by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Reader Tasha says;
When I went natural three years ago I was of the belief that the only way I could retain length was binding my hair in protective styles. I would put in dozens of twists every few weeks, only to deal with painful “take down” sessions, wrought with tangles, matting and hair balls. After trying protective styles for a couple years, and seeing no length difference in my hair, I defeatedly turned to wash and go’s. I actually started doing them because I thought I was one of those naturals whose hair just wouldn’t grow, so I was going for a cute shrunken look. Imagine how shocked I was when, after a week of wash and go’s, I saw visible growth in my hair. Since then I have ditched wash and go’s (the length retention was great, but the tangling was atrocious) BUT I do keep my hair in loose or out styles. My main ones are;
Also, I don’t braid or twist my hair at night. I leave it out and just put a satin cap over it. It actually responds BETTER than when I used to braid and twist it.
Now, none of these styles (save, maybe the first one) are defined as “protective”, but my hair has been growing like crazy! And I feel like I can’t be the only one!
I’ve also been noticing more “natural hair idols” on blogs and YouTube who aren’t aggressive protective stylers. As for me, I just had to realize that breakage is the reason my hair doesn’t retain length… and so long as my hair isn’t breaking, then I’m good.
I’m hesitant to say that this will work for everyone… but I am curious to see if there’s anyone else out there with a similar experience to mine. Are you experiencing length retention without the use of heavy protective styling?
Interesting! What are your thoughts! Has this approach worked for you?
122 Responses
My last relaxer was November 27, 2010. I don’t know. My protective style for the past 2 years until May of 2013 was to cornrow my hair and wear it under a wig. It became difficult to continue that without buying larger, longer haired wigs so I went to twists as a style. I don’t like my length for twistouts so I haven’t done that. As has always been the problem, I did not know what I needed to do to take care of my hair natural or relaxed. It was a little past shoulder length until recently. I don’t know if that’s not keeping it moisturized or allowing a weaver to rip my hair with the comb. It has broken off at the edges on one side but is longer everywhere else. I am not comfortable with a wash and go and working in a conservative law firm at 50+ years old. I feel it best to either wear my twists in a bob type hairstyle or put the wig back on. I do know what the author is stating about the hairballs, etc. but wonder if that isn’t just normal hair shedding. I do feel you on the tangling but am still experimenting to determine if that’s because I am not properly moisturizing and sealing as needed which appears to be every other day if not daily. I find the takedown of twists to be time-consuming which might lead to frustration and fatigue and therefore taking the twists apart as if they were wishbones instead of hair. My recent experiment has included using aloe vera juice to separate the hair. It has worked wonders for me and the result is smaller hair balls to throw away. I have recently changed hairstylists from an ornery African weaver to a passionate American stylist who is working on developing a client base. I feel confident that this stylist has no ulterior motives (such as taking my hair out so that I need to wear a weave or extensions). She works at Sally’s Beauty Supply and does not encourage product junky-ism. She will tell you to simply invest in castor oil. My regiment is to dampen the twists with aloe vera juice, slide jojoba oil down the twists and seal the ends with castor oil. It seems to be working and I am very happy with twists. They think they are beautiful.
Protective styles have been helping a lot in retaining moisture for me. I am just beginning my journey with natural hair and my hair feels great.
I have to disagree. It probably depends on your hair type. My hair grows, every month, but it also breaks off when it’s worn loose. Why? Because it’s very curly – 4b and the ends coil and tangle, form single stranded knots etc – and it just becomes a hot mess. I don’t mind wearing it out but I have to accept that I will lose some hair in the process.
For me, when I am trying to retain length, cornrows work best. Not even twists. For four years I was natural and I would look online at some people’s albums and wonder why I was stuck at 10 – 12 inches after 4 years. I big chopped and started afresh. After 18 months, I am at 8 – 10 inches. It seems to have grown faster, but I know what I did different this time was keeping it in cornrows and wearing a hat or a cute pixie wig 95% of the time. I plan to do this for another 18 months, because it works way better than manipulating my hair. For me low manipulation is key.
I see no point in trying to grow your hair,when it’s not even out to display and instead it’s covered in a wig 95% of the time. Might as well shave your head *shrugs*
Your noticing great length increase after your last chop could be due to your getting all of the split ends off and the evened length. I recently had my hair trimmed and I think I see better growth and I don’t feel those single strand knots I had before and have not had a problem with it tangling.
The length retention hasn’t been as much of a prob. 4 me as the moisture retention has been. So I follow most of the basic rules. D.C. treatments, wrapping my hair @ night, keeping my ends sealed, all the way down to my diet & exercise. But where I might differ from other naturals is after my M & S, i put a plastic cap on my head. It may seem weird 2 some, but 2 me, my hair stays moist a lot longer. I put my cap on so the oils can penetrate better. Sort of like how u do w/ a D.C. treatment. That’s how I actually got the idea. So B4 I leave the house, I take my cap off. I think w/ the right amount of moisture, your hair will retain it’s length more. I think it goes hand in hand. But that’s y I’m here on this site. To learn what I can do better. So I’m currently @ APL length. My hair is soft and growing & I’m happy.
I agree with you about the moisture retention. I think that is key. I would only add that regular protein treatments may be necessary also. The hair gets too soft and mushy from only moisturizing treatments. We don’t need Aphogee for seriously damaged hair (I think that is best for relaxed hair no matter how good it looks) but we need protein reconstructors just the same. I think baggying it daily may encourage bacteria and fungus on the scalp unless you are washing it weekly or bi-weekly. My scalp itched and burned a lot on top and down the center when I baggied nightly. That could be from the follicles and scalp being abused/bruised from intense hair dryer heat when I was relaxed. I don’t know. I do agree though that moisture is the key but don’t forget regular protein treatments.
I agree 100% Length will quickly come on its own when the hair is worn in its loose state, protective styles don’t change anything.
I am so glad someone finally shared a similar story to mine 🙂
I see both sides. I agree that there are more than one ways to skin a cat (who came up with that saying?). I have found that I am retaining length, my daugters are retaining length just fine by leaving our hair loose. We are diligent about moisture, conditioning, oiling, wearing satin caps or pillowcases. Wearing protective styles too much (wigs, weaves, braids, braid extensions, twists, buns, rolls, updo’s) can lead to receding hair, thinning edges, breakage at the crown and brittle ends.
Plus protective styles can get dull or cause you to project an image that might not necessarily be you – well in my case, anyway.
On the other hand, my hair grew exponentially when I wore protective styles, but more than the length retention, I think a lot of Naturals wear protective styles and put their daughters’ hair in protective styles because they’re easy! You put your hair in a style and leave it in for one week to a month. Keep it clean, keep it moisturuzed. Detangle between protective styling. Easy! The bonus is length retention, but the bottom line is: time is precious. Leaving your hair in protective styles saves time.
Yes I have retained length without doing a lot of protective styles, its just a lot more work.
Protective styling works wonders for me…i have been natural before natural was “okay.” and I used to experience breakage and extreme dryness…I didn’t know how to take care of it, now I do lots of protective styles and the winter is going to keep me in protective mode. I have retained length and I can’t wait till next summer rolls in.
I started my second natural hair journey November 2010 and I did nothing to my hair as it was too short for the first 4 months. Because I noticed my hairs slow growth I invested in treating my scalp with D. Miracles Root Stimulating Oil which is great for waking up dead hair follicles and promoting faster growth. Since using Miracles Root Stimulating Oil my hair has grown to enough length to do twists, braid outs, and bantu knots, so I would recommend to all you naturals who are not seeing growth to invest in using scalp stimulators to increase growth.
I started growing my hair out naturally about 5 years ago. However until a couple of months ago I was always consistently hiding my hair under weaves. When I so much as let my hair out. Its only under torture from straightening at high temperature using dax wax so it looked straight and shiny (I don’t know why I bothered I might as well have relaxed the dang thing).
I resorted to maltreating my hair because I noticed whenever I had my hair out naturally I always got a strange stare and people warmed more towards me when I had weave on. I probably should also mention that I am albino so I am black but I have very fair (white) skin and a golden/yellowish afro hair which perhaps explains the stares so toning it down with a blonde weave made me blend in a bit more (in the UK at least).
Recently I thought I’d had enough of hiding and got rid of the weaves. I now waer my hair naturally without any heat treatment. Initially I tried to find a protective style that worked for me and that process involved manipulating my hair too prequently and I had a bit of breakage.
Eventually I decided a couple of weeks ago to just leave my hair alone. I tie it in a bun, oil and moisturise regularly and I noticed not only is it less hassle and time saving but it actually lets my hair grow. Although the hair on top that had thinned due to excessive pulling and heat treatment had to go. My hair is now growing healthier now that I treat it right.
Sometimes I let it shrink into a mini afro (photo) which I like but I fear this might make it tangle and dry out aesily so I twisted it overnight to stretch it out then tie into a bun for the week. I realize with protective styles; tiny twists or braids are likely to result in breakage when taking it out so I only do two french braids or four single plaits overnight or when washing then tie into a bun for the week.
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/228333_445863868048_506938048_5069362_6722138_nn.jpg[/img]
Wow I can’t believe you felt that you had to hide your hair. You are absolutely beautiful!! You’re a gem. Best of luck!
You look like one of the Original People that still exist that just happen to have blond (straight or kinky) hair. You look fine. Hold your head up as another commentor stated.
check out cynthiarf on youtube. she has followed a regimen of daily wetting/rinsing and finger combing more often than using tools with great results. your growth retention with wash ‘n go’s i think is the combination of genetics (letting your hair grow as is) and daily co-washing (it’s the magic of water lol). this technique can be challenging due to knots/matting like you mentioned but the concept behind it is low manipulation and moisture.
I like out styles, don’t have time for all that twisting/braiding nightly. I only do that weekly after washing/conditioning. I purchased those silky scrunchies (6 in pk) from CVS. The technique is called pineappling (fr CurlyNikki) however, another natural whose length is about the same as mine, did a YouTube video showing how to do it on her length which is the same as mine. It works fantastic! I get about 4 days w/o any smashed up next morning hair! I think the brand is either Goody or Scuuni(sp?) Gather sections of hair (about 6 or 7) and slip on the scrunchie and in the morning gently take out and fluff with a little Dakur Vatika oil or Kimmaytube’s leave-in conditioner recipe (see her YouTube video) and my style lasts for at least 4 days. I’ve been natural for about 6 months and I have 5 inches of hair (after braiding) and the classification is 4a/4b. I also sleep on a satin pillowcase but
Wow . . . this is what I do! I found some scrunchies at the dollar store that are satin like material and they work. However my last couple of wash and go’s my hair was dryer than normal?? I’ve been using baking soda/water to cleanse my scalp and I think it’s more drying to my hair. But . . . if my hair is really moisturized wash and goes my ends stay clumped/coiled and I was able to make a good week with maybe a little moisturizing with a spritz in the crown area; dryer. I use Giavanni Leave In. I’ve been doing a little Almond oil for a sealer to help seems to work better than coconut oil. The problem is I sometimes don’t have time to wash every week and my hair gets really tangled! Thinking about trying to do a wash and go after the 4th day to see if less tangled but it’s the time. Right now I did a wash and go, let hair dry, went about my business then that night I spritz(rosewater, glycerine, almond oil mix) 2-strand twist, fluff in morning. So far at night I’ve been doing the srunchy method/satin pillow and it’s seems to be ok?? I just don’t like two strand twist on my that flatten out on my 3c/4a fine hair.
I notice breakage when I refrain from combing for more than two dAys at a time. Bunning seems to put to much stress on my hairline. I’ve transitioned over a 18 mo period. 100%natural as of august 2010. My hair is just shoulder length . So far I’ve determined the best thing fir my hair is hair Is long term weaves, applying castor oil to my scalp every few weeks.
I find that if I do protective styles (twists or braids) for a shorter periods of time, no longer than a week & a half, than I noticed way less knots when I kept them in for like a month. Also I like to alternate between twist and buns (with just stretched hair) from week to week, and i’ve noticed a lot more length from doing this.
~peace 🙂
This sounds like the routine I do.
i do this too.. buns and cute up dos. when i first wash it, i pul it all into a bun at the top of my head or all the way in back. i try to use either 2 large bobby pins to tuck in the ends, or a really big ribbon to wrap arouand my bun and keep the ends in. This keeps the hair stetched and easy to moisturize-and i cant play in it!!!:)
For me at this point, protective styling that also stretches out the hair is the best way to retain length. When my hair was still above shoulder length, wash and goes worked great bc detangling was not a problem as long as my hair stayed moisturized. I did a wash and go (with some product to weigh hair down and stretch it as much as possible) recently for the first time in a long time, and oh my goodness detangling was a horrible. I cannot do that again until I reach my goal. So mostly, I keep it in box braids or straighten it (about 3-5 times a year). For reference, I have some 3c mostly 4a mid-back length hair.
I take pretty good care of my hair. I don’t do too much protective styling unless it’s putting it into chubby twists at night and sleeping in a satin cap/scarf. Although I’m careful and gentle with it, the longer my hair gets the less I feel like fooling with it. So far I haven’t had any problems with retaining length. I’m approaching 6 years and it’s just about waist length.
During my first four months of being natural I had great growth and retention. I went to Florida in January for vacation(I’m from NYC), and noticed that I had huge growth! I was so happy when my hair was finally long enough to catch and be braided and twisted without unraveling when it dried and got fat. Now I’m inching toward my sixth month, I’ve invested in flat twists weekly, and it seems that something has put a dent in my progress. Could it be my twists? I had great growth without twists! But the twists are so low maintenance. I plan on continuing for the next two months, adding weekly deep conditioning. If I see no improvement, then it’s back to out’dos for me.
There y’all go posting a picture of my cousin again 🙂
My experience is a little different. I found that by doing chunky twists instead of medium twist on my hair I retained length and moisture. My biggest problem is me though I have HIH syndrome in the worst way lol. I struggle to keep one style all week. sigh I’m working on it though.
+1
My biggest issue is now that my hair has grown to 2-inches (used to rock a low fade) it has been harder to prevent knots and retain moisture. I am starting to get discouraged in my hair growth journey………
I had same problem along w/ shrinkage & flattened hair when I wake up. What has helped me is when I wash or co wash I make sure I use a good conditioner that also detangles. I grab a section @ a time put the conditioner on & comb it out. I use kinky curlys knot today & shea moisture products. I’ve been doin the 2 strand twist to help keep hair from tangles & shrinkage. Just be patient & don’t give up. I gotta tell that to myself all the time 🙂
I am the knot queen. I can achieve length, but at the end of those strands will be knots and knots on knots. NO matter what I do. I always have knots in my hair.
I am new to maintaining my natural hair on my own. I was getting it done professionally but that’s getting costly. I have read a lot of these polls & comments & u guys have been really helpful. I just have a few questions. 1) what is co-wash? 2) what is protective styling? 3) what does it mean to manipulate the hair? 4) I have really thick really dry hair. How many times should I moisturize & what products r good 4 that extra shine? 5) how can I keep my hair from drawing up so much when it dries & flattening so much when I sleep? Thx so much 4 the help every1! I really look forward to your answers!
1. Co-wash means to clean the hair using a rinse-out conditioner instead of shampoo. Examples of commonly used co-wash conditioners are a few of the Herbal Essence conditioners (Hello Hydration, Totally Twisted, etc.), Aussie Moist, V05 Moisture Milks, most if not all of the Suave conditioners, Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle rose; and there are a lot of others that people use. If you go back through the archives on this site, you will probably find a few posts on people’s favorite products, and you will likely see mention of some different ones you’d like to try. The ones I just listed can be found in any drugstore or at Wal-Mart or Target, except for the Aubrey Organics one, which, in my area, I would get from Whole Foods if I wanted to use it.
2. As explained in other posts above, protective styling is styling the hair in such a way as to protect it from too much manipulation, friction, or anything else that might make it more prone to breakage. Examples of protective styling methods are wearing the hair twisted, cornrowed, plaited, or locked so that you don’t comb or brush it every day; wearing it with the ends covered or tucked such as in a bun, French braid, or roll; covering it partially or completely with a silky or slippery material when going out or while awake, such as with a pretty scarf, lined beret, or other accessorizing headgear. Things other than failure to properly care for or groom the hair that can adversely affect length retention include having the hair get caught in the fibers of your collar, sweater, necklace, or other outerwear, so keeping the hair up and off your neck, shoulders, and back by wearing an updo or bun is an example of how protective styling is useful. If you have a tendency to play with the hair when it’s loose, then wearing it bound in plaits, locs, twists, or other such styles may help you be less likely to play in your hair; this is another example of how protective styling is useful. It is also useful to keep the hair bound if you find that combing, brushing, or other grooming practices may be more than your hair can stand on a regular basis. My hair is naturally fine, and hypothyroidism has contributed to it being brittle. Since the past spring, I have almost exclusively worn my hair in plaits, and this has helped me retain length. Now it’s long enough to touch my shoulders, and I find that it rubs on my coat collar, so I will soon be exploring other ways to style my hair so that my ends are protected, because I don’t want to adversely impact the length I’ve gained.
3. Manipulating the hair simply means the stuff you do to it on a regular basis, whether it’s grooming it, playing in it, just handling it in general. Some people bind their hair daily with twists, plaits, or buns/pineapples for sleeping; this is manipulation. Taking the hair down, detangling, washing, these are also manipulation. You’re handling the hair to do something with it, or in the case of “hand in hair/fro disease”, you’re playing with it for the sensual pleasure of touching it. If care is not exercised in doing any of these things, the hair can be damaged. It is impossible to totally avoid handling the hair, but protective styling can help you handle it less frequently, if that is your desire. It is equally important to learn how to handle it gently so that even if you handle it daily, you do so in a way that is not injurious to the hair.
4. Moisturize your hair as often as your hair indicates the need to be moisturized. I moisturize daily, at least once, sometimes twice. My hair is porous and seems to feel and perform better when I am vigilant to keep it moisturized. What you use for that will depend on how your hair best responds to what you put on it, so you will need to try a few different things to find what works best for you. Some people swear by a spritz of plain water every so often, others use homemade moisturizing sprays composed of vegetable glycerin, aloe vera juice/gel, distilled water or rosewater, and an essential oil or a small amount of a favorite conditioner. There are any number of high-quality, affordable moisturizing products on the market as well. My hair, when optimally conditioned and moisturized, is silky and will attempt to escape its plaits; when it’s not doing that, and it feels haystacky, I know it needs more moisture. Earlier tonight I co-washed my plaits under the shower, then applied glycerin and a leave-in conditioner mixed between my hands and sealed with a homemade butter of equal parts coconut oil and jojoba oil, adding a little more glycerin mixed in between my hands. Sealing means I applied a light oil or butter to the ends of the hair to help it retain the moisture I’d just applied to it.
Shrinkage! It can be a beast, yes :-)? It may be that the only way you stop your hair from flattening when you sleep and shrinking when it dries is to either bind it in plaits or twists or else pull it out into a bun or pineapple (gathering it into a pouf on top of your head and securing it with a scrunchie or other gentle binding to secure it). You can also try setting it to stretch it out, but you’ll still have to figure out how to secure it for sleeping so that the set is not unduly ruined. I don’t set my hair, so I can’t help you with that one. When it’s unbound, I will twist or plait my hair at night, then take it down and spread the hair apart in the morning. Some people use this as a means of stretching the hair; for me, it’s just a way to keep it from getting horribly tangled while I sleep, because once the plaits/twists are undone, it’s only a matter of time before my hair finds its way back to curly, which, for me, means shrinkage as well.
Thx so much for all the info! I think I am finally understanding the basics of maintaining my natural hair. I tried the 2 stand twists protective style & it turned out so pretty! The thing I need to do asap is find a good oil to help seal in the moisture & get a conditioner to co-wash w/. I am so excited about my journey & am happy to have resources to go & learn.
I think the reason why a wash and goer might retain more length than a protective styler is that even though a wash and goer does manipulate the hair more and may cause more breakage, they also stimulate thier scalps more so their growth rate is faster than those who wear protective styles and dont touch their hair or scalp. I used to co-wash everyday ad my hair grew like crazy and it was more moisturized then ever. I stopped though because I ended up getting too much buildup.
I’ve retained length without using protective styling. I’ve been completely natural for 2years and 1 month. When I did the BC I mainly wore wash n go’s. My hair is longer now and now I spend more time doing braidouts when it’s cold out and wash and go puffs when it’s warm. I want to try protective styling just so that I don’t have to style as frequently. Even now I may rebraid every 2-3 nights and pineapple on other days. Everybody’s hair is different though. Shea butter, oils, conditioner, getting my ends trimmed when needed have definitley helped along the way.
Barbara of barbaranaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/barbnaturallyspeaking in green inset.jpg[/img]
I’ve read several comments. A poster asked how do you do a wash and go in the winter months. It’s more of a “damp and go” or wet the night before and put into two big plaits for the next morning. My hair hates do be without water for a long time. I’m not sure if it’s curly pattern thing or just where one’s hair has preferences.
I agree with you, I pretty much do all of the things that most naturals say isn’t good for our hair lol. I wear my hair in an afro 98% of the time. So I wear my hair out in the winter, summer, when swimming etc.
but I do trim my hair very often, and lately I’ve been twisting it up at night like 2 times out of the week. I just don’t have the patience to do all of those hairstyles..
I love my hair wild a big, and it’s pretty long. the back (when pulled over my shoulder)touches my chest
I do protective 2 strand twists on my hair, because I can’t go to bed w/o it. Otherwise I will wake up to a matted hot mess, and I personally think if you have a looser texture you can get away with it. But I have thick coarse 4 type hair that grows nice, but I’m still careful of my edges, having locs in my hair done professionally for 5years took its toll on my right side.
I def agree about the protective styling like twists, braids, etc. I used them when my hair was a twa but I stopped after a few months because as my hair retained length protective styles broke my hair off. If I put in twists and leave it for more than a day omg it’s a nightmare…knots galore!!! All I do is tie my fro with a silk scarf at night and then wake up and shake it back into place. My protective styling is hats and buns when I am too lazy to do my hair. It’s been a year and two months and my hair went from a twa to a full blown fro like Ms Shones at the top.
I’m not a aggressive protective styler and I do notice my hair is growing quite nicely while retaining the length. I do keep my ends tucked but not in twists/braids. Updos with victory rolls and pseudo buns I guess I should say 🙂 Victory rolls are protective without requiring too much time, so that’s a plus!
I wear my hair mostly in twists and twist-outs for the past 10 years. My hair never went past arm pit length. I recently changed my hair regimen and have experienced a lot of growth, 2 inches since September (13″ -> 15″).
1) pre-poo with coconut oil
2) detangle on damp (not wet) hair with coconut oil before shampoo (i still use a comb and a brush, can’t figure out how to finger detangle yet)
3) wash in sections
4) i use the kimmaytube leave in conditioner
5) moisturize my twists everyday (sometimes 2-3 times a day): spritz of water and seal with an oil, or a dime size water based moisturizer on my ends
6) I also take a hair and nail supplement (i use maxi-hair)
FYI, this is my hair today in a failed braid out… LOL!
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/braidout.jpg[/img]
your hair looks cute. Why do you think it’s failed?
My sister doesn’t diet or exercise (barely gets out of the house) and at 4’11, struggles to stay above 100 pounds. Yet her friend can eat the same way (and be equally sedentary) and pack on the pounds. What’s my point? We are unique. Not just genetically, but also in our interpretations and estimations. I am always amazed at these discussions because there’s really not a right answer. It’s about what’s right for you as an individual. I can’t tell the woman that takes 4 hours detangling her hair that “it doesn’t take all of that” because it’s not my hair and I have no idea what her standards are or what’s she’s working with. And I was really tempted to question this post when the author saw “visible growth” after a week of wash-n-gos, but that’s not the point. Different folks, different strokes.
I agree with Nina! :o)
I have two friends who have retained length without protective styling…I do protective styling just to keep from having a difficult time detangling my hair come wash day…they work for me….I’ve been retaining a lot of length….but whatever works for you…do that…there’s no one fit all rule here..the main thing is to keep your hair from breaking!
How do you do wash and gos in cold weather? Simple: You do them early enough such that your hair is mostly dry by the time you leave. If you need help with drying, either through a microfiber towel or (gasp) a blow-dryer, so be it.
You also let go of the myth that wet hair + cold weather = certain death. I live in the Midwest and have gone outside with damp hair in all seasons and have never gotten sick because of it. But then again I’ve spent my whole life here so maybe I have an extra tough immune system or something, lol…
To the subject: Going by the original definition of protective style as a style that hides your ends and/or isn’t redone often, aside from updos I didn’t protective-style my last grow-round. However, I was making large plaits almost every night to keep my hair stretched, and that was too much for one section of my hair. It broke off short enough to require me to start from scratch. (I don’t wear fake hair so that wasn’t an option for me.)
For the last 10 months my only style has been the WNG. I was keeping it at TWA length but my last cut was in October; I think I’m going to try growing it out again. I have fine coily 4b/4a hair and historically I’ve only been able to do WNGs up to about 5 inches but I’m looking into any and all non-chemical methods that will let me go beyond that. (Locs are another option; been there, done that.) I’ve always retained the most length in protective styles but I would love to find some kind of happy medium in which I can minimize both manipulation and tangling. Honestly I don’t think it’s possible; I’ve lived with this hair for too long! but hey…I’m open to suggestions.
One more quick peeve, sorry: What is going to have to happen for black women to understand that styles don’t make hair grow faster? You’d think more of us would understand the difference by now. Unless a doctor tells you otherwise, your hair is growing REGARDLESS of what you do to it. Your challenge is to retain the hair you grow.
I wish folks would realize styles don’t make hair grow too. Oh well… *shrugs*
I’m kinda confused. Are protective styles considered hair that is always braided, twisted or pinned up?
I’ve been natural for about a year and a half, starting out with basically a bald head so I’ve never really had the length to go out like that.
However, my hair has grown tremendously – I cut about 4 inches off in June – if I hadn’t done that my hair would likely be to my shoulders stretched. I do dry twistouts and more recently braidouts. Here’s my most recent look:
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/bglhphoto.jpg[/img]
My hair has grown really well, although I don’t have anything else to compare it to except for when I was relaxed. I have the idea that as long as you’re not pulling, and causing rips and tangles your hair will grow at its own pace.
Your beautiful and so is your hair!
Awe thank you! I love the natural hair community. So much love.
Love your hair!
how do you do wash and gos in cold weather?
my hair air dries fairly quickly, but if im in a really big rush, after i get out of the shower i immediately moisturize, wrap it in a t-shirt (sticking my head through the shirt the opposite way you would if you were putting it on, then tying the sleeves in a knot to keep it closed), then lotion, get dressed, etc. by the time im finished getting ready- which is usually 15 to 20 minutes- my hair is dry and im out the door. i also know of people setting their hair dryers to the cool option, so it doesnt blow hot air, and using diffusers to dry natural hair fast after a wash and go.
http://sartorialme.blogspot.com
Thanks ! I love was and gos but I was unsure how to maintain the look without heat
I’m nodding my head as I read the posts above mine.
I believe it’s more about Low manipulation than protective styling per se. When my hair was shorter, it was easier & less manipulating to wear a wash-n-go, remoisturizing everyday and at the end of the week deep conditioning & detangling for the next week.
Now I wear my hair in about 10 medium sized braids pinned up in a nice style with decorative clips. I may wear half up in braids and have a braid-out on the bottom. On Sat or Sun – wear my hair out.
I tried Twists a few times, but it was time consuming, my ends were always being re-twisted everyday, and detangle was murder when I took them out (no knocking twists, but not good for my hair).
Tip: Choose Low manipulation over “protective” per se. And wear a satin bonnet/satin pillow.
I’ve had GREAT length retention and I wear my hair out almost ALL the time (mostly in flat twist outs). I hate the way protective styles look on me so I’m glad this is working just fine!
Alice
Alice in Nappyland
Everyone keeps saying they do wash in gos.ive never left my house with a wash in go.protective styling is part of my hair routine. ive been natural over a year now ,i do twist outs and braid outs as far as out styles go. My hair type is 4a and b in the back. wash in gos for me= billo pad head look.
yes! who ARE all of these wash and go people? I have the same problem as you. I also haven’t ever left the house with a wash and go because i was instantly transformed into a 13 year old nigerian boy…
LOL at you looking like a 13 year old Nigerian boy! Well, I’m one of the wash and go folks and I’ve got 8 inches of super kinky 4b/4a hair which shrinks to about 3 inches in a wash and go. I like that look but I can see how doing wash and gos would not work for you if a short ‘fro is not your preferred aesthetic.
I just started doing my new regimen of conditioning and small two strand twist to retain length. I have 4a hair, but its not very thick. I was wondering, is the reason some people retain more length with wash n gos is due to hair texture and thickness? I get knots and breakage when I wear wash n gos but when I twist my hair I never experience problems. I just wanted to know what people think.
I rarely do protective styling- I will have my hair braided weekly sometimes. For me the time it takes to do twists is not worth the end result. Even when I make sure I have a good cream and oil on the ends my hair “acts out” if I leave the twists in my more than a week. My hair simply likes water to much to maintain a protective style for more than 10 days. So I have do do huge twists or some modification of wash and go. My hair likes the water. Also my hair is extremely long despite large shedding when I wash it. I use to get so upset when I saw how much hair loss during washes and retwistings compared to other naturals. I finally decided that my hair must shedd more.
There is also climate to take into consideration.
Humid summers and mild winters mean something different to my hair than Chicago winters or dry heat.
Yes you can achieve length retention without protective styling.
Honestly, people need to cater to their hair needs and lifestyle. I’m quiet lazy and love twsists, updos, twisted bangs, twisted fro hawks etc. I have a busy college life so I need a style that will last and low manipulation.
minding my protein and moisture balance, and doing low manipulation protective styles, updos/bigger braids and twists has helped me retain length. I have serious hand in hair syndrome so protective styles are a must.
I have collar bone length hair after a year and ten months. My hair would have been even longer if I did these protective styles during the first year.
I think that even when my hair reaches my ultimate goal, (collar bone length when shrunken and not stretched down by hand) I will still wear my hair in a protective style about half or three days a week to protect it from my hands.
MY hands in hair syndrome has gotten better since putting my hair away too…i can’t play with it, so the temptation has gone away.
Just wanted to agree w/ the sleeping routine since I don’t go through the trouble of braiding or twisting my hair at night either and I’m having nice progress too. I just put a satin scarf and bonnet on and it is lights out!
I haven’t done protective styling, but my hair’s grown almost 6 inches since this summer. I constantly wore it in twist outs from week to week, but didn’t retwist at night. I only retwisted during my once a week wash day. I also didn’t moisturize every day…just once a week on wash day and my hair retained the moisture. This past week, I blow dried it so I’m sporting the dry braid out for another week. Initially, I was retwisting and moisturizing every single night, but I got sick of it and my hair wasn’t enjoying it either. Now that I leave it alone through the week, it’s thriving. I thought I needed to do some protective styling for winter and cease using the glycerin, but I haven’t and my hair’s doing just fine.
“I constantly wore it in twist outs from week to week, but didn’t retwist at night. I only retwisted during my once a week wash day. I also didn’t moisturize every day…just once a week on wash day and my hair retained the moisture.”
Thia is my regimen except I do braid outs. I finger detangle, wash, moisturize and style once I week. I don’t rebraid or moisturize nightly–I just put my hair in a bonnet or tie it up with a scarf. My hair retains moisture and length just fine.
The key to length retention is low manipulation in caring for and styling one’s hair. Protective styling is just *ONE* way to manipulate one’s hair less.
To answer the question, YES! My hair is always in a braid-out and is out/down 90% of the time and I retain length just fine. I have some split ends and lots of single strand knots but they don’t bother me nor do they cause breakage so I don’t trim them often. My hair has been officially “long” for a while now and I’m only 3 years post-relaxer. I did it by wearing my hair as I wanted to, so I’m pleased.
I find that protective hairstyling doesn’t work for me. Wash ‘n go’s work better for me because my hair responds to low manipulation. When I do twist my hair I find that I lose a lot more hair and my ends get raggedy because I’m always constantly trying to make my twists and flat twists neat every other day by twisting and the constant twisting breaks my ends. I really have to pay attention to moisture though. So I wash my hair once every 5 days by co washing and deep conditioning then slather on my hydrating hair butter by Fleurtzy, making sure to pay attention to the ends of my hair. To maintain the definition of my curls, I only pineapple the top part of my hair and leave the back down and sleep on a silk pillowcase. I find that pineappling the top part takes me through the week. If I don’t pineapple the top, the sides of my hair gets crushed the most when I sleep. When I wake up, I take the down front and the back gets covered up by the top part of my hair. So basically, I spritz/oil/fluff and go in the morning…
pineapple?
http://sartorialme.blogspot.com
As some people have already stated everyone’s hair is different. I choose to wear protective styles 90% of the time because it’s convenient. Protective styles are NOT a requirement for natural hair it’s a preference for some of us and for me my hair grows the less I manipulate it. 🙂
I’ve done wash and goes for most of my time being natural and I’ve got about shoulder length hair. My hair did grow just fine without protective styles. I’m experimenting with protective styles this winter to see if it will help with the length and help retain more moisture. One month in and I do notice my hair growing faster. But I am being more dedicated about drinking water and taking vitamins, so maybe it’s not all the protective styling.
I believe that it all boils down to a combination of gentle manipulation and proper maintenance (moisture, protein, etc). If your hair is being nourished and strengthened and you’re not hauling and pulling it every which way like a sack of flour, I suspect that hair will retain its length.
I’ve gotten so used to protective styling and believe it has helped my length retention. Yet for my hair, low manipulation is so much more important than protective styling that stays in and untouched for a week at a time. I also started doing henna conditioning treatments weekly and that has really helped.
I usually rebraid my hair every evening and wear it in a loose bun with a banana clip. If I do wear a braidout I make sure it’s moisturized well. I have stopped pulling my hair back tightly in buns and ponytails. They are usually messy and a bit more free.
Maybe one of you guys can help me!!! Protective styles, wash and gos, weaves, braids…..nothing works for my hair!!! i’ve been natural since 2005 and i’ve only been able to attain chin length hair!!!!!!!
It’s possible your hair is in its dormant stage which lasts quite a few years. Or it could be genetics….or just about anything else.
It is estimated that only about 10% of hair at any one time can be in the resting phase (telogen). It is also the shortest phase lasting three-ish months. Most of the hair is in anagen (the growth phase) and this is the longest cycle lasting over years.
To BrownSugah. Here is my advice if your hair is of the type 4 variety
1. Be very gentle with your hair. Most of the breakage that happens is due to combing. Find a way to reduce the amount of hair that you see in your comb or brush. Try finger combing first before using a comb or plain finger combing on its own.
2. Try a long term protective style of your choice. Medium sized twists or braids preferably with your own hair. Keep the style in for 3-4 weeks then redo and keep for another 3-4 weeks.
Thanks Jc and the rest of you beautiful ladies for all the advice. I think i’m going to try and commit to a style and see my growth by say July?
Operation Length Retention starting today…Wish i could update every month to tell you guys my status!!! LOL!!!
you might also want to try vitamins, i just started taking biotin supplements a few weeks ago and i swear that i am already seeing loads more new growth than usual. we shall see…
I think that you should join this hair challenge. It is 3 inches in 6 months (but flexible actually 2-3 inches). It is being hosted by Loo who has seriously gorgeous hair
http://hairandhealth.blogspot.com/2011/01/3in6-challenge-rules.html
Make sure you are maintaining a good protein and moisture balance.
try using wheat germ oil that contains ceramides which are fats that literally glue/hold the hair proteins together making the hair stronger.
maybe you want to only detangle with your fingers, which I do and it is amazing!!
maybe your hair was at the end of its growth cycle period when you started growing it?
Moisture..Moisture..Moisture. Find good products (including shea butter, coconut oil..) that works with your hair, but remember these products do not replace WATER. My does okay with conditioning products, but water is what keeps my hair going, Whether I choose protective styling or wash-and-go’s.
Thank You ladies!!!!! I think maybe it’s my “un-appreciation” of water and moisturizer…. When i get fed up with my hair i typically just put it in a puff and forget about it!!!! I’ll try adding more water and moisturizer to my regimen….
Are you moisturizing your hair and deep conditioning it. Also don’t forget about the protein hair needs. I chopped my hair off on Sept 13 and even last week I cut a bit of it off and at this moment the sides of my hair is touching my collar bone, before it wasn’t even touching the end of my ears – drink lots of water, green veggies and cover your hair at night with silk/satin bonnet.
Hope that helps.
i dont really do protective styles… my hair is usually either out via wash and go or tied up in a scarf some kind of way? (which i guess counts as a protective style? i also dont really like sleeping in scarves either, so i break all of the rules lol.) i agree with the poster that my hair has flourished just letting it be out and about. on the flip side though, i DO have to condition CONSTANTLY, especially in this cold weather, and im sure it would be easier to keep my head moisturized if i wore more protective styles and sealed my ends. *shrugs* i guess its to each her own.
Relaxed in 2008:
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/relaxed2008.jpg[/img]
Transitioning in 2009:
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/transitioning2009.jpg[/img]
Newly Natural in 2010:
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/naturaljune2010.jpg[/img]
Currently:
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/naturalnow.jpg[/img]
http://sartorialme.blogspot.com (Check out today’s post on Esperanza Spalding!)
I like your glasses 🙂
In order to get past 9 inches, my hair requires protective styling. It is extremely easy for all hair (ALL) to grow from 0 to about 4-6 inches.
Shorter hair, less tangling = freedom of styling
Longer hair, more tangling, more single strand knots = need for protective styles.
We all have different hair, I am just saying comparing your first year of hair growth and the stage between 2-3 years can be vastly different.
Protective simply means less daily manipulation, some people put in quite harmful styles in the guise of protective styling. If taking out the style takes out half of your hair,a protective style it ain’t!
I am a three year Napptural and have ditched the “Protective Style” Regimine in 2011 for two reasons twisting takes too long and detangling makes me cry… This year I have opted for wearing looser styles and a updo styles. I love wearing my hair out and enjoy the bigger hair styles that I get as the week goes on.
My secret is MOISTURE…I moisturize my hair every night, with my water spritz and a little shea moisture and put about 6 twists in my hair at night. I always sleep with a satin bonnet on and then pull the twists apart in the morning.
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Spring%202009%20027.JPG[/img]
2nd Year Natural
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/attheconcer.jpg[/img]
I wore twists religiously for my first 5 years as a natural and my hair never grew longer than shoulder length. I just thought that was the longest my hair grew. Then I cut it off, embraced wash and gos and discovered my hair grows like weeds and is healthiest when it is rinsed daily and left in its shrunken state. Which works for me because I suffer from chronic laziness, lol. My hair type is 4b/4a if it matters.
I personally feel that proctective styling works for me. I’ve noticed the difference in my hair from May 2010 until the present day. It’s healthier, fuller and longer.
I love it.
I have found that less manipulation equals hair growth. I have also found that a little clip of the ends every 3 – 4 months, gets rid of the knotting/tangling issue. Protective styles can be overrated. Our hair is as unique as we are as individuals, so what works for one person may not work for another.
i did twists for the first 2 years of being natural, then after having a lowcut a la erykah badu for a year i did one year of twist. after realizing that it was too time consuming (2.5 hours) for the results i’ve resorted to large braids and my hair is for the better! i just braid it up at night in 10-12 big braids seal with oil and then in the morning take them out with some oil and spray for moisture. low maintenance and easy for my thick thick head! 😀
I’ve recently hit my six month anniversary on 1/17/11. Since doing the big chop, I only wear my hair in wash-n-go styles. I never braid or twist my hair to protect the end. I recently blow dried and flat ironed my hair, and it has grown so much. I live in Florida, so it mostly hot and humid here. I have not had any issues with wearing my hair out. It has not impeded my retention.
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1-1.JPG[/img]
Taken 7/17/10
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/7-1.jpg[/img]
Taken 1/17/11
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/5.jpg[/img]
After I flat ironed it straight the same day 1/17/11
The dates are backwards. The middle picture was taken 7/17/10. The other two pictures were taken 1/17/11.
Shooo…I tried a wash and go this weekend and can you say #FAIL!! Since my hair has gotten longer, its not an option for me anymore. My hair was all sorts of tangled and knotted even after a careful detangling section in the shower. I cannot allow my hair to dry loose anymore.
I’m glad other people can still do wash and go’s without all the drama. Keep it up and rock one for me too!!
So true, my hair is bsl and my wash and go is not an option anymore.
i wear protective styles 90% of the time and they have worked wonders for me. my staple style is small two strand twists, however i DO NOT detangle my hair dry!!! After taking them out and wearing my twist out i detangle my hair in the shower under running water WITH MY HANDS while it is very wet. it is easy and not time consuming at all, i don’t lose any hair doing this with care. i have shoulder length hair stretched out. i would never dream of detangling my twists dry! When my hair is braided i gently take it out dry. End of story.
Protective styling has helped me a lot. Not everyone needs them but from what I see you can tell a big difference in length retention from someone who does do protective styling and someone who doesn’t.
First, I believe its where you live. I live in florida so I actually wear more protective styles in the summer! Due to the crazy heat that can really fry my strands. Secondly, every head is different. We may have similar textures but we have different hair, so what works for you may not work for me. This is really a very personal journey.. lol.
I am lurking on this one but I have been thinking about this a lot and wondering whether just doing twists and leaving them to hang is enough in my harsh cold climate. I am contemplating wearing my hair loose but in updos that hide the ends to retain length. I notice that my ends suffer in twists and the last 1/2 inch of hair is always splitting, getting 1 strand knots while the rest is fine. I also wonder if I’d have an easier time retaining moisture with loose tucked hair since twists can often hide the fact that your hair needs moisture or something has changed in your hair since the day before. Isn’t loose but tucked/pinned hair easier to monitor?
Coco your hair sounds like mine.
That’s why I don’t wear twists for more than a few days and I only do them when I want to for style. I wear updos and some buns because they are easy, cute, and they do keep my ends from getting fried rubbing against my winter coat.
My hair is arm pit length, and I’ve never had loose natural hair this long. I don’t know if genetically I can get to waist length (it’s not really a goal of mine) but definitely my length can be maintained with this loose routine that is similar to the article writer.
…and to answer your question I do find it pretty easy to keep track of so to speak lol.
Thanks for the info : )
Hey Coco. I wear very loose twist in updo styles about 100% of the time, lol. I would have to say besides tremendous patience with detangling, little to no heat and moisturizing, I contribute most of my growth because of my updo styles which protect my ends. I have 4b-c hair which is about 21 inches long within 4 yrs so I have had success personally with this routine. Blessings 🙂
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/UrbanBushBabes_logo.png[/img]
Thanks for the info – watching out for your hair interview and Youtube 😀
i am also an avid wash and goer. i only have a tough time with detangling and knots if i don’t take care to cover my hair at night. other than that, detangling takes 20-30 minutes. and i don’t manipulate my hair other than smoothing some leave-in and hair cream in. my hair has grown longer than my natural friends who swear by protective styling.
I think it depends on a variety of issues, including length, texture, weather and shrinkage. Imo, as long as your hair is short or shrinky enough not to rub against your clothes (for example, Shones’ hair in her pictures), protective styles are less helpful. Also, if the weather isn’t as extreme, protective styles aren’t as helpful. I think making sure that your hair isn’t rubbing on your clothes (whether that’s with twists, buns, or simply a puff) and being extra careful in the cold, as well as how you manipulate and moisturize it, are key to retaining length. If your hair can stay moisturized and avoid tangles with wash and go’s, then do you!
When my hair was shorter (the first two years) I rarely did protective styles. Around the year and a half mark, I stopped wearing wash and go’s (too many tangles) but still wore my hair in braid-outs and twist-outs most of the time. Now at three years (next month!) I switch between braidouts and buns. Moisturizing and letting my hair dry in braids provides maximum moisture retention and minimum tangles on my hair.
I think I fall somewhere in the between die hard protective styler and die hard “out” styler.
If I put my hair in really small little twists or braids, my hair mats up, tangles in a way that causes breakage, single strand knots, etc. If I leave my hair in a protective style for more than ten days, it mats up and dreads!
The solution for me is to put my hair in bigger braids/twists that are almost the size of dookie braids or cellie braids and pin them into a cute protective updo much like sunshower143’s twisted protective updo.
I leave in these big braids and twists monday-friday, pinning them up until the weekend (friday night) where I let out my hair until sunday when I wash, deep condition, detangle and re braid.
This way my hair retains good length being protected 2/3rds of the time, but It is not in too long, nor is it in super small twists. Plus I get to wear my hair out on the weekends and have a weekly tracking and enjoyment of my growth!
That’s what I’m talking ’bout.
That’s exactly what I do now. I wear medium sized braids in a cute up-do during the week and then I Sat & Sun I wear it out. Wash & Deep Condition.
This way it’s “protected” most of the time. The twists are cute but they take too much time putting in, and then taking out and detangling…plus my ends never really stay twisted up.
If I want to wear some of my hair out during the week, I wear a braid out on the lower part of my hair, so half up and half down, and then braid them in 3 easy braids a night.
I am a wash and go’er and proud of it. I think the main appeal of protective styles is that you don’t have to worry about doing or refreshing your hair as much and that you don’t have to style as much if you don’t like to. It’s been about eight months since my BC from locs, and the number of times I have worn protective styles is not that many when compared to how many times I have worn my hair out. I don’t think wash and go’s are bad for hair, but they will result if fairy knots like whoah if you are not careful. My answer has been to move to dry detangling, oil rinsing, and pH balance. My curl definition is much better and my instance of FK’s has decreased. Also, moisture is key for wash and go. I think wash and go’ers can easily have healthy growing hair, as long as you know how to maintain a wash and go. Oh, yeah. Seal those ends, condition often, and deep treat regularly.
For those who are doing wash and gos, do you do it daily?
generally speaking, i do a wash and go twice a week. once during wash day and again in the middle of the week when i co-wash.
i know its been a while. but can u describe your dry detangling? like WHEN you do it? before a wash? do your oil it all over first? How does that help with curl definition? I would have figured it would be bad for definition. my hair clumps pretty well when wet. I might wanna give this a try…
Part of the key for me is low manipulation. If I put my hair in medium sized twists, it helps with retention. If I leave it out (and stretched), I style it in a way that has minimum pull (loose bun, ect) or I just leave it stretched and out. If I allowed my hair to be shrunken and out, it would require too much detangling on wash day. One reason why protective styles may not work for some is the method of detangling when they undo the twists.
I have heard other naturals mention that wash-n-go’s work better for length retention. I suppose it just depends on the texture, pattern and thickness of their hair. Points one and two that you mention are very good ones. Unless I’m doing twists as a style, my twists for stretching my hair are big and loose. I have about ten on my head now pinned up (been that way since Monday) and they look good that way.
Short answer, yes! Before I cut it the last time, I grew my hair out for about a year and a half (TWA to… well, much bigger than a TWA). I did protective styles about half the time. I prefer having my hair in out.
On the other hand, I know a lady who kept her hair in kinky-twists/braids for years, and now her hair is down her back and looks very healthy. I think the point is that we don’t have to worry about it as much as some of us do, and the length will come. I must be patient, and just let it do what it do.
Pic 1 – BC Jan 2008
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/AfterBigChopIII-vi.jpg[/img]
Pic 2 – one year later
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1yrafterBC.jpg[/img]
crap in 1 yr!
woohoo!
You and your hair are beautiful….
You hair colour is gorgeous! What colour/what do you use?
I agree protective styling does do your hair a good deed. However, it can become boring. Sometimes you do have to jazz it up a bit. I have tried protective styling 5 days out of 7, so when the weekend comes I can let it down and go out without feeling blah. With all that being said patience is required with anything.