Progress and Shrinkage - Pictures!

[mwedzi]

Last year I cut the bottom layers of my hair to try to even out my hair a little bit. It is still layered, but not as extreme as before. The cut from last year put me at just above bra strap. From nape to bra strap is around 12.5" (31.75 cm). So this is a little shorter than 12 1/2".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/jan2010length.jpg

Banded ponytail:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/beadedbandedpony.jpg

At the time of the cut, I also decided I would use more heat on my hair. I am a 4b hair type and my hair knots and tangles to a degree I think most here would be unfamiliar with. :headache: I had a ton of single strand knots (these cannot be undone) which lead to a lot of tangling. This makes the time to do my hair very long and also I break a lot of hair trying to get it out of tangles. So I decided to blow dry at least every other wash. I wash and detangle once a week. I have kept this up for the most part. I do not use a brush or comb to blow dry. I just pull a section of hair taut and run the dryer up and down the length. I also decided to flat iron at least once a month. I have not kept this up. Too much work.

This has reduced the amount of time I spend on my hair by at least 25%, some times 50% depending on what was going on with my hair in the week. Now I average 1 1/2 - 2 hours to detangle (it used to be more) and 1 hour to blow dry, oil, and twist into medium sized sections. This has also helped my retention.

This is about 3 months in, at the beginning of April. Here nape to ends is about 13 1/2 - 14"(34.3 -35.56 cm)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/aprilearly2010.jpg

And here is about 6 months in. From nape to the bottom of my sports bra is about 15" (38.1 cm).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/062710length.jpg

This makes me about mid-back length. This is 3" from waist for me. 2 1/2" (6.35 cm) retained in 6 months is great for me. Especially considering this includes a couple of trims and lots of broken hair (my hair always breaks when combing no matter what I do).

Here is a shrinkage shot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/shrinkageComp.jpg

The first picture is stretched, the second is wet, and the last is dry. My shrinkage is 75-80%. This means that my hair will never look long in a loose shrunken state. For example, this shrunken hair is bsl when stretched:

http://images12.fotki.com/v197/photos/7/1197897/8344002/shrunkenjan10-vi.jpg

This doesn't really matter, though, because I virtually never wear it like that, anyway. I like the look of my shrunken hair, but wearing it like that makes it so knotty and tangled. It's simply not worth it to do it.

So now a frequent way to wear my hair is to blow dry, moisturize and/or oil, and put into medium sized twists like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/ficcareholdingtwists.jpg

Then I'll undo the twists and have a twist out similar to this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/mwedzi/Hair%202010/blowdrytwist1.jpg

Thanks for looking.

[freckles]

congrats on your growth :) I totally adore your banded ponytail -- what is it banded with? I can't tell from the photo whether it's multiple bands of some kind or one device tightened around and tied at the bottom?

[Dragon]

Your hair is looking nice.

[mwedzi]

congrats on your growth :) I totally adore your banded ponytail -- what is it banded with? I can't tell from the photo whether it's multiple bands of some kind or one device tightened around and tied at the bottom?

Thanks. It's actually 2 parts. The top part is a ponytail holder made with elastic, a hair pipe, and a gogo. Like this. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3301&pictureid=41985) This is a tutorial on how to make it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCMkyB5OtSw

The other part is made of a hemp cord and beads. Here is a tutorial on how to make it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i49LrTASnWc

[Sissy]

fantastic growth! :)

[Joliebaby]

Great hair, and progress!! I love your different styles.

[Isadora Lewie]

your hair is sooo beautiful, Mwedzi!

great progress, and great shine :)

[Loreley]

Great progress! I love that ponytail! :)

[whoanellie]

Looks great! All the styles suit you but I particularly like the way you said you were it frequently, with the twists. :)

[jivete]

You've made great progress. I love the twists and banded pony.

[jasper]

Beautiful hair that looks beautiful in a variety of styles!

[Capybara]

You've made some awesome progress! I Especially like the twist out, it is so pretty! Is that a flexi 8 I spy :D

[Nae]

You have beautiful hair!!!

[Kome]

You have gorgeous hair and you've made great progress. I know it can be hard to work with, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of the styles and things that you can do with your hair. I love the "shrunk" look with it all big and curly like that. It's so pretty! I also really like the twists that you do. Those are really neat. I'm always envious of other peoples hair skills and styles that they can do. I'm so bad with it! Congrats on the growth! :)

[linda g]

Congrats, great progress :) I love love love the twists.

[kwaniesiam]

You have some of the longest natural textured type 4 hair I've ever seen, it's beautiful.

[Qadupae]

OMG your hair is fantastic! Seriously, awesome growth and I adore those medium twists you are modeling in the 3rd to last picture. Beautiful!

[ButterCup02]

You have such pretty hair!!! What great growth :)

That banded ponytale is GORGEOUS!! Love it!!

[Heavenly Locks]

Your hair is awesome! You deserve a :thud:

Your twists are so even and perfect!

[dropinthebucket]

so beautiful! and oh my, your banded ponytail is to die for! what did you use?? :)

[Pixna]

Fantastic progress!! Awesome hair!! :toast:

[proo]

too bad shrunken look is so hard on your hair
it's wicked adorable

[Hiriel]

I'll have to join the chorus here: Your hair is seriously amazing.

[cindy58]

Your hair is lovely and really interesting! I agree with using whatever techniques work for you, you know your hair best.

[mwedzi]

Thank you, everyone! :D


You've made some awesome progress! I Especially like the twist out, it is so pretty! Is that a flexi 8 I spy :D

Thanks. Yes it is. That is a small, I think.


You have gorgeous hair and you've made great progress. I know it can be hard to work with, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of the styles and things that you can do with your hair. I love the "shrunk" look with it all big and curly like that. It's so pretty! I also really like the twists that you do. Those are really neat. I'm always envious of other peoples hair skills and styles that they can do. I'm so bad with it! Congrats on the growth! :)

Thank you. My hair can be a handful, but it is definitely versatile. I appreciate it for that. Actually, I was not very good at styling my hair until I found the hair boards, in particular the biggest one that focuses on highly textured hair. Some of those women are so skilled, I'm not even close to them.


You have some of the longest natural textured type 4 hair I've ever seen, it's beautiful.

Thank you. There's a lot of misinformation about this texture of hair. Given the fact that few know how to really care for it combined with the fact that it is naturally very fragile, most people's hair breaks off. Have you seen this woman's hair?
http://www.youtube.com/user/sera2544?blend=2&ob=4
http://public.fotki.com/sera252/

She is my hair inspiration!


so beautiful! and oh my, your banded ponytail is to die for! what did you use?? :)

Thank you. It is a ponytail holder plus a beaded hemp cord. I gave instructions for how to make them in post #4.

[restourceful]

Add me to the :thudpile:

I'm another who loves the banded pony. It is very elegant! And you siggy pic is another favorite.

[May]

The first picture is stretched, the second is wet, and the last is dry. My shrinkage is 75-80%. This means that my hair will never look long in a loose shrunken state. For example, this shrunken hair is bsl when stretched:

http://images12.fotki.com/v197/photos/7/1197897/8344002/shrunkenjan10-vi.jpg



Thanks for looking.

That's incredible! I wold never have guessed how long your hair *really* is. Wow. That's so cool.

[Medievalmaniac]

These are great pics!! I am amazed at what you can do with your hair, and mad jealous. I LOVE, LOVE ethnic hair. You really do get the best of both worlds- you can have truly fabulous curls and super short hair in the morning, and then in the afternoon - blow that bad boy out and whoomp! You've got a completely different, longer head of hair, and all you did was blow dry and straighten! The closest I can come to that is to do rag curls, and they're a total pain, damaging because I always rip so much hair out taking them down, and in the end, they STILL don't look as awesome as your hair does au naturel. Le sigh - lucky, lucky you! :D

[HeatherMae]

Congratulations on the amazing progress!! Your hair is very pretty. I love the adorable ways that you style it.

[squiggyflop]

i love those twists!

[TinaDenali]

These are great pics!! I am amazed at what you can do with your hair, and mad jealous. I LOVE, LOVE ethnic hair. You really do get the best of both worlds- you can have truly fabulous curls and super short hair in the morning, and then in the afternoon - blow that bad boy out and whoomp! You've got a completely different, longer head of hair, and all you did was blow dry and straighten! The closest I can come to that is to do rag curls, and they're a total pain, damaging because I always rip so much hair out taking them down, and in the end, they STILL don't look as awesome as your hair does au naturel. Le sigh - lucky, lucky you! :D

+1. I TOTALLY agree. Some days I really want a fun bob, and most days I want long hair. To be able to actually have that would be AWESOME!!

I *love* your hair. The twists you do.... wow. Those are just absolutely regal looking.

[uwsbottleblonde]

For me, big hair = love. Mwedzi, I really <3 your hair! I can't wait until my hair gets as long as yours so I can replicate those hairstyles...

Until then, one can only dream...*sigh*

[Nera]

I love your hair!! Having great hair like that seems totally worth having that much shrinkage.
What a strange word when you read it, shrinkage... For a non-native english speaker at least. Hm... Never mind, great hair!! :D

[Yozhik]

Mwedzi, your hair is absolutely amazingly beautiful! :thud:
Thank you for all of the length photos and various updos -- they're gorgeous.

[HintOfMint]

What gorgeous hair!! Really digging the banded ponytail, but loose, either curly or straight, is beautiful as well. I love that you can have so many different looks with your hair.

[mwedzi]

Thanks again, everyone. :)


That's incredible! I wold never have guessed how long your hair *really* is. Wow. That's so cool.

Isn't it amazing. That's why when you see a girl with natural afro textured hair, you never know how long it really is. It's always a surprise. :cool:


These are great pics!! I am amazed at what you can do with your hair, and mad jealous. I LOVE, LOVE ethnic hair. You really do get the best of both worlds- you can have truly fabulous curls and super short hair in the morning, and then in the afternoon - blow that bad boy out and whoomp! You've got a completely different, longer head of hair, and all you did was blow dry and straighten! The closest I can come to that is to do rag curls, and they're a total pain, damaging because I always rip so much hair out taking them down, and in the end, they STILL don't look as awesome as your hair does au naturel. Le sigh - lucky, lucky you! :D

Thank you. I do have a lot of fun with my hair.:cheese: But all hair types have their ups and downs. There are lots of styles I'll never be able to do with my hair type that you will be able to do. And that's okay. ;)

[GlassEyes]

You have such pretty hair. 2 1/2 hours, though? o-o I don't know if I'd be that patient...but you don't wash every day, do you? I guess if it were once a week, that might not be SO bad. XD;

Anyway, I love the twists. Actually, I like all of it--but I really like the twists. xD;

[Toadstool]

What beautiful hair!

[chipzahoy]

It's beautiful! And what's even cooler- versatile

[Juneii]

your hair looks soft and beautiful, I love the twists :) that is a lot of shrinkage! that's really interesting, my hair doesn't shrink at all so it really amuses me when others pull their down to show how long it really is. Even though it's not obvious, your hair really grew!

[30isthenewblack]

Great progress Mwedzi! I like all the different ways you wear your hair :smile:

[christine1989]

I love the ways you style your hair and your progress looks great! :)

[Darkhorse1]

Your hair is jaw-dropping GORGEOUS! and the styles you do? AMAZING!
So, I just want to ask--I'm not sure I understand what you mean by shrinkage? Is it that you have to work at keeping your hair straight/keep it long rather than having it coil up? Whatever you are doing, it's GORGEOUS!!

[missfortune9335]

oh wow, I love your hair! the undone twists are so cool :)

[mwedzi]

Thank you, everyone.


Your hair is jaw-dropping GORGEOUS! and the styles you do? AMAZING!
So, I just want to ask--I'm not sure I understand what you mean by shrinkage? Is it that you have to work at keeping your hair straight/keep it long rather than having it coil up? Whatever you are doing, it's GORGEOUS!!

Shrinkage is the common way to refer to the coiled neutral state of curly hair. If you imagine a coiled telephone cord (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=f7D&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=curly+telephone+cord&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=1723101942455257392&ei=TqUuTPrDI8P-8Aa9z4zvAg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDAQ8wIwAg#), it's resting state is what hair people call "shrunken". If you stretch it out, it will be more straight and less coily. I don't generally wear my hair completely coiled in its resting state because it knots so much. So I stretch it out. Usually not to totally straight, but to somewhere in between completely coiled and straight.

[free_hug]

Amazing! I never really saw such dramatic shrinkage posts-and-explanations before, and let me tell you, your original post is ay-may-zing :bigeyes:

And yeah, your post-hairsytle styles are so cool :) like the one after twisting

[Wanderer09]

I looove your hair. You must have so much fun with it. :)

[little_acorn]

WOW Mwedzi - :thudpile: your hair is totally amazing and very beautiful

[Kristin]

Beautiful hair! :D

[lilalong]

Your hair is beautiful! The shrinkage just amazes me.

[spidermom]

I LOVE the banded ponytail.

[virgo75]

Thanks so much for sharing your pics and progress!
You and your hair are really beautiful! :)

I have to show these pics to my daughter - her hair is similar and we're always looking for ideas on different hairstyles that won't be damaging. :flower:

[allmixedup88]

omgosh it's so long