Grow it Long 2022 Challenge!

[snoop]

I recently had a setback from major tangling in the back of my head. I think sleeping on my back may have exacerbated the problem. I was sleeping with a satin scarf and pillowcase, but I wasn't keeping up my moisture level or doing anything to strengthen my hair.

I think I need to up my moisture. Me hair isn't dry, but maybe it wants more. Thanks for sharing and for the tip.

 

[Napp]

I pulled some hair and my hair is still SL ish. FML I'm never growing long hair. At least I have my ponytails.

 

[Plushottie]

I would like to come in but I’m scared I won’t have marked growth as my hair just doesn’t retain much. I use to be natural for 15 yrs and then relaxed in Jan. My hair either way is dry and I recently trimmed a lot because it was breaking. I use to not use heat at all but recently started using a warm blow dry as my hair stays wet too long.
I would be grateful for a full sl apl is a fantasy.

 

[snoop]

I pulled some hair and my hair is still SL ish. FML I'm never growing long hair. At least I have my ponytails.

I think that you'll get past SL. Just hang in there.

 

[Napp]

I think that you'll get past SL. Just hang in there.

I have had long hair before but only when I had a relaxer. My textured hair doesn’t seem to want to grow past a few inches past SL. Even APL seems so out of reach

 

[Theresamonet]

On the bright side, I’ve lost 35 pounds so far this year so not too terrible aha! I’m trying to do a slow and consistent loss.

Ooh! Congratulations! What have you done to lose the weight?

 

[ckisland]

I haven't posted in here in forever!

My hair growth seems to slow down some in September and October. I may experience more breakage during that time because the weather changes. Anyway, I think I'm going to add a mid-week DC to my regimen, so that I'm keeping the moisture in my hair. I'll try it out for a month and see if I notice any changes.

 

[HealthyHair2020]

My protective style summer has finally come to an end. It was lovely not having to do my hair for months while I was on vacation. I now see why the girls get braids when they go on vacay. I will definitely be doing the same during winter break.

So I have a vague plan for the rest of year.
1) Rest of Sep: Wash and gos
2) Oct: Protein treatment (haven't done one since May) and twists
3) Nov: Silk presses
4) Dec: Jumbo box braids

Will also be restricting my BF buys since I have most of my staples. And with me not doing my hair as much, I don't need that much product.

 

[apple_natural]

blew my hair out and trimmed my ends. i didn't straighten the ends, but I don't think I cut too much. I was thinking of french braiding/cornrows on the top half. maybe not using extensions until the ends will help my edges not pull too much. i'll try it out.

 

[Kiaray8]

Ooh! Congratulations! What have you done to lose the weight?

I started going back to the gym 5x week mainly doing a mix of cardio + weightlifting. I’m trying to work on getting 10k a day now too as I haven’t hit my goal yet. In terms of diet, I’m vegetarian so it was more of a focus on switching back to eating to high protein, moderate carbs and fat. I honestly think the main thing that helped was frequent weigh ins and I used a calorie counting app (MacroFactor) similar to fitness pal but the way it tracks your daily movement is better as it adjusts your calories every week.

 

[apple_natural]

@Kiaray8 Congratulations! Inspiring!

I never got around to braiding my hair so i put in coconut oil Tuesday.

Yesterday: I dont usually wash out the coconut oil at this time, but I remembered that I had on some CHI stuff and I was kind of worried about that, so I sort of washed with Macademia Natural Oil Moisturizing Rinse and put on coconut oil again. Later, I put on a deep conditioner and its still on my hair because I haven't sat under the dryer yet.
I also made rice water that I have no plans of letting ferment. I think it will still work since I think its the starch that doing the work idk. I haven't really looked it up, but I'm just curious as to what this will do, so I sat some rice in water. I let it sit over night

Today: I boiled the rice water and then separated the water and let a tea bag brew in it. It has a few herbs in it.

Now: I think I'll wash out the dc with the sulfate free shampoo. I think I will use the rice water a rinse... IDK whether I should simply rinse it out or cowash it out

Finally...
I didn't wash after my DC. I just rinsed it out and prayed in the rice water tea mix. I let that sit for a little and rinsed it out. I don't know if it did anything but I will continue the experiment. It didn't hurt.

 

[Theresamonet]

Let me know how the results fair over the year. Ive never done a serious S&D like that before but it sounds like something I could benefit from. Although I’m not sure I’ll have the patience lol

I definitely will. I don’t think I will do as thorough of a search ever again. By the time I realized I was out of my mind, I’d already come too far to stop. Lol

I’m hoping to see a benefit over the long term to having done this. I do think it thinned my hair a bit, but I’m not worried about that. However, even if I don’t see a benefit, then I will have answered my question of whether splits actually impede my length retention, or have any significant negative effects.

S&D did not work out for me. I did them in lieu of trims this year, and all it did was thin my ends.

 

[apple_natural]

I put a little apple cider vinegar water on my scalp, sprayed leave in and put on shea butter mix. Its in twists and pinned up.

My hair feels great. It isn't breaking much either. If I can keep this going, then I could actually retain something and have a full head of hair by Spring. At least, that's my goal

 

[Napp]

S&D did not work out for me. I did them in lieu of trims this year, and all it did was thin my ends.

Did u relax yet?

 

[Theresamonet]

Did u relax yet?

Yes! I posted pictures in the relaxed hair thread.

 

[apple_natural]

Tuesday: put in my coconut oil
Wednesday: cholesterol dc, TGIN rose sulfate free shampoo, green tea spray (forgot to make rice water with the tea) shea butter mix
Next time: don't use this shampoo. my hair prefers neutralizing shampoo. it just does
Thursday 9/22: dermarolled edges and oil.

i started my rice water ginger tea stuff that i only let sit for maybe a day or so. idk if it will do anything, but i think it will. im going to let it sit until the weekend this time and spray it on.

I have been finding that my old goto hairstyle doesn't work because my front is too short. today, i figured out that i'll keep it in chunky twists. this way, i can put it in several different types of buns and i don't have to pull my edges

 

[ckisland]

Natural, Relaxed, Texlaxed:
Natural
Current Length:
about APL
Goal Length:
MBL
Plan to reach goal length:
Keep doing what I've been doing -> Wearing wash n'gos to my goal length
Regimen:
Shampoo once a week
DC once a week
Cowash once a week
Protective Styles:
Buns
2 flattwitst braids
Staple Products:
Miss Jessie's Harm Me Knot
Miss Jessie's Want No Suds
Miss Jessie's Leave-in Condish
Miss Jessie's Honey Curls
Miss Jessie's Coily Custard
TGIN Miracle Repairx Deep Hydrating Hair Mask
Obia Naturals Babassu Deep Conditioner
Starting Pic: REQUIRED
ETA: Excuse my crazy looking ends. My hair was reverting as I was flatironing the rest of my head . I also trimmed about an inch off all over.
View attachment 478115View attachment 478117View attachment 478119

This will replace my Oct 1st check-in. I cut off about 2 in. to make it even, so there's not much of a difference from the beginning of the year. I'm hoping to get those 2 in back by the end of Dec!

 

[PagingSunshine]

Checking in. I was on the right track and decided to get a silk press cuz fall. She literally cut off all my growth from March until now. Not happy. First image is March 2022 with a really good press, second image is a not so good press and a huge cut. Sad is an understatement.

 

[Sanity]

Checking in! I haven't really done anything to my hair since July. I will post my update sometime next month. I don't really have the energy to tackle my hair at this time.

 

[ckisland]

Checking in. I was on the right track and decided to get a silk press cuz fall. She literally cut off all my growth from March until now. Not happy. First image is March 2022 with a really good press, second image is a not so good press and a huge cut. Sad is an understatement.

I'm sorry you cut so much!! You're hair looks so healthy though. You'll get that progress back! Just keep doing what you were doing!!

 

[PagingSunshine]

I'm sorry you cut so much!! You're hair looks so healthy though. You'll get that progress back! Just keep doing what you were doing!!

Yes I keep telling myself that. I am not looking to find a new stylist and trying not to revert to lazy natural again.

 

[apple_natural]

Tuesday: I put on coconut oil
I didn't do my dc Wednesday. I just got to it today and I sat under the dryer.
Guess what, I didn't wash it out. I used that rice water that I made last week with a couple of peppermint oil drops. It wasn't so bad! I didn't need to wash it out. I just rinsed it really well. I didn't have any dc residue or anything, so I didn't shampoo on top of that. It was almost like using my acv rinse. It wasn't so bad at all.
ETA: Sunday, I still did my dermaroller for my edges and eyebrows. Hopefully this shows some results some time
Today, Tuesday: I started my rice water tea today. I actually want it to ferment now lol I wish I had started it a little earlier so that I can use it Wednesday. I also put on my coconut oil. I'll likely let it stay there until Friday when my rice should be ready.. Friday or Saturday

 

[ckisland]

This is around the length that I start messing up!! I don't know what happens but instead of doing wash n'goes, I want to straighten my hair and do other styles. And then I end up bcing!!! That's why I haven't gotten past BSL.

I already played around with my hair and thankfully it doesn't seemed damaged but I trimmed like 2 in. So back to wash n'goes I go!

 

[apple_natural]

Tuesday: put in my coconut oil
Wednesday - I wanted to wait to do my dc because I was thinking that I would use the fermented rice water that I started Tuesday. I was thinking that it would be ready by Saturday
Saturday: It is sort of fermented, but I think I will wait to use it Wednesday and then continue making it one week in advance to use the rice water after my dc. I did put on my dc today and I'm sitting under the dryer. I'm probably going to do an acv rinse afterwards idk. Then, I'll do the whole thing again next week Wednesday with my rice water.

My hair is not feeling so weak at the ends, which is good. I'm still moving around parts of my regimen, but I think its going moderately well. I hope to get some microgreens growing soon so that I can increase some nutrients in my diet. I hope that I'm growing some hair so that I have at least 12 inches by April. That will put me about where I was last year. I think I was about 12-14 inches before, but I kept feeling like I needed to clip it. Hopefully, it will be different now, but I'm not sure. It's looking like it may be straggly on the ends... maybe because of how I cut it. I hope its not full of incomplete splits or knots. I'm thinking that I was getting the incomplete splits from styling it while it was wet.

 

[Chicoro]

Checking in. I was on the right track and decided to get a silk press cuz fall. She literally cut off all my growth from March until now. Not happy. First image is March 2022 with a really good press, second image is a not so good press and a huge cut. Sad is an understatement.

When I first looked at your photo, I too, thought you had cut away several inches.

But the more I looked, I started to think differently. In the first photo, you have a U shaped cut. The hair extending from the nape is longer than the sides. In your later picture, the hair is mostly even, and is in a blunt straight across cut.

In the first photo, the hair is hanging heavily and is bone, silky straight. In the second photo, the hair is not quite as straight and is a bit fluffier.

In the first picture there is more distance in the image. In the second picture, the photo is closer and you are slightly turned away more.

What kept me going back to the two images is the longest length of the hair, in both images, in relation to the junction of your arm pits.

The longest parts of your hair looks to be at the same point under your armpits in both photos. For me, the difference is that in the second picture, more of your hair is now at this longer length.

You know you hair better than I. My conclusion it that your hair has indeed gained length overall. The shorter sides have dropped in length and have caught up to the longer lengths in the nape area.

 

[Alta Angel]

Here is a recent pic where I have some length on display. My goal is APL by the end of the year.

 

[Napp]

I straightened my hair and its the exact same length that it was this time last year. OMG!

I give up with this hair growth thing. My hair is so fine and thin and I cant do anything with it. I was considering becoming heat trained natural or relaxing but my hair looks so pathetic when straight. I also tried a new product to flat iron and gave myself heat damage too. Going back to wigs and ponytails. Once I finish transitioning I may go back to wash and goes but I don't know. I hate my hair.

 

[apple_natural]

tuesday: put in coconut oil
wednesday: dc and rice water rinse
friday: put in leave in because the air is dry and I haven't been drinking much water
Also, I'm making a new batch of shea butter/coconut oil mix. I infused some herbs just because
Also, I forgot to use tea water in my leave-in, so I'll refill it with tea water as it empties, which I'm also doing just because. I don't know if its doing anything, but it isn't hurting so I'm entertaining myself
ETA. shea mix is whipped and back in the honeypot only this one is not as yellow, but looks like marshmallow cream.

 

[Napp]

This is my years worth progress. After putting my pictures side by side I see progress albeit slow progress. I had to trim every straightening except the last. Daily moisturizing and protecting my ends left me with very healthy ends. I will continue with that in my regimen even though I am wearing wigs right now. I wont be straightening much going forward from now. I prefer wearing a straight wig to straightening. I will just blow out my hair before my braid downs but i wont be doing length checks for a long time, maybe even 6+ months.

 

[HealthyHair2020]

Gave my ends a goood cut/trim bc they were looking ragedy as hell and it was driving me crazy. Here are a few pics of how it looked blow dried, and then curled from 4 bantu knots at night.