APL 2012 Challenge

[theNaturalWonders]

@faithVA thanks for the tag!!

~Current hair length: hair is in layers right now. longest layer is past my shoulders
~Relaxed/Natura/Texlaxed/Loc'd: natural
~APL goal month: 4/2012
~Current Reggie and styling choices: keeping moisture and protein balance in check. i am still using mud wash. trimming 1x every 3 months. currently wearing box braids that i put in a high bun and then wear a braid out for the rest of the week. i will be wigging it in a few weeks. will be wearing box braids underneath. keeping same regimen
~What do you plan on changing (if anything) to make it to APL? not sure yet
~Post a beginning picture
will post the day of challenge

 

[Charla]

I think looking forward to seeing everyone's progress every 3 months is great for the thread and a great way to cheer everyone on to reach our goal.

Absolutely! And @mention us so we don't miss our pic dates!

 

[Charla]

Thanks for the boost hon!! I feel like I've been waiting for a pot of water to boil but I think hiding it for a bit will help with that. Let's do this Charla!! And that "thick" compliment--whoo hoo THANK YOU!!!!!- although I think that's more of an optical illusion from my camera angle. Lol. My hair is really fine/low density so I always feel like it's SO thin. (But we are our own worst critic). Btw ladies- would you say blunt cuts, u-shapes or layers help more w/ the "thickness" illusion? Don't plan on cutting into a style until I'm well into APL...but just curious.

Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using myTouch_4G_Slide

newnyer That makes me wonder how my hair will grow out. I'm thinking it'll naturally be U-shaped. We'll see. But I def think blunt cuts contribute to anybody's hair looking thicker.

 

[NikkiQ]

oh you know I will Charla lol. I'm an update pic junkie so I'm gonna bug everyone for their pics when the time comes

 

[collegeDoll]

so im hoppin on the Hairdrenaline bandwagon to see what happens in 7 weeks..i dont expect 3 inches but any increase would be great...I like that its all natural

 

[faithVA]

oh you know I will @Charla lol. I'm an update pic junkie so I'm gonna bug everyone for their pics when the time comes

Well we will want to see your pics as well Ms. NikkiQ. So no hide the hair challenge for you Missy.

I will show you mine if you show me yours. Yeah I said it.

 

[lovinglife2010]

I want in!!!! I'm hoping this challenge will help me hold myself accountable and provide me with a some motivation to stay on track....please help me out ladies....my starting info is as follows:

Current hair length
Just grazing shoulder length

~Relaxed/Natural/Texlaxed/Loc'd
Natural

~APL goal month
May 2012 (fingers crossed)

~Current Reggie and styling choices
Protective styling (sewn in weave, weekly deep co-wash, scalp oiling)

~What do you plan on changing (if anything) to make it to APL?
not really sure just yet

~Post a beginning picture
...Picture coming soon....

 

[NikkiQ]

faithVA okay...deal. You're on

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA okay...deal. You're on

Glad you have such a good sense of humor

 

[NikkiQ]

Glad you have such a good sense of humor

You gotta have one on this site or you'll get eaten alive

I wasn't going to join HYH next year anyway. Hiding is a way of life for me so it's not really a challenge. I will however be attempting to keep my hair in twists most of the year. Whether its under wigs or in a sad excuse of a bun, I'm gonna give it a try.

 

[bajandoc86]

....................

 

[bajandoc86]

I'm not sure if I plan to join HYH challenge next year officially either. I want to improve my twisting and styling skills....while protective styling. So my PS of choice for 2011 (braids with extensions) aren't gonna work. At the same time I'm wary of the weekly manipulation that twisting and styling will bring.

 

[NikkiQ]

^^^What about mini twists? They can last you a long time if taken care of properly.

 

[bajandoc86]

Well, my medium size twists take like 4 hrs minimum(and I don't ever twist my entire head) So the thought of mini-twists gives me a bit of a headache. Plus my hair is frizz city. As a child my hair was done every sunday for school. By tuesday, I looked like it wasn't done in 3 weeks hwell. I should try it out at least once I guess.

 

[NikkiQ]

I was gonna blow my hair out today and get started on my twists, but I'm a total lazy bum

I decided to do a pull test and guys...I swear I might be CBL but I'm not claiming CBL until I'm like 1/4" away from APL. You know the LHCF rules!!

 

[Evolving78]

^^^i won't claim APL until i am BSL!

 

[NikkiQ]

Just for my APL 2012 ladies =]

Sent from my SPH-D700 using SPH-D700

 

[TriniJaNY]

~Current hair length
Shoulder Length
~Relaxed/Natura/Texlaxed/Loc'd
Natural
~APL goal month
October 2012
~Current Reggie and styling choices
Shampoo and dc once a week. Twistouts and braidouts
~What do you plan on changing (if anything) to make it to APL?
I guess find a protein that won't cause my hair to cry

I have to figure out how to upload a pic.erplexed

 

[bajandoc86]

y'all are killing me ova here!

 

[justicefighter1913]

NikkiQ: Please sign me up!!! I'm hoping and praying that by the end of next year, I'll be in between APL and BSB. My hair is growing in strangly. My hair isn't even and I'm not quite sure what to do about that....if I should just get it all cut one length or just let it do what it do. We'll see in 6 months. I'll evaluate my regimen at that point and adjust where necessary.

Here's what I plan on doing:

For the most part K.I.S.S.
I'll be keeping my hair braided for the majority of next year (that'll be a challenge by itself)
Braid spray, aryuvedic oil mixtures/ao/evoo/evco/jbco
Co-wash/wash bi-weekly.
I'll try to leave them in for 2.5-3 months at a time.
In between that I'll be wigging and dc till I get the next set in.

 

[NikkiQ]

Welcome TriniJaNY and justicefighter1913

Come join our craziness in here lol

 

[NikkiQ]

y'all are killing me ova here!

what did we do??? lol

 

[SouthernScienceNerd]

~Current hair length
CBL/SL
~Relaxed/Natura/Texlaxed/Loc'd
Natural
~APL goal month
May
~Current Reggie and styling choices
Wash and Dc once a week. Then either blow dry and flat iron or braidout
~What do you plan on changing (if anything) to make it to APL?
none
~Post a beginning picture

 

[faithVA]

Just for my APL 2012 ladies =]

Sent from my SPH-D700 using SPH-D700

Girl your hair is longer than mine. I don't know why you keep frontin with the slow grower story.

And I swear everytime I see a picture of you you look different.

 

[NikkiQ]

Girl your hair is longer than mine. I don't know why you keep frontin with the slow grower story.

And I swear everytime I see a picture of you you look different.

I look different?? That's what I look like after a long day at work

Sent from my SPH-D700 using SPH-D700

 

[Charla]

Girl your hair is longer than mine. I don't know why you keep frontin with the slow grower story.

And I swear everytime I see a picture of you you look different.

NikkiQ faithVA

Totally agree! The LC pic, profile pic and wedding pics look like 3 different ladies! How u do dat? You're a chameleon!

 

[SkySurfer]

I'd like to join
I'm natural and my hair is an inch or two away from apl so I hope to make it by my birthday , which is in January

 

[NikkiQ]

faithVA and Charla it's all b/c of the makeup and glasses. You think those pics look different, you should see my albums on facebook. Even my husband says that lol.

 

[Poutchi]

Sooooooo... I am planning a trip to my home country in africa on December 10th, coming Back January 11th ( will be off work for 5 weeks...not paid but...still I am excited, haven't seen my mum for 3 years!!!). And I do know it s going to be hard to stick on my grounds with natural hair in africa ( yes as bizarre as it sounds...if you re not relaxed over there, something is wrong with u)... And i am really dreading braids...my edges are getting thinner and i have a 6-head already so let not make it worst... I am just picturing this "micro"like stype where you would cornrow like 2 cm and then finish the braids, and it will be like all over the head without it being single braids per say...do you guys think it s going to be less harder on the edges?
Did I say I was excited ???!!!!

 

[faithVA]

Sooooooo... I am planning a trip to my home country in africa on December 10th, coming Back January 11th ( will be off work for 5 weeks...not paid but...still I am excited, haven't seen my mum for 3 years!!!). And I do know it s going to be hard to stick on my grounds with natural hair in africa ( yes as bizarre as it sounds...if you re not relaxed over there, something is wrong with u)... And i am really dreading braids...my edges are getting thinner and i have a 6-head already so let not make it worst... I am just picturing this "micro"like stype where you would cornrow like 2 cm and then finish the braids, and it will be like all over the head without it being single braids per say...do you guys think it s going to be less harder on the edges?
Did I say I was excited ???!!!!

What happens to your edges really depends on how tight they are braided. If they don't pull your hair too tightly then they may be ok. Also if you are already having problems with your edges starting moisturizing your edges now and massaging that area to help improve the circulation.

And while you have the braids in keep your edges moisturized so they aren't so brittle and easy to snap. You just have to baby them.