2021 Shoulder Length Challenge

[TLC1020]

I have a small amount of Motions Nourshing Hair & Scalp Daily Moisturizer left, I decided to look back in my old stash and was like let me use this, my hair love this creamy stuff when I bun... Now, I mad that it's no longer being sold, now they added coconut oil, argan oil and some other crap to the product... My hair don't care for coconut oil .... I've been looking all over for the old one... I also used Mizani Coconut Souffle, Keracare Conditioning Creme Hairdress... I don't know why but my hair loves products with cones..

 

[sunnieb]

@tlci I understand how you feel. Neutrogena discontinued my beloved NTM Silk Touch. I'm stocked up on it, but my hair loves that stuff.

Gotta find a replacement so I don't mess up my hair goals.

Last week was a good week. I stayed the course and stayed on my routine. I'm doing my weekly honey/EVOO dc now.

 

[Chaiwaters]

Happy New Year! Wishing you ladies peace, happiness and joy in 2021. Looking forward to hanging out with you.
@Chaiwaters
@TLC1020
@ItsMeLilLucky
@GettingKinky
@B_Phlyy

I’m back! I have my starting pics in my old phone. When I get a chance I going to upload them but overall I’m protective styling like crazy! My nape finally grew in to where I can catch it (with weave) and braid it across. I had to have surgery late December so my doctor requested that I stop all supplements including my iron pills. Last week I started back all supplements and sub my biotin with Tula gummies.

 

[faithVA]

I think mid-week washes are out until the weather warms up or if it is a hair emergency. I'm not getting up early enough to do it before work and I like to let it air dry so the evening is too late. I should be ready to try it again sometime in March. I really need my hair to grow long enough that when the weather turns cold I can just put it up.

 

[ckisland]

Today I had my second (4 days later) wash day using Miss Jessie's . I did a quick cowash (Want No Suds), condition (Honey Sweet & Nice), and wash n'go (Leave-in+Coily Custard) in the shower in 20 mins ! And and I figured out how to plop my hair using my turbie twist! I kept it on for 20 mins and my curls are poppin!!! My hair is almost completely dry and I'm so pleased with how it looks and feels!

 

[TLC1020]

This weekend i'm going to shampoo and let the condition sit on my hair for a while, then put it back in a bun....

 

[GettingKinky]

Today I had my second (4 days later) wash day using Miss Jessie's . I did a quick cowash (Want No Suds), condition (Honey Sweet & Nice), and wash n'go (Leave-in+Coily Custard) in the shower in 20 mins ! And and I figured out how to plop my hair using my turbie twist! I kept it on for 20 mins and my curls are poppin!!! My hair is almost completely dry and I'm so pleased with how it looks and feels!

I’ve never tried plopping before. I always assumed it would cause massive frizz. I bought the Deva towel and everything and then never tried it.

 

[ckisland]

I’ve never tried plopping before. I always assumed it would cause massive frizz. I bought the Deva towel and everything and then never tried it

I just realized that I may be using the term plopping wrong . Back in the day, when I first went natural, wrapping your hair in a t-shirt to let it dry was called "plopping", but I remembered that it's a specific technique through the Curly Girl Method. I've tried it the technical way years ago, and it didn't work for me since I don't have loosely curly or wavy hair.

When my hair was long, I would wrap a t-shirt around my hair like a turbie twist to stretch my hair out as it dried. Since my hair's short, I used an actual turbie twist and basically set it on top of my hair, instead of trying to use it to stretch my hair out. That worked perfectly!!

 

[GettingKinky]

I just realized that I may be using the term plopping wrong . Back in the day, when I first went natural, wrapping your hair in a t-shirt to let it dry was called "plopping", but I remembered that it's a specific technique through the Curly Girl Method. I've tried it the technical way years ago, and it didn't work for me since I don't have loosely curly or wavy hair.

When my hair was long, I would wrap a t-shirt around my hair like a turbie twist to stretch my hair out as it dried. Since my hair's short, I used an actual turbie twist and basically set it on top of my hair, instead of trying to use it to stretch my hair out. That worked perfectly!!

This is what I was thinking of. Deva sells a towel to use for this, but I chickened out and never tried it. After all the work I do do get my hair covered in get and set in place I would be so sad if the Deva towel made it all frizz up.

 

[bzb1990]

I just realized that I may be using the term plopping wrong . Back in the day, when I first went natural, wrapping your hair in a t-shirt to let it dry was called "plopping" ....

Same here!

 

[faithVA]

This is what I was thinking of. Deva sells a towel to use for this, but I chickened out and never tried it. After all the work I do do get my hair covered in get and set in place I would be so sad if the Deva towel made it all frizz up.

Yeah, I'm afraid to try it. However, now is the best time to try it since I rarely leave the house. I've always been concerned that it would remove too much product from my hair and leave my hair matted.

@ckisland, after your remove the towel do you shake, fluff or do anything else to it?

 

[TLC1020]

Right now, I'm sitting under hood dryer with conditioner and plastic cap, I haven't deep conditioned since I did my my touch-up two weeks ago.

 

[ckisland]

Yeah, I'm afraid to try it. However, now is the best time to try it since I rarely leave the house. I've always been concerned that it would remove too much product from my hair and leave my hair matted.

@ckisland, after your remove the towel do you shake, fluff or do anything else to it?

I do a little shake but I don't touch it until it dries. I just use the turbie twist to stop my hair from being dripping wet. It still takes a few hours for my hair to actually dry.

 

[sunnieb]

Last week was alright. I did my honey dc and regular dc. Where I slipped up is with my daily moisturizing in sections. Working from home is great, but I have a tendency to stay in bed until it's dang near time to log on. So, no time to moisturize properly before work. Then doing back-to-back meetings and there goes the day.

I have to get my butt up ON TIME to get my hair done before work. Ugh!

I did find some new (to me) cowash conditioners at CVS online. Tried the Curl Nourish with coconut oil last night. Loved the smell! Well try Pure Clean sometime this week.

 

[faithVA]

Finally got around to washing my hair this morning. It's nice and soft now. I'm going to at least attempt to do a mid-week wash with the keyword being attempt But no pressure.

 

[GettingKinky]

Finally got around to washing my hair this morning. It's nice and soft now. I'm going to at least attempt to do a mid-week wash with the keyword being attempt But no pressure.

I’ve been washing 2x a week since October and I’m starting to get tired of it. I don’t mind the washing/conditioning/detangling. But the styling/drying is a bit of a pain. For my midweek wash I only diffuse for 5 minutes because I’m in a rush.
I could go back to washing once a week and wearing a puff for the last 3 days of the week, but I’m going to try and hang in there. I like wearing my hair out.

 

[TLC1020]

Shampoo and conditioned today, moisturized and now baggying my ends.. About to put it up in a bun..

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Still working on these faux locs claudehammercy. I plan on keeping them in a bit after I finally finish them. See y’all hopefully in a few months.

 

[B_Phlyy]

Haven't done anything to my hair in about 4 days. I can tell my hairline is drying out. Going to do a honey and olive oil moisturizing treatment with my cowash tonight.

 

[faithVA]

I was supposed to reset my hair today but that isn't going to happen. Maybe in the morning I will rewet it and slick it back.

 

[GettingKinky]

It’s so hard to see progress with a wash n go. Every time I style it, the shrinkage is different. Some days I think I’m close to SL, other days it seems miles away. Sigh...

 

[faithVA]

It’s so hard to see progress with a wash n go. Every time I style it, the shrinkage is different. Some days I think I’m close to SL, other days it seems miles away. Sigh...View attachment 468737

I know many of us feel your pain.

For your comparisons, are you following a set routine (CCS, drying, etc.) to give you results that are close? If not, that can help with the frustration. I know it is easier said than done.

 

[GettingKinky]

I know many of us feel your pain.

For your comparisons, are you following a set routine (CCS, drying, etc.) to give you results that are close? If not, that can help with the frustration. I know it is easier said than done.

I try to be pretty consistent, but I have been changing up my products. So I decided to note in the picture which products I used so I can see if there are any trends with products.
I always wash and condition the same and diffuse for the same amount of time (which means my hair isn’t always the same level of dry).
I just need to be patient, either it’s going to get there or it’s not. I kind of think my shrinkage won’t let me get there.

 

[faithVA]

I try to be pretty consistent, but I have been changing up my products. So I decided to note in the picture which products I used so I can see if there are any trends with products.
I always wash and condition the same and diffuse for the same amount of time (which means my hair isn’t always the same level of dry).
I just need to be patient, either it’s going to get there or it’s not. I kind of think my shrinkage won’t let me get there.

I'm hoping you will get there.

 

[faithVA]

I finally did a mid-week reset. I did great last year with twice a week. I'm going to see if I can get back in the swing of things. I just need to get up earlier.

I also figured out while my hair is growing out instead of down, if that is even a thing for me, I need to take pictures from the side.

Here are my November pictures (left) when I got my hair cut compared to today (right). This is approximately 12 weeks worth of growth.

 

[ckisland]

@GettingKinky The wash n'go shrinkage is so real!! Did you do any cutting, trimming or reshaping of your hair in the past year? When you stretch your hair, is it longer? Do you ever stretch your hair? And I mean manual stretching like pineappling.

That's how I plan to really gauge my wash n'go progress because the length can vary so dramatically. But even then it still varies. Like today my hair is shorter than it was yesterday . It's the same wash n'go from Monday and I did my usual pineapples overnight. But my hair feels a little dry, so it's decided to shrivel up on me . I'm also gauging my hair in other ways. Like last time I washed, I could gather all of my hair into a ponytail while in the shower. I also had longer bangs on this wash n'go than ever before!

 

[ckisland]

@faithVA Your hair has filled out so nicely! My hair is the same way. My hair looks so much longer from the sides and back than it does from the front

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA Your hair has filled out so nicely! My hair is the same way. My hair looks so much longer from the sides and back than it does from the front

Thank You. My next goal is to be able to shake it and have it all move. Not sure how much further down the road that is.

 

[GettingKinky]

@GettingKinky The wash n'go shrinkage is so real!! Did you do any cutting, trimming or reshaping of your hair in the past year? When you stretch your hair, is it longer? Do you ever stretch your hair? And I mean manual stretching like pineappling.

That's how I plan to really gauge my wash n'go progress because the length can vary so dramatically. But even then it still varies. Like today my hair is shorter than it was yesterday . It's the same wash n'go from Monday and I did my usual pineapples overnight. But my hair feels a little dry, so it's decided to shrivel up on me . I'm also gauging my hair in other ways. Like last time I washed, I could gather all of my hair into a ponytail while in the shower. I also had longer bangs on this wash n'go than ever before!

Shrinkage is soooo real. I don’t do any stretching of my hair. Every 3 months or so I manually stretch a few pieces of my hair and measure them. But since I wear WnG 100% of the time the only thing that matters is how it looks in a WnG. I’m trying to be consistent and always take my picture on day 3.

But I’m starting to think that my hair will always shrink to less than SL no matter how long it is. Eventually I will just accept it and give up on having my hair show it’s length.

 

[ckisland]

Shrinkage is soooo real. I don’t do any stretching of my hair. Every 3 months or so I manually stretch a few pieces of my hair and measure them. But since I wear WnG 100% of the time the only thing that matters is how it looks in a WnG. I’m trying to be consistent and always take my picture on day 3.

But I’m starting to think that my hair will always shrink to less than SL no matter how long it is. Eventually I will just accept it and give up on having my hair show it’s length.

Are you against stretching your wash n'go? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't depending on my mood LOL! Is there a decent length difference between your length checks at last year and this year?