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View Full Version : For those that grew hair to TB length



MissPetite2010
May 13th, 2014, 08:36 PM
Hi, was wondering how long it took you to grow hair to tb length? Any tips or anything that help to contribute to the long beautiful hair. Hoping to reach that length by the end of this year. Anyway, would love to hear the stories. :) Oh, and I know patience is key too! :)

meteor
May 13th, 2014, 08:45 PM
Hair grows on average half an inch per month with some growth spurts and slow months.
If you tell us your starting point, we can give you an approximate number of months it should take. But so much depends on your genes, diet, how often and how much you trim/cut and on the condition of your ends (whether or not you experience any loss of length due to breakage).
It took me years, but I could never say exactly how long it took me, and I measure hair extremely rarely.

ETA:

As for my tips:
1) don't cut it (cutting just makes it shorter, it doesn't make your roots grow faster at all - and I can't believe this myth still persists :) );
2) don't damage it (heat/chemical/mechanical damage can set you back a lot - because length retention is key, it's best to avoid split ends and breakage as much as possible);
3) don't obsess about it (it grows on its own, as long as you take care of your body and have a quality diet).


ETA: There is also a cool ongoing thread where LHC-ers with TBL or longer hair are sharing their routines: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=119652
I think you'll find some great ideas there.


I should have explained what I meant by avoiding damage:
- no heat styling (if you have to blow-dry, use cool setting);
- use quality detangling tools (wide-tooth combs or finger-combing only);
- don't brush wet hair and be extremely careful with your hair when it's wet;
- use a lot more conditioner than shampoo (diluting shampoo works well, too) and try oils on dry parts of your hair;
- contain hair as much as possible (wear it up or in braids day and, especially, night);
- avoid elastics (use silk scrunchies, silk ribbons or LHC-friendly hairtoys instead);
- sleep on silk satin or other smooth material (sleep caps, pillowcases or even silk scarves work well);
- wash hair only when it's actually unclean (try stretching washes, if possible).

I'm sure there are lots of others, but this is a good start. :)
Good luck! And happy growing! :D

MissPetite2010
May 13th, 2014, 09:21 PM
Well, I measured my hair, and I have about 5 inches to go, before it reaches wl. so I know that should be end of the yr. next yr tb length hopefully. And thanks for the tips. love reading them all. My hair is naturally curly/wavy. it's thick and coarse. If or when I do straighten my hair, it's not very often, maybe once every few months if that. I let my hair air dry. The length is 25 inches now. it's about mid back or a lil passed. hard to tell sometimes with my waves. anyway thanks for the advice and tips :)

HintOfMint
May 13th, 2014, 09:26 PM
Can't really say how long it took me in actuality because I took my sweet time getting there between large trims and maintaining at certain lengths. I will say that, while you experiment with deep conditioning and the like, don't forget the basics--minimal to no heat, prevent tangles and other sources of mechanical damage, be gentle. You can have a wonderful routine but cause a mountain of splits and breakage just by being rough and impatient with brushing.

meteor
May 13th, 2014, 09:44 PM
Well, I measured my hair, and I have about 5 inches to go, before it reaches wl. so I know that should be end of the yr. next yr tb length hopefully. And thanks for the tips. love reading them all. My hair is naturally curly/wavy. it's thick and coarse. If or when I do straighten my hair, it's not very often, maybe once every few months if that. I let my hair air dry. The length is 25 inches now. it's about mid back or a lil passed. hard to tell sometimes with my waves. anyway thanks for the advice and tips :)

Great! Since you are a curly/wavy, have you tried CO-washing and the whole Curly Girl Method? We have an ongoing popular Wurly and Curly thread that might help: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=369
Also, if you want your hair to sprint to TBL (no trims), length retention is critical, so I'd recommend limiting straightening as much as possible.

MissPetite2010
May 13th, 2014, 09:54 PM
Great! Since you are a curly/wavy, have you tried CO-washing and the whole Curly Girl Method? We have an ongoing popular Wurly and Curly thread that might help: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=369
Also, if you want your hair to sprint to TBL (no trims), length retention is critical, so I'd recommend limiting straightening as much as possible.

Thank you! I'll definitely check it out. I try different methods. I went 8 months without a trim. Finally had it trimmed in April. Before that I had a big chop. The longest was 27.5 in Aug of last yr before I had a big chop. Now it's almost there again. Kinda excited. I guess the vitamins helped off and on :)

Gumball
May 13th, 2014, 10:02 PM
Growing to TB definitely took years. I found that not worrying about measuring all the time helped a lot. I didn't get super frustrated about specific growth rates by the month, week, etc.. I never went by numbers, just body landmarks, and I was usually surprised when I noticed I hit one. :lol: I also wear my hair up all the time so I'm sure that helped a good deal, too.

ETA: I just enjoyed the length it was at while I could, and eventually grew into new lengths, rinsed, and repeated. :agree:

MissPetite2010
May 13th, 2014, 10:08 PM
That's awesome. Most of the time I wear my hair up because of work. Working retail. I just love the fact that having long hair, there's soo many different styles. I like the idea about going by body landmarks. May have to give it a try for a bit, and possibly hide my tape measure? lol

KittyBird
May 14th, 2014, 01:36 AM
It felt like it took forever, but it was actually just 2 years from bsl/waist to tbl for me. I only did one small trim during that time, in January/February this year. My best advice is to wear it up and forget about it. Don't measure too often and don't obsess over the length :)

farmlass
May 14th, 2014, 08:48 AM
I think it was somewhere in the region of 4 years for me to go from SL to TB, with one chop (couple inches) inbetween. TBH at the time I just wanted to see how long I could go and left it to it's own devices. I knew I could get TB as I was there when I was in my early teens. Since joining LHC I guess I've become a bit more impatient and obsessive, but I'd say just protect (updos during the day, braided or sleep cap for bed) and be patient and it will get there in it's own sweet time. Good luck :)

lapushka
May 14th, 2014, 09:02 AM
Hair grows 6 inches a year, on average, so do the math. ;) I think it's going to take about 2 years (no trimming) from solid waist on. :)

mira-chan
May 14th, 2014, 09:59 AM
How long? Depends on where you start, your hair growth speed and your height. My best friend has hair that grows an inch a month, and gets from shoulder to TB in a couple of years even though she's taller. Mine grows 6 inches a year, but I started at waist so it didn't take me that long either.

excentricat
May 14th, 2014, 10:15 AM
I am just barely at TB now. I started growing from chin length in late 2009. The very best advice for my hair was wear it up. Followed closely by minimize use of pony tail holders for anything other than braid ends. I would probably have less taper if I were more careful about damage to the very ends, but hair is for fun so I don't worry too much about it.

nobeltonya
May 14th, 2014, 10:56 AM
Well, when I first started growing from about shoulder [summer 2006 or so], the first [and seemingly most important] thing I did was stop going to the hair cuttery. I noticed a huge improvement in hair growth just from not letting any one else cut it... second, I wore it up a lot. However, the way I used to do it I wouldn't recommend [wet, messy bun ALL DAY held with an elastic]. Knowing what I know now, and having the collection of hair toys I have, there are so many nifty, protective styles I can wear my hair in when necessary. Regular trims are also key, to keep your ends healthy. I have no idea how you people who go for years without trims do it... my hair grows relatively fast, and I love to wear it down [yes, even at this length] so I trim 2-3 times a month [also probably a bit much for the average person]. Finding out your hair's porosity also makes a difference, not only for what products you use, but for diagnosing problems you may encounter with your hair.. that, and the hardness of your water, should be checked before making any drastic cuts or totally changing products [because these do make a big difference]. Gentle handling, and PATIENCE! :D :disco:

P.S. I reached TB by around April 2012. I have gotten ALMOST to fingertips [46" with about 2" to go], but cut it back to 40" in Sept 2013 and have been maintaining around 41-42" since then.

dwell_in_safety
May 14th, 2014, 11:47 AM
I expect to hit tailbone, which has been my goal length for quite some time, around August of this year. I began growing from shoulder length in October 2011, and I am 5'9" tall (so, I have a decently long back). This is with trimming 0.5-1" on the first of every third month. I imagine that, had I been growing from nothing or a pixie cut, it would take a solid four years.

Nymphea
May 26th, 2014, 03:41 AM
It took me some 5 years from SL to TBL, and I'm 5'5'' tall, though you must count in that I sometimes got scissor-happy and took 2, even 3 inches off instead of planned 0.5 or 1.

The time of growing really depends on many factors (they are already mentioned here - the damage, your height, the growth rate etc), but what helped me the most is benign neglect - just don't be too obsessed with your hair - every time I was it seemed like it isn't moving in length at all! :D

MINAKO
May 26th, 2014, 03:56 AM
For me it was 2.5-3years from a bit longer than CBL to TBL. I did have one bigger trim of 3inches and some dusting off the ends here and there.I really liked midback, but hated waistlength on me, which was a bit of a tough spot to get past. Hide our scissors or give them to someone who will hand them out to you for S&D only. ;) Happy growing.

Nymphea
May 26th, 2014, 04:05 AM
It took me some 5 years from SL to TBL, and I'm 5'5'' tall, though you must count in that I sometimes got scissor-happy and took 2, even 3 inches off instead of planned 0.5 or 1.

The time of growing really depends on many factors (they are already mentioned here - the damage, your height, the growth rate etc), but what helped me the most is benign neglect - just don't be too obsessed with your hair - every time I was it seemed like it isn't moving in length at all! :D