Hello CURLIES + KINKIES!

I'm starting an INTENSE length retention challenge. Breakage is the bane of my existence, enemy of my well being, and antithesis of length retention!

Wigs and low tension twists are my hair's favorite protective styles. Whatever your hair thrives in as a protective style, choose that. I plan to cycle through those two styles as I see fit.

I'M CURRENTLY ONE INCH PAST ARM PIT LENGTH . MY 2019 GOAL IS HEALTHY BRA STRAP LENGTH. MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO HAVE HEALTHY WAIST LENGTH HAIR BY 30. I'M 25!


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WANNA JOIN THIS CHALLENGE AND MANIFEST THE HAIR OF YOUR DREAMS?
READ THE FOLLOWING, THEN JOIN BY POSTING YOUR STARTING POINT, 2019 GOAL AND ULTIMATE HAIR GOAL!
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Poor manipulation techniques. Dryness. Both are so easily avoidable with a little extra TLC...


Here are the rules:
1. Be gentle. Do not be forceful with your hair. Handle her like fine silk. Finger detangle if possible. Take your time, as long as it takes. Do not sacrifice comfort for style.

2. Don't let your protective style turn into a "neglective" style. I know that isn't a real word, but neglecting your hair under your wig/braids/buns REALLY happens often. Don't let your hair get to that point! Y'all know what point I'm talking about. Some ladies can last a week, some need to re-moisturize every day. Know your limits and DO NOT EXCEED THEM. Make a habit of adding moisture back into your hair between washes. Dryness + tangling = snap, crackle and POP.

3. Limit tension, heat and manipulation. We want to eliminate any instance where our hair can break, tangle or rapidly lose moisture. This challenge is to insulate and nurture our strands. Blowdrying my hair is the best way for me to keep it stretched and free of knots. To avoid tension, heat damage and over-manipulation, I will wrap my hair properly at night, blow dry my hair on cool and style loosely..

4.
Minimize dusts/trims. I will trim in January 2019 about an inch to set myself up with fresh ends. If my hair seems like she needs more in 2019, I'll do so. The goal is to retain as much length as possible so I am keeping my hair in the most protected and hydrated state I can muster. I am giving her all of my effort. I will not hesitate to cut out single strand knots and cluster knots, though.

5.
Post one photo a month! We've gotta track this progress. I'll post a stretched length check in this post every month until 2020! I encourage you to do the same!

My regimen for 2019 is simple:

Every 2 weeks, I will...
1. Detangle, cleanse + deep condition.
2. Moisturize + seal.
3. Tension blow dry
4. Style! I'm wearing low tension braids/twists and wigs.




Use whatever products work for your hair + budget. I'm using:

22nd Century Naturals Shampoo bar
Mielle Organics Babassu and Mint Deep Conditioner

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In/Detangler, diluted with Aloe Vera + rice water
DIY Shea Butter mix
DIY Ayurvedic infused oil

Treatments:

DIY Bentonite Clay and Henna mask (1x every three months)
Green Beauty's Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein (1x a month)
Green Beauty's Onion Juice Mask (1x a month) (https://www.youtube.com/user/GreenBeautyChannel/featured)


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JANUARY!

These photos suck, but I'll do better next month! My hair actually looks shorter because of the angle, but that's alright because this is pre-trim. I'm waiting on some hair shears to arrive from Amazon, then I'll be trimming one inch from my ends! Is anyone else trimming at home? I'm thinking about flat ironing my ends before I trim them, so my measurement can be more accurate. I want a true inch trimmed, but depending on how gnarly my ends are, that may or may not happen lol.

Styling:
I'm still getting the hang of my routine, so the first two weeks of the month were all over the place. No consistent style, and I didn't stick to my regimen. The last two weeks of the month will be spent in head wraps, retaining moisture.


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FEBRUARY!

I TRIMMED! Cut off an inch, give or take. Hopefully I won't be doing that again for awhile, though I do see a small dusting session in my future. Probably in June.

I wore my hair in loose micro box braids for three weeks in February and the first week of March, so a month total. Pics below! They were really nice and I wish I could have left them longer, but my scalp needs a good scrub and I don't wash my hair while it's braided. That's a recipe for disaster. Never again.

For moisture, I sprayed with diluted aloe vera and sealed with my Ayurvedic herb infused oil a few times per week. That oil is crack. CRACK! I think it's going to be a staple in my regimen for life. The braids will be out TONIGHT and I'll post a new length check sometime tomorrow. Will be using a measuring tape, since I gave away the grey sports bra from the first set of photos.

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I Am So Blessed

I'm easy going.
Not at all!

Extreme Stress, not taking care of myself, no exercise, no vitamins, not enough water - hair care was the last thing on my mind. My hair got so matted and tangled. It finally got so damage and broke off.
Thanks for answering! This happened to me too once. I had to get the knots cut out. I wish you the best with your journey!
 

Froreal3

haulin hard in the paint
Thank you for joining! I'll send out a reminder in December. Gotta get myself a new wig too. If you're looking for a blow-dryer, I love this one for type 4 hair:



I have this and I like how it works but I hate hate cleaning hair out of it because it’s basically a brush. Have you found a solution to this?
 
I'll be joining in too, should have a good go-to PS by then.

ETA: We have the same goal!! I actually want TBL by 30 and I'm 25 - it's a bit of a stretch, but as long as I can get it in 5 years is my goal!

Thanks for joining, love!

I think you can do it! Especially with a good PS regimen. I've figured out I retain about 3.5 inches a year, even with mediocre hair care. If I really nurture my scalp + ends, I should easily be at WL before 30!
 
I have this and I like how it works but I hate hate cleaning hair out of it because it’s basically a brush. Have you found a solution to this?

Yes! I know what you mean!

Mostly, I just try to get every strand of hair out of the bristles after blowdrying. A little annoying extra step, but this dryer is the truth! I'm gonna miss it over the next year :( I might do a few tension blow outs with it on cool for special occasions lol!
 

B_Phlyy

Pineapple Eating Unicorn
I got my blow dryer but my hair will be in it's summer protective style for another 3-4 weeks so I won't use for a while.
 

Royalq

Well-Known Member
I'm in. I'm in a serious length retention stage. I have about 6 inches until waist length 24 inches. I'm hoping to get there by end of 2019. I'm probably going to wig it until mid 2019. My current wig will last till November,then I'll switch to a curly wig. Ill get a nice quality human hair wig for 2019.
 
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storm777007

Member
I would love to join. My hair has been the same length for the last 3 years and I can't seem to get it to grow any longer so maybe this challenge will help push me to the next level.

My hair's favorite protective styles are: wigs and low tension twits/braids seems to be what my hair thrives in best. I plan to switch up between these three styles as I see fit.

I'm 2 inches past arm pit length on my sides and bra strap length in the back, when stretched. My hair is 4c with some 4b in the middle and front. My 2019 goal is full bsl all the way around and my ultimate goal is healthy WL.


My regimen from today until the end of 2019 is simple:

1. Shampoo/clarify once/month.
2. Prepoo before every wash.
3. Cowash weekly

4. Air dry in braids to keep my hair stretched
5. Stretched styles
6. Re-moisturize + seal using LCO and CLO

Use whatever products work for my hair:

Cantu leave in
DIY oils
Aphogee Shampoo
Organics DC
ACV
vitamins
 
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indarican

Well-Known Member
I wanna be in!!! I am SL stretched right now, fully natural. my 2019 goal is APL length stretched, my ultimate goal is BSL not stretched.
I rarely straighten cuz I just can't do it right, but I will be silk pressing some time in Feb.
my protective style of choice will be crochet braids or buns.
I'm still learning my hair so I will be experimenting with whatever keeps the moisture in my hair.
 
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