Ask A Hip Length Lady

[SmilingElephant]

Okay so...

I just reached Hip Length. I know we have a "Ask a WL Lady Thread" (wait...does it also include HL? I didn't check ) , but I wanted to know...for those of you ladies that are Hip Length...what do I do from here? This is the longest length I've ever reached and I'm not really sure if I need to be incorporating extra things into my regimen now.

Any tips on keeping it healthy and growing (I kinda want to reach Classic Length if I can)?

 

[JFK]

Whoa girl...I'm starting to come back to this side of the board. But, when I was last here (like a couple of years ago) didn't you BC??

Congrats to you!!

 

[levette]

Okay so...

I just reached Hip Length. I know we have a "Ask a WL Lady Thread" (wait...does it also include HL? I didn't check ) , but I wanted to know...for those of you ladies that are Hip Length...what do I do from here? This is the longest length I've ever reached and I'm not really sure if I need to be incorporating extra things into my regimen now.

Any tips on keeping it healthy and growing (I kinda want to reach Classic Length if I can)?

Share your regimen and are you natural

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

My only rule is to keep my hair stretched and my ends lubricated at all times. Other than that, I've been more carefree with my hair whereas before I was on a pretty strict regimen. Nowadays I kinda just do what I want...when I want. I'm not on a schedule. If I feel like washing/rinsing, I do just that. I no longer wait until a certain day of the week or give myself a time frame on when to do things to my hair. I do whatever feels good to my soul at that moment.

As long as you are giving your hair what you feel it needs, I have no doubt you will make it to Classic length and beyond. Just continue to pay attention to how your hair responds and don't be afraid to change something if you feel it no longer serves you. Growing to long lengths often requires growth from you as well in some way.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Whoa girl...I'm starting to come back to this side of the board. But, when I was last here (like a couple of years ago) didn't you BC??

Congrats to you!!

Girl I Big Chopped in 2011! But thank you! Please come back over this way!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Share your regimen and are you natural

That's my thing...I don't really have a real regimen bc my life is always so busy and hectic.

I just co wash every 2-3 days to keep it detangled moisturized, apply a lot of leave in, some oil to seal it in and then my gel on top.

I deep condition when it's God's will But I am trying to get that back under my belt.

However, I do take hair skin and nail vitamins mainly bc of the medications I have to take and I find that also helps.

I TRY to eat healthy. (salt is my weakness) But I love fruits and vegetables so I try to eat more than usual. And I'm getting back to drinking more water.

I am completely completely natural. I have no dye in my hair no kinds of chemicals (like relaxers, perms, jherri curls (I get asked a lot if I have a jherri curl irl...no) ) Nothing but the kinds of products stated above.

My hair loves water...I learned that as a relaxed head so I try to keep it damp.

I also bun alot...but mainly for the sake of laziness and being busy

 

[SmilingElephant]

@lulu97 See this is why I love you!

We are on the same wavelength about hair. I appreciate what you sad at the end about growth from me as well.

I believe that, because although my life has been crazy...I see myself growing. And I guess bc I had stopped focusing on my hair..it grew too!

But yes I had been feeling the same way you say that you are feeling toward hair. Carefree.

I also do my hair when I feel it is needed.

I'm never cutting my hair again...for ancestral reasons, spiritual reasons. After finding out so much about myself in my natural hair journey... (and MAN I found out a lot!), I feel like it's a type of homage I'd just like to pay to my family of the past. It's deep for me.

 

[JFK]

Girl I Big Chopped in 2011! But thank you! Please come back over this way!

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

@lulu97 See this is why I love you!

We are on the same wavelength about hair. I appreciate what you sad at the end about growth from me as well.

I believe that, because although my life has been crazy...I see myself growing. And I guess bc I had stopped focusing on my hair..it grew too!

But yes I had been feeling the same way you say that you are feeling toward hair. Carefree.

I also do my hair when I feel it is needed.

I'm never cutting my hair again...for ancestral reasons, spiritual reasons. After finding out so much about myself in my natural hair journey... (and MAN I found out a lot!), I feel like it's a type of homage I'd just like to pay to my family of the past. It's deep for me.

I so feel you on this. I no longer trim either...only cut ssk's (which I hardly get anyway).

 

[tapioca_pudding]

@lulu97 how do you keep your hair stretched?

I'm not tryna hijack the thread so feel free to PM me!

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

@lulu97 how do you keep your hair stretched?

I'm not tryna hijack the thread so feel free to PM me!

@tapioca_pudding I'm sure @SmilingElephant doesn't mind me answering within the thread.

As of late, my favorite has been using the water flow in the shower to put my hair in one single braid. I call it my "stay ready style". LOL I can wear the braid down, wrap it in a bun or remove it after a few days to rock a braidout. The cool thing about it is after I wear a braidout, I can re-braid it for a few days and get an even better stretch.

The next time I wash and restyle, I'll document the life of my "stretched hair" and tag you in it in either the hip length thread or the twist/bun/braid thread.

 

[tapioca_pudding]

@tapioca_pudding I'm sure @SmilingElephant doesn't mind me answering within the thread.

As of late, my favorite has been using the water flow in the shower to put my hair in one single braid. I call it my "stay ready style". LOL I can wear the braid down, wrap it in a bun or remove it after a few days to rock a braidout. The cool thing about it is after I wear a braidout, I can re-braid it for a few days and get an even better stretch.

The next time I wash and restyle, I'll document the life of my "stretched hair" and tag you in it in either the hip length thread or the twist/bun/braid thread.

Thanks so much!!! I find that my hair NEEDs to be stretched. In the summer I don't like using heat, so I'm trying to find ways to keep it stretched. Because my hair is fine, wearing twists as a style looks like worms on me. So I'm on the search for other go to stretched styles. I'd really appreciate a tag @lulu97 your hair is so intriguing to me I'm lowkey a stalker but I try to keep it cute jk.

Thanks to @SmilingElephant ; I won't derail your thread anymore!

 

[FoxxyLocs]

I'm hip length. I just recently got to (what I consider) full hip length, so I might not be the best for advice, but I keep my hair stretched all the time to prevent SSKs. I straighten 2-3k times a year with low heat, and I put rollers on my ends when I wear braids or twists. That's what got me over the hump bc I was stuck at WL for a long time.

I wash every 2-4 weeks and DC with each wash. I wear a lot of buns, mostly out of convenience and to keep people from touching my hair.

 

[SmilingElephant]

@tapioca_pudding I'm sure @SmilingElephant doesn't mind me answering within the thread.

As of late, my favorite has been using the water flow in the shower to put my hair in one single braid. I call it my "stay ready style". LOL I can wear the braid down, wrap it in a bun or remove it after a few days to rock a braidout. The cool thing about it is after I wear a braidout, I can re-braid it for a few days and get an even better stretch.

The next time I wash and restyle, I'll document the life of my "stretched hair" and tag you in it in either the hip length thread or the twist/bun/braid thread.

I don't mind!! I need these kinds of tips too lol! I suck at asking questions so I like when other ppl ask questions so I get the answer to things I'm not so sure of what to ask about.

I have been thinking about just wearing my hair in a single braid too but didn't know exactly how to go about it.

Do you use just the shower stream and braid or just when the hair is drenched? Because I would like to just put my leave in and oil in and braid it.

 

[SmilingElephant]

@FoxxyLocs I hate ppl touching my hair too and I usually wear my hair in a bun to stop that from happening but my bun is so huge, ppl reach our for it too!

I'm gonna try just wearing my hair in a braid for a while. Thanks for sharing

 

[krissyhair]

Thank you for posting your thread @SmilingElephant.

I'm interested in not cutting anymore either. What put you on that path? How did you make it work?

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

Thanks so much!!! I find that my hair NEEDs to be stretched. In the summer I don't like using heat, so I'm trying to find ways to keep it stretched. Because my hair is fine, wearing twists as a style looks like worms on me. So I'm on the search for other go to stretched styles. I'd really appreciate a tag @lulu97 your hair is so intriguing to me I'm lowkey a stalker but I try to keep it cute jk.

Thanks to @SmilingElephant ; I won't derail your thread anymore!

Awww thank you Sis! I love your hair too...especially the color.

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

I don't mind!! I need these kinds of tips too lol! I suck at asking questions so I like when other ppl ask questions so I get the answer to things I'm not so sure of what to ask about.

I have been thinking about just wearing my hair in a single braid too but didn't know exactly how to go about it.

Do you use just the shower stream and braid or just when the hair is drenched? Because I would like to just put my leave in and oil in and braid it.

@SmilingElephant

Yes, I prefer to do it in the shower right after deep conditioning. My hair is more relaxed and slippery after deep conditioning so I find this is the best time to do it. While I'm rinsing out the deep conditioner, I go ahead and gather the hair towards the back and use the shower stream to help form the braid.

This is right out of the shower:



I always leave the ends of the hair out of the braid. I then add some mango butter to the ends only and apply a small flexi rod. I like flexi rods for this because it weighs the braid down while it dries, so it won't shrink as much.




I don't apply any product to the length because it would take forever to dry since I'm doing all of this on sopping wet hair. My hair doesn't dry out, because my conditioner contains insane amounts of butters and oils so it's still moisturized and shiny 2 days later in a bun.



Tagging @tapioca_pudding since this is really how my stretch process starts.

 

[tapioca_pudding]

Awww thank you Sis! I love your hair too...especially the color.

Thanks!!

 

[tapioca_pudding]

@lulu97 Thanks so much for the visual! That's so helpful and awesome... I cant wait to see the progression

 

[Lady_NakoPenda]

My only rule is to keep my hair stretched and my ends lubricated at all times. Other than that, I've been more carefree with my hair whereas before I was on a pretty strict regimen. Nowadays I kinda just do what I want...when I want. I'm not on a schedule. If I feel like washing/rinsing, I do just that. I no longer wait until a certain day of the week or give myself a time frame on when to do things to my hair. I do whatever feels good to my soul at that moment.

As long as you are giving your hair what you feel it needs, I have no doubt you will make it to Classic length and beyond. Just continue to pay attention to how your hair responds and don't be afraid to change something if you feel it no longer serves you. Growing to long lengths often requires growth from you as well in some way.

PREACH!!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

For me, it was finding out more about my ancestry and heritage that was passed down to me only 2 or 3 generations ago. I have learned a lot about Native American history after finding out just how Native I was and the bits and pieces I found out from my family...after finding out why Native Americans believe/believed in not cutting their hair and learning how one of my Native American Great Grandmothers (I have two that were of Native heritage), she wore a very long single braid that was past Hip Length. When she died, the family cut off her braid to keep in the house. I thought that was dope. So for those reasons I am no longer cutting my hair or big chopping it. It's a very spiritual thing. Even when I Big Chopped. I didn't feel right. I feel more...safe and comfortable...grounded...when my hair is long.

I am glad you are enjoying the thread! I made it bc I was lost for a minute bc...woah! Hip Length!

Thank you for posting your thread @SmilingElephant.

I'm interested in not cutting anymore either. What put you on that path? How did you make it work?

 

[SmilingElephant]

@lulu97 Sis THANK you for that visual! I'm about to go so my hair...shampoo and deep condition. It's been a rough day.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

yay SmilingElephant!!!! CONGRADULATIONS! My first day back in a decade and your the first person I said hello too, and you're the only person I really remember.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

Okay so...

I just reached Hip Length. I know we have a "Ask a WL Lady Thread" (wait...does it also include HL? I didn't check ) , but I wanted to know...for those of you ladies that are Hip Length...what do I do from here? This is the longest length I've ever reached and I'm not really sure if I need to be incorporating extra things into my regimen now.

Any tips on keeping it healthy and growing (I kinda want to reach Classic Length if I can)?

What should you do from here?

The same things that got you here. No more, not less.

 

[FoxxyLocs]

@FoxxyLocs I hate ppl touching my hair too and I usually wear my hair in a bun to stop that from happening but my bun is so huge, ppl reach our for it too!

I'm gonna try just wearing my hair in a braid for a while. Thanks for sharing

I bun with twists or braids (braided /twisted tightly) to make my buns smaller. If I bun on loose hair, my buns attract too much attention.

 

[blazingbeauty]

 

[PlanetCybertron]

Will be lurking

 

[blazingbeauty]

Will be lurking

Shoot you can be answering questions

 

[BeautifulRoots]

Thanks for bumping this thread, will be reading it later.