Awww snap, progress!! (pics)

[Saga]

Soooo I started this whole "natural hair journey" back in 2008. But I rocked a fro for a few months before chopping it all down till i was a skin-head. Then I wore a caesar and switched it up with wigs from time to time. I started actively growing my hair again in 2009. It's been a long, hard, tedious process. I've had many set backs....so many set backs . It led to me chopping off a lot of inches unnecessarily. It's especially discouraging because I consider myself a slow-grower (Idk how much I get now, but I usually get 1/4" per month.)

I think my growth rate has improved recently due to my on-and-off use of supplements, sulfur oil mix, drinking more water, and occasionally exercising. I haven't noticed much growth from my hair inch wise, so that led me to believe there wasn't much progress. HOWEVER my blowouts would beg to differ.

June/July 2011

October 2011

June 2012

I'm pretty sure that I used the tension-method all three times. No longer do I subject my hair to the abuse of either a round-brush or a comb white blow drying! I'm guessing what my hair does is grow thicker and longer in different stages, does that make sense? Like sometimes it doesn't seem much longer, but it does seem poofier and thicker. Other times it seems thinned out, but long. It's so weird.


For example. This is a blow-out using the same method during march.

5/5/12

That looked like crap, but this looks like BOMB. Makes no sense. It could be I made my hair a bit too straight, but I'm not sure cause there was still some type of wave to it, but it was SOOOO THIIIIN I HATED IT! Could've also been the products I used, though I can't remember what combo I tried now.

Not only that, but my buns progressed too!

Bun on stretched hair, had to be like october 2011:

Bun on stretched hair (via braid out) june 2012:

Granted, not all of my hair fit into my most recent bun since my hair is layered, so I achieved it with the assistance of bobby pins.

Dear slow growers, I just wanted to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT! Set backs and all.

 

[IMFOCSD]

Nice growth...ur adorable

 

[mallysmommy]

congrats! your hair looks like mine. my hair is very condensed but the strands are thin. how about yours? (looking for a hair twin)

 

[WyrdWay]

Great job growing! This is just a great reminder to take pictures

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

Great progress and really nice and thick OP! I'm glad you were able to over come your setbacks and move forward.

 

[xNichex]

Your hair looks fab!

 

[reeko43]

I am so excited for you. Despite all of your setbacks you have hung in there and it is paying off!!! I see a huge difference in your hair, it looks great!

 

[Saga]

congrats! your hair looks like mine. my hair is very condensed but the strands are thin. how about yours? (looking for a hair twin)

lol yes ma'am. I am 4a, fine, medium-high density, VERY porous strands. I only just accepted the porosity and fragility of my hair this year. I cannot do what thick stranded ladies do, or my ends will be terrible. If I wear certain twist extension or braid extension styles more than a month I WILL see matting. And you would think my curl definition would allow me to wear wash n go's right? Naaaah, it tangles no matter how I maintain it and I see ssk's by the bundles.

por ejemple
Late last year I tried locing my hair because:
1. I love locs
2. I still couldn't figure out my hair and it was getting on my nerves trying to fight it
3. I wanted to stop chasing length and just put my hair on the back burner.

So I started my locs in November, and I kid you not my hair loced completely in only 3 months. There was no amount of credit conditioner that could make those babies unravel. I was in love with my short, fluffy locs. However, they also matted at the roots a lot. Despite splitting some smaller (they were pretty thick), thorough Monthly retwists and washing with a wig cap my hair was joining together like Velcro and matting at the roots into one big loc. This would've. Beennok, had my initial desire been to freeform, but it wasn't. I ended up taking the locs down completely at the 5-6 month mark. I loved them sooooo much, but what's the point if I still found myself fighting my hair everyday?

I said all that to say this. My fine hair likes to coil around itself like a dang anaconda then strangle the rest of the hair and matt up. If I leave twists for more than two weeks I will endure all Hades taking them down. This is why, despite their popularity I refuse to wear the ever coveted mini-twists.

 

[Guinan]

Yes, your hair is defiently growing!!

 

[melisandre]

Good progress!

 

[yaya24]

Congrats on your progress!

 

[BlaqBella]

Congrats! Your hair looks very healthy! Gorgeous!

 

[tlbaby23]

Do u know what texture ur hair is because I feel like whatever texture my hair is its the same as urs. I use the tension method too to stretch my hair n it makes it so much easier!

 

[BostonMaria]

Congrats! I like your siggie picture too

 

[lamaria211]

Great progress pretty thick hair

 

[NappyNelle]

You grow girl! My hair grows in the same pattern as yours; sometimes it grows 'out' and thicker, other times, it grows down and longer.

 

[PJaye]

A fellow slow-grower doing a happy chair dance in support of your progress. Good for you, keep up the good work!


(BTW, you look all of fourteen years old in that first picture)

 

[CurlyLawGal]

Awesome progress!

 

[MzSwift]

Good job with your retention despite your setbacks!

I usually grow less than 1/2" per month as well. IA w/you, slow and steady. Aren't pictures great?! They help you to see what your eyes can't.

HHJ!

 

[puffball]

I'm glad u kept moving forward. Your hair is cute! Have u tried castor oil? I swear that stuff increases your growth rate...I don't care what no one says!

 

[Saga]

Do u know what texture ur hair is because I feel like whatever texture my hair is its the same as urs. I use the tension method too to stretch my hair n it makes it so much easier!

I am 4a, fine, medium-high density, VERY porous strands.

NappyNelle Realizing my growth pattern has made thing a bit less stressful.

PJaye Lol, much thanks and haha! I was 17 when that picture was taken. My age looks different depending on how I do my overall look.

MzSwift Yep yep at first i thought the pictures were counter productive, makin me focus more on growth than was necessary, but they actually have led to me being encouraged. This journey has it's ps and downs, but as long as you take care of your hair and yourself it'll be up in the end.

puffball I tried regular castor oil before, didn't do anything for me growth wise but then again i didn't use it very long. For the new oil mix recipe I thought up I wanna try JBCO. Right now I just use hot six oil mixed with a small amount of sulfur powder from Baldwins & co, and occasionally use Amla oil.Seems to be doing it's job.


To anybody else whom I didn't directly acknowledge, I read all the posts and I wanted to say thank you for all your kind words and congratz, it means a lot truly. I love the LHCF family, craziness and all.

 

[**SaSSy**]

Good progress pictures, but your hair doesn't look 4a, it looks more like 4c/4b like Nonie hair.

 

[Saga]

Good progress pictures, but your hair doesn't look 4a, it looks more like 4c/4b like Nonie hair.

Well, I'm definitely not a 4c. How you deduced that from only seeing a blow out and a stretched bun will forever be a mystery to me. I'll post a wash n go up later if you want, but after 3 years of researching and comparing my hair to other naturals my curls are a tight, defined, 4a. When I don't style after washing, it stays just like that. I don't wear my hair curly because of the amount of shrinkage I get which leads to excessive tangling, SSK's, and split ends. Even if you said 4a/4b it'd be slightly more accurate.

 

[Lita]

Congrats & great progress..


Happy Hair Growing!

 

[yorkpatties]

Your hair looks great! I love the progress. I thought from your avatar that you were in locs but after reading your story I get it.

I don't care much for hair typing, 3g, 4s, whatever you guys wanna call it I am pretty sure I have finally found a hair twin! Not just from the look but from those same issues you've described, it sounds exactly like my own struggles.

Thanks for posting! You're giving me serious inspiration!

 

[liloneonpc]

Congrats on your growth; looking good!

 

[prettybyrd]

I'd take slow growing with thickness like yours! Wonderful progress!

 

[mrsjohnson75]

Very nice progress!

 

[MeowMix]

This post is right on time for me. Thank you. Right now I'm just stuck at what I'll deem 'full shoulder length with much stretching'. Check it out though, my hair feels thicker. I'm just going to focus on that and be happy with my little cotton ball buns

 

[**SaSSy**]

Well, I'm definitely not a 4c. How you deduced that from only seeing a blow out and a stretched bun will forever be a mystery to me. I'll post a wash n go up later if you want, but after 3 years of researching and comparing my hair to other naturals my curls are a tight, defined, 4a. When I don't style after washing, it stays just like that. I don't wear my hair curly because of the amount of shrinkage I get which leads to excessive tangling, SSK's, and split ends. Even if you said 4a/4b it'd be slightly more accurate.

DanceOnTheSkylines I said your hair looks 4b/4c because you really don't have a defined curl patten like most 4a naturals have. Regardless of it being stretched or not, you don't have one. Your hair has a curl/kink size of a coffee stirrer. It looks like Nonie hair that she posts up all over the place. Check out naturallycurly.com. Saying your hair looks 4c/4b isn't an insult and obsessing over hair typing isn't necessary. But if you want to be 4a, then go on right ahead. You still have nice hair and great growth.