Lilakoi’s_Sister
New Member
i found this story of how one woman grew her hair long. don't know how true it is or if it's already been posted here. if it's already been posted, my apologies. anyhoo, i still want to know what you savvy ladies think. will this method work? i'm nervous about sew ins but... i'd be willing to do it for 6 weeks to finish growing my texlax out. 
any thoughts?
How I Grew My Hair LONG
First, let me say that I am glad that a forum such as this one exists. I wish I had known years ago what I am about to share with y'all now. This post will be long, but if you are serious about growing you hair really long (past shoulder length), then it's worth reading.
For years, I had been relaxing my hair. I was frustrated by the breakage, damage, dryness, shedding, etc. My hair is no where near straight (not extremely coarse though), in fact I've always thought that I had "average African American Hair", if such a thing even exists. Black Hair. I'm not mixed, or half-anything that I know of. I don't know my exact hair type, but I think it may be 4b, or something like that. If your hair is extremely coarse, I think this willl still work for you.
I was at my wits end and very depressed when I was introduced to a stylist that had a reputation for growing very long African American hair. When I met him I told him to cut it all off and start over. He laughed and told me that he could grow my hair really long, and said it like it was no big deal. He told me to trust him. Although I didn't believe him, I decided to take the plunge. This is what he did:
The first thing he told me was that I was going to have to stop using relaxers and never use any chemicals in my hair, ever again. Then, he told me that the fastest way to grow my hair was with a sew in weave.
Alot of people don't like sew ins because they think it can break your hair off, or pull it out. This can be true if your stylist doesn't know how to properly put it in, maintain it, or take it out.
First, he washed, deep conditioned, and blow dried my hair. He then braided up ALL of my hair, including the edges, leaving only a palm sized patch of hair out in the front. He used a little olive oil (like you'd find at the grocery store) as he braided. He then sewed the braids together, 2 at a time, to tighten and secure them. The key to braiding is, you cannot make them too small and thin, and you cannot use "filler" hair during the braiding process. You will be tempted to want thinner braids because that makes for a flatter weave, but this is a mistake. Thin braids put too much stress on the hair and scalp. Also, don't make the braids too tight, which damage your hair follicles. Sometimes he used a "net" to cover the braids. Nets protect your hair from "nicks" when you comb your weave daily. However, nets make your braids more difficult to dry when you're getting your hair done.
He then sewed the tracks on in a way that you could not see my edges, covering the braids on the side of my head, and cut the weave into a style. He pressed or flat ironed the patch of free hair in the front, using a little olive oil, and blended the hair with the weave. Fabulous.
Maintence is key here. I got my weave washed every week or 2 (or 3, ugh), depending on my schedule. When I did, he treated the weave like gold. He washed it gently, like you would a pair of pantyhose or fine lingerie, squeezing the shampoo through the hair. He never scrubbed or rubbed my scalp or the tracks. Instead, he used a squeeze bottle to apply SEA BREEZE to the braids and tracks. I know it sounds crazy, but he said it kills bacteria and breaks down any buildup.
I'd keep the weave in for about 2 months, no less than 6 weeks. Anything less than that can cause stress to your hair. Every month, I'd have the weave "tightened", and it looked and felt almost like the weave was new and fresh. I've even left the weave in for 4 months. Some people say that you shouldn't leave a weave in for that length of time, and I agree, unless they know how to properly take it out.
Now, for the most important part. The takedown. He'd first remove the tracks and net carefully. It's best to have the person who put the weave in, take it out. Then, he'd wrap a towel around my neck, and while the braids were still intact, completely saturate them with INFUSIUM 23. Sometimes, he'd put a hot oil treatment on top of that. Only then, while my hair was wet, would he begin to very gently undo the braids. This is usually where we make the biggest mistake, and we lose the most hair. If you don't take anything else away from this post, take this: NEVER TAKE YOUR BRAIDS OUT WHILE YOUR HAIR IS DRY. NEVER!! Conditioning your hair proir to the takedown makes it slippery, and prepares it for the shampoo. Sure, my hair was hella nappy, but I lost almost NO hair. In fact, the hair that I did lose was probably due to the natural shedding that would occur during the 2 months the weave was in.
He'd then wash, deep condition and blowdry my hair. After the relaxed ends were off, he almost never trimmed my ends at all. After the first year, my hair started to grow really fast, and leaving the weave in for 4 months no longer became an option. I continued this process for 2 1/2 years. I have since removed the weave.
Now, I have absolutely no chemicals in my hair at all...100% virgin hair. My hair is halfway down my back. It has grown in a V shape, and the longest part is at my brastrap. I don't have to get it pressed anymore...I just have it washed and flatironed. My stylist says that this happens often: my hair was so traumatized by abuse and chemicals over the years, and now that it's healthy, the grade has changed a bit. I don't use heat on it, and it's long enough that I can wear it straight, or pull it into a ponytail and get away with it. If I had left my weave for 2 more years, my hair would probably be about 4 inches from my waist. He has customers right now that have hair that long, and longer!
Ladies, for years we've been told that we "need" relaxers, or texturizers, and that our hair cannot grow long. I am living proof that this is not true. If I can grow my hair long, you can too, because this is the longest my hair has ever been. Try this system, but follow it to the letter. It will work for you. Happy growing LSA, update us on your progress.
any thoughts? How I Grew My Hair LONG
For years, I had been relaxing my hair. I was frustrated by the breakage, damage, dryness, shedding, etc. My hair is no where near straight (not extremely coarse though), in fact I've always thought that I had "average African American Hair", if such a thing even exists. Black Hair. I'm not mixed, or half-anything that I know of. I don't know my exact hair type, but I think it may be 4b, or something like that. If your hair is extremely coarse, I think this willl still work for you.
I was at my wits end and very depressed when I was introduced to a stylist that had a reputation for growing very long African American hair. When I met him I told him to cut it all off and start over. He laughed and told me that he could grow my hair really long, and said it like it was no big deal. He told me to trust him. Although I didn't believe him, I decided to take the plunge. This is what he did:
The first thing he told me was that I was going to have to stop using relaxers and never use any chemicals in my hair, ever again. Then, he told me that the fastest way to grow my hair was with a sew in weave.
Alot of people don't like sew ins because they think it can break your hair off, or pull it out. This can be true if your stylist doesn't know how to properly put it in, maintain it, or take it out.
First, he washed, deep conditioned, and blow dried my hair. He then braided up ALL of my hair, including the edges, leaving only a palm sized patch of hair out in the front. He used a little olive oil (like you'd find at the grocery store) as he braided. He then sewed the braids together, 2 at a time, to tighten and secure them. The key to braiding is, you cannot make them too small and thin, and you cannot use "filler" hair during the braiding process. You will be tempted to want thinner braids because that makes for a flatter weave, but this is a mistake. Thin braids put too much stress on the hair and scalp. Also, don't make the braids too tight, which damage your hair follicles. Sometimes he used a "net" to cover the braids. Nets protect your hair from "nicks" when you comb your weave daily. However, nets make your braids more difficult to dry when you're getting your hair done.
He then sewed the tracks on in a way that you could not see my edges, covering the braids on the side of my head, and cut the weave into a style. He pressed or flat ironed the patch of free hair in the front, using a little olive oil, and blended the hair with the weave. Fabulous.
Maintence is key here. I got my weave washed every week or 2 (or 3, ugh), depending on my schedule. When I did, he treated the weave like gold. He washed it gently, like you would a pair of pantyhose or fine lingerie, squeezing the shampoo through the hair. He never scrubbed or rubbed my scalp or the tracks. Instead, he used a squeeze bottle to apply SEA BREEZE to the braids and tracks. I know it sounds crazy, but he said it kills bacteria and breaks down any buildup.
I'd keep the weave in for about 2 months, no less than 6 weeks. Anything less than that can cause stress to your hair. Every month, I'd have the weave "tightened", and it looked and felt almost like the weave was new and fresh. I've even left the weave in for 4 months. Some people say that you shouldn't leave a weave in for that length of time, and I agree, unless they know how to properly take it out.
Now, for the most important part. The takedown. He'd first remove the tracks and net carefully. It's best to have the person who put the weave in, take it out. Then, he'd wrap a towel around my neck, and while the braids were still intact, completely saturate them with INFUSIUM 23. Sometimes, he'd put a hot oil treatment on top of that. Only then, while my hair was wet, would he begin to very gently undo the braids. This is usually where we make the biggest mistake, and we lose the most hair. If you don't take anything else away from this post, take this: NEVER TAKE YOUR BRAIDS OUT WHILE YOUR HAIR IS DRY. NEVER!! Conditioning your hair proir to the takedown makes it slippery, and prepares it for the shampoo. Sure, my hair was hella nappy, but I lost almost NO hair. In fact, the hair that I did lose was probably due to the natural shedding that would occur during the 2 months the weave was in.
He'd then wash, deep condition and blowdry my hair. After the relaxed ends were off, he almost never trimmed my ends at all. After the first year, my hair started to grow really fast, and leaving the weave in for 4 months no longer became an option. I continued this process for 2 1/2 years. I have since removed the weave.
Now, I have absolutely no chemicals in my hair at all...100% virgin hair. My hair is halfway down my back. It has grown in a V shape, and the longest part is at my brastrap. I don't have to get it pressed anymore...I just have it washed and flatironed. My stylist says that this happens often: my hair was so traumatized by abuse and chemicals over the years, and now that it's healthy, the grade has changed a bit. I don't use heat on it, and it's long enough that I can wear it straight, or pull it into a ponytail and get away with it. If I had left my weave for 2 more years, my hair would probably be about 4 inches from my waist. He has customers right now that have hair that long, and longer!
Ladies, for years we've been told that we "need" relaxers, or texturizers, and that our hair cannot grow long. I am living proof that this is not true. If I can grow my hair long, you can too, because this is the longest my hair has ever been. Try this system, but follow it to the letter. It will work for you. Happy growing LSA, update us on your progress.
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