Ends make inches! The secret to longer hair?

ProdigalDiva · May 9, 2011

Krystle~Hime said:
4/6 weeks without washing? even no COwashing??
only jojoba oil on ends daily ?

Yup, only Jojoba on the ends daily and sometimes scalp greasing. For whatever reason, oiling my ends was enough to keep my hair moisturized. If I had oiled my entire length of hair, I definitely would have needed to was more frequently, as my hair probably would have been super greasy.

ProdigalDiva · May 9, 2011

Random thought, but the hardest thing about bunning for me was running across attractive men during the course of a regular day and I'm looking like somebodies momma. I never could pull off the sexy bun... works for some ladies, not so much for me.

On the plus side, on the rare occasions that I wore it down... well, the shocked appreciation you get is rewarding

.

Ltown · May 9, 2011

TLC1020 said:
I agree.. When I leave my hair alone it grew leaps and bounds. All I did was bun 7 days straight, moisturize the ends, shampoo and deep condition once a week or sometimes every two weeks.

This is what I am doing now and I'm loving it

Coming from FOM i'm taking note :grin:

Jewell · May 9, 2011

My hair is growing fast, and I LOVE protective styles. They are just very convenient for me, and keep me cool since my hair is so thick (its too hot to wear it down/out). I bun mostly or wear it in a clip, NO HEAT applied to my hair, CW once per week. Moisturize ends in evening, keep my hair tied up unless I'm going out. Leave in regular cond. after CW, seal with oil. This is really helping me grow out my hair from my January 2011 BC.

I leave my hair alone except for putting it in a bun for sometimes up to 2 wks at a time (mostly I loosen the bun @ nite and just re-do in AM w/o combing), and if I have twists in, I have em in for a month b4 I do any combing or washing...I just spritz with water/cond. mix and seal the ends, re-twisting as needed. The low-maint. regimen is where it's at for me! My hair is loving me for it. KISS

ETA: I agree ends make inches--my hair only gets splits if there is excessive heat usage. Therefore, I can trim once per year and still be good. I don't get SSK either.

aa9746 · May 9, 2011

ProdigalDiva said:
Ladies (and gents), is it just me or is the secret to longer hair as simple as leaving your hair alone? When I really got serious about growing out my shoulder length hair, I did a few things:

I had my hair professionally straightened and trimmed (~1.5 inches taken off) - after that first trim, I didn't have another for 1 year... I didn't need one before then

I moisturized my ends daily with Jojoba oil and wrapped my hair at night

During the day, I wore my hair in a protective bun with the ends tucked under and away from the elements

I went 4 to 6 weeks (yes, 4 to 6 weeks) without washing or straightening my hair - I know this may sound gross to some, but I never suffered from smelly hair and my scalp was perfectly healthy

I never (and I mean NEVER) put heat in my hair in between my monthly visits to the salon

After 2.5 years, my shoulder length hair was waist length. I didn't change anything in my diet, I just was a complete stickler about protecting my ends at all cost. After all, ends make inches.

Has anyone else had success with a similar regime? Or is this just crazy talk?

For me it is. I keep my hair braided up under wigs and my ends rolled on satin rollers for 6+wks. I even wash in the rollers so I don't get the knot balls on the ends of my hair. So far it's working.

kittikat24 · May 9, 2011

Protective styling and less heat is what got me from necklength to BSL.
Whether I was texlaxed or transitioning...these 2 things WORKED. :grin:

SuchaLady · May 9, 2011

Do yall just moisturize the pony/ends or actually do sections of the entire head? The only manipulation I do besides washing it is moisturizing and sealing. And if I can decrease it I want to :-/

cherxy777 · May 9, 2011

For my hair, that is all it needs i've realized. Leave it alone and the growth will come in.

godsflowerrr · May 9, 2011

yes! retaining length is the key. I don't wear protective styles too much anymore because I like to wear my hair out (big hair) when I go out. I do make sure that my hair is tucked away before going to bed to avoid tangles and ssks

kittikat24 · May 9, 2011

^^I love your siggy, godsflowerrr!!^^
So inspirational! :grin:

luckiestdestiny · May 9, 2011

I agree. Leave it alone. Protective styles is what helped me in my siggy to get from the first length to the length in Jan.I'm again protective styling all the way to hip (I hope)!

abcd09 · May 9, 2011

I think it's a fine idea if you're not prone to splits and/or tangles. If I did that my roots would be a matted mess with splits and more splits from attempting to detangle.

Lucky's Mom · May 9, 2011

Nope. Not crazy talk. I have been wearing cornrows since July 2010. Best thing I could have ever done. Leave my hair alone. I just did another Aphogee Treatment. Lost 1 hair in the blow dry. I will be cornrowing until October this year. I can't wait to see the results.

Incognitus · May 10, 2011

aa9746 said:
For me it is. I keep my hair braided up under wigs and my ends rolled on satin rollers for 6+wks. I even wash in the rollers so I don't get the knot balls on the ends of my hair. So far it's working.

Can you please elaborate on the procedure you follow. I've decided to start wigging it and lately I've been prone to the knots at the ends. Also, how often do you wash? Feel free to PM me. TIA.

Lucky's Mom said:
Nope. Not crazy talk. I have been wearing cornrows since July 2010. Best thing I could have ever done. Leave my hair alone. I just did another Aphogee Treatment. Lost 1 hair in the blow dry. I will be cornrowing until October this year. I can't wait to see the results.

When you're cornrowing, how often do you unbraid/rebraid and wash your hair? I'm trying to get a system together for when I start cornrowing under my wig. Feel free to PM me.

@Op sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. :blush:

I just a couple quick questions...

mousee09 · May 10, 2011

ProdigalDiva said:
Ladies (and gents), is it just me or is the secret to longer hair as simple as leaving your hair alone? When I really got serious about growing out my shoulder length hair, I did a few things:

I had my hair professionally straightened and trimmed (~1.5 inches taken off) - after that first trim, I didn't have another for 1 year... I didn't need one before then

I moisturized my ends daily with Jojoba oil and wrapped my hair at night

During the day, I wore my hair in a protective bun with the ends tucked under and away from the elements

I went 4 to 6 weeks (yes, 4 to 6 weeks) without washing or straightening my hair - I know this may sound gross to some, but I never suffered from smelly hair and my scalp was perfectly healthy

I never (and I mean NEVER) put heat in my hair in between my monthly visits to the salon

After 2.5 years, my shoulder length hair was waist length. I didn't change anything in my diet, I just was a complete stickler about protecting my ends at all cost. After all, ends make inches.

Has anyone else had success with a similar regime? Or is this just crazy talk?

same exact regime right on :yep:

aa9746 · May 11, 2011

Incognitus said:
Can you please elaborate on the procedure you follow. I've decided to start wigging it and lately I've been prone to the knots at the ends. Also, how often do you wash? Feel free to PM me. TIA.

I either wash or cowash once a week with the satin rollers on the ends of my braids. I take the rollers out for the final rinse. I towel dry, then apply my leave ins and seal with an oil. Lastly I roll my ends back up to avoid daily friction then air dry or I'll put on my wig cap, and then the wig if I'm going out. I only use 2 rollers. I just grab a hand full of braids and just roll the ends. My ends are always tucked away.

newbeginnings2010 · May 11, 2011

ProdigalDiva said:
It's funny, my hair is actually healthier straightened than it is curly. I might just be doing it wrong, but every summer I go through a phase of wanting to rock my natural curls, but ultimately revert back to the press because my ends suffer. C'est la vie. :-(

My mind is on this No Heat Challenge that I joined and I'm thinking I may not make it through this challenge because my texlaxed hair has thrived using your almost EXACT same regimen, except I wash every 3-4 weeks (and rarely 2 depending on the occasion). And that's only because I get itchy after week 4.

ETA: I think I needed this reminder. Thanks OP! I forgot that my hair finally started growing after an LHCF hiatus and keeping it simple. I'm going back to my old regimen!

Incognitus · May 12, 2011

aa9746 said:
I either wash or cowash once a week with the satin rollers on the ends of my braids. I take the rollers out for the final rinse. I towel dry, then apply my leave ins and seal with an oil. Lastly I roll my ends back up to avoid daily friction then air dry or I'll put on my wig cap, and then the wig if I'm going out. I only use 2 rollers. I just grab a hand full of braids and just roll the ends. My ends are always tucked away.

Thank you for the details. So you wash/cowash while your hair is in the braids, correct? Also, when you say braids, are you referring to cornrows or loose braids (I'm assuming cornrows)? TIA.

aa9746 · May 12, 2011

Incognitus said:
Thank you for the details. So you wash/cowash while your hair is in the braids, correct? Also, when you say braids, are you referring to cornrows or loose braids (I'm assuming cornrows)? TIA.

I wash/cowash in braids but I focus on my scalp. I do both cornrows and braids, mostly cornrows. I have pics. of what my hair looks like in fotki. I don't worry about how it looks just focusing on preserving my ends while I'm under my wig.

Poohbear · May 12, 2011

ProdigalDiva said:
[*]I went 4 to 6 weeks (yes, 4 to 6 weeks) without washing or straightening my hair - I know this may sound gross to some, but I never suffered from smelly hair and my scalp was perfectly healthy

Doesn't sound gross to me... I do the same thing!!! :yep:

Congrats on your hair length progress!

I think leaving your hair alone is the key to longer hair. I wish I could have left my hair alone over the 6 years that I've been natural. But now, I've been sticking to a routine of keeping my hair in two strand twists. I can't wait to see results in the future.

DDTexlaxed · May 12, 2011

I can't knock your method about the lack of washing your hair, buy leaving my hair alone works great. When my relaxed hair was long enough to bun, I did so. Just doing that style and not touching t helped me retain length. I am currently twisting my natural hair and leaving it alone. I am retaining length this way as well. My ideal dream style is to have natural hair long enough to bun daily. :yep:

I can't wait! :grin:

RegaLady · May 12, 2011

ProdigalDiva said:
Random thought, but the hardest thing about bunning for me was running across attractive men during the course of a regular day and I'm looking like somebodies momma. I never could pull off the sexy bun... works for some ladies, not so much for me.

On the plus side, on the rare occasions that I wore it down... well, the shocked appreciation you get is rewarding .

'
I won't lie, this has always crossed my mind with single ladies. My protective styles are not so attractive :nono:

. Its bad enough letting dh see it, I can only imagine trying to attract men :ohwell:

Vintagecoilylocks · May 13, 2011

Readyone said:
'
I won't lie, this has always crossed my mind with single ladies. My protective styles are not so attractive. Its bad enough letting dh see it, I can only imagine trying to attract men

Actually men are attracted by the mystery. They always assume a woman who wears her hair up must have long hair. I was always asked how long was my hair by men when I was in the public work force. :yep:

EbonyCPrincess · May 13, 2011

ProdigalDiva said:
Ladies (and gents), is it just me or is the secret to longer hair as simple as leaving your hair alone? When I really got serious about growing out my shoulder length hair, I did a few things:

I had my hair professionally straightened and trimmed (~1.5 inches taken off) - after that first trim, I didn't have another for 1 year... I didn't need one before then

I moisturized my ends daily with Jojoba oil and wrapped my hair at night

During the day, I wore my hair in a protective bun with the ends tucked under and away from the elements

I went 4 to 6 weeks (yes, 4 to 6 weeks) without washing or straightening my hair - I know this may sound gross to some, but I never suffered from smelly hair and my scalp was perfectly healthy

I never (and I mean NEVER) put heat in my hair in between my monthly visits to the salon

After 2.5 years, my shoulder length hair was waist length. I didn't change anything in my diet, I just was a complete stickler about protecting my ends at all cost. After all, ends make inches.

Has anyone else had success with a similar regime? Or is this just crazy talk?

I agree with everything except for this. I've seen people say "my hair grows better dirty" and I'm always like "probably not...its prob just NOT manipulating it." So I think its not the washing/conditioning that's the problem, its the manipulation. Hence why weave reggies and the Crown & Glory methods work so well for most people, not because they aren't washing but because everything else about your post applies. Just leave your hair protected and it will thrive - I agree and it doesn't sound crazy at all. Not even the not washing part - essentially you are just saying you didn't touch it for 4-6 weeks at a time. I just need to wash my hair!!! lol.

sylver2 · May 13, 2011

exactly..just leave hair alone :yep:

i wish i could go longer then my 2 week washing but my scalp gets so itchy & flaky.

LushLox · May 13, 2011

Yeah me too, I couldn't go any longer than 2 weeks without washing, and even that's pushing it - my scalp starts looking tore up. Not a pretty sight!

Chevelure618 · May 13, 2011

I'm texlaxed and my hair seems to do better with a little heat. I think it is because the ends don't get tangled.

aa9746 · May 13, 2011

Readyone said:
'
I won't lie, this has always crossed my mind with single ladies. My protective styles are not so attractive. Its bad enough letting dh see it, I can only imagine trying to attract men

I keep my hair covered because I have so much growth that my parts are gone and I don't want dh looking at my head every day. So when I get home from work wig comes off and bonnet goes on.

Deuces · May 13, 2011

IMFOCSD said:
Yup, i have learned this about my hair also. My hair is constantly in 5-7 twists pinned in place with hair pins. I sometimes go a whole week or longer without even touching my hair at all...i use scurl on my hair 3-7 times a week depending on my lazyness lol

I have def seen a change for the better in my hair since i decided to turn into a PSaholic.

Daily combing, brushing and touching are my enemies lol.

How do you prepare your hair for bed? I'm guessing that you don't wrap it, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Also, how often do you cowash and use protein?

OndoGirl · Jul 20, 2011

bump bump!!

Ends make inches! The secret to longer hair?

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