12 Inches In 12 Months - 2017

NCHairDiva

WAIST LENGTH 2019
I took my twists out. My ends feel dry. I will either wear it out this weekend or in a bun. I am getting tired of this hair journey. I want to wear my hair out more, possibly get a relaxer and a nice cut. I really don't know how some of these ladies on this board can grow their hair so long while PSing w/o wanting to do something drastic.

Ima keep calm though and stay on track but I am def getting the itch


What type of twist did you have?
Ive been doing the micro size twist and I simply loved them!
 

NCHairDiva

WAIST LENGTH 2019
Today has been a long one. Ive been working on organizing my bedroom....So I figured I would part my hair in sections and add deep conditioner and a little advacado oil to my tress!!! I then added a plastic cap, my bonnet and my heavy winter (ugly) hat.
Im so tored Im just going to sleep with it under my scarf and deal with it in tje morning.
 

Pygmy_puff

Well-Known Member
I really haven't been sticking to my growth plan so far. I need to get back to doing my inversions, and keeping my hair stretched in between protective styles. Right now I have water wave crochet braids installed. With this install, I am making an effort to spritz my cornrows with a little water + conditioner mix every couple days and it seems to help with the dryness I usually experience. Hopefully, when I take these down my hair will be in better condition than the last time. My wedding is coming up and I don't want to have cut a bunch off before my big day! :)
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I really haven't been sticking to my growth plan so far. I need to get back to doing my inversions, and keeping my hair stretched in between protective styles. Right now I have water wave crochet braids installed. With this install, I am making an effort to spritz my cornrows with a little water + conditioner mix every couple days and it seems to help with the dryness I usually experience. Hopefully, when I take these down my hair will be in better condition than the last time. My wedding is coming up and I don't want to have cut a bunch off before my big day! :)
Congratulations on your big day!!!!!
 

Guinan

Re-Branding
I took my twists out. My ends feel dry. I will either wear it out this weekend or in a bun. I am getting tired of this hair journey. I want to wear my hair out more, possibly get a relaxer and a nice cut. I really don't know how some of these ladies on this board can grow their hair so long while PSing w/o wanting to do something drastic.

Ima keep calm though and stay on track but I am def getting the itch

Another tough week; however I'm still trying to stick to this challenge. Wash day was yesterday; which lead into today. I had a lot of breakage and shedding:( My hair was tangled and matted. So I decided to use a protein conditioner; which worked like a charm! I also did a deep dusting.

I am in a major hair runt/funk. I was soooooo close to cutting my hair, dyeing it and then relaxing my hair. I think I will go ahead and dye my hair. I am going to do blue black. I'm just tired of PSing and tired of my hair looking a mess. I missed the days when I was texlaxed and had my bob. I feel like now that I am natural I hardly wear my hair down and I'm much more occupied with it. Soooo I decided that 1st I will dye and then possibly cut it so that my hair is more manageable. And then if that doesn't suit me then relaxer hair I come!!

:angry2:PRE-POO: Diluted KCNT and olive oil
:angry2:CLARIFY: KC Come clean shampoo
:angry2:DC: Tressume Curls Undone. I DCed overnight
:angry2:PROTEIN: Millcreek Jojoba conditioner. I left it on for about 6mins. I applied the conditioner on top of my DCer
:angry2:CLAY: I used bentonite clay and water. I used the clay after rinsing the DCer and protein. I wanted to remove any buildup from the conditioners.
:angry2:LEAVE-IN: KCNT
:angry2:STYLE: No idea. I currently have my hair in celie twists. I was going to blow-dry my hair and straighten it but IDK.
 

Royalq

Well-Known Member
Another tough week; however I'm still trying to stick to this challenge. Wash day was yesterday; which lead into today. I had a lot of breakage and shedding:( My hair was tangled and matted. So I decided to use a protein conditioner; which worked like a charm! I also did a deep dusting.

I am in a major hair runt/funk. I was soooooo close to cutting my hair, dyeing it and then relaxing my hair. I think I will go ahead and dye my hair. I am going to do blue black. I'm just tired of PSing and tired of my hair looking a mess. I missed the days when I was texlaxed and had my bob. I feel like now that I am natural I hardly wear my hair down and I'm much more occupied with it. Soooo I decided that 1st I will dye and then possibly cut it so that my hair is more manageable. And then if that doesn't suit me then relaxer hair I come!!

:angry2:PRE-POO: Diluted KCNT and olive oil
:angry2:CLARIFY: KC Come clean shampoo
:angry2:DC: Tressume Curls Undone. I DCed overnight
:angry2:PROTEIN: Millcreek Jojoba conditioner. I left it on for about 6mins. I applied the conditioner on top of my DCer
:angry2:CLAY: I used bentonite clay and water. I used the clay after rinsing the DCer and protein. I wanted to remove any buildup from the conditioners.
:angry2:LEAVE-IN: KCNT
:angry2:STYLE: No idea. I currently have my hair in celie twists. I was going to blow-dry my hair and straighten it but IDK.
That's how I feel. I decided that this year that I will wear my hair out. If my growth stalls oh well. I've been growing my hair for 5 years. I'm tired of constantly looking a mess. Always with celie twists or under a hat or in braids. I will try to care for it better but I'm wearing twist out and blow outs this year. My hair is very time consuming .
 

Guinan

Re-Branding
That's how I feel. I decided that this year that I will wear my hair out. If my growth stalls oh well. I've been growing my hair for 5 years. I'm tired of constantly looking a mess. Always with celie twists or under a hat or in braids. I will try to care for it better but I'm wearing twist out and blow outs this year. My hair is very time consuming .

Thanks sis! I felt guilty for typing it but I want to enjoy my hair and not be the empress with all the shoes. I'm currently flat-ironing my hair after refusing to wear my hair in celies under a hat; lol.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
2017 is the first year I've put the comb and brush to the side. I've always finger detangled but followed up with a comb and a brush. I slather on a generous amount of whipped shea butter when I do my final finger detangle and it makes my hair look and feel as if I used a comb a brush to smooth it.

I'm wearing 8 plaits that I put in bantu knots. I have stopped taking all of my hair out at once when I groom it. I love my beloved pony tail but that is eating through my ends by creating constant tangles which results in lost length. What is getting me through with these same braids is using a variety of wigs and head wraps. I really love the versatility of pretty wigs. Head wraps are elegant.

I am retaining length and it is only February! Some of my hair reaches the bottom of my belly button. I'm trying to track my growth month by month.
 

Guinan

Re-Branding
I straightened my hair almost 2wks ago. It's very puffy but I have been wearing it down like everyday!!! I LOVEEEE IT!!!! I measured my hair and its about 15inches; officially 1inch away from MBL. The down side is that I made a hair appointment to get it cut and colored. Sorry ladies, but I'm bored and need a change!! What I know about my hair is that I can go from EL to APL in a yr.

I'm gonna remain natural for now to see how it feels to be a short-haired natural. But if I don't like it then relaxers here I come!

I cant say if I noticed an increased of breakage, shedding etc since wearing my hair out, cause I haven't been paying attention to that.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I straightened my hair almost 2wks ago. It's very puffy but I have been wearing it down like everyday!!! I LOVEEEE IT!!!! I measured my hair and its about 15inches; officially 1inch away from MBL. The down side is that I made a hair appointment to get it cut and colored. Sorry ladies, but I'm bored and need a change!! What I know about my hair is that I can go from EL to APL in a yr.

I'm gonna remain natural for now to see how it feels to be a short-haired natural. But if I don't like it then relaxers here I come!

I cant say if I noticed an increased of breakage, shedding etc since wearing my hair out, cause I haven't been paying attention to that.

Bravo! THIS is what it is all about: Knowing Thyself, in this case Thy Hair! You have cultivated the knowledge and experience to put YOU in control of YOUR hair. No-one, can EVER take that away from you. Buzz-cut or bob, dyed and fried or plastered with lye, it doesn't matter. You determine the destiny of your hair based on CHOICE. THAT is the POWER of knowledge. Enjoy your new cut that you plan to get. Perhaps we will see you again in Feb 2018 at MBL, because you know how to get back here.

No need to apologize.

Your post is fantastically empowering and a great reminder of the power of knowledge. Well done, @pelohello!
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I inverted for 5 minutes last night for the first time this month. I'm at least 2 weeks late.

I was wondering why we were inverting at the same time. I had to verify my schedule to make sure 'I' wasn't late! :giggle:
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
-Pre-pooing with my Marshmallow Root and Slippery Elm Combo mixed with Paul Mitchell The Detangler and AVJ

-Shampooing with Bask & Bloom Gentle Herbal Cleanser - I really like this cleanser a lot because it gives a tiny bit of suds and cleanses just like it's name says - gently. Plus it smells nice too for a herbal cleanser.

-Deep Conditioning with Bekura Vanilla Whiskey followed by APB UCS.

-Leave-in Bekura Tonga Mousse and/or NG Sweet Plantain Leave-in

-Plaiting my hair up in 4 big celies and wigging it for the week
 

chocolat79

Well-Known Member
Since I'm PSing 99% of the time, it's hard to tell exact growth but I pretty sure my growth rate has increased. I've been relatively consistent with my internal and topical growth aids, so I know it's helping. I hope it stays consistent.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
After waiting 2 weeks, I washed my hair on Sunday. I had a big ol' ball of hair in the sink and all these short broken pieces of hair.

It also took me 2 hours to unbraid, remove shed hair, de-tangle and re-braid! :eek:

I have learned that I MUST MUST wash my hair EVERY, single week without fail. Otherwise, I lose a lot of hair. There is no way one can retain hair if you're losing small, animal- sized balls of hair every wash cycle. Nerp. :confused:

Usually, I could go 2 to 4 weeks when I was baggy-ing and had my hair in 1 braid. Now that I have stopped using a comb and brush, this is not do-able for my hair type.

I'm glad I am realizing this and making this change early in the year. I'll know if the change worked by assessing my wash day routine, shed hair from next week.
 

angelmilk

Well-Known Member
I'm late but here's my March length check! I've retained about an inch to an inch and a half. I definitely wanna retain more though. I need to cut down on friction and keep my hair a little more moisturized.
 

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Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I'm late but here's my March length check! I've retained about an inch to an inch and a half. I definitely wanna retain more though. I need to cut down on friction and keep my hair a little more moisturized.

Congratulations!
Two question for you. You've retained the inch/inch and a half since January 2017? What kind of friction are you experiencing?
 

angelmilk

Well-Known Member
Congratulations!
Two question for you. You've retained the inch/inch and a half since January 2017? What kind of friction are you experiencing?
Yup since late December/ Early January. I have a tendency to not wear my wig caps smh. I'm gonna get some satin lined ones soon though.
 

gvin89

Active Member
I just finished washing. I did the moisture-drenched prepoo treatment for the first time in forever. I'm wondering why did I stop - guess because of time. I used Shea Moisture black soap line because I want to use all these bottles up. It wasn't fantastic, but got the job done. I measured my hair for the first time since we started the challenge...didn't retain a thang, actually went backwards. I think my stylist cut those wispy ends I asked yall about a few months ago. I had decided to hang on to them, but I guess she thought differently. It's ok...not pressed about length as my main focus was getting my hair back to a healthy state. If yall remember I had a lot of shedding and thinning going on along with my hair being desert dry. My hair looks and feels great. I even thought about flat ironing for a quick moment and changed my mind just as fast. I made up a batch of kimmaytube leave-in (another diy that I wonder why I stopped using). My hair is truly moisturized! Think I'll continue with these 2 diy treatments for awhile.

Now I'll focus on retaining my growth...currently at 6" in the back/nape, 9" in the crown, and 8" in the front...probably will be back in box braids next month.

NOTE TO SELF: Do not repurchase SM products. They do not wow me and the fragrance is overpowering.
 

Daina

Well-Known Member
I just finished washing. I did the moisture-drenched prepoo treatment for the first time in forever. I'm wondering why did I stop - guess because of time. I used Shea Moisture black soap line because I want to use all these bottles up. It wasn't fantastic, but got the job done. I measured my hair for the first time since we started the challenge...didn't retain a thang, actually went backwards. I think my stylist cut those wispy ends I asked yall about a few months ago. I had decided to hang on to them, but I guess she thought differently. It's ok...not pressed about length as my main focus was getting my hair back to a healthy state. If yall remember I had a lot of shedding and thinning going on along with my hair being desert dry. My hair looks and feels great. I even thought about flat ironing for a quick moment and changed my mind just as fast. I made up a batch of kimmaytube leave-in (another diy that I wonder why I stopped using). My hair is truly moisturized! Think I'll continue with these 2 diy treatments for awhile.

Now I'll focus on retaining my growth...currently at 6" in the back/nape, 9" in the crown, and 8" in the front...probably will be back in box braids next month.

NOTE TO SELF: Do not repurchase SM products. They do not wow me and the fragrance is overpowering.

What is the recipe for the KT leave-in, if you don't mind sharing please?
 

KenyafromCT

Well-Known Member
Starting Picture: (Photo taken September 23rd, 2016)
View attachment 381493

I'm joining this time!

Current Length: 21 inches in back, 22 inches in front
Goal Length Having Retained 12 inches: 34 inches!!!!! :eek: :happydance::headspin::supergrin::walking::thud:
(That would be mid thigh length or right underneath my behind!)

This will be the first time in my hair journey that I am focusing on growing my hair beyond WHIP/ Hip length. I want my hair to touch and lay on/over the top of my behind.


My high level plan:
  • I'm a huge proponent of green juices (not smoothies), so I'll do those. Lots of natural, organic sulfur.
  • Protective styling : baggy-ing hair during the day, doing whole head baggy at night.
  • Keep every single strand bathed in moisture and sealed from root to tip.
  • Continue with my vitamin regimen.
  • Deep condition with heat using my home-made coconut milk conditioner.
I look forward to seeing everyone's gorgeous updates. I like the support and encouragement in this thread and in the one from 2016.


Beautiful hair! What's in your coconut milk conditioner?
 
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