has anyone been able to reach goals without protective styling?

[nymane]

Ladies, I'm leaning toward believing that your hair type may play a part in whether or not you are able to grow without protective styles....I don't know if us 4a/b's and 4b's can reach length's past apl or bsl without protective styling... your thoughts???

Sylver2 is 4a/b WL and she never Protective Styled....

 

[africanqueen456]

....I PS once in a while, but im mainly a stretcher, and Ive been able to retain length well...The key for my hair to thrive is to be very consistent with my hair routine, I DC once a week and I keep my ends M&S at all times, and the stretched styles keep my hair tangle free, and the SSKs to a minimum...Now if im out and my hair obviously needs to be protected (from scarfs and hats) them im wearing my hair up

stretcher?

 

[Vashti]

I tried to get away with no PS. it worked for a while but last month I had to start PSing. Too many tangles and knots.

 

[brownstallion]

I never wear protective styles instead I deep condition, blow dry, and flat iron every 2 weeks up until my transition my hair has always been mid back. My first year transitioning I wore my hair in braid outs and it broke off something serious in the middle of my head. At 14 months post I got my hair cut and I have been wearing my hair flat ironed and I haven't had any problems besides my curls not forming on the top of my head. However I do think when I'm fully natural it would be easier to for me to wear protective styles.

 

[chebaby]

i dont really protective style. when i get tired of the same look(wash and go) i throw my hair in twists and leave it in anywhere from 3 days to a week. i cant go any longer than that because i like "out" hair. i usually wash and go everyday and ive been natural i guess about 20 months. i usually co wash everyday but lately i have been trying something new and co washing every other day. and my hair is growing just fine. i straightened it for the first time about two weeks ago and my hair was past apl grazing bsl.

 

[Truth]

Ive become a stretcher myself.. and have retained length perfectly fine without having to PS..If I'm wearing a wig, weave, braids, ponytail, whatever... it's not because i'm trying to protect my hair..it's because I down right and honestly have no desire to do anything to my hair at that moment. My first natural year..I wore my hair out a lot and had no problems with retention..wore wash n goes and puffs majority of the time and it was fine..Infact it wasn't until I thought I needed to PS my set backs began... Now.. I just keep it stretched..

 

[Fab_Nikki]

I agree with Poka, I am not really a protective styler, but I am a low-manipulation styler and these would include any of the following: twist-outs, braid-outs, wash and go's, rollersets (you get the point)...I am not really a fan (for myself) of wigs, braids (with added hair), etc. so for me low-manipulation is the way to go and I have been quite successful with my retention thus far!

Agreed with Janet, I'm not big on protective styling either. While transitioning I did two sew-ins but that was as far as I'd go. Although I loved the low maintenance, I didn't like the way my hairline was damaged (braids were too tight), so that was my sign to STOP.

Now that I am 100% natural (I love saying that) all I really can do is W&G (lol) I rinse or co-wash my hair ever night, apply products, baggy and silk bonnet. In the morning I just style. So for ME little manipulation seems to be working for me.

 

[JDenni81]

Yes, I don't protective style and my hair is MBL now, even though I am thinking about cutting it. I don't do half the stuff that people do on here and my hair has thrived. I am not even consistent with sleeping with my satin scarf on my head at night. I think what has helped me out is that I do not use heat, I prefer the bounciness that only rollersets can give my hair. I also deep condition once or twice per week and keep my hair moisturised at all times. Eating good and exercising also have helped too. I am of the opinion that you do not have to protective style to grow long hair. Other races don't do it to have long hair and I feel neither should we. Moisture is the key, imo.

I just started wearing my hair in two french braids. Not sure how long this will last. It's cute but not can sometimes look undone. If I do the roller set, my roots are still curly because I don't relax my hair. Any remedy for this?

 

[JDenni81]

I do the same thing. I rollerset once (sometimes twice) a week and I only ps if that's the look I'm going for that day. I know my hair isn't that long but I don't have a lot of splits or breakage from this and my hair is supposedly at the "critical length" of SL chasing APL. I moisurize my ends at night and wrap it up to maintain my curls and that's it. I don't dc or stretch relaxers. Like RossBoss said, I don't do half the stuff some people on this board do and I retain. Now, if I could only put down those dang scissors!!

TopNotch what do you moisturize your ends with at night?

 

[JDenni81]

I have another silly question. When you cowash (new term for me), what EXACTLY do you do? put conditioner on a dry head or wet like a regular wash?

 

[tapioca_pudding]

^^not silly - most women wet their hair first then use the conditioner in place of shampoo, so its like you're washing with conditioner. HTH

ETA - heres a great thread that explains a TON of stuff... http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...iscussion/247447-can-i-ask-dumb-question.html

 

[Fab_Nikki]

I have another silly question. When you cowash (new term for me), what EXACTLY do you do? put conditioner on a dry head or wet like a regular wash?

For me wet like a regular wash.

 

[JDenni81]

Thanks ladies!!!!!

 

[Lovelylocs]

You can, especially if you rollerset. I got a little past brastrap by rollersetting.

 

[celiabug]

I have to protective style because my hair gets tangled too easily.. I think it has something to do with my fine strands. I get HORRIBLE single strand knots. And my hair is bsl stretched really close to mbl, but it shrinks to sl and get caught on my shirt so I try not to wear w&g as much. My signature protective style is a high messy bun.

Sent from my MB200 using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[brucebettye]

I only wear buns because it is easy and I like the look of my phony ponytail over my bun. My hair is growing because I don't use heat and I don't manipulate my hair but every couple of weeks. And my hair is thickening up too because I started my transistion a year ago. It takes more than protective styling to grow your hair. I did it with braids before LHCF and my hair would always break off once I started taking care of my hair. I believe it is in the way you take care of your hair, not the way you wear it.

 

[topnotch1010]

TopNotch what do you moisturize your ends with at night?

If I wrap it at night I just use a little olive oil.

If I'm bunning I have a spray bottle that contains water and a little conditioner mixed together. I lightly spray my hair and seal with olive oil.

HTH HHG!

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I am not sure if there was a goal in mind, but Teri seems to wear her hair loose most of the time. Her hair has grown to her hips.

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