Beautiful Hair

[syze6]

Hello Chickees!

There is a young lady who rides the train with me every morning. Ladies, she has such beautiful healthy hair. I have been seeing her for about a little over a year on the train. The problem is the whole entire time her hair seems to remain the same length. I commented on her hair one day, telling her how pretty and healthy it was. She stated that it seems like it isn't growing. She says she gets it relaxed and trimmed every 8 weeks. I told her that was the reason. She disagreed. Did I misinform her? I didn't know how to fully explain it to her. Could someone educate me so I could fully explain it to her. She wants her hair to grow longer, it is slightly blow her neckline.

 

[blackhair]

You may be right. If she cuts the NG every eight weeks the lenght will remain the same for years...

 

[ChocoKitty]

[ QUOTE ]
blackhair said:
You may be right. If she cuts the NG every eight weeks the lenght will remain the same for years...

[/ QUOTE ]
ITA!

Trimming the new growth is the problem.

 

[Cleo]

I would say it depends on how much she gets trimmed. I have my hair trimmed every 8 weeks as well and my hair is still retaining length. It doesn't grow fast (about 1/2 inch or so per month) but I trim so that my ends are always neat. I get about 1/4 to 1/2 inch cut off.

 

[Dolce_Dawn]

I agree w/Cleo.

 

[jd_bdfly]

Her stylist probably cuts off just as much as she grows each time. That was the case for me before I got hip to these boards. My relaxed hair always looked fine, but it never was much longer than my shoulders. Getting a trim every 8 weeks is really not mandatory.

 

[JenniferMD]

I think you were right. What is she cutting every 8 weeks?....Split ends? I don't think so, seems to me she's cutting NG.

 

[MizAvalon]

That is probably it. Before I found the board I was getting trimmed about every 8 weeks. Hair was totally healthy, beautiful and growing, but just never seemed to be getting longer. It never registered that it was the constant trimming. Like many people, I was brainwashed into thinking that you HAVE to get a trim that often and it just isn't true. Unless you have split ends or wear you hair in a really blunt cut, there really is no reason to trim that often. Now, I trim twice a year and my hair has taken off like nobody's business. All it took was that small adjustment. People keep saying that it seems like it's growing faster and I just smile to myself. It's growing the same, I'm just keeping the growth now.

 

[loverofnaps71]

Take it from me. a natural, who was truly misguided about natural hair. You see, I was under the impression that naturals must keep their ends clipped all the time. I would clip almost 1/2 inch every 6 to 8 weeks because I thought that my ends were damage. Now, I've been natural almost two years [in August], so if the average rate of growth is 6 inches per year, then I should have 12 inches or thereabouts by August??!!! WRONG!!!! A natural haircare specialist recently informed me that naturals DO NOT have to clip their ends often; the most important tip is keeping the ends moisturize. The woman I work with has GORGEOUS hair! She keeps it in two-strand twists and her natural hair grows VERY, VERY fast. She even cut her hair last year, yet it's a little longer than mine! Well, she told me the other day that she does not cut her hair. She doesn't even wash her hair but about every two weeks or so. She keeps it in two-strand twists and there is very little manipulation involved in her upkeep. I think she is definitely an inspiration for me as a natural...

 

[jd_bdfly]

If you think about it, I think that the salon cycle/dependency is part of the reason why black women have such a hard time gaining length. I mean, what's the first think a stylist is always trying to get you to do when you come in? Cut your hair.

And if you compare at white women and women of other races to black women, that gives support. The white women I know don't get their hair professionally done anywhere near as often as black women go to get their hair done. Most of my non-black friends get their hair trimmed just two to 3 times a year, on an as needed basis, unless they are specifically rocking a short/cropped 'do. By no means are they going like clock-work every 6-8 weeks, 8 to 10 times a year. For them, getting their hair done at the salon is a special occasion/luxury thing, but for us, it's more like a necessity. I think the major factor (besides the fact that we have more breakage from dryness) why white womens' hair on average seems so much longer than ours - bottom line is they're not cutting it 8 to 10 times a year.

Also think back to when you were a young child. Most of us weren't getting our hair professionally done all that often, right? I see, so many folks are lamenting the days of their youth when they had longer hair, but if we just stop and think about it, we can figure out WHY we had longer hair and what can be done to make it long again.

 

[levette]

I agree @jd bdfly comment.

 

[shoelover1972]

ITA to all the above

She is probably trimming more or less the same amount of growth that she gets every 6-8wks. If she were to half that amount if she insists on trimming so frequently then she would probably start to see length.