Your Current Length vs. Usual Length

[jwhitley6]

I see a lot of ladies here with long hair who seem to have had long hair for years. I'm curious to know who here has had short hair for most of their lives, and long hair now?

My sister-in law has type 2b-c hair past her butt, and most of her life kept it around mid-back to waist length, though it would have easily grown longer. I have shoulder length hair, and have always had shoulder length hair (unless I cut it shorter). I'm trying to get over my personal hump. I can't really ask my sis-in-law how to grow long hair. Her hair would be long if she did absolutely nothing to it (she really doesn't do anything to it). Who here has grown past what's usual for them?

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

my usual length for 28 years was shoulder length. now with 1yr of lhcf, i am currently a lil past APL!

 

[Kimberly]

My usual length is base of neck and now I'm past APL...never in my wildest dreams did I think my hair would get to be this long. What helped me get over the hump of my usual length was doing some things I wouldn't usually do....bunning, baggie method, and CWs come immediately to mind.

 

[leleepop]

I am about 1 and a half inches from armpit and my hair never really grew past my shoulders and shoulder blades. I have been with lhcf since november.

 

[jwhitley6]

My usual length is base of neck and now I'm past APL...never in my wildest dreams did I think my hair would get to be this long. What helped me get over the hump of my usual length was doing some things I wouldn't usually do....bunning, baggie method, and CWs come immediately to mind.

Nice...that's encouraging. Are you relaxed, natural, somewhere in-between? How long did it take you to grow it out?

 

[silvergirl]

been shoulder length till 3 yrs ago.

 

[jwhitley6]

my usual length for 28 years was shoulder length. now with 1yr of lhcf, i am currently a lil past APL!

What do you think got you over the hump?

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

What do you think got you over the hump?

Proper hair care. Even though i'm not big on protective styles. All this time i was buying alot of products targed to blacks and all they were is alot of petrolateum and I thoiught i was taking good care of my hair since i used them. From LHCF i have learned about relaxer stretching, doing a protein deep cond every 3weeks and moisturizing conds weekly. I also have learned that I need to moisturize daily. All of this has helped me keep fuller hair and retain my ends. Now when my hair is not acting right, i know how to analyze what is going on and come up with a solution. I feel so empowered...

 

[jwhitley6]

Proper hair care. Even though i'm not big on protective styles. All this time i was buying alot of products targed to blacks and all they were is alot of petrolateum and I thoiught i was taking good care of my hair since i used them. From LHCF i have learned about relaxer stretching, doing a protein deep cond every 3weeks and moisturizing conds weekly. I also have learned that I need to moisturize daily. All of this has helped me keep fuller hair and retain my ends. Now when my hair is not acting right, i know how to analyze what is going on and come up with a solution. I feel so empowered...

Congrats on your success! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Kimberly]

Nice...that's encouraging. Are you relaxed, natural, somewhere in-between? How long did it take you to grow it out?

I'm relaxed with about 2 inches of underprocessed/texturized roots. Its taken me about 2 years but I was going to the salon alot and, even though I knew better, fell victim to some SHS. I had several "trims" last year. This year, I am determined to stay away from the scissors until I reach my BSL goal...The first year, I really had to concentrate on the health of my hair but it doesn't look like you have to worry about that.

 

[Denim And Leather]

My hair has always been at the base of my neck, or above the shoulder, and that's because I've worn a sew-in weave for 16 years. Only when I took it out a year and a half ago, was when my hair started growing, but it stayed a little past the shoulders, because of all the heat my hairdresser was putting on it, the fact that I wasn't moisturizing my hair at allor washing it but once a week, nor was I doing any deep conditioning treatments!

Thanks to this forum, and the things I've learned from Cathy Howse's book, my hair is longer than it's ever been...it's now 3 inches above my bra strap, and I am stretching my relaxer for the first time in about 20 years! I can't wait to see how much my hair has grown when I relax it later this month.

 

[simplycee]

My usual length was just past shoulder length but not quite apl. My current length is bsl. I'm makin' progress one inch at a time.

 

[Isis]

My usual was above or at shoulder length. What got me over the hump was to give up all heat and learn from scratch how to care for my hair. The hair boards (mainly LHCF) and Cathy Howse's book helped me see the light!

 

[Chicoro]

My usual length for years was around collar bone. I used Wanakee's technique of protective styles to get passed that point to get to bra-strap. The baggie technique got me passed bra-strap to waist length.

 

[Kimberly]

My usual length for years was around collar bone. I used Wanakee's technique of protective styles to get passed that point to get to bra-strap. The baggie technique got me passed bra-strap to waist length.

Chicoro, I never thought about people with BSL using the baggie method. What did you use to cover the baggie?

 

[Radianthealth]

My current length is bottom of the neck. I have no doubt that I will reach shoulder length by the end of the year maybe even armpit length. I have always had hair that was just below the ear due to improper care. This is the longest and healthiest my hair has ever been. I have been caring properly for my hair since February or March of this year.

 

[nefertitiblack]

My hair is currently APL. I have worn a twa most of my adult life, and when I was a child and teen my hair was little below shoulder length. I never would have thought that it was possible for me to have bra strap or waist length hair until I came across Cathy Howse and Robin Woods. I think I would have grown my hair longer a long time ago if I knew it were possible.

 

[Queenie]

My hair has always been shoulder length and damaged. Now it is APL, soft and healthy. I had to scratch all of my old products and maintainace techiniques to get here.

 

[blueabyss333]

My hair has always been shoulder length and damaged. Now it is APL, soft and healthy. I had to scratch all of my old products and maintainace techiniques to get here.

How long did it take you?

 

[nurseN98]

My usual length was right between my shoulder blades for the back and about chin length for the front...this was when I was relaxed. For some reason the front never grew out past chin length. But now as a natural, the front is down to my collar bone (yaay!) and the back is about and inch past the shoulder blade.

 

[Candy_C]

last yr april i was just below shoulder length, now i am brastrap or maybe a bit past

 

[jwhitley6]

last yr april i was just below shoulder length, now i am brastrap or maybe a bit past

Is shoulder length the usual for you, or has your hair been long in the past?

 

[Faith]

I see a lot of ladies here with long hair who seem to have had long hair for years. I'm curious to know who here has had short hair for most of their lives, and long hair now?

My sister-in law has type 2b-c hair past her butt, and most of her life kept it around mid-back to waist length, though it would have easily grown longer. I have shoulder length hair, and have always had shoulder length hair (unless I cut it shorter). I'm trying to get over my personal hump. I can't really ask my sis-in-law how to grow long hair. Her hair would be long if she did absolutely nothing to it (she really doesn't do anything to it). Who here has grown past what's usual for them?

My hair was about shoulder length until from young child to age 18. Then between armpit and shoulder from 18 to 26. Then I cut it down to 1/2" (1999)...so growing out from 26 to 31 and now I'm at waist length (age 32).
Keeping in mind I believe I could have had waist length hair as a youngster (it was around shoulders) IF I knew what I know now...

 

[Victorian]

All my life I had relaxed hair that was what I would call medium length (shoulder to a few inches past). During my transition I reached bsl for the first time. After my big chop my hair was in a million layers, with the longest layer around collarbone length. After about a year of growing, that bottom layer reached bsl again. At this point every inch I gain is a "first time" for me. It's really exciting The plan is to be waistlength by the beginning of 2007. This is totally unheard of for me; I've never been anywhere near waistlength before. My sister has typically been able to grow her hair longer than I have (her hair is way thicker and more resilient than mine--my hair is fine and thin), but even she hasn't been waistlength. It's going to be an EVENT!!

For me the most important things for growth retention have been using quality products and taking it easy with the scissors. I now know what my hair feels like when it's properly nourished and balanced, and I'm only trimming 2-3 times per year. I think this is what helped me achieve bsl even during the latter part of my transition when things were getting kinda crazy. So once completely natural I kept up with using more natural products and being gentle, only trimming the couple times I've worn it straight.

 

[Candy_C]

Is shoulder length the usual for you, or has your hair been long in the past?

When i was 8 my hair was about bsl (natural - stetched), but then i had an accident with the comb and my mum had to chop it all off to shoulder :-(. it was shoulder or just past and i was relaxed at 11..it grew to around armpit and slowly cut off to shoulder!

 

[PinkPeony]

I had earlength or bottom of the neck length since I was texlaxed(as a natural I had shoulder length hair).
I`am now SL for the first time ever since relaxed and I`am just taking care of my hair since February.