by
Black Girl With Long Hair
![IMG 4801 [Natural Hair Problems] My Hair Never Falls Pass My Shoulders](http://i0.wp.com/www.naturalhairrules.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_4801.jpg?resize=384%2C256 "[Natural Hair Problems] My Hair Never Falls Pass My Shoulders")
By Tamara of NaturalHairRules.com
I have been natural since 2006 and I have hair that is way beyond my shoulders. But you would never know it. I’m starting to think I have a shrinkage length of neck length or NL. But in reality my hair is really mid back length (MBL) when blown out or stretched.
When I post pics of my twist out on Instagram someone always ask “did cut your hair?” NO!!! That’s muthersucking shrinkage…
I’m not one to obsess about length but sometimes I would like to see the full length of my hair. Well not the full length but I would like for my growth to be evident. You know what I mean? I put so much time into caring for my body, hair, and skin. I have a rock solid regimen. I retain length and protective style. I KNOW My Hair IS GROWING. I want to see the fruits of my labor. But oh shrinkage.
For years I didn’t even know my hair was long enough to put in a low bun or puff. It always looks shoulder length wet and more neck length when dry. I’m not going to be blowing my hair out every week just to prove to myself that its growing but dang. Can I see some length in my twist out or wash & go. I was sure once my hair got to mid back length I would have a long luscious twist out but nope. Maybe its just one of the quirks of my 4b hair. I don’t know
Ok, I’m not going rant too much longer about this. But dang can I see my growth! I digress *sigh*
![My Mid Back Length Hair Stretched [Natural Hair Problems] My Hair Never Falls Pass My Shoulders](http://i1.wp.com/www.naturalhairrules.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/My-Mid-Back-Length-Hair-Stretched.jpg?resize=299%2C360 "[Natural Hair Problems] My Hair Never Falls Pass My Shoulders")
Ladies, can you relate? Does it ever frustrate you when shrinkage hides your hair progress? Do you try to combat it or do you leave it alone?
85 Responses
Try to band it up at night.
I’m the umpteenth person on this thread that feels the pain lol I love my shrinkage but I had to learn my whole life that my shrinkage length (regardless if my hair is way longer) will always have a “set limit” so to speak. Since cutting all my hair off last April (again) last year I am now at shoulder, upper back length. However, my shrunken fro still looks like the same twa I had when I first moved out here to Italy last July lol
You’ve got gorgeous hair. Celebrate the fact that thousands of years ago, God decided to kink it up so all that back length hair wouldn’t cause a heat stroke! Remember that the media will only glorify long, stringy hair and compensate by dreaming up and Instagramming voluminous hairstyles that only a 4b naturalista can rock.
Honestly….reading this I thought it was a story about me and my hair. I relAte to everything said. My shrinkage length is NL as well and my stretched hair is somewhere between bra-strap length and mid back
What you can do to eliminate shrinkage a little bit is to do braid outs instead of twist outs. Twists shrink more than braid, while braids natural stretch your hair. I have alot of shrinkage too, but i embrace it. I do a style that’s going to give me the results that I want.
Anti-Shrinkage debates seem like the new catalyst for “good hair” and “long hair” insecurities within the Natural community. What do you have to prove to anyone about your length? Be happy and grateful that your hair is super healthy and strong, super coily, and super beautiful.
Seeing woes and comments like “People are *so* shocked and awed at the length of my hair when it’s straightened” and “Little did they know …” or “I sure did show them” are disturbing to me, because it’s still such a superficial, institutionalized concept of appeasement. Long hair does no represent your self-worth.
Whether your hair naturally (with absolutely no manipulation whatsoever) hits your waist, hits your back, hits your neck, hits your ears, or freshly chopped; be grateful. Vanity isn’t worth the fuss and eventual destruction of your hair pattern through lengthening manipulation. Be Pro-Shrinkage and accept all aspects of your hair.
So, nope, no frustrations here. Just joy and satisfaction of getting to know my kinks, curls, and coils. The journey is worth every moment.
You are right EastOfEden. These women just have a “permed mindset” or “good hair vs bad hair mindset” when it comes to natural hair.
Yeah, better let it do its thang. One comment suggested banding, and I agree, that’s probably your best bet without constant heat. Shrinkage is a part of life, be it a good piece of baked fish, our height (as we reach the elderly stage) or our beautifully unique hair.
http://vertmoot.blogspot.com
Your hair shrinks because it’s extremely curly. That’s apart of it’s nature. Why be concerned about lenghth when it’s straight and pinned down your back when that’s not how you wear it or how your natural hair is?
interesting. that’s quite some shrinkage, but the way i see it, there’s probably no getting around it except in straightening. as others have said, u just gotta come to terms with it. accept it for what it is and make it work for you. it’s both blessing and curse, i guess. my hair “shrinks” even though i don’t usually think about it in those terms because i’m just so use to it doing what it do that i really don’t care. my hair styles look good, as do your twistouts, and even if i had the length i probably wouldn’t care about ‘showing it off’ unless i intended to flat iron it. that’s about the only way i’m ever gonna be able to show off length.
I think it’s wrong to tell this woman she is not embracing her hair because she hates the shrinkage. If your hair is so long, sometimes you want to show that off without doing a ton of damage to your hair! I’d say work on banding the hair and get it, girl!
HA!… I was jus thinking these same thoughts the last 2 weeks.. some friends on FB said they wanted to see some updated pics… so I asked the hubby to snap one after I finished my wash & DC.. and OMG.. it is long as yours or maybe a smidge longer.. LOL.. and let me tell ya.. I did some twists the other night.. and while they are longer than they used to be.. they dont touch my shoulders.. I tell all my friends. natural or not.. THE SHRINKAGE IS REAL!… I would love to learn some new tips on how to keep it stretched.. GOOD LUCK!
I feel u, n I don’t hate myself or my hair, I too would like for a particular style to stay the same for longer than 30 minutes. Due to shrinkage, some of us can only wear our hair in certain styles n we would like some flexibility/consistency also. Lol. Unfortunately, we have to accept it n learn to work with it in a healthy manner to not sacrifice it to damage. Soon u may develop out of the stage you are in. look for the positives, it will help.
I too have this “situation” but I just have to give up seeing it as a “problem”. I have no choice. Nothing is changing. Imagine this… not having your hair grow past your shoulders and being natural for like, 10 years!! You’re thick healthy hair is awesome, regardless of length. Imagine having hair that never seems to grow AND it being extremely thin AND fragile. I have a solid regimen, eat well, in shape, take vitamins, all of it and still no change. I faithfully follow the haircare advice of my two fave YouTubers (Naptural85 and Quest for the Perfect Curl ) which has led to healthier hair than ever before but face it… I’m just never going to have hair like these two girls. I’m no Rapunzel or Crissy doll (press her belly button and her hair grows)… it ain’t like that. It’s not as thick as theirs. It’s not as dense as theirs, but oil rinsing and aloe juice has been a game changer (thanks to them) in reducing breaking/shedding and I have to try to hang onto EVERY hair I have. (Try to) love whatca got has to become my new mantra.
Shrinkage is only a problem to people who haven’t truly accepted the characteristics of their natural hair. Our hair grows up and out instead of down, and we get volume instead of length. That is just how our hair is. It’s only a “problem” if you consider thick, beautiful, lush hair a problem!
AMEN SISTAH!
I used to try to stretch it, now I just leave it alone. If no one knows that it’s reached my shoulders, then so be it.
My mid-back hair goes to my shoulders. But, it’s big as all hell and that’s what I love. The bigger the hair, the closer to God, right? I do like shocking the hell out of people when they see my straightened hair. Yes, Dear, underneath all that big hair is lots of length.
Now, when women say they hate shrinkage it’s just the same as when black women obsess over long hair, or “good hair”, or a curl definition. It is all the same mindwashed shit. So get over your shrinkage and embrace your beautiful hair for what it is. Our hair in all frankness is the best type of hair to have, our skin, our lips. HALLEJLUA!
I love shrinkage and whatever my hair does! My hair is sooo beautiful and wonderful. Yours is too, just the way God almighty made it just for your black ass!
I feel your pain. I have 3C hair thats bra strap length but when dry never goes past my my shoulders. I’m not length obsessed either but it’s frustrating sometimes.
I have shrinkage too. My hair shrinks up badly when dry but when stretched, it is way longer. I’ve been like 14 months natural. I love the shrinkage, but sometimes it can be a bit of a bother too.
I see people saying things that lead me to believe people are not really understanding the level of shrinkage going on here.Comments like when it gets longer , if you wait and have patience, after year 2….this girl has been natural for 6 years (at least) The hair is not going to suddenly start hanging one year…its shrinking from mid back/waiste length almost till up to mid neck/shoulder…that is major!
I think people who are not experiencing this type of shrinkage are being alittle obstuse. This is a real issue. My little cousin and little sister have the same issue.
My hair doesn’t even come past my ears with shrinkage, you’re pretty lucky to me.
This is definitely my struggle too! But I think once you get length braid outs work muchhh better to actually see length. So i’ve been doing braid outs OR making lots of twists then braiding them.
Shrinkage is only a problem to people who haven’t truly accepted the characteristics of their natural hair. Our hair grows up and out instead of down, and we get volume instead of length. That is just how our hair is. It’s only a “problem” if you consider thick, beautiful, lush hair a problem!
For a wash and go, I don’t combat it. I rather have moisturized hair with shrinkage than dry, elongated hair. Other hair styles, more elongation would be nice. But as long as my hair is moisturized, then I’m good.
Shrinkage!
I’m more in awe about it honestly lol. It is so extreme for me because I have 4c hair. I think you just have to accept it because you have curly hair. Your hair shrinks because it’s extremely curly. Why be concerned about the length of your hair when it’s stick straight and pinned down your back, even though you don’t wear your hair stick straight? If you continue to wear styles that fall down, then you are working against the strengths of natural hair (volume, ability to be molded, shrinkage, voluminous updo’s). I’m not saying don’t wear twist-outs, but understand that your natural hair and it’s shrinkage can be shown off in many ways; a twist-out is only one style. I like to experiment with new styles, and as my hair goes from stretched to tightly curled, I try them all. All styles show off whatever my curls are doing that day. Hair length is definitely not something to stress about, especially if you say you KNOW your hair is growing.
How about mini twists to see your length? Here’s a video I saw recently:
Good luck with your journey!
Have you tried braiding your hair while it’s wet and letting it dry that way? I do that to stretch my hair out and then I will twist it for a twist out while it’s dry and it retains it’s length. Sometimes if I’m pressed for time (because I’m not thrilled with the way it looks when I do a braid out) I will braid it while it’s wet and then twist those braids together for the twist out look.
Shrinkage is where the misconceptions that black peoples hair doesn’t grow and that black girls can’t have long hair comes from. The hair grows and it gets rather long but no one can tell unless the hair is heavily manipulated. Shrinkage can be a real beast.
dealing with the same ish, i’m over 18″ long, ober 3 years natural, and its just starting to ‘hang out’ on my shoulders, pineappling does help but sheesh
Look up Heatless blow outs on youtube.
You can stretch your hair quite well with the banding method and with african threading. I have been meaning to try these methods because my hair is 3 inches to bra strap length but it is neck length when worn in twist outs!
i have fine 4c strands that could NOT take consistent heat.
I feel the same way. I’m 3C/4A hair and it shrinks like crazy…. When I see people’s hair that have been natural as long as I have and you can see their length but you can’t see mine…… I just throw my hands up 🙂 i can’t win for losing but I’d rather have that than damage my hair to see the length 🙂 nice post…
If length is such an issue you could get a texturizer.
Ooow wee honey! I feel your pain! My hair is the exact same length and shrinks to that same length also. It pisses me off too! lol!! Then I hate it when people compare my length to the growth of others just because theirs stretches and mine doesn’t! UGH!!!!
I can totally relate! I think I’m 4A with a few 4B spots. My shrinkage is 90%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have a TWA as I just cut my hair in June, but when stretched or blown out my hair is grazing neck length. Without stretching in any way shape or form, you would think I only had 1/2 an inch of hair.
I walked into a salon once for a quick wash, blow dry, and flat iron (big mistake btw)and the young stylist looked at my hair with an expression that said “what is she gonna wash and blow dry? she ain’t got no hair!” Once she started working with it I could hear the frustrations and surprise in her breathing as it stretched to reveal its real length. Ya’ll I laughed so hard on the inside and I must admit a bit of pride rose up inside me- to think people doubted my hair! SHAME!
“Once she started working with it I could hear the frustrations and surprise in her breathing as it stretched to reveal its real length. Ya’ll I laughed so hard on the inside and I must admit a bit of pride rose up inside me- to think people doubted my hair! SHAME!”
LMAO-wish I was in the salon with you watching the stylist trying to work on your hair. Like a movie playing in my mind. People in general have no idea how much shrinkage can distort your true length.
One thing to keep in mind in regards to shrinkage which I got from Nap85. She stated when you your hair gets really long usually between year 4 and 5, shrinkage is welcomed. During the summer months you may not want all that hair hanging low on your back. Good bad, or indifferent, shrinkage is the nature of our hair which makes us unique which I think is a beautiful thing.
Something similar happened to me about a year after I BC’d. I went to the same stylist who’d done the BC and asked him for a press-and-curl (yeah, that’s what we were still calling them back in the 90s). That was the very first time I (and EVERYBODY ELSE in the salon, lol; jaws dropping everywhere) realized just how long my hair really was and how much shrinkage I really had (over 80 percent in the top and about 60 percent everywhere else). My stylist was mad he didn’t take before-and-after pictures.
Before that I had no real concept of shrinkage since all I ever wore were styles done on wet hair: either the WNG or twistouts done with twists on wet hair. Afterwards I learned to really appreciate shrinkage for the variety of looks it gives me depending on the state of my hair. In fact I’ve learned to play with it so that my loose and twist styles can have different shapes. For example, if I twist the hair at the back wet, but twist the rest dry, I get a kind of wedge/bob shape for the final twist style.
Now I admit that I had stopped really feeling my longer-hair WNGs until I got Sprangz (which stretch the hair out as it dries). So I too have had some occasional issues with my extreme shrinkage. But ultimately I agree with JenniD above in that shrinkage really isn’t a problem that can be fixed without the aid of a chemical, so you might as well learn to live with it…
Some of us have become too scared to admit to ourselves that there are some things about our natural hair we don’t particularly welcome. But its normal. women of all ethnicities have little hang ups about their hair.
Because of the history of our hair and the negative connotations attached it, people become defensive; we’re so used to hearing bad things that we’ve gone to the extreme and want to feel perfect about everything. Well we’re human, just like woman of other races.
I HATE shrinkage. Yea, I said it. Lol. I accept it (otherwise I would have relaxed it & I’ve not blow dried it ONCE), but I don’t welcome it.
The truth is, we rarely completely like everything about any part of ourselves.
Well said!
I still think you n00bs are deluded. Why do black women always have to bring up white women this, white women that, asian women this. We are BLACK. Not white, or indian. We are the KINGS and QUEENS. The original. Made in the likeness of HIM and PROUD of every inch of our chocloate decadence.
Now, when women say they hate shrinkage it’s just the same as when black women obsess over long hair, or “good hair”, or a curl definition. It is all the same mindwashed shit. So get the your shrinkage and embrace your beautiful hair for what it is. Our hair in all frankness is the best type of hair to have, our skin, our lips. HALLEJLUA!
AnonSince87 is the most deluded one on here.. and look at the thumbs up. Lots of deluded women on blackgirlonghair I see. Congrats!
Okay so if you are natural you are not allowed to want long hair? And because you decided to go natural you should be happy with your hair looking short because it is healthy. And you can’t complain about shrinkage and it’s not a problem because some random natural know it all said it’s not a real problem! It’s a problem to her and for a lot of other naturals. That’s my opinion.
Not at all. I think it’s just a matter of accepting ourselves. I caused so much damage to my natural hair the first time around trying to stretch it. But this time I look at my shrinkage as nothing more than my hair. How my hair length is straight is irrelevant because I don’t have straight hair. Love the kink….in its eternity.
I understand what you are saying. I hate for people to dismiss others concerns because its not deemed a concern to them. The author was expressing her frustration with shrinkage. I can see how being obsessive about showing length can cause damage if you are not careful with your approach to combat it. My main point was to address the rudeness of some of the comments.
@ Tiff
I agree. I think somehow thru this natural hair journey, we found a ‘new’ thing to not like or obsess over. I understand the author’s frustration over shrinkage, but, ultimately the goal should be healthy hair- not length. It does seem more vain than anything else. It’s almost like women who relax and obsess over the straightness or how others may perceive them.
Yeah, because hair has to be all about length, looking pretty must never come into it! Hair is partly about vainity and doing what looks nice! I feel your pain about shrinkage, I hate it!
Yes you can complain and yes you should expect your hair to grow long if you take care of it and it’s nothing wrong with wanting to see the fruits of your labor, but if those issues are driving you into depression that is a far bigger problem.
Eh, this is such a non issue as you can’t really do anything about it but rant and lip smack. Its frustrating but in the end it is what it is. I was having one of these moments myself but realized that its kinda silly. Its a vanity goal not some spiritual quest for greatness. Shrinkage is what our hair does best. Embrace or be frustrated Lol. As far as showing off your hard work think about it like this all those people you want to show off your length br oohing and awe -ing but where them mofos at come wash n detangle day when all the real work is done Lol. I say leave it be. You don’t have to love or embrace shrinkage but it comes with the territory. Add it to the death and taxes catagory.
I feel your pain!!!!!
My hair is 4 a/b i think (still dont know lol), I was hoping my hair would go past my shoulders with twist outs. I’ve learnt to get it near arm pit length, with naptural 85 twist out method on youtube, of doing bantu knots to your twist straight after conditioning hair on wash day. Let it dry with a t shirt for like half hour, then air dry till you go to bed, take the bantu knots out and bobby pin you twist around your head to stretch the twists. Also smaller braid outs get me to near arm pit length.
The pineapple method works really well. It stretches your hair near the root and a few inches out while leaving the rest of your hair in it’s natural, wash ‘n’ go form. You may have to wet it around your edges just a little when you take it down and use your fingers to gently motion it downward and out from the root. I don’t wear twistouts often (I don’t have the patience to do it), but I noticed that the smaller the twist, the longer my hair stretches. My hair length is less than 2″ away from my bra strap in the back and my dry shrinkage barely touches my shoulders.
Try African threading to stretch you hair without heat damage…
YOUR*
I completely understand. I am having the same frustration with my shrinkage. Constantly trying to find ways to stretch my hair without using heat and without it getting frizzy. That’s pretty difficult to achieve. I think some shrinkage is great, but when you’re trying to wear a certain style and your hair draws up 50% by the end of the day. It gets annoying.
And I wish people would stop getting upset with those of us who desire to show our length. We have our preference and you have yours. It doesn’t mean that I hate my hair. If I hated my hair I wouldn’t have gone natural in the first place. Yes, I want my hair to look as long as possible. So what!
Eri there is nothing wrong with wanting to show your length. Get annoyed, rant and be frustrated. Its ok. We’ve all mumbled under our breath about shrinkage at one time or another Lol. The thing is that there isn’t much you can do about it. Why let it get to you. Frizzy Shrunken hair is essentially the characteristics of highly textured hair. I don’t think naturals who feel this way hate their hair I just think they haven’t aceepted its reality. So you cant achieveca certain style move on to another.
what is APL? I guess I’m not in the know about the slang, and I’ve been natural (without the back and forth lol) since 2006!
Apl -arm pit length.
I know what you mean, My curly hair just seems to get curlier the more hair i get. when I straighten it, its hella long but when I do a wash and go, shrinkage is a bitch… ah well… I won’t complain to much…
at least its healthy 🙂
Natural Hair Problem huh? My hair is the same length as yours. It only comes a little past my shoulders when I do twist outs too but when I pull it it comes below my shoulderblades too. Actually, I thought this WAS me. Haha! But after having relaxed hair that NEVER TOUCHED my shoulders having natural hair that does seems like a “Natural Hair Perk-Positive-Victory” when there are so many women who can’t get their relaxed OR natural hair to touch their shoulders. I guess it’s all relative!!!
I mean it kinda sucks sometimes but it’s not that big of a deal to me personally. I actually think its kind of cool and I’ve always been into volume than length anyway. everyone is different though.
A solution for stretching might be threading your hair. there’s a youtube video showing a mom that uses this method to stretch her daughters’ hair. For max stretching its over a couple of days. I will find and post it on here when I have time later. You could also just use heat to straighten once in awhile.
I don’t know I had BSL hair relaxed and it was just boring after awhile. I’d just put it in a pony tail with the ends tucked. It was nice to wear out once in awhile but that’s it.
Yeah, I now have the longest hair I’ve ever had (and it still isn’t that long), but I just wish for thick, full hair these days. I’m realizing that thick medium length, shrunken hair (or even thick short hair) gives a better “impression” than very thin, long hair. No offense meant to people with thin, long hair, just my opinion.
Try the pineapple method after you let it air dry a little bit and even stretching it over night. Helps a lot with my shrinkage the good about the pineapple is you canstreatch your hair rather its a washngo, braidout, twistout, etc. hope this helps
Just because you’re natural and you want to see the true length of your hair in it’s natural state doesn’t mean you don’t accept your hair. Why are people so defensive about what someone else chooses to do with their own hair?
Well, tbh it just doesn’t make much sense to me as a thing to complain about, fight or call a problem. Curly hair shrinks. The curlier or kinkier, the more it shrinks (like a slinky or harmonica ‘shrinks’). Its a natural, 100%, almost defining feature of the thing that is loved and apparently accepted (curly hair). The ‘shrinkage’ is just the hair CURLing up on itself…
Because of this, it is almost as odd as saying, ‘I love and accept my curly hair, but I hate that it’s curly. How do I combat the curliness problem?’ (o_0) If you wish your hair didn’t shrink, then you wish your hair wasn’t curly.
If you want to see the ‘true length’ of your hair, then the only way is to straighten it. All these methods of reducing shrinkage do not show the ‘true length’ anyway. If you want to see an approximation, give the hair a tug, like in the photo. If every now and then you want to see it longer for a longer length of time than you would get tugging the hair, then you have to style it accordingly (blowout, dry styling, african threading etc…), but I fail to see how this is a problem. Only if you want your hair to show its [full] length more often than it doesn’t does it appear to be a problem. You might ‘want to see the true length of your hair in its natural state’ but unfortunately your hair, naturally, hides its true length because it is curly.
Shrinkage isn’t a side effect of curly hair (like, say, ssks) it IS the hair curling to its natural curliness. They’re the same thing! IMO…
Curly, coily and kinky hair shrinks! What else is there to say? I just don’t get it…
Concertina not harmonica!
oh…not an accordion? that one is like a slinky. i’ve never heard of a concertina, unless it’s the same as an accordion? lol either way, i couldn’t agree more Jo.
Your shrinkage is absolutely beautiful. My hair is APL so my shrinkage is basically a ear length. I can’t wait to have shoulder length shrinkage. That will be a monumental time. Perhaphs try other stretching methods like banding or the African threading technique.
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130909_102323.jpg[/img]
Oh my goodness YES, GIRL!!!!!! I was just complaining about this very same issue two days ago! I have 4B hair as well so maybe it just goes with the territory but it def. is annoying! And I’m not obsessed with hair length either but why does my hair look the same length as in 2007? It does appear FULLER but NOT longer. I appreciate your rant because I can totally relate.
i love my shrinkage. i too have mid back length hair and i love that the shrinkage comes up to my shoulders. i love the puff and wildness. i hate when hair in the back hangs
I love your hair!!! Beautiful. My daughter has similar hair to yours – 50% or more shrinkage. After our twists our dry, we add a non-water based butter and braid them up for a day, unbraid & untwist for maximum length – should be close to 80%? Good luck!!!
Idk. I feel people who hate shrinkage don’t fully accept their hair. You go natural so your hair can grow. When it does then shrinkage is a problem because you can’t see your length….
You clearly know where your hair is and that it’s growing, so what do you mean you can’t see the fruits of your labor when you have a picture right up here showing it.
You have stretched your hair previously, but you want your hair to show it’s length in its non-stretched state??
If you only sometimes want to see your length then your going to have to stretch is honey. Why complain about it…
I promise all these articles and people complaining about shrinkage are making mountains out of mole hills. People come up with 50 million reasons why they can’t let their hair shrink, and the famous question every natural icon is asked “How do you combat shrinkage?” like it is some natural hair plague.
4b and 4c are the most complaining bunch acting like woe is me of the natural hair community, when you guys have the most versatile hair of all.
I’m only 8 months into my natural journey, so I don’t have that urge to show off my (not) long hair by combatting shrinkage. However, I just want to say that your hair looks incredibly beautiful and healthy the way it is. If you want to show more length, you probably need to change up your style and be prepared to change your hair regimen to accommodate to the new stresses you’ll likely put your hair through. Heat AND too much stretching can cause damage to the hair, which would be such a shame for your beautiful mane!
Have you tried single braids, braid-outs, or even stretching your twists as they dry? I know shrinkage can be a beast, and the more hair is stretched the more effort it takes to keep it from returning to normal, but I think you can enjoy further stretched hair with several styles.
Then again, you may have tried all that; I do not know at all.
That’s our hair for you. :p
Your hair looks so juicy, by the way!
Definitely can relate but..
By the waves in both pictures it looks like you do a lot of twist outs? maybe try parting/separating the twists instead of leaving them chunky after you undo them or maybe even try like naptural85 with mini twists. that way you can enjoy the length of your hair without possible heat damage. Ive done this before when i was craving to see that length (or feel that lil sway on the back of my neck lol) and it helped a lot.
Yes, separate your hair after taking down your twist out and then rebraid/ retwist dry hair nightly. That will further stretch the hair as the week goes on and give it a downward hang.
Y, so you’re saying DON’T put ANY water or moisturizer on the hair when you’re re-braiding it at night?
Because water will cause shrinkage….
My approach is no water and a non water-based moisturizer. My hair is kinky and waist-length. Has worked for me for years, but to each her own… Just trying to help! 🙂
I totally understand, my hair is shrinky dinky city and all I want is my hair to hang a little more in its kinky state. Yeah I can straighten it and it will hang down my back but I want nappy hang time gosh darn it! I have come to realize that even if my hair grows another 10 inches it will still shrink to my neck.
Are you kidding me? This is a problem! This is a non Issue! You reached your goal? Celebrate that you have healthy hair! You know Shrinkage is NOT a bad thing. It’s the mark of extremely healthy hair with lovely elasticity. If you want your hair to hang luxuriously down your shoulders then press it! And guess what you will eventually damage it! Kinky hair that is healthy and stretchy should be celebrated! Why are we complaining about it! Why do we want to prove that it reaches these levels? What does it say about you? You hair is gorgeous! stop trying to make it do what it naturally doesn’t! UGH!
I dislike shrinkage because it accentuates my already round cheeks (and before people criticize my weight I am slim but always had chubby cheeks). When my hair shrinks it just adds weight to my cheeks which I hate. Nothing to do with not “accepting” my hair. Maybe not accepting my chubby cheeks though.lol
Lmbo!!!!! Totally agree with Dabney!!!
Dabney, try not to determine for another what is or isn’t a “issue”. Her hair is long, yes. It appears lustrous, and is growing, so we’ll assume it’s healthy as well. However, she cannot SEE the fruits of her healthy hair regimen labor. That is a difficult thing for any person, natural or otherwise to deal with. It doesn’t mean she will resort to the damaging methods you are accusing her of opting for next. One of the benefits of long, healthy hair is versatility and the ability to finally attempt some of the styles you have wanted to without extensions. I’m having the same issue. My hair would have to be to my waist in order to get it past my shoulders in its shrunken state. I’ll have to wait on certain styles, and that’s frustrating. Please chill on people with this problem. She’s obviously handling her hair well.
Yes I can Totally relate. My hair is basically to my waist But it always looks apl. Def annoying!