I know I have responded once, but the question has me thinking more and more and examining my hair at various stages in the past. At one point, for about 5 years ago, (1993-1998) I was going to a stylist weekly and she would rollerset, but I liked the small magnetic rollers and she rolled them in a way that when she took them out, the curls fell like spiral curls. I really didn't manipulate the hair at all until the next shampoo, I just pulled my hair up nightly and slept in the satin scarf and kept it moisturized and ran my fingers through to fluff out daily. My hair was mid back and long, but it was not even in all places, I guess where it had broken off from her using too much setting lotion, getting the hair tangled in the pins, etc. It wasn't visibly noticeable unless you were all in my head though. As one stylist told me, to the untrained eye, it looked like I had a full head of hair and it looked that way b/c texture was so fine. I switched stylists and started going back to one I went to in college. The first thing she did was to trim my hair all one length so as to start fresh. I had it cut all the way to my chin. Mind you the hair was not damaged or anything since the only heat I had been using came from the hood dryer, but I just told her i didn't mind so as to start with a clean pallete. (and besides, all the other ladies at her salon had long flowing hair so I knew she knew what she was talking about). From 1998 to 2004, I went to her weekly and she wrapped my hair (while wet) weekly and as of last year, my hair was mid back, past BSL and it was full and even in all places. She never used curlers or any other heat besides the hood dryer. Since I moved to another state last year (had just gotten it cut again before I moved), when I told my stylist i wanted it wet wrapped, he looked at me like I was crazy. For the first 4 weeks, he was blow drying and flat ironing and I didn't like it one bit (although I liked how I could go out in the humidity and hair didn't get "big"). After the first month in my new city, I went back to my hometown to visit and my old stylist said she could see my hair thinning and suggested that I get rollersets and then just wrap nightly if the stylist wouldn't wet wrap it. I hadn't thought about that. I had been getting it rollerset for the past year and I am feeling you on I think it's the "way" its set b/c if you use too much setting lotion, even combing the curls out, you hear your hair popping and ends snapping off and breaking, which leads you to think that there has been no growth if you are not seeing length. As I may have mentioned here on the board before, I have never had a problem with my hair growing and know that it has been growing in the past year (since I have been having to get touch ups) but I wasn't seeing the length, and from cutting my hair and letting it grow back in the past, I know the rate my hair grows. I have been doing it myself for the past 4 weeks and I am very happy. I don't plan to return to the salon until right before Thanksgiving (12 weeks post relaxer) and I will definitely show my stylist that my hair is capable of retaining length when left to my own devices.....
I say that to say this: I think it may be the "way" the hair is rolled and a lot of women bought up some very good points. As I mentioned, my sister does braid outs and lets her hair dry naturally a lot, and she doesn't even put in any extra effort, (no special routines, etc) and I am sure it contributes to her growth as well. (I have been trying all this time to figure out her secret and I think I just did!)