What was your starting length?

[luvdes4life]

What was everybody’s starting length? What length are you at now? What products and hair regimen are we using to achieve our current status now?

Me, I’m probably about 5” or 6”. My goal is to be 10” by the end of the year. Do you ladies think that is a realistic goal?

I am currently using HF37. I am going to purchase a daily woman’s vitamin and biotin vitamins today.

Any other suggestions?
I am tired of my hair <font color="blue"> </font> <font color="purple"> </font> <font color="purple"> </font> <font color="purple"> </font>

 

[carameldiva]

about 1/2 inch was my starting point

Currently at 4.5 to 5 inches-goal 9 inches by year's end

Vitamins-
GNC's hair skin and nails formula
vitamin e
msm
biotin
gnc's multi-oil formula
flaxseed oil
gnc's ultra evening primrose oil
nature made's super b-complex with vitamin c and folic acid
l-lysine

products
kid's organics hair nutrition formula(leave-in_
gnc's biotin shampoo
aloe vera conditioner
various oils(shea butter, dabur amla, coconut and jojoba oil, sweet almond oil)

Rinse daily and leave in condition
Shampoo 1-2 week
oiling 1-3 times weekly at nite
Deep condition weekly

Educating myself with the purchase of books and hair boards

 

[dannie]

Um... I had a big chop about 4/5 years ago. I'm talking ear length. My hair was very damaged because I didn't know how to take care of it. Granted I was about 13. I first got into hair care after reading the Wanakee phamplet around this age. Anyway I cut all my hair off and I noticed how nice and thick it looked. I started taking my hair seriously and it grew to shoulder length in no time. But I really didn't care about long hair so I kept it in braids and purposly kept it at shoulder length, it was very, very healthy and I knew how to care for it. At the end of 2002 I accidentally discovered conditioner washes because I am lazy, I was a natural head at the time. My hair was still shoulder length. My mother convinced me to perm (which I regret because now I'm addicted) and on News Eve of 2003 I got a perm and dedicided to grow my hair long.
I discovered this board at the end of 03' but by then I pretty much knew everything I needed to know, although I love it here and get great tips. Now my hair is about an inch above my bra strap and i gained about 3/4 inches last year with a LOT of trims.

 

[Erica78]

My starting length in December was 12 inches in the back and 10 inches on the sides. I gained a few since then...but I had about 2 inches cut off in March. I stopped measuring...but I will start again in September so that I can see how much I gained over the summer months. I can already tell that my hair is recovering nicely.

My regimen consists of daily conditioner washes...working out...eating right...taking b-complex and a few other vitamins. As for products...I mainly use Indian and natural oils...cheapy conditioners (suave...dove)...the NTM line...GPB and Aubrey Organics Naturals shampoo.

For suggestions...if you don't already...make sure you keep your hair well moisturized and pay special attention to your ends. Neglecting my ends is what gave me my little set back in early March! Now I am constantly babying them.

Your hair goal sounds like a very realistic one to me.

I have read that the average person gains about 6" a year. Just keep up with your regimen...eat right and by the end of the year...you might even surpass your goal. Good luck to you!

 

[Paladin]

In August 2003, my hair did not even cover my ears and I had no length in the back or front. And now, June 2004, my bangs cover my mouth; and my sides &amp; back touch my shoulders (when stretched). So, I started out with hair that did not even cover my neck. I believe I have gained a good 4 inches!

 

[Paladin]

Oh Yes, for me the key was daily conditioner washes and protecting my ends to prevent them from breaking off...for which I used the famous baggie with EVOO technique.

 

[katie]

My starting length was about 4-5 inches.Around neck length

 

[Devi]

My starting length was 16 inches. I'm now at 16.75 inches.

I'm just taking a multiviatin... washing and deep conditioning my hair every 3 days and airdrying it and moisturizing it every night on the nights that I don't wash it.

 

[happylocks]

about 1 year ago I joined the forum
My hair was cut off TWA in summer of 99, my hair quick grow, like it does everytime Ive cut it
Never made it pass shoulder lenght for all those years till I joined here
Till about 1 year ago, I was from Hairline to ends 12 inchs unstrechted
Now am 18 inchs unstrected
I did not have any kind of regime till the stinky challenge
now that has giving me some kind of regime, like leaving my hair alone


Vitamins have really helped me, I dont seem too gain lenght not much if I dont take something, I have tried alot of different things, and I do belive not using heat will help me this year, Am in the bun now for almost a week, I hope
I can keep it for about 2 weeks or longer

 

[TigerLily]

My hair was shoulder length. After the big chop it is now a little bit below my earlobe.

 

[Poohbear]

http://members.fotki.com/poohbear215/about/

 

[Trinity1]

I started 2 years ago and my hair was shoulder length and had been for about 5 years straight. I thought it wasnt growing but it was growing and breaking at the same point keeping it the same length. Now I am about bra strap length. Hair is much thicker than it was before too.


Tee Tee

 

[Tai]

My starting length (I just recently "started") was at my last trim, which was about an inch &amp; a half above my shoulders. My pics from my Dominican blowout, my hair is now just ever so slightly below my shoulders. I still haven't measured yet.

 

[legs71]

I discovered this board in August 2002 when I was out of work. In October 2002 it was a year I had been natural w/braid extensions. At that time my hair was midneck length on the sides, an inch past the base of my neck in the back and my bangs were to the top of my lips. Currently my bangs are below my chin, the sides and back are armpit length. And just think prior to discovering this board my hair always grew to ear length and was badly damaged.

 

[dreemssold]

I cut my hair all off in January 2002 because of damage from microbraids. I started with one-half inch. I don't know how many inches it is now, but if I had to guess I'd say 12", I guess?

 

[inthepink]

Since I'm transitioning, I guess I have two lengths...my overall length and my natural hair length.

It's hard to say exact length...but I know I've made tons of progress. My natural hair was hardly anything last year this time but this year, some areas are a few inches below my shoulders (the back) and some areas are bottom of ear length.

Last year, my overall length was very close to waist length but in December I had about 4-5 inches cut off. Last time I looked (in mid-March), my hair was just below bra strap. I will probably be getting it straightened next week and then I'll know where it is.

Overall, I'm really more concerned with the lenght of my natural hair. I'm ready to see where I'll be next year.

 

[Casarela]

I think it was half an inch or so. I did teh big chop on nov 28 2002

 

[laketta]

When I discovered this board back in June/july last year, I had just did the bog chop. I was left with about 3 inches in most places. I wish I had taken pics but prior to that, my last perm was october 2002. So i guess you can say i started from 0 in October 2002 and now my natural hair is below my shoulders when stretched out and my unstretched natural fro is getting quite big now. I've had quite a few cuts and trims in the meantime.

 

[OnceUponAtime]

TRANSITIONING WITHOUT BIG CHOP
My healthy hair birth date – July 5, 2003:
1 inch at the crown
3-4 inches the rest of my head

My crown had not grown past an inch or two in several years. Thanks to good general care, Surge 14, castor oil and vitamin E oil, my crown is growing. I wish I thought to take before pictures of my crown.

Eleven months later:
5 inches at the crown (growing so slowly, but growing!)
8/12 – 9 inches the rest of my head

Two trims in 11 months. I’ve cut about two inches in those trims and I dust almost every month. I retained about 4-5 inches. Without the trims, it would have been 5-7 inches.

Daily: baking soda pre-rinse, conditioner wash Surge 14/Woojee Cream.
Weekly: shampoo 2-3 times wkly hot oil and deep condition.
Nightly: tie with silk scarf or plastic cap with conditioner as needed
Protein treatment: every 4-6 wks.

Protective styles:
Bun sealed with Vaseline (sometimes S-Curl) then covered with phoneytail
Shake &amp; go (air dried curly fro)
Braid outs or Un-picked Afros (finger fluffed braid outs)

 

[msprettyeyes]

Hi Everbody,

When I started my hair barely touched my neck (last summer) I now realize that my hair really grows fast, but when you don't take care of it you can't tell because the breakage makes it seem like you don't get anywhere. I use a protein treatment the week after my perm. And the week before my perm I do a thorough deep condition (to prepare my hair) I perm my hair every 6-7 weeks faithfully. I use PCJ pretty and silky (Yes it is a kiddie perm). I have been through so many perms in my lifetime that it wasn't funny. I have used
1. Just for me (that was my first perm ever age 9) I know that was way too early for me to get a perm!!!!
2. Cream of nature (from age 14-18) That was way tooooo strong and I never once in the 4 yrs that I used this perm went burn free.
3. I used cream of nature herba rich ( there is no difference btwn regular cream of nature and herbarich only the color in my opinion........I still burned.
4. I used Motions ( still burned)
5. I used Motions Oil moisturizer ( the worst) my hair was tooooooooooo oily.
6. I used Parnevu this perm is realllly good for sensitive scalp (if I didn't find PCJ I would use this)
7. MY SAVING GRACE........... PCJ PRETTY AND SILKY. (JUST BECAUSE IT IS A KIDDIE PERM DOES NOT MEAN IT WON'T WORK)

Last summer I tried to do the whole thing of washing my hair 3-4 times a week. It was okay but I really couldn't figure out what to do with my hair. Then I started to wear weave ponytails for about 3 months (this really helped my hair grow because I wasn't playing in it everyday) The only bad thing about that was that it made the middle of my head sore. Then I started to get sew in weaves ( they really helped) I kept them in for about 4 to 5 weeks. I got sew in's for about 4 months. What was very important was that I would still get perms regularly. ( some may frown upon that but it helped me retain growth) After stopping the sew in's ( around January) I started to get wash&amp;sets. ( In NY there are so cheap about $12) so I would get my hair done every week and a half. I always made sure to deep condition. I don't have any permanent color. (just a rinse...by Avatar) the color is so rich it looks like color.. And here I am today, My hair is past my neck making it's way down my back. And that's my hair story!!!

 

[Ayeshia]

my starting point was one inch in Nov 2003
Now I am at about 4 inches minus two trims which was about 2 inches

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

My starting length was just around the nape area. I am now shoulder length. It took me from May of last year to get to where I am now. You can check out my album for more details.

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

Yes, I do believe your goal can be reached. You just need to be consistent. The vitamins should help. I believe that co washes vitamins and consistency helped me get to where I am now. I achieve the length I have now even after doing a couple of trims in between.

 

[Carlie]

<font color="purple"> ...very encouraging thread...bumping for new replies /images/graemlins/smile.gif</font>

Oh, and I started at shoulder length back in Feb....I'm not quite sure where I am now since I haven't touched up in 4 mths...somewhere around brastrap...nothing official yet... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Shinka]

I started with zero inches, really big chop Oct 03. Now I have 4 inches, but I would have about 6-7inches if I haven't trimmed so much. Now I'm progressively cutting these permanent colored ends off ( that's about 2 inches). This is good because I keep thinking my hair isn't growing, but ideally I recieved the avergae of 6 inches in on year. it just hard going from bald to 4 inches of hair. I just have to make I'm six inches longer by next year...lol

 

[AudraChanell]

It will be a year next month since my BC

December 2003 - BC to chin length bob
November 2004 - Pic in my avatar

Since it is winter time, I am only going to wash and style bi-weekly and stay moisturized. My basic regimen is little manipulation (I only comb to style it and to put it up at night) consistent deep conditions, hot oil treatments and little to no heat.

 

[Valerie]

When I started in February 2002, my hair was about an half and a inch all over. I would wash my hair twice a week and deep conditioner and I still would blow dry it. However in July 2002, when I started taking pictures, the side of my hair was able to stretch to the middle of my earlope, I stopped blow drying my hair and allowing it to air dry I put my hair in flat twists mostly and I started rinsing on a regular basis, I did it every day, after I took some more pictures in October, the hair at the side stretched to the bottom of my ear. At first rinsing daily, my twist would always come out, anyway after a while it was not too bad. Now 2 years and 9 months later, my hair is extremely thick, My hair is collarbone length, when stretched. When I put my hair in flat twists, I can comfortably plait all the ends together and tuck them under, before I would have to put a hair pin to keep them in place.

What has definetely helped me is the daily rinsing, that has been a key to my hair growth. I have gone without rinsing my hair for a month, but washing twice a week or just spraying my hair, and although my hair is healthy, I'm not able to retain my hair length, it just stays the same.
My daily rinses would be conditioner with water, glycerine and rosewater, aloe vera juice and gel or herbal teas, such as rosemary, horsetail or nettle or a combination of all three herbs, with added glycerine, rosewater, aloe vera juice and gel, sometimes I add MSM to my rinses.

Supplements have also helped me like cod-liver oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose, a liquid multivitamin, MSM and Vitamin E. Also I have used hair tablets, the ones I have tried and I have got good results from was HF 37, Natures Plus, I am also trying the shake, which is quite good, also I have tried Millenium Hair and Skin tablets, they were also good. Holland and Barretts Hair tablets, plus I have to take Amino acids, however if I can't afford the hair vitamins, I usually buy a B-complex, Biotin (1mg strength. Also I exercise 5 days a week, I think the exercise has helped me. I am trying to improve my eating habits, mostly greens, vegetables, protein, (oily fish, mackeral, salmon, chicken, soya and tofu and carbohydrates, a reasonably amount. Going my hair longer, I have had to learn patience, which is a very hard for me, being consistent and visualise myself with very long hair, and also what has greatly helped is being with a support group, even though I cannot see any of you. The support you give each other is a tremendous help and I have learned a lot joining this forum. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Aerie17]

My starting and current lengths are available in my photos at Fokti. See my link below. My regimen is somewhere on this board. If you want, you can go back about 3 weeks or so to check it out!