Your opinion on wanting to grow long hair

[BabyCurls]

Ever since I was younger, I made a mistake of putting a relaxer or a curl on my hair. I've always wanted to grow my hair long, but ended up getting my hair cut or even worse, abusing my hair with heat, heavy grease and rough brushing. I should've kept my hair natural back then. /images/graemlins/frown.gif Now that I've gone natural again, I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. And I AM going to have beautiful long hair like my mom's. Amen? /images/graemlins/clap.gif I would like to hear your feedback on how you've felt when you always wanted to have long hair.

BabyCurls
/images/graemlins/babyg.gif

 

[adrienne0914]

i haven't had a problem attaining length because of relaxers. my problem was all the heat that i used. i tried for years in vain blow drying and curling twice a week. once i stopped that, it started growing.

adrienne

 

[Titansgirl]

Hi Babycurls, my situation is just like Adrienne's. Once I stopped abusing my hair, my hair started growing past my normal length. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[sweetcocoa]

For me it was the opposite I always had long hair. When I relaxed only 2 times a year I had no problems. It was when I was told that crap, you need to touchup every 8 weeks or you hair will break at the roots coupled with a no-lye relaxer that I had problems. I intially stopped relaxing to give my hair a break and to get the damage under control. I'm currently natural cause the new growth at 6 months reminded me of my hair as a child. Even relaxing only twice a year, my hair wasn't as thick as it is now. But if I relax again, I will go back to what works for me... twice a year and lye relaxer only.
I also want to grow my hair long to prove a few friends that all the time I spend on this forum, and products, is not a waste of time. /images/graemlins/wink.gif /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[CurlyCrly]

I had long hair as a child. I've had long hair with a no lye and a lye relaxer. I took it for granted too. I never thought twice about it. I'm more than ready to grow out my short haircut now.

 

[Karonica]

I always had long hair too! I got my relaxer when I was 9, and that was no problem. Then, I started having setbacks.

1. The first one happened when I was in the 6th grade. My hair was dropping out so bad, that a boy outside on the playground gave me back some strands that fell on him. It left my hair about shoulder-length, which was really short to me, considering my hair was bra-strap before that. I think this was the early onsight of hyperthyroidism.

2. Trims! I let this lady trim my hair, and that lady, and this lady, and that lady, til I would have to keep starting over again and again.

3. 12th grade, my hair was FINALLY approaching bra-strap again. So what did I do? I wore braids for 3 months. BIG MISTAKE! My hair had loc'ed up in some places. So then, I went to this stylist that my mom's friend recommended. It was my first time there, and so she gave me a trim, and I left there with about shoulder-length lop-sided hair. I continued to see her another year and a half, only to finally discover that she was over the top scissor happy.

I've seen about 2 more hairdressers after I left this last one in November of last year. And my last hairdresser visit was about 5 weeks ago when I had my root color touched-up. But since then, I've been doing my own hair, and I am getting a ton of compliments on my current length. It's way past shoulders in the back (chin length in the front), but I have just a few more inches til I approach bra-strap, about 5, which isn't much. I'm hoping within 5 more touch-ups at six weeks at a time, I'll be near that goal!

As for now, I am trying to preserve the hair I have by keeping it loosely up and away from my shoulders, so that nothing snags it. On this past Saturday, I pulled out some scissors, and chopped off some of the raggedy looking ends, not all of them. No more than 1/2 an inch. It was started to look bad, so I did a little something, and don't regret it! /images/graemlins/smile.gif Now, it's just a little bit uneven in the back, but it can be fixed after my next touch-up, although I will try to wait a few more months or week before I trim it again.

Oh, and I must tell you that wool coats will eat your hair. /images/graemlins/blush.gif I see blonde hair, and black hair on my coat, and I have neither! I call it my magnet! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sorry, this is so long. I just had to share this so hopefully, no one will make the same mistakes I did. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Country gal]

My hair was always nice and thick when I was younger. I always wanted hair down my back like some of the other girls
in my school. My family laughs at me because I am still obsessed with having longer hair. I naively thought that if my hair was longer I would have less problems. Now that I am older I realize that long hair won't make me beautiful. I am already a beautiful person because I have a good heart.

 

[BabyCurls]

Karonica,
I bet that stylist really wants to take so much off that you'll be buring mad /images/graemlins/mad.gif for all the hard work that you did to grow your hair out.

Don't let anyone else mess with your hair. /images/graemlins/nono.gif It's your prized possession, take care of it yourself.

More hair, Grow hair.
BabyCurls

 

[Guest]

Babycurl, I understand your plight. I've always had long hair even if I got a cut, I would keep the back long so I could put it up. I did'nt get permed til I was like 19 or 20 so my hair was always strong then after my hairdress (my auntie) retired, I ended up going to one bad hairdresser after another, each time I would stay like 3 - 6 months cause I don't like changing and each one handles your hair differently and this last one cut all my hair off in the back even though I told her not to, well to me that was a lifetime of hair.

But I'm determined to gain it back AND MORE. I want so bad to go natural but natural styles don't work for me I would have to have it pressed which in the summer is a pain, so, I'm just praying about what to do.

But you'll make your goal and I'll make mine /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Guest]

Sweet cocoa, how were you able to manage your hair relaxing twice a year? Was it difficult?

What do you do now do you press it?

 

[Chipmunk]

I never had any hair. My mother did not know what she was doing, so it was often very dry and broken off. I have worn braids most of my life.

I have always wanted to grow my hair long, b/c I had never had long hair. My hair is currently the longest it has ever been, which is past shoulder length.

I know now the reason that I did not have long hair before, is because it was never taken care of properly.

So I am going to grow my hair until it doesn't want to grow anymore.

 

[CurlyCrly]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Chipmunk said:
So I am going to grow my hair until it doesn't want to grow anymore.


[/ QUOTE ]

That's my goal too. We'll see how long that lasts though. I always used to cut it shorter once it got past bra strap length because I had a difficult time trimming it. I trim/cut it myself because I don't trust anyone else. Now I think I've figured out how to do it myself once it gets that long again.

 

[Honi]

I always had long hair that hovered over my bra strap for years and years. I wondered why it wouldn't grow any longer and realized that it was those hairdressers who would make nonsense decisions on what my hair needed or looked like and so they would just chop away at it. Not only that what I thought that I was doing as far as care I only got it half right. I would wash and deep condition but fry the hell outta it with the hottest blow dryer /images/graemlins/shocked.gif So really it's just me wanting to see how long it could grow and to dispell the myth that our hair can't.

 

[sweetcocoa]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Mindymouse said:
Sweet cocoa, how were you able to manage your hair relaxing twice a year? Was it difficult?

What do you do now do you press it?

[/ QUOTE ]
I never relaxed bone straight...cause it left my hair 'lifeless'. I guess what I basically was getting(didn't know that at the time) was a 'texturizer'. I would do it at the beginning of the summer and then usually around January(if I remembered). The only problem I seemed to have were my bangs frizzing(I know now I was 'frying' them to death daily). I do a doobie(rollerset and wrap) when I want it straight.

 

[ngaa]

girl its this decision thats made me cut my hair coz i know that my hair grows best wen its natural, so i'm goin to give it all the tlc that it wants and moitsture it can deal wit since its natural i kno that it wont object and cant wait till pple walk up to me n tell me they lik my weave /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[honeycomb719]

I always wanted long hair, like most of the ladies in my family. Back in the day I had a jeri-curl, which now I think I was to young for(about 7or 8 when I got it). My hair grew wonderfully w/ the curl. Around age 10 or 11, I wanted to wear my hair regular so my mom stopped doing the curl, and that's when the trouble started. 1st my mom stopped doing my hair(pre-teen age) wanted to do my own thang w/ my hair. Then started relaxing and didn't know what I was doing. My hair went down hell from age 12 and I,m just starting to get back on track. I had just about ever hair style invented and my hair suffered from all the abuse. Til, one day back in 98 when I decided to leave the chemical's alone (per doc's order's) and that just made my hair more healthy, because it was a wreck before that. I didn't gain much length from my 4 year absence from relaxers, but the health of my hair has. Just went back to relaxing last Nov. and I'm still learning the do's and don't but I'm in it for the long run, and I'm more knowlegable about hair. I'm closer to my goal than I think.
One thing I do know is I want allow my daughter to do the same things I did. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[nita4]

Sweetcocoa that is amazing I would love to relax twice a year.

I never had long hair and all I really want for starters is my shoulder length hair back. It was even and it was pretty. Now that I know about hair care, if it grows longer fine....if not, I just want what I had.

 

[BabyCurls]

Mindymouse, I also know how you feel about what to do with your hair right now. Have you ever tried putting your hair up in braids? /images/graemlins/blush.gifoo: Since in the summer pressing makes your hair revert due to the humidity, and you are not used to natural styles, braids takes no hassle at all. And it takes the guesswork out of styling your hair.

More hair, Grow hair
BabyCurls

 

[BrightEyes]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Mindymouse said:I want so bad to go natural but natural styles don't work for me I would have to have it pressed which in the summer is a pain, so, I'm just praying about what to do.

[/ QUOTE ]


Maybe you just need a little help. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

How did natural styles "not work" for you? Was it that you couldn't find styles that you liked? Did you get frustrated? What is your natural hair type?

For some people (like yours truly) natural hair is something that you have to work at. Once you master it, however, it's very easy to handle and fun to have. I create styles for myself all the time. You don't have to press it to make it look nice. You just have to get creative with it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Leshia]

You know, ever since I left home for boarding school I've had my hair cut short because I didn't know what to do with it. I kept it cut for years and years (off and on) even throughout and beyond college because I was told by stylists that I just look better with short hair. Never did I bother to let it grow because I assumed that I'd look ugly anyway because of what I was told. I only started to let it grow just to see what I'd look like and I'm kinda on a quest now to prove people wrong. When they are used to seeing you with short or mid-length hair (what's the cut-off for mid-length anyway?) then they expect that you cannot get any longer. It's just a "mission" now...and I really do enjoy the pampering. Not sure when I'm leaving these braids now, as I fear I may be at the point on no return, but I'll bet when I take these out in early summer it's going to be very nice. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[henrilou]

Well, I have never had long hair before this time. I remember being in the 6th grade and looking at the girls with longer hair. I remember high school. It seemed the popular black girls, the ones everyone wanted to be around were the girls with long hair. Back then, weaves weren't really in, so either you had long hair or you didn't. I remember looking at them and really thinking that they were somehow more special because they had long hair. (Gosh that was 10 years ago--I'm 28!!! How times change!!) If I knew then what I know now...

 

[EgyptianSand16]

well here is my sob story. When i was little i had big (I mean big!) THICK CURLY HAIR. Hair that can break combs, hair you can literally hide stuff in. Anyhows about age 5, my poor misguided mother decided it would be a good idea to put a relaxer in my hair

(after being coaxed by my grandma on my dad's side) My grandma had this brilliant idea that the relaxer has to stay on for an hour, because my hair won't "give" so easily. Well by 45 min after me crying and screaming from my scalp being on fire, they finally washed it out. I had huge scabs all around my head and my hair looked like birds had been picking at it

Fastforward into a future filled with at home relaxers I finally decided to transition during Summer 02(July) My goal is to grow my hair to the way it was before. I feel this way because all girls at my school(with the exception of a few naturals) are sportin the flat greasy wrap, chewed up looking little behind ponytails, or the jacked up multi colored weaves

I guess i want to stand out with my THICK HEALTHY ALL NATURAL (both mine and chemical free) hair. Take a look at my hair goal to get what I'm talking about

 

[pet]

Well, when I was little, I had NO hair. But my mom did know how to take care of hair, and she always braided my natural hair very neatly. When I was 10, she pressed it, and it seems like since then it has grown. It is now to my brastrap, and healthy.

 

[zoya_j]

I look good, but I look better with long hair. I haven't had really long hair (bra strap) since 9th grade. I attempted to grow it out relaxed, but the relaxer and I weren't working well together. Now I'm growing it long naturally maybe I'll get a relaxer again, who knows?