I have a very serious question???

[Bellamystic]

Why is it that women and men I see who always wear protective styles like braids, never retain length?

• I've always wondered that. I know a guy who always takes his hair down and gets it rebraided again, but his hair never gets any longer. I know we're probably getting into terminal length, but his hair is not even atleast 12 inches. Probably about 8.
• Then, a gay girl from high school always had her hair in individual braids with her real hair and it was kind of long about 10 inches, but her hair is the same length it was 5 years ago in high school. She still wears cornrows and never wears her hair out.
• A girl I knew from Middle School ALWAYS had her hair in a bun every single day and I seen her recently with the same bun, but her hair isn't any longer.

I don't get it, because when I used to wear sew-ins and never applied products to my hair, I was retaining length and my hair was getting longer even before LHCF. I don't get why this doesn't happen for everybody. Of course we are all different, but how can their hair not get any longer and all they did/do is wear protective styles?

 

[Poohbear]

You never know... those three people you mention may get hair cuts or something... But it could be that they may have reached terminal length or may not take good care of their hair. Who knows. I don't think it's solely because of wearing protective styles.

 

[ms.blue]

All they were doing was protective style but they were not retaining b/c maybe of washing & conditioning & or moisturzing w/ the wrong products.

 

[pookaloo83]

I know what you mean. Reminds me of the rapper Da Brat. Even though she wore braids it's like her hair was always the same length!

 

[Americka]

You never know... those three people you mention may get hair cuts or something... But it could be that they may have reached terminal length or may not take good care of their hair. Who knows. I don't think it's solely because of wearing protective styles.

ITA w/ Poohbear on the various possibilities! However, I strongly lean towards not taking care of the hair while it is in protective styling. How many times on the board have ladies mentioned friends who don't wash their hair or moisturize for weeks and months while in braids or weaves? IRL, the majority of people I know who braid or weave their hair do so because it is an easy/low maintenance style - not to protect or retain what they grow.

 

[Whimsy]

Maybe they're cutting their hair.

 

[♦K.O♦]

Some people cut their hair.

Some people have a certain length where their hair will require extra upkeep because the stress that is applied to the old hair causes breakage. That length is different for everyone, and perhaps the lengths that these people stayed at was "their length."

 

[teysmith]

maybe they have bad detangling techniques.

 

[glamazon386]

Whoever is doing their hair obviously is not taking care of it. They could be tearing through it with the comb, it could be breaking off because it's dry, it could be heat damaged, braids could be too tight, etc.

 

[lushcoils]

Some of us were blessed with hair that breaks as it's touched. Maybe they're one of them.

 

[SimplyBlessed]

Well the ones who wore braids could have been getting them too tight which could cause breakage and thinness

 

[caribeandiva]

because protective styles alone are not enough. They need to deep condition with moisturizing and protein conditioners. If that doesn't work then they probably should get checked by a doctor.

 

[taura31]

I have the answer to this question. I've worn single braids pretty much all my life.The problem was that I would only wash my hair when i took the braids out, in fear that water would ruin the look of the braids. I would see about and inch or two of new growth while still in braids, but when I took the braids out I would always notice that my hair was either the same length or shorter from when I started. I would wash my hair with a regular stripping shampoo without deep conditioning and then blow dry my hair and have the braids put back in immediately all in the same day. I soon discovered this forum by accident believing everyone on this site had a weave and that their hair couldn't possibly be this beautiful and long. I was wrong.
I discovered the Crown and Glory technique from this site and soon started to take better care of my braids. I now wear my natural hair in all types of protective styles and not just braids. When I do have braids in I take better care of my hair. Therefore, these people that you have mentioned are doing what I used to do.

 

[hairedity]

I'd say it's the lack of hair care knowledge; and I highly doubt it's due to them cutting it.

 

[Nonie]

Not just that (ITA with all of the above) but also once hair gets to shoulder length, friction with your clothes even in braids can keep the ends in such bad shape that they don't grow longer. Also if their growth cycle is two years long, 12 inches may be all they may get before their hair sheds--and that is with total retention--so getting to 10 inches may just be as good as they will get in this imperfect world. *shrug*

You have to remember, the only thing braids do is stop manipulation. That helps a lot with hair that is weak/fine. But it doesn't mean the drying air isn't wrecking havoc on your ends. Or that any bad haircare practices to subject your hair to when you do take it out braids will all be excused because you were good when your hair was braided. You may end up undoing any progress you made with that bad practice.

Case in point: Me. (Forgive me those of you sick of seeing these same pics but they make good props in various discussions. )

My hair was BC'd in Feb 2007 to this:

I put in braids in April 2007 because I got tired of dealing with my hair, and I do well in braids. I try to keep my ends dusted but I don't always stick to a schedule with that. Anyway, because I was starting afresh, I did try to stay on top of my dusting. But I don't/didn't do the following:

• moisturize my hair after washing;
• seal the ends of my hair;
• wear my braids up much.

In short, I didn't do all I could have done for optimum haircare. Yet in June 2008, my hair was this long:

So obviously braids helped me with retention because of the low mani...but look at how bad my ends look. I would have to trim almost a whole inch to get nice ends.

I put my hair back in braids and in April 2009, my hair was not that much ahead of where it was in June, if at all:

So it's easy to think I had reached terminal length--and maybe I have. I truly didn't fret or worry about it. Being able to get my hair into an OK ponytail when it is pressed is a dream I never imagined achieving as a kid...so I am content with this achievement. Also knowing I didn't really do the best I could for my hair (moisture, seal) made me accept the status quo even more.

Anyway, in March 2010, stretching my hair at an angle showed me a length that I think is a new milestone for me. That I can sorta reach APL in the front at an angle tells me I'm probably around BSB (maybe not), but it is longer hair than I have known before...despite my lazy regimen:

So I know my hair is STILL growing. But for people who have known me for years, I may seem to be at the same length because they may not know of the BC I had in 2007, since I am always in braids. If they saw my hair before my BC, it was as long as it was in June 2008...so it may seem to them that since 2006, I haven't had any "growth".

In other words, lack of proper haircare due to laziness, or just complacency with the length they have so they aren't researching what else they could do to grow it longer...and changes that happen to their hair "behind closed doors" could explain why they people seem stuck at the same length. Also if they are not trimming their ends, then wear and tear may be contributing to ends so damaged that spread their ailment up the strands, so that they are not able to hold onto their ends and therefore not able to show any hint of growth going on. And if their growth cycle is 2 years long, then 12 inches is a goal they can hope for IF they will focus and do everything in their power that is good for hair growth. For a squirt like me, that may be BSL...and trust me, y'all won't be able to tell me nuffin if I wake up one day and find my hair stretches to the bra.

 

[caribeandiva]

I'd say it's the lack of hair care knowledge; and I highly doubt it's due to them cutting it.

me too.

 

[Bellamystic]

Not just that (ITA with all of the above) but also once hair gets to shoulder length, friction with your clothes even in braids can keep the ends in such bad shape that they don't grow longer. Also if their growth cycle is two years long, 12 inches may be all they may get before their hair sheds--and that is with total retention--so getting to 10 inches may just be as good as they will get in this imperfect world. *shrug*

You have to remember, the only thing braids do is stop manipulation. That helps a lot with hair that is weak/fine. But it doesn't mean the drying air isn't wrecking havoc on your ends. Or that any bad haircare practices to subject your hair to when you do take it out braids will all be excused because you were good when your hair was braided. You may end up undoing any progress you made with that bad practice.

Case in point: Me. (Forgive me those of you sick of seeing these same pics but they make good props in various discussions. )

My hair was BC'd in Feb 2007 to this:

I put in braids in April 2007 because I got tired of dealing with my hair, and I do well in braids. I try to keep my ends dusted but I don't always stick to a schedule with that. Anyway, because I was starting afresh, I did try to stay on top of my dusting. But I don't/didn't do the following:

• moisturize my hair after washing;
• seal the ends of my hair;
• wear my braids up much.

In short, I didn't do all I could have done for optimum haircare. Yet in June 2008, my hair was this long:

So obviously braids helped me with retention because of the low mani...but look at how bad my ends look. I would have to trim almost a whole inch to get nice ends.

I put my hair back in braids and in April 2009, my hair was not that much ahead of where it was in June, if at all:

So it's easy to think I had reached terminal length--and maybe I have. I truly didn't fret or worry about it. Being able to get my hair into an OK ponytail when it is pressed is a dream I never imagined achieving as a kid...so I am content with this achievement. Also knowing I didn't really do the best I could for my hair (moisture, seal) made me accept the status quo even more.

Anyway, in March 2010, stretching my hair at an angle showed me a length that I think is a new milestone for me. That I can sorta reach APL in the front at an angle tells me I'm probably around BSB (maybe not), but it is longer hair than I have known before...despite my lazy regimen:

So I know my hair is STILL growing. But for people who have known me for years, I may seem to be at the same length because they may not know of the BC I had in 2007, since I am always in braids. If they saw my hair before my BC, it was as long as it was in June 2008...so it may seem to them that since 2006, I haven't had any "growth".

In other words, lack of proper haircare due to laziness, or just complacency with the length they have so they aren't researching what else they could do to grow it longer...and changes that happen to their hair "behind closed doors" could explain why they people seem stuck at the same length. Also if they are not trimming their ends, then wear and tear may be contributing to ends so damaged that spread their ailment up the strands, so that they are not able to hold onto their ends and therefore not able to show any hint of growth going on. And if their growth cycle is 2 years long, then 12 inches is a goal they can hope for IF they will focus and do everything in their power that is good for hair growth. For a squirt like me, that may be BSL...and trust me, y'all won't be able to tell me nuffin if I wake up one day and find my hair stretches to the bra.

Thank you so much for posting your pics and your hair is grown alot in short time. I think you and I may have the same hair type. My TWA looks just like yours was.

 

[Aireen]

We also have to remember that not everyone wants or can put up with long hair. Some people just like their hair at one particular point because they like the way they look at a certain length, they can manage it better, they don't like long hair on their back, etcetc. For them frequent haircuts are just part of their regimen and they're cool with that.

 

[lilsparkle825]

I have the answer to this question. I've worn single braids pretty much all my life.The problem was that I would only wash my hair when i took the braids out, in fear that water would ruin the look of the braids. I would see about and inch or two of new growth while still in braids, but when I took the braids out I would always notice that my hair was either the same length or shorter from when I started. I would wash my hair with a regular stripping shampoo without deep conditioning and then blow dry my hair and have the braids put back in immediately all in the same day. I soon discovered this forum by accident believing everyone on this site had a weave and that their hair couldn't possibly be this beautiful and long. I was wrong.
I discovered the Crown and Glory technique from this site and soon started to take better care of my braids. I now wear my natural hair in all types of protective styles and not just braids. When I do have braids in I take better care of my hair. Therefore, these people that you have mentioned are doing what I used to do.

this is what my SO does. he gets this chick at a salon to take his twists out, then she washes his hair and runs a blow dryer through it before he has me redo the twists. he does this every 3-4 weeks. i've been doing his hair for 3 months now and i know i haven't seen any growth.

on the other hand, my sister (who has a solid moisture/detangling regimen) has been in braids/twists since mid-2008 and went from NL to BSL in about 10 months. we cut her back to APL in January and she's almost at BSL again. it's how you take care of it.