Long hair people Similarities

[Natural-K]

The biggest thing for me was going natural in 2000. Prior to that I had thin BSL-MBL hair at the longest. The next factor was low heat (once or twice a year). Leading up to my healthy hair journey in 2008 I used direct heat indiscriminately and my hair barely made it to WSL at best. Since 2008 I have gone from shoulder length (big chop from heat damage) to butt crack length, to waist length, and back to butt crack where I am now.

Another thing has been fewer trims although I'm reconsidering it. Before '08 I trimmed about every two months. Since then I have trimmed/cut once or twice a year when I straighten it. Since I prefer full ends and the lower back of my hair doesn't grow as fast, or isn't retained, like the top and front, I'm considering cutting it back to the bottom layer again (~waist-hip length) and then trimming regularly to maintain fullness as it hopefully get back to longer lengths. I go back and forth between that or do a minor trim myself on twists and see where I end up at the end of this year. We'll see.

 

[felic1]

I would really like to be prominent in this thread but my hair is not long enough

 

[bluenvy]

I would really like to be prominent in this thread but my hair is not long enough

How long is your hair? If longer than apl please share what helped you get there. My hair is barely making apl but ppl tell me how long it is surprisingly

 

[curlycrocheter]

Patience is key.

Consistency is key. Doing what works for YOU!

I can't cosign the "no heat" thing because flat ironing my hair every 2 weeks got me to WL the first time. See? It worked for me, but didn't for somebody else. Understanding that is when you set yourself free lol!

 

[sunnieb]

Zero direct heat? (Like Outkast's "for-ever-for-ever-ever"?)

I haven't used direct heat in 4 years. I also haven't used a brush in 5 years.

 

[sunnieb]

Oh and drink lots of water! That should be number 1.

Great tip! I drink an average of 100oz a day.

 

[divachyk]

Oh and drink lots of water! That should be number 1.

lulu97 and others....

Have you experienced growth from drinking water? I drink an average of 96oz a day. This wasn't always my norm. I started this habit about a year plus ago. I didn't notice anything magical happen with my hair.

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

lulu97 and others.... Have you experienced growth from drinking water? I drink an average of 96oz a day. This wasn't always my norm. I started this habit about a year plus ago. I didn't notice anything magical happen with my hair.

divachyk I've always been a huge water drinker. I used to play sports as a child and all my coaches made sure it was the only thing we drank so I'm just used to it. Whenever I slip up and don't drink a lot, I notice my hair is dryer than it normally is which can lead to breakage. Water just keeps everything hydrated and stronger leading to the hair that I do grow being moisturized and more prone to staying on my head. lol

 

[ManeStreet]

Time & effort invested into hair care
Patience
Sacrificing fad styles for long term hair goals

 

[leona2025]

Im bad. I don't drink a lot of water abs I used a brush on wet, damp, and dry hair. Lol

 

[abcd09]

Over the years I've noticed a lot of long ladies are very low mani. They seem to only wash once a week at most and once a month at the very least.
I wish it weren't so because I am thinking of dcing twice a week now to combat the dry air. As a fine haired lady I can't wash once a month. It'd look and feel so bad

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

1) Eliminate or Reduce the amount of times chemical services and/or heat is used

2) Finding and consistently using the same products to keep the scalp clean, strands conditioned and the ends lubricated. No need to use every new product that hits the market. It gets boring but consistency is key.

3) Trim 1/2 to 1 inch a year to get rid of old and worn ends. Protect them frequently and the right way and you wont have to trim all the time.

4) Roller sets

5) Regular use of protein treatments

6) Low manipulation. The less I'm in my head, the more strands I'm able to keep.

This right here! That is definitely a huge commonality of many long haired ladies: not using too many products and jumping around, as well as consistency over time with those products.

That will definitely be my goal whenever my braids come out.

 

[DirectorChic]

Simple regimen once you find what works for your hair and sticking with it.

 

[MzSwift]

Low manipulation
protein-moisture balance
protecting the ends

 

[bluenvy]

Thank you long hair ladies, you are all so amazon. I struggled for so many years just absolutely dumb founded with my sl hair. Since I found lhcf, my hair went from neck length to grazing apl in 7 months!

 

[Prettymetty]

Patience
keeping up with my moisture/protein balance
moisturizing as needed
keeping my ends healthy
when I was relaxed I stretched for 10-12 weeks (any longer caused breakage)
I keep it simple. My favorite products are evoo, castor oil, aloe vera juice and hello hydration conditioner

 

[SEMO]

I've learned why certain techniques work for me. So I do the same technique even if the products I use vary. Companies reformulate products so often that I'm less attached to specific products to bring me success. And I know my hair well enough to immediately know when a product isn't working, or what I may have to do to get it to work for me.

And I have gotten lazier in some ways as my hair has gotten longer. It takes longer to even do basic things. So unless I have more time than usual, or am really in the mood, I don't do I lot of things anymore that used to think I absolutely had to do. For example, I rarely prepoo or deep condition my hair honestly.

Wearing a scarf at night, keeping my hair moisturized (esp my ends) and trimmimng my hair as needed are my real non negotiables.

 

[NaturalBoss]

I keep it simple
No bandwagons
Deep Condition
Low manipulation

 

[KidneyBean86]

This thread is wonderful. My hair is twa at the moment so this is really helpful. Subscribing.

 

[Harina]

-wash my hair once month
- relaxer once or twice a year
- I use heat on my hair once a month
- wrap my hair at night
- keep ends moisturized
- don't focus/stress too much on hair growth..it's going to grow cuz that's what hair does

When you say wash your hair once a month, do you mean with shampoo but you cowash other times within the month or no water hits your hair at all during that timeframe?

For people who wait along time to wash, how do you keep your hair smelling fresh?

 

[bluenvy]

When you say wash your hair once a month, do you mean with shampoo but you cowash other times within the month or no water hits your hair at all during that timeframe?

For people who wait along time to wash, how do you keep your hair smelling fresh?

Good question. I think because my hair is washed weekly any days over that my scalp feels on fire

 

[topnotch1010]

I love threads like these!

 

[girlonfire]

Well defined regimen
A hair regimen tailored to specific hair needs
Little to no bandwagons
Minimizing breakage

kinda unrelated but your hair in your picture is beautiful!!!
how did you do that style? are they buns? is it a figure eight?

 

[divachyk]

girlonfire, thank you! It's two buns.

 

[biznesswmn]

And I know my hair well enough to immediately know when a product isn't working, or what I may have to do to get it to work for me.

I wanna be like u when i grow up . I dont know my hair well

 

[girlonfire]

My hair is long and I feel many long hair ladies do very little. And our regimens are not regimens per se.

this is so true! I'm wl and for the last 7 or 8 months i've really been inconsistent. The one thing I always do is pre poo and detangle, everything else is a crap shoot based on how i feel, and I usually feel like doing the bare minimum (pre pooing and detangling lol) IF THAT. but 8 months ago i was almost bsl so i guess something is working

 

[girlonfire]

I haven't used direct heat in 4 years. I also haven't used a brush in 5 years.

the bun in your siggy is so luscious! what does heavy bunning mean? is it like wet bunning?

 

[girlonfire]

sunnieb NVM! I stalked you for a good 15 min and found out everything I needed to know
I've started to do this lately but not consciously. I'm actually in a wet bun right now, just because SOMEONE (who shall remain nameless) decided to spring a function on me while i was preepoong smh so I had no choice. I definitely think I'll be practicing wet buns and roller sets very soon as I've grown tired of chunky twists and braids. Roller sets are pretty involved though so idk how me and my bag of lazy bones will do with that, but we'll see! gotta shake it up sometime!

I'm sorry you didn't need to hear my life story lol

 

[Duchess007]

I'm WL.




Read up: watch YouTube, read what's out there, find out the benefits of certain products and techniques, and learn the science of your hair (PH balance, ceramides, inversion, banding, hair's molecular makeup, steaming, no-heat styling, hair porosity, pre-poo/no-poo/lo-poo/co-poo/co-cleanse/co-wash/mud wash, silicones pros & cons, etc.)

Evaluate and reevaluate: when trying anything- product, technique, whatever- really evaluate how it works for you. When something is working well and you're bored, that's the best case scenario. But come back to it every once in a while and see if it's still working. If not, think about why. Is your hair longer, so you need to use more product? Do you need to do it more/less often?

Find your faves: for me, I started with VO5, whole and essential oils, and botanicals, and never found a need to try anything else. Figure out why you like certain ingredients (eg, ceramides impart shine, henna strengthens hair, fenugreek provides slip, etc.)

Protein/Moisture balance: I henna and henna gloss my hair (which I HIGHLY recommend) and can clearly see the difference when my hair is protein overloaded (straw-like, brittle) versus moisture overloaded (mushy, prone to tangles). It doesn't have to be as drastic as henna or 2-step treatments, it could be as simple as adding hydrolyzed protein to your favorite deep conditioner.

Protective styling: I tend to do protective styling for a week at a time. Within the last 6 months, I've started Bantu knotting the ends of my twists and it's really keeping my ends in order.


Search and Destroy: Find and eliminate single-strand knots and splits in real time. Trim only as needed, and otherwise hide your shears.

Deep condition: don't go longer than a couple weeks without deep conditioning your hair. I personally deep condition weekly.

Detangle: whether you finger detangle or use a comb/modified denman/tangle teezer, make sure your hair is thoroughly detangled. I also recommend washing your hair in twisted sections to make sure your hair stays detangled throughout a multi-step wash day.

M&S: figure out how best to deliver nourishment to your hair. LOC method? Oil rinsing? ACV rinsing? AVJ sealing as a final step? GHE method? For me, ACV rinses (also see pt. 1 re hair science), Ayurveda, and natural ingredients are holy grails. Your hair might prefer leave-in liquids over heavier lotions, oils over butters, etc. And you'll need to reevaluate season by season.

Be healthy: exercise is good for blood flow, which is good for hair growth. Water is essential for overall health and also aids in hair growth. Vitamins and supplements support various body functions like joint health (MSM, for one), cardiovascular health (garlic, for one), reproductive health (maca, for one), etc., and also aid in hair growth. Scalp massages are mood elevators for me and evidence suggests scalp stimulation aids in hair growth.

Take a vacation: at some point, you will get tired of your hair and want to do something drastic. When that day comes, put your hair away (under a wig, in braids or twists with added hair, etc.) and wait it out.

Another poster mentioned not using heat. I don't use direct heat (I do heated DCs), but some people find that keeping their hair straight helps with managing tangles. It really is a personal choice. As with anything else, you just have to be hyper-vigilant about your hair health and evaluate your methods/choices wisely.

ETA: also, take your hair into your hands whenever you can. The "professionals" don't always care.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[sunnieb]

Duchess007 great post and love your tips!

girlonfire I'm glad my fotki helped you. I've been meaning to update that thing!