Could You Have Grown Long Hair Without Protective Styling

[prospurr4]

Yes...so far, I have.

However, low manipulation styles have helped me retain length, along with totally avoiding direct heat. When I wear my hair up, it's because I want to, not because I'm trying to "protect" it.

 

[ms-gg]

hellz naw!

 

[Vshanell]

Yes but not with out low manipulation.

 

[AJellyCake]

Duplicate post.

 

[AJellyCake]

For me--and it depends on what you mean by "long"--yes.

Before my HHJ, when I was literally frying my bone-laxed hair once a week with a flat iron (no heat protectant!), I was around APL. Now I'm at BSB (not super long, I know). My hair has thrived with a low heat regimen. I bun maybe 1-2 times per week but never wear the more protective styles (weaves, wigs, and extensions that cover the hair), and my hair is out on other days. I cowash about every other day now, too, which has helped a lot.

My ends usually don't like buns (they get scrunched looking), so I don't do them as often. If I dedicated the time to tucking them under in a careful way, I could probably retain more.

 

[greenandchic]

Nope, not my hair. My hair has not retained one inch past my shoulders until I started PSing this year. Sad, but true.

 

[Curlykale]

yes, only if I
- protective style while sleeping, every single night
- add water and moisture right before
- use low manipulation a lot

 

[vestaluv1]

Hmm, interesting question. I was wondering this myself the other day. I've used protective styles throughout my whole HHJ so haven't experimented with both possibilities.

I've worn protective styles my whole life (before I knew of the term 'protective styling') and it was only until 2008 when I changed my ENTIRE approach to haircare that my hair got past shoulder length.
As a child I always wore cornrows, as a teenager I always wore braids and phony ponies and in my early 20's it was weaves and those darn phony ponies again.
I think all that time, my hair was still subjected to too much manipulation and abuse hence no retention. I still combed my hair with any type of comb I had to hand everyday, brushed my hair to slick down my edges lol... everyday, and generally didn't handle my hair with care at all. I hardly ever moisturised and used gel .
Considering that I spent many years at shoulder length, even though I was continuously wearing protective styles, I think a range of things helped me retain length and wearing wigs helped a lot along the way. Also, with wigs the only time I touch my hair is on wash days and each night/morning to moisturise and seal whereas with ponytails I combed and brushed everyday.

OK, so what I'm saying in a long winded way is that the combination of things I've done have helped me grow and retain some length and I think my chosen method of protective styling had allowed me to retain even more length.

 

[LovinLocks]

Because for me, I hate protective styling. I believe that, once you work hard and realize your growth goals, you should be able to enjoy it and wear your hair as you like. You should enjoy the fruits of your labor. What do you think?

Hello vtoodler, I hear and read ya. I think P.S. is booooring. Now, having written that I do see the point of it. When I lived in OH, the whole hair ends rubbing against wool/woollen hats/garments = a no-no and now here in Florida, the heat glaring down on my hair I can see where P.S. works.

What I think is: My hair will grow regardless therefore I'm thinking the thing is keeping the length. I believe p.s. aids greatly in that area. So, I p. s. some (probably more than not), but when I wanna "whip my hair back and forth", girl I do that too.

One point I'd like to share, I can't stand all that grease, glycerin, moisture on my neck (here and when I was in OH; it's gross). I have yet to find a leave-in product that moisturizes sufficiently and does not seep onto my neck, ,.forehead, etc. (For now, I'm between shoulder and APL.) In defense of protective styling; it keeps all that gunk off of me.

 

[Janet']

Yes but not with out low manipulation.

Ditto!!!!!

 

[Blue_Berry]

Yes and No. My hair does grow without protective styling, but with protective styles I retain better length. I retain length, because I'm not excessively combing, (I do detangle my hair, but combing it through over and over again can lead me some damage.) brushing, putting heat or doing a lot wear and tear to my hair. Plus, when I wear my hair down sometimes my hair tends to snap on my clothing fabric. My hair does grow, but I retain most of my hair in protective styles.

 

[ProfectivGirl]

I've neve had long hair so PSing had been my best friend. I have a serious HIH problem so my protective styles help me to leave my real hair alone and let it do its thing. Now the only time I'm in my hair is when its time for my regimen and I think that is definitely helping my growth progress. And frankly I enjoy seeing the dramatic growth progress when I do my relaxers, its very motivating for me

No Matter Of You're Relaxed, Natural, or Texturized We Are All Beautiful Black Women...And It Doesn't Get Any Better Than That!

 

[naheda72]

I don't think I could reach longer goals without PS. Before I was natural, I was too lazy to do my hair, so I did nothing. No heat, and not a lot of combing for 12 weeks at a time. My hair was only styled at my 12 week touch up. I had never been past shoulder until I stopped combing and using heat, then my relazed hair grew past APL. As a natural, I PS and my hair reached MBL.

 

[HoneyCoated]

I just started my hair care journey last year & still have a little while to go before I reach my goal, but I must say that protective styling has really helped me to maintain my ends. I used the half wig method for protective styling and it really helped me. Hopefully again in the future I can use this method again when I start my relaxer stretch.

 

[Curly Lee]

I voted yes. My hair hasn't always been long, it's the longest it's ever been, not including when I was a toddler.
I never protective style, I try but I get bored.

My hair isn't exactly long yet, its only APL after two years natural. I believe that I can get toWL without protective styling. We shall see

 

[tinyhips]

I doubt I could get to hip length without ps-ing. My best growth and retention occurs when I consistently ps my hair. In high school I didn't even know what a ps was but I put my hair in a French twist daily for almost 2 years. When I decided to wear my hair out it was so long! Unfortunately I didn't put two and two together and decided to wear my hair out for the next four years and I lost a lot of length. I had no idea what was going on- I thought my hair wasn't growing. Then I found LHCF and the rest is history! I ps most days and when I do wear my hair out it's usually for an event or party. Now if I feel like wearing my hair out I do but for work and daily activities I keep the curls in check.

 

[reggierisk]

Absolutely not! Im a fine 4B. A few years ago I wore my hear out every day and shoulder was as far as it ever got. Then I started working long 18 hr days and couldn't afford the 30 minute morning mirror time. So I started bunning just to give me more sleep time. And it became almost APL; to my surprise for the fist time ever. (pre-hair boards) So I started wearing it out again. Big Mistake! After about 2 months the back of my hair broke off and it was back to my shoulders. So I cut it and went back to bunning. and was just shy of MBL

Protective styling for me is key to retention. Maybe not all the time, but certainly to get past shoulders. Once its apl, the length seems to be less affected and is able to lay flat on my back.

I don't mind updos. They suit my face. Some love wearing their hair out. Although hair is my mini obsession; I don't like styling it unless it's for an event. Otherwise, 2 minutes max is all I want to spend in the morning. So i'll be bunning back to bsl

 

[TLC1020]

Nope...

Before this board the longest my hair ever been was shoulder length, once I learned about keeping my hair off my shoulders and wearing protective styles my hair surpassed that...

 

[Mariaat40]

Not with my fine hair. I always had below shoulder length hair but I was only able to grow it to bra strap length once I started protective styling.

 

[blackpearl81]

Protective styling helped stop me from messing with my hair all day.....I believe it really came down to low manipulation

 

[jayjaycurlz]

I did WnGs 99% of the time this past year and it seems like I only retained an inch. My goal was APL this year and I'm about 2" away. While I like WnGs for the ease, the daily manipulation has cost me my length. I'm going to experiment with various PS next year and I hope to PS my way to APL in 2012.

I do agree with that others the PS + Low Manipulation is the magic formula to retaining length. I hope my experiment proves my theory!

 

[Janet']

I did WnGs 99% of the time this past year and it seems like I only retained an inch. My goal was APL this year and I'm about 2" away. While I like WnGs for the ease, the daily manipulation has cost me my length. I'm going to experiment with various PS next year and I hope to PS my way to APL in 2012.

I do agree with that others the PS + Low Manipulation is the magic formula to retaining length. I hope my experiment proves my theory!

It's just so funny because for me the "low manipulation" styling of wash and go's have been my saviour!

 

[Keshieshimmer]

The only ps thing that I do are buns. That has helped me retain length.

 

[greenandchic]

I did WnGs 99% of the time this past year and it seems like I only retained an inch. My goal was APL this year and I'm about 2" away. While I like WnGs for the ease, the daily manipulation has cost me my length. I'm going to experiment with various PS next year and I hope to PS my way to APL in 2012.

I do agree with that others the PS + Low Manipulation is the magic formula to retaining length. I hope my experiment proves my theory!

I was in your shoes until I stopped doing daily WnGs. My hair never got past my shoulders doing that. Once I started wearing buns and leaving my hair alone (still wash 2x a week on average), I was able to get to BSL this year.

 

[AmyRose92]

Nope, I really don't think so. During the first couple of months after my BC, I didn't actively do PS and I wouldn't see much length. My hair was always in a shrunken state so despite it not touching my shoulders, I still lost some inches that could have been retained had I been PSing. Six months ago I started twisting my hair and wearing wigs and I've retained 3.5" inches since then so I know for sure that I'm retaining a lot more length compared to last year.

 

[MissMasala5]

Could it have grown long w/o PS? Yes. With lush healthy ends? No. Just my experience.

 

[Britt]

YES I think it's possible. Everyone who I know irl with long hair usually wears their hair down mostly. They all pretty much have the same routine, wash and rollerset.. wrap at night/curlers.. wear scarf around the house. I think low manipulation, wearing your scarf nightly and using quality products that agree with your hair will help with the health and retention of your hair.. well, relaxed hair that is.

 

[koolkittychick]

Even though I voted no, I'm actually torn about this. I have been PSing in terms of keeping my hair up 80% of the time (mostly due to laziness) for two years as a relaxed head, but it kept breaking off on one side in the back right at shoulder length, even though it would regularly reach APL in other places on my head (mostly in front), but then I would have to cut it back to even it out with the broken section I couldn't hide.

My hair has only shown some progress in the last couple of months since I found the right moisturizer and comb, learned to wash and DC my hair religiously every week, and stretch my relaxer for at least 8 weeks at a time. So maybe PSing wasn't that important after all.

We shall see in the next year, as I am determined to go past APL (5 inches of retention would take me there in the back; I'm nearly there in the front) and maybe even scrape BSL. I know I can do it, as my mom's hair is at least that long when stretched. If I can go beyond that to MBL, I would be estatic, but that would definitely require some serious bunning I think.

 

[sweetpea7]

Yea, I have always had long hair. So growth/retention was never a problem with me. My problem was I was killing my hair with heat. Heat is my numero uno enemy!

Same here except. my hair takes heat well. wet braidouts and constant bunning are my enemies. I'm more low manip on dry hair than protective styling

Sent from my Desire HD using Desire HD

 

[SherylsTresses]

Before joining LHCF and protective styling, I would only get to a very thin BSL. erplexed