image of Danielle VCynthia writes:
I’m curious about hair growth goals. I read about it on natural hair sites and in forums. I don’t have specific growth goals. As long as it’s healthy, growing and there isn’t any obvious breakage, the specific length certainly doesn’t matter. Specifically, I’m looking at how my hair flatters my face, the volume, or even manageability to decide how long my hair should be. I do not plan to straighten by any method and WNG, so my air dried hair is the outcome. Several people have asked me since my TWA has grown out, “so what are you gonna do with your hair now?” My usual response is, “I guess I’ll just keep letting it grow and see what happens”.
But many natural women do have specific hair length goals – Bra Strap Length (BSL), Arm Pit Length (APL), etc.
Do you have a specific hair length goal? Why or why not?
How has your hair goal changed since becoming a seasoned natural or since your Big Chop?
CN Responds: My ideal length is somewhere between chin and shoulder length shrunken, or bra strap length stretched. It’s easily managed at this length– any shorter and big messy buns aren’t possible and any longer and detangling becomes a nightmare. At this length I achieve optimal volume and a great shape.
I really enjoyed my TWA phase. I was pleasantly surprised that it suited me. So I might go back to that one day. But my real goal is having a very large afro. Not sure if it was on this blog, but there was an article showing a woman with 7 years of growth. She had the afro I desire.
CocoaDreamee, just enter kimmaytube leave-in on youtube and there is a video of her leave-in recipe as well as an ingredient list. I have been having fabulous results with her leave-in. My "naked" hair has never looked better and have a feeling, with continued use, it will just get better and better.
I would really love to get my hair about armpit length or bra strap length when dry, and waist length strecthed.
I'm so glad lately i see a lot of grow, last time i tjecked it was about 9 inches, and now about 3-4 months later i have 11 inches hair, its always nice to see that the work you do is paying of.
I just have to tell my self sometimes that if a hair style ones fail(really, really failes) or anything dont mess around with it, just wash it on the day, or one day later and re-style, you wont loose length of its just my little washing day done one day earlier. 🙂
Would someone please email me the recipe of the leave in recipe from Kimmaytube?? angelbaby8932001 and thats at yahoo dot com. Thanks 🙂
I wish Bra Strap Length (BSL) when dry and waist length when stretched (I have such a shrinkage). Yes, my goal has changed since I became natural because I realized I'll have to wait too long to have giant hair and I'm not that young anymore to wait 10 years to have butt length hair 🙂
I miss my gigantic hair. It was always super thick except for the time after I had my son, but I'm looking for a change. Right now my hair is about 2 lengths: 6 inches from the crown and about 4-5 inches at the sides and back. I'd like to get it back to shoulder length all around, like I had it about 7 years ago, which I can see already happening with adjustments that I've made to my hair care routine, including by wearing protective hairstyles all the time.
I just wanted to let everyone know of this information after seeing this in a magazine while at Barnes & Nobles today.
Worlds' largest Natural hair Show were looking for World's Next Top Natural Model to grace the cover of the 2011 show guide. Cash, prizes,trophies, and Talia Waajid Products included.
World Natural Hair Health & Beauty Show will be held at Georgia International Convention Center
Parkway College Park, GA on Show Dates: April 30-May 01,2011.
Exhibit and Tickets: 770-716-9056
You may also go online for more information
asktaliah@naturalhair.org or www.naturalhairshow.org
My ultimate goal is 20 inches, I currently have 12 inches and its taken two years to get there so I figure It'll be at this length by next year. All thanks to kimmaytube!!!
My hair is finally back to its natural thickness and was the same length before the BC, so I know I'm on the right track.
I would like to achieve shoulder length (all around. But this a task that is proving to be impossible. I did not BC, however I let my laxt relaxer, which was in 2007, grow out then I trimmed. But the top front of my hair and the side are between 3 and 5 inches, while the rest of my hair are between 10 and 12 inches. I am contemplating on cutting it all off, but I am afraid that it will grow back the same way if at all.
oh my is shoulder length i always cut my hair back to shoulder length, waist length can get a little annoying sometimes,lol
Che
@Shante if you have enough hair for a low ponytail i don't understand why you feel you can't two starnd twist your hair. two strand twist can be done on two inches of hair they just have to be smaller to hold the style i can even two strand twist an inch of hair not that it will stay too long, lol
Che
Well… I big chopped in June 2010 I would like it to be at my shoulders (unstretched) honestly. I dont have enough hair at this point to do two strand twist (which saddens me during a cold fall in Michigan). However If I brush it to the back while wet I can put it in a low ponytail and fold the rest of the hair under for a "bun -like" effect.
I would love to reach shoulder length, although i love my twa, short hair is not my thing!
I'd just like to keep my fro huge, moisturized and healthy. Currently it's at the nape of my neck unstretched.
I'd like to be able to pull my 4c hair in a Bun…that's my goal…I won't obsess over it but i personally think it'd make my life easier.
I also refuse to take pills/hormones like some women do because i don't see the point of risking some side effects over something that is not that serious…(didn't want to use the word "vain"
I don't have a length goal but when my hair was relaxed, I wanted it to grow as long as possible (it grew to a little past my shoulders). I've actually been thinking about cutting my hair again. Although my hair is a little past my shoulders when stretched and I love the styles I can do with it, I just don't think I appreciated how much easier I had it when it was short. ~KF519
My goal right now is APL as hair longer than SL will be new for me as i always cut my hair off and before wasn't focused on length.Transitioning has lead to caring better for my hair so the goal is more achievable.
I am currently touching APL and my immediate goal is to reach BSL by April/May 2011. My ultimate goal is MBL.
shoot i am shooting for WL by december of 2011 but right now i have APL but im getting ready to do a full trim and start really caring for my hair again…i get the average 6" per year so i should be able to at least get close to WL by then..hmm
long enough to put in a bun would be ideal!
I'm not even sure what's my growth rate, so I don't want to set goals I won't ever reach. ^^; Right now, I just want to let it grow as it will by keeping it moisturized and strong.
I don’t have a specific hair length goal. I had long hair until high school when I began cutting it (with mom’s permission), so I know my hair can grow long. However, I’ve never seen my curly hair long and styled properly.* That’s key. I wore a messy, raggedy ponytail or braids until I was 14 or 15 at which time I got my first relaxer w/o mine or my mother’s permission, which is another story. I wore my hair in a lovely news anchor bouffant for years and years after that (totally not age appropriate), so I AM curious to see my hair at least chin/shoulder length curly/shrunken. Too much longer and I think I’d become frustrated caring for it. Shorter, I can’t pull it back decently.
But if it doesn’t grow any longer than it is now, I’d be fine with it. I’m not taking any vitamins, using any special oils, applying any special treatments, or changing my diet. Having a specific long hair goal is not for me. I’m too lazy. If it happens, it happens. Mostly I just want healthy hair, i.e. strong, shiny, & moisturized (with the grays covered, lol).
*A part of me wants to be natural as Eve (Adam’s wife) and just let it grow and grow down to my toes until I can wrap myself in it, but that’s just not realistic and more importantly, probably not sanitary. LOL
Right now my goal is full SL. after that, idk. But for the most part, I'm focusing on health.
I don't have a specific length in mind- my ideal length will be one that gives me a twistout that frames my face well in the front and comes to my shoulders (or right above) on the sides and in the back (and I can do big twists in order to achieve that look), AND I can do twists as a protective style without them being scalpy (and hopefully falling near my shoulders when styled wet), AND giving me the volume that I want in the back… haha, I ask a lot of my hair, don't I?
I have a length goal of BSL. I figure it will take me two to three years to get there. I am looking forward to having a BAA.
I've been natural for 10 years and have cut off a lot of length a couple of times. I typically would trim twice a year, but would get a couple inches cut because I can't stand raggedy ends. The longest it has is BSL (stretched). When it reached that length, I cut it to just below my ears (straight) because I was bored and ready for a change. That was about 3 years ago and now it's about an inch longer than BSL stretched. I just discovered "sealing" and this whole natural online community in February of this year. So, now I'm interested in seeing how long it will grow and if I can maintain healthy ends with henna and sealing, thereby reducing the amount that has to be trimmed. I also recently started using kimmaytube's leave-in recipe too, with good results. I actually wish I had more shrinkage so my hair would look like Nikki's here though!! I have such hair envy when I see pics!! Her locks are just so lush!!! I feel like I'm losing thickness as I'm getting older. Also, I was shedding a ton of hair the last few months and I think it was because I'm allergic to amla and I was adding it to my henna to retain curl. I haven't done a henna/amla treatment for almost 6 weeks and noticed that my shedding has decreased. Just hope that it starts growing and, if it does, I don't have a bush as the roots and straggly looking ends causing me to have to cut it again!! So, yeah, what was the question?!?! LOL!!! I just want to see how long it will grow, WL maybe? It shrinks to about APL now, so don't think it would be unmanageable if WL straight, because it probably still would be BSL or shorter curly.
Shelli
At first I was all about length and seeing growth every month, but now i'm all about the health of my hair. I still want to be APL by march 2011 and BSL by october/november 2011.
i don't have a length goal either. as someone who grew up having and keeping long hair with a beautician mother who didn't allow me to cut it, i don't obsess over length. i just let it do it's own thing. i don't share the same need as most women to constantly "do something" to my hair.
I didnt have a specific length goal when I bc'd in 08 and everyone kept asking me the same thing "so what are you going to do with it?" like my hair was some stray puppy off the highway smh. Right now my hair is APL so I decided that I would like to try locing my hair when it gets to BSL (I've wanted locs since I was in middle school). I don't really worry about my length so much, I try to focus on the overall health of my hair in general. So any length I retain is good as long as my ends stay healthy 🙂
I don't really have a length goal. I had locs for 7 years and they got almost waist length before I started keeping them at a more manageable length for me (and then cut them off completely).
I'll be extra excited when it's long enough to pull back into a big puff for those when I just don't have time to deal.
My mom's favorite question is: "So – what are you doing with your hair?"
Ha! – I never had to have plans for my hair when I had a perm 😉
My hair has been the same length for about a year now and i'm sick of it! it's about 8-10 inches long and just stopped. i haven't used heat in years and i wash/maintain it regularly. i don't want to take pills or anything b/c i don't want it to be dependent on them.
My curly goal is big huge obnoxious hair, I want the "don't sit behind her" fro lol
As far as lengths go shoulder length or longer when curly and full WL [waist length] when straight. I'm about 6mos til the bottom hit's it and maybe another 6-8mos til the majority does [i have layers and some breakage from color,:-( ]
When I get there I planned on leaving it, but i'm curious to see how long I can get so I was thinkin of trying for hip or tailbone length just to see if i can, but if i do i'd def cut it back afterward.
I want it like the girl's in that pic! lol….Just big, healthy, and pretty are my goals. Not a specific inch length or anything
Vonnie
http://www.socialitedreams.com/
I think for me I just am in love with afros and want to see how big I can get mine 🙂
Hmmm. Well, I feel you on the whole "What are you going to do with your hair?" questions. Since my Big Chop (I had locs previously), I cannot wear two strand twists without everyone being like, "Oh, you're starting locs again? Why'd you cut them?" But I do have length goals, but I also see them as non-breakage goals. I just want my hair to grow as much as possible with minimum to no breakage and very little shedding. When I feel a length is too long, I can see myself trimming. For now, I'm just letting it grow and focusing on retaining length as much as possible.
My last perm was over 10 years ago, but only recently have I started researching how to better care for my hair. I have been focusing more on length retention, although I don't have any specific length goals.
I'd like to see my hair reach at least shoulder length (unstretched), but it doesn't really matter. Does anyone know if Locks of Love would take a bunch of 4a hair??? 🙂
I completely agree. My twa has grow out to about 6 inches, and its already becoming alot to manage. So i think my ideal length is a little longer than chin length also. Any longer than that would drive me crazy! lol