Has your hair grown without Protective styles? (POLL)

[Qetesh]

All these replies solidify how I feel, since I was not properly taking care of my ends in the past (daily hot curling and combing) I am going to try proper hair care while wearing it up occasionally as a feel fit, no need to go hiding it at all times and after a few months I will see how my growth is coming. I can tell just from the past month my hair is getting better so I feel if I keep it up I should have no problem retaining more length.

It is interesting to know a lot of waist length females do not protective style 100% or nearly.

 

[prettypuff1]

i am anxious to see as well. i really don't like protective styles( buns) all that much and my edges would break off when i would wear my hair back every day

 

[LovelyLionessa]

I don't consciously protective style. I wear my hair down a few days and when it gets annoying I put it up in a loose bun or french roll and secure with a butterfly clip. I dont believe in strictly wearing it down or strictly wear it up. I think its all about balance-wear it down a few days to enjoy, wear it up a few days to preserve.

I like this philosophy. I love wearing my hair down and have been able to do so by relying on a low manipulation regimen and that allows me to retain length. Lately my interest has become peaked concerning protective styles like buns and french rolls partly because of the novelty of doing something different for my hair, having something to do with it when I feel like doing nothing at all. Plus, I like the idea of having a way to protect my hair from the cold winter weather. So while I will be incorporating these styles into my regimen but I cannot see my self wearing them every single day. Hair should be enjoyed IMO.

 

[Wishin4BSL]

Past your shoulders, your hair is less susceptible to damage from clothing so why not wear it out. Just watch out for seat belts, handbag straps, necklaces, etc. and STAY AWAY FROM THE HEAT. Perhaps you could baggy your ends at night to counteract any drying that occurs during the day. Use a very light oil like meadowfoam or jojoba so that your ends don't go stringy.

Personally, I continue to wear protective styles about 70% of the time mainly because I like the surprise of seeing extra length after 4-6 weeks of wearing a bun. I'll enjoy my new length for a couple of weeks, then back up it goes.

ITA with everything in this post!

 

[caribeandiva]

i don't do protective styles and never will.

 

[prettypuff1]

lol i just started with protective styles this week. I am out of school for the next 3 weeks so it is all about the baggie method.. I am going to challenge myself to bun/baggie/keephair in a scarf until my birthday

 

[taraglam2]

Protective styles got me to my current length and I am thankful for the ever famous "bun". When I wear my hair out every day, I do not get length at all. I think part of the reason is because Maryland's winter weather is very hard on my hair.

 

[thefineprint]

i have been wearing my hair out since february in wash n' go and puff styles. however, i am now wearing mostly only twists. why? because i started noticed damaged ends more frequently, even if i had just trimmed 3 weeks before. my hair grows at a pretty steady and fast rate but i think i have been loosing length by only wearing 'out' styles. i now wear twists 3 days a week, twist out with no manipulation 2 days and a puff or wash n' go 2 days a week. i have already noticed less breakage

 

[naturaline]

I can't speak from personal experience, but I have a friend who went from BSL to butt length (passed waist) in less than one year. She wore her hair down the whole time.

details, details...

;-)

 

[blazingthru]

Have you ever looked at the old movies? all those woman wore their hair up in elaborate or plain buns and they took it down at night to brush it and plait it and went to bed. Their hair was always so very very long. I belived that I will get long hair at the length that I want if I wear it up only because it has never gotten longer then past my shoulders. It always just about rest on there and then it breaks off.

 

[Qetesh]

Well over the past 2 months my hair has grown about 1 inch and ½. I didn’t do any protective styling consistently, BUT I made sure I put my hair up and night kept my scalp clean and my hair moisturized, I also minimally combed it and used no heat. Esp. no heat on my ends

This leads me to believe that it’s not required, I am sure for some people it is. Now during this time I would say my hair was up probably 2 out of 7 days by up I mean in a pony on my head and not in a bun. And always silk scarf at night ext. my hair is actually inching its way into lengths I have never seen b4 which is exiting. Now that I think about it when my hair gets to be about this length I usually get it cut down about 2-3 inches. No wonder I never make it to waist length. I am going to keep doing this and once it gets really cold out I am going to wear a wig outside.

 

[Sky]

I used to wear my hair down/out growing from chin to shoulder. Had the hardest time passing shoulder and armpit length; and now I am stuck at the length you see now. I only consciously wore protective styles the last two or three years, and it did help me.

My personal thought is that the less manual stress on the hair, the better. If the protective style is going to stress your hair, or you are combing and brushing too much to achieve it, it won't make a difference. Likewise if you wear your hair out but don't comb it and it's able to recieve lubrication from your scalp and oils you add, you will retain the length and see growth.

I also agree with this statement. I find that the less stress I put on my hair the more it grows. Right now it is past shoulder length and approaching BSL in the back; However the front is growing slower and I think that its due to stress from the pulling when I wear my hair in ponytails/buns. I have been able to retain length when I :

1) Have my hair professional taken care of by a qualified and understanding stylist ( I LOVE my stylist ; she understands by goals and my needs)

2) Keep my hair braided off and on - sometimes I wear a frenchbraid or simple cornrows.

3) Sleep with a satin scarf and roller set with soft curlers by conair ( this style is a blessing because it causes minimal stress on my hair)

4) Eat healthy and work out

My hair has grown so long and healthy - never has it been this healthy in my life. I think this could have been achieved without the protective styles but only if I was committed to taking care of it while it was down ( for me its much easier to wear protective styles and less hassle). Either way my hair is super healthy; people are always asking is it real or is it a wig because its so full and thick...and of course thats the most important thing - healthy hair! I owe it all to this board!

 

[Treasure2k6]

I thought I was the only one!! My hair always get to just shoulder length....and I have never been able to grow past that. I just started getting into my journey as of Aug 2005....been bunning since then and have seen a HUGE difference.

Girl, you have me so over joyed with your testimony on protective styles! I hope it works out for me that way too. Just call me "Bun Bun" cus I will be rockin one "allllllll" this year. lol!

My hair has always grown to shoulder length and then breaks off. This year I started wearing my hair up basically 95% of the time and it is now APL. I know keeping it off my shoulders helped me to retain my length so protective styles are a big help if you are trying to go past shoulder length due to your hair rubbing on your clothes. After you go past that point of friction protective styles might still be helpful but not as necassary as with shoulder length hair.

 

[Country gal]

No protective styles, wear my hair out everyday..even when it was all shaggy looking growing out from the Halle Berry pixie cut...lol

I think protective styles are important in retaining length. Sylver seems to be a contradiction because her hair is so long and healthy. She doesn't do protective styles. I wonder if get past shoulder lenght is where protective styles are very helpful. If you are already brastrap or longer the protective styles may not be as effective.

 

[gradygirl]

I thought I was the only one!! My hair always get to just shoulder length....and I have never been able to grow past that. I just started getting into my journey as of Aug 2005....been bunning since then and have seen a HUGE difference.

Girl, you have me so over joyed with your testimony on protective styles! I hope it works out for me that way too. Just call me "Bun Bun" cus I will be rockin one "allllllll" this year. lol!

I cant wait to see the results.

 

[Ntrlmystik]

My hair grows quickly but once it passes my shoulder I need to be very careful because it gets dry and we all know what happens to dry hair! I am going throug this right now, my hair is breaking half as much as its growing so though i am retaining some length, I am not maximizing its potential. Hair is going to grow regardless but protective styling and end maintenance definitely does help retain moisture which helps keep the length. If you are not doing protective styleing you should be concious of oil disturbution because as hair gets longer, the natural oils from the scalp don't reach the ends. .. Even if you don't do protective styles, at least try to take special care of the ends They are very old depening on how long your hair is and need TLC. So no wonder your hair is growing Qetesh! You are still treating it with care and its beautiful..

 

[GoingNatural]

My hair grew BSL without protective styles AND i had a relaxer..the only reason it stopped growing was because of constant dying/bleaching

I just never saw the point of wanting long hair, growing long hair, and then having to hide it in a bun!

 

[seeminglysweet]

In April 2005 when I cut my hair just above my shoulders, it was down to armpit length by january 2006 without using protective styles, the only alternative to wearing my hair down was putting it in a ponytail. However, I'm going to be using protective styles now to see how it goes

I did the exact same thing, only it was March 2005 and by December I was about an inch from BSL. I was also washing, blowdrying and flat ironing weekly at the time. I didn't notice at the time (this was pre LHCF) but when I look back at pictures I see the growth.

I have always worn my hair down and I actually despite ponytails because I have seen even the covered ponytail bands wreck other peoples hair.

Now I bun for convience with bobby pins only before that I used only claw clips. But I think that I need to protect my hair for a few months to get past BSL. My ends have always been a concern and I know I need some protective styling to get an extra 2-4 inches but like others I'm not willing to compromise style for length. I actually admire those that can wear buns for months and years, I am not that disciplined.

 

[SleekandBouncy]

My picture trail is old, but as of now my hair is passed bra strap, it's even and thick. I started with chin length hair. I've never worn protective styles.
It works for many women, but my logic is this. If I need protective styles to gain length, why won't I need it to keep the new length? The same damaging elements will exist at a longer length, plus it's older and less healthy as it gets longer, my hair actually runs in to more abrasion at a long length than before (forget rubbing on my neck, it's now rubbing on my sweater, stuck in seat belts, etc.).

I hated the idea that my straighter haired friends reached bra strap w/o protective styles in a short time so I came up with ways around it. I use Tigi's ego boost every 3 days (ends only), it seals and protects. I use Salerm 21 leave in (da bomb!). Lately I'll walk with a hair claw and when I'm alone or home I pull my hair back and tuck the ends. It's less stress plus I still enjoy my hair during the day. I incorporated canned or fresh cooked beans into my daily diet since I noticed the Latino ladies in my area have gorgeous long thick hair and they eat lots of protein rich beans and such.

Since the OP hasn't gotten the results she wanted wearing her hair out, it would be a good idea to try something new (protective styling), maybe one day I'll try it too.

 

[CynamonKis]

Unbeknownst to me, the COMBS on my phony ponies were breaking my hair out, as were the cloth hair ties!

SOOO..I now put a baggie on the ends, and then a part of a nylon stocking and THEN I tie on the draw string of my phony-pony, WITHOUT the combs. Maybe this, plus finger-combing, will aid in growth-retention

 

[MrsHouston]

I never wear protective styles either. I think the main thing that's helped me is rollersetting. I can get my hair smooth and get the curl that I want without putting heat on my ends.

Loving your baby pic...too cute

Before I came to LHCF I wore my hair down a lot, mainly roller sets and got a lot of growth. I think the key was still little or no manipulation. When I did roller sets, I didn't comb my hair in between shampoos and the rare occasion that I flat ironed I was wrap at night and finger out my hair in the morning - still little manipulation.

I'm now experimenting with protective styles to see the results.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Shampoo, protein, moisture, bun/french roll {thanks to the "Show your favorite protective style" thread!}, shampoo, protein, bun/french over and over.....years of not doing that had me no longer than above brastrap and thinning. I look at Babygurl's fantastic growth over the years and see the benefit of bunning and my own research . Kudos to the midbackers and beyond with your lovely long locks but I think protective styles are the way for me for now.....leading to no splits, fuller hair, wonderful ,healthy, silky texture. Just as some products wreck havoc to some but are a Godsend to others, different techniques are essential for some.... so needed by others.

 

[Mars_Reiko]

I just never saw the point of wanting long hair, growing long hair, and then having to hide it in a bun!

I agree totally. I was on the bunning bandwagon when I first started my regimen. Although the bun was very benificial, I began to become really sad that I couldn't enjoy my hair like I wanted. I finally decided that I could still continue to care for my hair with frequent washing, deep condtioning, and protein, and enjoy it at the same time. I do clip my hair up from time to time, but I haven't consistanly done protective styles in about about 2 months. I just make sure to take extra care of my ends. Everythings been going fine for now. Personally, I think just letting it be is great because there is no stress on the hair.

 

[Lucia]

IMO, if you want to reach a goal fast then you just have to sacrifice and wear it up, buns, twists, braids, any low or no manipulation. But once you reach your goal then wear it down enjoy it. That's what I'm planning to do, I'll alternate up/down, and at night I'll wrap it up so even if it's out all week I won't dry out my ends.

 

[Qetesh]

bumping... and i still do not use protective styles... i will admit with the windsheild here at -20 i did say forget it earlier and wore a wig,... but thats extreame for me and i do care for my hair.

 

[Sweetyb]

I voted "No my hair doesn’t retain length when I constantly wear it down," but I think that's different from saying Yes, my hair grows without protective styles.

My hair grows regardless. It's the protective styling that retains length and the health of the hair during that growth.

 

[tiffers]

My hair grew without protective styles. Before LHCF, my hair regimen consisted of a glued in weave and a perm every month. And every day was Pink Lotion and a curling iron on its highest setting! Despite all of that torture, my hair STILL grew. I can't wait to see my growth now that my hair's getting LOTS of TLC!

 

[princesmich]

I do a combination of protective and unprotective styles, My hair grew to brastrap a couple of years ago this way years ago and i'm back to this method. I don't use direct heat as much perhaps this is a good balanced combo

 

[meaganita]

I usually wear braids...but it seems like my hair grows pretty fast when I'm wearing my hair down...maybe even little better than the braids???

 

[csmoot]

I agree totally. I was on the bunning bandwagon when I first started my regimen. Although the bun was very benificial, I began to become really sad that I couldn't enjoy my hair like I wanted. I finally decided that I could still continue to care for my hair with frequent washing, deep condtioning, and protein, and enjoy it at the same time. I do clip my hair up from time to time, but I haven't consistanly done protective styles in about about 2 months. I just make sure to take extra care of my ends. Everythings been going fine for now. Personally, I think just letting it be is great because there is no stress on the hair.

What do you put on your ends when you wear it down?