SHOULDER LENGTH 2011 CHALLENGE!

[faithVA]

Here's my curlformer do from today. It didn't come out to badly. Since going natural I've never worn my hair straight for more than 6 hours. So I have it in 2 strand twist bantu knots to see if it will be wearable tomorrow. I have no idea what to do with straight hair.



I now remember why I always cut my front short. It grows long and the longer it grows the straighter it gets. So I end up having to pull it back all the time and it just hangs limp. Straight hair took me waaaay back.

 

[Imani]

No growth no nothing to my view point.I want to just relax or shave it off bc my hair naturally I guess wasn't made to grow long.The longest my hair has been is a good collar bone length even while growing up.I may need to abandon this hhj since its costing so much on me money wise and emotionally.I love seeing all these pretty heads of hair though.

Thats about the longest my hair has ever been as well. I've been on the boards since about late 05 and never made it past SL but I should be hopefully breaking that barrier very soon. I've taken occasional breaks from the hair board/trying to grow my hair out. If you are really fed up with it, maybe just take a break and come back later, but don't fully abandon it bc I truly believe everyone can have at the very least APL hair.

 

[bajandoc86]

Don't give up GoddessMaker, take a break if needs be, but don't throw in the towel.

You are gorgeous btw!

 

[Imani]

If I make APL or REALLY close at the end of the month, I will start a BSL 2012 thread if it hasn't been done yet by then.

 

[lushcoils]

Thats about the longest my hair has ever been as well. I've been on the boards since about late 05 and never made it past SL but I should be hopefully breaking that barrier very soon. I've taken occasional breaks from the hair board/trying to grow my hair out. If you are really fed up with it, maybe just take a break and come back later, but don't fully abandon it bc I truly believe everyone can have at the very least APL hair.

Same here. I just reached collar bone. I've been at this HHJ for awhile, This is the longest I have gotten because my hair is very particular and it took me a long time to find products that it likes to help me retain.

Now, I believe I can reach longer lengths (at least APL) with focusing on the health of my body (water, vitamins, green smoothies, salmon, almonds, exercise, etc) and hair (serious protective styling, dusting every 2-3 months, steaming, moisturizing/heavy sealing, good proteins, etc).

I hope this inspires you Goddessmaker. Focus on health. What can you do to make your hair healthier? The length shall come.

 

[Missjae09]

Congrats on your trim! I have been battling not becoming so into what length my hair is that end up with raggedy ends because I'm afraid to trim. The reality is if i were APL and my ends were a mess I would still be as unhappy as I was when I was EL.

I straightened my hair today because I wanted to cut off the last off my color treated ends. I have been doing this gradually for a year and it was getting old. I think it was about a year ago when I realized my hair was jacked up. So I decided I would trime off the 1" to 2" to get my ends healthy. It hurt a little because I knew I wouldn't make it to APL by December.

So my hair now is the same length or .5" to 1" shorter than it was when I hit SL in April. I'm still SL but just barely. But I think all of my layers now are between chin length and collar bone length.

I don't think I will straighten again this year. My stretched hair and my straightened hair are close enough in length for me to do a length check. I think I will straighten again when my hair in the back fully reaches APL.

So 2011... the Year of Restoration
2012... the Year of Incredible Length

 

[Missjae09]

You twists are lovely!! I just put mini twists in my hair, and I actually like them this time. I have made about 3 or 4 attempts at wearing twists and they look a mess and I just end up with a twist out, but this time I really feel like I can wear them for a minute. I have watch many-a you tube videos on tutorial of how to do twist and mini twist. I think the secret is PRACTICE! the more you do them the better they start to look... or at least that has been the case with me.

I'm hoping wearing twists will get me, my 2 inches by years end, even though I trimmed it a little.

I'm really itching to start this BSL 2012 thread. But I just reaaaally don't want to keep up with a challenge that big. Oh well, I'm sure it will pop up near the end of the year. Plus I kinda want to make APL before I get my hopes too high to even think of BSL.

In other news I did my first ever natural style attempt. Some sloppy twists pulled back. Its ok, I really just don't know how to make them not be frizzy/unravel. I just got sick of wigs and was curious how they'd look. Now I know that I like them, just need to figure how to do them better.

 

[Missjae09]

Thats about the longest my hair has ever been as well. I've been on the boards since about late 05 and never made it past SL but I should be hopefully breaking that barrier very soon. I've taken occasional breaks from the hair board/trying to grow my hair out. If you are really fed up with it, maybe just take a break and come back later, but don't fully abandon it bc I truly believe everyone can have at the very least APL hair.

I sooooo agree with the bolded! Scientifically we should be able to! The key is finding out what works for your hair, building a solid foundation: good shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer for your hair. Also I have a few "long hair idols" (if you will); mainly ladies who are 4a/b and who did not have hair down their backs as kids, and they all use various products (inexpensive ones for the most part) they all pretty much PS but I also noticed that they all have very gentle hands when dealing with their hair and a ton of patience to go along with it.

I feel like have goal dates can sometimes have the opposite affect than they are supposed to have, when you don't reach your goal, it can be very discouraging. GoddessMaker hang in there girly we are growing hair a half inch at a time!

 

[Missjae09]

Does anybody feel me??? Now, I have these mini twist in my hair and I really think they are cute (coworkers loved them too), and I was going to take a pic to post, but in the pic I look like "small head bald head!" LOL!!! This has happened to me a thousand times, I style my hair, it looks cute in the mirror, I take a pic and it looks nothing like what I see in the mirror! LOL! I would love to post pics to encourage my short haired ladies, but the camera just doesn't cooperate... and i'm sick of it! lol

 

[Imani]

[/I][/U][/SIZE][/B]


I sooooo agree with the bolded! Scientifically we should be able to! The key is finding out what works for your hair, building a solid foundation: good shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer for your hair. Also I have a few "long hair idols" (if you will); mainly ladies who are 4a/b and who did not have hair down their backs as kids, and they all use various products (inexpensive ones for the most part) they all pretty much PS but I also noticed that they all have very gentle hands when dealing with their hair and a ton of patience to go along with it.

I feel like have goal dates can sometimes have the opposite affect than they are supposed to have, when you don't reach your goal, it can be very discouraging. GoddessMaker hang in there girly we are growing hair a half inch at a time!

Thats the main thing that kept me going. I've been at this for 6 years, outside of hair boards people probably would think I was delusional and shoulda been thrown in the towel

But Im a very analytical person and when I read the the science behind it, it just made sense to me that I should be able to have long hair. Its very simple, unless theres some sort of serious medical/skin issue, everybody hair grows. Period. Some slower than others, but it still grows. So all we have to do is retain it. Even if you add in terminal growth period theory, even someone with the shortest terminal growth period can still have at least APL hair if they retain the hair they grow.

So in the back of my mind I always knew it was possible for my hair to be long. But I knew I might would have to take some extreme measures given my texture and at the time I wasn't ready to do that. Extreme (to me at the time) meaning no more relaxers and protective styling/low manipulation. Thats in addition to finding the right products/techniques for your hair.

I liked straight hair and I liked wearing my hair out all or majority of the time. Some folks can do that and still have long hair. I can't and thats why every year, my hair would break and I'd have setback after setback.

 

[Imani]

You twists are lovely!! I just put mini twists in my hair, and I actually like them this time. I have made about 3 or 4 attempts at wearing twists and they look a mess and I just end up with a twist out, but this time I really feel like I can wear them for a minute. I have watch many-a you tube videos on tutorial of how to do twist and mini twist. I think the secret is PRACTICE! the more you do them the better they start to look... or at least that has been the case with me.

I'm hoping wearing twists will get me, my 2 inches by years end, even though I trimmed it a little.

At least you can do a twist out. I'm about 90% sure I'd look a hot mess with at twist out esp since the front of my hair is heat damaged.

Actually tho, I take that back, my hair has gotten longer, so it might actually have the POTENTIAL to look decent but it would just take too much work and a bunch of trial and error that I'm not willing to do at this point in time. And I'd have to rod the ends in the front w/those tiny perm rods. And I don't see it lasting more than 1 day. I'm not willing to go through all of that for a one day style.

 

[LifeafterLHCF]

I will keep trucking.I guess my hair is a touch fuller and hopefully by 2013 I can be on the road to apl.

 

[Charla]

No growth no nothing to my view point.I want to just relax or shave it off bc my hair naturally I guess wasn't made to grow long.The longest my hair has been is a good collar bone length even while growing up.I may need to abandon this hhj since its costing so much on me money wise and emotionally.I love seeing all these pretty heads of hair though.

GoddessMaker

Sorry you feel that way. Have you ever looked into using MSM. It's been proven to lengthen the growing phase of your hair, which in turn can increase your terminal length. And MSM should be taken with a dose of Vitamin C that is 50-100% the dose of MSM. And MSM should be taken twice a day because it only lasts in your system 12 hours. Currently I take 1500mg MSM plus 1000 Vitamin C at around 10 am and 10pm every day.

I've never been past SL, but I'm sure I'll be making it now because of doing things I've never done in the past like taking the MSM and protective styling. The picture below is all the growth I've had (minus about a 1/2" trim) since Oct 22, 2010 -- the date of my last relaxer. This is all natural hair in a blow out taken 8/15/2011. So just shy of 10 months and I'm grazing SL starting from zero! And I've NEVER been past SL in my life!


Doing that, along with protecting your ends like a beast should get you past SL and beyond. HTH!

 

[Charla]

faithVA

What kind of band do you have around your hair in the last pic in your siggy? I want something like that but haven't seen it in stores. I'd like something decorative around my puff too!

 

[faithVA]

GoddessMaker[/USER];14156401]No growth no nothing to my view point.I want to just relax or shave it off bc my hair naturally I guess wasn't made to grow long.The longest my hair has been is a good collar bone length even while growing up.I may need to abandon this hhj since its costing so much on me money wise and emotionally.I love seeing all these pretty heads of hair though.

I agree with Imani. Don't give up yet especially if you really would like to be natural. And if it is costing you a lot then you may need to just simplify.

What's your regimen? What are you using on your hair? What are you doing to your hair? How are you wearing your hair? We would love to support you to SL.

 

[faithVA]

Missjae09[/USER];14157569]Does anybody feel me??? Now, I have these mini twist in my hair and I really think they are cute (coworkers loved them too), and I was going to take a pic to post, but in the pic I look like "small head bald head!" LOL!!! This has happened to me a thousand times, I style my hair, it looks cute in the mirror, I take a pic and it looks nothing like what I see in the mirror! LOL! I would love to post pics to encourage my short haired ladies, but the camera just doesn't cooperate... and i'm sick of it! lol

I feel you girl. I was saying this last week. I did a twist out and my hair was fierce and big. And on the pic, I had this lopsided, homeless looking somethin. And the list goes on and on. On the days I really think my hair is looking good I try not to take shots until the day is over so it doesn't ruin my style.

My hair looks better is camera shots when people are just naturally taking pictures vs. the ones I pose for. It drives me crazy but what else can we do.

And taking wet hair pictures. IMPOSSIBLE

 

[faithVA]

If I make APL or REALLY close at the end of the month, I will start a BSL 2012 thread if it hasn't been done yet by then.

:woohoo: You are already really close so its a done deal.

 

[faithVA]

Congrats on your trim! I have been battling not becoming so into what length my hair is that end up with raggedy ends because I'm afraid to trim. [USER]The reality is if i were APL and my ends were a mess I would still be as unhappy as I was when I was EL[/USER].

I knew this was true for me as well. And every time I did my hair I was growling at my ends. I had put if off for a year and a year of delay was enough. I now have a head full of hair with NO SSKs. I have never felt my hair like this.

Don't know how long it will last but it feels good to play in for the moment. And I'm thinking the new trim will eliminate all of that major breakage I had from the colored ends. No more color for me

 

[faithVA]

Charla[/USER];14158657]@faithVA

What kind of band do you have around your hair in the last pic in your siggy? I want something like that but haven't seen it in stores. I'd like something decorative around my puff too!

Charla that is actually a scarf which I just picked up from a hair show or a store. I'm sure it was inexpensive. Cato's has nice inexpensive scarves with colors and designs.

I didn't have enough hair for a real puff back then so had to make the illusion of one with the scarf.

When I do find bands I just get them from the regular drug stores: CVS, Rite Aid. They don't usually have nice colors. So I may put the band on first to hold the hair and then put the scarf on top for the color and design.

 

[LifeafterLHCF]

faithVA lets see I either phony bun or wig my hair.I wash my hair weekly when its phony bunned since I use gel.When its wigged up I will wash every 2 weeks and co wash weekly.I dc normally all day on Sunday and I moisturize with my water glycerin mix daily.I don't know what else to do to my hair.I take 5 mg biotin 2mg msm daily along with a liquid vitamin.I just want a decent length so I won't be so dependent on weaves and wigs to look nice.I look like a boy with a fro or my hair in its natural state or a child when its pulled in a bun using only my hair.

 

[faithVA]

GoddessMaker[/USER];14158831]@faithVA lets see I either phony bun or wig my hair.I wash my hair weekly when its phony bunned since I use gel.When its wigged up I will wash every 2 weeks and co wash weekly.I dc normally all day on Sunday and I moisturize with my water glycerin mix daily.I don't know what else to do to my hair.I take 5 mg biotin 2mg msm daily along with a liquid vitamin.I just want a decent length so I won't be so dependent on weaves and wigs to look nice.I look like a boy with a fro or my hair in its natural state or a child when its pulled in a bun using only my hair.

Your regimen sounds good. So when did you start and how long was your hair then? And how long is your hair now?

As you can see in my siggy I started with a shaved head so I definitely have gone through your phase. Your hair may be growing fine but maybe you are just in the painful stage.

 

[NikkiQ]

Oh man I missed this thread while I was gone!!! Bachelorette party weekend was a blast and I wore my hair in a wash n go puff the whole time. Today I need to really prep my hair for my install tomorrow. I'll probably clarify and then follow up with a moisturizing shampoo, a good protein treatment and LOOOOOOoooong DC. Install will be in until the end of the year so I need to make sure I baby my hair up VERY well before I get it done.

 

[chelleypie810]

just got a trim yesterday. it had been about 7 months so it was about time to get one. about a 1/2 in and 1 in was cut. You can't really tell but the ends look fantastic. i love just trimmed ends. i started taking hair skin and nail vitamins. cvs brand and they were buy 1 get 1 free. i was gonna stock up but i know they have buy 1 get 1 free sale on their vits all the time and i wanna see their effectiveness before I buy more. I might go for about 4 months before I give it up. So until dec, and hopefully ill be able to reveal some good progress. I just want a good 2 in before the end of the year. Loving the new products I've been using from silk dreams. its been keeping my hair nice, moist and shiny which I love. Good luck everyone! Hope everyone is close to their goals! Back to the books!

 

[faithVA]

NikkiQ[/USER];14159291]Oh man I missed this thread while I was gone!!! Bachelorette party weekend was a blast and I wore my hair in a wash n go puff the whole time. Today I need to really prep my hair for my install tomorrow. I'll probably clarify and then follow up with a moisturizing shampoo, a good protein treatment and LOOOOOOoooong DC. Install will be in until the end of the year so I need to make sure I baby my hair up VERY well before I get it done.

Glad you had a blast. I hope we get to see the wedding day hair/look.

 

[Imani]

GoddessMaker Do you have an album to track progress? Sometimes if you are looking at your hair everyday you may not notice that you've made progress without having pics to see the difference.

Also, how long ago did you start being serious about healthy hair practices? Sometimes we have old ends from previous damage that can't be salvaged so it takes some time to get rid of those (either they break off on their own or get them cut off) and get a fresh head of healthy hair.

 

[LaidBak]

I wonder... is it too late to join?

 

[LifeafterLHCF]

LaidBak its never to late join..just pick up and grow.

I have been on my journey seriously forever I never straigthen my hair as I'm scared of heat damage and my hair which a stylist called it spongie hair won't hold curls really at all.I'm always ps I'm wearing my hair out now but I'm at home and won't be going anywhere for this other people holiday.I am going to wash my hair in a bit and dc until tomorrow.

 

[LaidBak]

Cool. I am trying to get back to SL after my umpteenth setback. As you can see my ends are raggedy and my hair is dry. I'll be using both topical and oral growth aides, as well as increased DCing, monthly cassia treatments, nightly moisturizing and sealing with ceramide oils. These are from July.

 

[Imani]

LaidBak its not too late to join. GoddessMaker I have had the exact same comment made about my hair, that's its like a sponge. I assume they just mean that its very porous. Just a property of our hair we have to work with, doesn't mean it can't also be get long with the right care.

Sent from my SGH-T839 using SGH-T839

 

[Missjae09]

lol exactly!! it's quite sad!

I feel you girl. I was saying this last week. I did a twist out and my hair was fierce and big. And on the pic, I had this lopsided, homeless looking somethin. And the list goes on and on. On the days I really think my hair is looking good I try not to take shots until the day is over so it doesn't ruin my style.

My hair looks better is camera shots when people are just naturally taking pictures vs. the ones I pose for. It drives me crazy but what else can we do.

And taking wet hair pictures. IMPOSSIBLE