~~~waist Length Dreams~~~ Challenge 2018

[traceedeebee]

I added some glycerin to my prepoo and it seemed to go on better...if that makes sense. My wash has been completed. I have 8 plaits in my hair now. I will put some mini twists in. With the oil rinsing, my hair doesn't tangle like it used to do. I'm also using way less leave in conditioner. I wish I could find my turbie towel but this old tshirt will do.

 

[iVR]

So I'm going to mosey on over here. I plan to be more active this time, fingers crossed lol.

Current Length: APL
Ultimate Goal: WL
Regimen: Wash my hair 2-3 times a week
How many inches do you have to go to get to WL: about 8
Natural/Relaxed/Other: (OPTIONAL) Natural
Tips/Tricks: ginger water rinses for tender scalps
Issues or difficulties you're having/Things you're tweaking to grow or retain more: my epic laziness and drinking more water
Starting Pic:

 

[Caramel74]

Ready to join!

Current Length: BSB
Ultimate Goal: APL (unstretched/wash and go) Currently NL
Regimen:
(Sun/Monday) always shampoo/wash days
(Weekly style) - Heavily sealed twist out (air dried) placed in an updo/high pony/bun (for the winter)
Water rinse every 2-3 days and repeat style above
Protein treatments bi-weekly
DC once a month
How many inches do you have to go to get to WL: About 9 - 10
Natural/Relaxed/Other: Natural
Tips/Tricks: Sealing with grease and applying oil nightly allows me to keep my hair moisturized longer
Issues or difficulties you're having/Things you're tweaking to grow or retain more: being gentle when styling and having patience when detangling
Starting Pic:

wow, your hair is looong. It looks so healthy and beautiful.

 

[Caramel74]

Length check after a Mastercuts flatiron. They didn't harass me to get my hair cut, lol. I guess it didn't look too bad back there.

 

[ResultsMayVary]

thank you, your hair looks great as well! @Caramel74


Hoping this challenge will help me get more length when it's not stretched so that I can be comfortable with the shrinkage..
Gave myself a protein treatment and I am hoping to continue to do those every other week, still trying to lock down a low maintenance style that looks good to me when I wear it down.

 

[traceedeebee]

I forgot to update this thread but after close to 13 hours, I finished my mini twists. My shoulder is still hurting. I definitely need to find someone else do these for me. I wish I wasn't so tender headed. I also made some flaxseed gel to put on my edges. I'm hoping using a natural gel will not dry my edges and keep the breakage away.

 

[fifigirl]

I forgot to update this thread but after close to 13 hours, I finished my mini twists. My shoulder is still hurting. I definitely need to find someone else do these for me. I wish I wasn't so tender headed. I also made some flaxseed gel to put on my edges. I'm hoping using a natural gel will not dry my edges and keep the breakage away.

I love them! I should try doing this myself! Tired of having peoples' hands in my hair in the name of braiding it

 

[bronxsoloist]

Figured I'd jump back in with an update.
After a crappy work vacation to Puerto Rico, I've had to do some hair reevaluations. I'm not doing what I use to do and it's just a tad obvious. I'm not losing hair, but I don't see it retaining the way it was. If that makes sense.
My personal 8 month challenge is at its half way mark and I'm already seeing where I'm messing up at.
1. I need to stretch my hair better
2. Deep Condition more
3. Detangle more thoroughly
4. Missed my scalp massages and Inversion (which helps for me I think)

Today's Wash Day went exceptionally well.
I pre poed with VO5 and olive oil heated up
Detangled under the shower head in 4 sections.
Washed with baby shampoo.
Shea Moisture deep condition for an hour
Washed semi thoroughly
Divided in 8 sections
Shea Butter + Jam and bantu knot sections
I'm currently allowing that to air dry
then I'll put in some medium sized box braids
And repeat in a month.

 

[traceedeebee]

I love them! I should try doing this myself! Tired of having peoples' hands in my hair in the name of braiding it

Thank you! I learned watching Naptural85 and KinkyKurlyQueen. The length of KKQ's mini twists is my goal. I've had whole braids come out from a braider braiding my hair being too tight. I just do it myself. You have way more hair than I do. Your twists will be absolutely lovely.

 

[fifigirl]

Thanks so much @traceedeebee the videos were very helpful.....i'm going to do this for my next protective style as i'm currently in braids

 

[traceedeebee]

@fifigirl You're welcome. I hope you like them. They're easier to put in and take down than braids. My only complaint is that they frizz when you wash them. I try to focus on cleaning my scalp only unless I've been sweating so much that my hair stinks. Naptural85 talks about how she cleans and deep condition her twists.

 

[trclemons]

Today, I put Honey's Handmade Cherry Almond Tapioca CW on my braids, sat under the heat cap for 30 minutes, CW'd & rinsed it out, and rinsed out 80% of the Aussie Moist Conditioner.

Air dried and LCOB'd with Cream & Coco Flower Martini Mist, KJ Naturals Lavendar & Lemongrass Leave In, Entwine's Argan Oil on length, Keravada Oil on scalp & Kreyol Essence Orange HBCO around the edges and Original Moxie Mango & Tacuma Butter on ends.

I have massaged my scalp and I will baggy overnight. My scalp and hair is .

 

[ResultsMayVary]

Started a hair journal (it's just a word document) but now when styling, I outline everything (from products used, detangling method, tools, and the state of my hair) then I jot down the pros and cons of the finished style and ways to correct any issues. I also keep up with long term goals and steps to get there. Then for the next wash instead of just going with the motions, I refer to the journal and use the solutions I came up with from the previous styling session.

At first I thought it was a silly idea, but honestly it's been a huge help. My styles are looking better with each attempt and my hair feeling more manageable. I think it's because I am now making small conscious changes instead of just trying a bunch of new things to see how it comes out. I am really hoping I can keep this up...

 

[Prettymetty]

I bought some new headbands for my protective styles. I rarely wear my hair down if ever. I think keeping my ends tucked away is keeping my moisture levels in check. I only need to moisturize twice a week now. I've been using Frizz ease straight fixation cream instead of my Garnier leave in. I've been using that line on and off for years and I'm tired of the smell.

 

[ezina]

I did a light tension blow dry on my hair and it has grown quite a bit. But still, it's disappointing for being almost 5 years into this growth journey (will officially be 5 years in May 2016). 2016 will be the year I reach waist length. I will protect/hide my hair 95% of the time and will take my vitamins more consistently.

No excuses for me. It just has to be done.

 

[Froreal3]

@traceedeebee Those mini twists look great!
@ezina I love that determination lady! I feel the same way!

 

[Froreal3]

Ok ladies. This is the last day of 2015!!! If you want to join and have your name added to the challengers list, please join and have a starting pic by today. I won't be updating the list after New Year's day.

Please don't forget to post your starting pic by tomorrow 1/1/16 if you haven't already! That will count as our first check in.

Looking forward to an amazing two years. Now, let's grow some hair!

 

[BrownSkinPoppin]

Moisturized my hair with nuetrogena triple moisture silk touch leave in cream last night. Today my hair is still nice and soft

 

[BrownSkinPoppin]

@ResultsMayVary thats a good idea. I may do the same. It would be too much for me to keep a word doc so I may use a little notebook.

 

[traceedeebee]

@Froreal3 Thank you!
@ResultsMayVary I have a journal that I keep recipe for my mixes in. I agree with how helpful journals are. I try to document more but I always forget.

 

[Prettymetty]

My starting pic taken today.

 

[Froreal3]

@Prettymetty your hair has grown girlie! We look like the same length. Your hair grew a lot because I know you had trimmed some this year.

As for me, I had a good wash day today. My hair and scalp feel great. Have my hair in huge twists pulled back, so not sure what style I will do or if I will just leave it like this for the week.

I'm still on top of my protein intake and treatments. I have one more day in my first bottle back on Manetabolism. I believe I grew/retained an inch since I trimmed after my flat iron in mid October. I trimmed to 10" all around and now it is 11" and 12" in the right quarter of my head. So if this growth keeps up, I should reach my length/health goals. I want to retain one more inch by my bday in March. If I can grow 1.5" by end of March, I will dust the .5 off.

 

[Prettymetty]

@Froreal3 thanks girl! It's finally growing faster thanks to sulfur oil. My hair is 11-12 inches all over. I'm done with big trims. Next year I will be dusting every 3 months. I am doing wash day tomorrow. Tonight I will baggy with liquid gold and do a scalp massage.

I'm starting my inversions tomorrow

Is anyone else inverting this week?

 

[Froreal3]

^^^Nice @Prettymetty I think we're similar in height too. It would be great for us to reach MBL and maybe WL at around the same time! I have NJoy oil, but I don't want the slight sulfur smell. I did try LG Green Magic and I think it was pretty good, albeit a little smelly. I did doctor it up with fragrance oil, which was much better. Might try that again...not sure.

I tried inversion when we first started talking about it a couple years ago, but it never worked for me, so I stopped.

 

[Prettymetty]

^^^Nice @Prettymetty I think we're similar in height too. It would be great for us to reach MBL and maybe WL at around the same time! I have NJoy oil, but I don't want the slight sulfur smell. I did try LG Green Magic and I think it was pretty good, albeit a little smelly. I did doctor it up with fragrance oil, which was much better. Might try that again...not sure.

I tried inversion when we first started talking about it a couple years ago, but it never worked for me, so I stopped.

Does the peppermint pomade have sulfur? I might try that next...

As long as we don't go trim crazy we should hit our goals around the same time. How is your daughter's journey coming along?

 

[Froreal3]

Does the peppermint pomade have sulfur? I might try that next...

As long as we don't go trim crazy we should hit our goals around the same time. How is your daughter's journey coming along?

The Peppermint Pomade does have sulfur. Not exactly sure if I will see growth like with the NJoy oil, but it smells like peppermint and the scalp massage can't hurt.

Dd's hair is doing good. I've decided to keep her hair in twists and I'm looking into using heat to stretch every month or so. I haven't updated the children's challenge since her bday in November and I haven't started a new one because it seems no one really posts that many updates. I might start it again just to track dd's hair growth and have accountability for myself.

 

[Anaisin]

Sooooo I just used Alikay naturals Avocado Cream mask on wet hair and deep conditioned with my soft bonnet dryer for at least 20 minutes or more. For whatever reason I didn't rinse it out. I left it in and applied Fantasia IC heat protecting straightening serum and blow dried on medium heat medium speed.

Did the tension method then used my paddle brush. Blow drying was super quick. My hair feels so soft right now. One of the most annoying things is blow drying and your hair becoming brittle and rough feeling. Plan to flat iron in like an hour, I'm being lazy

The Alikay black soap shampoo is also great. My hair oddly felt moisturized but it does say it's moisturizing on the bottle. My other favorite shampoos don't do that, they simply clean well and don't strip, they don't give my hair that silky feeling after rinsing this Alikay stuff did. This is my first time using both products

 

[Prettymetty]

@Froreal3 I'm thinking of stretching dds hair with heat also. I lightly straightened it for Christmas. It made detangling so much easier and her hair didn't dry up like a raisin like it usually does.

 

[snoop]

Posting my starting picture.

 

[Anaisin]

I feel like every time I straightened my hair it took me like 4 hours lol. My stylist took forever to do it too. It took me a little over an hour and I did very small sections at a time. Plus my hair was shorter last time.

Technique really makes a difference. I used the comb before but after watching the glamtwinz video I saw one of them used a bristle brush to straighten. I also didn't just rub heat protectant over my whole head or large sections. I applied a tiny bit to each section

Eta: all of my old hair pics are deleted so I can't even compare but my hair does look longer


Also forgot to mention I did it on 375 heat. Last time was like 410 or 450 :/