by
Geniece
In 2009 when I had my hair care “aha!” moment I couldn’t wait to share the news with others. After months of researching natural hair care on Youtube, hair websites and experimenting with my hair I realized that things had finally taken a turn for the better. I started a vlog and began documenting my journey through pictures. When I realized by the middle of 2010 that I would likely reach my first goal of arm pit length by the end of the year I set another hair goal of bra strap length for the following year. One thing I did not expect in 2009 was that I would change how I cared for my hair as my lengths goals changed.
Twist Out Winter 2007, Shoulder Length Hair Stretched
One thing I can say about growing out my hair is this: Growing out short hair to medium length hair was more challenging than growing out medium length hair to long hair. Moreover, once your hair is already long, say bra strap length, setting a goal of mid back length is even less daunting. In 2009 my hair was shoulder length and not all over either. My hair was layered such that some hair fell a little past ear length, while the hair closest to my nape reached as shoulder. Initially, I focused on growing out my layers and getting my hair to reach a few inches past shoulder length within 7 months. This involved weekly deep conditioning and 24/7 protective styling. I had been pretty rough with my hair during the previous years with daily combing and brushing, so keeping it pinned up in low maintenance style wasn’t a sacrifice, but rather a relief. When I blow dried my hair in May of 2010 I was stunned to see after only 7 months of proper hair care that my fro started to hang (as opposed to stick straight up) due to the weight of additional length. Over the months and years that followed my regimen was adjusted to reflect the hair goal I wanted to achieve.
Mini Twists Summer 2010, Arm pit Length Stretched
That first year I set a goal of retaining 6 inches so that with trims I’d end the year with 4-5 healthy inches of hair. The following year I had a similar goal. My ultimate goal was waist length so when I set a goal to grow my hair from bra strap length to mid back length I knew that on my body that was a mere 3 inches. I was fine giving myself an entire year to reach that goal and therefore skipped some of the steps in my regimen. The reasons I was able to abbreviate my regimen were two fold. First, keep in mind that as your hair grows the time it takes to do certain tasks will increase significantly. In 2009 I could detangle and wash my hair in the shower in about 30 minutes. Now, the application of my pre-poo and detangling takes a little over 1 hour and then I have to wash my hair, which takes an additional 30 minutes. Second, I begin my hair journey with hair that had been roughed up by my lack understanding. I needed to make up for poor practices by babying my hair. My hair was much healthier two years later because it had not been subject to weekly blow out sessions or a lack of proper moisture. I could therefore deep condition less without damaging my hair.
Blow out, Spring 2011, Bra Strap Length Stretched
By 2012 I no longer cared to retain 6 inches of hair each year and was therefore more comfortable not deep conditioning every week even if it meant I would need to trim more frequently. My hair wasn’t super long but it had reached the length that I set as a goal back in 2009. As of the writing of this post my hair has recently been blow dried and is about 2 inches longer than it was December, meaning I’ve retained all four months of growth.
Current Length of My Hair, Waist Length Stretched
The take away advice I want to leave you with is this: If you currently have ear length hair and ultimately want to reach mid back length or waist length don’t believe that you are glued to your current regimen. If you implement excellent hair care and are able to hit a new milestone each year, you will eventually find that there are some steps that you can skip without ruining your hair journey. Sure, you may not get every single ½ inch possible but you will be able to know how to maintain your hair length or shoot for 2-3 inches a year when you reach the point when you actually don’t want to grow your hair much longer. That point may seem a long way off right now, but with proper hair care trust me, it may sooner than you know.
Has your hair care regimen changed at different hair lengths?
103 Responses
The Lower East side has raised a wonderful afroprincess Geniese. I am so proud to have known her.
Respectfully
Chris F” Train
Hi I’m based in South Africa and our hair is generally of a tighter curl texture. I’m challenging myself to reach waist length and have a blog to share my experiences
Trust me on that one though research it or go to a dermatologist or doctor and I’m sure eventually you will be told. I had all of your symptoms. Burning fast with relaxers etc, etc, I highly recommend not using the castor oil just go to the doctor and get medication it will grow back trust me! I’m back to normal and haven’t had it since, drop the castor oil first though that’s what I had to do. Just be patient after the medication it will take a few months but slowly you will get back your hair in the spot.
Hi, im 14
i’m mixed (my mum is white my dad is black)
I have short hair, it’s soft but kinky
i wash my hair everyday
I used chemical hair straighteners 3 times (big mistake of my life)
my brother cut my hair, and it is now so short ( just a bit below my neck line)
it hasn’t been growing for 5 months
I need help, please tell me your natural hair secrets, it’s awesome 🙂
Hi, I grew up relaxing my hair for as long as I can remember, and it came to point where my scalp became sensitive to relaxers. Salons tried to advise me to use that and that. I have even tried baby product but still my scalp would start to burn quickly. It was in 2012 I decided to cut my hair and go natural and i was overwhelmed by how much I loved my natural hair. Beginning, of 2013 I went to a salon n did bonding and the tight pulling of my hair damaged my scalp, right in the center of my head and I ended up in an emergency room. The salon refused to take the responsibility. I would love to take them to court, but I have not investigated how do i go about that but i know I can.
Ever since, I have been shaving and slowly my hair is growing. It came to a point I got tired of shaving. I have let my hair grow for about a month now. I would massage the affected area every night with a warm mix of coconut+olive +vitamin E oils. After that, I would use tea tree shampoo and let my hair dry (but not completely dry) and I would apply a casto oil and sometimes mix it with vitamin E oil and take 2 vigro bio-capsules a day as recommended by a pharmacist. I have been trying to grow the affected area for almost a year now but have not seemed to succeed. Please I need help to grow back my beautiful hair.
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I use Jamaican black castor oil on my spot and massage it. My hair is growing back. I’m also going to try the cayenne pepper and castor mix. Google it and there are several ways to mix it. The cayenne is the same stuff found in alopecia treatments and is supposed to stimulate the hair follicles.
Hi,
Last year my hair broke off from medication that I was taking. I had bald patches around my temples and the sides of my hair. The rest of my hair is very long 14 inches so the damage was very evident. I used aloe vera leaf on the affected area every 3 days and massaged my scalp with black castor oil. I wore my hair in two large cornrows for like 2 months but, now those areas have around 4 inches of growth. I think diet is really important too. I ate lots of greens and red cabbage which helped alot
I opened the photo to look at it more closely but my best advice is to go to a dermatologist. It looks to me like whatever happened it gave you at least a 2nd if not 3rd degree burn, and the skin is now healed over and shiny which isn’t a good sign. You should always be able to see the hair attempting to push through the skin even if it is very fine
I agree with u . She needs to go to a dermatologist!
No sweetie, you have alopecia. Look it up it’s very common and the hair will eventually grow back I had the same thing happen to me. It’s not the salon’s fault. If your bald surface was smooth then it’s definitely alopecia providing your blood test came back normal. Why has no doctor told you about alopecia as yet? You can get medication and the hair will grow back eventually.
My hair grew very long. About shoulder lenght when I was pregnant. And that was 2 years in my natural hair journey. Now it’s just about at my neck. It’s been shedding like sick. The front is short like it’s been pulled. I’m trying to grow it again but just scared if I had another baby same process will repeat itself. Also it looks very ugly I feel like covering it up. My twist outs don’t look as nice. Please help. Can I take vitamins or something? This is how it looks on twist outs. So uneven. Thanks.
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Do take zinc as it works on your immune system and is great for those of us dealing with stress, and having a baby is a lot of stress on the body. I had terrible post partum hair loss, but because I was taking zinc, I lost a lot of hair but didn’t end up with bald patches. Your hair will grow back and it is upsetting, but bear with it and don’t let it put you off having another child. Get a good hair/skin/nails vitamin to take regularly and take care of your hair.
Hi,I was just reading some comments and basically I get the idea that you have to not use heat to grow your hair out longer. For me this is not possible as every time I wash my hair and then dry it, it goes matted and very dry. Therefore when I get out of the bath or shower I put my hair into sections and put my moisturizer in it then comb it out with a wide tooth comb. After that I blow-dry my hair. I was thinking of straightening my hair but I’m not sure as I have been reading what other people think and there has been some negative feedback to that. Anyway,my question is: Can I still grow my hair down to my waist and use some heat still? By the way my hair is around about my shoulders and I have a goal to get down to my waist. Thanks x
There are plenty of people who use heat and grow their hair to long lengths. In fact, look up the longhairdontcare channel on youtube. That young lady “heat trains” her hair, which means that she blow dries it. You just have to be careful with the heat, make sure to use heat protectant and be diligent about your conditioning and moisture regimen.
Wow what amazing progress! I’m gonna start following you! Yes my regimen does change with longer lengths. I am about mid-back length stretched and I would like to remain there but with my shrinkage. I imagine I’d need to be full waist length stretched to hit midback with shrinkage? Not sure though. I go back and forth with wanting to just enjoy my hair verses always trying to “actively” retain more length…However I do understand that with proper hair care which is imbedded in me! My hair will automatically retain a good amount.
Genetics play a role in everything with our bodies!! Hair is a part of our bodies, as well!!
Do you believe long hair is genetic.
Hello Ernestine,
I realize that your question on 11/10/13 was not directed to me, but I want to share my thoughts about genetic links to long hair and growth. I too, have been all over Youtube and Blogs everywhere, and I can tell you that from what I see, before and after and some adolescent photos that some women upload. Most of them already had long hair as a child or shoulder length thick hair. Most will take an opposing viewpoint, but I do believe that genetics plays a role in your ability to grow hair naturally and to reach a certain length.
I have been having problems with growing my hair since i have been a little girl my mother and sister have indian hair i have my dads hair african so she never could take care of my hair till today when my hair grows just a little and i straighten daily to keep in looking hot it breaks off i just run my fingers through and a whole lot of hair falls out.
also my hair is a ugly blond mixed with brown naturally i want to dye it but not sure which colur to go with right now i have extentions platted in for 3 months and would like to go natural and not worry about hair falling out or my colour or not knowing what styles to do or hair products to use amla oil hair products heard they are good is this true please help me ladies im so lost and lacking self confidence
Thanks
First start off by cutting back on the flatironing. Everyday is harsh on the hair even Caucasian hair cannot take that much without possibly getting damage. Try to only flatiron weekly or biweekly if you want to have your hair straight. Make sure to moisturized and seal your hair full of moisture prior to flatironing so your hair stay hydrated for at least a week in its flatiron state. Wrapping your hair at night keeps the hair smooth so you don’t have to keep flatironing everyday and get at least a good 4-7 days out your hair. From there you can lightly touch up your ends by having your flatiron on a lower setting around 250-300 depending on what type of African Hair you have 3A-3C Curly or 4A-4Ckinky. If you color your hair darker then you do not have to use bleach and you avoid chemical damage. Going lighter try to go no more than two to three levels above your natural to avoid using bleach. Hope this helps. If you need anymore info feel free to hit me up on my YouTube; DivaNaturalWuan.
you sound like a perfect candidate for teri laflesh’s tightly curly method.
http://www.tightlycurly.com/welcome
sweet
My daughter has almost waist-length hair because for the most part, I just leave it alone. I think that’s the best way to retain length for more fragile, kinky hair types. I know it’s hard because for a lot of us we haven’t spent many years seeing our natural hair or playing in it. Also, some of us get bored and just want to change it up! But the low manipulation worked out for my daughter’s hair. Her hair used to just grow to just above her armpit and then the ends would break off or split. Her hair wouldn’t get any longer than that. I was manipulating it too much, using thick pomades or body lotion as a hair moisturizer (fail!). Now I use water, oil and a leave-in conditioner. That’s it.
I combed or de-tangled her hair no more than twice a week to change styles, I only de-tangle my daughter’s hair once a month or every six weeks . . . and it’s dry de-tangling with fingers and oil first, then gently with a wide-toothed comb. Wet de-tangling was causing too much breakage for her hair. I oil the ends of her hair twice a week. I do moisturize with a leave-in weekly. I also keep her ends tucked into a bun or updo on most days. If she has braids I keep them in for two months.
If your hair is not as fragile as my daughter’s or is not prone to a lot SSK’s than one might not need to tuck the ends into buns, or updo’s or wear braids or twists for weeks. But leaving my daughter’s hair out all the time and combing it often caused breakage. I let her wear her hair out on weekends and for special occasions. After my daughter has reached hip-length, I plan to let her wear her hair out if she wants more often.
what products did you use during the process?
Hi Ms. Geniece! Your hair looks amazing! Can I ask you to help me on a regimen for mines please!
I cut my hair (almost bald)last year Oct (2012) and now it’s just past my shoulders (in the back) when braided and for the sides just above my shoulders when braided. Since i have cute it i haven’t used any heat on my hair. I tend to put myself on month challenges where I never leave the ends out, I have done this 3 times since I have cut it. I don’t wash my hair often and I think my hair is doing ok. However I wish to get to waist length hair too, but I feel like my hair is on a pause.
I hardly moisturize it and i need help in a routine for it or even how to moisturize it. When i do moisturize my scalp, because i have very dry scalp, my scalp acts as a vacuum and ten minutes later it is dry again. I am between 4a/4b, my hair is very thick but soft and curly.
What can I do to:
1. Keep my scalp and hair moisturized?
2. Grow my hair to waist length?
3. Keep my scalp and hair healthy?
I have 4c SUPER DRY hair. I have found, that unlike other naturals, I can’t just use coconut oil and call it a day. The ONLY thing that saved me was Jamaican black castor oil. I transferred the oil to a hair color applicator bottle, and added peppermint oil as well. I part my hair, apply to my scalp and massage in. It lasts for DAYS. It’s very thick, almost like honey, so I don’t put on my hair itself….just my ends for sealing a twistout if they are rough every now and then. It’s also known to be good for hair growth 🙂
Good luck!
hi what do you use in your hair the steps you take an the natural things you use in your hair i see u mention it not what oil you put in your hair what made you hair grow then what kind of care do you mean
Hi Geniece,
I have 3c hair. I used to have waist length hair in my early twenties, but started cutting for various reasons (rebelling against mother dearest etc…). It is currently when stretched mid back, and I would like to get it back to where it used to be. I do not straighten, blow dry or shampoo, but I am guilty of wetting my hair more than once a week because it’s quicker and easier (I use co-wash by Pantene). Is there a good product you would recommend to moisturize? I do not like spending more than 20 minutes on my hair! I am lazy! I have tried all sorts of things from Carol’s Daughter to mixing my own concoctions, but it just takes way too long and I do not have the time.
My mum sent me this link by the way, and if she reads it will probably get annoyed that I wet my hair more than once a week.
Hello Veronica!!!…
I just wanted to offer my support in your current hair journey and to let you know that you are not alone in your frustration. first, I completely appreciate the fact that you are an “older woman”..I am too and many of the ladies here and on you tube are quite young and enjoy so many of the Less conservative styling of their hair. I just don’t look the way I want to look with say a “fro Hawk”. I have found that this journey is a slow one step at a time kind of thing. I lost a great deal of my hair in 2008 been natural since that time. One thing that really worked for me was watching you tube…there are so many wonderful women showing you exactly how to do your hair, how to make your own products, makeup tips..etc..etc..what is missing is styling and makeup for older women. By older I mean 50 plus years old and older. Because I prefer more updo’s which are low manipulation styles…this (for me ) would include smooth styles like a nice cinnonbun or the classic puff( I use organic root stimulator olive poil pudding for these kinds of styles along with olive oil eco styler gel) to help lay my hair down so I can achieve these looks as simply as possible. My weird hair loves ORS pudding and their deep conditioner called “hair mayonnaise”. I use the hair mayo to deep condition my hair every other week. I wash my hair twice a month with Burt’s bees no sulfate shampoo..or Giovanni tea tree shampoo…my hair loves both of these products. The Burt’s bees is a little expensive but the Giovanni is in my price range. I also use the Giovanni direct leave in as well..in between washed I co wash with my cheapo VO5 conditioners or with Tresemme Naturals….both have great “slip” and my hair responds nicely to both. I part my hair in 4 sections and shampoo , detangle and dry in the same four sections..then I decide what kind of styling I do and I do that by sections. Like you the twist out has yet to work for me…but I recently learned how to flat twist and ya know what..THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD FOR MY TWIST OUT…in fact there is a very nice young lady on you tube called “Mahogany Curls” that has a rather simple process when it comes to her hair. Her twist outs are glorious but I think they would be because she has a nice curly texture to her hair anyway. She has several videos on you tube and I would encourage you to watch her. Along with her I highly recommend Tamika Fletcher of Natural Resources Salon and the DIY net work …she is fabulous and her videos definitely deal with low manipulation styles..and a variety of updo’s which work really well for me and are pretty easy to do! ( I am an admitted hair styling challenged person) Tamika uses a “tool” call the upzing by conair..if you like up do’s go to your near by Walmart or target or CVS and purchase a few of these tools. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the three I have and they help me style my hair (after a few practice trials )is under 10 minutes!. I also would point you toward a woman called Simply Unique…she is the first person I started watching on you tube and I still follow her channel. She started as a TWA and over the last 3-4 years has a head full of long beautiful natural hair that she sytles in a number of different ways…She is another person that has discovered a few products that really work for her and has remained with those products (Giovanni direct leave in conditioner is one of those products along with Eco Styler gel and extra virgin olive oil. Please give her a look and think you will be pleased .
I have found that moisture in the form of water is something I need everyday ..in addition my hair LOVES coconut oil..I use one called Specturm..it is pure coconut oil and I add a essential oils of my liking to it. I use a spray bottle and spray a bit in to my hands, rub them together and add this to my hair..all over and them spray more oil into my hands and add that to my ends…this keeps every thing well moisturized and shiny. The coconut oil will “melt or liquify” once heat is introduced…I run my spray bottle under hot water for a few seconds and I am good to go.
I have also been using pure aloe vera gel and it is great too!!..NO FLAKES!!! and it is just the right “weight for my weird hair” The kinky Curly brand has been good for my hair but I use it sparingly.. do not go over board on any of the styling products…use enough to get a good idea what works for you. Last but not least in terms of products. I take 1000 mg of biotin everyday(it is one of the “B” vitamins) and I have to tell you my hair and nails have responded nicely to this vitamin and are growing leaps and bounds. it has been about a year and this is something I will continue to use from here on out!
I do not blow dry my hair on the high settings and I do not blow dry without a heat protector on my hair. You may be blow drying to much on high heat settings and this could be causing more damage to your hair….I also blow dry my hair in sections…this way I don’t get overwhelmed and impatient with the process..which makes me want to rush thru things.
All in all your hair takes time and care…your genetics plays a role in the amount of time it takes to grow your hair…how you care for it determines how much hair you retain.
Please do not give up and return to chemicals unless it is the absolute last option you have. You have been natural this long..give it a fighting chance and just settle down into “your routine or groove”.
I am going to continue to look for other “older diva’s” so I can communicate with women in my age range that maybe have discovered something new in terms of natural hair styles and make up for us older girls…I would be very glad to keep in touch with you as well on this and any other topic you may have on your mind.
Oh Diana
Thanks so much for a really good meaty reply!
I think i may have seen Tamika not sure – but will check her out now and those tools sound interesting! – and will defintely look out for Mahgony curls – i have seen simply unique – her hair grew so fast! I was taking Biotin since April stopped two weeks ago i didnt see any difference in my hair – only my nails. But i suspect didnt take it long enough…
Also your right about the heat… I loved blow drying on the hottest setting (shaking head)…tut tut!.
Thanks Diana for your encouragement – i guess i’l wait it out now!!
You are so welcome!!!. I honestly think that if you stop or at least reduce the blow drying..or watch Tamika’s video on blow drying plus use a heat protector before you blow..you will see your hair take off…ya gotta be patient…I know you want immediate results but Rome was not built in a day!
Watching Tamika will give you all kinds of great styling suggestions and tips that will give you the kind of low manipulation hair do’s up or down that you seek. I have been taking the biotin for about a year now and yep!! I see a big difference..I also take about 1000 mg of it a day..you can split this in half..500 in the morning and 500 before bedtime…what ever fits your fancy and schedule. You gotta get a few upzing combs….watch Tamika and soon you will have that comb and your hair under great control in just a few minutes…I wish I had the money to book a flight to Houston Tx..I would make a visit to Tamika and her salon and get my hair done or take her “hair boot camp” just to learn all of the braiding and styling stuff she teaches. Keep me informed on how the hair is doing…I betcha once you lose all that heat your hair will recover and grow like a weed
Hi Genience
I envy you…. Lovely hair – please give me some!…
I too would like to know more about the layers… the hair at my crown is the bit that really gets me!! It’s so annoying, been natural 3 yrs 1 mth! Since Dec 2012 up to this point I have remained at 8 ½ inches!! Which is just past shoulder in-between armpit length.. Can you believe it? I have not moved – I’m about to (Punch the air!!) Really I am so frustrated!!!!!!!! I have some 4c 3b at back and 4b at sides! In the last 2 months I have started to incorporate some low manipulation styles, but since I am older I like conservative styles… twists and coil outs look funny on me – and out of place for work! So I liked buns – I mean I really loved buns.. Until I notice a thinning patch on front right side… when I worked it out – it was because I was pulling the bun too tight!! I mean you just can’t win! Now in desperation I have taken to conditioning hair each week NOT blow drying and somehow pinning hair in back and folding over the front!
The back of my hair that was once quite long has chipped away with my forceful blow drying – so leaving it down and out don’t even look nice anymore…. I must confess up to 3 months ago I had an obsession in blow drying after each wash – the hair was so tight so coily….. I felt I couldn’t style it unless I blew it out!
So basically I really need the crown to come down, not sure wot else to do… I will take the information from Geniece about moisturising the ends – and see where that leaves me. For the last two months have been doing low manipulation styles.. combing hair only at weekends and finger combing in mornings (seen no change in length yet though??) When did u notice yr length changing 2 mts 3? I know were all different! …. and using extra oils…. Geniece did u use extra oils like rosemary, Indian oils, neem, bramhi? What was your experience with them – got any recommendations here?
I just thought that at 3 years I would be well on my way to long hair…. gee was I wrong! When I was relaxed I enjoyed wearing it out. I didn’t realise when I went natural I needed protective styling in order to gain length; and this is what I find really annoying… I wished I had researched more – much more….
Gonna attend a natural hair salon in June… and that’s another thing – none of the girls on utube admit getting extra help – except one! My sister has gone and they’ve given her great advice…. Maybe if I had gone sooner wouldn’t be in this mess now…. We all need some help….
If at the end of the year it don’t pick up – im gonna tex or relax…..
I mean I gave it a good run.. Didn’t I?
Hi Geniece, I follow you on youtube and would like to know more about your trim regimen when you were growing out your layers.
How long did it take to get it “almost” all one length? How often would you trim and how? Thanks in advance.
Hi, Geniece! I am on a waist length journey as well. I seem to have tapped out at mid-back length. But my hair at the back is much more fragile than anywhere else on my head. I only have about 2 inches to go, though, and I am in protective styles about 95% of the time. Your channel has been an encouragement to me on my journey. Thanks!
Hey Geniece! I have always had long hair my whole life (about 1 inch shorter than mid back length). Well in the summer of 2011 I decided to go natural. Being inexperienced in that area (I did absolutely no research), my hair became damaged with split ends which resulted in my beautician cutting my hair to shoulder length. Now me, being so upset from my hair cut and blaming myself for lack of research, I decided to do the “big chop” for my 16th birthday in 2012. I cut my hair very very short to my jawline. It was so cute, but after not being able to do my go to styles, I got frustrated and decided to wear weaves. Personally, I don’t like weaves but I’ll wear them just because. Anyways, I wore weaves from June 2012-January 2013 and finally started wearing my real hair again. Throughout that time, my hair grew to neck length which is good, but I want it to grow more. I colored my hair back in February, and it hasn’t damaged it. Now I’m wearing a sew-in. But I said all of that to say that I would love it if my hair grew back to it’s old length maybe even longer, and if you didn’t mind it, could you tell me your hair care regimen?
Kiera, I know that you didn’t ask me, but she has a great youtube channel where she talks about her hair journey. Perhaps you can find some tips from her there?
Thank you Tanya! Do you know if I could find it by typing her name, or would I need to type something else?
I enjoyed reading this post. I am fairly new to the natural hair journey. I am just coming up on two years on my journey and it has been an experience. More so within this last few months. I started my journey by wearing my hair in either braids or a sew-in and decided to wear it out last August. In reading the comments I came across DianaMarie56 post. In that post I read about the different hair types of 2C, 3A and so forth. I would like to know how to find that information out regarding my hair.
Hey, Geniece!
Your journey is interesting and so very TRUE!!! Most people think that the products make the length retention more than the care…. Even along this line you can read some people still don’t get it….. I also found that as my hair grew, there were different ways I had to deal with it. I remember when I would frustrate myself with practically daily length checks…ouch! I also remember the wash and go fro’s that my hair has long since stopped allowing me to do. Now, I like to think that GOD gives you what you can deal with and it takes more time and patience as your hair grows longer…. I especially like in this article when you was happy to meet the goal you had set for yourself, although it was several years earlier.
I didnt feel that the article gave any specifics, which is why everyone is asking so many questions in the comments sections. It says that she grew her hair and changed her routine, but doesnt tell what exactly her routine IS. Can we get this broken down, perhaps? I am working on growing my daugthers hair naturally, and everytime I blow it out after 6 months, there are 4 inches of dead ends, and I have to cut it and start over again. Everytime it grows, its dead and split, and its been two years now. We need details so that we know exactly what to do to reach the lengths shown above, because many of us are frustrated.
The key is low manipulation and tweaking your regimen accordingly and patience. We can have a detailed regimen listed but it would work differently for everyone as no head of hair is the same. Happy hair journey.
I’m a natural with type 4 hair. I big chopped in november 2012. The post I’ve read on BGLH from you have been very helpful. Can you provide your YouTube name?
Her YT name is Sunshower143
Hi! I just wanted to start by saying that your hair and you are extremely lovely. My question is that I’ve been constantly wearing my hair in a pony puff. The scrunchie I have has fabric that is similar to silk or satin i guess. So is it hurting my hair? I rarely comb my hair and I use my fingers to detangle. But everyday I mist or wet my hair with water and aloe Vera juice then I moisturize with a leave-in and seal with castor oil. I do regular deep conditioning, trims and protein treatments. But I still see a TINY bit of split ins in the front. I do realize that you can’t get rid of ALL split ends. Oh and my hair doesn’t have any permanent dyes. I was just wondering about all the mechanical damage.
Hello Geniece,
Like Dianamarie56, I would like to know what your regimen is on weekly and biweekly basis. My hair is at the bottom of my neck. I grew out my relaxer so Feb 2012 was the last time I had a relaxer. I officially had no more relaxer in my hair as of Aug 2012. My hair definitely getting stronger and healthier; I have retained my current length since Jan 2013. I have a solid regimen now but I would like to know what you do differently. PLEASE Share, I would love to have results like yours 🙂
I’m a huge advocate of low manipulation. When I wash my hair I will style in such a way that I can leave it alone for 4-5 days. For example, I may put the hair in 20 large twists and then pin them up in an updo. When I use aloe vera and seal with a light oil I find that such a style when set on damp hair will stay moisturized for a good 4 days. I may take the updo down, apply moisturizer to the ends and pin it right back up. I have found that when I do this for several consecutive months (usually b/c i’m busy) I will retain all of my length. I love braid outs but to be honest I don’t retain all of my length. I don’t suffer breakage/lose length but I may retain half of what I would have compared to when i wear protective styles. Oh, and wear I wear those updos I like to spritz my hair with water right before bed. I immediately place on a satin scarf. It tames frizziness and gives my hair a boost of moisture.
I am so glad you addressed low manipulation styles…can you give some pictorial examples….I am definitely going to try some low manipulation styles…right now I simply wash, pat dry, leave in conditioner(Giovanni or Motions spray leave in direct leave in)Recently started using Burt’s Bee’s no sulfates shampoo..it is expensive so unless I run across another good coupon I am going to stay with Giovanni tea tree shampoo. To shampoo I divide my hair into 4 sections with then wash each section separately with the shampoo..rinse..add my cheap VO5 conditioner to each section (I also use Vo5 conditioners as co-wash…my hair seems to love co-washes with VO5) rinse out after about 3-5 mins..pat dry..I use a very large tooth comb to detangle but am starting to finger detangle…takes more time and so far I have not seen a decrease in shedding….after the leave in is applied I use extra virgin olive oils to seal in everything..then will do a twist out/roller set or blow dry and pull everything back in a pony tail.
Because I am not astute in hair styling and still trying to find the “right blend” of products to use I only do these two kinds of styling. I would like a little more variety. I would also like more examples of hairstyles for “older divas”..I do not mean to be insulting but there is a big difference in the way a 21 yr old woman may style her hair and the styling needs of us in our late 40’s and 50’s with greying hair. I tend to like more classic or conservative styling…any picture examples of older women like me in this area? Right now I am not sure which product does well with my hair in twisting and braiding…somethings are just to heavy…I like Eco styling gel and use it to smooth down my hair when I am doing an up do like a bun..also have and love the Up zing tools..I use them
for updo’s as well. With as much hair as you have plus it’s length I can see how you are able to make 20 chunky twist and arrange them in a up do…my twist do not come out great and I think it is due to the variety of kinds of hair I have on my head (2c-4a). As I age gratefully and gracefully I find I need more special attention with respect to hair and make up..so I don’t end up looking like “an older woman trying to hard to look younger” or settling for things that truly do not satisfy me or I am just not happy with….Looking forward to hearing back from you and any og the great ladies here that have suggestions here
Hi, Your regimen sounds good so I don’t think any changes are needed.Kimmaytube has nice conservative hairstyles and has a YouTube n twitter page.Buns are nice and flatter everyone and good for protecting the ends. I hope that helps and happy hair journey
😀 From London
Geniece, I was wondering how much does your hair shrink when it’s not in a blow-out. Since you stated in your recent YouTube video that you don’t use heat that much, how do you typically wear your hair when it’s not blown-out? Beautiful hair, by they way.
Thanks for the tips ladies. I plan to try the twist and silica and MSM 🙂
Geniece, I’ve followed your vlog on Youtube for several years. Congrats on your great progress: your hair looks amazing!
Geniece…would you share exactly what you do on a weekly, bi-weekly and monthly basis with your hair in terms of products you use, and styling. I have bra strap lenght hair..recently trimmed my split ends and I struggle with which products seem to work bet on my any where from 2C,3A, 3B, 3C..some 4A hair. My hair on onside of my head is more 2C/3A the other side 3B/3C..the top is a mix of 3A/3B the middle and back a mixture of 3C/4A…Many products are just to heavey for my hair so twist outs and braid outs never look good…of late I have tried just water and my leave in conditioner and olive oil…the twist out was ok..but only after I rolled up my twist. My haor is thick on one side and thinner on the other…How did I get such weird hair?…well my family is pretty blended thus the end reult in the kids was an array of hair textures, lengths, and density/porosity. I would love to see how long my hair will grow to and my thinking on this is with even longer hair to work with I can style differently and with variety. I have been natural since Dec 2008 and love it. I had no choice really..a illnes, medication, and general poor health led to my hair falling out. Once I got my health backon track I discovered how I loved not having to be tied to a beautician for perms/maintenance. I wore a TWA for about two years..then decided to let it all grow out as long as I could get it. Today, I am pleased with the length, need color or henna to take care of the uneven greying I am living with and tips on products, and styling. You hair is what I strive for! HELP!
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Just wanted to jump in and say, I’m glad your health is back on track!
Thanks so much Mrs Glam..it was a long long road to recovery and the journey continues…losing my hair was horribly frightening and for several weeks I was just paralyzed…but as the Dr’s on my team got me on the road to better health I began to look at things differently..one of those things was my hair. Going natural was more of a step in the right direction as far as healing and restoration of all aspects of my health were concerned. Not having the need to go to a beautician or use anymore chemicals was wonderfully freeing!!. Once the hair started growing back and I was caring for it better and with out chemicals life started to take a turn for the better….I found a good barber to keep my hair trimmed nicely as it grew out, changed what I was eating and drinking, got off a ton of medication, started sleeping better and on a more regular schedule, exercise and picked up a few things I always wanted to learn how to do (I am left handed and always wanted to learn to crochet…guess what..I KNOW HOW TO CROCHET NOW…thanks to the very patient ladies in my craft group from church)Life got better and better..In 2012 I had a total of 6 surgeries..all had to be done and I could no longer put them off for one reason or another…it was a rough patch but my hair did not fall out again..in fact it is growing! and I am once again healthy and moving forward…Now if I can get this “hair thing” under better control..2013 is going to be “NY YEAR”
My is fairly thick and super coily…most of it would fall in the 4 type range. I use heavier creams for some aspects of hair care but for your hair I’d recommend light, water based moisturizers like Kinky Curly. You may want to mix it with aloe vera (or use whole aloe vera by itself) and use a very light oil sparingly to seal. You don’t need to wear twists or braids either. Each night apply a moisturizer to the last 3 inches of your hair. Immediately pin it up. When you want to re-style use your fingers to detangle. I only use a comb on the day I’m washing my hair. For me this means I can go 14 days without touching a comb. When I do comb I make sure I’m removing shed hair not breaking the ends. You will need to generously apply conditioner to you hair and detangle in small sections (i usually need about 16 small sections in total).
I’d recommend that you look up a natural by the name of Chicoro. Her hair sounds similar to yours and she has retained rather long hair.
I’ve tried everything from mango grease to castor oil to grow my hair is there certain products that you used that I can use. MY HAIR is shoulder length now but I would love to have it mid back length
i only us jojoba oil on my scalp but i don’t think that the oil you use on the scalp is the issue. unless you have a scalp condition, washing your hair every week will be enough for most folks with very curly hair. be sure your ends are being moisturized and protected. if you a healthy your hair is growing. the issue is your ends are breaking. moisturize, seal and protect. comb gently and only with moisturizer or conditioner.
You MUST also clip the scraggly thin wisps of hair frequently, or your hair will stunt.
I have been using Silica (JarrowSil 10 drops x1 a day) and NOW MSM powder ( approx 2000-3000 mgs day) for the past 2 months and I’ve noticed my hair is growing like crazy. I’ve already seen a full inch of growth. for me that’s a big deal. From what i understand it works from within to build stronger collagen and keratin. I am NOT recommending these brands or the dosage. Do the research for yourself and do what works for you. hope this helps.
Be careful with the MSM powder it can rob your body of iron.
whoa slow down, before u can get to midback u have to get to apl and bsl first with PATIENCE, it’ll grow just retain what you gain 🙂
What are good protective styles for a TWA?!? I am having trouble getting my hair to grow. I am just starting to use Castor Oil as well as other essential oils like peppermint and rosemary oils to help with my hair growth. At this point I only just want to attain shoulder length hair. Any tips?!?!
twa and protective style can be tricky. obviously buns aren’t an option. i would recommend low manipulation styles. a twist out that requires no weekly combing is an option (i’m a big fan of using a comb NO MORE than once a week on wash day). it allow you to lightly moisturize the hair in the evening in and re-set the sections that need to be refreshed. once your hair is long enough try twists. even if your twist seem to stick up you can use bobby pins to pin them down. you can also create twist rolls or flat twist with smaller twists (hope that makes sense) for pretty protective styles. when your hair is longer you can do such styles with loose hair…no smaller twists required.
I currently have a TWA, too. My hair is too thin for twists or twist-outs. Because it’s short (1 to 3 inches in different places), all you see is scalp. My way of protecting my ends is using NO comb or brush whatsoever. I gently finger detangle with conditioner generously applied to my hair. I rarely get knots doing it this way, and so my hair is growing quite a bit (When I trimmed at the beginning of March, the back and sides were basically cut down to my scalp. Now, I have a bit more than an inch there already.) I plan to keep doing this until it doesn’t work as well anymore. Hopefully, by then, my hair will be long enough for protective styling. Good luck to you, MazeinDC.
You may want to try improving your diet. Hair is made up of proteins, so make sure you are getting 10% of your weight in proteins at least every day. Drink more water. Try to get in 1 cup for each hour you are awake and that gets you to the minimum requirement. Eat more leafy greens and fruits. You’ll see dramatic results. The better the food you put into your body, the better out put you get too!
The twa is where I personally did the most trimming….. The only real protective style is to cover it with a hat or scarf. One piece of advice I will give you right now is to don’t think about length right now. Enjoy this length it will be over before you know it. Make sure you cover it when you sleep and have a satin pillowcase in case it slips…. Good luck, sis…
What are good protective styles for a TWA?!?!
Maybe Bantu knots, a straw set, or small two strand twists (tied down with a scarf overnight to keep them laying down flat).
I did twists outs and coil outs to keep my hair stretched which helps prevent tangles. Now that I have 5 inches I do flat twist outs.
i do like two big not too tight cronrows and i always scarf my hair before i go to bed… are the cornrows classified under the protective styles ?
Try finger coils.
a twa is pretty much it’s own protective style because it’s not rubbing against anything. i left my twa alone when i was growing it out until i had to detangle but my hair does better with really low manipulation.
Geniece, your hair is gorgeous. I am currently transitioning to natural hair and I was wondering what tips, recommendations you can give me so that I can have healthy, **hopefully” long hair like yours.
Her hairline is so full! I know that’s a weird compliment but I want a fuller hairline… the baby hair look is not the business on me lol
love your hair. it looks nice and healthy. i’m almost at my hair goal. maybe i’ll get there this year lol.
Truly inspiring. I’ve seen her old YouTube videos when her hair was shoulder length even after five or six years of being natural! A lot of us when we first go natural or are natural for years focus more on styling and are not even aware that our hair can grow down our backs.
Geniece’s hair is beautiful. She’s beautiful. She’s glowing in these photos and looks regal and exotic.
I’m wondering where does Geniece’s hair naturally fall when it’s not blow-dried. In other words, how much shrinkage does she have when she doesn’t use heat and how does she typically wear it when it’s not in a blow-out. I’ve seen so many naturals with waist-length hair and then when they wear it without using heat it shrinks to the shoulders – which can cause knotting. How does she deal with that?
What Kind of styles did you wear?
Were they protective?
what kinds of pro styles did you use. was it with extensions or just your regular hair. if in extensions how did you wash and dc your hair.
I didn’t wear extensions during my healthy hair journey. i wore extensions in 2008 and like them but my edges suffered unfortunately. I briefly wore half wigs but they were too damaging to my edges. I pretty much twisted my hair into about 20 twists on wash day and styled them in an updo like a french roll. i also wore twisted pony tails and pinned up the ends.
You’re amazing! A real inspiration, and a true icon in your own right! You go, girl 🙂 x
Check out her youtube channel, as well.
I’m stuck at just below bra strap when stretch(top of bra strap without stretching.) Wonder if this is my “terminal length because, just past my brastrap was my length throughout H.S. (before perming; only straightening) and college (permed and flatironed so much ended up with hair just past shoulders). I’m a no heat naturalista now and know that it is beneficial to length retention. However, I know that length is also genetically determined, so maybe this is it.
I’m going to do a lot of protective styling this summer (buns and twists in buns). It’s going to be too hot in my state (GA) to have my hair out anyway, despite how much I LOVE my hair out and free. Maybe I can squeeze out some more length w/ more protective styling.
As far as changing styling methods, once my hair grew past my shoulders, I only shampooed or cowashed while in 8-10 twists. Keeps tangles away and I can handle it better.
I think we have to be careful with termi al length as we don’t have all the info.I personally don’t believe so just keep persevering and you will see breakthrough. I understand hair hae cycles however that I nformation is not given to us o paper when we are born so we just have to apply what we know until we know better. I am curently BSB (below shoulder blade) and my goal is WL so will keep going until I reach it as I believe it is within my reach.
I love your story, and it’s such an inspiration to all of us. You have beautiful hair and a beautiful spirit! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I’m at a point where shoulder length is real and not really moving any further. I do protective styles but I think I missed something. Working on a regimen right now.
your hair is so pretty. long and fluffy. i wear my hair out everyday. too lazy for twists. and, i am so scared to blow it dry because i had a terrible experience with heat damage once before. i noticed that you had a bad experience with heat before. how do you blow it dry now to do your length checks? what type of blow dryer, what is the setting? do u do it or do u trust someone else to do it? how often to you blow dry? do u still have heat damage? i ended up having to cut about 8 inches of hair off due to hair that would not revert back to curly/kinky/nappy after the blow dry and products the beautician was using (back to twa) so, now that my hair has grown back, i just avoid heat completely, but i do want that straight fluffy look sometimes. sigh. hair is so hard.
Once my kinky, coily, Afro-textured hair got to be ~6 inches long, I started finger-detangling before washing and washing in twists. I also stopped doing wash-n-goes and opted for stretched styles (braid-outs, buns, updos, etc.)
I recently made BSL (Yay!) and I look forward to making MBL. Patience and consistency will get me there.
Good post. I to am understanding that my regimen can no longer stay the same. Its easy to get lost with all the “style tutorials” online, but I’m realizing I have to get “back to basics” as far as protective styling if I want to see my hair prosper. I also deep conditioned religiously and was able to change the porosity level of my hair. I’m losing less hair now in the wash as a result
Did you do protective styling 24/7 all the way through? How much did you depend on protective styling throughout the process and what were your staple styles? My hair grew from APL to BS+ in one year of marley braids. I am wondering if I can achieve as much growth while not protective styling.
In growing from shoulder length to waist length I would say that protective styling has been very important. When your ends are not as exposed they are not as likely to knot up and tangle and, ultimately necessary trimming. I was stuck a shoulder length for a good 3 years. From by BC in 2004 to 2006 my hair grew to shoulder length easily…even with poor practices. It was stuck there until I began to treat my hair better. This included treating my ends like delicate lace. Moisturize, seal and protect. If you can keep your ends from breaking you WILL see more length.
Now that you reached your goal, do you still do protective styling?
Yes, but not for the same reason i did in the beginning of my hair journey. I’m really busy and protective styling allows me to wash my hair style it and leave it alone. I wear braid outs when I feel like it and when I have the time and energy to blow out my hair I do so. When wear protective styles exclusively, as i did the past 4 months due to a really busy schedule, I still retain everything. Also, I love the look of natural hair updos. I can create HUGE buns and updos that looked forward to doing once i had enough hair.
Thanks for the reply.
I love her she is such an inspiration!
LOOOOOOVE these kinds of articles..keep em coming!
I don’t understand why some have their boxing gloves on.. It’s titled ‘Black Girls with Long hair’… Not interested why post?…I’m very interested because that’s what I want and its motivating. To see we can grow our hair or healthy without dreads (nothing against them I had them for a few years) or with a relaxer is wonderful to me! BGLH please keep the posts up. Thank you 🙂 BTW very gorgeous hair
That was an encouraging post
Oh my…I’m in awe of your hair. It’s fabulous. Do you have an ultimate length goal?
I’m comfortable with this length. I’m not actively trimming it to maintain the length so I could theoretically graze hip length by the end of the year. If I grew it out to hip length I would probably cut it back to waist for blunt even ends.
Stunning lady with gorgeous hair!
On another note, I’m slightly annoyed that my hair has come to a stand still after 3 years (APL). My hair seemed to be growing like weeds in my first two years, now it’s at doldrums! *sighs*
I am 3 yrs in, APL and i’m feeling like i’m stuck too. Im going to try taking some supplements and see if that helps with the growth because I really wanna get to that BSL.
This means you’ve hit a plateau in your length retention. Most practices that may be harmful for your hair will not prevent retention the first two years. However, as the hair grows older, your hair may not be able to handle certain things without damage after those first 2 years. I found this article to be especially helpful: http://blackgirllonghair(dot)com/2012/04/3-ways-to-get-over-hair-length-plateaus/
I hit a plateau maybe a year or so also, and was able to grow it out to BSL after tweaking my regimen a bit.
This was the story of my hair. Went from 4-5 inches in 2004 to shoulder length easily within 2 years. Stayed stuck at shoulder length for 3 years then I damaged my hair with heat in 2007. Even with cutting off between 5-10 inches of damage (gradually)and still being at shoulder length in 2009 I finally figured out how to retain. If your hair could grow to APL I would probably say it can grow to BSL and then MBL. I took 6 months to experiment. I moisturized my ends daily, sealed with castor oil (not the best for cute “out” style but it protect the hair well)and pinned it up. My hair was never out b/c I detangle twist by twist and washed in twists. When I finally blew my hair out I was super shocked by %100 retention. See if you witness progress after 6 months…I was too impatient to wait a whole year.
“I moisturized my ends daily, sealed with castor oil (not the best for cute “out” style but it protect the hair well)and pinned it up.”
this is also what I did to pass shoulder length when I had relaxed hair.