Are You An Effortless Grower or Someone Who Has To Work For Growth?

[HauteHippie]

I think I'm somewhere in between. If I just leave it alone, it'll grow. I think thats true of most people. But I should keep it moisturized to retain health and length.

I have a satin pillow case b/c I can't be trusted to tie my hair up. If I put it into a braid or two, I've done good.

I should probably add in that I did *ahem* nothing to my hair while in high school, not even wash it. Someone else always did my hair because of the things I was doing. I typically kept my hair in cornrows during cheer season and then relaxed once it was over-- or whenever my mom made me, whichever came last. Or I kept it in a full weave if modeling.

I feel like most people didn't know what my hair looked like because it wasn't out much. The one time I wore it out completely people were shocked by the length. Apparently, they thought I had no hair... which doesnt make sense considering that I wore a ponytail sometimes (and I've never used gel in my life).

 

[Evolving78]

when i don't do a lot it grows, when i do a lot, it breaks off. just wash/condition, keep heat away, simple styles, and that's it.

 

[tkj25]

i am an effortless, but slow grower. but i'm also pretty good at retaining what i do grow, so that helps a lot. my hair rarely breaks, & doesn't loose length unless i choose to via cuts/trims.

 

[Evolving78]

i just noticed i posted in this thread already! but my answer is pretty much consistent.

my hair doesn't take a lot to retain or grow. it's me that does more than it needs. when i was relaxed. i went to the salon weekly. i would get a wash/dc, roller set/wrap, and be on my way. i didn't buy a lot of hair products and didn't really use heat. now that i am natural, i am just trying to figure out how not to cause a setback. i am learning that i have to be simple with my method as well. it's hard to do though. but i have to stick to my regimen or i will have problems.

 

[greenandchic]

NO: I must maintain a strict regimen but I'm willing to do that to reach my goals!

Of course my hair will grow, but I have issues with retention. I have to baby my ends, seal like its going out of style, moisturize twice a day, etc or my hair will hate me.

I think my hair grows slowly too.

 

[SpicyPisces]

I wish it were effortless for me . My hair grows slowly and my ends seem to split/get damaged very easily. In order to grow my hair, my ends need to be moisturized, protected, ocassionally trimmed and I need to be taking a vitamin for growth.

 

[SmileyNY]

Yes, I'm an effortless grower. Growing comes easy. I can grow hair all day. I can do it with my hands tied behind my back, eyes closed, & lips sealed... all while in a coma

Now... retaining? That's another story! I've had very good retention lately... But it DEFINITELY wasn't effortless. That's for sure.


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[cheryl26]

I'd say effortless to grow and maintain BUT for it to look healthy and not like a toasted haystack I gotta stay away from flat irons.

 

[mzteaze]

I tend to be the person down the middle. I don't follow my "routine" 100% but my hair grows. However, its not a particularly quick or spectacular growth which is what I am working on right now.

 

[keepithealthy]

My hair grows effortlessly and I can usually get to apl and a little past with no problem. But beyond that I think I have to pay attention to my ends and do a bit protective styling. That's the journey I'm on now.

 

[FoxxyLocs]

I'm an effortless grower/retainer, but I've always taken care of my hair so the only setbacks I've had have been stylists using too much heat and burning my hair off. Even then it grew back pretty quickly without me focusing on it or doing anything special.

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[koolkittychick]

Unfortunately I am a slow grower (1/2 a month or less) and have fine, thin relaxed strands that break pretty easily from any kind of manipulation or when it's wet. I wore my hair in a cute chin-length pixie cut wrap style or a fun afro puff for most of my adult life, so it didn't matter how much I fried, dyed and laid it to the side; I would always cut it to maintain that look, so length was not an issue. I still miss that pretty golden blonde color I wore then; people always asked me if or assumed it was my natural color (my hair is a dark espresso brown) because it went so well with skin tone and I would take the time to dye my eyebrows a complimentary shade too.

Once I started growing past my shoulders, I started to realize how fragile my hair is, especially now that I am in my forties. I kept getting an uneven hemline where my hair would fall on my shoulders in the sections at or behind my ears. When it got sweaty and stuck to my neck, or when it snagged on my clothes, it snapped off, leaving short ragged ends. I figured keeping it off my neck and shoulders would be the best bet, so I got myself some jaw clips, ponytail holders with no metal, and a couple of pretty metal ponytail clips, and started my hardcore PS phase.

I tried to PS in wet buns out of the shower and wrapping at night to see if it would help last year...and ended up tearing out most of my nape and center back hair in the process. Eventually the top layer of my hair in the back was about 2-3 inches longer than the middle and nape sections at the hemline, looking like mice had chewed up the back of my head. Fortunately my hairstylist is a master at blending and styling, otherwise I would have had to sacrifice my pretty, healthy APL lengths in the front to even out my hair in the back.

It has only been in the last six months that I have been finally able to figure out a regimen that works for me, and am now seeing progress from my setbacks:

1. Washing and conditioning my hair at least twice a week to keep my scalp clean and flake free and DCing at least once a week for moisture and strength;
2. NO color , NO direct heat, NO combing when sopping wet, NO combing when dry late in a stretch without tons of water-based moisturizer;
3. Moisturizing my ends every day (twice a day if I wear it out) with a good, water-based moisturizer with no mineral oil or alcohol;
4. Moderate stretches (no more than 12 weeks) to minimize subjecting my hair and scalp to the harsh chemicals in the relaxer, with occasional salon visits for keratin protein treatments;
5. Careful, consistent PSing (high, loose ponytails and buns, cross wrapping with a satin scarf at night, and no metal accessories in my hair -- they act like scissors if they pull too tight or get snagged) with attention to the broken areas in the back;
6. Careful detangling in sections prior to shampooing, styling and going to the salon, especially late in a stretch. Before I would simply stop combing (or washing) my hair the week or two before my salon visit, thinking my stylist would deal with it. I was horrified at how much she would end up ripping out by the time she was done!

Yes the above is a lot of work and fuss, but I have managed to make great progress from my setback, and I feel I am back on track to make it to MBL next year, even if this is now practically my second job.

 

[SerenavanderWoodsen]

Effortless grower, terrible retainer .

 

[Cherokee-n-Black]

I said "other," because there are definitely things that I do that can inhibit growth and things I do that if I didn't, would also inhibit growth. That said, I've gone from NL to MBL, Chin length to BSL twice, and from ages 3 - 14 I had WL/TL hair. I've also spent my College years at SL, had my hair break off from WL to SL between 9th and 12th grade, spent at least 3 years at SL due to Dominican styling and another year like that due to SHS. I'd say I have an easier time growing and maintaining than most, but I definitely do some things to help it along.