ALL WAISTLENGTH OR SOON TO BE LADIES. TELL US HOW IT WAS BACK THEN

[locabouthair]

Actually, I wasn't discouraged. I think it is because when I started the hair boards, there were waistlength women that had my hair type. So once I saw that, I just focused on taking care of my hair and the length retention came along with it. I have had many many setbacks but I know what to do and my setbacks came from trying to do things differently.

My advice to you would be to:
1. Know what you need to do to take care of your hair
2. After you know what you need, be consistent, don't follow every rave (especially when you are still trying to get to your goal length)
3. Don't think about it too much (once I stopped thinking about it, one day I flat ironed a section and was like ... OH MY GOSH ... IT'S WAISTLENGTH!!)

You will get there. I had the shortest, most tight 4b hair when I was younger. Everyone used to make jokes about my hair because it was packed and no one ever took care of it. I still have the same 4b hair, but now, those same people who made jokes can't believe how long my hair is. I would have never guessed in a million years that my hair would make it to this length.

It can happen ... trust me. Just keep going. Don't expect it to be an overnight thing. I have been working on this mane for since 2001. AND ... I'm still working on it!!

I am no where near waist but I agree with the bolded. Be consistent with what you need to do and dont think about it too much. Like Cichelle said visualization works also.

 

[Belladonna]

I am no where near waist but I agree with the bolded. Be consistent with what you need to do and dont think about it too much. Like Cichelle said visualization works also.

Ima try that. I visualize myself with healthy, dopest ,waistlenght , relaxer -free hair ever.

 

[EMJazzy]

I this thread. One day it will be ME giving my story in a waistlength thread.

 

[Whimsy]

where you discouraged?? because I am

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? Because I do

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started??

How and what kept you going?

Would you do it all over again if you could

What a great thread idea!!!

 

[nymane]

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

where you discouraged?? because I am the 1st time i hit wl i did get discouraged because i got stuck at mbl forever

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? Because I do again, the 1st time i felt that way. the 2nd time, not worried about it i guess.

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started?? the 1st time i started at apl but i never thought about getting to wl until i was mbl. then i was like "hey, i should try this" the 2nd time i came from bsl and since i had a realistic time frame to go off of, i got less appointment

How and what kept you going? being in wl challenges and seeing other long haired ladies making their goals

Would you do it all over again if you could i am in fact i'm pretty sure i'm already there but i wont do a length check til next month to know for sure (so i wont officially claim it til i have photographic proof lol)

 

[NJoy]

This is a good thread, I wish there were more responses .

Um...where is YOUR response? Your hair is GORGEOUS!!!!



.

 

[SmilingElephant]

where you discouraged?? because I am
I was discouraged at times...but got over it...

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? Because I do
No because its really all about not loosing your ends to splits and breakage...hair grows regardless.

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or wherever you started?? I was grazing APL when i started...but my hair had ben long all my life (BSL) until i got to high school and started going to salons and letting ppl do my hair.

How and what kept you going?
Challenges, and sometimes doing other things to get my mind off my hair...like make-up, writing...other hobbies

Would you do it all over again if you could....In fact i am...but i'm transitioning to natural while doing it...its weird i'm grazing wsl but on my way to being waistlength natural...so if i can do it with chemically altered hair...i should have the science down pat to be able to do it naturally....imagine...a big beautiful afro on me!!...visualization also helps you to keep going as well![/QUOTE]

 

[LatterGlory]

Where you discouraged? No I only developed/ tried to attain specific hair goals since LHCF up 'till that point I just did whatever I thought would be beneficial. E.g going to hair dressers that did old lady's hair knowing that because of their specific clientel they would tend to be a lot more gentle with mine.

Did you ever think, I'm never going to make it? No but I do remember that @ one point I wished my hair was BSL

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started?? I just want healthy fabulous hair did not think too much about the length.

How and what kept you going? I just let it be ( back then) but now I just have faith in God that it will grow and look beautiful... so far so good

Would you do it all over again if you could ? I have done it more than once.

 

[beans4reezy]

Waist Length is a much harder accomplishment. We may not get as many responses

Yes, but the wasit length reggie thread is quite large...so there are a lot of WL'ers on LHCF who can offer input

 

[kami11213]

where you discouraged?? Yes, I felt like my hair was growing so slowly, I was experiencing tons of breakage and I hated protective styling

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? I didn't think I wasn't going to make it, but I wanted it to happen sooner rather than later, so it just felt like it was taking a very long time

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started?? All I could think about is "damn I can't wait until I'm at least MBL..." every time I washed my hair I would hold my head back to see what my hair would look like long...

How and what kept you going? Seeing all those inspirational fotkis and youtubes, looking at hair pics on the boards and my determination to prove to myself that relaxed hair can be longer than SL... also documenting my progress, b/c while I didn't really see it in the mirror pictures don't lie so I looked forward to my length checks every 3 months

Would you do it all over again if you could Absolutely, I enjoy learning about ethnic hair and what works and doesn't work for my hair.

 

[Traycee]

To be honest my goal at first was only bra strap when I started....WL was just too good to be true ...

After I made bsl...I was like MBL here I come....After I made MBL I was then convinced I could have WL..

I'm still in shock that I'm knocking on HL even though I scissors happy..

I'm just enjoying the ride

 

[halee_J]

I am loving this thread. I hope more WL ladies chime in

 

[RZILYNT]

where you discouraged?? Never discouraged just impatient. I took this up as a hobby and what helped me were taking pictures with every touchup. I no longer have the extensive fotki anymore, but it was my tool to help me see the small progress I made.

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? Not really, my only goal was BSL but when I made it, I asked myself "what would prevent me from growing longer?"

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started?? If only I was xyz length I would be so happy. But then you get there and it does not seem long anymore. At least on me. But looks long on others.

How and what kept you going? My personal pics of progress and others reaching their hair goals regardless of their length.

Would you do it all over again if you could I am in the process of doing it again. I am MBL now. I was cut back to apl last April and am looking forward to hip again in 2011. With no set backs should WL by October.

 

[JFK]

bump bump bump

 

[LadyPaniolo]

Hello, I'm waist length. I think I'll be hip length in a few months if I keep going like I'm going now. {ETA: my siggy pic needs to be updated, my hair is longer than is shown there. }

Sure I felt discouraged along the way... It's a long road from a TWA of 1 inch to my goal of classic length. Sometimes I would get so frustrated with myself, feeling like I would be elderly before I reached my goal. I thought what if I'd found this info at 14, I'd be at my goal already and sometimes it still feels like I'll never get to my goal length.

In late August it'll be 4 years since I did the BC... I'm hoping to have reached HL by then but if not, I know it will come eventually. I just have to stick in there.

When I got too stressed/depressed about it, I'd just try to think about something else... watching the pot is no good
My inspiration came from LHCF, and from other long hair ladies in this world.

Honestly, if it weren't for the hair goddess I saw on my campus like 7 years ago, I never would have even believed it was possible for my hair to get this length.

Getting from BSL to WL took forever and a day. I'm hoping I never have another stall like that again. But I learned from it! When I stopped taking Vitamins For The Hair from Puritan's Pride and started just taking biotin and b complex, my hair growth REALLY stalled.

When people dog hair vitamins I'm like they are probably one of the 3 main most effective parts of my reg, with the other one being hardcore protective styling and the Deep Moisture Method (details in my LHCF blog).

 

[equestrian]

Bump! interesting thread.

 

[lwilliams1922]

wow! Excellent timing on this thread.
I've been frustrated about having to BC AGAIN because of heat damage. Ulgh! I thought I already learned that lesson when I stoped relaxing.

I SURE neded to hear that I'm not the only one that's had a set back.

 

[Lucia]

where you discouraged??

The 1st time yes, cause it took me forever to get to shoulder length, mostly case I didn't know what I was doing, it was hit or miss and it was before I found the boards. Now I'm not even sweating the couple of inches I need for HL, I know it's growing and I'm doing my best to retain length. (I was WL until 2/2010 last check-in I was MBK just above WL going for HL/TL this year, then who knows???)

Did you ever think, im never going to make it?

Yes, but then I thought I had always had long hair as a child, I just had to figure out how to make it grow again like it did before when I got a hold of it later is when I wrecked it, so I knew I could get it again, I just didn't know how with a relaxer. (actually retention was my prob not growth I washed, no DC, and used blow dryer and curling iron/hot rollers daily or every 2 days)

Turns out my hair hates relaxers. Many times I visualized myself with superlong hair, I even had dreams about it, so I knew I was on the right track-I still visualize and dream of myself with super-long hair now.

What where you thinking, when you were SL, APL or whereever you started??

Wow this is taking a long time, and I remember my hair used to grow like a weed, so that's when I BC'ed and grew to shoulder in a breeze.

How and what kept you going?

When I finally found the boards and fotki and got inspired by all the longhairs, even though SHS got a hold of me, I still wanted long hair, super long even-I didn't care what others thought b/c I knew my hair was like that before and would be again. I was still impatient, that's something the ladies helped me with on here.

Would you do it all over again if you could?

I want to say no, but then I wouldn't know what to do with it when it started reacting to bad hair products or how to KISS, or bun PS so it's worth it-so yes.

 

[Lucia]

wow! Excellent timing on this thread.
I've been frustrated about having to BC AGAIN because of heat damage. Ulgh! I thought I already learned that lesson when I stoped relaxing.

I SURE neded to hear that I'm not the only one that's had a set back.

I know how you feel, I've done some ridiculous stuff that you just want to but hey stay off the bandwagons and do what works for you as in KISS, don't stress, it's bad for you and your hair, just get back on track with the regimen, vitamins, PS and let it grow.

 

[BostonMaria]

where you discouraged?? because I am Yeah I feel like I've been stuck between MBL-WSL land forever. I have to remind myself that my hair IS long and I should just enjoy it.

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? Because I do
Sometimes I do. I know the power of positive and negative thinking. Check my siggie LOL If I think I can't, then I won't. So I try not to think that.

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started?? I bc'd in 2007 and I was neck length. That was almost 3 years ago.

How and what kept you going? Looking at Fotki's, taking bi-monthly pictures of my hair, being in a hip length challenge. My hair grew super fast in the beginning so I thought I'd be feet length by now LOL It might take till year 4 to get to my final goal of tailbone and that's fine.

Would you do it all over again if you could
Oh God yes! Its worth waiting for. I know that I'll get there eventually so it doesn't matter. I'm just being impatient, but honestly my hair is long anyway I'm just being a pain in the butt LOL

Going from NL to APL was only 12 months. BSL to MBL took a year. I have to be patient and keep doing what I'm doing.

 

[mariofmagdal]

Were you discouraged?
No. I have never paid much attention to my hair before this forum.

Did you ever think, I'm never going to make it?
No, I never had hair goals before. My hair grew and retained length even though it was not as healthy as it is now. My current length is not the longest my hair has ever been.

What were you thinking, when you were SL, APL or where ever you started?
When I started, it was simply to be a partner along with my daughter, so it's been let's see how long it will grow basically.

How and what kept you going?
My daughter and I are on this journey together.

Would you do it all over again if you could?
Me, I am not rebounding from anything, and my daughter will never have the problem again that brought us here. We are natural for life.

 

[LoveLongLocks]

were you discouraged?
Before I decided to grow my hair, I was discouraged on the lack of information for ethnic long hair care.

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? No, because I was determined to learn how take care of my hair & grow.

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started??
I was APL. I thought that if I would be happy if could just reach my goal, bsl.

How and what kept you going? Being consistent, and realizing my goal.

Would you do it all over again if you could? Yes. I wish I were interested in hair care sooner.

I hope the best for you and your hair care journey.

 

[MariposaSexyGirl]

where you discouraged?? because I am


Yes sorta, but not really. I figured there had to be a way I just had to find it lol.

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? Because I do

Yes. At moments.

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started??

When I was shoulder(after cutting it there) I didn't really care to much for long hair I just wanted nice hair which I had so I was fine with it.
When I finally made the decision to grow it I was apl. So I figured I would give it try, it would only help.


How and what kept you going?

The ladies on the board. The people in real life thought I should have always grown my hair to my butt.

Would you do it all over again if you could

Yes. If I had no choice

 

[Foufie]

OP thanks for the thread. Sometimes I think our long hairs have always been that way...

 

[Toy]

where you discouraged?? a little i just had to figure out what i was doing.

Did you ever think, im never going to make it? i did not have a goal i was seeing if the conditioning washes would make a difference and it did now here i am.

What where you thinking, when you were SL,APL or whereever you started?? I started at shoulder length and i looked up and i was Midback

How and what kept you going? healthier hair kept me going.

Would you do it all over again if you could [/QUOTE]

 

[isawstars]

sigh...

i'm a patient person but this thread is making me want some length nowww.

 

[caribeandiva]

Great thread OP!

 

[beans4reezy]

Bumping.....

 

[hillytmj]

Great thread!