When Has Your Hair Been it's Longest? Relaxed vs. Natural

[DivineNapps1728]

I've been thinking about this for the last few hours. I went natural because highlights and overprocessing severely damaged my hair, but since being natural I've yet to reach the longest length I'd achieved with relaxed hair. Now I wouldn't trade my puff for anything, but I wouldn't mind regaining my former length.

I was curious about experiences others have had.

Did you have longer hair when relaxed/texlaxed or natural? Was your hair healthier when relaxed/texlaxed or natural? What contributed to your hair being it's longest when it was?

 

[mariofmagdal]

Longer and healthier natural.

 

[La Colocha]

My hair was the longest when i had a wave nouveau about 14-15 years ago. It grew so much, im not sure but i never really manipulated it as much and i had to wear a bag for moisture. Maybe that was the key to the growth. My hair was to my bra strap, then the stylist that was doing my hair stopped carrying the wave nouveau and started using hawaiin silky brand. I told her then i wanted a relaxer i had no idea about transitioning and apprently she didn't either because she put it right over the wn and my hair went down hill from there. I have been natural now for almost a year, its growing but its always shunk up. I don't know if its just in my mind or what but i believe my hair grew faster with the wave nouveau. Ive incorporated using a baggy in my regime so hopefully this will help me now like it helped me then. SSL

 

[DivineNapps1728]

My hair was the longest when i had a wave nouveau about 14-15 years ago. I don't know if its just in my mind or what but i believe my hair grew faster with the wave nouveau. Ive incorporated using a baggy in my regime so hopefully this will help me now like it helped me then. SSL

This isn't the first time I heard someone say that their hair thrived with a wave nouveau or a jheri curl. I think the lack of manipulation & moisture is what made all the difference.

 

[Mook's hair]

I Haven't been natural long enough to make a proper conclusion.
For now I have to say that it was its longest when I was relaxed.
Actually when I started my transition in April 2007 that was the longest my hair had ever been.
But I hope to reach that same length by the end of this year (Natural)
And surpass it next year.

 

[mstar]

My hair was its longest in '94-95...I was relaxed, but I took care of it myself, no hairdressers. It's the only time in my life when I was self-styled, and my hair was the healthiest it had ever been (up until now).

 

[locabouthair]

The longest it was was when I was relaxed at age 14. I went natural and I'm relaxed again and my hair is damaged.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

I have to say when I was natural. I got my first relaxer at 18, but when I was about 7 or so, my hair was between APL and BSB.

 

[aprils13]

My hair was at it longest when I had a relaxer, apl. I've been natural for 3 years and I never let my hair get past sl stretched because I always wore a bob. Now I'm trying to see how long it will grow.

 

[Liege4421]

my hair was longest when I was 12 and natural...I was around BSL. I'm hoping to hit that early next year, but I'm relaxed now.

 

[gitana0801]

My hair was healthy and long relaxed, but honestly much healthier natural.

 

[rainbowknots]

My hair reached it's longest point when I was natural. Whenever I got a relaxer my hair thinned out and broke off badly. But that was because I knew absolutely nothing about taking care of my hair. I'm relaxed now, but now I have better hair care practices so I'm pretty sure my relaxed hair will get longer than I've ever had it.

 

[loulou82]

My hair was longest as a relaxed head (just shy of APL). But I've only been all natural for 9 months (transitioned for 15 months) and I should surpass my previous longest length this year.

My hair is healthier as a natural.

ETA: DivineNapps- How long was your hair prior to going natural? I only have APL as a reference point but if your hair was BSL or longer then perhaps 3 years isn't enough time for your hair to reach that length again depending on your growth rate. So you may just need to give it more time and it will surely get there again.

 

[Evolving78]

i put other because even though my hair was its longest relaxed,(apl) i am growing my hair out now, so i have yet to experience long hair as a natural. i am not having a hard time getting to that long stage. my hair just does what it does.

 

[that_1_grrrl]

I said, "Other". The longest my hair has ever been is Full SL and that was when I was relaxed and started going to a really good stylist. I bet if I would have stuck with him, my hair would have really grown. I started college though, so I could no longer afford relaxers.

Now, my hair is about the same length it usually was when I was growing up. I have only been natural for two years, and for the first year and half, I did not know how to care for my hair. I wonder how long it would be if I did.

So, I think by this time next year, my hair will be the longest length it's ever been. FINALLY!

 

[isawstars]

I said texlaxed.

My hair is currently the longest it's ever been since I was 10 or 11... I am 21.

 

[CarefreeinChicago]

The longest my hair has ever been was bra strap care free curl in hs about a million years ago. My last perm was June 04. Now I keep it cut at shoulder length. I get it cut every six weeks.

 

[SweetSpirit86]

I put Other. I recently BC'd so I don't know how my natural hair is going to work out. I remember my hair being long before I got it relaxed...but I don't remember HOW long lol so it doesn't do me much good. Relaxed, I've had my hair APL. I was always struggling with it, so I can't say it was healthier than my natural hair.

 

[ajacks]

I have to vote for natural, but I was also a child the last time it was natural.

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

My hair was it's longest natural. I made it to just below BSL before I cut it. My hair had never been that long. It had to potential, but I started doing my own hair @ 8, and it took me a long time to know what was good for my hair and what wasn't. Relaxers were too harsh for my hairtype.

 

[itsanaddams]

I voted other because I had some wicked, mad, growth as a natural, when I was in a growing challenge with my Southern Cousins... the wicked rats lived in Georgia, had a genetic hair growing advantage, had no snow, perfect sunshine, red-clay and rainwater vs me in a NY city project.

But then, when I was rocking the curl relaxers I was also keeping wicked, mad, length.

I think the success of both was a lot less manipulation and more of a stress-free life. I was happy, go-lucky, carefree and did not g.a.s about anything.

Now, with real life, I find the journey harder and hence the hair is more of a challenge.

 

[Nightingale]

As a child I was around BSL natural. In my adult life my hair is texlaxed and at its longest now. I'm positive I could have reached this same length as a natural though.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

Longer and healthier in the natural state.

 

[nucienuce1]

It was 98-99 (bsl) then I cut it to a Halle Berry style and then 04-07 (bsl) cut it to get over a man (DUMB!) I cut it up to chin length. My hair grows because I hardly fuss with it and my perms have always been at least 3 months apart.

 

[nuggetrock]

Longest length achieved since I have been natural....when I had locks it was MBL. Since I have been to that point, I know I can get there again....just all, huge, curly 'fro this time!

 

[Highly Favored8]

When I was younger my hair was natural and MBL.

Now relaxed I was as long as BSL healthy until I cut it.

 

[laurend]

Both relaxed and natural.

 

[vkb247]

My hair was longest when I was natural as a child. I got my first Wave Nouveau at 13 and my sister told me that when they were straightening my hair out in the first step that is was at least MBL. But it wasn't healthy. It was all broken off from harsh treament and had to be cut to just below SL. I am now at APL and healthy with texlaxed hair.

 

[SlantedEyezMiss2003]

It's been it's longest relaxed, but I never allowed my hair to grow long being natural enough to tell, I was natural for a year and didn't experience much growth, BUT I didn't know much about taking care of my hair in it's natural state.

 

[doll-baby]

My hair was at it's longest when I was 5yrs old and natural. After my mom put chemicals in my hair it started breaking off and remained short until recently when I learned how to care for my relaxed hair and now I'm approaching BSL.