Hip–Tailbone Length (HL–TBL) 2014 Challenge!

Went to the hair dresser ( black girl ) and got hair straightened and she said my hair was mid back length. Went to Great clips and got ends clipped and was told my hair was shoulder length (white girl).
 
Angel of the North , I wish that I liked wigs or weaves (I've never done either), but I don't even like seeing them on other people :perplexed. That revision factor back to curly, is way I didn't even want to consider heat at first. Also I have a feeling that my hair can take chemicals (I don't remember having shedding, crazy breakage, or hair loss after relaxing) much better than heat (I used to burn my hair off on daily basis before my hair journey). How do you like being relaxed? Since it's been a few years, I'm guessing that you don't regret your decision (?)

HoneyA , I really don't know what keeps going wrong when I get to that BSL/MBL line. But I've had to cut back up to BSB 4-5 times :sad:. Every couple of months my hair will randomly change texture and suddenly becomes super coarse and kinky. I can't do wash n'gos (the style that got me to BSB) during this time, and my hair starts breaking everywhere, feels thicker and the cuticles stay raised. Then suddenly, my hair goes back to normal. I don't understand why this happens because there will be no changes in my routine or products. It just happens :nono:.
Waiting to grow my hair out past WL (if I can get past that damn hump!) isn't a bad idea, but I have serious doubts that I get more than a little past SL for my not straightened length. I was 2 inches from WL, and my braidouts were full SL. HL is only 5 inches past WL on me, so that's not much of a difference as far as shrinkage is concerned :rolleyes:.

I need to learn how to PS. Maybe I'll blowdry my hair and get cornrows for the summer. Because I can't do twists (they tangle at any size if I sleep in them) and braids with my own hair are not cute. I need tp figure out bunning so that I don't look matronly :nono: . That's why I know that I would PS more with straight hair. There are so many bun styles and cute updos that look better and are so much easier to do on straight hair.
 
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soldier4hair said:
My hair is bsl. The white girl said my hair is not long. All of that is my shoulder; shrugs.
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Um. . . APL is considered long by beauty/ hair stylist standards, so how is BSL not long? Did she have butt length hair or something? Or maybe she needs glasses? Or is she just a hater :bat:
 
ckisland said:
Um. . . APL is considered long by beauty/ hair stylist standards, so how is BSL not long? Did she have butt length hair or something? Or maybe she needs glasses? Or is she just a hater :bat:
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Yeah it kind of hurt my feelings but in my head I thought give me a year.
 
ckisland said:
I really don't know what keeps going wrong when I get to that BSL/MBL line. But I've had to cut back up to BSB 4-5 times :sad:. Every couple of months my hair will randomly change texture and suddenly becomes super coarse and kinky. I can't do wash n'gos (the style that got me to BSB) during this time, and my hair starts breaking everywhere, feels thicker and the cuticles stay raised. Then suddenly, my hair goes back to normal. I don't understand why this happens because there will be no changes in my routine or products. It just happens :nono:.

Waiting to grow my hair out past WL (if I can get past that damn hump!) isn't a bad idea, but I have serious doubts that I get more than a little past SL for my not straightened length. I was 2 inches from WL, and my braidouts were full SL. HL is only 5 inches past WL on me, so that's not much of a difference as far as shrinkage is concerned :rolleyes:.
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ckisland If your hair just suddenly starts breaking, it's either a moisture or protein issue and if it changes texture, it could be product build-up, a water issue or an internal problem. Maybe there is someone else on the board who experiences something similar and can help. If you can figure out exactly why the breakage is happening and fix it, you'll retain more. Easier said than done but worth a shot because you are losing progress every couple months.

Don't discount how your hair could change with 2 to 5+ added inches. mwedzi, LovelyNaps26 (sunshower143 on YT) and Naptural85 spring to mind immediately when I think of natural hair that changed dramatically at different lengths. There are others as well. Have a look at their YT channels for inspiration :yep:
 
HoneyA said:

Don't discount how your hair could change with 2 to 5+ added inches. [USER=33205]mwedzi, LovelyNaps26 (sunshower143 on YT) and Naptural85 spring to mind immediately when I think of natural hair that changed dramatically at different lengths. There are others as well. Have a look at their YT channels for inspiration :yep:
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I wish my hair was like Naptural85's :lick: ! I remember she measured hair hair and we had the same number of inches, but her hair hung so much longer than mine :lol:. We do not have the same rate of shrinkage! And I remember Mwedzi hair getting longer because she started using heat regularly. When she showed her hair in it's shrunken state, it still shrunk up to her chin :blush: .
I think my hair just isn't as malleable as other naturals of the same type, because styles don't set as well and they don't lessen shrinkage like they would on someone else. I've seen a handful of other naturals with a similar situation. One (on another forum) is HL but her hair shrinks up to just her shoulders. I think we lack elasticity because my coils and curls have never had the spring I've seen in others hair. It is what it is.
 
ckisland I am enjoying being relaxed for now but do intend to go natural again at some point in the next few years. I relax 3 x per year and that has been working well for me. I very rarely use heat, on relaxer day and maybe one to three times in between relaxers, my hair is stretched permanently so I don't have much need to use heat.

I have been getting rid of the damage I had allowed to occur, I have gradually managed to get rid of the thin ends I had from a period when I got hair lazy and I'm happy with my progress. I only regret the year and a half I neglected my hair, I should have been WL-HL by now. I see members who were at the same length as me 2 years ago currently rocking those lengths. I'm happy for them and they have given me the encouragement to get there myself. I just can't help kicking myself for dropping the ball.
 
ckisland said:
I think my hair just isn't as malleable as other naturals of the same type, because styles don't set as well and they don't lessen shrinkage like they would on someone else. I've seen a handful of other naturals with a similar situation. One (on another forum) is HL but her hair shrinks up to just her shoulders. I think we lack elasticity because my coils and curls have never had the spring I've seen in others hair. It is what it is.
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True, it is what it is and we just work as best we can with what we have. I'm sure you'll figure out what's best for you and your hair. Take your time though, no rush :yep:
 
Angel of the North , if you don't mind me asking :look:, what's your regimen and what relaxer do you use? Was it simple neglect that caused your setback or something else (too much heat, not enough protein, etc)? Your hair is so thick in your siggy :lick:.

HoneyA said:
True, it is what it is and we just work as best we can with what we have. I'm sure you'll figure out what's best for you and your hair. Take your time though, no rush :yep:
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:o
 
ckisland said:
Angel of the North , if you don't mind me asking :look:, what's your regimen and what relaxer do you use? Was it simple neglect that caused your setback or something else (too much heat, not enough protein, etc)? Your hair is so thick in your siggy :lick:. :o
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ckisland Thank you, and I don't mind you asking at all. I am actually in the process of attempting to simplify my regimen but so far, this is what I've got.

Relax and trim 3 x per year using affirm mild
Co-wash weekly (2-3 times in the spring/summer)
Shampoo 1 x per month/5-7 weeks depending on how my scalp feels (1 lather clarifying poo then 1 lather moisturising poo)
DC weekly with or without heat (I try to alternate with moisture and protein, if I co-wash with moisture con, I use a protein DC and vice versa)
Protein treatment one week before relaxer and two weeks after (while I'm using mild/medium protein regularly, I don't really need to do a protein treatment that often, if I didn't use protein regularly, I would do a treatment every 6-8 weeks)
HOT once per month
ACV final rinse once per month
Moisturise 3-4 times per week and seal with oil ( I change the oil monthly)
double seal with a natural butter
I use my splitender to dust upto 12 weeks post then scissors to dust halfway between my next TU and trim and the last time I used the splitender.

I've recently started to let my DC cool off and then use a rinse out con to rinse out DC, I've only done it twice but so far so good and I'm monitoring my hair for any progress. I also use the opposite of the DC moisture /protein wise.

It was mainly neglect that caused my setback but I was using heat during this time too which only added to the problem, I cut from BSL to APL and watched what felt like all of my progress get cut off until my ends were finally looking decent again. As I was not DC'ing regularly, my hair was not getting enough protein or moisture.

I got back onto my HHJ around June/July of last, I am still building a regimen because the last time I was sticking to one, my hair was texlaxed and certain techniques did not work the same for my relaxed hair. The pic in my siggy is from the end of Dec 2012 and is my starting pic for 2012, I haven't posted any length checks for a while and I don't intend to until my next TU which is at the end of July, but I know I've made progress, I'm currently 13 weeks post.
 
ckisland, have you seen eclark6's shrinkage? Her hair looks like it's WHIP length and it shrinks to above her shoulders. I discovered her yesterday when someone bumped this thread http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=656915

Her hair jump/shrinkage is awesome!

However, I can relate to when your hair will not cooperate with the way you want to style it. Like the others, I believe that relaxing is an option/styling choice, but please don't be rash and take your time.

Do you live in a hard water area?
 
MileHighDiva said:
ckisland, have you seen eclark6's shrinkage? Her hair looks like it's WHIP length and it shrinks to above her shoulders. I discovered her yesterday when someone bumped this thread http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=656915

Her hair jump/shrinkage is awesome!

However, I can relate to when your hair will not cooperate with the way you want to style it. Like the others, I believe that relaxing is an option/styling choice, but please don't be rash and take your time.

Do you live in a hard water area?
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Her hair is absolute gorgeous both ways, but it just makes me feel that there's no hope for me :lachen: . Everyone else seems to get thrilled about shrinkage, but I'm just like, y'all can have fun with that, I've spent the majority of my natural years with shrunken hair. I've gotten my fill and I still don't know what's suppose to be so great about it :lol:.

pre_medicalrulz said:
Yesss!! I love it when this thread is poppin'!! Heeeeyyy ladies!! ;)
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And here I was thinking that I was posting too much :lol:. I'm just hair-mad is all :catfight: LOL !
 
Aireen said:
Ugh omg my hair feels dryyyyy. :nono:
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Girl, I was gonna say me too because I've been super busy and lazy. My intentions are good but, getting to a good DC has been tricky.

But again, I said I WAS gonna say, because....

HoneyA said:
@Aireen :spank: don't allow your hair to get to that stage. Speaking from experience :lol:
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HoneyA is handing out :spank:

:takecover:



soldier4hair said:
My hair is bsl. The white girl said my hair is not long. All of that is my shoulder; shrugs.
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Girl, she's trippin. But, I guess it's perception. They're used to longer lengths so I guess what's long to us is shoulder length to them.
 
I want to be TBL by Dec 2014, that's why I'm hanging in this challenge. HL seems absurd to me by Dec 2013.

Im bunned out only after 3 days!! I miss my wigs though. Sigh. Gonna check out RPGShow & see if there's any new wigs to invest in. I really have to buy the men's cap to protect my edges. This mess just got real!
 
This was my hair a couple months ago. I'm about to put in a sew in and will update once I take it out.
 

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