Apl 2018

[SAPNK]

Joining!

What length are you now?
CBL

What's your regimen?
Protective styling for 3-4 weeks at a time with crochet braids or twists. Getting a blowout and trim every 4 months.
wear a faux bun, puff, or pony between protective styles (so 24/7 PS then). Cleanse my scalp every to weeks while PS and wash & DC after take down.

What do you need to do/change to reach APL?
I need to drink water. I think I said this last year, but still haven't been doing that. I also need to stick to an actual regimen and stop tearing my hair out when I'm frustrated. I also have to figure out how to keep it stretched and tangle free (especially at the roots).

Goal areas: back, front, sides, crowns if already APL in a section/sections
Everywhere

What month would you like to reach your goal?
May or June 2017

Post your starting pic.
***If you have a section/sections already APL, post a pic of the areas NOT APL***

 

[gforceroy]

I am in!!

What length are you now?
Shoulder length I think.

What's your regimen?
Protective styling for 2-3 weeks at a time. Wash, DC, leave-in then use oil or butter. Moisturize every few days. I just trimmed (more like cut) and will do so again in the Summer.

What do you need to do/change to reach APL?
I am sad y'all and in need of encouragement. I straightened my hair yesterday and I had to cut 2-3 inches so that put me back above APL . I need to do more in 2018. Drink more water, take my vitamins, get back into my workout routine (I got lazy as it got colder). Also moisturize MORE and not neglect under wigs! I am feeling just meh about my hair right now.

Goal areas: back, front, sides, crowns if already APL in a section/sections
All of it.

What month would you like to reach your goal?
Hopefully August/September.

Post your starting pic.
***If you have a section/sections already APL, post a pic of the areas NOT APL***

 

[Soaring Eagle]

What length are you now?
Shoulder length— crown

What's your regimen?
Using braids (with my own hair) as my form of protective styling
Utilizing the baggy method daily between wash days
Heavy use of Shea Butter

What do you need to do/change to reach APL? Continue doing what works (see above) along with detangling and moisturizing more often. I also plan on incorporating more protein into my regimen in the form of light protein leave ins under a moisturizer, as well as a light reconstructor on wash days that I am not using Ayurvedic powders.

Goal areas: Crown

What month would you like to reach your goal?
December 2018 (the latest)

Post your starting pic.
***If you have a section/sections alreadyAPL, post a pic of the areas NOT APL***
Crown:

 

[keranikki]

I am in!!

What length are you now?
Shoulder length I think.

What's your regimen?
Protective styling for 2-3 weeks at a time. Wash, DC, leave-in then use oil or butter. Moisturize every few days. I just trimmed (more like cut) and will do so again in the Summer.

What do you need to do/change to reach APL?
I am sad y'all and in need of encouragement. I straightened my hair yesterday and I had to cut 2-3 inches so that put me back above APL . I need to do more in 2018. Drink more water, take my vitamins, get back into my workout routine (I got lazy as it got colder). Also moisturize MORE and not neglect under wigs! I am feeling just meh about my hair right now.

Goal areas: back, front, sides, crowns if already APL in a section/sections
All of it.

What month would you like to reach your goal?
Hopefully August/September.

Post your starting pic.
***If you have a section/sections already APL, post a pic of the areas NOT APL***

It seems you already know what to work on. All you need is consistency. What kind of wig cap are you wearing under your wigs? I wear a satin wig cap, which has been helping with my moisture retention.

 

[gforceroy]

Wow, I just bought a satin lined with cap today, crazy you just mentioned it!

I hope it helps with moisture retention!

It seems you already know what to work on. All you need is consistency. What kind of wig cap are you wearing under your wigs? I wear a satin wig cap, which has been helping with my moisture retention.

 

[apple_natural]

I planned my hair styles for the whole year, organized them and I'm just waiting for this challenge to begin...

 

[MzLady78]

I have to get this breakage under control if I want to make my goal. It’s really bad.

You’d think after 11 years on a hair board, I’d have a better sense of how to do that.

 

[keranikki]

I planned my hair styles for the whole year, organized them and I'm just waiting for this challenge to begin...

Great idea!

 

[apple_natural]

Great idea!

I have a personal challenge to change up styles once a week in order to keep myself attentive to my hair, but not focus the length. I'm excited. I preplanned them to make it easier. I'll try to post them each week at least in my photo album.

I have to get this breakage under control if I want to make my goal. It’s really bad.

You’d think after 11 years on a hair board, I’d have a better sense of how to do that.

How do you keep it? What do you do with it

 

[MzLady78]

I have a personal challenge to change up styles once a week in order to keep myself attentive to my hair, but not focus the length. I'm excited. I preplanned them to make it easier. I'll try to post them each week at least in my photo album.



How do you keep it? What do you do with it

It varies. Right now, I'm wigging it, and it's in flat twists underneath.

A big part of the problem is my hair is...whatever porosity keeps you from retaining moisture, I never remember if that's high or low. It feels like products just kind of sit on it, and admittedly, I'm not the best at moisturizing regularly for that exact reason. It just seem futile.

I probably need to do a hard protein treatment and then take it from there.

 

[naturalagain2]

What length are you now? NL (in the back) I guess

What's your regimen? Slowly making a Ayurvedic regimen - through my diy oil and adding powders to my DC's. I plan on using my diy Henna Shea Butter mixture through out 2018 and I will reduce using heat since my hair has been so manageable with out it. I also plan to be sure to DC with heat for 30 - 40 mins minimum every wash day.

What do you need to do/change to reach APL? Reduce heat

Goal areas: I want mostly my back/sides to reach APL first

What month would you like to reach your goal? Dec 2018

Post your starting pic.
I will post the next time I wash. And put it in this post.

 

[cinnespice]

What length are you now? In limbo between SL and APL

What's your regimen? I'm lazy so I'm creating one : co-wash (oil and conditioner)/shampoo/deep condition/ leave in once week with different conditioners using my hot heat or steamer. Add protein 2x a month. Drink even more water and take my vitamins. LOC every night, Might do green house with the hot head 2x a week. Changing diet. Would like to incorporate some more ayurvedic stuff into my rountine

What do you need to do/change to reach APL? My lazy habits

Goal areas: back, front, sides, crowns if already APL in a section/sections - Have to come back

What month would you like to reach your goal? December 2018

 

[FemmeCreole]

Ooh I haven't done a challenge in years! I'm in.


What length are you now? CBL

What's your regimen? Don't have one per se. I've been leaving my hair alone for 6 to 8 weeks at a time since July of 2017. It's out now since I took my faux locs out last Saturday. I wash and DC whenever I take the crochet locs out.

What do you need to do/change to reach APL? Leaving my hair untouched seems to be working so I'll be doing more of the same. I'm a straight natural but I haven't applied direct heat to my hair in almost 6 months.

Goal areas: Everywhere! When I grab the back sides and stretch forward, it's right on the top of my arm pits but I'm in desperate need of a trim so that will put be back somewhat.

What month would you like to reach your goal? I will aim for June 2018

Post your starting pic: I'll be back with a pic later

 

[LushLox]

I planned my hair styles for the whole year, organized them and I'm just waiting for this challenge to begin...

That is incredibly organised, I'm in awe lol. I kind of have an idea of how I'll be wearing my hair through the month but I couldn't really plan any further than that really.

 

[apple_natural]

It varies. Right now, I'm wigging it, and it's in flat twists underneath.

A big part of the problem is my hair is...whatever porosity keeps you from retaining moisture, I never remember if that's high or low.

It feels like products just kind of sit on it, and admittedly, I'm not the best at moisturizing regularly for that exact reason. It just seem futile.

I probably need to do a hard protein treatment and then take it from there.

I can only suggest documenting how products (or even combinations of products) affect your hair

When I had a breaking problem in the past, I had a protein overload on top of nooo moisture. That was just me. My friend had the opposite problem. I cut out protein for the most part and I only use egg and cholesterol. Life is good. Unless I neglect my hair like i did this year

(edited to cut this post to the point)

 

[apple_natural]

That is incredibly organised, I'm in awe lol. I kind of have an idea of how I'll be wearing my hair through the month but I couldn't really plan any further than that really.

some things i need to have scheduled. i'm so much more likely to stick to it and not get overwhelmed... like meal planning. i have to have a schedule already thought out or else i get overwhelmed and we eat take out for a month. even if i decide to do something else, i still want things planned out

 

[MzLady78]

Has there been a time that you were not experiencing breakage? if so, i would try to determine what you were doing then that you aren't doing now.

as far as the protein, my hair actually was breaking when i thought fixing it was by using more protein. (a friend of mine was in the opposite situation, but this is my personal experience). My hair did not want hard protein and it always broke because of it. I was only using aphogee products thinking that more protein was better.

I quit that. I started using pH balancing products even neutralizing shampoo or apple cider vinegar water at least once a month (or more, my curls loved it. i still do this sometimes, but i found a shampoo that i like too), glycerin leave in spray, deep conditioning with moisture conditioner under heat and an egg cholesterol dc when i did want to use a protein. life has been great unless i wear a wig and completely neglect it like i did most of 2017

It's been a problem since I've been natural, and that’s been over 5 years now. I’m hair lazy, and just couldn’t be bothered to try a bunch of different products to try to figure out what would work. But I care now.

Also, like you, I suck horribly at taking care of it under my wigs. I’m gonna do better there, though.

What shampoo is it that you use?

 

[apple_natural]

It's been a problem since I've been natural, and that’s been over 5 years now. I’m hair lazy, and just couldn’t be bothered to try a bunch of different products to try to figure out what would work. But I care now.

Also, like you, I suck horribly at taking care of it under my wigs. I’m gonna do better there, though.

What shampoo is it that you use?

Macadamia Oil brand

 

[faithVA]

So far we have 23 challengers. Welcome ladies. 2018 will be a good year for us

 

[faithVA]

I"M IN!

What length are you now?
SL

What's your regimen?
Currently.. none

What's do you need to do/change to reach APL?
ACV rinse and dc once a week
LOC with glycerin spray and shea butter mix
satin bonnet at night
Straighten and clip ends twice a year
vitamins, exercise, nutrients, water
NO hair styles that last longer than a week (besides braids for 3 weeks)
No wigs.. this is because i neglect my hair under wigs
Braid/bun styles all year

Goal areas: back, front, sides, crowns.
my goal is full APL

What month would you like to reach your goal?
it would be really nice to be fully APL by August!! my back up goal is December

Post your starting pic of areas NOT APL.
Posted in my photo album
@faithVA photo posting completed
View media item 129619

I see you. You have a nice full head of hair there.

 

[FemmeCreole]

This is where I am currently but about an inch gotta go. Those ends are a mess. I was mostly in weaves and crochet locs this year so I don’t understand why my ends get so messed up.



ETA: updating my starting pic because I had a trim after I posted. My stylist cut 1&1/2 inches. I had to do my best to not lose it but it’s okay. Those ends were see through and raggedy. It looks much better now!

 

[MzLady78]

Macadamia Oil brand

Great, thanks!

 

[apple_natural]

i don't know what to do with my hair for the next two weeks

Oh I know! Huge box braids

 

[beingofserenity]

Here is my submission

 

[faithVA]

I bought a bottle of the Mielle Organics cowash a few weeks ago. I tried it but I didn't care for it. I need to be able to feel the product on my hair some kind of way so I know if i had spread it evenly. I took it back to Sally's and got a refund. I also had a $5 coupon so I picked up the Mane Choice spray and 3 ins 1 conditioner and got the oil free. I will just stick with my Mane Choice for a while. I have enough products and samples to use up

 

[jennex]

What length are you now? Ear length on the sides, neck length in the back and the front touches the bridge of my nose. The crown is very short due to severe breakage and shedding at the beginning of 2017.

What's your regimen? Shampoo every 7 to 14 days, banana molasses treatment under a hooded dryer. I just started oil rinsing and I apply lots of conditioner afterwards. Currently using HEHH and I love it! My two go-to hairstyles are twists or two french braids. I use a lot of glycerin based products (moisturizers and gels mostly) and I seal with either pure shea butter or a
whipped shea butter mix. When I twist I keep them in for 2 weeks and when I french braid I redo them daily.

What do you need to do/change to reach APL? I need to set aside a block of time to take care of my hair and be very patient and gentle with it. No ripping out knots when I can easily cut them with scissors. I need handle my hair when I'm not tired or stressed. I also need to keep my scalp healthy. I'm going to keep up with my supplements and make sure I'm eating well and staying hydrated.

What month would you like to reach your goal? If by some miracle I could reach APL in December 2018 that would awesome! Even if I don't I want to get as close to it as possible.

 

[apple_natural]

i ordered some accessories that I will need for next year and braiding hair, which is super cheap online

Eta: I want to go home to my bsl challenge lol. I was there last year and Im kind of attached so I'm going to go back.

 

[Soaring Eagle]

What length are you now?
Shoulder length— crown

What's your regimen?
Using braids (with my own hair) as my form of protective styling
Utilizing the baggy method daily between wash days
Heavy use of Shea Butter

What do you need to do/change to reach APL? Continue doing what works (see above) along with detangling and moisturizing more often. I also plan on incorporating more protein into my regimen in the form of light protein leave ins under a moisturizer, as well as a light reconstructor on wash days that I am not using Ayurvedic powders.

Goal areas: Crown

What month would you like to reach your goal?
December 2018 (the latest)

Post your starting pic.
***If you have a section/sections alreadyAPL, post a pic of the areas NOT APL***
Crown:

Recently edited my initial post to only include my crown for this challenge. I did a length check on the front of my hair, and it turns out I’m grazing APL in front.

 

[faithVA]

Recently edited my initial post to only include my crown for this challenge. I did a length check on the front of my hair, and it turns out I’m grazing APL in front.

Congratulations. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing.

 

[TLC1020]

Ok ladies, i'm wishing all of you good luck on your hair care journey to apl and beyond.... We can do this