5 Bloggers With Great Length Retention


There’s something inspirational about seeing a natural rock a huge braidout or fro. Even more inspiring? If that natural started out with a big chop, and had to go through the grow out process. The following natural bloggers and vloggers started out with big chops or short, damaged hair, and had to learn how to retain length. Their journeys are a great resource for length retention tips.

KimmayTube


Kim Love of KimmayTube is the hands down queen of length retention. In her “YouTube Hair Journey” series of videos she shares how she endured 10 years of short, constantly breaking hair before changing her regimen. She now has backlength hair.

Glamazini

Roshini Cope, the author of Glamazini.com, has been blogging since 2002 and had hair at every length — from big chop fade to back length hair. On her site you can find styling tutorials for any length of hair.

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Black Girl With Long Hair

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98 Responses

  1. Hi everyone, it’s my first pay a visit at this website, and paragraph
    is truly fruitful for me, keep up posting these types of articles or reviews.

  2. I don’t think anyone mentioned Mahogany Curls. I have been following her for 2years on youtube. She is my hair twin and we bc around the same time. Her length and retention is amazing and her hair curl pattern is similar to mine and she is just all around gorgeous – check her out – mahoganycurls.com

    1. I totally agree! Mahogany Curls does have great length retention – especially for someone who never wears protective styles. Her hair was boy-short a little over three years ago, I believe, and she’s gained a lot of ground. She’s also great because she doesn’t have to straighten her hair to show her length retention. Her hair is long (armpit length – NOT stretched) AND curly. I’d be very happy if my hair was that length and curly.

  3. There is actually a big difference between someone who does a big chop and someone who transitions… When you transition, you get to hold on to all of your new natural length- you trim what you would eventually be cutting off anyway. When you do a big chop, whn you need a trim you are cutting the unprocessed hair….. It takes much longer to build up length when you have to do this…. Even if the transitioner cuts off ten inches of processed hair eventually, it is not the same as having totrim the unprocessed hair. Not hating, however…. Had i known, i would have transitioned- much easier to bun and much easier for length…

  4. I would have to say RenieceHairTV (YouTube). I can relate to her hair journey. My hair has never been pass my shoulders and I really didn’t think it ever could be till watching her video. Very inspirational!

  5. I love this site. Its very encouraging and has great tips for keeping your natural locks looking its best. I am a transitioning sista (23 months). I love the way my hair is growing out and people compliment me all the time. My husband has even come around and comments on how pretty I look all the time. I never really wear protective styles but after reading this blog I think I may try it. Thanks ladies for your inspiration!!!

  6. Aside from all the extra opinions and bickering(LOL), thanks for sharing those extra names. I am a long term transitioner and I started with kimmaytube. She helped me out alot. I was about to pull all my hair out. There is nothing wrong with rocking a bald head if that’s your thing, i just don’t think you should do it out of frustration like i was. i woulda had patches. lol. Thanks

  7. My god, ppl! BGLH couldn’t include everybody on the list. Why get so bent out of shape because YOUR favorite wasn’t included? Start your own blog. Relax and have some tea. It’s not that serious. SMGDH at all this elementary school foolery.

  8. youtuber “ardeller” so inspirational, didn’t have a twa, but she cut off 15 inches of relaxed hair.

  9. I’m sorry but I’m not sure WHY Glamazini is on the list… Her channel is okay and all; But her hair doesn’t strike me as particularly long or healthy. I would have expected her on the great stylers list before this one…

    Just my opinion

  10. Weird, I don’t like KimmayTube’s hair now that it is long but I love Hair Crush. I think it’s because Hair Crush has her hair out and Kimmay keeps it on lock down. I don’t want hair that long but it’s great to see. Cipriana of UBB, her hair just scares me, I love Naptural85s gorgeous coils.

  11. Thanks so much ladies!!! I really appreciate everyone sharing names of useful bloggers and vloggers ! I have fine strands and thin hair too which actually really bums me out. Alot of times I feel like I don’t want to wear certain protective styles because my hair looks kind of thin. I guess I need to get back to henna’ing as a start.

    Just to add to the convo, I’d like to mention to vloggers (youtube) who have fine hair who I find helpful -niafloda and blackhairchronicles

  12. wow. all of these are amazing. i’m hoping to get there some day. sniff. i think the most challenging length for most black women who are actively trying to grow their hair is somewhere between SL and BSL. from what i could tell, once you find the secret to getting past BSL you’re usually in the clear. after that you truly do encounter the mother of all obstacles- genetics.

  13. [img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/afternooncurls.jpg[/img]

    I don’t know if my picture will post but this awesome article makes me so excited for the future with the naptural hair…i never big chopped but pretty much just decided not to put harmful chemicals in my hair I’ve gotten endless compliments nd aspire many around me to do so also

  14. Hey how cool! I agree with lots of the others suggested by others. I guess the irony that I may hack all my hair off later this year is not lost on me :). Thanks for including me in this list! 🙂

  15. Perhaps the list should have been organised by hair type/thickness. I am looking at this to get an idea of “personalities” who has 4cdf (thick stranded) hair like mine so that I can look them up and see what worked for them. Can anyone can point me in that direction?

  16. I love all of the above! I am especially inspired by those like Kimmytube (I know she is not the only one) because she did not “always” have long hair. Others I admire their hair but it is great when I see others like me who did not grow up with “long” hair. Many I see their journey and they had waist length as a child, relaxed and now natural (example being HairCrush from YouTube), again I still take their advice and tips but it is a bit different from someone like Kimmaytube, who learned how to retain their length.

  17. Good stuff, but a quick tip: when doing screen shots, press and hold ALT + Screen print button so that it only picks up the browser (or current program) and not your taskbar and other programs. That way you can happily do what you want on your computer without us knowing.

    1. Totally OT but THANK YOU for this tip! I hate doing screenshots for precisely this reason!

      Microsoft 7 also has a great clipping tool that accomplishes the same thing but this is quicker if all you want is the screen.

  18. I have a question about haircrush. She has beautiful hair that I admire… but I remember her mentioning that she would have her grandmother relax her edges as she transitioned throughout the two years. Im not here to start anything.. but unless she had cut off two years of relaxed edges ..wouldnt she be considered texlaxed?.. I seen a picture of her hair in its wet state and the top half of her hair was noticeably kinkier than the bottom. Again, this is nothing to hate on her.. but inquiring minds would like to know.

    1. Wow, I didn’t know that about grandmother relaxing her edges during the transitioning period. That would explain a lot. Yeah, I wondered if she uses heat or mild chemicals sometimes when I see her. Her hair simply doesn’t look like other virgin natural’s hair. Her hair has a lot of movement for someone who doesn’t advocate a lot of heat usage and she has very little shrinkage. Her hair looks as if it has been texlaxed, heat-trained or texturized. It’s still beautiful and her advice on retaining length is helpful. When I give my daughters twist outs, their hair has movement but not as much movement as HairCrush’s hair. Hmmmm . . . .

  19. I’m new to the natural hair process. I have dandruff and am not familiar with co washing. Is it recommended even if you have dandruff? I don’t know the process of when to shampoo, when to co wash, etc. Can somebody fill me in?

    Thanks!

    1. Welcome, Melissa!

      Dandruff is not a deterrent to cowashing, which is using a conditioner to clean your hair instead of shampoo. I have battled dandruff, but I still cowash.

      Cowashing, with a good conditioner, is far gentler to my hair than shampoo. However, it’s helpful to still use shampoo to get rid of product buildup, especially if you use a lot of heavy products that are not easily rinsed away in water, or that are oil-based, or that contain ingredients that end in -cone. Also, if you cleanse your hair less frequently than every other week, then you may want to keep using shampoo for when you do cleanse. Some ladies cowash and shampoo on alternate weeks. Others cowash exclusively, choosing to cleanse weekly or more frequently.

      When to do which seems to be highly individual for each person, and it is determined by what each person finds to work better according to hair, circumstances, and preference. Because I have had problems with dandruff, I try not to let more than 10 days go by from one cleansing to another. Weekly is a good frequency for me. I like products that rinse out easily in water, and because that’s mostly what I use, I have very little problem practicing cowashing as my preferred method of cleansing, although I occasionally use a small amount of a moisturizing shampoo.

      Dandruff shampoos such as Head and Shoulders, used over time, will work in some cases to rid you of dandruff, but when I used it, I needed to use a good moisturizing conditioner afterward. When I started cowashing, I made sure to cleanse frequently, being very gentle but thorough. I rubbed with the pads of my fingers and avoided scratching at all costs, because I found scratching to be unhelpful and as much an irritant as the dandruff itself.

      Recently, I began using a mix of about 4 ounces of Greek yogurt, a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, and a generous squirt of extra virgin olive oil thoroughly stirred together as a protein treatment. I apply it lavishly to my dry hair, making sure to get it on my scalp. I reasoned that since the probiotic cultures in yogurt are good for controlling yeast naturally, and some dandruff is actually a yeast infection on the scalp, the yogurt might help bring it under controll. You want to be very thorough with the rinsing if you try to cowash this out of your hair, but I have successfully followed this rather smelly yogurt mix with a good rinse and cowash and had no lingering smell afterward. Additionally, I found this to be every bit as effective against my dandruff as Head and Shoulders, far less drying to my hair, and beneficial for adding protein that my hair desperately needed. The Youtube video that was the basis for this treatment was created by Naptural85. Look for it on her channel under the title Greek Yogurt conditioner.

      Be aware if you watch it that she uses essential oils instead of olive oil because, as already noted, the stuff stinks. For this same reason, she warns against putting it on your scalp. However, as I also already noted, I target my scalp precisely as a means of fighting dandruff, and I have not yet had any problem cowashing it out of my hair.

  20. I know she’s persona non grata in the natural hair community right now, but Moptop Maven’s hair is amazing! Love it!

    1. I love her hair too. Guess I’m out of the loop on Mop Top Maven. Why is she persona non grata???

      1. She supposedly (I say supposedly because I myself am not sure if it is true or not, there is evidence to support her guiltiness and her innocence) scammed people out of their purchased hair accessories by taking their money but not sending the goods. She said she was sick which is why she couldn’t send them.

  21. Although she hasn’t blogged in a while, check out dianey55 on youtube. Never seen hair like this before on a women of color. Hairchime, LeobodyC5 and longhairdontcare2011 are nice too!

  22. This is list is comprehensive. Thank you for featuring one of the ‘pioners’ CHICORO. I have both of her books and she is a real gem.

  23. These are some of my favorites that I like to look at as well.

    Africanexport ~ http://www.africanexportsblog.com/2012/01/my-natural-hair-length-check.html

    Whoissugar February Length Check, Natural Hair!

    Naturalcurlz86
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM6XUl7JVE8&feature=channel_video_title

    @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
    Also doesn’t this woman favor urbanbushbabe a little bit, I saw her on blkgirlsrock site.
    [img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tumblr_lw21t3s0qC1qctlp9o1_500.jpg[/img]

  24. Thanks for the feedback everyone! We will definitely look up the vloggers and bloggers that we missed.

    But, just a note, we wanted to highlight bloggers & vloggers who actively speak of their hair growth journeys, and discuss length retention on a regular basis.

    1. The list you put together is great!!!! Sera’s hair journey is a great inspiration and Kim Love (kimmay) has a wealth of information on her YT channel. Thank you!

  25. @ ChrysCurlz
    Firstly, your hair is beautiful. Secondly, I hear what you are saying about fine hair, my hair is fine too. I’ll be honest, I don’t care much for Kimmay for a variety of reasons, but her dedication to the health of her hair cannot be denied.
    However, simply on aesthetic grounds I personally would never want my hair as long as hers. I’ll try and upload a photo of my hair at its longest
    [img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/223703_2262963536585_1323373326_2693463_2896344_n.jpeg[/img]

    1. Awwwww…thanks. Your hair is pretty, so are you. I hear what you’re saying re Kimmaytube. My husband and I talked abt this. I showed her to him and he didn’t care too much for her personality either. I on the other hand try to seperate that from sound hair advice. I look at what she’sbeen able to accomplish and figure out what my take-aways will be and I leave it at that. Everytime I play a video of hers it gives me a kick to see the visceral reaction it generates in my hubby (who does not care about hair) so I show him her tweets just to get him going lol

    2. I agree with Malantha. I’m not hating on Kimmay’s hair at all, but if you look at photos of her hair before she started her “length-retention plan” her hair was significantly thicker. Perhaps it is also age or environment, but her hair now, while much longer, seems much thinner than it once was.

      1. Yes, sometimes Kim Love’s personality leaves much to be desired, but she gives sound advice on length retention and her advice works for many naturals regardless of hair type or density.

        I think the issue is something people are missing. Kim Love is petite (kind of short) with a long face. I don’t think waist-length hair flatters her body type and face shape. It also may not suit someone with very fine hair. One of the reasons so many people liked Kim Love with shorter hair – bra-strap length and shorter – is because that hair length and the styles she wore complemented her body type, hair density, and face. I was viewing her more recent video where she is showcasing her length while pregnant for a photo shoot. Her hair looked more like an attraction – somehow seperate from her. And while the hair length itself was impressive, SHE (in my opinion) looked older with such long, fine hair. She looked younger and more flattering to me when her hair was shorter.

        Some people may not want to hear this, but everyone does not look good with waist-length hair or hip-length hair. It doesn’t suit everyone. Even if it does, some people don’t want to manage waist-length hair.

  26. I co sign on Naptural85. Her hair might not be quite as long as the others, but her hair is unbelievably thick and healthy. For me, health and thickness wins over length every time, which is why I’ve never been a fan of Kimmay. Props to her achieving that length, but her hair always looks wispy to me.

    1. Malanthata, I understand what you are saying but for fine haired and ladies with not so dense hair like me, kimmaytube is a great inspiration of the fruit dedication, patience and purpose yields. You might not be able to increase hair density (genetics) but you can surely grow it as long as you want with pateince and dedication.

      I just BCed again for the reason that I never could figure out how to handle my so delicate head of hair. Follow me on my joirney to retaining hair length

      http://www.chyscurlz.blogspot.com.

      1. Your curls are awesome!!!!!
        (I’m a fine haired curly too, so I understand). I’ve always wanted that HUGE mass of hair, but I love my little coils, lol!

        thefrizzness.blogspot.com
        [img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oneyearnatural.jpg[/img]

        1. @natural dancer/candice

          I checked out your blog and it’s really good. Your hair looks gorgeous in that photo as well.

      2. Agreed. Everyone’s hair is different and one of those differences is having fine or coarse strands. While my hair is dense, my strands are a mix but consist mostly of fine/medium strands. Knowing this has helped me not needlessly lament over my hair not being thick enough and keep my healthy as it is, instead of trying to make it something it is not.

      3. I agree! Kimmaytube and I have hair that is very similar and just because someone’s hair isn’t thick doesn’t mean that it isn’t healthy. That said, the only thing I and some other naturals don’t like about Kimmaytube’s hair regimen is that she doesn’t trim. Kim’s hair is now to the bottom of her waist when stretched; she could really stand to clip off a couple of inches and her hair would still be long. Kimmaytube clips off knots (I’m paraphrasing what she said) but that’s it. Also, to me, her hair looks better when it hasn’t been treated with heat since it is so fine. It looks “wispy” as Malantha said when she flat-irons or blow-dries her hair.

        Everyone’s hair is different because Longhairdontcare2011’s hair looks great treated with heat but her hair is obviously much thicker.

    2. I’m fine haired and with less density so Kimmay’s hair is more like mine than all the usual gurus people point to. My hair will never be dense or thick so it’s to know what options hair like mine can achieve. It’s disheartening to see only thick hair profiled. Wish there were more out there.

  27. I find that many naturals on fotki actually have much more similar hair to mine. All the people listed above have great hair but in terms of curl pattern and shrinkage, they really look nothing like my hair. It may come as a surprise to some but for me many of these ladies have huge huge curls(kimmaytube, glamazini,naptural85) or a more real 4b straight kinky shape (sera has video of her wet hair and it really it is not particularly curly, I think cipriana’s hair is similar though I have not seen it wet).

    These are some my favourites whose hair looks and behaves like mine. I do believe they all have thicker strands compared to mine however, so while I like their hair it only gives me an idea of what mine would like at a certain length. As a fine haired girl, my hair does not play nicely with heat or combs.

    Mwedzi http://members.fotki.com/mwedzi/about/

    Loolahloo http://members.fotki.com/loolalooh/about/

    Princessdani http://members.fotki.com/PrinCess-Dani/about/

    Maestradiva http://members.fotki.com/Maestradiva77/about/

    There used to be a girl on youtube, she was Nigerian American, her name escapes me, she also had super shrinkage and long hair. She closed her channel though, can’t recall her screen name.

    Other hair I love which is nothing like mine –
    Kcurly of newlynatural.com – amazing retention,
    Who is sugar on youtube – love the pocahontas style
    longhairdontcare on youtube -(beautiful whole head flat twist), leobody c5 who has a loose wavy texture on youtube – people often ignore looser texture but her methods are not dissimilar to mine
    laila -fusion of cultures who was featured here – transitioned for forever and a day – great inspiration for long term transitioners
    cynthiarf of youtube – I cannot for the life of me understand how perfect her little curls are. I have never seen texture like this, it is very pretty.
    Naturally leslie – She never really showcases her length, she usually talks more about styles and hair health/psychology. Her hair is however very long and full.
    Shima of youtube – She is relaxed. She sometimes screams into the mic and rambles on a bit but her advice on handling hair goes across the board whether relaxed or natural.
    Sunshyne of hairlista – Another relaxed head. I love the fullness of her hair and choice to maintain it at a length of her choosing.

    1. Might Rustic Beauty be the youtuber whom you’re talking about? Her channel isn’t closed, but she hasn’t posted for a long time either.

  28. I agree with those mentioned but I would add Haircrush, Whoissugar,Naptural85,Longhairdontcare2011 and FusionofCultures.

    1. While I like your list (they’re all vloggers that I subscribe to (except for Longhairdontcare2011; I just heard of her today), I don’t think that Leila (FusionofCultures) would fit the criteria for this particular list. I think she transitioned for two years and never did a “big” chop; she just cut off the existing relaxed ends last summer.

      1. WRONG! no matter how or when u cut off your relaxed ends it is still considered a big chop just because she didn’t wait 3 months into her transition doesn’t mean her big chop is not one…plus she is an inspiration for long term transitioners who dont want to have a twa an how to handle multiple textures with her low manipulation styles i have seen ppl try to do this with to much breakage an just cut it all off anyway cuz it was to much to deal with…so she should be on this list

        1. First off, calm it down with the all caps business. My understanding of “big chop” is that one is cutting off a large portion of hair. I like Leila, and as I said, I subscribe to her YT channel, but what she did by cutting off the relaxed ends was not a “big” chop.

          You’re arguing a point that I’m not even talking about. BGLH’s criteria for this particular list was vloggers/bloggers who have done the big chop and then subsequently retained a lot of length through their journey. Leila has beautiful hair and great length, and yes, she’s an inspiration for long-term transitioners (of which I consider myself since I’ve been tranistioning for a year), but I wouldn’t consider what she did by cutting off the relaxed ends (which were definitely shorter than the natural length she had already retained over the course of two years) a “big” chop.

          1. African violet is right. Long term transitioning is not a big chop. The big chop would be cutting off all or most of your relaxed hair, and starting from scratch.

            Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Long hair don’t care ever did a big chop. She says on her blog that she’s not even sure if she’s transitioning, she simply hasn’t relaxed her hair in a very long time.

          2. If leila wants to call it a big chop then it is. There shouldn’t be all these damn rule for hair. It’s just hair! putting all these criteria for what is considered what takes the fun out of this community. We should be allowed to define OURSELVES as we wish without having people getting mad because they think it’s wrong. Nothing is black and white. It’s all shades of grey.

          3. I thought the point here was length retention! However it was done shouldn’t be a big issue as long as we’re talking about natural hair 😀

          4. No, I think this a matter of using the words in the English language correctly. Snipping your ends slowly (transitioning) is not the same as CHOPPING off your hair.

          5. I’m soooo sick of people making up definitions for words. Saying they can call it whatever they want. When words lose meanings, we lose the ability to communicate.

      1. I think it is Sabina Karlsson. I think she is Swedish. She was a “normal” (i hate this term) and now I think she is a plus sized model now. I love her hair!

  29. Agreed with those mentioned already, but also Elle (from Quest for the perfect curl) should def be on here! She only BC’d about 2 years ago, to a TWA, and her hair now is just amazing!

  30. just discovered a youtuber [don’t think she blogs, in fact her appeal is that she’s not that savvy of the natural hair community– she does her own thing] she uses: sistawithrealhair. It’s very refreshing to see her take on retention & her regimen in general! I love longhairdontcare2011’s melllowness & Naptural85’s spirit. Nikkimae2003 is awesome too! So many cool women out there~

      1. Sistawithrealhair is fantastic! I find it refreshing that she just doesn’t advocate hair techniques, she says watch your diet and the quality of proteins you take in (she’s a pescatarian). She’s absolutely right. I retained much more length when I incorporated fish and green smoothies into my diet. My hair is now retaining length at a much quicker rate and my fingernails are longer, too.

        1. Hello Ronnie,

          I was wondering what you put in your green smoothie.

          I notice that my hair grows faster when i eat a lot of green veggies and other veggies, fresh fruit, fish and beans and when I exercise.

          1. Hello Freda,

            Your diet sounds like mine! I also eat a salad at least once a day everyday and sprinkle raw nuts or flaxseed over it for protein. As for the smoothie, I add distilled or purified water (whichever is on hand), brown rice protein powder, blueberries, raspeberries, strawberries, banana, and kale or bok choy. Sometimes I add a green powder that contains Spirulina and wheat grass. My taste buds are not programmed to take all of this straight yet so I do add a third to a half a cup of organic raw sugar or agave to the smoothie. Hope this helps.

  31. I gotta say Haircrush, longhairdontcare2011, shelli of haiscapades, and naptural85 should def. be on the list.

      1. I agree! Longhairdontcare2011, Natural Hair Crush, and another sista, Sera2544, are the queens of length retention. When most people of any background (natural or not, Black or not) think of long hair they are thinking of the hair on the heads of these ladies.

        Kimmaytube presented her hair care journey in a way that was engaging, entertaining, concise, and organized. Her leave-in recipe was a breakthrough for many naturals that follow her. Her videos are well-lit and easy to follow and her hair length is inspirational. Also, she retains an inch and a half consistently and she did so relatively quickly. Everyone’s hair does not retain length at six inches per year.

        But I feel the aforementioned ladies resonate with me more. And even though my hair pattern is different than Sera2544, I am most impressed with her because she’s from Sierra Leone, she has thick 4b hair, and she has managed to grow it to waist length through very careful dry detangling and protective styles and without fancy ceremony. Her hair appears long in its shrunken state and when she uses heat – not just when she uses heat. Impressive!

        1. Sera2544 does use heat. When her hair is shrunken it goes to her shoulders.She has a video of this.

          Other women like her with long 4b hair have to use some kind of stretching method to show their length. How do I know? Well I have hair similar to theirs, (although many textures) and my hair in its stretched out blow out state is close to my back and flat iron down my back, but in its shrunken state it’s just a little past my chin.

          Other women who have long type 4b hair is mwedzi, who also uses heat to stretch out her hair.

    1. Yeah dude YOU’RE RIGHT ! longhairdontcare2011 SHOULD BE on this list. She has an amazing mane. same for Haircrush !

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