Grow It Long 2026 Challenge!

Let's grow and retain all 2026!

This challenge is all about growing and retaining long healthy hair this year! Whatever your length/health goals are, this challenge is for you! Let’s hold each other accountable and share our knowledge as we breakthrough length and retention milestones this year. Through out the year I will be posting discussion questions, videos, tips, ideas etc to help keep this thread active and informational, and I encourage you all to do the same. 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 and Retaining in 2026!

Placeholder for my starting stats and photo.

I'm in!

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural
Current Length: NL (or is it shoulder length? Idk, it comes to the bottom of my neck)
Goal Length: BSL
Plan to reach goal length: Treating my hair like a delicate flower and my body like a temple
Regimen: Washing 3-4x a week, greasing each wash day, finger detangling, living in my bonnet
Protective Styles: Plaits in a head wrap or under a glueless wig
Staple Products: Seht Haircare's shampoo and conditioner (ahhhhhhhmazing) and Blue Magic are all I use
Starting Pic:

Let’s grow!

Yes, let's grooooooowww!!!

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:
Natural

Current Length:
Armpit length

Goal Length:
Mid-back length

Plan to reach goal length:

• Health: Reduce stress via living with trust, boundaries, margin, joy, and unbotheredness
• Hydration: Gradually drink 64+ ounces of water each day (app and reminders on lock)
• Health: For Quarter 1, see how 3 months of eating according to the Svelte diet fares
• Vitamin & minerals: Mary Ruth's liquid vitamin, iron pills, and a mineral gummy
• Health: Continue exercising 5+ days a week
• Hair handling: (1) Finger detangle deep-conditioner-and-water-saturated ends BEFORE washing hair and then detangling super gently with the UnBrush Plus; (2) usage of CEMENT-LEVEL-HOLD gel that prevents tangling when wearing a wash and go; (3) lubricate ends when styling; (4) trims as condition of hair/ends dictates

Regimen:

• Wash day every 3-7 days, letting wisdom dictate
  • Apply DC on ends and finger detangle
  • Shampoo scalp and strands
  • DC or strengthening mask while showering
  • Leave-in if prudent given choice of gel
  • Oil ends
  • Gel and diffuse or braid, adding hair perfume
• Hair sock at night

Protective Styles:

• Cemented wash and go OR
• Single braid OR
• The occasional stretched style

Staple Products:

• Alba Ramos DermaE line: shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, treatment (hope to trial the AG haircare line, Seht, etc.)
• The Doux One Love co wash, Crazy Sexy Curl foam, and Chief Rocka mousse
• Ecoslay Jello Shot gel
• Innersense I Create Hold gel
• Alodia hair oil

Starting Pic:

Give me the DETAILS:
Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Natural
Current Length: NL to SL
Goal Length: APL
Plan to reach goal length:
Will follow a hydration focused regimen, cleansing and resetting my hair 1x to 2x a week.
My primary style will be flat twists until I get more growth.
I will do bonding, protein and deep conditioning 1x a month

Regimen:
Use scalp oil the day before or hours before my shampoo with 3 to 5 minute massage
Weekly (1x to 2x week): Use hydrating shampoo, conditioner, leave-in.
Once a month: add in bonding treatment, protein treatment and deep conditioner
Blow dry on cool to stretch hair and ends
Put in several large flat twists and leave-alone to next wash day

Protective Styles: Flat twists for now. In the future will try out box braids on my hair.

Staple Products:
Coco & Eve shampoo/conditioner/leave-in
Aphoghee 2 Minute Reconstructor
K18 Leave-In
TGIN Deep Conditioner
Ayurvedic oil

Starting Pic: REQUIRED
Starting Picture: Will post on next wash day.


This is my first goal length. This picture is from 12/2017.
I will take my starting picture like this so I can compare it each month. This is on flat ironed hair. I won't be flat ironing to compare.


01/12/2026 - blow dried hair

I'm in.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Texlaxed
Current Length: CBL
Goal Length: APL/BSB
Plan to reach goal length: KISS
Regimen: wash and DC weekly, relaxer touch up and trim twice a year, no braids with extensions, protein treatment monthly
Protective Styles: cornrows, wigs, dutch braids, buns
Staple Products: clarifying shampoo, Vatika deep conditioners, hair butters, Elizavecca protein treatment
Starting Pic: REQUIRED:

I updated my starting post. I will do a comparison picture the last weekend of each month.