BSL 2012 Challenge!!!

[djkforeal]

Hello,
I am just now getting around to updating my length because I really contemplated using heat on my hair and I just could not do it. I just pulled my hair down in the back after it had just been clarified and deep conditioned. I can't believe how short my hair shrinks up to, I have fine hair so it either needs to be flat ironed so it can hang to it's natural length without pulling on it. I tried the curly girl method of detangling my hair with my fingers while taking it down from my protective style that had been in for the last 3 weeks, and it worked out really well, I did not lose as much hair as I experience when detangling with the comb. I am also oiling my scalp with natural oils while it is braided under my lace wig and it has helped out a lot with matting and tangling while in the protective style.
I don't think I will use heat on my hair until the fall because my flat iron will not last a full day during a Cali summer. I am doing a very low maintenance regimine where I am on the verge of very lazy with my hair and just leaving it alone in 2 french braids for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. I am just hoping to make full BSL by the end of the year and I want to thicken up my hair for then so I may start taking Biotin again even though I feel it broke me out last time.
That's all for now...

 

[iamtan]

Heres my update even though im unofficially in the challenge. I'm not sure if im BSL length but I do know that i'm past BSB!!! I think I have 2 more inches left.

 

[youwillrise]

Here are some photos I just took today. (may 18, 2012). Chopped a good amount at the begininning of april 2012, so it's shorter than it was at the start of the challenge. I still don't know how to rotate pics on my phone...so they are sideways. Ha.

 

[CurlsBazillion]

Checking in, gonna try out something new to replace joico k-pak reconstructor in my regimen. I'm trying henna tonight for the first time...I have no idea what I'm doing and I hope my hair benefits from this. I really wanted to try Cassia Obovata but my mom only had regular henna on hand (whatever that meant). Well I'm off to read a few henna threads and watch some yt vids!

Update:
I have tried henna twice since the above post and it has changed my regimen for the better. My hair is loving it. I make a henna gloss and leave it on for 3 hours, I've done that biweekly this month, and my breakage has reduced by 90% and that lasts for a week and a half, not sure if that is normal. My hair splits and breaks this way normally and I only wear protective styles. I think henna was the missing step in my regimen. My strands are stronger and noticeably bigger to my surprise.

Next month I will start adding silk amino acids to my DC, I want to get all the steps in my regimen to be strengthening in some way. Depending on what my fine strands can take.

 

[KurlyNinja]

Ok. So I dont know if its the aloe vera rinses, the castor oil, the biotin, the exercises I've been doing or the fact that I'm eating more healthy and drinking a lot more water. Or all of these factors put together. But I've gained an inch in the past 3 weeks. I use the tattoo on my back as a hair guide and when I had my trim my hair was at the bottom of the first part of my tattoo. Now its at the bottom of the second part of my tattoo. Thats an inch worth of growth in less than a month! I usually get a little less than half an inch a month. I'm going to keep on doing everything I'm doing right now. At this rate i should be back to APL in no time and sailing right on through to BSL.

 

[baddison]

Here's my most recent shot. Taken sometime in April. I still have a few more inches to go....but I'm glad for every bit of progress I've made so far. Thanks for all the help, advice, and encouragement!!! Y'all are a great bunch!

 

[baddison]

Update:
I have tried henna twice since the above post and it has changed my regimen for the better. My hair is loving it. I make a henna gloss and leave it on for 3 hours, I've done that biweekly this month, and my breakage has reduced by 90% and that lasts for a week and a half, not sure if that is normal. My hair splits and breaks this way normally and I only wear protective styles. I think henna was the missing step in my regimen. My strands are stronger and noticeably bigger to my surprise.

Next month I will start adding silk amino acids to my DC, I want to get all the steps in my regimen to be strengthening in some way. Depending on what my fine strands can take.

Definitely a +1 to henna!!! I've been faithfully henna'ing monthly since 2008!! It really works wonders to strengthen the hair. I've totally stopped using protein treatments on my strands. I do whole-head hennas with NUPUR henna, every second Friday of each month. It leaves the hair shiny, and strong, and a beautiful color deposit. Thumbs up to henna!!

 

[coolsista-paris]

Definitely a +1 to henna!!! I've been faithfully henna'ing monthly since 2008!! It really works wonders to strengthen the hair. I've totally stopped using protein treatments on my strands. I do whole-head hennas with NUPUR henna, every second Friday of each month. It leaves the hair shiny, and strong, and a beautiful color deposit. Thumbs up to henna!!

maybe i should get back to trying this? my fine hair.needs strenghtening!ive got some in the bathroom.but i need to finish my aphogee 2step protein.hate that smell.

the thing i hate os rincing out henna: so hard to take everything out.

my mix use to be: henna,1 egg,olive oil,essential oil of choice. my hair was great !!!!!!!!!!! i also once put double cream/yogurt in.my mix. it was good.

 

[melisandre]

Is it too late to join??? I just completed the APL challenge, so now my new goal is BSB/BSL.

What is your goal date for BSL? December '12

What brings you to this challenge/whats your length story? This would be my first time as BSL, but I'm confident that I can make it!

Whats your current length? APL

Relaxed/Natural/Texlaxed/Transitioning? Natural

Whats your reggie/What are you doing to make it to BSL? Protective styling, low manipulation, no heat

What do you plan to do once you make BSL? Probably flat iron and whip my hair back and forth. Then continue protective styling and growing.

I attached my starting pic.

 

[MzSwift]

Welcome melisandre !!


Hair update:
So, my hair is still loose and I feel like I won't show much progress in June b/c I've had my hair out so much in April and May We'll see.

 

[Skiggle]

MzSwift, you know what I have this same problem. I always feel guilty when I have my hair out. ALWAYS! I constantly think like, "Dang I'm not gonna make my goal by-so and so". Then when I protective style--I miss my hair erplexed.Crazy, huh?! I hope when I reach my goal of HL.. I can stop worrying and not give a **** if I wear my hair out.

 

[TruMe]

Skiggle - Exactly my feelings!

 

[Skiggle]

@Skiggle - Exactly my feelings!

LOL, I'm glad to know I'm not alone!

 

[MzSwift]

Thanks ladies! So glad I'm not the only one.
I think it's b/c I've seen how beneficial PSing for my fine hair. The only way I feel comfy having it out is when it's in mini braids b/c I still feel like I'm protecting it in some manner. LoL

I'm with you Skiggle, I hope that once I reach my goal (whatever that is), I can make the transition into maintenance mode.

 

[ImanAdero]

So mad...

Went to go get my hair straightened... My fault, it's humid outside.

But she cut wayyyy more than I thought she would. Again, my fault :-( I didn't tell her to layer the enda so when she trimmed it, she trimmed it all to one length. Which is good, it's nice and thick. Nice and healthy.

But I back to APL. I'm literally a good 4 inches from BSL, when I was only an inch away!

In the bright side, she used great products on my hair and it was only $32 for a deep condition, trim and flat iron... So I can't complain too much lol

Here's 2 pictures. One shows the puff and how short it is now. The other is me trying to make light and I recurled it (Lord PRAY for my hair being able to take the heat.

 

[MzSwift]

Very pretty, ImanAdero !

 

[coolsista-paris]

So mad...

Went to go get my hair straightened... My fault, it's humid outside.

But she cut wayyyy more than I thought she would. Again, my fault :-( I didn't tell her to layer the enda so when she trimmed it, she trimmed it all to one length. Which is good, it's nice and thick. Nice and healthy.

But I back to APL. I'm literally a good 4 inches from BSL, when I was only an inch away!

In the bright side, she used great products on my hair and it was only $32 for a deep condition, trim and flat iron... So I can't complain too much lol

Here's 2 pictures. One shows the puff and how short it is now. The other is me trying to make light and I recurled it (Lord PRAY for my hair being able to take the heat.

i love it!

 

[faithVA]

So mad...

Went to go get my hair straightened... My fault, it's humid outside.

But she cut wayyyy more than I thought she would. Again, my fault :-( I didn't tell her to layer the enda so when she trimmed it, she trimmed it all to one length. Which is good, it's nice and thick. Nice and healthy.

But I back to APL. I'm literally a good 4 inches from BSL, when I was only an inch away!

In the bright side, she used great products on my hair and it was only $32 for a deep condition, trim and flat iron... So I can't complain too much lol

Here's 2 pictures. One shows the puff and how short it is now. The other is me trying to make light and I recurled it (Lord PRAY for my hair being able to take the heat.

$32 is a good price. I like how full your hair looks. With your healthy ends, you will gain your length back quickly. um, Good luck with maintaining your style

 

[JerriBlank]

Skiggle and CurlsBazillion , what kinds of henna are.you guys using? I want a good brand w/o the color.

 

[GreenEyedJen]

Sooooo...I trimmed my hair again. I couldn't help it. I got my hair braided/twisted for my birthday, and the ends of the twists looked soooo limp and sad. I hate that I'm still feeling the residual effects of bleaching my hair, more than a year after the fact. I just couldn't take it. My ends were waving, when they should have been curling. So I clipped away. And feel great. My first goal was to make it to BSB and then slowly clip the dyed ends off, then continue my length journey. But I'm not used to sad ends. Even before I came to the boards, I took care of my ends.

So anyway. That's what's up with me. I'm not dropping out of this challenge, as I still believe I can make my goal by years end. Hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[CurlsBazillion]

@Skiggle and @CurlsBazillion , what kinds of henna are.you guys using? I want a good brand w/o the color.

JerriBlank i'm using this brand. Can't complain because I have nothing to compare it to since this is my fist bag of henna. The next thing I'm buying is cassia to see which is best for me.

 

[RegaLady]

Braids are out! I haven't washed in 4 weeks and I don't plan on doing so until the weekend...maybe. I am in a bun and focusing on M & S'ing and manipulating as low as possible. My two year post BC is coming up in a couple of weeks and I am pushing for BSB.

 

[GIJane]

Hi everyone. I'm know I have been missing for a while but I was in the process of redeploying back to the USA. I just had my peeps flat iron my hair.

 

[Skiggle]

@Skiggle and @CurlsBazillion , what kinds of henna are.you guys using? I want a good brand w/o the color.

The brand I use leaves color deposit. I would recommend cassia henna, which has the same property as regular henna but does the job w/o the color.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hair is currently in 2 french braids...

Man having dense/thick natural hair is HARD. It was seriously a struggle putting my STRETCHED hair into the two french braids.

ImanAdero tell me about it! I see me and you have similar type hair and...i gave up on doing the french braids and cornrows. The only time i braid my hair now is for braidouts...and that means, Celies! My hair doesn't really like braids and twists too much, my ends get all tangled when i take them out...so i don't do them often.

 

[JerriBlank]

Thanks guys!

 

[Imani]

Hello,
I am just now getting around to updating my length because I really contemplated using heat on my hair and I just could not do it. I just pulled my hair down in the back after it had just been clarified and deep conditioned. I can't believe how short my hair shrinks up to, I have fine hair so it either needs to be flat ironed so it can hang to it's natural length without pulling on it. I tried the curly girl method of detangling my hair with my fingers while taking it down from my protective style that had been in for the last 3 weeks, and it worked out really well, I did not lose as much hair as I experience when detangling with the comb. I am also oiling my scalp with natural oils while it is braided under my lace wig and it has helped out a lot with matting and tangling while in the protective style.
I don't think I will use heat on my hair until the fall because my flat iron will not last a full day during a Cali summer. I am doing a very low maintenance regimine where I am on the verge of very lazy with my hair and just leaving it alone in 2 french braids for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. I am just hoping to make full BSL by the end of the year and I want to thicken up my hair for then so I may start taking Biotin again even though I feel it broke me out last time.
That's all for now...

djkforeal
Um, you look definitely BSL to me! I guess full BSL would be...almost MBL? Lol. Congrats on your progress

 

[Imani]

So mad...

Went to go get my hair straightened... My fault, it's humid outside.

But she cut wayyyy more than I thought she would. Again, my fault :-( I didn't tell her to layer the enda so when she trimmed it, she trimmed it all to one length. Which is good, it's nice and thick. Nice and healthy.

But I back to APL. I'm literally a good 4 inches from BSL, when I was only an inch away!

In the bright side, she used great products on my hair and it was only $32 for a deep condition, trim and flat iron... So I can't complain too much lol

Here's 2 pictures. One shows the puff and how short it is now. The other is me trying to make light and I recurled it (Lord PRAY for my hair being able to take the heat.

ImanAdero

I'd love to have some thick hair like that! I wouldn't even care how long it was if my hair was that thick.

 

[Imani]

Thanks ladies! So glad I'm not the only one.
I think it's b/c I've seen how beneficial PSing for my fine hair. The only way I feel comfy having it out is when it's in mini braids b/c I still feel like I'm protecting it in some manner. LoL

I'm with you Skiggle, I hope that once I reach my goal (whatever that is), I can make the transition into maintenance mode.

MzSwift Man, now I feel guilty. I'm the opposite, I've gotten to where I'm like F it on protective styling I wore wigs exclusively for an entire year; and before that when I was transitioning I wore them parttime for about a year (Id wear it out and straight on the weekends and halfwigs during the week). I just got tired of them and wanted to learn more about and how to style my natural hair. Right now I'm wearing twistouts, usually always pulled back in ponytail. I tried twists, but didn't like how they looked although I do plan to revisit soon. And don't want to fool with braid or twist extensions.

Its summer, I'm having fun, I plan to be in a bun (on stretched or twisted hair) the entire fall/winter. One thing I do want to tackle is my ends. Even after I trimmed last month, I'm still not happy with them, so I will probably trim some more in June.

 

[djkforeal]

@djkforeal
Um, you look definitely BSL to me! I guess full BSL would be...almost MBL? Lol. Congrats on your progress

Thanks a lot, that really encourages me to continue on. :blowkiss: