Grow It Long 2024 Challenge!

Whats your 2023 hair goal?

  • EL/NL

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • SL

    Votes: 8 18.6%

  • APL

    Votes: 7 16.3%

  • BSL

    Votes: 7 16.3%

  • MBL

    Votes: 8 18.6%

  • TBL+

    Votes: 8 18.6%

  • WL

    Votes: 5 11.6%
  • Total voters
    43
Hi everyone. I'm new in here and joining the challenge late into the year. I am trying to grow out my hair actively after cutting my locs beginning of 2023. I didn't get much progress last year as I didn't focus too much on haircare. But I want to turn things around this time, so here I am.

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed: Texlaxed, but considering transitioning back to natural
Current Length: fll neck length, shoulder length in some parts
Goal Length: APL
Plan to reach goal length: deep condition weekly, keep my hair stretched
Regimen: shampoo and DC with heat weekly, moisturise with diluted rosewater, seal with castor oil/shea butter, airdry in African threading, protective style
Protective Styles: buns, mini braids, wigs, African threading
Staple Products: castor oil, shea butter, still experimenting to find the best products for me
Starting Pic: REQUIRED
WhatsApp Image 2024-09-12 at 15.32.16.jpeg
 
ScorpioLove said:
I’m probably obsessing over my scalp too much because I have this microscope. I apparently have ingrown hairs in my scalp. I need to exfoliate my scalp more and it’s just never been something I focused on before. That may be part of my hair density problems. .
Click to expand...

What kind of microscope is that? How does one look at their scalp under a microscope? How does one take pictures of their scalp under a microscope?
 
So @Chicoro asked for some pictures of my hair loose. I took the pictures and then didn't come back to post. :look:

These pictures are taken two days apart. I'm always amazed at how much clay can make my hair look so good. I'm willing to start a thing where clay is the new leave-in. My hair is wet in both pictures, but the clay is weighing i down. The length difference is interesting. If my hair dries, it would look shorter still and if my hair was more wet, it would look longer still.

I've also taken some "length check" photos that I'll post in the WL Dreams thread.



LCHF_Aug2024.png
 
So, the summer was a bust in terms of maximizing growth. The kitchen is finally done (yay!) but we were without one for the month of Aug. Straight junk food and take out three times a day for a month... :nono:

I noticed that my nails basically stopped growing during that time, whereas in June/July my family kept asking me to cut my nails. They were growing so fast! I can only imagine how much my hair (and the rest of my body) suffered as a result of my poor diet. I, unfortunately, only caught a pic of my nails as they started breaking, but the two last nails are examples of the longest that my nails had ever been.

InShot_20240921_082424054.jpg

I know that this is off topic, but what I learned about growing out my nails is that the rounded shape helped them to not break as fast as when they are squared. I'm wondering how this translates to hair, since they squared/blunt hemline seems to be how stylists, currently, like to cut.
 
Again, @snoop

:drool: :drool: :drool:

I live vicariously through you bc your hair looks very similar to what mine looked like natural.
I never wore it loose, not manipulated. I LOVE that you do!

This was my braid out at WL - shrinkage always brought it up to my shoulders.

1726937065262.png

Your observation about your nails is on point too. My nails typically look like yours did in Aug. BUT there are times when I allow them to grow a little longer and it only works when I round their shape.
I don't grow my nails out much bc my little one has sensory issues and he doesn't like when I touch or tickle him with nails.

I also prefer a rounded or even V shape on hair.
We've constantly heard it said on here that nails and hair get the last of the nutrients so if your nails are growing (or not) it's a good indicator for hair. So I can see how a nail discussion would be beneficial in analyzing hair growth. :)
 
MzSwift said:
Again, @snoop

:drool: :drool: :drool:

I live vicariously through you bc your hair looks very similar to what mine looked like natural.
I never wore it loose, not manipulated. I LOVE that you do!

This was my braid out at WL - shrinkage always brought it up to my shoulders.

View attachment 498766

Your observation about your nails is on point too. My nails typically look like yours did in Aug. BUT there are times when I allow them to grow a little longer and it only works when I round their shape.
I don't grow my nails out much bc my little one has sensory issues and he doesn't like when I touch or tickle him with nails.

I also prefer a rounded or even V shape on hair.
We've constantly heard it said on here that nails and hair get the last of the nutrients so if your nails are growing (or not) it's a good indicator for hair. So I can see how a nail discussion would be beneficial in analyzing hair growth. :)
Click to expand...

Your hair really does look like mine! (I miss the rush of finding your hair twin on the boards, back in the day.) It sounds like your level of shrinkage is the same as mine as well.

I definitely don't wear my hair loose, not manipulated. The pictures of my hair loose like that, are ones that I take on wash day. I've been thinking of getting a shower mirror because I rarely see my hair like that. I don't even install my twists in front of a mirror.

As for hair/nails, I'm going to start paying attention to my nails and see if I notice any personal patterns with my hair.
 
apple_natural said:
All the ads are soooo annoying. I think we should stop having to pay to use the site if we are going to have a trillion ads.

My time here may be coming to an end. The post button is the same color as the ad button. It's so annoying. Then there is one that covers the entire screen. Ugh.

I literally have 3 ads on my screen.

My account expires summer of next year. That'll be the day I graduate from LHCF school

Eta: I just can't stand it. I'm going to use this place much less
Click to expand...

I just started noticing these ads on my phone, yesterday. It's AWFUL! I'm (not) sorry to say, I've got an ad blocker on my desktop so I hadn't seen just hoe bad it was. I get that revenue needs to be generated, but this is a lot.
 
snoop said:
I just started noticing these ads on my phone, yesterday. It's AWFUL! I'm (not) sorry to say, I've got an ad blocker on my desktop so I hadn't seen just hoe bad it was. I get that revenue needs to be generated, but this is a lot.
Click to expand...
I’m using an ad blocker on my phone. It’s works very well
 
I took down my knotless braids and my hairline and ends are suffering. So it's time to take a break from braids for a while. But I am no use in styling my natural hair, I have always been texlaxed/relaxed/loc'd. Which low manipulation protective styles can I do? Currently the plan is to shampoo and DC with heat once a week, then stretch my hair to airdry using African threading because I am pretty useless with a blowdryer
 
VarieYvette said:
I took down my knotless braids and my hairline and ends are suffering. So it's time to take a break from braids for a while. But I am no use in styling my natural hair, I have always been texlaxed/relaxed/loc'd. Which low manipulation protective styles can I do? Currently the plan is to shampoo and DC with heat once a week, then stretch my hair to airdry using African threading because I am pretty useless with a blowdryer
Click to expand...
How do you feel about buns?
 
VarieYvette said:
I took down my knotless braids and my hairline and ends are suffering. So it's time to take a break from braids for a while. But I am no use in styling my natural hair, I have always been texlaxed/relaxed/loc'd. Which low manipulation protective styles can I do? Currently the plan is to shampoo and DC with heat once a week, then stretch my hair to airdry using African threading because I am pretty useless with a blowdryer
Click to expand...

I've always been down with two strand twists. I can't cornrow or flat twist my hair. When I thread it, it's back in twists. (But that's partially, my 4c hair will try to find a way to knot up if left loose too long.)

Also, in addition to threading, you can try magnetic rollers on your natural hair. It's stretch it and add some body as oppose to the threads which will stretch it, but leave it straight.
 
snoop said:
I've always been down with two strand twists. I can't cornrow or flat twist my hair. When I thread it, it's back in twists. (But that's partially, my 4c hair will try to find a way to knot up if left loose too long.)

Also, in addition to threading, you can try magnetic rollers on your natural hair. It's stretch it and add some body as oppose to the threads which will stretch it, but leave it straight.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I guess it's time to buy some magnetic rollers and learn how to roller set
 
I’m starting my own personal bunning challenge. I’m going to wear spin pin buns everyday for the rest of the year. Either I will get used to frizzy edges or I will find some way to smooth my edges every morning, because I don’t want to sleep in my bun, I think that will be bad for my edges.

And maybe I will find a way to incorporate decorative toys.

I will post here to keep myself accountable. So far I’m on day 5
 
This morning I fully wet my edges in the shower and added a little bit more UFD and then remade my bun. So far so good and the nice thing about UFD is in addition to smoothing my edges it keeps my hair from dripping when it’s wet
 
I did a mid week wash today for the first time in a long time. The damp bun + a hard workout made the interior of my bun smell bad. When I get home tonight I will take down my bun immediately so the interior can dry.

On the plus side, since my ends were recently trimmed and I just washed 3 days ago detangling was very fast and the whole process only added about 20 minutes to my morning routine.

If I don’t get lazy I could make this a regular thing
 
I’m on day 8 of bunning. It’s so easy, and I think I look better with my hair in a high bun than when it’s loose. As long as the twisting I do to get my hair into the bun (basically a big Bantu knot) doesn’t damage my hair, I may keep this up longer than until the end of the year.
 
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