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View Full Version : Tips & suggestions in my personal journey to classic length



ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 12:06 PM
Hello all! I would like to see what type of advice and suggestions fellow longhairs would like to offer me in a new journey. While I have always wanted to grow my hair really long within the past two weeks or so I have decided to get 100% serious and committed to growing as healthy hair as possible to classic length. While I seem to be around mid back right now my short term goals for now is waist then hip but ultimately classic.

In these past two weeks I have made small changes including washing less, I am now washing on the 3rd day, still conditioning on the off days, will attempt to stretch washes further, using coconut oil more often, twice a week overnight the night before my wash day, keeping it in a braid every single night no excuses, wearing it up during the day other than to let it down at night for about a half hour to comb and rub my scalp because I tend to get a sore spot from wearing it up for an entire day then english braid with a leave in conditioner on the ends, using sticks to hold up hair instead of ties, combing through hair slower and more carefully...and the things I would still like to change is using a sulfate free shampoo, stretching washes further and possibly trying the CO method.

I only micro trim as needed and S&D sometimes I have relatively healthy hair and do not color or use heat.

Any crucial advice would be appreciated as I am seriously dedicating myself to this and I am looking forward to what the next few years bring my hair. I am ready to change things to benefit my hair and hopefully I will see some nice health and growth from it. Thank you!! :)

Here is my hair currently

Trying to post pictures sorry....

ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 12:07 PM
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5603/15593971366_811ab6a1a5.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pKZbph)2014-10-15 12.17.39 (https://flic.kr/p/pKZbph) by tattooed_metal_barbie (https://www.flickr.com/people/87709754@N08/), on Flickr

lapushka
October 24th, 2014, 12:30 PM
I would have at least a day or night to wear it down fully. Your scalp needs to be able to "breathe" and that means it might be best not to have it tied up *all* the time. For example, I wear it up like 24/7, but at night it's always down, so it gets a breather.

Going sulfate-free might be contra-indicated with stretching further. You'll have to see how your scalp handles it. My scalp is difficult and needs sulfates because of seborrheic dermatitis (need the harsh cleanse), and so I can stretch pretty far (a week) because of the sulfates. If I were to go sulfate-free I would need 2 to 3 washings a week, for sure.

If I were you, I'd join a challenge thread for 2015, or create your own. There already is a TBL for 2015 thread, maybe join it?

StellaKatherine
October 24th, 2014, 12:42 PM
My own hair is on TB lenght right now.
* I do wear my hair up daily, but I always put it down and sleep with a loose english braid and the night after washing I let my hair completely dry down and sleep with my hair untied. Just put it behind the pillow :D

*I went on famous lapushka's WCC method of washing ( wash and then condition two times ), coconut oil the lenght the night before washing and after washing put a leave on oil on the lenght.

*Otherwise just experience with different deep treatments that I come across too. For example : Egg yolk+olive oil+honey, Aloevera+honey+conditioner.

*I wash my hair every 7-10 days and before every second washing I make some sort of a deep treatment for my hair.

*New thing I found is the chamomilla tea rinses which I find are very good for scalp.

ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 12:48 PM
My concern with wearing it down sometimes is that my 1 year old yanks on it and has pulled some out a few times! I guess I could try letting it down at nap time as well as after they go to bed. I am honestly not sure what is in my sights for 2015, is tbl possible because Im barely waist now...my picture finally posted!! :) I would love to join a challenge I just don't know which one is appropriate and attainable.

Madora
October 24th, 2014, 12:59 PM
Hair tips (based on my own experience of more than 40 years):
Be patient.
Less is more. Don't overload your hair with products!
Not everything works for everybody!
Use gentle shampoos
Stay far away from: blow fryers/straighteners/hot curlers/bleach/backcombing/teasing/Brazilian blowouts
Eat sensibly! Exercise moderately. Drink water.

The best thing you can do for your hair:
wear it up to protect it
detangle it gently with a wide tooth comb (every day)
brush it daily with a pure boar bristle brush (no nylon or rubber!)

learn new hairstyles to keep from being bored

ponytails are not hair friendly. Avoid them!

Weekly S and Ding are beneficial for keeping white dots and split ends in check. Use SHARP shears!

Don't obsess on how fast (or not) your hair is growing! That'll drive you bonkers.

Mineral oil (baby oil), used sparingly (2 drops) is great for detangling, taming frizzies, and helping with moisture. You place the drops in your palms, rub it all over the hands, then draw your hands through your hair until the oil sheen has just about vanished from your palms. It is very lightweight, leaves no after scent, washes out in the next shampoo, and is dead cheap.

Always detangle with a WIDE TOOTH COMB! Never detangle with a brush!
Detangle from the ends of the hair, then up the strands, little by little, until you reach the roots.
Daily gentle scalp massage in the bent at the waist position is a great way to stimulate your follicles for a boost in hair growth.

A silk pillowcase cover - or sleeping cap - is a great way to protect your hair while sleeping.

My hair is currently knee length. I never would have reached that length w/o careful detangling (every day), brushing with my bbb every day, and being proactive when it came to S and Ding and trimming (once in a great while). I also wear my hair up nearly 27/4. No problems with a hurting scalp! My main motto: Less is more! It works!

ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 02:06 PM
I suppose I could join a challenge for hip length if there is one....do you think that's a reasonable expectation?

lapushka
October 24th, 2014, 02:50 PM
I suppose I could join a challenge for hip length if there is one....do you think that's a reasonable expectation?

Sounds very much reasonable. I just found the hip by Christmas 2015 thread, it's here:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=127194

meteor
October 24th, 2014, 02:58 PM
I really like your new routine a lot. :)

I'd recommend primarily avoiding over-trimming and avoiding damage (mechanical, chemical, heat) as much as possible.
So sleeping on silk satin (or other smooth material), avoiding too much manipulation (especially when the hair is wet), gentle detangling with fingers/wide-tooth comb, not overwashing hair... are all useful.
Also, being proactive about damage is a good thing. For example, if you've been out in the sun or you are going to swim in a chlorinated pool or if you notice your hair is getting dry in winter, you can oil your hair more and do some deep treatments, like hydrolyzed protein or an SMT.
Check your ends periodically, and if they are in good condition, just don't trim too often. And if you notice you keep getting splits/white dots, it's good to S&D them, but it's even more important to review your routine for potential causes.
Length retention is something you can really help with a gentle, sensible routine, while the rate of growth is mostly fixed.

ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 03:02 PM
While I don't notice too much split ends I do notice white dots when I inspect. .what are those things? Is the hair broken there?

ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 03:03 PM
Sounds very much reasonable. I just found the hip by Christmas 2015 thread, it's here:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=127194

Great thanks alot Lapushka! :)

meteor
October 24th, 2014, 03:11 PM
While I don't notice too much split ends I do notice white dots when I inspect. .what are those things? Is the hair broken there?

White dots are signs of damage: it's where the hair's structure is compromised to a degree where, under more pressure, that hair can split or break off, unfortunately.
You don't necessarily have to S&D those, but it's recommended. For S&D, it's important to use very sharp scissors that are only used on hair and cut in a straight line, perpendicular - above the split or white dot.
If your ends are dry, how about oiling hair, doing an occasional SMT (conditioner + honey + aloe vera) or adding some oil to your conditioner? That should increase the hair's elasticity.
And if there is any previous damage accumulated on ends, I suggest a hydrolyzed protein treatment and penetrating oils, like coconut.
I like oiling my braid tassel before I go to bed - I think it's very protective for old ends.

lapushka
October 24th, 2014, 03:44 PM
White dots are signs of damage: it's where the hair's structure is compromised to a degree where, under more pressure, that hair can split or break off, unfortunately.
You don't necessarily have to S&D those, but it's recommended. For S&D, it's important to use very sharp scissors that are only used on hair and cut in a straight line, perpendicular - above the split or white dot.

If you have a lot of white dots, S&D can significantly thin your hemline, so in that case, slowly micro-trimming the hair might be best. White dots don't have to be removed as badly as splits do. I went from shoulder length with white dots all over to hip, only then did they get S&D'ed out. My hair was very thin on the ends after that, though and had to be cut back to BSL because of it.

ZeppHead
October 24th, 2014, 03:59 PM
I do not have a huge amount of white dots but since I do have quite thin hair it gets damaged easily. This is actually the longest my hair has been because it was never able to stay healthy when I was coloring it and using a straightener on it often. It could also be left over damage I suppose. To say this will be a challenge is an understatement because I would like to try to keep my hemline as thick as possible (thick for me because I know I have thin hair so) I many actually need to trim more than I am thinking I will because my ends thin out so quickly.

trolleypup
October 25th, 2014, 11:04 AM
I do not have a huge amount of white dots but since I do have quite thin hair it gets damaged easily. This is actually the longest my hair has been because it was never able to stay healthy when I was coloring it and using a straightener on it often. It could also be left over damage I suppose. To say this will be a challenge is an understatement because I would like to try to keep my hemline as thick as possible (thick for me because I know I have thin hair so) I many actually need to trim more than I am thinking I will because my ends thin out so quickly.
I'm on the benign neglect side of Madora, but then my hair is coarse enough to not need quite so much attention. Don't stress over how it is or is not growing, accept that some damage is going to happen and the ends are going to get thinner as the length gets longer (normal hair cycle). Pay attention to your scalp as well as your hair...my routine is at least half to keep my scalp happy.

lapushka
October 25th, 2014, 02:25 PM
I'm on the benign neglect side of Madora, but then my hair is coarse enough to not need quite so much attention. Don't stress over how it is or is not growing, accept that some damage is going to happen and the ends are going to get thinner as the length gets longer (normal hair cycle). Pay attention to your scalp as well as your hair...my routine is at least half to keep my scalp happy.

True! Keep the scalp happy - at all times, that's my motto. And of course the lengths matter too. But... since I have seborrheic dermatitis, I *need* to keep that scalp happy. If you don't have a scalp issue, be *very* glad! :)

animetor7
October 25th, 2014, 07:26 PM
I'd also add that you need to find a routine that you can maintain. When I first joined LHC I was trying to do treatments weekly and all of this other stuff to help my hair grow better and faster. But I just couldn't keep it up, and what has helped my hair most is finding a routine that my hair loves, that is manageable for me. For me, this means washing twice a week, shampoo bars, coconut oil and keeping it contained the vast majority of the time, but for you it might be something different. The main point is to not overwhelm yourself with hair stuff, and fussing.

Larki
October 25th, 2014, 07:29 PM
We have similar hair types, goals and routines! :) Sounds like you're on track to me, although I agree that it's good to leave your hair down sometimes, to give it a break.

Madora
October 25th, 2014, 07:59 PM
I'd also add that you need to find a routine that you can maintain. When I first joined LHC I was trying to do treatments weekly and all of this other stuff to help my hair grow better and faster. But I just couldn't keep it up, and what has helped my hair most is finding a routine that my hair loves, that is manageable for me. For me, this means washing twice a week, shampoo bars, coconut oil and keeping it contained the vast majority of the time, but for you it might be something different. The main point is to not overwhelm yourself with hair stuff, and fussing.


The main point is to not overwhelm yourself with hair stuff, and fussing. Wise words, animetor7!