Welp, I'm at WL...

C

Cherokee-n-Black

Well-Known Member
:perplexed This was actually never a goal of mine. I thought "that is just too much hair" so I stood corrected when all these naturals started telling me that they were SL curly and WL or longer when stretched/straightened. When I tell you my hair is *barely* touching my shoulders curly, you can believe no one was more surprised than me. The even more insidious aspect of shrinkage: I was using the same amount of product on my hair that I was a year ago, thinking my hair had not grown much and wondering why they didn't seem to be working. Started using more product, they started working again! So my question is...if I'm at SL curly and that translates to WL stretched/straightened how ****** long would my hair really have to be to get to say, APL/BSL????
 
I have given a lot of thought to this because I too suffer from the shrinkage demon. I have noticed most women who wash and go curly have 50 percent shrinkage (as a frame of reference that is my level of shrinkage in a braid out which is the only state in which I wear my hair out).

Full hip length is probably when your hair will rest or 'present' at full arm pit length without stretching techniques or heat.

Tailbone/Classic length will probably be when your hair falls at bsl/mbl.

This is using the information that your hair is shoulder length in its curly state/waist length in its stretched state and assuming that you are about 5'7 with an average build.

I hope this was helpful.

There are ways to mess with this. I have noticed that curlformers are useful as well as flat twisting because that effectively stretches your roots. I have noted that effectively stretching the roots can add two to three inches of length.

Of course there is always heat use...but that has it's own issues as I am sure you are aware.

ETA: By the way in reference to using the same amount of product because it feels like your hair didn't grow... I was so guilty of this!
It is only now I am using what approaches enough product and all of a sudden my hair is more manageable :lachen:. My tangling gripes were almost completely due to being fooled by what I see in the mirror :spinning:!
 
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Congratulations! You said how long would it take for you to be APL/BSL un-stretched? Have you measured how much you need to get to HL TBL? APL/BSL un-stretched probably depends on your shrinkage. You know how shrinkage can be a tricky son of a gun, you didn't even know you hit WL :rofl: It may possibly stay at SL while you hit HL or TBL or go to APL/BSL you never know with moody shrinkage :rofl:
 
The fact is depending on your curl pattern your half may never reach past your shoulders curly
And when stretched may well be tail bone lool

I A lot of people hair will just get bigger and expand outwards than actually hang down
 
DoDo said:
ETA: By the way in reference to using the same amount of product because it feels like your hair didn't grow... I was so guilty of this!
It is only now I am using what approaches enough product and all of a sudden my hair is more manageable :lachen:. My tangling gripes were almost completely due to being fooled by what I see in the mirror :spinning:!
Click to expand...

In response to the bolded part, this is why I actually walk away from the mirror when I start using product, especially on wash day with my conditioners and leave-in.
 
Being that you have curly hair and major shrinkage, I think the longer ur hair gets the more fuller it's gonna get versus length unstretched. If, that make sense.
 
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girl if you don't stop playing and come on back with pictures! You know how we be! :look:congrats!
 
I feel you OP. The longest my hair has grown to is MBL, but if I wore a wash n'go, my hair shrunk to my chin :perplexed. I let go of the dream of having APL hair first because of shrinkage, and secondly, because my curl pattern actually got tighter and shrunk more with length :blush:. I cut my hair to a little past APL, and my hair is the exact same length shrunken but now my curls are bigger, like they were the first couple of years after going natural. I've heard of curls and coils getting looser or staying the same with length, but getting tighter? Not so much so.

I still want to grow my hair to HL because my braidouts will at least be longer, and hopefully my wash n'go will get a lot bigger and have a little more length :pray:
 
Seamonster said:
Congratulations, I came in here hoping for pictures.
Click to expand...

I actually have never figured out how people take these pics of them stretching their own hair. I think I have to get someone to help with that, I'll come back with a pic!:lol: And I don't know why I'm acting like I didn't KNOW ya'll would say that!:lachen:
 
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DrC said:
Congratulations! You said how long would it take for you to be APL/BSL un-stretched? Have you measured how much you need to get to HL TBL? APL/BSL un-stretched probably depends on your shrinkage. You know how shrinkage can be a tricky son of a gun, you didn't even know you hit WL :rofl: It may possibly stay at SL while you hit HL or TBL or go to APL/BSL you never know with moody shrinkage :rofl:
Click to expand...

I have a feeling this might actually happen. HL/TBL is heavy! I get headaches now whenever I rock a bun. So, I may just need to accept my shoulder length and move on!
 
Getting my torches ready while waiting for the pitchas............ LOL!

Okay, I'm messing with ya. I will patiently wait. Congrats on your amazing progress. I was just discussing this phenomenon with one of Niko's cousin. I knew a woman in HS that was SL. She came in one day and was WL and we didn't believe her. We knew about shrinkage but not in that proportion. I think that is so cool!
 
Lucie said:
Getting my torches ready while waiting for the pitchas............ LOL!

Okay, I'm messing with ya. I will patiently wait. Congrats on your amazing progress. I was just discussing this phenomenon with one of Niko's cousin. I knew a woman in HS that was SL. She came in one day and was WL and we didn't believe her. We knew about shrinkage but not in that proportion. I think that is so cool!
Click to expand...

The stretchy damp hair pic is a couple of threads above. I just took that, so you'll have to wait for the dry hair! LOL
 
Cherokee-n-Black

I'm mad you came in here like Eeyore with no pics and what not and you have some gorgeous hair! Stop trippin! I love how your hair hangs and your curls are very pretty.
 
This is the dry hair pic. I stretched it using two big twists this a.m. Looks like it worked. Normally it's about 2 - 3 inches shorter than this.

2d7sqps.jpg
 
sipp100 said:
Congratulations!

Thanks for the pics of your beautiful hair - now I need you to post a video to YT, lol
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sipp100 - Girl please, I'm just catching up to you, I see! Congrats to you too. (No way I was putting a tape measure around my waist. I know I don't have one--a waist that is--but trust me, my hair is at it!) LOL
 
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