My 4A Story/It can happen

Thank you for sharing, this message is right on time for me. :yup: I'm going on 3 years since my last relaxer and still only grazing APL. I'm also type 4 and often feel discouraged going into a lot of the progress threads.
 
Dee Raven, congrats on reaching your childhood dream length. Isn't it great to hit a major goal without realizing it until you are there? You favor Whitney Houston--very lovely.
 
Thanks for sharing your story. What was your goal, b/c it looks like you're hip length. If HL was your goal, then you shot really high (and achieved).
 
You know I really love this Board. You guys really have me tearing up right now. Thanks so much for the kind words. And favoring Whitney Houston, Newgrowth15, I couldn't get a better compliment. Love her.

So as far as regimen, over 6 years there really is no set regimen. I'm currently experimenting with Mahoganycurls method, which is mix between curly girl and conditioner only. So far I like the results on my curls. So we'll see. But there are some basic tips that I recommend, particular for you guys who are natural:

1. Stop going to the salon. I hate to sound like I'm on a crusade against stylist and I know we have some wonderful stylists on this board. But if your goal is to grow long hair, stop going to the salon. This step alone will drastically improve your retention.
2. KISS (Keep it simple) Less really is more. And not just productwise, also stylingwise: twists/twistouts/braidouts/buns/straighten sparingly.
3. Put conditioner on your hair prior to washing. This helps with detangling and cuts down on wash time. I used to take over an hour to detangle, now in less than 20 minutes.
4. Denman brush. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but if you have dense hair like I do, I would consider it because there is nothing that gets those old hair strands out like the Denman.
5: No blow-drying. To straighten, I put my hair in two buns for a day. Then I flat iron. The blow dryer really ripped my strands out and caused one of my set backs. I advise this particularly for people with fine hair. Rollersetting is probably a good option as well. And I know some people use the tension method and I think that would probably work as well. But that comb attachment is no bueno.
6**: When you feel like giving up, remember that a year will pass regardless. Where do you want to be in a year. This is particularly true for people who are natural who are going through a moment of self-doubt. You can stick it out and be 4 - 5 inches longer in a year, or you can relax, decide you don't like and transition all over again.
7 Henna: The one product that I will rave about for the fine haired ladies is LUSH's henna bars. Do not follow their instructions. With all the hair I have on my head, I use 2 blocks only. Mix with hot water, add conditioner if you need to stretch it a little bit. It is gross, it takes a long time, it sucks to get out BUT your hair will feel so amazingly soft and strong that it is worth it. Please PM me if you are interested in trying because I have some tips on how to get it done successfully.

I hope this helps you guys on your HHJ.
 
Thank-you for posting this! I'm 4A and have been contemplating going back to texlaxed the past few weeks.
 
DeeRaven congrats on reaching your goal!!! It seems like my texture is similar to yours and I have been staying at the same length for ever, even though I do a lot of stretched styles I still get a lot of SSK's this is stopping my progress. I am doing a lot of the things you suggested except for the denman its too much for my hair. Your hair is an inspiration for me to keep hope alive.
 
Yaaaaaaay! Congrats to you lady for reaching your goal. Thanks for sharing your inspiring story. Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous!
 
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