What's The Point If I Can't Show It or Touch It?

[Wildchild453]

Is this the age old statement of "everything isn't for everybody"?

Why do you feel you have to defend your desire to not protective style or do low manipulation? Why do people who like it have to defend their desire to continue protective styling or doing low manipulation?

The one thing I've learned from this board is that everyone's journey to their goal is personal and often different.

Hair is fun. You want to have your fun now and others want to have their fun when they reach Rapunzel length. Live and let live.

 

[regina07]

I love buns and wearing my hair up as a personal choice. i wear it curly very rarely because of the excessive breakage from wind and clothes damage. I hope to wear it curly more often when it's hip length but I suspect it'll shrink to my shoulders.

Enjoy your hair as you wanna -- it's all good!

 

[TLC1020]

at the bolded for me

It depends on what your goals are. If you're anxious to get to greater lengths and show those off, then a little sacrifice is needed and if there was ever a poster child for that it's Yvette.

If length isn't that important to you and you'd rather show your hair off at every stage, then wearing it out daily and changing styles frequently should be your thang and I don't think you should feel any pressure to change. But don't be surprised if your retention isn't as it could be and it takes longer to reach greater lengths.

If you're lazy (like me) and doing hair daily would feel like a chore, then low mani is quite the blessing, and that retention is assumed with it, is just a bonus.

I don't think anyone should do anything they don't feel like doing just coz others are doing it. This hair journey is supposed to be fun, not feel like prison.

That said, I think buns are so elegant. I personally would have no problem wearing them daily and changing them up since there are so many options for buns and so many ways to dress them up. There's nothing as anticlimactic than stepping out one day in your best glad rags, face done up, hair flowing...feeling like a million bucks, then someone who's seen your hair looking like that day-in, day-out looks at you with a frown and asks "So you chose not to do your hair for this special occasion?" Coz to them, that's become commonplace and boring. I like to wow people so buns would be a fun way of me to look "normal" and then drop the bomb when folks least expect it.

 

[pookaloo83]

I don't PS at all. I like doing different 'out styles'. PS actually makes my hair break off. I do what works for me. I'm not in a rush to get my hair flowing down my back anyway. If it's gonna take me a lil bit longer, so be it.

 

[Hersheygurl]

OP, enjoy your hair if you like! I remember when I first joined the board, Sylver2 was one of the first people I saw who had WL hair and didn't regularly PS. Some can reach longer lengths without it.

There is no doubt for me however, that PS'g makes a huge difference in my retention and gets me from one milestone to the next faster. When I was flat-ironing and wearing my hair out regularly, I saw splits. When my hair is down, it can get snagged in the seat belt, my purse strap, it's hot in the summertime, and my DD likes to play in it, so it's easier to put it away for me now.

 

[sylver2]

If you don't like wearing protective hairstyles then my recommendation is to not do them. Not to sound snarky but honestly, there are people (like me) who enjoy protective hairstyles. I like the ease of just getting up and going in the morning without having to fluff and style my hair-my hair is already done! I can go 2-3 weeks without having to do anything to my hair except to moisturize it maybe once or twice a week.

lol..this is exactly my regimen and i don't PS. My hair is out everyday and i follow this same regimen

 

[greenandchic]

I feel I have two choices:

1. Cut my hair short (above shoulders) to wear it out often.
2. Wear PS or else my ends will look chewed up from wearing it out all the time. Tangles and knots from wash-n-goes, and just lots of split ends and broken off hair.

I can and do wear it out once in a while, but its not a regular thing with me anymore. My hair suffers too much damage.

 

[Cherokee-n-Black]

I liken it to not picking at a scab so it will heal. Not the exact same thing, but a similar concept. The reality is, for basically any person, that high manipulation, heat styling, etc...will damage your hair. Most of the celebrities--black or white--out there, are obtaining lengthy looks with weaves and extensions because their natural hair is fried. If you REALLY look around you at most white women, they are mostly at SL or somewhere between SL and APL, primarily because of all the coloring, cutting, and blowdrying. Long hair gets there by not being broken off in the process, so if you want to get there, gotta do what you gotta do--then show it off. And to keep it, you have to maintain, but I don't find that to be nearly as challenging as growing, because trimming off the damage keeps you where you're at.

 

[blackberry815]

I used to hate protective styling but as my hair got longer it got annoying... getting caught in my purse, in the seatbelt, getting snagged on my tops... and people trying to put their fingers through it when they see it out... I think my hair is actually safer when its up... even if its not in a bun. When i first wash and set I wear it out for about 2 days if that and then its up from there... my hair is safer and getting longer...

 

[BostonMaria]

I don't really protective style very much during the day when I'm out and about. I do, however, protect my hair at night and it's helped me retain length.

I definitely enjoy my hair and wear buns whenever I am running late or feel like giving my hair a break.


Sent from my fancy iPhone using LHCF

 

[Imani]

I protective style bc I have to. Trust me when I say I avoided it for years trying to see if there was a way I could get long healthy hair without doing it. But no dice for me. That's just the nature of my hair. Some folks have strong/coarse or silky hair that can take a bunch of styling and/or heat etc. They just got it like that. I don't.

Right now I'm wearing my hair out about 4 times a year when I get it professionalyy flat ironed. I will lax up some once I reach my goals and wear it out a little more.


Sent from my SGH-T839 using SGH-T839

 

[belldandy]

there are a lot of cute and unique protective styles that can be done once your hair is longer. i love trying new stuff with my hair now because i really dont need to use heat anymore.

 

[lilyofthenile]

I'm PSing to get to a certain length. When I get the length, I will wear my hair out more often, but rather in protective styles such as braids, twists, updo's etc. You can still enjoy your hair when it is in those sorts of styles.

 

[beans4reezy]

PS'ing my way til MBL!

 

[LongLeggedLife]

Ohhhh OP OP, our minds are one on this post....I think this constantly while reading about 'I'm gonna bun for the next 3 years until I hit __________', and 'the key to me having grown my WL hair is never wearing it out, never combing it, and never using heat'...
Like srsly?? I'd rather have a baldie I can run my fingers over and brush everyday if all of that is necessary.

Tomorrow isnt promised, much less 3 years from tomorrow....I enjoy mine to the fullest as much as possible b/c I'd be real pissed if I kicked the bucket with a wet bun. LMAO

 

[PureSilver]

Well for me, when i BCed last year April and had less than an inch of hair, i wasnt enjoying my hair. I really couldn't remember whar my texture looked like of felt like but now as its growing to new lengths even tho i've been protective styling back to back Since last year april (no i've never worn my hair out) the part i enjoy was watching it transform and surprise me each time i would remove my weave.

It sometimes seems pointless yes, but what gives me the joy is when ppl laugh at my hair...not knowing what is truly on my head and then BAM! when i finally wear it out i'm just gonna watch as their jaws drop

PSing has been a hair saver for me because had i not known of weaves(which have become my best friends) or LHCF i would not have more than 6'' of hair on my head right now. The only down side to weaves is the thinning of my very fine edges and i'm working on that.

So i say PSing is a big plus if you have goals.

On the other hand too, some persons usually wear their hair out for special occasions and i'm sure after all that PSing it pays off when they get compliments and stares....thats their moment of enjoyment.

 

[virtuenow]

I agree with you. I don't see the point in growing it and having goals when you do nothing with it. All these years natural and I still don't get it.

 

[Etherealsmile]

Ohhhh OP OP, our minds are one on this post....I think this constantly while reading about 'I'm gonna bun for the next 3 years until I hit __________', and 'the key to me having grown my WL hair is never wearing it out, never combing it, and never using heat'...
Like srsly?? I'd rather have a baldie I can run my fingers over and brush everyday if all of that is necessary.

Tomorrow isnt promised, much less 3 years from tomorrow....I enjoy mine to the fullest as much as possible b/c I'd be real pissed if I kicked the bucket with a wet bun. LMAO

This is the attitude i've recently adopted. I've been growing my hair out for almost 2 yrs now and it was always in a protective style under my wigs because 1.) I didn't know what to do with it 2.) all the natural styles i've tried just look so off on me.

I just said *** it a few days ago and i've decided to texturize so i can enjoy my hair more

 

[JudithO]

Bunping this thread... sincerely.. i was happiest with my hair whn i was SL and i had the perfect swanginging wrap... tired of ps'ing, twisting, diy.. etc... im just about to pay a stylist a monthly bill to care for my hair every week and keep me looking fly... tired of looking half way decent/beat up.. too young for that... (forgive me for d rant... pregnancy hormones..lol)