Tips for achieving BSL?

myhairgrowstoo

myhairgrowstoo

Well-Known Member
Everytime I'm almost BSL I hit a setback. I get APL, once even BSB, then BAM! I hit a wall. I'm usually always in between SL and APL nowdays. What was it that you had to finally learn before you achieved full BSL?
 
Keep your hair off your clothes and keep it moisturized. Just keep it put up until u reach BSL.

Allow yourself one time out of a few months to wear it down until u reach BSL.
 
I need this advice too. I can hit APL in no time, but my hair seems to slow down (or so I think) after APL.
 
What I might do then according to the advice is airdry my hair after washing it (DC 2x wk), wait til my hair dry and use creamy conditioner (Komazacare Aloe Leave In). But I need a heavy oil. Is Vatika oil? It is solid but it doesn't feel as though it's doing much for my hair. Jamaican Black Castor Oil is too think. I need. A good in-between. Any reviews on the thickness of grapeseed or macadamia oil?
 
I'm 1 full inch away from BSL. The thing that has helped me the most is PS. Keeping your ends healthy and tucked away is great for retaining length.
 
myhairgrowstoo said:
What I might do then according to the advice is airdry my hair after washing it (DC 2x wk), wait til my hair dry and use creamy conditioner (Komazacare Aloe Leave In). But I need a heavy oil. Is Vatika oil? It is solid but it doesn't feel as though it's doing much for my hair. Jamaican Black Castor Oil is too think. I need. A good in-between. Any reviews on the thickness of grapeseed or macadamia oil?
Click to expand...

Try almond, avocado. They are medium type oils. Coconut is light and so is grapeseed
 
I have argan oil but it isn't the pure one and has mineral oil :/ I'm taking notes on your oil suggestions tho! I switch between ps-ing in a bun and braidout updos, but I'm going to switch for full time bun. But my new growth (I'm texlaxed) is so puffy I have to put on a cotton wraparound headband (like today) and I feel so Blah!
 
PROTECT THOSE ENDS LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW. I'm close to making BSL for the first time ever in my life because I have been PSing regularly.
 
I did roller sets and flatironed my roots only, no direct heat on the length of my hair. Moisturized and sealed very consistently!

Sent from my ice cold evo 3d y'all!
 
myhairgrowstoo said:
Everytime I'm almost BSL I hit a setback. I get APL, once even BSB, then BAM! I hit a wall. I'm usually always in between SL and APL nowdays. What was it that you had to finally learn before you achieved full BSL?
Click to expand...

BSB and BSL are the same thing; so I guess you've hit this length before.
 
i've had setbk at mbl,apl, and bsl several times over the yrs where i had to cut to apl or btw apl-sl. my last one was a little over a year ago due to severe dryness and i've been back on track for about a little over a year now. i love layers so when i say bsl this is where my longest layer hits.

here's what i do:
i pre/dc and wash/condition in sections and detangle with a slippy lotion type leave in and a shower comb

i moisturize and seal, since this winter has been so awful i will also use a liquid, then a cream/butter and a oil 5-7 times a week in winter, 1-3 in the spring/summer. lately i have sealed the last 2-3 inches of my ends with castor for added protection.

i trim/dust every 3 months

protein is my friend! i use komaza protein strengthner every 4-6 weeks and sometimes more if needed, its far superior to aphogee 2 step in terms of ingredients.

i have not been wearing twistouts much, i have been leaving my hair twisted and putting it in buns/ ponytail.

some of the oils i use in my oil mix include:
hemp
sapote
evoo
evco
castor or jbco
kukui
meadowfoam

my fave moisturizers have ceramides in them and i have been using some from claudies revitalizer (isha, quinoa-coffee balancing, balancing ends insurance). in the future i may also try some from hairitage hydrations as she has quite a few creams/lotions/butters with ceramide oils.
 
Last edited:
myhairgrowstoo said:
What I might do then according to the advice is airdry my hair after washing it (DC 2x wk), wait til my hair dry and use creamy conditioner (Komazacare Aloe Leave In). But I need a heavy oil. Is Vatika oil? It is solid but it doesn't feel as though it's doing much for my hair. Jamaican Black Castor Oil is too think. I need. A good in-between. Any reviews on the thickness of grapeseed or macadamia oil?
Click to expand...

You can mix a little bit of castor oil with grapeseed oil to get the viscosity you want.
 
SmilingElephant said:
Keep your hair off your clothes and keep it moisturized. Just keep it put up until u reach BSL.

Allow yourself one time out of a few months to wear it down until u reach BSL.
Click to expand...

Definately this, it helps so much! It's boring but it gets you to where you wanna be :yawn:
 
i am on the BSL train myself. the thing that is helping me is the LOC method and keeping my hair protected. i bun everyday unless, i go somewhere special. i just use spin pins to pin my hair up. i don't use things that will snag my hair. even when i am at home, my hair is covered in my scarf.

so the best thing is to keep your ends moisturized and protected until you can get over the hump.
 
not at BSL yet but what finally got me to APL was to keep my hair off my shoulders. For me that means if my hair is in twists it must be in an updo and I do twistouts and puffs when the twistout gets old.
 
if you are shoulder length or shorter and considering going natural, and you have fine hair, do it! do it now..... fine hair is really hard to get to retain to bsl and treat with chemicals. that hair on your ends will just eventually melt away at a certain point.....this is for fine haired ladies. ladies with thicker hair don't have as many issues with that.

don't do what i did and reach BSB, then decide to transition....you will be so attached to your hair length at that point that you will have to do a long term transition....problem with long term transition you ask? well, you don't get to retain any length. you will spend a year or two or three just trimming away your relaxed ends. your hair will be the same length for awhile. that can be discouraging when you spent years trying to achieve a certain goal length.

deep condition every week at least, if not twice a week.

stay off heat. period.

protective style like your life depends on it. pick 3-6 occasions during the year you will wear your hair down for and only wear it down then. i promise you will retain more. in the years that i protective styled 12 months straight, i retained WAY MORE than when i wore my hair down 1-2 times a month.

learn to trim your ends yourself. don't let stylists touch your growing mane. just don't.
 
SmilingElephant said:
Keep your hair off your clothes and keep it moisturized. Just keep it put up until u reach BSL.

Allow yourself one time out of a few months to wear it down until u reach BSL.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Late December thru the first or second week of January, I decided I wanted to wear my hair out and show off my new length and within those few little weeks, my hair would not retain moisture and started breaking. I was sure I was experiencing a set back. I also flat ironed parts of my hair more during that time than I ever did in a year. It was proven to me that if I want to continue gaining length, I'll have to wear protective styles pretty much 24/7/365 and have a no direct heat regimen.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
Macadamia oil is a medium weight oil like almond oil. It seems to nourish my hair a bit more than almond oil does. Consider something like crisco or a butter to coat and protect the hair from the elements in the winter.
 
It seems that the concensus here is protecting your ends and keeping them off your clothes.

Question: I am 2 -3 inches away from APL. I mostly wear roller sets (curls are tight enough that my hair is off my shoulders and clothes). When I wear a wool coat, I always line the collar with a satin scarf and allow the length of the scarf to fall down the coat in case my curls fall. The only heat that I use is a hooded dryer to DC. My roller sets are even air dried.

Is this enough? Can I get to my goals without wearing my hair up all the time?
 
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