How Much Length do You Need to...

[Sianna]

Okay if there is a thread like this already, someone point me to it, I didn't bother searching!

Anyway, since joining this site, I learned that there are women here whose hair ranges from very short to really long. So, for those of us who have shorter hair, I think it might be good for us to have a single thread where we can ask how much length it will take to achieve certain hairstyles. (First ponytail, bun, puff ect.) I don't necessarily expect specific inches, though that would be nice, especially for those of us who are boarder-line OCD and measure our hair every month. But a general idea would be good and pictures are always welcome!

Alright, I'll ask the first question! How much hair do I need to do single braids? And I'm talking about braids just using my own hair. No extensions!

By late September, I am hoping to have four inches of hair. On me this will reach almost, but not quite to my shoulders. I'm expecting to see SL by November. At any rate, I'm just curious to know whether or not single braids would look okay at that length, what with the shrinkage and all. Or maybe I could help the shrinkage and curl my hair on some perm rods? :scratchch

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Oh and pics! Pics are always appreciated!

TIA!

ETA: I forgot to mention that the braids I want to do will be very small. Not quite as small as micro-braids, but close.

 

[Sianna]

No one else has any questions they want to ask? No suggestions?

 

[LayneJ]

I *think* you will be able to do singles on SL hair. I have never tried though, so I will bump this thread for more answers.

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

When do you reach a ponytail? I have 4 in of hair and I'm dying for a pony.

 

[lovely_locks]

my last relaxer was 3 months ago. at what month did your hair look like a nice girly fro? right now i feel like a boy.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

I have been able to do single braids since EL but obviously it's not a cute style. I did it more for a good braid out effect. I'm slowly scraping towards NL/SL hair and I can just now do a decent puff... almost a ponytail. I can't express how special I felt when I discovered that (lol)

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Great post!

 

[Evallusion]

I think you should be able to do single braids on 4 inches of hair. It seems doable to me, especially if you make them small.

What I would love to do, is be able to make two puffs or a ponytail. HOw much length do I need for this. Gosh I can't wait for some length...am I the only person bored with the whole TWA/TA phase?

 

[lovely_locks]

I think you should be able to do single braids on 4 inches of hair. It seems doable to me, especially if you make them small.

What I would love to do, is be able to make two puffs or a ponytail. HOw much length do I need for this. Gosh I can't wait for some length...am I the only person bored with the whole TWA/TA phase?

i am! ugh, i need a new style.

 

[Nonie]

I honestly don't think there's a length you have to wait for to do single braids. I mean, people see nothing wrong with sporting comb coils when hair is this short:

...so why couldn't those be tiny braids?

When I was growing up in Kenya as soon as you could grab hair to braid, you did. I remember having tiny braids on my hair which you'd wet and smooth back. I've shared that sleeping with hair unbraided was a no-no so as soon as you could braid your hair, you did. Undoing hair and combing it every morning like many do here was not the norm. You wore braids till your hair got untidy or had an important event to go to (church, a birthday party, etc) And if you could save yourself having to redo the plaits or cornrows by doing them small and many of them that don't get messy fast, then you did.

If twists were not just easier for me to undo when done on my own hair w/o extensions, this style could've been done with tiny braids. My hair just locks up when braided without extension hair especially if I leave the style in for weeks and through many washes as I tend to do:

 

[Nonie]

Deleted. Last image in previous post fixed.

 

[Sianna]

I shoulda know you would come through for me Nonie!! You usually do, even when you don't realize it!

I had initially planned to braid my hair around November, but now I'm thinking I want to do it sooner. I don't think I'm ready to do it now, if only because I am still struggling with HIH disease and would probably loose my mind having my hair put away like that.

Anyway, I really just wanted to get an idea of what small, individual braids would look like on four inches of hair. Thanks for the pics! And it's hilarious that Google is imposing rules on you for you to post your own pictures!!

 

[Sianna]

my last relaxer was 3 months ago. at what month did your hair look like a nice girly fro? right now i feel like a boy.

Do you mean that you BC'd three months ago? Did you transition? How much hair were you left with if you did the BC, and what do you consider a nice "girly" fro?

Just asking so anyone who wants to answer can have a better idea of what you mean.

For example, I BC'd 1-25-2010, and was left with about half an inch of hair. Now it's six months later, and my fro is much bigger, but I still refuse to wear it out without at least a headband. I don't consider it big enough for that yet so I've been wearing it as pictured in my avatar. Just took that picture the other day.

 

[Nonie]

my last relaxer was 3 months ago. at what month did your hair look like a nice girly fro? right now i feel like a boy.

Girl, my hubby hated it if I wore my hair like an afro coz to him I looked like a boy and he's as homophobic as the come,

...but he loved it if I pulled it back to a puff. He thought it looked cute and more girly, even if it meant looking like a bald newborn with a bow just to ID that she's a girl.

So this was one of my first puffs:

If I plaited my hair into many plaits (as big as I could get them), then my puff looked a lot fuller and cuter, IMO:

 

[Sianna]

^^ Nonie, you are just flat out AWESOME!! You always have all this fantastic information, and pics to boot!

Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I might be falling in love with you!

 

[Nonie]

^^ Nonie, you are just flat out AWESOME!! You always have all this fantastic information, and pics to boot!

Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I might be falling in love with you!

In my culture, I'm allowed to marry a younger woman to have babies for me so if you're up for it... oke:

This is Sianna, on that note:

 

[Sianna]

In my culture, I'm allowed to marry a younger woman to have babies for me so if you're up for it... oke:

This is Sianna, on that note:

No ma'am!! I'm in!! I now pronounce us wife and... wife!

Now I'll be able to stalk your hair in person!

 

[Nonie]

Oh snap!

Er...looks like this is where I

 

[Sianna]

Oh snap!

Er...looks like this is where I

You big tease!

 

[SouthernBeauty]

Girl, my hubby hated it if I wore my hair like an afro coz to him I looked like a boy and he's as homophobic as the come,

...but he loved it if I pulled it back to a puff. He thought it looked cute and more girly, even if it meant looking like a bald newborn with a bow just to ID that she's a girl.

So this was one of my first puffs:

If I plaited my hair into many plaits (as big as I could get them), then my puff looked a lot fuller and cuter, IMO:

My husband is the same way! I swear he gets nervous when I decide to wear another style other than the "puff"!! I told him I was rollersetting my hair for next week (I am joining him on a business trip) and he didnt rest until I showed him a picture of how it is suppose to look! I decided not to tell him it might not look the exact same way bc its my first try!

 

[SouthernBeauty]

Oh snap!

Er...looks like this is where I

Fuuuunny!!!!

 

[Nonie]

My husband is the same way! I swear he gets nervous when I decide to wear another style other than the "puff"!! I told him I was rollersetting my hair for next week (I am joining him on a business trip) and he didnt rest until I showed him a picture of how it is suppose to look! I decided not to tell him it might not look the exact same way bc its my first try!

Love it!