4b/ 4c Naturals Growth Thread

[Aggie]

Thank you @Aggie Quite honestly, I am aiming for long term short hair, for my entire 30s. Would like to then rock locs from 40-50s (my hair plans are better strategized than my financial life). Someone here once said that if Black women paid as much attention to their body, as they do their hair, we wouldn't have the Black obesity epidemic within our communities.

Have rocked long hair now for over a decade, I feel like I've seen and done all I could do with it and am ready to move on. Been thinking about it for 5 years now, because the time I used to allocate to hair care, will be better spent in working out (swimming, walking, running, biking) and honing my crafts.

Am I ready for it? Somewhat. But given the cruel world in which we live, I'm bracing myself for the comments that will ensue. @Southernbella. spoke about this once and said that one really does need to grow thick skin. My own mom has already said that it will make me look ugly. Yes, she literally used that particular word.

Any pointers you'd care to share? How'd you take the leap? And what has been your experience so far?

Well said and well thought out @Maracujá. I personally actually bought some short styled wigs to start getting used to the idea that short hair can look really great on me if the style is right and manageable. I am wearing one that I like a lot right now actually and probably will try my best to achieve as close to this look as I possibly can with my own hair.




Honestly, the videos on YT on this wig do NOT do it justice. A little water sprayed on it with some CFCG Hair Spray is all this wig needs to look awesome. I did use some Weave Aide Wig foaming mousse and the curls hold still for days.

 

[FadingDelilah]

@Maracujá

I thought a while back you said you were inspired by your relatives long hair? Are you sure you won't miss doing the styles that you can only do with longer hair? Are you sure you won't see some long pretty hair pics a few weeks after you've cut all of yours off and suddenly want that? If you're tired of long hair because you're bored, how would cutting your hair very short so that you have even less styling options be fulfilling for you long term?

I cut my hair all off and now I regret it. You can't just snap your fingers and have it all back if you get tired of it or if you don't like it. You might find that you yourself think its doesn't suit you, or that after a fairly short while, you'll be completely over that look.

Oh, and please also consider that short hair is not necessarily less work! Detangling takes just as long for me and nightly maintenance takes longer when it comes to twistouts/braid outs (smaller sections needed). And if I don't retwist every night, my second day hair looks horrible and gets tangled from my ends being directly against the pillow on all sides. There's no "put it in a pineapple/a few big twists and keep it moving" like with longer hair.

I think short hair is something you should only commit to if you go into it not expecting to be faced with less work, and if you truly love the look/styling options that come with having short hair enough that you wouldn't tire of not having long hair for a good long while. But good luck on whatever you choose in the end.

 

[natural2008]

I slip my hair into 8 sections and cut each one the same. It's turns out good each time.

Thank you.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

Thank you.

You're welcome.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

@Maracujá

I thought a while back you said you were inspired by your relatives long hair? Are you sure you won't miss doing the styles that you can only do with longer hair? Are you sure you won't see some long pretty hair pics a few weeks after you've cut all of yours off and suddenly want that? If you're tired of long hair because you're bored, how would cutting your hair very short so that you have even less styling options be fulfilling for you long term?

I cut my hair all off and now I regret it. You can't just snap your fingers and have it all back if you get tired of it or if you don't like it. You might find that you yourself think its doesn't suit you, or that after a fairly short while, you'll be completely over that look.

Oh, and please also consider that short hair is not necessarily less work! Detangling takes just as long for me and nightly maintenance takes longer when it comes to twistouts/braid outs (smaller sections needed). And if I don't retwist every night, my second day hair looks horrible and gets tangled from my ends being directly against the pillow on all sides. There's no "put it in a pineapple/a few big twists and keep it moving" like with longer hair.

I think short hair is something you should only commit to if you go into it not expecting to be faced with less work, and if you truly love the look/styling options that come with having short hair enough that you wouldn't tire of not having long hair for a good long while. But good luck on whatever you choose in the end.

Well said!

 

[Prettymetty]

Praying that my hair continues to thrive after my color...and abuse from working so much. I haven't washed my hair since Tuesday. That may not seem that long, but I usually wash every 3 days while it's hot.

 

[Maracujá]

Well said and well thought out @Maracujá. I personally actually bought some short styled wigs to start getting used to the idea that short hair can look really great on me if the style is right and manageable. I am wearing one that I like a lot right now actually and probably will try my best to achieve as close to this look as I possibly can with my own hair.




Honestly, the videos on YT on this wig do NOT do it justice. A little water sprayed on it with some CFCG Hair Spray is all this wig needs to look awesome. I did use some Weave Aide Wig foaming mousse and the curls hold still for days.

Thank you @Aggie : I have been thinking about it for like 5 years, just can't take the leap because I fear people's reactions...and my own to be honest. But given the future plans I have, it would be the best option for me. Thanks for your input .

@Maracujá

I thought a while back you said you were inspired by your relatives long hair? Are you sure you won't miss doing the styles that you can only do with longer hair? Are you sure you won't see some long pretty hair pics a few weeks after you've cut all of yours off and suddenly want that? If you're tired of long hair because you're bored, how would cutting your hair very short so that you have even less styling options be fulfilling for you long term?

Well, right now my hair hangs, so what I'm aiming towards is something like this (or shorter):



I am still very inspired by my sister's hair but I've come to realize that there truly is a time for everything: given my lifestyle, I just can't allocate 3h/week to styling my hair. I want to do so many other things. Taking care of my hair was part of my identity, so it's not easy to let go. Kinda like when I quit my job after 8 years: even till this day, when people meet me on the street, they just know me as the young woman who worked at Ikea.

But I'm in my 30s now and going through so many changes as a young woman, I'm trying to hold on to the familiar, but it's not who I am anymore. I'm obviously in the wrong thread though sorry for that.

 

[FadingDelilah]

Thank you @Aggie : I have been thinking about it for like 5 years, just can't take the leap because I fear people's reactions...and my own to be honest. But given the future plans I have, it would be the best option for me. Thanks for your input .




Well, right now my hair hangs, so what I'm aiming towards is something like this (or shorter):

View attachment 436035

I am still very inspired by my sister's hair but I've come to realize that there truly is a time for everything: given my lifestyle, I just can't allocate 3h/week to styling my hair. I want to do so many other things. Taking care of my hair was part of my identity, so it's not easy to let go. Kinda like when I quit my job after 8 years: even till this day, when people meet me on the street, they just know me as the young woman who worked at Ikea.

But I'm in my 30s now and going through so many changes as a young woman, I'm trying to hold on to the familiar, but it's not who I am anymore. I'm obviously in the wrong thread though sorry for that.

It's related to what we were discussing. That picture looks like my hair in a twist out, but with less definition. Its actually about shoulder length when stretched. The woman in that picture is probably apl since that looks like a wash n go. If you want that length for wash n gos, it seems like you might actually want middle length hair, not short. Truly short hair would not make an afro that big. Your fro would end up being about 1/3-1/4 of your stretched length, or less if you have hair anything like mine.

 

[Maracujá]

It's related to what we were discussing. That picture looks like my hair in a twist out, but with less definition. Its actually about shoulder length when stretched. The woman in that picture is probably apl since that looks like a wash n go. If you want that length for wash n gos, it seems like you might actually want middle length hair, not short. Truly short hair would not make an afro that big. Your fro would end up being about 1/3-1/4 of your stretched length, or less if you have hair anything like mine.

Thank you for your input. Well, right now I do have mid length hair, which is still a lot of work as I have noticed. Perhaps a little background story may help you understand my point of view: I've been taking medication for my mental illness for over a decade, I really believe that it has had an effect on my hair - my hair is more dry:



One can clearly see the difference in hair texture, between the two photographs. Went to my primary care physician and she explained to me that it has nothing to do with the medication, but I don't agree with her. I still drink tons of water, but indeed, maybe my deep hair conditioners are not working effectively.

On top of that, I thought that by now, I would have the hair game under control so that I could focus on other aspects of my personal life. But it's not so and it's frustrating me.

ETA: Currently weaning myself off the medication. Should be able to stop completely in the Summer of 2020...but not sure if I can be patient till then, to perhaps notice some change.

 

[LdyKamz]

My hair is growing out so much. I have been wearing a puff for the last couple days of my bantu knot out each week even though I know I shouldn't. And my hair hasn't really suffered for it. The sides and back are so full and thick I just couldn't stop playing in them yesterday. I haven't done anything since the oil. It could be the shea butter I've been using. I have stopped using any styling products and have only used shea butter with a little bit of gel for hold. I haven't even been using a leave in. @oneastrocurlie how's your hair coming along. I think we had a similar hair cut. What stage are you in now?

 

[FadingDelilah]

Thank you for your input. Well, right now I do have mid length hair, which is still a lot of work as I have noticed. Perhaps a little background story may help you understand my point of view: I've been taking medication for my mental illness for over a decade, I really believe that it has had an effect on my hair - my hair is more dry:

View attachment 436125

One can clearly see the difference in hair texture, between the two photographs. Went to my primary care physician and she explained to me that it has nothing to do with the medication, but I don't agree with her. I still drink tons of water, but indeed, maybe my deep hair conditioners are not working effectively.

On top of that, I thought that by now, I would have the hair game under control so that I could focus on other aspects of my personal life. But it's not so and it's frustrating me.

ETA: Currently weaning myself off the medication. Should be able to stop completely in the Summer of 2020...but not sure if I can be patient till then, to perhaps notice some change.

Have you talked to your doctor about weaning yourself off? Are you sure your mental illness won't come back or will you be taking something else to replace the medication you were on?

 

[I Am So Blessed]

Thank you for your input. Well, right now I do have mid length hair, which is still a lot of work as I have noticed. Perhaps a little background story may help you understand my point of view: I've been taking medication for my mental illness for over a decade, I really believe that it has had an effect on my hair - my hair is more dry:

View attachment 436125

One can clearly see the difference in hair texture, between the two photographs. Went to my primary care physician and she explained to me that it has nothing to do with the medication, but I don't agree with her. I still drink tons of water, but indeed, maybe my deep hair conditioners are not working effectively.

On top of that, I thought that by now, I would have the hair game under control so that I could focus on other aspects of my personal life. But it's not so and it's frustrating me.

ETA: Currently weaning myself off the medication. Should be able to stop completely in the Summer of 2020...but not sure if I can be patient till then, to perhaps notice some change.

What a beauty you are!! I didn't read your post, but had to commen this. So cute.

 

[oneastrocurlie]

My hair is growing out so much. I have been wearing a puff for the last couple days of my bantu knot out each week even though I know I shouldn't. And my hair hasn't really suffered for it. The sides and back are so full and thick I just couldn't stop playing in them yesterday. I haven't done anything since the oil. It could be the shea butter I've been using. I have stopped using any styling products and have only used shea butter with a little bit of gel for hold. I haven't even been using a leave in. @oneastrocurlie how's your hair coming along. I think we had a similar hair cut. What stage are you in now?

I've actually had a very good hair week lol. Thanks for asking! I had been applying my products with my head down with me bending over. I'd even diffuse that way. I'd thoroughly apply leave in then scrunch in gel. It's been cool but my awkward phase shape is so obvious cause my hair would be standing up.

This time I still did my leave in the same but I raked my gel through while standing up (like a normal person lol). The top of my head, which is the longest, stayed hanging forward so my shape didn't look as weird.

So that and using UFD curl magic eased my chopping urge. My shrinkage is still crazy but the curl magic curls my sides instead of it just being undefined and cottony. That's definitely my new favorite gel.

My nape is doing well too. The little sparse section I had is filling in.

 

[Maracujá]

What a beauty you are!! I didn't read your post, but had to commen this. So cute.

Thank you very much sis!

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

What a beauty you are!! I didn't read your post, but had to commen this. So cute.

That’s the same thing I was thinking. I was like “ok girl, you fiiiine”

 

[Maracujá]

That’s the same thing I was thinking. I was like “ok girl, you fiiiine”

It’s 8am where I’m at and you just made my day .

 

[LdyKamz]

Since it is getting cooler I am thinking of washing once a week and blow drying weekly to stretch my hair and make it last longer. This way I can oil daily (and use my hair mist perfume to keep the oil from funking it up) reaching my roots daily and stretching my hair to maintain length. I'll admit I'm a little worried about the heat use. I don't care about the curl pattern because I wear my hair in manipulated curly styles and rarely wear wash and gos. But I'm worried about breakage and splits. I think if I blow dry weekly I might have to use olaplex exclusively every week alternating deep conditioners. Any thoughts or advice on this?

 

[FadingDelilah]

Since it is getting cooler I am thinking of washing once a week and blow drying weekly to stretch my hair and make it last longer. This way I can oil daily (and use my hair mist perfume to keep the oil from funking it up) reaching my roots daily and stretching my hair to maintain length. I'll admit I'm a little worried about the heat use. I don't care about the curl pattern because I wear my hair in manipulated curly styles and rarely wear wash and gos. But I'm worried about breakage and splits. I think if I blow dry weekly I might have to use olaplex exclusively every week alternating deep conditioners. Any thoughts or advice on this?

I think that once a week will eventually dry out and break off your hair. It might not, but it most probably will. I would recommend you use a heatless stretching method instead, like curlformers, and comb them out to get a blow out effect. You could also use rollers. There are lots of other ways to stretch your hair/retain length besides heat straightening. I myself wear twist outs everyday and as long as I don't detangle in between washes, I don't get any breakage. I just have to retwist nightly to prevent matting.

Also, if the oil is very fragranced, it might just mix in with the scent of your perfume, instead of being covered by it, creating a possibly terrible odor. I don't want you to have to learn the hard way, LOL.

 

[NowIAmNappy]

I've been wearing twists for the last week and plan on keeping them in for at least another week. Whenever the weather starts cooling down, I start exclusively protective styling. Here's one of the updo styes I created.

 

[faithVA]

I've been wearing twists for the last week and plan on keeping them in for at least another week. Whenever the weather starts cooling down, I start exclusively protective styling. Here's one of the updo styes I created.

That's very pretty.

 

[FadingDelilah]

In two more months my hair will be 4 inches longer than it was in 2017. And that makes me happy. Next year, it will actually be long again.

 

[faithVA]

In two more months my hair will be 4 inches longer than it was in 2017. And that makes me happy. Next year, it will actually be long again.

 

[snoop]

I've been wearing twists for the last week and plan on keeping them in for at least another week. Whenever the weather starts cooling down, I start exclusively protective styling. Here's one of the updo styes I created.

You're going to have to teach me how to do this! Thanksgiving is this weekend!

 

[NowIAmNappy]

That's very pretty.

You're going to have to teach me how to do this! Thanksgiving is this weekend!

Thank you ladies, you know I got you.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

In two more months my hair will be 4 inches longer than it was in 2017. And that makes me happy. Next year, it will actually be long again.

True!!!

 

[I Am So Blessed]

Thank you ladies, you know I got you.

This style is very pretty indeed.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

You're going to have to teach me how to do this! Thanksgiving is this weekend!

Snoop you have my goal hair even tho I have the same hair as you and same length, yet I still admire....

 

[LdyKamz]

I washed and blow dried on Monday and was able to get into my 2 braids easily!!! So excited. And my sides and nape look completely filled in. Just a couple weeks ago I could barely do a braid because the hair on the sides in the back were so short and I couldn't grab. Making progress!

 

[ThursdayGirl]

Thank you for your input. Well, right now I do have mid length hair, which is still a lot of work as I have noticed. Perhaps a little background story may help you understand my point of view: I've been taking medication for my mental illness for over a decade, I really believe that it has had an effect on my hair - my hair is more dry:

View attachment 436125

One can clearly see the difference in hair texture, between the two photographs. Went to my primary care physician and she explained to me that it has nothing to do with the medication, but I don't agree with her. I still drink tons of water, but indeed, maybe my deep hair conditioners are not working effectively.

On top of that, I thought that by now, I would have the hair game under control so that I could focus on other aspects of my personal life. But it's not so and it's frustrating me.

ETA: Currently weaning myself off the medication. Should be able to stop completely in the Summer of 2020...but not sure if I can be patient till then, to perhaps notice some change.

O/T: I love your outfits here. You look lovely. Do you have a fashion blog?

 

[snoop]

Snoop you have my goal hair even tho I have the same hair as you and same length, yet I still admire....

Likewise. I look at your hair and know that on paper it's the same... yet it's not...