Hip–Tailbone Length (HL–TBL) 2014 Challenge!

[MoniqueHK]

Aireen
I want to join thus challenge, my first time joining let me know if I did it right

Majority BSL/3c hair
Loc every other day, wash & deep cond about every week
Goal: hip length!
Plan to use a wig sometimes
Keep up current maintenance after goal is achieved

 

[ManeStreet]

I spent most of 2013 trying to get my ends to my liking. My ends look good. I am about an 1 or 2 inches passed waist length & I have about 2 or 3 inches until hip length.

I don't have any length check picture updates now. I'm doing a 100% braidout regimen for the next few months. I wash with sulfate free shampoo once or twice a week & deep condition once a week & do a light protein treatment once a week.

I just switched to this regimen so I'll see how well it works out..

This is my pineapple tonight. Gonna loose bun it & pop my bonnet on top & take it down in the morning.

 

[Dee Raven]

I just trimmed my hair so my two starting lengths are just above HL on the lower layer and about an inch from WL on the top layer. I want to grow out to an even HL by the end of the year and I think that I should be able to do it by December. We'll see. I'll try to take pics next weekend.

 

[BostonMaria]

I spent most of 2013 trying to get my ends to my liking. My ends look good. I am about an 1 or 2 inches passed waist length & I have about 2 or 3 inches until hip length. I don't have any length check picture updates now. I'm doing a 100% braidout regimen for the next few months. I wash with sulfate free shampoo once or twice a week & deep condition once a week & do a light protein treatment once a week. I just switched to this regimen so I'll see how well it works out.. This is my pineapple tonight. Gonna loose bun it & pop my bonnet on top & take it down in the morning.

I love the color of your hair!

 

[Aireen]

@Aireen
I want to join thus challenge, my first time joining let me know if I did it right

Majority BSL/3c hair
Loc every other day, wash & deep cond about every week
Goal: hip length!
Plan to use a wig sometimes
Keep up current maintenance after goal is achieved

You're fine, I've added you to the list, @MoniqueHK.

 

[Aireen]

I really have to go back and catch up in this thread and also read the current updates but please keep 'em coming and remember to mention me if you want in or out of the challenge!

 

[Trini_Chutney]

2014 starting pics:

My regimen this year will be much the same as last year.

- Low manipulation via WNGs in the spring and summer.

-Twists and twistouts during the fall and winter.

- Rotate co-washes and shampoo every other week.

- DC every week.

- Continue to moisturize and seal as needed.

Things to improve:

-gentler detangling
-trim more often
- avoid letting my hair tangled/dry

Posted from my shower...while peeing...with the LHCF App

 

[Ogoma]

Trini_Chutney

I came in because I saw a post on your regimen. Love your hair. Do you re-twist at night?

 

[Trini_Chutney]

Trini_Chutney I came in because I saw a post on your regimen. Love your hair. Do you re-twist at night?

Thank you! I try to a avoid re twisting if I can help it so I pineapple my hair at night and tie a satin scarf around my edges. If there are really frizzy areas I moisturize them and grab random chunks and twist once my hair is already in the pineapple. Oh, I also use Eco styler gel over my moisturizer of choice and that gives me great twistouts that last a long time. I hope that helps!

Posted from my shower...while peeing...with the LHCF App

 

[curlycrocheter]

Ok...This pic was taken yesterday. Looking back at my pics throughout the year, I've retained a lot of growth. Which is really surprising, because I totally neglected my hair for most of the year.

I spent 1/2 of 2013 pregnant & it did a number on my hair. Half the time my scalp hurt so bad I wouldn't even touch it. Then, a few months after giving birth, the post-partum shed hit me like a ton of bricks. I was loosing softball-sized clumps of hair. My edges were on the verge of extinction.

But that has since slowed down and my edges are filling in nicely.

I also noticed that my hair grew really fast this year, which I completely attribute to pregnancy. All in all, I'm very pleased with my progress for this year.

My goal is to be between Hip & TB by September of 2014. If you look at the pic, my tattoo is a really good marker (please don't judge me, obviously 16 is not the age to decide to permanently emblazon something on your skin ) Anyway the top of the bear's hat is where my hips are. His foot is at TB. So by this time next year, I hope to have my tattoo covered by hair in my next progress pic.

OK. Enough babbling. On the pic.

 

[Naturelie]

Aireen, I'm still in! Here is my starting picture:



Happy HHJ girls and let's reach to our length goals!!

 

[vmerie]

Picture below taken today:


I will continue aiming for DCing weekly (with protein at least once a month).
I will continue using oils, butters, and aloe vera juice (LOC method).
I am sticking to a regimen of no cones, sulfate free cleansers, low manipulation, and trimming as necessary.

I am also in search of a good leave in conditioner.

 

[Aireen]

UPDATE: Happy New Year, ladies! I'm glad we made it this far in the challenge! Just one more year to go before we're either at or very near our goals. I honestly can wait! Then again, I can, this year went by in a blink.

Right now I'm closing in on WL – 2 months post relaxer, 4 months post trim! I made the decision this year to not trim every relaxer to figure out when I need to use the scissors. I really think 4 months is my indicator to get ready for at least a dusting, but I'm going to try to push it further and see what happens. I'm not surprised my hair is showing signs of wear and tear at 4 months post trim, when I relaxed every 4 months and got trims after every touch up, my hair had really great retention! I guess it's a sign but we shall see! It's good to try something different once you know the risks and try to be cautious along the way.

I tackled my scalp issues this year finally with success! My scalp is a lot less irritated, red, itchy, and flaky. I have some plans that I hope will continue to aid in my scalp health after I relax. Hair wise, I'm experiencing a bit of breakage but I'm working with my hair so it's subsiding. Increasing elasticity is soooo hard! (If anyone reads this long post and has tips, please share! ) I cut bangs this year for fun, those were nice but I'm growing them out again for 2014; I can see myself going back and forth though when I need a change.

My regimen is stilllll the same – wash, condition, blow-dry; I do apply some serum or light oil by Organix but only when my hair is damp, during the week I still do not moisturize and all that. I like my regimen simple and to the point, it keeps it fun for me. I have a super bad habit I need to break though. A lot of the time I plan to wash my hair but I don't and I'll have it really wild for a few days which equals unnecessary tangling. Sleeping with wild hair (for 3 weeks) is what caused my last setback. I'll make sure to break this habit soon.

Well... I don't think I have much else to share. It's just a waiting game at this point... a long one. I'm using up my stash and I went into the nearby BSS and bought nothing for myself. I'm taking vitamins for overall health but my water intake and sleeping schedule is sporadic. I'm trying to get a gym membership pretty soon because I think I need to take my interest in health to the next level, soooo over fast food right now but I still get cravings. Finally, I'm really trying to delve deeper into spirituality. Hopefully every thing works out and comes together for self-improvement and balance.

Thank you ladies for sticking this out with me! It's all been fun! Onward to 2014 we go!

 

[halfindian]

Pictures of my starting point for 2014. My hair is currently 2 month post relaxer. I relax my hair every 3 months. This year I will deep condition and shampoo weekly, moisturize ends daily with a leave in conditioner and braid the ends. I will try to stretch my trims to every 6 months which is every other relaxer. Happy Hair Growing!!!!

 

[halfindian]

Not sure why my pics are posting on a side when I see them straight in my photo gallery. Will check that out for future posts.

 

[MileHighDiva]

Happy New Year, Ladies! I hope everyone has happiness, good health, prosperity, and Maximum Length Retention in 2014!

My photographer (DS) is not cooperating, so I'll have to post a pic when I find the cable to the camera. He will not retake the pix on my phone, right now. Too busy playing Xbox

I trimmed 1/4-1/2" during the winter solstice.

These are my measurements from earlier today:

• Crown 15"
• Front 18"
• Nape 13"
• Sides 13"

I made it to full MBL/scrapping WL in 2013. However, I cut back to BSL to get rid of some splits and heat damage, during the fall solstice.

That's great because it ended my long term transition. Now, I'm 100% natural!

2014 will be devoted to maximizing length retention, My plans are to continue doing what works for my hair; low manipulation styling, bi-weekly cleansing and DC sessions, notice and destroys, quarterly trim sessions and LCOing. Also, I incorporated henna into my regimen in 2013 to cover my lil wisdom that keeps trying to pop up in lieu of color rinses. Henna has been a game changer for me, I think it's reinforcing my fine hair. Especially, the ends!

In addition, I'm going to try to eliminate my four heat passes this year. I've been pretty successful with getting chemical/thermal straightening results from curlformer sets. I suck at flat ironing! I always end up with some type of setback i.e. heat damage etc.

The key for me to make HL in 2014 will be preventing setbacks, such as, heat damage and unnecessary split ends from too much manipulation. I'm not sure if I'll make it, but I'm going to henna and DC myself to death trying!

Thank you, Aireen for creating and hosting this wonderful challenge!

 

[MileHighDiva]

UPDATE

Aireen

Hair wise, I'm experiencing a bit of breakage but I'm working with my hair so it's subsiding. Increasing elasticity is soooo hard! (If anyone reads this long post and has tips, please share! )

Have you considered using Gentle Treatment Extreme Repair Crème Treatment or Mizani H20 Intense Night-Time Treatment as a moisturizer a couple of times a week? Neither will weigh your hair down, if you use a dime amount on each side of your hair, but it will keep you hair moisturized and will not add too much to your reggie. Also, they will not revert your blow dry/flat iron job. If you want to use natural products, you can try Bee Mine Luscious, or Silk Dreams Satin Smooth Hair Cream.

I like my regimen simple and to the point, it keeps it fun for me. I have a super bad habit I need to break though. A lot of the time I plan to wash my hair but I don't and I'll have it really wild for a few days which equals unnecessary tangling. Sleeping with wild hair (for 3 weeks) is what caused my last setback. I'll make sure to break this habit soon.


How do you normally where your hair, during the day? Do you normally cross wrap your hair at night? Do you own a double lined satin bonnet? Or, do you have a satin pillow case?

Hopefully, some relaxed ladies that have been successful with retaining length will chime in.

Good luck on your spiritual journey!

ETA: How often do you clarify/chelate? I notice that you use cones, which need to be removed periodically, so they don't build up and block out moisture.

I'm going to ping some relaxed long haired ladies for you.

PREmedical_rulz sunnieb divachyk

 

[divachyk]

Aireen, I know you like to keep things simple but consider getting outside of your norm, even if for only 6 months to see if things improve.

M&S: my non-moisturized hair snaps quicker than my moisturized hair. Some hair is able to retain moisture throughout the week but mine is not one of them. My hair is thirsty and requires hydration. I m&s 2x daily.

Water: I drink about 96oz of water daily. However, I don't feel my hair has benefited in any way whatsoever.

Vitamins: I've been on a vitamin regimen for as long as I can remember. I don't feel it helps hair growth but I'm sure it helps total body health which might indirectly help hair growth in some way. I'm not seeing faster growth with vits though is my point.

Daily: I have to run the comb through my hair at least once daily to ensure tangles don't form.

Nightly: I always secure my hair at night even when on vacation -- sleeping without a scarf or bonnet is not an option. I'm a pretty active sleeper and my strands would not survive one week with all the tossing and turning I do throughout the night.

Combs: Seemless combs rock and helps combats breakage.

MileHighDiva, congrats!!! :celebrate:

 

[Aireen]

I have my hair down 90% of the time when I leave the house and twisted up or wrapped when I'm at home. I don't have a bonnet/satin pillow/satin sheets and I haven't really needed them because I have a net that protects my hair enough when I wear it to keep my hair covered while asleep. It's just sometimes I'll leave my hair down to wash my hair and get lazy and go to sleep with it just down/messy/dirty. Then... since it's dirty, I can't really leave it down so I'll just bunch it up in a bun and kind of wear it in a messy bun when I go out. I'll sleep with this tangled bun and go out with it until I decide to wash my hair. This causes my tangling but I've officially decided to stop this dumb habit so it's not really a "big" problem/deal to me.

I honestly don't like the way products act on my hair while dry, which is a big reason why I do not moisturize and seal on a regular basis. I feel like my hair responses better when wet/damp with conditioner. Although, I will keep your ideas in mind, @MileHighDiva. I just made a thread about increasing elasticity and someone suggested ceramides and silk protein. If ceramides/silk proteins in my conditioner do not work, I'll try to see if I can use those products you mentioned. About the cones, I make sure those are removed. I use sulfates and I have both a neutralizing and dandruff shampoo that both get rid of any build up on my strands.

Thank you for all the kind words, you're always so supportive! Congratulations on becoming natural!

 

[Aireen]

Definitely, divachyk. I mean... if something isn't working, I'd have to make an adjustment even for a little while. It's just, sometimes when you follow what everyone else is saying to do instead of going with what you know works, it can make things worse. For example, my hair is not the type that like the M&S method, as strange as it sounds. My hair retained a lot more when I stopped doing it. Now, I'm not opposed to it because it works for tons of people, it just hasn't really worked for me when I've done and revisited it.

I definitely want to drink more water, my water intake is sporadic. I do take vitamins but I do not comb daily or have a seamless comb. I think I do need the latter to avoid the seams snagging at the cuticle. I'll definitely fix up my nightly routine with the whole covering my head and making sure my hair is detangled.

After reading everyone's input, I think the main missing links are:

- softer proteins (silk/wheat)
- use of ceramides
- keeping my hair detangled
- low/sporadic water intake

 

[divachyk]

Totally agree Aireen, do what works best. Also, make one or two tweaks and see how it works rather than making too many at once. We can't afford any setbacks.

 

[Mskraizy]

Geez, didn't I join this challenge!? Gawd, I'm horrible, seems like I joined it and just forgot about it. I'm sorry ladies. I should do like other ladies do and write down the challenges I'm in on my siggy. lol

But the hair in here is absolutely gorgeous!!! *sitting over here being jealous*

lol!

 

[Angel of the North]

So I've finally got round to getting an end of year pic together, I feel like I've made MBL but I'm still not BSL yet. I definitely won't be making HL/TBL by the time the year's out, so I'm gonna jump ship but I shall be lurking and cheering you ladies on from the sidelines, good luck to you all

 

[LaVgirl]

I'm still in Aireen!

Happy New Year to everyone!

I am now at HBL and hoping for TBL by the end of this year. I was afraid of becoming overwhelmed so I did my hair in installments- washed/dc the night before, blowdried the next morning and flat ironed that night. It took me 1 1/2 hours to do the flat ironing process. I used the Chi Silk Infusion and Chi Iron Guard for heat protectants. I used the Chi Turbo flat iron at 360 degrees and the chase method.

I'm pleased with where my hair is right now (it finally reaches my belly button in the front, yay!). Not used to having such long hair though since I wear it natural. I have zipped up my hair in my clothing twice so far, and broke off some hairs.

 

[Mskraizy]

LaVgirl your hair looks amazing!!

 

[Froreal3]

I'm still in Aireen!

Happy New Year to everyone!

I am now at HBL and hoping for TBL by the end of this year. I was afraid of becoming overwhelmed so I did my hair in installments- washed/dc the night before, blowdried the next morning and flat ironed that night. It took me 1 1/2 hours to do the flat ironing process. I used the Chi Silk Infusion and Chi Iron Guard for heat protectants. I used the Chi Turbo flat iron at 360 degrees and the chase method.

I'm pleased with where my hair is right now (it finally reaches my belly button in the front, yay!). Not used to having such long hair though since I wear it natural. I have zipped up my hair in my clothing twice so far, and broke off some hairs.

Your flat iron came out great LaVgirl!

Sent from my Snow White Frost Galaxy S4

 

[Ms. Tiki]

LaVgirl Looks great! I am all for breaking the process up myself.

 

[SunRai Naturals]

LaVgirl Beautiful!!

 

[Aireen]

Catching up in this thread after being behind for the longest time. Thank you ladies for the updates!

ManeStreet, your hair colour is lovely, it complements your skin tone so well!
LaVgirl, your hair looks great! Such an inspiration! Congratulations on making HL! I put a trophy next to your name on the list.
Trini_Chutney, love the health, thickness, and the u-shape your hair has currently!
ChocolatePie777, I know lack of retention can be frustrating. Don't dwell on it, you have a new year to have a new start. Maybe you need to tweak and document things this year to make the process of retention easier?
BostonMaria, congratulations on HL!
Congratulations on making WL, curlycrocheter.
Loved all the pictures, vmerie! Very inspiring! Congratulations on getting to WHIP.

 

[Aireen]

Decided to trim my hair back nearer to BSL. I won't know my exact length until I relax. A part of my hair matted up while washing which caused me to need to cut some length. I'm not upset even though it is a setback. I truly know what I can and cannot do with my hair now. This will be my 2nd and LAST setback and a fresh start for 2014. I'm actually pretty grateful for it in a weird way, it lets me know to keep it simple and not listen to other people that get on you too much with what you know works for your hair.