my very ends. So now, I use just a moisturizer and plait it up. Only after using my 2in1 Poo&Con will my hair benefit from using a Leave In. Havent exactly firgured out why but I’ve def noticed.


Thank you!


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## GettingKinky (Jan 4, 2021)

Beautiful hair @NaturalShe94 
Best of luck with your other goals.


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## NaturalShe94 (Jan 6, 2021)

NaturalShe94 said:


> Hi! So I will no longer be active on the forum, at least not for a long while. I started logging in a lot less but I wanted to be sure I kept up with the progress updates. I’ve got a ton of things on my plate (not bad things), things that are keeping me quite busy and helping me reach a few personal and family goals. So here’s my last update before I go. I’ve made it to full TBL, not quite classic yet but definitely almost there. I will be trimming soon though. It’s been about a year since my last trim. I’ve discovered a ton of new things about my hair on this journey and I’ve changed up a lot in my regimen. I’d also like for it to help out a few sisters that live by certain regimen simply because it’s suppose to be “healthier” for your hair.
> 
> I’ve noticed my hair is now super low porosity, it dries within minutes after a wash. Because of this, I’ve had to change up a few things. I cannot use heavy moisturising deep conditioners. They do not penetrate my stands even with heat. I also can no longer cowash, it just causes build up. I now use a 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner in between Shampoo washes and that works much better. I can at least use a light leave in after washing with a 2 in 1. If Im going to deep condition, I have to clarify everytime under hot water or the deep conditioner will not do anything. I also do not need to deep condition often anymore. My hair seals in moisture quite well. I only DC maybe every 2 to 3 months now. After deep conditioning, using a Leave In is pointless because after washing out the DC nothing else will penetrate. All a Leave In will do is cause more frizz because it will sit on top of my hair. Instead, Ive dabbled in DC that has Silicone in it and it works wonders. The Silicone stops my hair from frizzing and all I need is a little oil at the ends. My hair is also so long that my plaited bunning protective style isnt so useful anymore. It causes tension on my edges and causes more tangles. So now I plait my hair in two pigtails and twist them together and make a bun. This has decreased knots and makes wash day easier. Ive also had to leave Shea Butter alone , it also has caused too much build up. Now I believe Shea Butter is part of the reason why my hair is in an ultimate healthy state now. My hair cuticle is so tightly closed that once moisture gets in, I don’t even need a sealant. I use my Dogrow oil very lightly and Im all set. If I use any sort of leave in or moisturiser, its aimed only toward my ends.
> I believe that sort of wraps it up lol
> ...


oh and I’d like to add that Ive been following the hairline to ends method for measuring to accurately measure growth progress, for those who follow measuring. I am currently at 38 inches. 41.5 inches is Classic length on me. I highly recommend this method for measuring PROGRESS. It really helps. Never did I ever think I’d get to TBL until LHCF gave me hope and never have I ever been there so I believe in you gals! And I’d like to list a few milestones where I felt “stuck” to comfort anyone who’s feeling discouraged. It was Mid-back length, Waist Length and W’hip length. W’hip length was the longest.


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