When Has Your Hair Been it's Longest? Relaxed vs. Natural

[chicacanella]

Right now...mostly telaxed and some natural. Between WL and MBL though some would say WL.

 

[winnettag]

Natural.
I'm sure it's just because I have better hair practices now and I really didn't know how to care for my relaxed hair,... but I'm not going to relax again just to test that out! lol.

 

[metro_qt]

My hair was long when I was 16 years old, it was waist length.
That's because my mom kept me in braids all the time.

I remember she pressed it, and we took a picture to commemorate it,
a couple of weeks later, she took me to get my first relaxer. lol

i'm trying to achieve the same thing texturized or relaxed....

 

[jetbeauty09]

Jheri curl days when I was a lil girl. I haven't been natural long enough to determine if otherwise. I'm going to bet my hair will surpass my usual SL next year this time.

 

[Misshairdiva]

Natural.
I got my first relaxer in the 6th grade and until I stopped putting relaxers in my hair (Dec 07) I always thought that my hair just did not grow. (Atleast that is what my momma told me!)
When I first went natural my hair was at shoulder length. Now, when I strectch out my hair, its bra length! I will never get another relaxer again with my hair retaining length the way it does now!

 

[MonPetite]

Relaxed.

I've just gone back to the natural thing after living out ravor-edge-bob fantasy so, from here on out it should be natural (or texlaxed, still haven't decided).

 

[Lanea87]

A natural kid.....

 

[DDTexlaxed]

My hair was longer when I was relaxed, but I really didn't give my natural hair a chance. My natural hair grew fast, but you really couldn't tell how long it was.

 

[shasha8685]

My hair was longer when I was a child and was natural. Now that I know how to take care of my relaxed hair, maybe I can get to that longer length again

 

[ladylibra]

my hair is much longer natural than when i was relaxed.

however, i did abuse heat like crazy back then. i think if i had stumbled across this site first and learned some things, i might have gone for healthier relaxed hair, as opposed to healthy natural hair. i don't regret my choice though!

 

[BostonMaria]

For me its been natural, but I think its also because now I am doing my own hair every week and not relying on a stylist.

Relaxers didn't work for me because I changed stylists too many times in a year, it was applied root to tip every time, and I wasn't giving my hair the proper TLC. I won't go back to relaxers. Well I definitely will continue being a do-it-yourselfer

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

my hair was longest when i was relaxed. i wasn't natural long enough to catch up to my relaxed length.​

 

[glamazon386]

My hair was longer relaxed. I haven't met my longest relaxed length as a natural yet.

 

[Sashaa08]

My hair is longest relaxed. I was natural for about 20-21 years and the longest length (even as a child) was just below SL. I've been relaxed for about 7 years and my hair is the longest it has ever been.

 

[Ms_Twana]

I voted, "I was natural," but I recently texlaxed. Soooo......hopefully my future answer will be texlaxed.

Did you have longer hair when relaxed/texlaxed or natural? Was your hair healthier when relaxed/texlaxed or natural? What contributed to your hair being it's longest when it was?

ETA: Sorry, I didn't read the post at first, so I didn't realize there were other questions. I think little to no heat and moisturizing contributed to my hair being the longest that it was. But, then again, I was relaxed pre-LHCF. I know what to do now, as a texlax. So, I'm sure I will continue to retain my length.

 

[p381]

Did you have longer hair when relaxed/texlaxed or natural? Was your hair healthier when relaxed/texlaxed or natural? What contributed to your hair being it's longest when it was?

My hair was longest actually when i had Jheri Curl (a good few years back now ). It was pretty curly & was a little past shoulder length, so if i relaxed it - i guess it would be a lot longer than shoulder length.....maybe APL!

I'm not sure if it was healthier than it is now (i'm Texlaxed & now know to take care of my hair better etc.), but it was a lot healthier than when i had my hair relaxed or when i had box braids. (My hair didn't seem to grow at all with those 2 methods. In fact, my hair broke off! ) .

I think what contributed to the growth (at that time) was using the Scurl-type moisturizers & gels (which i still use now) and not really "combing" the hair too much.
For those of you too young to remember, you basically applied the spray & gel then just ran a Pick thru it quickly, shaped it with the palms of your hands & that was it.

My hair grew a lot more quicker with the Jheri curl (i'd say 2 inches every 2 months) as opposed to now (1 inch every 2 months) and i had a few BC's within those years as i kept going from Jh. Curl to relaxer (we're talking really TWA's) but i never had a problem with the hair growing back to shoulder length again once i stuck with Jheri curl..

Obviously, Jheri Curls became unfashionable pretty quickly and everyone started wearing weaves or braids etc. and that's where my hair problems started really.

After years of having relaxed hair, weaves & braids - my hair is now only Neck Length. But with the knowledge i've learned from this forum & good hair care, i should be shoulder length again in no time!

 

[fyb87]

My hair has been longest being natural. However, that was only because I didn't straighten it and due to shrinkage I didn't know how long it was. I went to straighten it one day and it was at the top of my tailbone. When I had it relaxed I never let it grow past BSL. I would always cut it since it was more manageable. I'm 99% sure it would have grown to that same length while relaxed if I hadn't cut it all the time!

 

[Solitude]

My hair was the longest when I was a kid & it was natural. However, by my birthday in September, and definitely by December 2009, my hair will be relaxed (or transitioning ) and longer than it has ever been.

Back then, my mom did only no-heat & protective styling. I can mimic the same thing with relaxed hair with similar results. Therefore, I did not vote on the poll.

I don't know how "healthy" it was back then b/c my mom combed my dry hair and did tight ponytails all the time. Whenever I had my hair straightened (pressed), my ends were terribly split. Even though she DC'd, she didn't moisturize my hair daily (unless you count blue grease ).

 

[1QTPie]

My hair was the longest as a natural child.

 

[MAMATO]

Relaxed, of course

 

[JustKiya]

The longest my hair has ever been was BSL, and that was in locs.
The next longest my hair has ever been is APL, and that was while I was natural.
Right now, I'm sneaking up on APL's door again, and have no doubt that I'll surpass both of my previous long lengths.

 

[joib]

My hair is at its longest now, almost waist length. I've had a relaxer since I was 13. Now that I know how to take care of my hair I am seeing great length. Weekly co-washing and deep condition has improved my locks. Natural hair products and leave in conditioners keeps it healthy. And I can't forget moisturizing.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

I've only been natural a year or so, but I'm fast approaching my length I was when relaxed, assuming all this swimming doesn't damage my hair and cause me to have to cut it some.

 

[Afrobuttafly]

I've only been natural for 8 months so I can't properly judge it really. When I was relaxed the longest my hair got was about apl. I am predicting based on progress so far and amount of breakage that my hair will far surpass that as I am a naptural chick. My hair is definitely more healthy natural. My hair was a shedding, breaking, uneven mess when I was relaxed.

 

[DivineNapps1728]

ETA: DivineNapps- How long was your hair prior to going natural? I only have APL as a reference point but if your hair was BSL or longer then perhaps 3 years isn't enough time for your hair to reach that length again depending on your growth rate. So you may just need to give it more time and it will surely get there again.

The longest my hair was when relaxed was just shy of apl. I agree that I need to be more patient, but I wish I could snap my fingers & instantly have healthy bsl hair lol

 

[Jazzmommy]

My hair has been the longest natural. I was about MBL as a young child, but lost most of it when my mom put in a relaxer when she couldn't handle it anymore. I went natural again about 1988 to try to grow my hair long again which was past shoulder length, but decided about the early 90s to try another perm (was told by stylist it would be mild and perms had improved since the 70s Revlon perm my mom put on my head .)
In its permed state my hair was never past shoulder length (except when pregnant )

In 2006, I did a BC and am now about APL, so my hair has always been its longest natural and healthiest. I really don't believe that I can tolerate the chemicals even with the knowledge gained on the board.

 

[chocolate01]

I am natural and my hair is the longest it has been. When I was relaxed my hair my hair would always grow to about armpit length and then stop. Now that i'm natural my hair grew to my 2 inches below my brastap..before I chopped it off and started over again.

 

[mscocoface]

Natural and this is the longest it has ever been in my life. It is working for me. Minus the shrinkage, but I digress. Natural wins!

 

[spelmanlocks]

My hair is longer now that I am relaxed. I attribute that to me knowing how to better care for my hair, as opposed to when I was natural I abused my hair with hot combs.

 

[aquajoyice]

My hair is currently at it's longest, i've been texlaxing for about 5 years and it's BSL. Before that I was relaxing and got a big cut due to damage. I'm now getting on the stretch band wagon and will try to stretch my texlaxes out to 4-5 months. So hopefully I'll see a lot more growth.