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Growing out the TWA after the BC

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pinkchocolatedaisy

pinkchocolatedaisy

Well-Known Member
For all you long haired natural ladies that went from BC to APL(which is long to me) and longer:

what is your current length?

how long did it take to reach your current length?

what is your hair type?

what are your product staples?

favorite styles are you were growing your hair out?

tips that helped you retain length?
 
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how long did it take to reach your current length? It took about 6 months after the BC

what is your hair type? 3b in the back, 3c mostly all over, a patch of 4a in the front

what are your product staples? Aphogee every 2 months, co-washing with Suave almost every day, if I do use heat I rollerset my hair first

favorite styles are you were growing your hair out? Mostly ponytails

tips that helped you retain length? I detangle every day, ponytail with a braid at night, I don't use hair dyes anymore, and I DC 2x a week
 
I'm currently at APL, and I did the BC 23 months ago. I cut my relaxed hair down to about a centimeter long. DH was not pleased, lol.

I'm 4a, I think. If you go by the pen-sized curls thing then I guess I'm about half 3c too.

Styles... for about the first year after I BC'd, I just wore the afro, usually with a headband. I tried puffs, but felt ridiculous like that. I mainly wore wash and go's.

Then I started to use the Crown and Glory method. I stayed away from braids for the first bit of my natural journey cuz I wanted to force myself to learn how to take care of my natural hair, and it's SO easy to just neglect your hair in braids. I did my own extensions and really tried to focus on daily moisture.

I recently tried a sew-in, but I took that bad boy out. I was just too afraid of damage to my hair. Now I'm all about wigs, while I wear my hair cornrowed underneath. This lets me wash as often as I want, and gives me better access to my scalp. I redo them about every 2 weeks.

If I had to BC all over again, I'd be wearing wigs from day one, while pampering my hair underneath, especially in winter. That way DH would have been a little more supportive, and my hair wouldn't have suffered so much damage to the ends from rubbing against stuff.

Plus I would have started taking hair vitamins sooner.
Another thing... I tried to trim my hair at my first nappiversary... but I didn't flat iron it first. So I ended up cutting off about 3 inches when I meant to cut off much, much less than that. :sad: Now I know, ya gotta DC, straighten, THEN trim.

ETA: product staples
Kenra MC, this was heaven sent
aloe vera gel, the 100% pure kind from Puritan's Pride
coconut oil from Puritan's Pride
 
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For all you long haired natural ladies that went from BC to APL(which is long to me) and longer:

Not at APL but would like to answer if it's OK.

what is your current length?
Just past shoulders stretched/pressed (pic)

how long did it take to reach your current length?
Was at 3 inches stretched in Feb 2007 and at that length in the pic above in June 2008...so way too long. :lol: (For real, about16 months)

what is your hair type?
4B

what are your product staples?
S-Curl is my styling product when wearing my hair out. But when braided--which is all the time--I don't use any styling product but I love strengthening and moisturizing shampoos (Garnier, HE, Elucence, Therappe) and the same for conditioners (Nexxus Emergencee, AO GPB, Elucence, Humectress, HE...) So no staples in the washing department; just whatever sounds good. Oh and I MUST have my ACV rinse with EOs at the end of every wash or I might start frothing at the mouth.

favorite styles are you were growing your hair out?
Braids with extensions

tips that helped you retain length?
Keeping hair braided and redoing the braids as soon as they needed it. This low manipulation and then snipping the ends off braid by braid as I redo them works for me.

ETA: I wash my hair in braids and baggy every night. I believer the former helps in preventing tangles and the latter in retaining moisture
 
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my 2 cent...

mshottienelson said:
For all you long haired natural ladies that went from BC to APL(which is long to me) and longer:

what is your current length?
longer sections are 6in, shorter sections about 5in

how long did it take to reach your current length?
I transitioned for 5 months, did the BC Jan/08...so about a year.

what is your hair type?
a tightly coiled 4a - coffee stirrer sized curls

what are your product staples?
Cheap conditioners for co-wash: Suave, White Rain, VO5
100% Shea Butter
Castor oil
Almond oil
ORS Mayo

favorite styles are you were growing your hair out?
The first 6 months I wore 90% afros (shake and go after a co-wash)
For a while I would put clips on the sides or head bands etc, but they started giving me headaches and I could feel my hair thinnning a bit, so I no longer wear them. Now instead of clipping the sides I'll flat twist. Sometimes I wear large twists, twistouts, braidouts, frohawks with the center braided out...whatever I can pull off I'm still learning.

tips that helped you retain length?
Listen to your hair and do what it's telling you...and don't do what its not telling you to do.

I don't keep my hair on a schedule because a lot of things may contribute to it's condition. For example/In winter I used castor oil with every co-wash because it was cold out, and my hair needed the protection. Now, in the heat, I dont use castor oil at all.

I co-wash often but sometimes I'll just wet it in the shower. Water = moisture.

No shampoo. I'll do a baking soda wash every few months when it needs it. When I was relaxed, I got in the habbit of washing my hair just because it felt good, had to break out of that :nono:

Pay attention to breakage and shedding. I do protien deep conditioning about once a month, if I need it.

I dont trim because my ends look fine to me. If they get scraggily I will though.
Click to expand...
 
Im in breads for my transition and would love more info! Im still debating natural or texlax, I hope to have a decision by August 1 so I can finally have a direction.

I need all the help I can get while mulling this over so bring on the advice...

:fan: :prettyplease:
 
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