APL? Is everything else downhill?

[zailless]

With my shrunken nnatural hair, I am at shoulder length. I leave my cornrows in for atleast a month. when i decide to loose them, the ends are all tangled. i tried keeping the ends a little bit loose and brushing them to keep away the tangles so i decided to to get braids to keept the ends from tearing off each time.

 

[melodee]

I think it depends on the person and their follicles. There are some here that have no problem getting to and passing the brastrap. While others struggle to get to the Pit level.

I never had a problem getting to armpit personally, but brastrap was/is a struggle because my relaxed hair always thinned considerably and I wound up trimming to just above.

I will see how I do with natural hair, whether it helps me with ease of length retention. Right now I'm transitioning, so the relaxed ends stretch to brastrap, but I don't want to count that part.

 

[dlewis]

I got from shoulder to APL in 6 months. As the ladies have stated you have to protect your hair once it starts to graze your shoulders. You have to keep your hair from coming into contact with any and everything. My best advice is to baggie your ends and don't worry about looking cute because in the end you'll going to be able to sport that beautiful long hair whenever you want. You have to stay persistent because this is something that you want/desire...oh and vitamins are helping me along the way too

* I wanted to add for the ones that wanna look cute too while growing your hair, there are pretty accessories that you can buy to jazz up your buns, I have found some really beautiful scrunchies, bun coverings, etc...so you can go from wearing a bun to work or at night on the town

I agree with the bolded.

 

[SandySea]

Most Black women I see walking around are at SL simply because their stylists cut their hair to that length. Everytime. It used to be me. When asking for a trim, they would always cut it at that level.

It took me going to a dominican salon to get past SL. There, they cut according to your hair length because they are used to cutting longer hair. Most Black stylists don't have long hair themselves so they are not accustomed to treating/growing longer hair..........

You said it perfectly!! Twice this year I have been chopped back to SL as soon as the longest part of my hair hits APL. If I hadn't given in, I wonder where my hair would be now . My stylist definitely keeps my hair at a certain level, and I always seem to give in to the pressure to trim. It's like I feel that I must sacrifice my hair or something. I'm hoping to make full APL by graduation on May 4 (now only tip of "V" is at APL). Hopefully after that I can take of toward BSL.

 

[sareca]

I don't think it has anything to do with length. I think it's all downhill once you get your regimen perfected.

 

[Ntrlmystik]

Most Black women I see walking around are at SL simply because their stylists cut their hair to that length. Everytime. It used to be me. When asking for a trim, they would always cut it at that level.

It took me going to a dominican salon to get past SL. There, they cut according to your hair length because they are used to cutting longer hair. Most Black stylists don't have long hair themselves so they are not accustomed to treating/growing longer hair..........

That is a broad generalization...I do not agree. That may be your experience but I know plenty of people with long hair that go to Black hairstylists that don't cut their hair off. It's all relative to who you go to and how you communicate your needs.

 

[glamazon386]

I was noticing that once some of the ladies on this board got to APL, it seemed like their hair just took off? Is getting to APL the hardest part of the journey?

I mean, it could be, that this is true, because once you get to APL you can take advantage or protective styling like bunnging? But then, how is that any different from braids as an above the APL head?

That makes sense. And the next step from shoulder is APL. I think getting past shoulder is the hardest part because of the hair rubbing on the clothes. I think the hair lady Robin mentioned that on her site. But that's why people keep their hair in protective styles until they get past that length bc then the hair lays down and isn't constantly in friction with the clothes. I think that's part of the reason why some people's hair never grows past shoulder length.

 

[CurliDiva]

My hair is just a inch or two past shoulders and I'm just so BORED right now! I'm hiding my hair, its cold (snowed) outside, and I am tried of my weaves.

I keep checking APL albums to learn any new tweaks that will get me over this hump in style!