From Neck length to Bra strap length and beyond

msdarknlovely

msdarknlovely

New Member
Hi Ladies,
I'm a newbie and I need help!! Okay so my hair is currently neck length and badly abused from weaves, glue bad relaxers, etc, :cry:

So far this is what I gathered. I need to co wash it 2x a week, use the baggy method, sleep with a satin scarf, take supplements and use products geared toward growth (I'm thinking hair formula 37, Jamaican castrol oil, oct and megatek) and that heat is the enemy.

Now I don't quite feel comfortable going w/o the weave just yet so I figured that I'd use the Malaysian weave method (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe-Tj_Fhlkk) so that I can still condition my hair and use the weave without damage.

Can anyone please please give me some more input with products methods etc that may have worked for you, that can get my hair growing so that i can at least be to bra strap length....

Thanks
 
Last edited:
First off, welcome to the forums.

Some thoughts:

be patient

don't over do things - trying to do too much at once may not be a good idea

I dunno anything about weaves/or malaysian ones for that matter, but I'd suggest starting a simple regimen to take care of your hair which would consist of washing, deep conditioning moisturizing sealing and styling in a way that doesn't put too much stress on your hair. If your hair is as damaged as you described, take a break from anything harsh.

Definitely sleep with it protected at night and staying away from heat for a while may be a great idea.

Good luck on your healthy hair journey, I just caution you to not go into info overload and try fiftyleven techniques all at once. Make a few changes and see how your hair responds before making a few more...
 
Welcome to the forum! You're gonna have to go through trial and error when developing a regimen and finding the right products. I can't tell you what to use because alot of the products that people rave about do not work for me. I had to go through many products before I found my staple. I also had to continue to tweak my regimen before I found the best and most simplest regimen for me. You don't NEED to co-wash twice a week or baggy your hair or buy supplements that are geared towards growth. And heat is not always the enemy for everyone. Check out some of the different threads, (I think there is a weave support thread somewhere around here) to get advice about taking care of your hair underneath your weave. Your hair will grow to bra strap once you figure out the best way to retain your length, which usually include keeping your hair moisturized and keeping up with protein treatments if you are relaxed in order to prevent breakage.


Good luck!

I honestly think hairlista.com is a good site to go to to get ideas because the creator of the site has made numerous discussions and blogs for newbies to help them with their hair. I'm a member there as well.
 
I've never worn a weave so I can't speak to that but I started this year in February on my journey and I've found that only using wide-toothed combs on my hair, keeping my hair moisturized everyday with a water based or glycerin based moisturizer and then using an oil (like castor oil or olive oil) on top of that on my ends has helped stopped my breakage and dryness issues. Which is now allowing my to see my growth.

I usually moisturize twice a day. Shampooing and deep conditioning once a week also helped me a lot too. I'm still figuring out what my final hair staples will be but I think I almost have it. I'm sort of still a beginner. :grin:

I think the most important thing is creating a simple regimen that keeps your hair healthy and stops breakage and dryness and sticking to it. There are a lot of products that can work for your hair but sticking to a regimen and patience is key.

MTG worked for me on getting my hairline back

I conditioner wash each week and only use actual shampoo once a month when I need to clarify (Mane and tail Shampoo for clarifying and Herbal Essence hello Hydration for conditioner washing))

I deep condition my hair once a week ( I used to use Queen Helene but now I use coconut milk mixed with honey and oils)

I moisturize with Scurl and seal with an olive oil/castor oil mix at night and then I cover my head with a shower cap and then wrap my head in a silk scarf. I don't know if the baggy method works for weaves though.)

I moisturize in the mornings with ORS olive Oil Hair Lotion

I'm changing my staples but my routine is still the same since February. I believe that this routine has helped me go from a small afro to CL and nearly SL. The front and top of my hair is Chin Length and the back is pushing SL now. BTW, Welcome to the forum!;)
 
That weaving method looks like it will place too much stress on the hair strands. Perform a search and look into weave wearers support threads here. I started at neck length and op'ted to wear weaves my first year of my hair care journey I reached APL. I braided my real hair with jumbo braid and sew'd in wet n' wavy hair, I sprayed between my tracks daily with pro vitamin leave in by aphogee to keep it moist. I took the weave out to replace it every three months.

Is your hair healthy enough to handle a sew in? You don't want any further breakage.
Are your strands thick or thin?
How long do you plan on keeping in your installs?
Do you plan on relaxing in between installs?
How do you plan on caring for you hair underneath the sew-in?

Check out the threads for weave wearers and make sure it's what's right for your hair beacause if it's not done right you can cause more damage.
 
Thanks ladies,
I'm just so lost on what to do...that's funny whimsy about you saying not to use so many products because I swear I'm the type that will pile them on...I'll put the castrol oil on top of the glovers on top of megatek on top of the whatever if it says its going to grow my hair...
 
oh btw you also need to keep in mind putting together a regimen to care for your hair post weave. As mentioned above hairlista.com has great information on that, they have a guide for beginners you may want to look into.
 
msdarknlovely said:
Thanks ladies,
I'm just so lost on what to do...that's funny whimsy about you saying not to use so many products because I swear I'm the type that will pile them on...I'll put the castrol oil on top of the glovers on top of megatek on top of the whatever if it says its going to grow my hair...
Click to expand...

I think that's a common mistake when it's the beginning of the hair journey (or any journey for that matter) we're excited and want to do SO MUCH RIGHT NOW.

Take it easy and start with the basics. You got TONS of good tips here.

I know you feel lost right now, but it'll all become clearer once you choose a simple path to focus on.

Good luck!
 
I'm not sure the method of weaving hair is a great idea. I not very knowledgeable about weave, but I agree with everything BlackGeisha said. It seems like the main reason for the "Malaysian Method" is to make the hair look more like your own, not necessarily protect your own hair.
 
You may want to search out EDIESE. She's pretty fantastic with protective styling by use of weaves and wigs and her hair is definitely showing proof of it. I don't think you need to "throw out the baby with the bath water"
HHJ and Welcome A BOARD!
 
Thanks BlackGeisha and Vashti!

BlackGeisha I have work sewins in the past but I usually do my own, well you can see how thats worked out...lol
But I can't seem to find someone here (in the Philly area) that can do a nice sew in so that it looks natural and flat. To answer your other question my hair is kind on the fine side or it could be that I love big hair I don't know. You see i hope I don't get stoned for this but I haven't really worn my real hair out since I was a teenager I'm now in my late 20's... so idk oh and I do wash and condition my hair under the sew ins
 
Last edited:
If your hair is damaged and your looking for a basic formula for success. You may want to search for Cathy Howse on the forum and check out her website and products @ ubhpublications.com

It's a great method for wearing your own hair, repairing the strains and stimulating growth. If anything, spend the $15.00 bucks and read her book. Buying her products at first takes the guess work out of finding the right moisturizer and deep conditioner.

Also, another alternative to weaves are braids. You can search for the crown & glory method. Braids done correctly put less stress on the hair than weaves (braids & thread can be too much on damaged hair).
 
Im in your shoes and I will say that method of weaving looks like a no go. Its looks like theres too much stress being placed on the hair. I don't know if you wear some of your hair out when in a weave but try to do a closure. But be mindful of closures because depending on the tension and how its done, your hair will break at the closure. Right now Im stuck between a rock and a hard place because I don't know how to style my neck length, natural hair. I started off with a TWA in January so I know Im making progress and I don't want any setbacks whatsoever so I have to be careful about how I style it. I can't leave my hair out because I refuse to hurt it in an effort to make it blend. So my next option is to get a curly style and braid the top (the section that I leave out) I feel frustrated and confused but I don't want to give up. Good luck!
 
I've gone to the african braiding shops several times and they've always pulled from my hairline. My hairlines my weakest area, but I will read Cath Howse's book
Thanks
 
Last edited:
Maintainthesexy...loving the name by the way..lol
That's a really good idea, to braid my leave out and weave everything else up. If I do them small enough it'll look really natural.
Thanks
 
Last edited:
Welcome!

You've gotten a lot of good advice here so far....and as you can tell from some of their avatars and sig pics, their progress shows they know what they're talking about! A few things I want to caution you on:

*Like Whimsy said, take it S-L-O-W. You want to build a regimen that will promote retention, not necessarily growth. Your hair is going to grow regardless....I mean, you're alive.....it's just about keeping what you grow. All of the things you stated are great methods to retain hair, but not necessarily together. You may discover that your hair doesn't like baggying (like mine) or may not like cowashing (unlike mine). Just take it slow, starting with a simple wash/condition/moisturize regimen, and add/subtract methods and products from there. You will go broke QUICK trying to buy everything we use on this board! Start by listing what you already own and assessing what they do for your hair first. You may discover that you already own a good cowash conditioner or deep conditioner and you simply weren't using it as such.
*Re: the weaves....from what I saw in the video (I briefly glanced at it), I see nothing that will be more beneficial than a regular sew-in. In fact, like one member already stated, it looks geared towards aesthetics more than the health of your hair. You actually have a leg up on other members, since you already know how to do sew-ins! It's all about making sure your cornrows are not too tight (but sturdy enough) and maintaining your hair underneath the tracks. Look up the "weave it up" challenge, Ediese, glamazon86, and the sew-in threads to see what regimen these ladies are following to get hair down their backs.
*Our opinions on growth aides are iffy here. Like I already said, your hair is going to grow....so you may not need growth aides unless you have something impeding your growth, like alopecia or bald spots. While I own castor oil and Megatek, I don't really use them as growth aides as much as a sealant and a light protein treatment, respectively. My recommendation is to plan out your regimen and STICK TO IT for at least 3-6 months before you buy any of them. You may notice you had what it takes to grow long hair all along :)

I say all of this to say BREATHE, build a solid regimen, and read, read, read! Before you know it, you will be a year or two down the line giving newbies advice yourself.

We're here to help! HHG (happy hair growing)!
 
msdarknlovely said:
Thanks BlackGeisha and Vashti!

BlackGeisha I have work sewins in the past but I usually do my own, well you can see how thats worked out...lol
But I can't seem to find someone here (in the Philly area) that can do a nice sew in so that it looks natural and flat. To answer your other question my hair is kind on the fine side or it could be that I love big hair I don't know. You see i hope I don't get stoned for this but I haven't really worn my real hair out since I was a teenager I'm now in my late 20's... so idk oh and I do wash and condition my hair under the sew ins
Click to expand...

Your welcome, I did my own weaves also for years the wrong way glue, relaxing every month, it's a wonder I have hair on my head or edges, the things I used to do. Don't worry about it, now you know better so it's time to do better. When I began my hair journey using weaves, I installed them myself, I used curly weave though so it will last longer and I could get it wet. My hair is also fine, so we fine strands have to be extra careful because the hair is more prone to breakage. I did seek out Ediese's thread about weaves when I started. I found a great one for you, also check out her fotki, you can check out mine too it chronicles my 1st year wearing curly weaves :grin:.

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=298353

http://public.fotki.com/BlackGeisha/
 
Last edited:
msdarknlovely said:
I've gone to the african braiding shops several times and they've always pulled from my hairline. My hairlines my weakest area, but I will read Cath Howse's book
Thanks
Click to expand...

african braiding is the worst place you can go if your trying to preserve your hair ( at least the edges)-I say this from years of experience. Unless you are regulating how tight they pull your edges, they will come out. This happens more with micro braids. If you do regular box braids or medium size human hair braids and tell them not so tight on the edges, they shouldn't come out. I have fine hair too, so i hold my edges while they braid. I usually try not to move my braids from a ponytail style for like or week or two to not put extra tension on my edges.

The crown and glory method is on growafrohairlong.com Many of the members here use there method and have grown their hair to bra strap from about neck length or have used it to transition to natural hair.

They key is getting someone or yourself to braid the hair the right size and with the right amount of tension. it basically is a protective style and her methods makes sure your hair stays moisturized and strong while braided.

EtA: if you decided to weave, you can use her shampoo, moisturizing and strengthening method on your cornrows to maintain your hair.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Ladies,
There's alot of information on this forum so I'm glad you ladies are helping me break things down.
As far as the regimen I'm going to try co-washing and taking the h37, I tried this like a year and a half ago and got good growth...As I'm typing I'm thinking why did I stop??? Oh that's right I was also using this Indian hair oil I found on this site. So I'm going to start that back up.
And the Cathy Howse book and method sounds promising. I think I'm going to maybe try the braids again. I just love the Beyonce weaves but I want to one day wear my long flowing hair as well so I'll try it.
Geisha I love your hair it's so pretty and full oh and thanks for the link on the Edieses' weave method.
 
Whimsy said:
I think that's a common mistake when it's the beginning of the hair journey (or any journey for that matter) we're excited and want to do SO MUCH RIGHT NOW.

Take it easy and start with the basics. You got TONS of good tips here.

I know you feel lost right now, but it'll all become clearer once you choose a simple path to focus on.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Take your time and find products that work for your hair. Listen to your hair and respond to its needs. And patience especially with neck length hair viewing all these lovely long headed ladies is really necessary.
Welcome to LHCF!
 
I dont feel like reading all the comments, someone may have said it I am sure, but dont forget a PROTEIN TREATMENT!!! At least every 4-6 wks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nanyanika
Shoulder-length to bra-strap..how long did it take you?
Replies
21
Views
11K
Nanyanika
Nanyanika
Q
Is bra-strap length hair possible?
2 3
Replies
87
Views
13K
PoeticJustice
PoeticJustice
W
Bra-strap Length & Beyond Ladies :: Hair Grows Faster If Cut 1 Length???
Replies
23
Views
3K
sylver2
S
P
To all 4a/b's with bra-strap length hair
Replies
11
Views
2K
Ms Lala
Ms Lala
SheenaVee
Bra Strap Length for 30 Years!!
Replies
14
Views
5K
TexturedTresses
T
Back
Top