Calling all Natural 4a/bs.

[missyT]

How are you growing your hair?

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?

How long do you keep them in for?

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?

What length did you start with?

Often do you wash your hair?

How oftn do you use heat?

 

[SNyeema]

How are you growing your hair?
Braids.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
My hair is currently braided up in cornrows (extensions) through the winter.

How long do you keep them in for?
Usually about a month to 6 weeks (depends on frizzines)

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
same as above

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
Yes. My hair is the same length now as it was when I first thought about going natural.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
6 months.

What length did you start with?
No inches. I had a perm at the end August and my hair was cut short with the side lengths just above my ear. With a little over 6 months it's now the exact same length except my sides are now just below my ear. I b/c on Jan. 15th.

Often do you wash your hair?
I only wash/rince once while in braids.

How oftn do you use heat?
I've only used heat once since August.

 

[deedabug]

im natural also...so here goes...

How are you growing your hair? scalp stimulants....that has ranged from stanky indian oil (not alma or vatika....a combo of various stanks lol) rosemary essential oil mix, wild growth oil last year this time and surge too

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles? some times i try to do box braids for a week or so or flat twists and get them re-done and then i fall off lol..havent used weaves....

How long do you keep them in for? i cant go past a week

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last? flat twists, box braids, 2 strands, a bun a couple of times...doesnt last more than a week

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles? unsure with the styles but the scalp stimulations im sure of

How long has it taken you to get to your current length? almost a year and a half

What length did you start with? since i have been natural i have been growing my hair longer....i had 2 inches or so at b/c

Often do you wash your hair? the least 3x a week

How oftn do you use heat? once a mth to release some tangles

 

[DelightfulFlame]

How are you growing your hair?
I dunno quite how to answer this one. Ummm...I wash and condition it when it needs it. Handle it gently. I take vitamins regularly for my health, but they benefit my hair. Used to do the rosemary eo...still do every now and then in spurts. Drink water. Trying to start exercising soon.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
My own hair. Never have been big on wearing weave. I'm not good at it.

How long do you keep them in for?
I do best when I wash/deep condition after a week. However, when I get lazy I can go up to 3 weeks.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
dry twists- up to 3 weeks. wet twists- 1 week. coils- 1 week. box braids- 1 week (don't think they are cute on me yet. maybe when I get more length). straw set- 1 week.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
Yep. I began growing my hair out after my last scab hair chop at the end of July. So since then, I have gained (and kept even with trims) about 4-5 inches.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
I would say about 1 yr. I have been natural for longer (1 yr and a half), but only growing it out for that long. After my last scab hair chop in July I was left with 1.5-2". Now I am around 6".

What length did you start with?
1.5 - 2"

Often do you wash your hair?
Here lately it has been whenever, but I prefer to wash weekly.

How often do you use heat?
Hardly ever. In fact, I haven't since I've been natural. (unless you count a light blow dry). I plan to straighten one of these days when I quit being lazy.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

How are you growing your hair?
Not sure what this means.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
Generally I wear my own hair. But I have had braids and I am currently wearing kinky twists.

How long do you keep them in for?
6 weeks maximum.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
I guess none. I wear twistouts most of the time.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
I haven't had any breakage.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
1 year and 2 months.

What length did you start with?
0 inches- I transitioned. Still am, I have about an inch of relaxed ends.

Often do you wash your hair?
1-2 times a week.(conditioner wash) I'll probably double that in the summer.
shampoo(once a month or so)
How oftn do you use heat?
NEVER.

 

[star]

How are you growing your hair?
With vitamins, Surge and stimulating oils.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
yes, sometime

How long do you keep them in for?
weaves for 2 months, braids change every 3 days

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?Braids, they last about week but redo every three days.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
yes

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
6-8 months

What length did you start with?
Not sure

Often do you wash your hair?
Every three days

How oftn do you use heat?
With conditioning and cermaic flat iron some parts of hair.

 

[AllAboutTheHair]

How are you growing your hair?
Crown and Glory technique and baggie method.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
yes, I wear individual braid extensions that I do myself

How long do you keep them in for?
8 weeks max.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
Bunned plaits in a baggie and individual braids (mostly worn in a bun).

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
I have seen a great improvement in my ends since I started using the baggie method, it is still too early to tell anything growth wise (just started these challenges 2 months ago).

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
about 1 year.

What length did you start with?
5-7 inches.

Often do you wash your hair?
1 time a week

How oftn do you use heat?
NEVER EVER.

 

[Jaelin]

How are you growing your hair?
I try to give it the attention that it needs to stay healthy and overall I think I'm successful at it. I don't think that I was giving it the attention it needed before I came here and studied different regimes and changed mine.

Speaking of growth specifically, hair grows on it's own (if it isn't then there's a health problem), what I have done/am doing to have faster growth and keep the growth varies. I tried biotin and it helped but due to hair growing in unwanted spots, stopped. I did a high protein/low carb diet and had lots of growth then, but stopped that. Right now I am surging (more about that in my journal).

Trying to keep my hands out of my hair.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
I have worn my hair in braids & twist extensions in the past but it's been more than a year since my last set of box braids. I have never done weaves. I pretty much wear my hair in twists all the time, but I plan on experimenting more this year.

How long do you keep them in for? I have kept extensions for as long as 2-3 months.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
Twists or plaits get redone weekly. Years ago when I wore cornrows alot, I redid every 2 weeks.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
I have been styling my hair primarily in twists for the last year and I'm still surprised that I've retained the amount of growth that I have, so yes.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
Don't really know, I where do I start? I could say my journey started ten years ago when I decided the relaxer experiment was over but I think I should date it two years ago. That's when I began to wonder about how long could I grow it and started to pursue lenght.

What length did you start with? Not exactly sure, most of the individual strands were around 6 inches at the front and about 3 inches at at the back.

Often do you wash your hair?
I wash and condition weekly and make sure that it's moisturized.

How oftn do you use heat?
Rarely, the last time was early 2004. I want to flatiron sometime this summer to measure progress.

 

[Daisy'sHair]

How are you growing your hair? Just letting it grow by being itself, minimal manipulation.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles? Rigth now I have human hair micro braids, they have been in for two months. First time having extension braids with natural hair and I will never do it again, next time I will have a sewn in weave done.

How long do you keep them in for? No longer than three months, I was shooting for 3 months this time but it ain't gone happen.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last? I love cornrows and two strand twists. they are my favorite natural protective styles, but I know that I am also going to love the affect of a weave with my natural hair.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles? Yes very much so, they allow so much versatility your can make any style and you can add any accessory.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length? Well I transitioned for a year and my growth came from that, then I did the big chop in November 2004, 5 inches in a year is average hair growth amount for 1 year.

What length did you start with? I started at maybe 5 to 6 inches but with regular trims, it evened out to about 6 inches all over.

Often do you wash your hair? I love squeaky clean hair always have always will, So washing once a week is key for me. I also am an absolute conditioner junky, deep conditioner, protein conditioner, oil conditioner you name it I've tried it, I love it.

How oftn do you use heat? I have not use heat on my hair since I did the big Chop, when I use heat it's the blow dryer on a warm setting. However, when I do a trim I will blow dry and flat iron to get a very good dusting of my ends, I love having very healthy ends.

 

[mkstar826]

How are you growing your hair?
Hmm...I don't really considering it "growing my hair" but I eat right, drink lots of water, exercise ,and taking care of my hair by keeping it clean and conditioned and trimmed regularly.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
I wear my own hair.

How long do you keep them in for?
Depends on how I feel. Usually I keep my styles in for 2 weeks at a time. Right now I'm going longer because I felt like challenging myself. I'm doing a braid challenge (with my own hair) for 2 months. I may go longer

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
braids and twists. as long as i want them too. i wash and condition my hair in these styles all the time so I guess up to a month before i want to take them down and re-do them.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
Hmm. I think your diet and water intake are more important for hair growth. BUt protective styles help retain that growth...so I guess my answer is yes, lol.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
transitioned for a year and have been natural for a little over a year so whatever that is.

What length did you start with?
4-4.5 inches when i did the BC.

Often do you wash your hair?
every two weeks.

How often do you use heat?
about every two months or so when i trim.

 

[Valerie]

How are you growing your hair?

Well, I am trying to keep up moisturised

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?

Yes, I mostly wear flat twists

How long do you keep them in for?

About a week, sometimes less.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?

Flat twists and braids and they last about a week


Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?

I would say that daily moisturising is the key for me.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?

About three years.

What length did you start with?

About an inch to an inch and a half

Often do you wash your hair?
Once a week, or less. But I rinse daily. So the rinsing keeps my hair clean.

How oftn do you use heat?

I don't really use heat.
__________________

For me I have to be consistent, which is something, I have to learn, daily rinsing, castor oil mixture with wild growth oil on roots and also Surging. Plus I trim when necessary. Eating healthy. I have 4b type hair, daily rinsing is a must, plus it is helpful when I keep my hair in flat twists.

 

[PretteePlease]

How are you growing your hair?
its growing on its own but to retain i'm avoiding heat for the most part and detangling properly, keeping my worlds of curls activator at arms length.
Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
sometimes i wear braids with and without extensions, but now a wig is more convenient than a weave
How long do you keep them in for?
1-3 months havent made it to 3months with a weave in a while
What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
Cornrows 1-3 months w/ wig, twists 2-3wks flat twists 2-3wks
Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
I guess i achieved average growth but retained most of it.
How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
I have 8-8.5in, I chopped Jan 04
What length did you start with?
4-4.5 after the bc
Often do you wash your hair?
anywhere from daily to once a month but if i dont wash for a while i at least rinse
How oftn do you use heat?
last year probably about 6xs, this year i plan on using heat in 7/05 and 12/05 and they will use heat if i decide to visit Curve

 

[pookeylou]

How are you growing your hair?
Not sure if I understand that one. Just letting it grow...I think.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
My hair seems fragile so no braids for me. I have never worn a weave. A friend scared me from doing it. She had an allergic reaction to the glue used. Then she tried a sewn in weave and lost a section of hair to traction alopecia. I just figured they were to much trouble and I hated the idea of people looking at me wondering..."Is that her hair?"

How long do you keep them in for?
See above.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
I dont do protective styles. I tie my hair up in a scarf at night so I dont experience tangles or breakage. I only know one style worn several different ways. I always do a bantu knot out. I either wear it in a curly fro or a puff. I have worn the same style for 2-3 weeks at one time without washing it.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
I think so.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
Over a year.

What length did you start with?
3-4 inches.

Often do you wash your hair?
I try to wash once a week. Lately it has been stretching out to every 2 weeks.

How oftn do you use heat?
I have not used heat on my hair since my transition (3/2003) and becoming natural (11/2003).

 

[EbonyF]

How are you growing your hair?
Just let it do what it does. Basically, leaving it alone and taking a B vitamin supplement.

Do you wear braids/weaves or your own hair in styles?
Usually just cornrows or in braids. I'll do a wash and go occasionally and a puff once in a while.

How long do you keep them in for?
2-3 weeks for braided styles.

What kind of protective styles do you do and how long do they last?
I currently have my hair cornrowed and I am going to wear wigs (just ordered a lace front) for a couple of months.

Have you achieved good growth doing these styles?
Of course. I am now seeing less manipulation is the key.

How long has it taken you to get to your current length?
My length is 5-6 inches I've been natural for more than 2 years now, this includes me chopping of a lot to even it out.

What length did you start with?
.5 inch.

Often do you wash your hair?
Depends. With me having a protective style it's usually once or every other week. Usually I do it 2-3 times weekly if my hair is loose.

How oftn do you use heat?
It's been a few months since I've used a blowdrier. I tend to band if I want to show length.