@flyygirlll2 it's true! The growth and retention you had in that time frame is very impressive. Well done. You and these knots on my ends have got me seriously contemplating incorporating twists into my styling regimen asap.
. I'm just making sure to keep my ends as moisturized as possible.
Thank you! I practically live in two strand twists. I still battle with ssk's though
That's interesting. From this list, I fail on points 7-11. Although I prefer washing/keeping the hair in twists instead of braids as I do too much damage with braids.My observations for many tail bone length women with afro-textured hair:
- Hair is rarely washed more than 1x per week
- Hair is washed in braids or twists or sections(one on one attention is given to either each section and/or each braid in that section). This one may seem obvious and well known. But the difference is that these women don't take all braids/twists out at once and combine the hair on a regular basis. Either they undo the hair and leave it in its own section, or they wash, condition and leave all hair in braids/twists. To detangle and comb out, they do one braid at a time, leaving the rest braided or twisted or sectioned but tend to not combine all the hair together.
- Note: I overlooked this. I have always washed and conditioned my hair in braids. But after I detangled a section, I would combine it with the other sections. Hence, I would always need to use a comb to detangle it and get it back into sections. With these ladies, fingers are used more than the comb.
- Also, I realized that I have been damaging my hair NOT at the detangling stage, but before, during my braiding and unbraiding. I pull and snatch my hair apart and the force or tension maximized at the ends of my hair causing tangling and breakage. I have been damaging my hair before I even began the detangling process.
- For the first time EVER in my hair care process, I did not need to use a comb because I washed, oiled and conditioned my hair in braids. I carefully and gently undid a braid, while leaving the rest braided. I put in my leave in and gently re-braided that one braid. Surprisingly, the unbraiding/leave-in/braiding took a long time even without detangling with a wide, toothed comb.
- Hair is sectioned / done in sections-See detail above, point #1.
- Hair is stretched before it is styled (bantu knot, banded, heat stretched). Some women let there hair dry in
- braids or twists
- bantu knots
- banded hair
- put on rollers
- Some women lightly blow dry
- Hair is kept stretched after it is styled (These ladies tend to gather their twists and pin around their heads or combine the twists creating some kind of stretching on the hair.)
- Shea butter is often used (protects hair and organic tissue like hair and skin from the break down of proteins on the exposed surface by the environment, specifically protects against the sun.) It may not be used throughout the entire journey, but during significant time frames or points in the journey (transitioning only, washing, sealant, etc)
- Extremely low maintenance styles (For me, low maintenance styles are not necessarily protective styles! I define low maintenance styles as those where the hair is manipulated as little as possible.)
- Some braid or twist hair until it dries and leave it for three days to a week, then undo the hair to wear braid outs or twist outs until the next wash day.
- Some leave the twists or braids in until the next wash day.
- Some do up do's
- Specific daily hair end regimen (or frequent as in 2 or more times per week, ends given special attention)
- Even if the entire braid or twist is redone , they tend to have a specific regimen for the ends
- Ends are wetted or spritzed with water, an oil is added (Water + oil) (Usually castor oil or shea butter).
- Protective Styles (For "me" , protective style is determined by what you are doing with the ends of the hair. If the ends are not up and out of the air, I do not consider the style protective.)
- Ends are twisted up, covered, tucked and/or kept from the air like Wanakee Pugh taught years ago
- Hair ends or the entire head is kept covered or protected during the day and/or at night
- Head scarves for night
- Tucking or hiding hair during the day or night
- Trimming
- Trimming done on a fairly regular basis
- Trims tend to be done in braided or twisted styles (Unevenness not an issue as most of these women rarely or ever wear heat straightened hair styles)
- Time
(2 to 8 year journeys. The average seems to be 5 years.)
I'm so not ready to give them up! 
That's interesting. From this list, I fail on points 7-11. Although I prefer washing/keeping the hair in twists instead of braids as I do too much damage with braids.
I'll have 5 years sans relaxer in April, and while I'm somewhere passed WL (but not HL), I feel like I retain slower than I used to. I definitely do more damage to my hair due to WnGs, and my length draping over my jackets, scarves, etc... I'm thinking that I'll give it another year (2018) and if I don't get significantly closer to TBL then I'll stop being so lazy and go the extra mile.
I really do need someone to find me a tailbone-lengthed youtuber that does WnGs 99% of the time!
But if you're indeed ever in the Paris area, don't be shy! The croissant and 
will be on me. 
That's interesting. From this list, I fail on points 7-11. Although I prefer washing/keeping the hair in twists instead of braids as I do too much damage with braids.
I'll have 5 years sans relaxer in April, and while I'm somewhere passed WL (but not HL), I feel like I retain slower than I used to. I definitely do more damage to my hair due to WnGs, and my length draping over my jackets, scarves, etc... I'm thinking that I'll give it another year (2018) and if I don't get significantly closer to TBL then I'll stop being so lazy and go the extra mile.
I really do need someone to find me a tailbone-lengthed youtuber that does WnGs 99% of the time!
LOL @MileHighDiva I see you matchmakin'!
But actually! It may have been on YouTube that I noticed you (@Chicoro) were somewhere in France early in 2016, or '15? I had asked if you were in Paris and I believe you replied asking me if I was currently there, but I noticed the reply very late and that was that. If you remember that short exchange, that was me.
@pelohello you heaven sent! I will definitely check this beauty out, thanks sis!
I don't have TBL either, but I noticed I always have to make more sections as well. My crown is broken down into 2-3 sections alone.
Hi @beingofserenity ,
So glad you asked...It's going to be long...
My observations pertain to hair that is squarely in the 4 range, or hair that looks like mine (3 range) and "acts" and grows like it is type 4 hair. I dislike hair typing but it helps to cut to the chase to get everyone one the same page quickly during a discussion.
My observations for many tail bone length women with afro-textured hair:
That's all! It's enough, I know!
- Hair is rarely washed more than 1x per week
- Hair is washed in braids or twists or sections(one on one attention is given to either each section and/or each braid in that section). This one may seem obvious and well known. But the difference is that these women don't take all braids/twists out at once and combine the hair on a regular basis. Either they undo the hair and leave it in its own section, or they wash, condition and leave all hair in braids/twists. To detangle and comb out, they do one braid at a time, leaving the rest braided or twisted or sectioned but tend to not combine all the hair together.
- Note: I overlooked this. I have always washed and conditioned my hair in braids. But after I detangled a section, I would combine it with the other sections. Hence, I would always need to use a comb to detangle it and get it back into sections. With these ladies, fingers are used more than the comb.
- Also, I realized that I have been damaging my hair NOT at the detangling stage, but before, during my braiding and unbraiding. I pull and snatch my hair apart and the force or tension maximized at the ends of my hair causing tangling and breakage. I have been damaging my hair before I even began the detangling process.
- For the first time EVER in my hair care process, I did not need to use a comb because I washed, oiled and conditioned my hair in braids. I carefully and gently undid a braid, while leaving the rest braided. I put in my leave in and gently re-braided that one braid. Surprisingly, the unbraiding/leave-in/braiding took a long time even without detangling with a wide, toothed comb.
- Hair is sectioned / done in sections-See detail above, point #1.
- Hair is stretched before it is styled (bantu knot, banded, heat stretched). Some women let there hair dry in
- braids or twists
- bantu knots
- banded hair
- put on rollers
- Some women lightly blow dry
- Hair is kept stretched after it is styled (These ladies tend to gather their twists and pin around their heads or combine the twists creating some kind of stretching on the hair.)
- Shea butter is often used (protects hair and organic tissue like hair and skin from the break down of proteins on the exposed surface by the environment, specifically protects against the sun.) It may not be used throughout the entire journey, but during significant time frames or points in the journey (transitioning only, washing, sealant, etc)
- Extremely low maintenance styles (For me, low maintenance styles are not necessarily protective styles! I define low maintenance styles as those where the hair is manipulated as little as possible.)
- Some braid or twist hair until it dries and leave it for three days to a week, then undo the hair to wear braid outs or twist outs until the next wash day.
- Some leave the twists or braids in until the next wash day.
- Some do up do's
- Specific daily hair end regimen (or frequent as in 2 or more times per week, ends given special attention)
- Even if the entire braid or twist is redone , they tend to have a specific regimen for the ends
- Ends are wetted or spritzed with water, an oil is added (Water + oil) (Usually castor oil or shea butter).
- Protective Styles (For "me" , protective style is determined by what you are doing with the ends of the hair. If the ends are not up and out of the air, I do not consider the style protective.)
- Ends are twisted up, covered, tucked and/or kept from the air like Wanakee Pugh taught years ago
- Hair ends or the entire head is kept covered or protected during the day and/or at night
- Head scarves for night
- Tucking or hiding hair during the day or night
- Trimming
- Trimming done on a fairly regular basis
- Trims tend to be done in braided or twisted styles (Unevenness not an issue as most of these women rarely or ever wear heat straightened hair styles)
- Time
Edit: Forgot some form of protein is used whether be in a commercial product, treatment or DIY. Frequency depends on the head of hair.
Lolololol. More recently I asked myself "Can I grow my hair to hip length?" When I started my hair journey the goal was waist length. Now that I've been hovering at waist length for nearly 2 years, I haven't progressed past that.
So glad you asked...
My observations pertain to hair that is squarely in the 4 range, or hair that looks like mine (3 range) and "acts" and grows like it is type 4 hair. I dislike hair typing but it helps to cut to the chase to get everyone one the same page quickly during a discussion.
My observations for many tail bone length women with afro-textured hair:
That's all! It's enough, I know!
- Hair is rarely washed more than 1x per week
- Hair is washed in braids or twists or sections(one on one attention is given to either each section and/or each braid in that section). This one may seem obvious and well known. But the difference is that these women don't take all braids/twists out at once and combine the hair on a regular basis. Either they undo the hair and leave it in its own section, or they wash, condition and leave all hair in braids/twists. To detangle and comb out, they do one braid at a time, leaving the rest braided or twisted or sectioned but tend to not combine all the hair together.
- Note: I overlooked this. I have always washed and conditioned my hair in braids. But after I detangled a section, I would combine it with the other sections. Hence, I would always need to use a comb to detangle it and get it back into sections. With these ladies, fingers are used more than the comb.
- Also, I realized that I have been damaging my hair NOT at the detangling stage, but before, during my braiding and unbraiding. I pull and snatch my hair apart and the force or tension maximized at the ends of my hair causing tangling and breakage. I have been damaging my hair before I even began the detangling process.
- For the first time EVER in my hair care process, I did not need to use a comb because I washed, oiled and conditioned my hair in braids. I carefully and gently undid a braid, while leaving the rest braided. I put in my leave in and gently re-braided that one braid. Surprisingly, the unbraiding/leave-in/braiding took a long time even without detangling with a wide, toothed comb.
- Hair is sectioned / done in sections-See detail above, point #1.
- Hair is stretched before it is styled (bantu knot, banded, heat stretched). Some women let there hair dry in
- braids or twists
- bantu knots
- banded hair
- put on rollers
- Some women lightly blow dry
- Hair is kept stretched after it is styled (These ladies tend to gather their twists and pin around their heads or combine the twists creating some kind of stretching on the hair.)
- Shea butter is often used (protects hair and organic tissue like hair and skin from the break down of proteins on the exposed surface by the environment, specifically protects against the sun.) It may not be used throughout the entire journey, but during significant time frames or points in the journey (transitioning only, washing, sealant, etc)
- Extremely low maintenance styles (For me, low maintenance styles are not necessarily protective styles! I define low maintenance styles as those where the hair is manipulated as little as possible.)
- Some braid or twist hair until it dries and leave it for three days to a week, then undo the hair to wear braid outs or twist outs until the next wash day.
- Some leave the twists or braids in until the next wash day.
- Some do up do's
- Specific daily hair end regimen (or frequent as in 2 or more times per week, ends given special attention)
- Even if the entire braid or twist is redone , they tend to have a specific regimen for the ends
- Ends are wetted or spritzed with water, an oil is added (Water + oil) (Usually castor oil or shea butter).
- Protective Styles (For "me" , protective style is determined by what you are doing with the ends of the hair. If the ends are not up and out of the air, I do not consider the style protective.)
- Ends are twisted up, covered, tucked and/or kept from the air like Wanakee Pugh taught years ago
- Hair ends or the entire head is kept covered or protected during the day and/or at night
- Head scarves for night
- Tucking or hiding hair during the day or night
- Trimming
- Trimming done on a fairly regular basis
- Trims tend to be done in braided or twisted styles (Unevenness not an issue as most of these women rarely or ever wear heat straightened hair styles)
- Time
Edit: Forgot some form of protein is used whether be in a commercial product, treatment or DIY. Frequency depends on the head of hair.
This is what I dont do, unfortunately. My length checks are the few times per year I flat iron or blow dry and I'm like "look my hair grew!" How often would you suggest documenting and taking photos?
.
