2007 APL Challenge Ladies: We are in the home stretch!

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Sooooo, how's it goin'? Anyone there or really close? How many more inches to go do you have?

I just straightened my hair tonight. My longest layer (my hair is growing in a v) is about an inch from APL, unfortunately my shorter layers are about 3-4 inches from APL. So, i won't be claiming it until all my hair is more or less at APL. Or rather, I may claim it, but won't claim it as full. It's really my fault, i have cut my hair several times since i joined the board because I didn't understand the nature of my hair or know about products and how they worked.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

Here's what I think is happening with my hair:

It's getting much thicker and fuller, but the length is not coming in as fast. I am 5 months post-relaxer this week and I'm sure that I will be APL when I finally do relax in December. But I tell you: it's been extremely hard. I've been doing everything right: stretching relaxer, buns/protective styles everyday, condition washes, deep conditions, exercising, eating well, staying on top of supplements/vitamins/proteins, drinking 80oz. of water daily, flaxseed, NOT USING HEAT OFTEN, etc. But Jeeeeeeezzzzzzzz....why is it so difficult??!!??!

So for this wedding this past weekend, I did a protein/deep condition treatment, then blowdried my hair straight. It is very thick and has gotten a little longer. But for a 5 month stretch, I haven't gotten much length.

Bottom line: I think my hair is growing out and not necessarily down. I may have gained a couple of inches--maybe 2 and 1/4. So I'm hoping that I'll at least get the standard 3 inches for the entire 6 month period. That's average.

I think that maybe the growth aids and the supplements, eating well, etc. is not necessary boosting my growth. I may just be getting thicker. Who knows? I won't know for sure until I relax on Dec. 24.

All I know is that this hair growing thing is very difficult.

 

[tiffers]

Hopefully when I relax in Feb, I'll be able to claim APL. My last relaxer, I was literally centimeters from it, I was like It's taking for-freakin EVER! This has to be the hardest hump to get over and I just can't wait to get over it! I've just been doin the usual, co washing and bunning daily. I think I'm gonna start putting Sulpher 8 mixed with a little MN on my scalp daily, see if I get any results from that. I definately need to step up my water game, cause I don't even drink half of what I'm supposed to. I try, but the water here tastes soooo gross. But I'll start drinking more though

Here's to APL in '08!

 

[jade998]

I just relaxed my hair last week and I have done a rollerset. It is in curls in my avator, but the end of the week it should have calmed down and I will take a picture then. I think the top of my V is there, but I will claim it fully by my next touch up in february.

ETA: Rollerset pic with apl drawn in: sorry not bigger, will post a better one later

 

[Miss.Que]

I think I have made APL. I will know for sure when I relax in early December (keeping my fingers crossed). SL to APL is a difficult journey. Hopefully APL to BSL will not be as bad.

 

[Royal Glory]

I think I need about an inch before the longest part of my layered hair reaches APL. I have that V-thing going on, too. I'm hoping I can claim it by the end of the year...by a hair.

But, of course, I'm hoping it will be fully APL by this time next year with the longest layers at BSL. No matter the length I attain, I do plan to keep some layers in my hair for fullness and style versatility.

 

[Namilani]

I had been neglecting my hair, stressed, and was the pj from hell , so it's been tougher than I thought. Around July a lot of ladies here told me I'd made APL (I hadn't noticed, I have hair anorexia bad), so when I stretched to 16 weeks I expected to be full APL. Well, my EX-stylist hacked it, tried a new product line, AND sprayed spritz in it. Thanks to nothing but Mizani and a happier time in life (who knew stress was so deadly), my hair's striving again, so I should definitely be there in December. I'm kinda there in my siggy pic, which I took last week or so. But I'll wait until December and see what I'm working with. Good luck, ladies!

 

[WhipEffectz1]

I'm about an 1 1/2-2 inches for the back to touch APL. The sides are about 2-3 inches. I've been so lazy about taking my vitamins and all the usual stuff I do. I'm really looking into having all of my hair (sides and back) at APL before I go celebrating so I'm giving myself until May to achieve that and still have enough for a nice trim.

 

[brownsugarflyygirl]

APL is so close that I can taste it

I will straighten my hair at the end of bootcamp in December and hopefully then and I will be able to see. Ill let you all know.

 

[youwillrise]

i definitely wont be there by the end of this year
i think i might make it in march or april
but i'm not going to straighten until may (since i joined the november-may no heat challenge)

best wishes to everrrrrryone!

GO GO GO!

 

[CurliDiva]

I just don't know for sure yet!

Being NATURAL I just can't tell if my hair would be APL when straighten! Someday it streches long .......and other days it just does not want to move........

 

[WhipEffectz1]

i definitely wont be there by the end of this year
i think i might make it in march or april
but i'm not going to straighten until may (since i joined the november-may no heat challenge)

best wishes to everrrrrryone!

GO GO GO!

Good girl! That's the spirit!

 

[Serenity_Peace]

You ladies are so very positive. It has really uplifted my day!!

Now, let's up the ante: step up those protective styles, protein, exercise and diet regimens, condition washes. We're definitely in the home stretch. Let's make the most of it. Even if we fail, we know that we at least tried and there's another year ahead for good, overall healthy living!

Let's do this, ladies!!!!

 

[bablou00]

The back of my hair from my ear down has made it to APL but I am still wainting on my sides and the top part of my hair. I havent really said what I am because my hair is layered so much. I think I will cut it all even by June of 2008! Im hoping that will make me somewhere between APL and BSL. I am happy with my progress but would like to see more thickness (PASS IT OVER SERENITY...haha). I wear my hair up 95% of the time so I really dont care how thin my ends look rt now because when I do wear my hair down its curly or wavy. Good luck ladies WE WILL get there. For some reason Im believe this will be the toughest road getting to APL from shoulder. We can do it.

 

[blueabyss333]

Here's what I think is happening with my hair:

It's getting much thicker and fuller, but the length is not coming in as fast. I am 5 months post-relaxer this week and I'm sure that I will be APL when I finally do relax in December. But I tell you: it's been extremely hard. I've been doing everything right: stretching relaxer, buns/protective styles everyday, condition washes, deep conditions, exercising, eating well, staying on top of supplements/vitamins/proteins, drinking 80oz. of water daily, flaxseed, NOT USING HEAT OFTEN, etc. But Jeeeeeeezzzzzzzz....why is it so difficult??!!??!

So for this wedding this past weekend, I did a protein/deep condition treatment, then blowdried my hair straight. It is very thick and has gotten a little longer. But for a 5 month stretch, I haven't gotten much length.

Bottom line: I think my hair is growing out and not necessarily down. I may have gained a couple of inches--maybe 2 and 1/4. So I'm hoping that I'll at least get the standard 3 inches for the entire 6 month period. That's average.

I think that maybe the growth aids and the supplements, eating well, etc. is not necessary boosting my growth. I may just be getting thicker. Who knows? I won't know for sure until I relax on Dec. 24.

All I know is that this hair growing thing is very difficult.

You can do it SP! Many blessings!

 

[jovan787]

Well ladies, I thought I would be able to claim APL by Xmas but it doesnt look like its going to happen erplexed. Im still about an inch away from my longest layer.......ARGHHHHHH why is this stretch so tough??

 

[Proudpiscean]

I have made APL in the back. My front/sides have about an inch to go (thanks to layers). But I'll still claim it

 

[Diya]

Congrats to everyone who has met or is close to meeting the APL goal! . I feel happy for you all I, like many of you, am waiting for my front and side layers to catch up before I claim anything... but I'm in it to win it! Best of luck to you all on the home stretch!

 

[DayStar]

im gonna say 3-4 SOLID inches will make me full APL.

 

[pattycake0701]

I have the lovely "V" also. The tail of my "V" is at APL but I have about 2-3 inches to go on the bottom layers. So sadly, I will not be claiming APL in 2007...Oh well, I'll get it in 08

 

[The Savvy Sistah]

I'm less than an inch away. (My hair is 10.5 inches all over) I have been slowly trimming the last few inches of color I have left on my ends but i'm going to stop.

I'm wearing my hair out for a dinner on 12/7 and if i'm not there yet i'll still have 24 more days to a achieve my goal.

I'm going to hit it hard the next 6 weeks and drink 8-10 glasses of water, take 75+ grams of protein, use a growth aid like MN, deep condition every week and stop trimming.

When I make APL that will be the longest my hair has ever been. So i'm proud of what I have achieved so far.

 

[bellesocialite]

I'm due for my 4th and final relaxer of the year tomorrow. I just noticed that I have some breakage in the crown of my head. I think it's from wearing ponytail buns all the time. Last time I realized my ends looked terrible because I always did the tucked under bun. Then I went for the pinned under bun. Now I see that even that doesn't work for me. So much for protective styling.

I think I'm going back to wearing my hair down, rollersets and bantu knots...just making sure to moisturize and seal my ends because my hair isn't taking well to this bun business.

 

[Royal Glory]

Congrats to everyone who has met or is close to meeting the APL goal! . I feel happy for you all I, like many of you, am waiting for my front and side layers to catch up before I claim anything... but I'm in it to win it! Best of luck to you all on the home stretch!

Diya, you can claim it now! You've made it! Just go ahead and claim it, girl. Why wait for all of it to catch up. Most of it is there.

Counting each of our successes along the way keeps us motivated to keep moving.

 

[MissMusic]

At my last touch up in October I had less than an inch to go, so by Christmas I should definitely be there (I hope), lol!

 

[Leslie_C]

Some people's (mine included) hair just grows in layers. Mine does and I just had to accept it. If I waited for all my hair (some of it is to the bottom of my ears!) to reach armpit to claim it...then the rest might be butt length lol. My hair will always be in layers and I actually like it, but I want to learn to cut layers so I can get them to look the way I want and I dont trust stylists so I wont be letting them cut it. I say if the longest layer almost all the way around reaches a certain length then you are that length. I especially have layers around my face and they never seem to grow really long. Eventually Id like to have my hair one length all the way around and some long layers in the front with the back mostly blunt but that is prolly years away for me!

Serenity Peace,
when I was doing long stretches when I transitioned a couple of years ago my hair grew OUT and not DOWN for a long time. Its like the first year natural it grew OUT, then I relaxed with a virgin head of hair and it finally grew down this year.

Royal Glory,
I like your layers!

 

[neonbright]

I am going to get my last touch up December 22nd right before Christmas and I will see if I am BSL, but since I had a nice cut and style earlier this year I will not fret, I wil be there 2008. I wanted a cute style and health before length.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

I have 1-2 inches to go! Hopefully I'll be there by the end of the year. I need a relaxer but I'm trying to wait until the 29th (so I can look goot for muh burfday LOL)

btw I love the encouragement in this thread. Look at all of these beautiful heads of hair! Talk about awesome...

 

[Nicole1976]

Wow everyone is looking great!

I am sad that i could not have particpated with this challenge. I think I will be APL in March 08, I'm hopeing

 

[Hidden_Angel]

Sadly enough I havnt even gotten to shoulder length!...

I fall off but I'm back on it again...........

 

[elaine07]

Congrats to all the ladies that have already made it, or will make it by Dec!!!!
Unfortunately, I already know that I wont make it this year. I've changed my goal date to Mar-Apr '08. Going from SL to APL is waaaay harder than I thought it would be.