Why does it take so long to reach APL? I see some women that Bun for 3 months and their hair has grown so much. I have been longer then SL but not yet APL for over year. Starting over for 2009; I'm in cornrows, taking vitamins, drink so much water and eat fairly well. I just order BT today just to see results. My Mom has been BSL all her life, but I have my Dad's cutely shrinkage, fine hair bad with humdity (just to give a visual). I stretch for 12 weeks at a time may go as long as 24 weeks. Do you think that APL may not be possible; maybe the hair shaft may not grow this long for some regardless of the genetics or good haircare?
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RavenMaven
Active Member
Anyone can grow hair, nothing is impossible. I think you need to do some tweaking to your regimen.
sqzbly1908
New Member
Hi Fellow H-Towner!!!
Anybody's hair can grow long but everyone's hair grows at a different pace...just like you made it to SL - you can make it to APL. It will take patience and good hair maintenance but never give up hope.
Remember we are here for ya and if you have any questions or need additional advice -surely someone will chime in....
HTH
Simply_Kelz
New Member
ITA with everyone else. Also, take into consideration the number of inches it takes to get from SL to APL. For me, it's around 6.
Nonie
Well-Known Member
I think that's your problem. You're setting dates when you expect to see something. Why not just enjoy every day? Stop looking for length and enjoy the hair you have now. Learn to count your blessings. You have hair. You are not balding. You can cornrow it and look neat without any bald gaping spaces. Think of the next cool cornrow style you're gonna rock. What else haven't you tried that your length can pull off? Let April come and go, and pay it no mind. One day you'll just wake up and be frustrated because you can no longer pull of the dos that had become your signature style because APL came and went while you were having fun.
EbonyMajesty
Member
I agree with the person who said you have to take into account the length from SL to APL to BSL for you. I am around 5'9 with a longer than average neck, so I have to figure that in when I think how long it will take my hair to grow to these different milestones. I have friends who have APL hair, and mine is about APL right now too, but my friends have less inches than me, and would probably have closer to BSL if my hair was on their head. Don't fret....you'll get there!
beans4reezy
Well-Known Member
I think SL to APL maybe the hardest because there are so many inches between the two areas. Be patient, stay on the right track, and perfect your reggie. Maybe a growth aid like OCT or MT can help you get past that hump? Juast think of it this way, once you get to APL, then its smooth sailing, BSL is right around the corner!
january noir
Sunny On a Cloudy Day
Might I add (I someone hasn't already)... Stretching long amounts of time isn't for everyone and it sounds like you have fine hair. You might be doing your hair a disservice.
Stretching takes extreme care on relaxed hair and perhaps your can only stretch to 8-10 weeks. Have you done that? Are you manipulating/styling your hair a lot?
I found that my hair likes to be left alone except for daily or 4x's per week moisture and protein treatments and put in a protective style.
Stretching takes extreme care on relaxed hair and perhaps your can only stretch to 8-10 weeks. Have you done that? Are you manipulating/styling your hair a lot?
I found that my hair likes to be left alone except for daily or 4x's per week moisture and protein treatments and put in a protective style.
CurlyMoo
Well-Known Member
Well I'm a natural and I had the same problem. I had shoulder length hair and it was thinning. I started the Cathy Howse regimen and I noticed my hair was getting thicker and stronger but it had only reached an inch or two pass shoulder length in 5 months. I was hoping for a more significate growth. So I tweeked my regimen to exclude Cathy Howse products but maintain the regimen and include a stronger protein conditioner and my hair JUMPED to BSL from SL in 5 months and that included a trim and dusting along the way. Now keep in mind I had continued the daily moisturizing and instead of washing once a week I had increased to 3x a week. I also was exercising 5x a week; cardio 3x and yoga 2x a week. So a combo of things had happened, frequent exercise, moisturizing, washing and Deep conditioning with protein and moisturizing conditioner 2-3x a week and very little direct heat. I did not trim very often though only once since i started the new regimen. Since I have reached BSL I have decided on NO direct heat until May/June. I hope this helps. Good luck! HHG!
MissNina
Libra Girl
It took me about 2 relaxers or about 3 months from the start of what I call my "salon free hair journey" to reach APL. I bunned and kept a half wig over it. That's what did it for me. It's also gotten me very close to BSL. I recommend it highly. This may be harder if you're natural, but it's worth a try.
Don't get discouraged. It will happen. Just do what you're supposed to do, don't over-manipulate it and you will see results. Promise ya. . .everyone's hair grows differently
Don't get discouraged. It will happen. Just do what you're supposed to do, don't over-manipulate it and you will see results. Promise ya. . .everyone's hair grows differently
xxCami
New Member
Hmph.. Why.. I have a great why..lol
I always search the threads for whatever it is that I'm inquiring about... And I always see the nice flowing hair on the members here, and why is it that most of them are 4a's or 3c's. I mean there are lenghty 4b's but they seem scarce.
I don't think genetics have much to do with the length, bc I have seen wonders!!! Like a girl who had a lick of hair and no one in her family as I can see had hair, and she started taking care of it and it grew!!! And you would never think...lol
So can anyone answer my why? Or am I just bugging?
I always search the threads for whatever it is that I'm inquiring about... And I always see the nice flowing hair on the members here, and why is it that most of them are 4a's or 3c's. I mean there are lenghty 4b's but they seem scarce.
I don't think genetics have much to do with the length, bc I have seen wonders!!! Like a girl who had a lick of hair and no one in her family as I can see had hair, and she started taking care of it and it grew!!! And you would never think...lol
So can anyone answer my why? Or am I just bugging?
Simply_Kelz
New Member
Well, everyone's hairtype may not be 100% accurate. Because what is accurate anyway
The chart is confusing, I know I just say 4a/4b because I'm somewhere in there, and others might do the same.Stretching relaxers helped with thickness in the pass, but I was also drinking carrot juice faithfully at that time. When I went natural several years back my hair was alot more thick, but I did have major shrinkage and it was hard to get someone to straight my hair (even me). Cornrows has helped a lot with no contact the only disadvantage is I can not wash and deep condition once a week as I normally do because it breaks the style after a week or so. I was using WGO, but the smell gets to me for some reason, so I decided to order Boundless Tresses (scented). I'm a little afraid to try MTG or Megatek due to allergies and a sensitive smell. I am following the Crown&Glory method minus the wash.
LivingDol1
Well-Known Member
i think SL hair is more likely to break off if you wear it down a lot since it will rub right on your clothing. that, and the fact that there are more inches in between than other goal lengths makes it harder to achieve. you'll get there!
spritex
New Member
Megatek actually smells great -as far as I know it's the best smelling growth aid. When I used BT I could really smell the sulfur, I'm not sure if the scented version masks it completely. Maybe someone else can chime in.
1babydimple
New Member
As everyone has said patience is a key ingredient but you also may not have an "average" growth rate. I know I don't :/ my hair can grow from 1/4" to 2" a month with no consistancy from month to month. Like this past yr as I transition I got over 8" but that's not the norm, because there have been yrs were I've only gotten 3" -6".
Talk about discouraging, 3"
But over these 45 yrs I've learned to just maintain what I have and keep saying to myself "I'll be so much longer by this time next yr."
Talk about discouraging, 3"
But over these 45 yrs I've learned to just maintain what I have and keep saying to myself "I'll be so much longer by this time next yr."1babydimple
New Member
You have a point, there are a lot of factors to healthy hair. Genetics, diet, medcine, stress, low blood count, etc., etc. It may take some time to figure what you part of your life you have to work on. Is your stress level high, are you anemic? All are factors to consider when laying out your regime.
SvelteVelvet
Well-Known Member
I used to believe my hair would never get past a little longer than SL before I met LHCF. It's possible.
Stay consistent with your BT, it'll help. Make sure you DC every week w/heat. Avoid direct heat at all costs, rollerset and maybe flat iron roots only and wrap it up every night. I didn't do any bunning at all when I went from SL to APL. When I got my BT, I got my hair braided in human hair extentions, not micros but medium to small sized and left them in for about two months. During that time, I BT'd and I made my own braid and scalp spray with S-Curl a few drops of Lavender oil and a bit of conditioner. I think it was Tressemme Remoisturize conditioner. I applied BT every other night, every other day I'd rinse my scalp in the shower and after getting out the shower I'd spray my hair and scalp with my mixture to keep it moist. When I took them out I got a touch up my hair had grown so much and I had about an inch to go to reach APL. From that point on I did the above, weekly DC's (got into Dominican products which kept my hair in great condition), rollerset only, wrapped every night and still used my BT sparingly. I wore my hair out all the time too, I was afraid to put things like holders or clips, very paranoid of any stress or breakage I'd be putting on my hair. 2 months later I was APL. So just stay consistent for a while and maybe do something to stop 'watching the pot' like braids. Some ladies are successful with the constant bunning too. Good luck!
Stay consistent with your BT, it'll help. Make sure you DC every week w/heat. Avoid direct heat at all costs, rollerset and maybe flat iron roots only and wrap it up every night. I didn't do any bunning at all when I went from SL to APL. When I got my BT, I got my hair braided in human hair extentions, not micros but medium to small sized and left them in for about two months. During that time, I BT'd and I made my own braid and scalp spray with S-Curl a few drops of Lavender oil and a bit of conditioner. I think it was Tressemme Remoisturize conditioner. I applied BT every other night, every other day I'd rinse my scalp in the shower and after getting out the shower I'd spray my hair and scalp with my mixture to keep it moist. When I took them out I got a touch up my hair had grown so much and I had about an inch to go to reach APL. From that point on I did the above, weekly DC's (got into Dominican products which kept my hair in great condition), rollerset only, wrapped every night and still used my BT sparingly. I wore my hair out all the time too, I was afraid to put things like holders or clips, very paranoid of any stress or breakage I'd be putting on my hair. 2 months later I was APL. So just stay consistent for a while and maybe do something to stop 'watching the pot' like braids. Some ladies are successful with the constant bunning too. Good luck!
silvergirl
Well-Known Member
getting past shoulder length was impossible for me back when i was relaxed. once i transitioned (the previous time) my hair grew to mbl without a hitch, it was crazy. but there have plenty plenty women here who have been able to surpass it while relaxed. some with protective styling, some with relaxer stretches, others with bunning. i hope you find what works for you. but i'll know youll get there
newflowers
New Member
this advice bears repeating.
I think you ladies are right - PATIENCE IS KEY. This of which I have not had. Protective styles such as cornrows has been succesful thus far. I'm going to BT once recd every other day. I'm a workout girl, so the exercise and eating right, vitamins are all in play. I'm going to adopt the 1x week rinse while in cornrows for a cleaner scalp; this is which I have not been doing since I started in Dec.
Do any of you think that you body become immune to the vitamins after a period of time?
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