2017 Shoulder Length Challenge

[beingofserenity]

Ok, here we go guys! @faithVA graciously allowed me to copy the challenge requirements from 2016.

For those of us that are continuing on from the 2016 challenge, let's make 2017 the year. For those of you joining for the first time, welcome.

Post the following to join in

What length are you now?

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning?

What's your plan to reach SL?

What's your regimen?

How will you celebrate/reward yourself when you reach SL?

Anything else you want to share?

Post your starting pic:


The challenge will officially start on January 1st, 2017. With a fresh new year before us, please commit to checking in at least 1x a month to let us know you are on track and to support everyone else.

Post your starting pic by 12/30/2016.

Plan to post your reveal pic by 12/30/2017. You can post earlier if you reach SL any time in between.

We will have additional length checks or length updates on
April 1, 2017 (no April's fools )
July 1, 2017
October 1, 2017

Post as many hair pics as you like because you know we love pics


Thread Dates
December 30, 2016 ............Post Starting Pic
April 1, 2017.......................1st length check/update
July 1, 2017........................2nd length check/update
October 1, 2017..................3rd length check/update
December 30, 2017.............Final Reveal

List of Challengers!

 

[beingofserenity]

What length are you now?

I am somewhere between neck length and shoulder length. I hope to reach full shoulder to below shoulder length at the end of next year. I want my crown hair to grow to my shoulders.

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning?

Natural.

What's your plan to reach SL?

Protective Styling. I don't plan to wear my hair out much this year.

What's your regimen?

Protective style for 4-12 weeks. Wash once a month, maybe? Not sure, but hoping to be very low maintenance.

How will you celebrate/reward yourself when you reach SL?

I may get my hair professionally trimmed and styled. Maybe.

Anything else you want to share?

Post your starting pic:

Will post in January.

 

[Evolving78]

neck length
Relaxed
Just not doing anything drastic like cutting, coloring, relaxed touch ups on my own
My Reggie is prepoo/wash/DC 1-2 a week. I will use heat weekly blow dry/flat iron
No protective styles as of now

I will celebrate by getting a relaxer touchup at the salon, or by myself a nice hair tool

I plan on trying a new haircare line next month in Jan. It's from a yt hairstylist that I have been following for a couple of years.

Holding my spot for when I wash my hair and my camera man is around.

 

[faithVA]

What length are you now? Somewhere between NL and SL

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning? Natural

What's your plan to reach SL? I'm going to rollerset during the winter and work on improving the condition of my ends. When I'm not rollersetting I will be doing my regular flat twist but on stretched hair.

What's your regimen? Still working on it. For now washing every two weeks and rollersetting. I moisturize as needed between washes.

How will you celebrate/reward yourself when you reach SL? I will buy the barrel size curlformers or maybe even a floor model hair dryer. Probably just the curlformers though

Anything else you want to share?

Post your starting pic:

 

[KiWiStyle]

Thanks for hosting the 2017 SL challenge!

What length are you now? I really don't know. I'm multiple lengths I guess, my nape is CB, my sides are JBL and the rest is just there.

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning? Natural

What's your plan to reach SL? cleansing & DC conditioning weekly, drinking plenty of water, eating a well balanced diet, I'm iron deficient so taking my supplements daily. I have damaged ends so I'll be cutting those off slowly during the first quarter of the year.

What's your regimen? I cleanse with a clarifying or chelating shampoo every 4-6 weeks, and cleanse with a sulfate free shampoo weekly. DC for about 30 minutes with a conditioning cap after every cleansing session and install two strand twist. protein treatment as needed.

How will you celebrate/reward yourself when you reach SL? I'm not sure, probably nothing special...I'll know when it happens.

Anything else you want to share? Not at the moment.

Post your starting pic: will post before the challenge begins.

 

[ITS.CHRISSI]

Hi guys I'm in will post everything with pics on the weekend!

 

[beingofserenity]

The African royals braid spray is an amazing cheapy moisturizer.

 

[Evolving78]

I still haven't don't anything to my hair yet. Today is the day I do something... I guess I will cowash and take it from there.

 

[KiWiStyle]

It's been such a long time since I've been a length challenge. How will I know if I've reached my goal?

 

[Evolving78]

It's been such a long time since I've been a length challenge. How will I know if I've reached my goal?

The pull test. I did that when I was natural and made it to SL. I used a measuring tape too.

 

[Evolving78]

The co wash didn't happen! HA! It's Saturday, and I don't have anything going on too much today, so I will wash and dc again.
Any hair plans today ladies?

 

[KiWiStyle]

The pull test. I did that when I was natural and made it to SL. I used a measuring tape too.

Thanks lady! Does all the hair have to reach SL?

 

[KiWiStyle]

The co wash didn't happen! HA! It's Saturday, and I don't have anything going on too much today, so I will wash and dc again.
Any hair plans today ladies?

I purchased a hard water treatment and a shower filter so this weekend is dedicated to removing all these hard water deposits and chlorine that's been sitting on mine and DD's hair.

 

[beingofserenity]

Thanks lady! Does all the hair have to reach SL?

Different people have different definitions for shoulder length, lol.

FOr me, I consider this length full shoulder length.

I want all of my hair to be touching my shoulders, including the hair from my crown.

 

[KiWiStyle]

Different people have different definitions for shoulder length, lol.

FOr me, I consider this length full shoulder length.

Thanks! I thinks that's when I'll feel comfortable claiming SL too., I'm in no hurry, I just want healthy and manageable hair.

I want all of my hair to be touching my shoulders, including the hair from my crown.

 

[Evolving78]

Thanks lady! Does all the hair have to reach SL?

I usually do the nape! I will be in the SL challenge for years waiting for my crown and front to get to SL. I could have the same about of inches, but it just takes a long time to get below the neck.

 

[beingofserenity]

Same!

 

[beingofserenity]

I usually do the nape! I will be in the SL challenge for years waiting for my crown and front to get to SL. I could have the same about of inches, but it just takes a long time to get below the neck.

Oh thats so true haha... My nape is already just about shoulder length. I don't plan on doing any cutting besides trimming, so I will probably be at APL in the back by the time Everything else reaches shoulder length!

 

[faithVA]

The co wash didn't happen! HA! It's Saturday, and I don't have anything going on too much today, so I will wash and dc again.
Any hair plans today ladies?

Saturdays

The co wash didn't happen! HA! It's Saturday, and I don't have anything going on too much today, so I will wash and dc again.
Any hair plans today ladies?

I have been feeling hair lazy as well. The cool temperature isn5 helping. I will wash tomorrow. I have to. It's been 2 weeks and I can't pile any more product on top of that's already there.

 

[Evolving78]

Ok ladies I will do my best to not be lazy with my hair! I have been washing, conditioning, and not rinsing and detangling since last week wash day! Lol so I have washed my hair three times and have not detangled! Yikes! I could have made a doll wig! Lol it wasn't that much though, since I would finger detangle here and there. I'm letting my hair airdry a bit before I blow dry.

I tried less than a pea size amount of Keracare's silk and seal and that stuff is thick! I used it on one section of hair. I used Ors grapeseed heat protectant spray on the rest.

I had to use a comb with long teeth that were closer together behind my jumbo magic rake. That was the only way to get all of the shed hairs out.

 

[Evolving78]

Also, I'm challenging myself to take really good care of my hair, so when I go to my stylist for a touchup, she won't be able to say anything bad! Lol
They will laugh at you, complain, and tell you how you should come more often, since you clearly don't know what you are doing!
I'm stretching my relaxer, so I know I'm gonna hear her mouth about waiting so long. Years ago I went 12 weeks and she told me that was my cut off! I agree with her though. I'm almost 8 weeks and it's thick! But I believe, since my relaxed strands are over processed, I may be able to stretch a little longer. I am bone straight, but this process was a virgin one.

 

[Rocky91]

I will insert all my stats when I get back to my computer, but I want to join. I guess I am going to grow out this TWA now.

I am probably gonna protective style on a regular basis until I feel my hair is past the awkward length. This morning I got some feed-in cornrows so I'll be good for at least two weeks, maybe three

 

[Rocky91]

Sharing a pic of my cornrows snapped real quick in the church bathroom while removing all my jewelry lol

 

[beingofserenity]

Sharing a pic of my cornrows snapped real quick in the church bathroom while removing all my jewelry lol

Wow! they look really good.

I should try them..

 

[Rocky91]

Wow! they look really good.

I should try them..

You definitely should! It only took about an hour and wasn't that pricey ($60).
I went with my hair already blow dried

 

[lindseyerinc]

What length are you now?
Longest layers are full shoulder, sides not quite there yet.

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning?
Natural

What's your plan to reach SL?
Incorporating olaplex treatments, being consistent with deep conditioning at least 1x a week. Taking my vitamins and eating clean.

What's your regimen?
Wash 2x week with chagrin valley shampoo bars. DC w/ joico mrb, SD vanilla silk, DB pumpkin seed conditioner or anything else in my stash. Twist and bun.

How will you celebrate/reward yourself when you reach SL?
By continuing to take care of my hair. I've slacked with my natural hair more than I ever did when it was relaxed.

Post your starting pic:
This was a blow dry that was done on July 9. My most recent length check

 

[Evolving78]

You definitely should! It only took about an hour and wasn't that pricey ($60).
I went with my hair already blow dried

They do look good!

 

[faithVA]

Sharing a pic of my cornrows snapped real quick in the church bathroom while removing all my jewelry lol

Those are cute, cute, cute

 

[Evolving78]

Finished my hair an hour ago! lol I gotta sleep cute tonight!

 

[faithVA]

I decided to wash tonight. Just finished blow drying with the tension method. Even on low it's somewhat drying to my hair but it's faster than rollersetting and sitting under the dryer. Since I don't do it too often my hair should be OK. I will rollerset next time.

I'm just going to put it in flat twist and keep it for two weeks.

Everything it hard this length. Blowdrying was wearing my arms out because my hair is so short, I have to hold my arms up the entire time. I look forward to hair so long that I can hold my hand by my stomach and blow dry my hair