shoulder length anybody?

elenaa

hii everyone i was just wonder if there was anyone who went from neck length hair or shorter and if they got to shoulder length. if you did could you tell me how you did it? my hair has been the same length for 3 years straight and ive recently started taking care of it for 3 months now but i feel like it grew alittle and that its not growing anymore? idk what it is but maybe im doing something wrong someone help me, pictures would be nice also ^.^


i deep condition once a week with garnier deep conditioner
i dont shampoo, i conditioner only with mane & tail or VO5
i use aussie moist as a leave in conditioner i also do the tightly curly method so i detangle when i get out of the shower and have the conditioner in my hair
at night i braid my hair in two pig tails cause its too short to braid into one braid
as for trimming i only do S&D when i see it needed & my hair type is 3c with some 4a

i think thats pretty much it

really any ideas would help me feel alittle less stressed out

edit:
ive changed my regime completely btw
i shampoo once every week.. maybe twice a week if it feels greasy from the olive oil
i deep conditione almost every week.. i didnt do it this week tho
i do the tightly curly method so i use alot of conditioner (w/ Aussie Moist)
at night i braid my hair into 4 braids instead cause my hair always ends up looking better that way
i trim whenever i feel its necessary anyway
..i think thats it for now

elenaa

cmon ladies 13 views? i know someone has had to have grown thier hair out D;

Shondadini

Well since my mini chop in feb I was just brushing shoulder length. Now I'm about an inch away from apl at my longest point. I moisture and seal daily. I used lots of ps and moisturized daily and I stayed away from scissors. Deep treatments and protein treatments are a staple for me also. But I think low manipulation is a key factor

elenaa

thank you so much for helping! & thats EXACTLY where im at, just brushing shoulder length
what do you use to seal and moisturize your hair?
also how many times did you deep condition?

Shondadini

I moisturize with my lacio lacio leave in and I seal with coconut oil. I've also used olive oil but I was giving the coconut a try and I like it. Um as for deep conditioning I do it as needed usually once a week

elenaa

again thank you so much!

anyone else? D;

letta510

I did. All I can say is take care of your hair and love your hair whatever length it is. So you are not so worried about it and then before you know it your hair will be growing

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elenaa

thank you for those kind words <33

naturalnewb

lol All i can say is that i have wet dreams about shoulder-length curly hair. I'm 4a and with the shrinkage I get, I may not reach that goal until my stretched hair reaches APL...or longer.

Right now, I'm collar bone when stretched. I wish us both luck.

kelliemarie86

something I have started doing is quitting the wash and go's. It took me a few years to get from my ears to my shoulders (not stretched) but then I felt like I had NO MORE GROWTH!! So... I started doing twist-outs/braid outs on my 3c/4a hair and I'm starting to see some growth again. Maybe you hair is experiencing a lot of shrinkage from wash n go's...

naturalnewb

I am certainly no expert at this point, but you might want to try a protein treatment. If you are experiencing breakage after all the moisture that you put in your hair with the daily conditioning, I can't believe that any breakage you incur would be due to lack of moisture....so it could just be lack of strength.

You could try one of the homemade protein treatments listed on this site and see if that helps. As far as I can tell, you should always follow protein treatments with a good DT.

***Edit*** Just went to this link and found that some women feel that their hair feels just fine after a protein treatment so they don't DT afterward: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/3c/130850-how-much-protein-do-you-use.html I guess it all depends on which proteins you use and how sensitive you are to protein.

ajgrneyes

elenaa wrote: »

hii everyone i was just wonder if there was anyone who went from neck length hair or shorter and if they got to shoulder length. if you did could you tell me how you did it? my hair has been the same length for 3 years straight and ive recently started taking care of it for 3 months now but i feel like it grew alittle and that its not growing anymore? idk what it is but maybe im doing something wrong someone help me, pictures would be nice also ^.^


i deep condition once a week with garnier deep conditioner
i dont shampoo, i conditioner only with mane & tail or VO5
i use aussie moist as a leave in conditioner i also do the tightly curly method so i detangle when i get out of the shower and have the conditioner in my hair
at night i braid my hair in two pig tails cause its too short to braid into one braid
as for trimming i only do S&D when i see it needed & my hair type is 3c with some 4a

i think thats pretty much it

really any ideas would help me feel alittle less stressed out

Hi Elenaa, I started about 2 years ago with about 2 inches of hair, although I transitioned with wigs and micro braids. At it's longest right now, my hair is below CBL.

I noticed that you're doing co-washes only which in a way is good, however, some of the products you're using contain parabens and cones, which can build-up unless you're using some type of sulfate/surfactant to remove to the build-up. This could be why you're not seeing the growth.

The mane and tail contains parabens and the aussie conditioners contains cones.

Just a suggestion, but get a good sulfate shampoo that does not contain cones, to get rid of all of the build-up and then use the VO5 moisture milks conditioner as your co-wash and try switching to Suave naturals or Tresemme naturals as your leave-in and for a deep conditioner, just add some honey and EVOO to either the Suave or the Tresemme. Do that for a few weeks and see how your hair reacts. HTH

elenaa

kellie: actually when i was doing twist outs thats when my hair started growing! lol hm.. i should probally go back to doing those

also i usually co-wash every 3-4 days cause if i were to do it everyday my hair shrinks even more

& with tresseme i found that i had to use alot more in my hair since its thick but i think i still have some left and if thats better for my hair i will definatley switch !

naturalnewb: i wish you luck too!!

can i buy the suave naturals at walmart? also since im using aussie i dont really put it on my scalp but would that still cause the buildup?

ajgrneyes

The suave naturals you can get at walmart, walgreens, or cvs, etc; look for the ones that say "2 x more moisture". Build up can happen on the scalp and on the hair.

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kurlygurl7392

elenaa wrote: »

hii everyone i was just wonder if there was anyone who went from neck length hair or shorter and if they got to shoulder length. if you did could you tell me how you did it? my hair has been the same length for 3 years straight and ive recently started taking care of it for 3 months now but i feel like it grew alittle and that its not growing anymore? idk what it is but maybe im doing something wrong someone help me, pictures would be nice also ^.^


i deep condition once a week with garnier deep conditioner
i dont shampoo, i conditioner only with mane & tail or VO5
i use aussie moist as a leave in conditioner i also do the tightly curly method so i detangle when i get out of the shower and have the conditioner in my hair
at night i braid my hair in two pig tails cause its too short to braid into one braid
as for trimming i only do S&D when i see it needed & my hair type is 3c with some 4a

i think thats pretty much it

really any ideas would help me feel alittle less stressed out

I feel the same way! I cut my dead ends off in march and i feel like it hasnt grown.

I look back at pictures and it was neck length now shoulder length. I think its because i was desperatly waiting to see a dramatic change. But now im back in school my friends are commenting on how my hair has grown!

Waiting for hair to grow is like the expression a watched pot never boils lol because youre sitting there waiting for it. Your hair is growing all the time.

Make sure your eating right, getting enough protein and moisture both inside and out. Minimize heat. I found leaving my hair alone and not manipulatig helps so much!

You also could take some msm it helps keep your hair in the growth phase.


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elenaa

ajgrneyes: wow well thank you so much! i will definatley switch ^.^

kurlygirl: yeah i try not to focus on my hair growth but its soo hard!
hopefully when i start school i get some comments about it loll

kurlygurl7392

Wish you luck!!

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elenaa

so i must be right because when i started school everyone asked me if i cut my hair
meaning it looks shorter than last year. angry9: <- thats exactly what i looked like without the smile so i was right my hair does look like its not growing. i tried switching to the suave naturals and it doesnt work well in my hair, it makes it look all dried out and ALOT shorter than usual D;

Stormy1958

I'm new to growing out my hair too, so I have no advise to share... but I've seen you around the boards for a little while. And I just wanted to tell you that your hair is super cute, and you have really pretty teeth (I know that sounds super creepy, but teeth are important too! lol). So even if it doesnt get to the length you want it, I still think you look great. GL though!

elenaa

aww that made me smile thank you so muchhh <33

NaturalOutlaw

But a lot of others have been saying that sulfates are bad so what's the truth!

Evo Shift 4g CurlTalk App

Shondadini

Well the reasons sulfates are bad especially for curliest and kinkies is because they remove all moisture and oils from your hair. Have you ever noticed that squeaky clean feeling after you wash your hair and before you put conditioner? That's not good for our hair cuz as u know moisture is our friend.

RainyDays

My hair is past my shoulder shoulders, sort of between shoulders and apl, almost apl? I posted a pic in the 3cs board but oh well, I guess I can post it again, right?


I use shampoo maybe twice a week (sometimes with sulfates), I choose by scent and then I apply regular conditioner and leave it in. That's it. No secrets here!
I use an organic conditioner, but I'm not afraid of silicones.
My hair used to never grow that much either until I started to follow this routine.
A lot of people have different routines, but it all breaks down to keeping your hair, especially your ends healthy and moisturized. I never get a trim because I don't have split ends (no it's no joke and it's not genetics). I had a bob cut in 2009. The longest layer was between chin and shoulder pulled straight, so pretty short. Don't be discouraged girls. Everyone can do it!


Take Care

hippiechic81

RainyDays wrote: »

My hair is past my shoulder shoulders, sort of between shoulders and apl, almost apl? I posted a pic in the 3cs board but oh well, I guess I can post it again, right?


I use shampoo maybe twice a week (sometimes with sulfates), I choose by scent and then I apply regular conditioner and leave it in. That's it. No secrets here!
I use an organic conditioner, but I'm not afraid of silicones.
My hair used to never grow that much either until I started to follow this routine.
A lot of people have different routines, but it all breaks down to keeping your hair, especially your ends healthy and moisturized. I never get a trim because I don't have split ends (no it's no joke and it's not genetics). I had a bob cut in 2009. The longest layer was between chin and shoulder pulled straight, so pretty short. Don't be discouraged girls. Everyone can do it!


Take Care

You have such pretty curls!!!

FabledBeauty

do you do protective styles? I know when i first cut my permed ends after three months I was frustrated because i felt like it was growing like a snail.. I got a weave (curly one) so I could mix my natural hair and out of sight out of mind... I also had Hand-in-hair syndrome and couldnt stop touching it so that let me stop manipulating my edges etc every 10 minutes.. I have pictures in my fotki that shows going from ear length to collar bone ( where I am now) and time lines..

RainyDays

FabledBeauty wrote: »

do you do protective styles? I know when i first cut my permed ends after three months I was frustrated because i felt like it was growing like a snail.. I got a weave (curly one) so I could mix my natural hair and out of sight out of mind... I also had Hand-in-hair syndrome and couldnt stop touching it so that let me stop manipulating my edges etc every 10 minutes.. I have pictures in my fotki that shows going from ear length to collar bone ( where I am now) and time lines..

Who are you asking? Me?Anyone? Well, I'm going to answer anyway 8)
I don't do protective styles. I wear my hair out whenever I feel like it. I only put my hair up at night.

Jeliah

Finally made it to solid shoulder length.

elenaa

wow!! i didnt know people were still writing on this
all of you have grown your hair to your shoulders, you guys are my inspiration!!! D;
i just really hope i can get there too
Rainy Days: ill definatley try what you wrote


and also a question do you guys ever feel like when you use oils your hair feels and looks extra greasy? i use a little less than a dime size amount and my hair always feels greasy

Ronnieaj

elenaa wrote: »

wow!! i didnt know people were still writing on this
all of you have grown your hair to your shoulders, you guys are my inspiration!!! D;
i just really hope i can get there too
Rainy Days: ill definatley try what you wrote


and also a question do you guys ever feel like when you use oils your hair feels and looks extra greasy? i use a little less than a dime size amount and my hair always feels greasy

What oils are you using? Some oils definitely feel greasier than others, regardless of amount used. However, I'm a 4a and I PS 99.7% of the time, so that doesn't bother me much.

It is super important that you listen to your hair's needs. You mentioned that twist-outs worked in the past, that could be because of the low manipulation involved. You may want to wear more low to no-manipulation styles if you're trying to grow. If you've been at the same length for 3 years, your retention is the issue, not growth itself. Try taking supremely good care of it and leaving it alone and see what happens.

I wish I would wear my hair out everyday! My hair would cause a flippin rebellion in here. I can't do that, RainyDays can and she's got gorgeous hair to prove it. I washed and conditioned my hair last week and let it air dry unstretched--my APL length hair was 3 inches long! I tried not trimming--umm, NO. My hair is NOT having it, so now I trim every 10 weeks. Oh, and I saw a friend of mine whom I hadn't seen in months, who didn't recognize me with my "short" haircut. Umm, dude, my hair is 4 inches longer than the last time I saw you... people see what they want to. Don't believe the hype!

elenaa

i tried using tea tree oil at first but it started making my hair smell like wet dog after 2 days of using it D; so i only use it to massage my scalp and then i rinse it out

but now to seal im using olive oil.. and what is PS if you dont mind me asking?

and yeah right now im going back to twist/braid outs
i kinda like how the braid out looks alot better but yeah i know what you mean and i really hate when people say that!!

curledlove

I have a few tips that I have learned both through trial and error and by reading suggestions from the knowledgeable curlies here on NC. First, I'll start off by telling you that your hair is unique and what works for me may not work for you, although I have 3c/4a like you. Our hair properties may be different, the weather we live in can affect our results, and the water in our areas can also be different. These are just a few of the factors that can affect your hair.

I'll start from the inside out. Eating healthy, exercising, and drinking lots of water have given me very good results with my hair. Obviously, consistency is key, but with the water drinking, I can see a difference in my hair within a few days. It is said that we should be drinking half of our body weight in ounces of water. (If you weigh 120 lbs, you need 60 ozs of water.) I have also had good results with a consistent vitamin regimen. I've tried different brands and amounts but the most effective supplements seem to be biotin and MSM. I personally take a hair, skin, and nails vitamin, and extra biotin and MSM.

Now to the exterior. Many will tell you that low manipulation and protective styling (PS) are the best ways to get your hair to grow long and healthy. I don't necessarily disagree with this, but I can't say that I've done either one throughout my natural hair journey. I've tried everything you can imagine. Sulfate poos, sulfate free poos, natural organic poos, cheap stuff, expensive stuff, homemade stuff and everything in between. The one thing I have found to be consistent is the need for moisture. I know many need protein too, but my hair hates it so I cannot help you there. My regimen for winter is quite simple. Unfortunately, I cannot co wash only because I get build up and I break out. I am now alternating between Kinky Curly Come Clean and SheaMoisture shampoo, Sally's GVP conditioning balm is my rinse out conditioner which I also use to detangle my hair. For stylers I use KCKT layered under KCCC or CJ Beauticurls LI under CJ CIAB. Sometimes I add some olive oil to the LI to seal in moisture. Every night I massage my scalp with a few drops of jojoba oil, this soothes my sometimes itchy scalp and keeps it from getting dry and flaky during the winter. I also use jojoba oil to SOTC after my hair is dry. I have never done a twist out, braid out or any other PS. I always wear my hair out and I don't really have any bad ends.

I hope this very long post helps you in some way or another!

PS. I've been natural for a few years now. I didn't start documenting my length until about 2 years ago. On my 21st birthday in Jan '10, my hair was barely grazing my shoulders when dry. It was about 14 inches long. Now its between APL and BSL dry and WL straightened, its 32 inches long. That's 18 inches in just under 2 years. Oh and by the way I don't trim or cut my hair, I only cut off any knots that I see when I'm detangling.