2 inches in 4 months (2012 Winter session)

[Aggie]

I have Chicoro's prepoo on my hair right now and will be mildly clarifying my hair, black tea rinsing under Mizani Renew Strength Mask followed by Mizani Moisturfusion Conditioner for deep conditioning today. This will be my first time trying out the Mizani Moisturfusion conditioner and can't wait to use it.

I may massage my scalp with my sulfur mix and GHE baggy my hair overnight with JBCO tonight as well as I haven't done it for 2 days. I scalp massages.

 

[faithVA]

Did my monthly check last night, and I seem to be on target for hitting my 2". Not doing anything special but I got .5 inch last month. I do plan on trimming tonight so I will need a springtime boost to compensate for that. But I need healthy ends and length.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Just been co-washing, wearing it curly and bunning for the past week. I'll probably straighten again on the 16th and do a length check at that time.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Just trying to stick to my regimen and now keeping my hair twisted. I see a little growth going on. I can get all of my twists back into a banana clip. It's not easy but I can do it . So by the end of this challenge I should have a much nicer banana clip bun.

Congrats! faithVA

 

[ChristmasCarol]

gvin89

Congrats on finding out what is working best for your hair!

I've noticed that for every WL+ member of this board with a 376-step regi, there will be a dozen with a simple, 3 or 4-step regi. Less really seems to be more when it comes to growing out hair.

 

[faithVA]

Congrats! @faithVA

Thanks. I agree with the simple regimen. I'm not close to WL, but as my hair continues to grow, my regimen gets simpler. I was thinking today, that if I had to take an extended trip, I could get by with just conditioner.

With longer hair, I would think you would want a simple regimen, with a few products, just because of how quickly you go through products. At WL, I can't even imagine how quickly I will go through conditioner

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Thanks. I agree with the simple regimen. I'm not close to WL, but as my hair continues to grow, my regimen gets simpler. I was thinking today, that if I had to take an extended trip, I could get by with just conditioner.

With longer hair, I would think you would want a simple regimen, with a few products, just because of how quickly you go through products. At WL, I can't even imagine how quickly I will go through conditioner

Now that I'm at full BSL/MBL, I only condition the lower 2/3s of my hair: I don't bother with upper 1/3. It's new hair and wouldn't be dry or damaged, anyways. It saves me a third of conditioner doing it that way. Multiply that 1/3 by the 4 heads of hair I do every few days (DDs) and it saves about a bottle each week. Not a big deal with Suave/VO5, but if we're using Organix, Giovanni or Redken - it can save me $20/month

eta: ITA w/you @faithVA about only needing conditioner. None of us use leave-ins, butters or any other hair products. We just leave in some condish and seal with oil or Crisco. I wouldn't even want to calculate how much money we'd spend if we used a slew of products. The girls have longer/thicker hair than I do, and would use up a TON of products erplexed I doubt our hair would grow longer or faster, either.

 

[gvin89]

sipp100 & faithVA,

Exactly! I was one of those bandwagoners...always trying something that was raved about. Dedicating a full wash day with all these steps, etc. I saw no progress or reward...only frustration. I knocked it down to 4 steps and I'm DOING JUST FINE! I'm only using a few products and finally seeing some success...my hair is softer, easier to manage, growing, etc.

Trying to get my hair down my back like you sipp !

 

[faithVA]

Now that I'm at full BSL/MBL, I only condition the lower 2/3s of my hair: I don't bother with upper 1/3. It's new hair and wouldn't be dry or damaged, anyways. It saves me a third of conditioner doing it that way. Multiply that 1/3 by the 4 heads of hair I do every few days (DDs) and it saves about a bottle each week. Not a big deal with Suave/VO5, but if we're using Organix, Giovanni or Redken - it can save me $20/month

eta: ITA w/you @faithVA about only needing conditioner. None of us use leave-ins, butters or any other hair products. We just leave in some condish and seal with oil or Crisco. I wouldn't even want to calculate how much money we'd spend if we used a slew of products. The girls have longer/thicker hair than I do, and would use up a TON of products erplexed I doubt our hair would grow longer or fasther, either.

That is good to know. Right now I still condition all of my hair because it just seems to soften my roots and makes them easier to work with. But maybe as it gets longer I won't have to.

I still have quite a few products as I was trying things out. I can see them slowly falling to the wayside. I used to use gels every time I twist. Now its been a while. I have some butters so I do use them to get them out of the way. And I have oils to see which one(s) I liked. And I still only like sunflower oil. So I will use up the rest. I won't let myself by Crisco because I have too many oils and butters already

I still have more than I need but I am enjoying the process of eliminating. I will probably have 4 products as part of my regimen at the end of the year.

 

[isawstars]

faithVA sipp100 Thanks for sharing all that! Very helpful!!

I am 80% over my cold or whatever horrible bug I caught over the weekend. I baggied with no products last night and FINALLY washed my hair! It had been over a week and I was terrified but detangling wasn't so bad.

I DCed on dry hair with AOHR, washed with this gentle shampoo for dry scalp, conditioned with Sallys Generic Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Conditioner and finished with Aphogee 2 min Reconstructor. I tried a lot of new products today and I liked all of them! The Generic Paul Mitchell was heaven for my itchy scalp! I can't wait to use it again! To style.... I tried out the LOC method for my twists. And I used perm rods as suggested in a thread I created last week. So far so good.

I normally don't do this right after wash day but tomorrow I am co washing and banding my hair. I made an appointment to get Senegalese Twists instead of a sew in on Thursday. I've been doing a lot of research on how to take care of them. I am nervous but oh so excited!! I can't wait for a low maintenance style.

---I just realized I forgot to take pictures AGAIN. I will take photos tomorrow! It's my last chance! Seriously... someone please remind me so I don't forget! I probably won't wash til 8pm tomorrow.

 

[nisemac]

changed things up a bit...decided to try S Curl to see if it would help with moisture retention. overall, its good, but i don't thing its best for me during the winter here, unless by hair is in cornrows/braids. and after 3-4 days i find i have to cowash. so, i will hold off on S Curl until i braid.

i've ordered some hair--plan to do kinky twists or mini braids. i didn't do a length check as planned because its been so dry--don't feel comfortable blow drying. i've been getting lots of ssks and am beginning to think that this is just the phase that i'm in. current styling is a puff. i wet, moisturize and twist/braid/seal every night, but am thinking the manipulation and exposure is making things a little difficult but it looks like i'm still retaining.

you'd think, being in THE land-of-export, i'd be able to find braiding hair easily and cheap. i have yet to find where its sold. how ironic, that i have to order online and wait 10-30 days for something that's probably made where i'm at now?

anyhoo, my weekend plan is to review my routine and see what i may or may not need to tweek. only change will be to do a protein treatment (its been over 6 weeks) and i will try the kimmaytube leave-in to see how it works compared to the Shea Moisture DT and aloe mixture i've been using.

i've got a trip home coming up and am looking forward to the softer water, cleaner air, (less stress) and milder temperatures. i'll definitely use the time to up the moisture before returning and doing a progress check.

 

[Dee Raven]

I'm washing and bunning tomorrow. Recently I've been noticing some broken hairs while I'm detangling. About two weeks ago I decided to do a S&D. I found several SSKs so I just snipped them, no big deal. Well, after last weeks wash, I noticed only 2 broken hairs. Lesson Leanred: I'm going to at least twice a month do S&Ds. Ya.

 

[gvin89]

Hey ladies! Seems like I'm still on track with meeting this goal. I'm trying to maintain my current reggie while preventing any setback.

 

[isawstars]

So I got twists on Thursday. I like them a lot! I just don't like how scraggly kankelon hair looks. The last time I had these twists the braider (from a different shop) used what she calls "pony hair" and it naturally curled under. Also this time around the braider burned the hair to keep it from unraveling. I hope she didn't burn any of MY hair.

I prepped my hair by banding it. And the results were a lot better than I expected! When I get out of these twists I am going to start banding on a regular basis.

 

[faithVA]

Still maintaining my hair in two strand twists. I didn't wash this week. I just took each twist down, misted with water, applied conditioner/oil mix and retwisted. This should definitely last me until this weekend with no problem.

Will wash and DC this upcoming weekend.

I am really hoping to see 2" by the end of April. Month by month though it just seems to be slow growing Patience grasshopper patience.

 

[ReignLocks]

My hair is getting thicker and longer....can't wait to measure after my relaxer!

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Taking it back ole skool - DCing under the dryer with Queen Helene Cholesterol mixed with coconut oil. I'm straightening on Friday and will wear it straight for 10 days or so.

 

[isawstars]

It's been one full week in twists. I am loving the low maintence style but this hair is annoying the crap out of me! This kankelon hair is shedding... I have never had this problem before but I have never gotten twists with this kind of hair. There is hair all over my bed sheets, my bathroom, kitchen... car... there's like a trail.

Also, because she burned the ends... it'll stick to my clothes and other twists. And of course... my actual hair is already frizzing up and I haven't even used shampooed my hair yet! I am going to tomorrow though... I was gonna wash once every 2 weeks but if it's already frizzing I might as well give my hair some TLC.

The plan was to keep these in for 8 weeks... but now it looks like it might be 6... or 4 weeks...

 

[nisemac]

feels a bit like xmas as all my packages have arrived at once:

--hair for braiding

--shower filters \o/

--aloe, jojoba, and more of my staples
--goodness from mom!

since my last update, i've been using the kimmaytube leave-in recipe and have been getting good results. i've been able retain moisture, and my hair is softer--even wearing puffs in this cold dry weather.

i may braid my hair so i can get back to PSing. the ssks have been bothering me. seems the more moisture i get, the more my hair curls, hence the more ssks. and i get tempted to pop them off, which i know is not good. i normally do a 1/8-1/4 inch trim but may do 1/2 to make sure i've gotten all the knots and split ends. then braid my hair up and leave it until April. i've also simplified my routine:

1x week wash--still shea moisture or Aphogee shampoo
mid week--cowash with V05 clarifying conditioner (depending on how hair feels)
DC--Queen Helene Cholesterol mixed with olive oil (sipp100 i have two of the HUGE tubs!)
Leave In-kimmaytube mixture (Giovanni Leave in, jojoba, castor oil, AVG) my hair really likes it

seal with castor on the ends only. since i wear a puff during the day, at night, i spritz with bottled water until damp, do some fat twists or braids, seal the ends with castor oil. doesn't even take an hour. in the morning, i rub coconut or jojoba oil on my hand before undoing the twist and finger fluff. i can go about 3 days before i need to use the leave in. i found if I use the S Curl or any other products, i have to cowash mid week.

if i braid, i'll try to get picks up.

 

[isawstars]

I washed my hair!!! I DCed and used diluted shampoo afterwards. I thought I was going to regret it when I saw build up at the front. Fortunately that's all there was (from what I can see). Then I sprayed my twists with braid spray and dipped the ends in hot-hot-water. SO MUCH BETTER! The frizziness I was complaining about is gone. Granted, they aren't dried yet... but so far it looks A LOT better. Fresh almost.

This time I might try to go two weeks without washing and just dip my ends in hot water again. I'm need to try my best to avoid build up. But we'll see.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I think my hair has grown abou 1 1/2" since my length check 8 weeks ago Tonight's length:

 

[cordei]

Got my hair in afro kinky twists. Been applying bee mine sulphur mix and jbco in my partings. growing is going well!!

 

[faithVA]

I will be putting my hair in kinky twists at the end of this challenge. I need to not see my hair and have to think about it for a while.

 

[gvin89]

I will be putting my hair in kinky twists at the end of this challenge. I need to not see my hair and have to think about it for a while.

You and me both! I need to have it where I can just oil and moisturize without having to twist, braid, detangle, yadda yadda yadda. Just need a little break. My hair grows fastest when I do absolutely nothing to it. So Apr-Aug I will probably be braided.

 

[isawstars]

I think I'm going to start taking my twists down after Saturday. My natural hair is coming out of the twists and I am kinda worried about my ends being damaged. Especially in the nape area where a lot of my hair is coming out. My boyfriend thinks it's a waste of money and says I should just clip them but I don't think he realizes that I mean it's MY HAIR no matter how many times I try to explain it to him.

So I'll start the take down after 2 1/2 weeks... makes me kinda sad bc I love this style but I love MY HAIR more and want to play it safe instead of being sorry.

Sigh.

 

[nisemac]

check in:

--installed my shower filter and can feel the difference! \o/ this was a major worry for me so i'm happy its fixed now.

--braided my hair. i have pics but have been having difficulty with my home computer. i don't have vpn access and internet traffic is really bad here. hopefully i can get all my pics up by the end of the challenge

--after installing braids, i revisited the S-Curl. i think its still a bit too cold and dry here to use it, so i will definitely wait until late spring when the humidity and moisture are up. i don't know if i was heavy handed, trying to compensate for the braids or if its the cold air but it felt like an icky film. the initial application is fine, but if i have to apply more, say three days later, it doesn't feel good.

--co washing about every 3 days now. its been so long since i've had braids, i've forgotten how oily my scalp gets.

--trying out my own braid spritz with distilled water, AVG, Aphogee/or Infusium 23 and jojoba oil--my alternative to S-Curl.

--haven't used the kimmaytube leave in since installing. haven't ruled it out, just haven't done it.

--currently using kankelon hair, but am considering human hair. i've had them for 2 weeks now and will probably redo/touch up at 4 weeks. its been a while since i've done them and a few are looking a bit frizzy already.

i've considered deep conditioning after my cowashes--only because its honestly been so long since i've had braids, i cant remember what i did to keep my hair moisturized.

I hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[isawstars]

--currently using kankelon hair, but am considering human hair. i've had them for 2 weeks now and will probably redo/touch up at 4 weeks. its been a while since i've done them and a few are looking a bit frizzy already.

i've considered deep conditioning after my cowashes--only because its honestly been so long since i've had braids, i cant remember what i did to keep my hair moisturized.

I hope everyone else is doing well!

nisemac I took my Senegalese twists out this past Sunday. I used kankelon hair and had the same issue with frizziness. What helped was dipping it in hot water. I don't think I will ever use that hair again though... It made my neck and back very itchy!

 

[faithVA]

Starting to play around with cowashing to see if I can improve my moisture levels. Following my regimen, trying to balance out my moisture/protein and keep my ends moisturized and sealed but still getting a lot of breakage. My gray is showing my hair is growing (mixed feelings ) but not sure if I am making progress due to the breakage.

Just sticking with my regimen, caring for my hair the best I can and trying to stay positive. Will do a lengthc check at the end of March and hopefuly it will show some improvement. Until then will just try to stay calm and patient.

 

[gvin89]

I'm hanging in there...staying in twists. I'm attending a wedding this weekend so I'm trying to figure out how to style my hair. Life got a little busy and I haven't been as diligent with my regimen, but I'm getting back to normal.

 

[nisemac]

@nisemac I took my Senegalese twists out this past Sunday. I used kankelon hair and had the same issue with frizziness. What helped was dipping it in hot water. I don't think I will ever use that hair again though... It made my neck and back very itchy!

i'll try the hot water. it was itch for me at first, but after the first washing, its softened up som. i'm hunting around for human hair but i'm not sure what to get--decisions!