Curly hair girls can you give me hope? :)

[sunshine80]

Hello! I am newbie! Even though I swear this might sound crazy but yesturday I spent from 9am to 11pm going through this site! I love all the stories and advice and I hope to be of help too!

I was just wondering for the curly girls out there, how many years did it take for you to grow out your hair? I know the growth rate and stuff but us curly hair girls what is it really like? instead of gaining 6 inches is it like 3 inches of curly growth?

In my avatar is my hair when i was 17 before my step father cut my hair against my will...now i am starting at 29 with only 5inches of healthy hair....

[IStand4u]

Honestly, IMHO, I found that the first bit of growing to about APL went by quickest. It seemed like my hair would just grow and grow, but then it slowed down. I'm lucky that my hair grows on average 1 1/2 inches a month for 8 months of the year, the other 4 months it's about 1/2 an inch.

I think the reason it went so quick for the first while for me was because I wasn't caught up with it yet, I just kinda let it grow, but now, it does seem to take almost twice as long as it used too unfortunately.

Just keep your hair moisturized and protected with something. S&D so you don't have to trim so much, oil it if that's what your hair likes, and for now experiment on what your hair likes and doesn't like!

Your hair is meant to be fun and something you like... at least in my opinion it is. So have fun with it, go to the Wurly and Curly thread (sorry don't have a link, though I'm sure someone else will post it soon!), read up on there for some ideas.

Sorry getting off topic here! :cheese: But, even though it seems to take forever for everyone's hair to grow, and longer so for curly haired girls it seems, your hair is still growing, just pull a small section straight to see how long it REALLY is. I'm sure you will be happy with that :)

Good luck, try not to stress too much! It's supposed to be fun :cheese: lols, I know it is for me!

HTH!

[girlcat36]

With 3a hair, it took me three years to grow from bald to bra-strap length(BSL). No trimming.
Good luck, welcome to the forum!

[Speckla]

Welcome.
I'm 3a/b and it took my hair 18 months to go from barely shoulder stretched to waist stretched. I did my big chop in May of 2009. I got rid of chemical damage, slipends, and breakage. I get a good steady 1" per month. The one thing that has the best is making sure my hair is moisturized and learning how to properly detangle to avoid breakage.

[Lianna]

Shrinkage varies from person to person. You can measure you hair pulled straight and then curly, and find the percentage of shrinkage. Apply the number to your desired goal, measuring what it would be straight, and then you'll find how many inches of curly hair you'll need to get to that goal.

That's what I do with my wavy hair, although something to consider is variations in texture as hair gains length. The curl pattern can loose due to the weight of the hair, or it can become curlier (this I don't know why but it happens to me). It would work if your texture remains unchanged, it's kinda fun to guess anyway. :)

[GRU]

Best advice I can offer is to step away from the brush (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1146313#post1146313).

Second-best advice would be to embrace a Curly Girl mentality overall -- detangle in the shower with conditioner, CO-wash, air dry, etc.

But growing curly hair so it's long CAN be done! :cheese:

[Luna12345]

Hi, my hair is very curly but it does grow fast. I've noticed that when I blow dry less and use less product on it, it grows super fast. It grew 5 centimeters in 3 months. When its curly it deffinately looks alot shorter than when it's blow dried straight.
avoid using too many hair products and you will notice your hair growing. I strongly advise using olive oil once a week or so.:) Good luck

[jeanniet]

Best advice I can give is not to get hung up with measuring your hair. Give it the best care you can, and be patient--it'll grow.

I agree with GRU to avoid the brush. Either fingercomb or use the widest-toothed detangler you can find (www.hairsense.com has great ones). I greatly improved the condition of my hair just by putting the brush away, and I was using very good brushes (Mason Pearson). Curly hair just can't take much brushing.

Get as much moisture in your hair as you can. If you shampoo, start by reducing the shampoo you use--put a very small amount in a bottle, add water, shake it up, and use that. Once you've adjusted, try switching to CO. It does take some experimenting to see what works best for you, but once you find it, you'll be amazed at how much the condition of your hair improves. It's a great journey!

[Lianna]

I wanted to clarify that I did not suggest that you measure your hair so very often. I used to do it in the beginning and didn't see much benefit to it. I was only answering your question, because there's not "one answer", if you wanna know how long will it take for you hit your goal while curly, it takes math according to your hair only.


ETA: At the moment, I have 34,7% shinkrage, and my hair is not that curly. I think it's good to know these things, so I would know which year I will be pretty close to my goal length (while wavy/curly).

You can always pull straight and have a goal based on that. If you know how much curly hair you grow in sometime (a year?), you wouldn't need to do this math. But since you asked...I was trying to help.

[JulietCapulet]

My hair is curly and it grows pretty fast. But it does take more patience.

[Hotrox]

Welcome Sunshine80 :cheer:

I have worn my hair at a bob length for about half my life and started to grow it 6 months ago, it has gone from just below chin to somewhere between shoulder and APL length in that time.

Yes, sometimes it looks much shorter but I know its growing and there are lots of curly haired girls here with long hair which we can use for inspiration. I can also still do all the lovely updo for shoulder length hair and love the versatility each new length brings.

Long hair is a journey, and everyone here will support you at each step, its an amazing place :D

[Athena's Owl]

I went from just shy of APL curly to past waist length curly in 5 years.

[sunshine80]

Thanks girls for all the advice! I know patience is key! 5 years? thats not so bad! I am glad to be on my journy with all of you!

[Belisarius]

Well, I started growing more than three years ago and I am now at about APL when curly off course way longer when stretched. So patience really is key. One of the advantages is that although my hair is a lot thinner now due to shedding, it still looks reasonably thick. :D

[MotherConfessor]

Well, as per your original question, it has taken me years to hit my terminal length at about waist after my own forced cut. As for advice, weeeelllll, most of the girls have covered the biggies, but just as a rundown:
Put the brush down, place your hands in the air and back away slowly. Only a wide tooth comb, and only that before putting it in an updo or washing. No curly has any business with brush, as a matter of fact very few movie "mess-ups" enrage me more than a scene with a curly haired girl brushing her hair and then walking a way with perfect curls! LIES!!!!
Most curls like moisture, and plenty of it. Every persons hair is different so you have to figure out what your hair likes. As you may have discovered in lurking on the forums, even hair twins often use totally different types of products. Strangely, my rather fine hair responds well to frequent coconut oilings with the occasional olive oil scalp rub. Many people would find such a treatment waaay to heavy for their hair while others use olive oil on a daily basis. Experiment, carefully and with small amounts of different moisture types to see what your hair likes.
Protect your hair. Watch out for seat belts, purse straps, chair backs, terry cloth (seriously, no terry cloth), the old habit of dumping all your hair on the top of your head to shampoo (again, movie lies!!!), or really hot water when you shampoo. Once the follicle is damaged, it cannot be undone. That is not to say that the damage cannot be improved upon or mediated, it just cant be undone.
Have you read up on acid rinses? Hair, as well the rest of your body, is slightly acidic and often benefits from the administration of a very diluted vinegar or citric acid rinse.
Leave it be. The most difficult of all hair commandments. Ignore its growth and it will seem like its shooting out of your head (now there is a mental image), constantly check the length and you will wonder what medical condition you have that your hair has stopped growing.

Good luck wurly girl.

[Nera]

Hey there, welcome here!

It took me 4 years to get from a little past shoulder to waist. I have really slow growth, a lot of curls and a very long waist, haha.

I was really sceptical at first, since most people around me told me i'd never achieve long hair. But because of that, it was really something that kept me going. It's a big big work in progress. And now that I'm waist, people compliment me all the time, because they realize how much work the upkeep of my hair is.

It takes a lot of patience and time to grow out curly hair. It also takes some time to figure out the things your hair likes. This place is a great way to learn about all of them.

Don't give up on growing out beautiful curls! I hope you're going to enjoy the growing process.