Quietly Reached Hip Length Natural 4a/ 4b Hair

[happycakes]

Thanks for sharing LovelyNaps26. Your progress is very inspiring. Congrats!

Do you have any pictures of your low maintenance hair styles that you're currently wearing?

Okay so this will be long but I wrote this up before. I pasted my regime below:

Hair Type

My hair is kinky-coily. For those who use hair typing I fall within the “4” type range. A few patches of my hair curl when wet but most of my hair takes on a cottony appearance and shrinks about 75%. My hair seems pretty thick but I actually think I’m at average density. I think I have a mix of medium and thick strands which makes my hair appear full.

Regimen
I now wash every other week with a non-sulfate cleanser. I pre-poo my my hair with oil and a conditioner and wash my hair in twisted sections. I usually twist my hair in medium twists or air dry in large twists and style later. I wear mostly protective styles and moisturize my hair every other day with a water based moisturizer.

Retain length and moisture
Low manipulation and low maintenance is key! I only use a comb on wash day when my hair is loaded with conditioner and oil. Because I’m on a bi-monthly wash schedule that means there are several months where I’ve only picked up a comb twice. I wear protective styles that can last two weeks with minimal touching up so that I manipulate as little as possible. I try to moisturize my ends 3 to 4 times a week.

Biggest Mistakes

In July of 2007 I flat ironed my hair into oblivion. I would touch up my hair daily (sometimes twice a day) with my flat iron set on 450 degrees. After two weeks of heat styling I washed my hair only to find my hair was straight, limp and fried. I slowly cut off the straight ends over the next year.

Best/most effective thing you do for your hair
Only combing my hair when it is coated with conditioner or at least a leave in moisturizer has been key to my length retention. For me, dry combing my hair is equivalent to a hair cut. The moment I realized that I saw the inches pile on.

 

[newgrowth15]

@LovelyNaps26, Congratulations on reaching new lengths. I have found that when I don't obsess about length, my hair surprises me when I actually do a length check.

 

[sharifeh]

awesome hair! Congrats!

 

[YesToHair!]

Beautiful hair!...congratulations!

 

[LiLi]

Beautiful!!!!

 

[yaya24]

Beautiful!
Congratulations on hip length.

I've seen you on BGLH & loved your hair & skin.

Had no idea it was you behind that Phylicia Rashad avi!!!!

 

[levette]

Awesome results

 

[Autumn~Tint~Of~Gold]

idk what took me so long to come in here but gorgeous longgg hair!!!!

 

[Autumn~Tint~Of~Gold]

@LovelyNaps26, Congratulations on reaching new lengths. I have found that when I don't obsess about length, my hair surprises me when I actually do a length check.

yup, our hair is like the watched pot

 

[msbettyboop]

the BIGGEST difference was detangling only when my hair was coated with oil and conditioner. I wasn't breaking my hair anymore. the next was being gentle with my ends. moisturizing them daily and protecting them. I started this in the fall of 2009 and by may 2010 the difference was astounding. longer and thicker. I retained 5 inches that first year...because I trimmed.

Did you protective style as well the entire time or you did other things with your hair? Thanks

 

[DeepBluSea]

Congrats! I needed to see this. Stuck at apl for 2 years now back at sl after bad hair cut. Definitely need to be more mindful during detangling and caring for those ends.

 

[PeaceFlow]

Congratulations

How did people react to your new length?

 

[LovingLady]

@LovelyNaps26 Your hair is beautiful. Thanks for the advice. My hair has been stuck at BSL/MBL for a while. I use to detangle before I washed my hair but I stopped, I am going to get back to that and track the results.

 

[LovelyNaps26]

Did you protective style as well the entire time or you did other things with your hair? Thanks

once i got to apl i would wear braid outs more often but still mostly protective. When i reached bsl i wore braid outs very often but retained very little that year. I returned to protective styles and achieved waist length within the next year. My hair won't lose length but it won't get longer if i exclusively wear out styles. I have to trim knots more often with those styles so i stay at the same length.

 

[LovelyNaps26]

Congratulations

How did people react to your new length?

People can tell i have a lot of hair even in its natural state. My updos are thick and my banded ponytails are long (around bsl). Still when it was straightened even the other stylists in the salon were surprised. I don't often see other black women with my hair type with waist length hair so i guess they don't see it to often as well. I was actually surprised. ..this is the longest my hair has ever been.

 

[EssenceOfBeauty]

Beautiful hair...just beautiful.

I miss your Youtube videos...if the channel I subscribe to is by you.
Thank you for sharing.

 

[bubbles12345]

once i got to apl i would wear braid outs more often but still mostly protective. When i reached bsl i wore braid outs very often but retained very little that year. I returned to protective styles and achieved waist length within the next year. My hair won't lose length but it won't get longer if i exclusively wear out styles. I have to trim knots more often with those styles so i stay at the same length.

What styles did you wear to get to waist length?

 

[LovelyNaps26]

What styles did you wear to get to waist length?

I'd wear large or medium twists then style them in updos. sometimes a low ponytail with the ends tucked

 

[Guinan]

Your hair is beyond gorg!!! And I love the simplicity of your reggie!!

 

[Alta Angel]

I think that is exactly what has happened to me. I wore buns and protective styles until I reached APL, then I wore nothing but braidouts for about 2 years. I didn't lose anything, but I barely gained. I have been wearing twists during the summer. I may have to find a way to make these things look cuter for the school year...

once i got to apl i would wear braid outs more often but still mostly protective. When i reached bsl i wore braid outs very often but retained very little that year. I returned to protective styles and achieved waist length within the next year. My hair won't lose length but it won't get longer if i exclusively wear out styles. I have to trim knots more often with those styles so i stay at the same length.

 

[HappilyLiberal]

 

[snoop]

I'd wear large or medium twists then style them in updos. sometimes a low ponytail with the ends tucked

I'm finding the same now. I have been trying to experiment with loose styles this year but haven't gained or lost length. I think I'm going to go back to wearing twists.

How often would you refresh your styles?

 

[LovelyNaps26]

I'm finding the same now. I have been trying to experiment with loose styles this year but haven't gained or lost length. I think I'm going to go back to wearing twists.



How often would you refresh your styles?

about once a week. twice during the summer

 

[Chicoro]

Congratulations on your gorgeous hair! Yep, as stated up thread, another LHCF unicorn with Barbie doll hair!

 

[ilong]

Beautiful hair. congratulations!

 

[larry3344]

Beautiful

 

[Janet']

...Don't have anything more to add to this thread other than to say You better do it!!! You hair is AWESOOMMMMMMEEEEE Oh yes!!! What is your end-goal?

 

[Cattypus1]

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing. There is hope for us 4-something coilies who want Length.