2021 Shoulder Length Challenge

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
Are you against stretching your wash n'go? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't depending on my mood LOL! Is there a decent length difference between your length checks at last year and this year?
I’m not against stretching my hair, but whenever I try it my curls look weird and distorted so I’ve given up. How do you stretch your hair?
I definitely got growth last year, but I am just starting to doubt that the growth will be visible. I’m working on acceptance.
 

ckisland

Well-Known Member
I’m not against stretching my hair, but whenever I try it my curls look weird and distorted so I’ve given up. How do you stretch your hair?
I definitely got growth last year, but I am just starting to doubt that the growth will be visible. I’m working on acceptance.
Yeah the lack of progress is so annoying! That's what sent me into the arms of the flatiron! I totally feel your pain!!

If my hair isn't completely dry when I band it, then it's likely to be a frizzy weird looking poof when I take the bands out. Since my hair is short, I do 5 sections (1 for my bangs, 2 on each side by my ears, and 2 in the back). When my hair was long, I would split my hair in half from ear to ear, and band the front forward and the back section low. Doing one pineapple never worked for me because I have 3 different curl patterns and they don't stretch out the same. I also got the best results banding hair that I had styled with gel once it had completely dried. Other products like curl creams or conditioner only didn't have enough hold to withstand stretching.
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
Yeah the lack of progress is so annoying! That's what sent me into the arms of the flatiron! I totally feel your pain!!

If my hair isn't completely dry when I band it, then it's likely to be a frizzy weird looking poof when I take the bands out. Since my hair is short, I do 5 sections (1 for my bangs, 2 on each side by my ears, and 2 in the back). When my hair was long, I would split my hair in half from ear to ear, and band the front forward and the back section low. Doing one pineapple never worked for me because I have 3 different curl patterns and they don't stretch out the same. I also got the best results banding hair that I had styled with gel once it had completely dried. Other products like curl creams or conditioner only didn't have enough hold to withstand stretching.
I may try banding. But I’m really hair lazy....
 

TLC1020

Well-Known Member
Thank goodness my hair is not shedding like it were, which made my hair thin, lifeless and see thru, my strands are growning back strong again and my follicles are filling in.. My hair is so uneven though and it's growning in that way, but it doesn't help that I clip my thin ends when I see them, which probably makes it more uneven. I'm just going to keep moisturing and wearing this ity bity bun..
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Looked at my hair while rinsing this morning. I can see a little growth happening. My front comes to the top of my lip. My sides reach the bottom of my ear. The back though varies. I do have a few pieces that reach my nape.

March will be 4 months since my cut in November. I am scheduled to go back to the stylist. If I go back I will just have her clip my ends. I may consider a reshape in June. We shall see.
 

B_Phlyy

Pineapple Eating Unicorn
Going to do a shampoo and deep condition tonight followed with a very light handed LOC. I'm taking my braids down throughout the rest of the week and will do a full hair treat on Saturday. Theoretically I should have taken my hair down this past weekend but I just didn't have time. And past setbacks have taught me I need to take time with my take down of protective styles. As much as I want to keep my braids in for 7-8 weeks, my hair said 3-4 is all I get.

Part of me wants to flat iron but I'm going to hold out until next month. That way I can have a more accurate length check for the April check in.
 

ckisland

Well-Known Member
From time to time (when I'm over product combinations not coming out right), I'll wash and condition my hair and let it dry with no product. This time I decided to document what my hair looked like wet and dry! I slept on my hair, and it looks and feels the same the next day :D . In the side by sides, the first pic is my hair wet and the second is dry.

2-10-21 wet hair front resized.jpg2-10-21 dry hair front.jpg2-10-21 wet hair back.jpg2-10-21 dry hair back.jpg
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
From time to time (when I'm over product combinations not coming out right), I'll wash and condition my hair and let it dry with no product. This time I decided to document what my hair looked like wet and dry! I slept on my hair, and it looks and feels the same the next day :D . In the side by sides, the first pic is my hair wet and the second is dry.

View attachment 469141View attachment 469143View attachment 469145View attachment 469147
That is nice. Sounds like you just need a light product application.

If I could get away with that, I would probably just condition my hair every other day and let it be that :yep:
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Did my CCS on Saturday afternoon and the power went out at 3:30 and has yet to come back on. I've been wearing my buff to keep my head warm. Still trying to figure out how to fluff the hair after wearing a buff.

I had planned to reset on Tuesday but without power it may be Wednesday or Thursday. I also need to go ahead and order my color. Coloring my hair will help me feel better about my style.
 

ckisland

Well-Known Member
Did my CCS on Saturday afternoon and the power went out at 3:30 and has yet to come back on. I've been wearing my buff to keep my head warm. Still trying to figure out how to fluff the hair after wearing a buff.

I had planned to reset on Tuesday but without power it may be Wednesday or Thursday. I also need to go ahead and order my color. Coloring my hair will help me feel better about my style.
Oh no!! I hope they get your power back on soon!!
 

ckisland

Well-Known Member
So I tried the Emerge line again (I really liked the poo, DC and leave-in) without the shampoo, but with the gel. I watched a lot of reviews and the general consensus was that the gel was whack. When I tried the gel this time, I went in! I went heavy like I do with Miss Jessie's, and my results came out great!! I'm 2 days post wash and my curls are defined and plump. I'm curious to see if I can get a whole week out of it!
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I was too tired to reset this morning. I hope to get up early and reset tomorrow. There is talk of another storm on Thursday, so I really need to do it tomorrow just in case. This week looks cold but next week looks like we may start to warm up a bit :yay:
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
They are warning about another ice storm tomorrow so I reset this morning. My hair is definitely getting a bit longer. I can see it when it is wet.

I have a long way to go until SL but if I can see a little progress every 2 months that will be encouraging.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Did my CCS this morning. I'm back to blogging my regimen so I don't change too many things at once. I'm also trying to keep track of what I am doing so I can repeat it.

Doing my hair twice a week is working out. I'm keeping mid-week simple so it isn't too bad.

Nothing much to report.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I can't wait to have long hair :crybaby: I measured my hair and I'm at 6 in. in the back. I need 15 in. to be at WL. That's only 1.5 years from now (Sept 2022)! I can do it! I can do it! :strong:

You can do it!

I'm going to take one step at a time. My next step is to get to a point where the front and sides all move when I shake my hair when it is wet. I will set another goal when I reach that one :lol:
 

TLC1020

Well-Known Member
I shampooed and deep condition my hair, moisturized and now back in a lil bun... I'll be 7 weeks post relaxer this week and have some newgrowth, this short hair style is looking a mess, so glad I'm working from home..
 

sunnieb

Well-Known Member
@faithVA I'm right there with you with those dern power outages last week! I was supposed to relax last Monday, and the snow/ice storms wouldn't let me be great. It was 70 degrees today, so I think we're in the clear.

I just finished relaxing my hair and chilling now with conditioner for the next 45 minutes.

I'm so happy with my hair! It's finally getting a lil hang time in the back!

I'll take pics this week to see how much of a difference there is from my last relaxer.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
@faithVA I'm right there with you with those dern power outages last week! I was supposed to relax last Monday, and the snow/ice storms wouldn't let me be great. It was 70 degrees today, so I think we're in the clear.

I just finished relaxing my hair and chilling now with conditioner for the next 45 minutes.

I'm so happy with my hair! It's finally getting a lil hang time in the back!

I'll take pics this week to see how much of a difference there is from my last relaxer.
I'm glad your hair is making progress and you are happy with it. That is a nice place to be.
 

ckisland

Well-Known Member
Using a detangling brush weekly is one of the best things that I've done for my hair this time around. I've essentially stopped banding/pineappling my hair at night and I don't sleep with a scarf or bonnet, so I've been sleeping on my hair loose and out. A lot of my curls look freshly cut at the ends and I haven't been dealing with ssks. Last week I used a wide tooth comb to detangle before going in with my brush, and the difference in how much shed hair came out was shocking. All of that hair would be trapped to wrap around my strands if I were only using a wide tooth comb!
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
Using a detangling brush weekly is one of the best things that I've done for my hair this time around. I've essentially stopped banding/pineappling my hair at night and I don't sleep with a scarf or bonnet, so I've been sleeping on my hair loose and out. A lot of my curls look freshly cut at the ends and I haven't been dealing with ssks. Last week I used a wide tooth comb to detangle before going in with my brush, and the difference in how much shed hair came out was shocking. All of that hair would be trapped to wrap around my strands if I were only using a wide tooth comb!
I agree. When I first started using a detangling brush I would first use my wide tooth comb. But now I don’t even bother. I finger detangle a bit as I shampoo and condition and then go straight for the detangling brush while my hair is still saturated with conditioner
 

sunnieb

Well-Known Member
Wore my hair down all day on Friday. Totally unplanned. I wanted to take a pic to update my profile at work.

I styled it a little, took the pic, and planned to bun it right up. Dh saw me and made such a big deal about it! I decided to give him a treat and wore it down until bedtime. Felt weird, but I did enjoy my hair looking decent while being down. The past few years of struggling with damage and breakage made me not even think about wearing my hair out.

Doing my weekly honey/EVOO dc now.

Hope everyone is doing well!
 
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