Nappy Hair Vs. Perm Hair Length.

[Jazitones]

I've been doing some observations for a couple of months on hair length. Here is my observation:


When my hair was permed, my hair would only grow to my neck and I notice that my natural hair now will only grow to my neck as well. My rationale would be that this is genetics and that my hair will never get pass my my neck, due too the texture of my hair (i'm okay with this by the way). Now my sister who has the same texture hair as mines, who has locs and has had them forever. Her locs are very long, like down her back and they are beautiful. The only way my hair would get that length is no manipulation at all and loc up or just accept my neck length. Which I can accept both just as long as I'm natural. :)


Now here is my question. Does anyone notice that your hair is the same length today as it was when you had the perm?

Has your hair grew longer natural?


I know what kinda replys I'm going to get "My hair is healthy and thats all that matters" IA and I'm witcha and so is mine, but I'm talking length wise. :P

[JustKei]

I really haven't worn my natural hair long enough without cutting it to be able to get to the length my permed hair was when it was at its longest. In my relaxed days whenever I cut to a pixie cut (1-2") it took about 2 years to get past my shoulders, I figure in another year (if I dont cut it) I will be at around that length. I will see what happens from there..... ETA, One thing I do notice is that my natural hair grows faster than my permed hair.

[Mae]

My hair has always been pretty much the same length p.erm or no per.m (except for when I cut my hair into styles). My hair would grow , at its longest, from just below shoulders to just about bra strap length. I look forward to having locks and seeing my hair grow longer (lower back length).

[LadyThoms]

after three years natural, i was able to retain more length than i ever did with relaxed hair. i don't know how long it would have gotten because i was only natural for those three years so i'ma need another 3 or 4 years to get back atcha, lol.

[cornchip]

I highly doubt your terminal length is nape length unless you a medical problem of taking medication that alters your growth rate. You are right that that locks are a perminant protective style but you can grow your hair long with proper care. Also your growth may have stalled that happens to all of us. Many have six months of growth then six monthe to little to no growth. So sometimes you will have 2 months of steady growth then a month of none that happens to everyone. Also to keep yourself positve dont measure your hair just let it be and at maybe the 3 or 4 month mark measure and see how much you gained. Also texture has nothing to do with growth its just nappy hair is weaker then straighter types so it breaks easily and needs a little more care. Just look around this site and the internet you will see many nappies with long hair without locks.

Oh to answer your question lol my hair is only eight inches and my permed hair was 4 inches below BSL so I dont know if its going to be longer then that but I know its not breaking as much.

[Khandroma]

When I had a straighten the ish outta my hair with a burning chemical would only grow to about my jaw bone. Now that I am natural my hair will only grow about to my jaw bone. Now that I am not putting any damaging chemicals in it, I figured too that it is just genetics and that is the maximum length my hair can really grow which I am totally fine with. I just happy with my natural texture despite whatever length it can grow.

In fact the only way time I was able to get my hair to grow past my jawbone during my permie days was when I was in college and due to the location of my school and other issues, I had to keep braids in my hair for eight months straight and then not manipulate it for another 3 months( boy I wish I had just stayed with my natural texture instead of putting the chemicals back in my hair <_< ). It was about should length then.

I figure the only way I could retain significant length then and now is to not manipulate it at all. I don&#39;t want to live like that, I like being able to wear a fro occasionally( very occasionally, my hair is very fragile and breaks easily) and put twists in and play with my hair.

[mandyjl]

I&#39;ve been doing some observations for a couple of months on hair length. Here is my observation:
When my hair was permed, my hair would only grow to my neck and I notice that my natural hair now will only grow to my neck as well.

[/b]

My hair definitely seems to grow faster or not break off as much, now that I&#39;m natural. My hair, after a year is back to it&#39;s pre bc length. I read some where that when you hair reaches the length were it rubs against your clothes it appears not to grow as fast anymore. But what&#39;s really happening is that its breaking off from being handled more and from rubbing against your clothes. :dunno:

[Jazitones]

I highly doubt your terminal length is nape length unless you a medical problem of taking medication that alters your growth rate. You are right that that locks are a perminant protective style but you can grow your hair long with proper care. Also your growth may have stalled that happens to all of us. Many have six months of growth then six monthe to little to no growth. So sometimes you will have 2 months of steady growth then a month of none that happens to everyone. Also to keep yourself positve dont measure your hair just let it be and at maybe the 3 or 4 month mark measure and see how much you gained. Also texture has nothing to do with growth its just nappy hair is weaker then straighter types so it breaks easily and needs a little more care. Just look around this site and the internet you will see many nappies with long hair without locks.

Oh to answer your question lol my hair is only eight inches and my permed hair was 4 inches below BSL so I dont know if its going to be longer then that but I know its not breaking as much.
[/b]


Since being natural 98-99 time frame I&#39;ve adopted the proper hair care, but my point would be is this just what my hair is programed to this length or what? Just a question I ask myself sometimes. :P

[healthy]

I can only speak in my case. My hair is the longest now than it has ever been. When I was p.er.med, my hair just hit my shoulders but eventually it would break off due to the p.e.rm. Now that my hair is natural, its past my shoulders or midback you can say. Believe me, I am actually shocked. Due to my wiry texture, I didn&#39;t think it was possible.

However , my mom&#39;s side of the familly have very long hair. Although my hair would be long if it was straightened, I do think that my genes have to do with a my struggle to retain length.

My mom&#39;s hair grew down her back. I saw her pics from back in the day adn Wow, It was SO LONG (past mid back) and natural. I&#39;m trying to get there myself but I must admit it&#39;s struggle because my hair is so delicate and anything can break it off. ^_^

[naturalay]

Has your hair grew longer natural?
I know what kinda replys I&#39;m going to get "My hair is healthy and thats all that matters" IA and I&#39;m witcha and so is mine, but I&#39;m talking length wise. :P
[/b]


My hair has grown longer since i am natural but i don&#39;t think it would have ever grown down my back!

Well i am going to loc very soon so i guess it will be much longer than my relaxed hair and much longer than when it was loose natural :wub:




Has your hair grew longer natural?
I know what kinda replys I&#39;m going to get "My hair is healthy and thats all that matters" IA and I&#39;m witcha and so is mine, but I&#39;m talking length wise. :P
[/b]

:D

[kurliehead]

Yes, my hair only grew just past my shoulders permed and it will only grow that long napptural. So, this makes me think that hair lenght can be predetermined.

[TalkingYam]

How do you conclude the max length your napps will grow without dedicating several years to determining that?

Say your jumping off point is 2 inches, the length to which you&#39;ve chopped. Hair grows an average of one half-inch per month. You let it grow for a year and a half. It&#39;s now about 10 or 11 inches long. You can&#39;t really conclude that 11 inches is as long as the hair will grow, unless you see NO GROWTH over an additional six, nine or 12 months, correct?

I&#39;m trying to understand. I&#39;ve never had hair longer than shoulder length before I&#39;d cut it into a new style -- I never just let my hair grow to be growing (with the exception of my locs, which were 25 inches long when I started hacking them down; but that&#39;s locs).

How do you determine, indubitably, that your nappy hair has reached its ultimate length without investing many years in a study of it.

[Jazitones]

How do you conclude the max length your napps will grow without dedicating several years to determining that?

Say your jumping off point is 2 inches, the length to which you&#39;ve chopped. Hair grows an average of one half-inch per month. You let it grow for a year and a half. It&#39;s now about 10 or 11 inches long. You can&#39;t really conclude that 11 inches is as long as the hair will grow, unless you see NO GROWTH over an additional six, nine or 12 months, correct?

I&#39;m trying to understand. I&#39;ve never had hair longer than shoulder length before I&#39;d cut it into a new style -- I never just let my hair grow to be growing (with the exception of my locs, which were 25 inches long when I started hacking them down; but that&#39;s locs).

How do you determine, indubitably, that your nappy hair has reached its ultimate length without investing many years in a study of it.
[/b]

I don&#39;t think it takes many years to determine your average growth.


My point is I&#39;ve been natural since &#39;98/99 time frame and I&#39;ve notice that my hair length will get to a certain length and then here comes the breakage. I suppose I could attribute this to improper hair care, but I really don&#39;t believe that, I just believe it&#39;s genetics.

[cornchip]

Jazitones breakage is not genetic. Breakage happens when your hair is dry and damaged. You may think you are taking proper care like if you are doing cowashs but using a cone conditioner you are not getting any moisture and if you only use oils and no water based moisturisers your hair will not get any moisture which will cause breakage too. So I advise you take a look at your products and the cowash thread that is floating around here somewhere.

[Napia Mia]

When I was younger, my hair was about 12 inches long. Got my first and only child hood r.elaxer at the age of 9 (summer of 69) and by December of &#39;69 hair had broken off to practically nothing. Age 10 by then.

After that, I started taking care of my own hair (e.g., p.ress, curl, sponge rollers, curling irons, afros, teasing) all took its toll on my hair and by the time I graduated high school, my hair had never gained more than maybe 6 or 7 inches of length.

Started r.elaxing on a regular basis in my third year of college. Never gained anymore length as a p.ermie than I had when I was taking care of my own p.ress and curl styles.

Fast forward to now. My hair is almost back to it&#39;s childhood length. Depending on where I sample from, it&#39;s on average between 9-12 inches long. Since my growth was cut short in childhood by that dang chemical fire cream at the age of 9, I see no reason to think that I can&#39;t get my hair to grow much longer. I like long hair, and I want really long, healthy hair. In fact, I want my twists to sit unmistakenly on my shoulders AFTER shrinkage. My friend has about 16 inches of nappy hair and that&#39;s where her twists sit. When I see women with long nappy hair like her, Maestrodiva, Dee and Roshini, I see possiblities, and I am inspired.

So yes, as a napptural, my hair is much longer and will get much longer than it&#39;s ever been since I&#39;ve learned how to care for it.

[xayide79]

My hair is longer natural than it ever was permed. I couldn&#39;t get my hair past my neck while it was permed. Now that I have stopped cutting my hair, I&#39;m on my way to shoulder length and beyond (that is, if I don&#39;t get tired of dealing with the length and cut it again).

[LadyLibra]

I highly doubt your terminal length is nape length unless you a medical problem of taking medication that alters your growth rate.
[/b]

actually it could be. i know several white girls who can&#39;t grow their hair past this length, even with good hair care. i heard somewhere that hair follicles will grow for 2-7 years before the hair is shed and the process starts all over again from scratch. that&#39;s a HUGE gap! 2 years being 12 inches of hair, and 7 years being 84 inches (with the average growth rate of 1/2 inch per month). i mean... your hair length potential is genetically determined. whether or not you reach that full potential, depends on how well you care for your hair. but for some people, that full potential may only be 12 inches. just like for some, it may be 84 inches. most of us will, of course, fall in the middle of those 2 extremes. :dunno:

***back on topic: as a child, the longest my re.laxed hair reached was 30 inches (measured from crown to ends). once i started frying it with heat appliances and having to trim and cut to keep split ends at bay, my hair seemed to stay right between 15-18 inches. so i know my hair can grow to at least armpit length with not-so-good hair care, and midback or longer if i take very good care of it. it&#39;ll take me many years to find out though... and that&#39;s if i have the patience for that much hair... :lol: but i am curious!

[litebrown]

when i was a permie i thought my hair would only grow to the back of my neck. But over the course of a year and a half of being natural my hair has grown to the longest length i have ever had. when i BCed i had about an inch and a half. i havent measured it lately but it comes to the top of my shoulder blades on my back and my collar bone. so for me personally the chemicals killed my hair. but it doesn matter because i got major shrinkage and my hair only looks about 4 inches, lol

My Webpage (http://public.fotki.com/litebrown/2nd_year_nappy/1617_month_may_jun/)

[TalkingYam]

I don&#39;t think it takes many years to determine your average growth.
My point is I&#39;ve been natural since &#39;98/99 time frame and I&#39;ve notice that my hair length will get to a certain length and then here comes the breakage. I suppose I could attribute this to improper hair care, but I really don&#39;t believe that, I just believe it&#39;s genetics.[/b]
This is what I don&#39;t understand -- if your hair can conceivably grow 18 inches in three years, but you&#39;ve never let it grow for three years without a major haircut, how can you conclude that it can&#39;t grow to 18 inches? This might involve prolonged protective styles, but how can you say outright that it can&#39;t without doing everything you possibly can to put it to the test?

I don&#39;t aspire to 18 inches of loose naps, but I have no way of knowing if I can -- or cannot -- grow my hair that long. I&#39;ve never invested the time or effort in attempting it. I do not know how long my hair is "set" to grow -- I&#39;ve never tried it with loose hair.

If I grow it for two years, the most I can reasonably expect is 12 additional inches under the best circumstances and with the best care -- condition diligently, baby my ends, rarely wear "out" styles, etc.

I can&#39;t expect my hair to produce above-average length achievement in less-than-average growing time. Right? Do I have my math messed up? It is not my strong suit.

[Mae]

This is what I don&#39;t understand -- if your hair can conceivably grow 18 inches in three years, but you&#39;ve never let it grow for three years without a major haircut, how can you conclude that it can&#39;t grow to 18 inches? This might involve prolonged protective styles, but how can you say outright that it can&#39;t without doing everything you possibly can to put it to the test?

I don&#39;t aspire to 18 inches of loose naps, but I have no way of knowing if I can -- or cannot -- grow my hair that long. I&#39;ve never invested the time or effort in attempting it. I do not know how long my hair is "set" to grow -- I&#39;ve never tried it with loose hair.

If I grow it for two years, the most I can reasonably expect is 12 additional inches under the best circumstances and with the best care -- condition diligently, baby my ends, rarely wear "out" styles, etc.

I can&#39;t expect my hair to produce above-average length achievement in less-than-average growing time. Right? Do I have my math messed up? It is not my strong suit.
[/b]

See, this is why I will never have really long hair unless I loc it up; too many calculations....all that math is making my head hurt... :lol:

[Jazitones]

This is what I don&#39;t understand -- if your hair can conceivably grow 18 inches in three years, but you&#39;ve never let it grow for three years without a major haircut, how can you conclude that it can&#39;t grow to 18 inches? This might involve prolonged protective styles, but how can you say outright that it can&#39;t without doing everything you possibly can to put it to the test?

I don&#39;t aspire to 18 inches of loose naps, but I have no way of knowing if I can -- or cannot -- grow my hair that long. I&#39;ve never invested the time or effort in attempting it. I do not know how long my hair is "set" to grow -- I&#39;ve never tried it with loose hair.

If I grow it for two years, the most I can reasonably expect is 12 additional inches under the best circumstances and with the best care -- condition diligently, baby my ends, rarely wear "out" styles, etc.

I can&#39;t expect my hair to produce above-average length achievement in less-than-average growing time. Right? Do I have my math messed up? It is not my strong suit.
[/b]


OK Okay you got me there, I see your point. I guess I&#39;m just impatient. I should practice what I preach huh. :lol: :lol:

[shishicarter]

My hair now is about 4 inches below my shoulders, which is where it was before I stopped perming- although if I stretch it, I guess it would be longer now, since it is that length coiled up and it was straight back then... at any rate- my hair length seemed to go on hiatus for awhile until I changed some of the things that I was doing to my hair, I changed my diet, and I keep my hair moisturized by spraying it and then sealing it with oil or mango butter. the biggest change I made was I stopped wearing styles that allowed my hair to touch my clothing. I wear my hair up more now than I did when I was a permie, or even for awhile when I went napptural... I think that makes the difference...

[Kamikak]

Since being natural 98-99 time frame I&#39;ve adopted the proper hair care, but my point would be is this just what my hair is programed to this length or what? Just a question I ask myself sometimes. :P
[/b]
:rolleyes: I think I got it.

On Topic: My hair has always grown longer natural than it ever did p~rmed. P~rmed it got to just at my collar bone. Natural it got to my shoulder blades before the unfortunate mishap and my being an idiot in getting another (Gasp!!!) p~rm. :angry: I believe it can go much longer than shoulder blades, so I&#39;mma just wait and see.

[TalkingYam]

OK Okay you got me there, I see your point. I guess I&#39;m just impatient. I should practice what I preach huh. :lol: :lol:[/b]
I was starting to think that I was trippin&#39;. :D

My math is really bad.

I think it&#39;d take way more protective styles that I&#39;m willing to do to have stretched hair reaching the middle of my back -- and I don&#39;t know if it in the stars for me to have it that long. I had a big afro once but I didn&#39;t take good enough care of it. I cut it twice then I decided to lock with about two inches of fro. I don&#39;t think want more than, say, 7 or 8 inches of hair again, but I do want to do a better job than I did with my last fro.

:wub:

[emerald06]

I&#39;ve been natural for 1 year, but I have 2 years worth of growth on my head. The lengths vary, depending where you measure. My nape is shorter b/c I have a lot of tangles and knots there. But for the most part, my hair is 12 inches long. I could get to this length when I was relaxed and taking better care of my hair (read: not using heat).

So right now my hair stretches to half way down my shoulder blade. It shrinks up to mid neck.

[mimicutelips]

I haven&#39;t been natural long enough to find out. I know with my p.erm my hair would only get a little past my shoulders.

[deedabug]

my hair is longer natural....when i had a relax. i had to do major trims like every touch-up...but it would get to about 7 inches i would say....

the longest part of my hair now is at 10 inches...:D

[JustKei]

Jaz, I was also wondering why you thought your hair had reached its full potential because if I remember correctly, its not very long ago since you did a 2nd big chop. Give it a little more time to determine it&#39;s full potential. :)

[Jazitones]

Jaz, I was also wondering why you thought your hair had reached its full potential because if I remember correctly, its not very long ago since you did a 2nd big chop. Give it a little more time to determine it&#39;s full potential. :)
[/b]


Yeah girl my family thinks I&#39;m crazy, and they disagree with me. :P

[Khandroma]

I think I can safely say that I have probably reached my maximum growth potential. I have been natural over six years and have never done a big chop again. For the last three to four years I have been really careful of how I take care of my hair-

-wear protective styles almost exclusively(mainly twists), only take them out to trim and moisturize the ends
- use only natural products, no mineral, cones, etc.
- have a healthy diet, lots of water, multivitamins, etc

As crazy as it sounds my hair still will not grow past my jaw line after six years. I think for me either I have just reached maximum growth potential OR have a very slow growth rate.


Does anyone know if the 1/2 inch per month is standard as in everyone&#39;s hair grows at that rate or is it just an average meaning people can have a much slower or fast rate?

[jaimuziq]

I haven&#39;t been natural long enough to find out. I know with my p.erm my hair would only get a little past my shoulders.
[/b]


ITA with mimicutelips, I haven&#39;t been natural long enough to find out.(1 year yesterday) I used to be concerned with the length of my hair when I had a chemical fire cream but now I&#39;m more concerned with healthy hair as opposed to the length.

[bettytoo]

[
As crazy as it sounds my hair still will not grow past my jaw line after six years. I think for me either I have just reached maximum growth potential OR have a very slow growth rate.
Does anyone know if the 1/2 inch per month is standard as in everyone&#39;s hair grows at that rate or is it just an average meaning people can have a much slower or fast rate?
[/quote]
[
[]Hi my hairs between 8 inches and 10 inches long after 3 years and two months .I grow about 1/4 inches a month.my hairs always grow like that.I think some people have slow growing hair

[knwill]

Yes, that&#39;s the avg. I&#39;ve read that Asian hair grows the fastest, but 1/2 inch. is the avg. some ppl. grow faster or slower than that per mth.



I think I can safely say that I have probably reached my maximum growth potential. I have been natural over six years and have never done a big chop again. For the last three to four years I have been really careful of how I take care of my hair-

-wear protective styles almost exclusively(mainly twists), only take them out to trim and moisturize the ends
- use only natural products, no mineral, cones, etc.
- have a healthy diet, lots of water, multivitamins, etc

As crazy as it sounds my hair still will not grow past my jaw line after six years. I think for me either I have just reached maximum growth potential OR have a very slow growth rate.
Does anyone know if the 1/2 inch per month is standard as in everyone&#39;s hair grows at that rate or is it just an average meaning people can have a much slower or fast rate?
[/b]

[JCoily]

My relaxed hair never got longer than just brushing my shoulders at the longest point. I transitioned for 14 months. My hair was in a bun for at least 13 of those 14 months and when I BC&#39;ed, the longest areas of my hair stretched reached armpit.

I can accept that genetics play a role in hair growth, but at the same time, I&#39;ve seen with my own hair how a little bit of nurturing in the form of keeping the ends of the hair protected pays off.

[darkchica]

I&#39;m not sure that I can provide an accurate answer for this question, but I&#39;ll try. When I was really young, my hair was down my back. When I got into middle school, I cut it to about below my jawbone, and it never grew to the length I had as a child again. It was always breaking and stuff as well. Since being natural (I&#39;m goin on two years) my hair has passes the length that it was before I went natural. And I feel that it will get much longer. Because I am not sure exactly how long my hair can get, I&#39;m just assuming that the length I had when I was a child is the length to be achieved. I think in 1-2yrs (if my hair growth continues at this rate) I&#39;ll reach that mark. And btw...I think that JCoily is right. Protecting the ends of your hair is crucial in maintaining length. Although I don&#39;t notice it too well, my hair actually grows at a good rate, but the overall length doesn&#39;t increase at the same rate because my hair breaks at the ends. I have to handle that. <_<

[LBellatrix]

IMO: It&#39;s genetics AND environment.

The longest my p.ermed hair ever got was just above my shoulders. When I decided to loc 2.5 years ago, my loose naps were touching/just below my shoulders when p.ressed. After 2.5 years of wearing "the ultimate protective style" (and I&#39;m not sure I agree with that definition), my hair is the longest it&#39;s ever been.

I have a lot of hair on my head, but each individual strand is thin (fine). To use a comparison I found on another site: If a square inch of scalp represents a village, my village is chock full of skinny people. :) I had WAY more breakage when I was p.ermed largely because p.erms thinned my already fine strands even further. Women I knew who had long p.ermed hair tended to have thicker STRANDS than mine OR they got touched up/used heat less frequently OR they wore more protective styles.

Once I went natural and figured out my hair&#39;s actual construction, I learned that I could modify my environment (regimen) to encourage retention of length for MY kind of hair. One more time: There&#39;s not a whole lot you can do about growth because it is largely genetic in nature, but you CAN do something about length because it&#39;s largely based on what you do to your hair.

In my case, my hair does best (in general: not just length-wise, but health-wise) when it&#39;s left alone as much as possible, which was why locs ended up being a good idea.

[TalkingYam]

In my case, my hair does best (in general: not just length-wise, but health-wise) when it&#39;s left alone as much as possible, which was why locs ended up being a good idea.[/b]
LB, you make a good point. However, when you compare locs to loose napps it&#39;s not apples to apples. A loc is composed of your active hair strands AND all of your hair strands that would have shed.

An individual loc does not represent the actual length of a single strand of hair. I&#39;ve chopped off enough locs and dissected them to know this is true. Conceivably, locs can grow forever -- because your hair never stops growing. Only individual strands stop growing. That&#39;s why you loose so much hair if you are able to "take down" your locs.

Locs can grow endlessly because of the biological process that creates a loc -- the matting, thickening, messing of active and shredded hair strand. Once consumed in a loc, a hair strand appears to never stop growing.

If you simply want incredible length, locs are definitely the way to go. Inherently, locs are a protective style, true. But to keep that length, you have to keep the locs -- not that that&#39;s a bad tradeoff. :D

Has anyone ever done a straight comparison of loose-hair shrinkage to loc shrinkage? At its longest my locs were 25 inches. Theoretically, my loose naps would have been about 37 inches with average growth. That&#39;s about 33% shrinkage.

[Lollapalooza]

Well, I remember being younger and having hair down to about my elbows. It was "rel@xed" hair, and I was about..maybe...7 and 8? And now I&#39;m 18 with about shoulder-length hair... once I was ten the "rel@xer" started breaking off, but that&#39;s a whole &#39;nother story, lol...

I do notice that my hair has been growing FASTER since I&#39;ve gone natural/cut it out with the chemicals. And it&#39; definitely longer than it was a few years ago when I was still on the crack, lol.

So yes, I beleive it&#39;s grown more.

[fyfloyd1]

Ive been natural for a while but ive always just cornrowed my hair and worn wigs. I found that when I was following this routine my hair grew like crazy, i imagine it was because it was in a protective style. Im just beginning to style my own hair and I am anxious to see how fast it will grow. I imagine that it will still grow faster than when I had relaxed hair because im not intending on styling it everyday like when I was relaxed and I wont be putting chemicals on my hair.

[Mae]

Has anyone ever done a straight comparison of loose-hair shrinkage to loc shrinkage? At its longest my locs were 25 inches. Theoretically, my loose naps would have been about 37 inches with average growth. That&#39;s about 33% shrinkage.
[/b]

I can say that my freshly twisted hair used to stretch to my chest, but a similar twist that has now begun to matt into a lock does not stretch as far; it has lost much of its springiness, so my hair now seems shorter with locks than it did with loose or just twisted hair....I suppose the length will start to show as my locks mature...I will add a pic to show what I mean....

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b67/Monianne/twistshrinkage.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b67/Monianne/lockshrinkage2.jpg


I&#39;m sorry they are so big....I thought I made them smaller....

[quelinda]

My hair grows to it&#39;s longest length (which is about 1-2 inchs past collar bone).r.elaxed or nappy, however, it is much easier for me to grow and maintain at that lenghth when it is nappy. After that I have serious tangles which usually work against me gettin any true length past that point, not to mention I look as thou I have no neck when it gets any longer then that :lol: Plus you have to remember because we have so many curls we have that many more place for it to be weak and break. :doh

As far as growth rate, I really slow down in the winter (1/4 - 1/2 an inch) but the summer some parts of my hair, especialy the crown can gain about 3/4 to almost an inch a month. I get almost 4 of my standard 6 inchs from May until Sept. ^_^

[napturallyme]

My hair may be slightly longer now but only because when I had a r.elaxer I would get bored sometimes and cut it a little shorter. I always had length with a r.elaxer, so I don&#39;t think there is a difference now that I&#39;m napptural.

[LBellatrix]

LB, you make a good point. However, when you compare locs to loose napps it&#39;s not apples to apples. A loc is composed of your active hair strands AND all of your hair strands that would have shed.

An individual loc does not represent the actual length of a single strand of hair. I&#39;ve chopped off enough locs and dissected them to know this is true. Conceivably, locs can grow forever -- because your hair never stops growing. Only individual strands stop growing. That&#39;s why you loose so much hair if you are able to "take down" your locs.

Locs can grow endlessly because of the biological process that creates a loc -- the matting, thickening, messing of active and shredded hair strand. Once consumed in a loc, a hair strand appears to never stop growing.

If you simply want incredible length, locs are definitely the way to go. Inherently, locs are a protective style, true. But to keep that length, you have to keep the locs -- not that that&#39;s a bad tradeoff. :D
[/b]

Very good points, Yam. Locs really are kind of their own thing, aren&#39;t they? :)

[~*vmerie*~]

Uhm...I&#39;ll have to agree with LBellatrix that it is genetics and environment. My entire family has had hair past there shoulders (I have all brothers). My mom did all sorts of things to her hair (coloring it, cutting it, etc.) and it always grew very fast. My hair had reached bra strap when permed and it continues to grow at the same rate in my opinion and I am sure it&#39;ll get there again now that I have stopped cutting it.


:2cents:

[Jazitones]

IMO: It&#39;s genetics AND environment.

The longest my p.ermed hair ever got was just above my shoulders. When I decided to loc 2.5 years ago, my loose naps were touching/just below my shoulders when p.ressed. After 2.5 years of wearing "the ultimate protective style" (and I&#39;m not sure I agree with that definition), my hair is the longest it&#39;s ever been.

I have a lot of hair on my head, but each individual strand is thin (fine). To use a comparison I found on another site: If a square inch of scalp represents a village, my village is chock full of skinny people. :) I had WAY more breakage when I was p.ermed largely because p.erms thinned my already fine strands even further. Women I knew who had long p.ermed hair tended to have thicker STRANDS than mine OR they got touched up/used heat less frequently OR they wore more protective styles.

Once I went natural and figured out my hair&#39;s actual construction, I learned that I could modify my environment (regimen) to encourage retention of length for MY kind of hair. One more time: There&#39;s not a whole lot you can do about growth because it is largely genetic in nature, but you CAN do something about length because it&#39;s largely based on what you do to your hair.

In my case, my hair does best (in general: not just length-wise, but health-wise) when it&#39;s left alone as much as possible, which was why locs ended up being a good idea.
[/b]

My thoughts exactly!

[TalkingYam]

I can say that my freshly twisted hair used to stretch to my chest, but a similar twist that has now begun to matt into a lock does not stretch as far; it has lost much of its springiness, so my hair now seems shorter with locks than it did with loose or just twisted hair....I suppose the length will start to show as my locks mature...I will add a pic to show what I mean....[/b]
Great pics, Mae!

[Sunrae]

I have seen a difference in hair lenght and I haven&#39;t even been natural fro a year yet. When I was permed my bangs would get just below my eyes and stay there. Now that I &#39;m natural they tough my bottom lip. My hair usually never got past the nape of my neck its abotu an inch away from there now. When I was permed I abused my hair. I permed ever 4-6 weeks and flat ironed almost everyday! I had to have a major cut do to damage (about an inch short). And it took 3 years for it to get to the lenght i got natural after 1 year. I would like for my hair to reach its maximum potential. I never ever use heat. And i am refraining from coloring my hair although its tempting. My goal is to have my twist out reach my shoulder. I love big full har!!!

[Napia Mia]

Wow Mae... :wub: I&#39;m adding you to my long hair inspiration list! How long have you been growing your hair?

[Shatani]

I&#39;ve been doing some observations for a couple of months on hair length. Here is my observation:
When my hair was permed, my hair would only grow to my neck and I notice that my natural hair now will only grow to my neck as well. My rationale would be that this is genetics and that my hair will never get pass my my neck, due too the texture of my hair (i&#39;m okay with this by the way). Now my sister who has the same texture hair as mines, who has locs and has had them forever. Her locs are very long, like down her back and they are beautiful. The only way my hair would get that length is no manipulation at all and loc up or just accept my neck length. Which I can accept both just as long as I&#39;m natural. :)
Now here is my question. Does anyone notice that your hair is the same length today as it was when you had the perm?

Has your hair grew longer natural?
I know what kinda replys I&#39;m going to get "My hair is healthy and thats all that matters" IA and I&#39;m witcha and so is mine, but I&#39;m talking length wise. :P
[/b]
i can say right now for a fact that my hair has NEVER been this long. my hair never grew much past my neck when i had a chemical fire cream....and since being natural i have reached bra strap. when i had a chemical fire cream my bangs never grew past my eyebrow...now theyre past my chin.

i dont know (genetically) how long my hair will get...im not sure i want to find out either....its a lot to deal with these days. but i guess i wouldnt have it any other way. :wub:

[tatyroots]

I highly doubt your terminal length is nape length unless you a medical problem of taking medication that alters your growth rate. You are right that that locks are a perminant protective style but you can grow your hair long with proper care. Also your growth may have stalled that happens to all of us. Many have six months of growth then six monthe to little to no growth. So sometimes you will have 2 months of steady growth then a month of none that happens to everyone. Also to keep yourself positve dont measure your hair just let it be and at maybe the 3 or 4 month mark measure and see how much you gained. Also texture has nothing to do with growth its just nappy hair is weaker then straighter types so it breaks easily and needs a little more care. Just look around this site and the internet you will see many nappies with long hair without locks.

Oh to answer your question lol my hair is only eight inches and my permed hair was 4 inches below BSL so I dont know if its going to be longer then that but I know its not breaking as much.
[/b]

actually genetics have a big part on it, I have a friend who is white that her hair only ever grows up to her neckline, she trims regularly and does nothing to it, but it never grows, the same is true with the women on her father side of the family.

I haven&#39;t been nappy for a long time so I cant say yet if that&#39;s the longest that my hair will grow, as it is now close to the maximum length that my hair reached when relaxed. I trim too much, specially the back, as it grows faster than the front (dont want a mullet), but I will lay off the scissors for a while and we will see :)

[Mae]

Wow Mae... :wub: I&#39;m adding you to my long hair inspiration list! How long have you been growing your hair?
[/b]

Thanks for the complements ladies! I have been natural since Fall 1994. I bc&#39;ed again in 1999, and this set of hair I have had since. But I have cut it into styles so many times that, like folks say, my length may not accuratly represent how long my hair could be if I just let it grow.....but the longest hair I have had, p.ermed or natural, has been shoulder length to mid back length (bsl)....

[nurseN98]

At this point, my hair is a little longer then it was when I was r.el.ax.ed. So I do think genetics may play a part in it but at that point, that&#39;s when (if you want your hair longer) you have to do "extra" to retain your length. I modified my regimen a few months ago to get myself to this point and beyond because (like most of us) when I had a chemical fire cream, it only grew to a certain point.

I&#39;m gonna see if I can get to waistlength as a natural, if I don&#39;t I won&#39;t be sad though. I just want to see if I can do it....if I get to that point I&#39;ma take pics then cut it anyway...lol.

[LadyThoms]

P&G research website (Hair Growth Cycle) (http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_21.htm)

genetics as well as proper hair care play a role in how long your hair gets.

[honeybunch2k5]

My hair never touched my shoulders when I was a permie. My napps seem to grow really well now that I take better care of my hair, and I finally have hair that can touch my shoulders. Sometimes it seems like my hair is p.ermie length cuz of shrinkage.

[christian_witchie2005]

actually it could be. i know several white girls who can&#39;t grow their hair past this length, even with good hair care. i heard somewhere that hair follicles will grow for 2-7 years before the hair is shed and the process starts all over again from scratch. that&#39;s a HUGE gap! 2 years being 12 inches of hair, and 7 years being 84 inches (with the average growth rate of 1/2 inch per month). i mean... your hair length potential is genetically determined. whether or not you reach that full potential, depends on how well you care for your hair. but for some people, that full potential may only be 12 inches. just like for some, it may be 84 inches. most of us will, of course, fall in the middle of those 2 extremes. :dunno:

***back on topic: as a child, the longest my re.laxed hair reached was 30 inches (measured from crown to ends). once i started frying it with heat appliances and having to trim and cut to keep split ends at bay, my hair seemed to stay right between 15-18 inches. so i know my hair can grow to at least armpit length with not-so-good hair care, and midback or longer if i take very good care of it. it&#39;ll take me many years to find out though... and that&#39;s if i have the patience for that much hair... :lol: but i am curious!
[/b]

umm that doesnt make any sense, if you measure 12 inches frmo the back of your head or even middle of you head, EVERYONE should be able to grow their hair to at least........ armpit lenght.

[carlasher]

Though I never relaxed, I burnt and my hair never got passed my shoulders. I had tons of breakage and my hair was permanently straight. It was horrible, dry with split ends and it smelled horrible when I got it wet.

It wasnt until I cut all the burnt hair off and stop using heat did my hair start getting strong longer and longer. Long hair does run in my family. My great grandmother had it down to her butt and it was nappy. Not curly nappy. Nappy nappy. Other women had hair down their backs of various textures too and none of them locked it. They did take very good care of it. They would pick at it for hours just so they wont break any of it off. :unsure:

[yassylane]

I dont know maybe hair length is predetermined. Me and a best girlfriend of mine both bced the very same day. I never had long hair p.ermed it was 3-4 inches and ashy, like the joke goes "I had to smile to put my hair in a ponytail" It was straight stringy thin and ugly. But now its 12 inches, thick, and its jet black, I had no idea my hair was this dark. My friend is natural and she still has a twa and she complains all the time about it not growing and that maybe she should go back to the p.erm. I also wondered maybe she was doing something wrong its been 2 years. I dont know maybe its not wired to grow any longer.

[meagan22]

To use a comparison I found on another site: If a square inch of scalp represents a village, my village is chock full of skinny people.[/b]
:lol: :lol:
as of right now my hair is about 9" long. My hair was 12-13" long when I decided to grow out my fire cream, so my hair isn&#39;t the same lenght yet, but after another year or so of growth I anticipate my hair being at least 12" long (assuming that I can control my scissor-happiness). The thing is, but hair got to that length because I stopped using the lye in high school. I started lyeing again before I started college and my hair pretty much stayed that length. My growth was supper slow when I started lyeing again, but now my hair grows about 6/16" per month.

[natitwists]

My natural hair is definitely longer than my relaxed hair ever was. The longest my relaxed hair ever got was to the nape of my neck, IF it got that long. But my natural hair before I shaved it off was approximately 14 inches.(stretched) I NEVA thought my hair could get past my neck but now I know it can. ;)

[jmnappy]

My relaxed hair would grow just beneath my shoulders. I retain more length with natural hair, though.

[sunshine21]

I am new to the sight but not new to my hair. Genetics and age play a big factor in hair growth. Hair care also plays a large part in hair growth. So if your hair stops growing it could be : Genetics, Age, and Hair Care. Use process of elimination. How does your hair react to certain products. If your hair stops growing. Switch stylists. Switch Hair care products. Even Switch up your routine. Trim less if you can. Stimulate your scalp more. Dont comb as much. Just switch up whatever you are doing.

As far as age goes the older you get, the slower your hair grows. 28 or less your hair should be still growing at average rates. Measure your hair every 2 months to get a feel for your growth rate. Measure it in 4 sections: back front and on each side. I notice depending on what section of my head the growth rate is different. The sides grow the fastest at exactly 1/2 of an inch/ month. The front and the back grow between 1/2 and 1/4 of and inch per month. But I noticed once my hair gets past 6 inches as a whole the back picks up on its growth rate. But once my hair hits about 8-10 inches the growth rate slows down again. This could be because of the different stages the hair goes through.

As far as genetics. If you notice your brother or sisters or parents hair growing past a certain point, then more then likely yours will too. Especially if it works for your parents. It just means you are doing something wrong. I also believe you cant compare free style hair to locs, As locs go through a different pattern in order to become so long.

But honestly also, you have to be proud of your hair as what it is, as you have already done. That is most important. Which was something I had to learn. Hair takes patience, love, nurturing, and attention.

[Down2EarthNatural]

By the time I reached a year natural, my hair was the longest length it was permed. It&#39;s been a year and six months and now it&#39;s longer than it has ever been, perm or no perm.

[TalkingYam]

I am new to the sight but not new to my hair. Genetics and age play a big factor in hair growth. Hair care also plays a large part in hair growth. So if your hair stops growing it could be : Genetics, Age, and Hair Care. Use process of elimination. How does your hair react to certain products. If your hair stops growing. Switch stylists. Switch Hair care products. Even Switch up your routine. Trim less if you can. Stimulate your scalp more. Dont comb as much. Just switch up whatever you are doing.

As far as age goes the older you get, the slower your hair grows. 28 or less your hair should be still growing at average rates. Measure your hair every 2 months to get a feel for your growth rate. Measure it in 4 sections: back front and on each side. I notice depending on what section of my head the growth rate is different. The sides grow the fastest at exactly 1/2 of an inch/ month. The front and the back grow between 1/2 and 1/4 of and inch per month. But I noticed once my hair gets past 6 inches as a whole the back picks up on its growth rate. But once my hair hits about 8-10 inches the growth rate slows down again. This could be because of the different stages the hair goes through.

As far as genetics. If you notice your brother or sisters or parents hair growing past a certain point, then more then likely yours will too. Especially if it works for your parents. It just means you are doing something wrong. I also believe you cant compare free style hair to locs, As locs go through a different pattern in order to become so long.

But honestly also, you have to be proud of your hair as what it is, as you have already done. That is most important. Which was something I had to learn. Hair takes patience, love, nurturing, and attention.[/b]
Thanks for the great detailed advice. Even though I had a big afro years ago before my locs, it&#39;s hard right now to imagine my loose hair will reach that length again. I&#39;m gonna try your measuring method.
Yam

[MotherLand]

Interesting....

I know that before I got a straighten the ish outta my hair with a burning chemical could touch the bottom of my shoulder-blade. (But I didn&#39;t trim my hair that much so I when it came time to trim my hair I suually took off about 3 inches. :( )

After I got the straighten the ish outta my hair with a burning chemical was 1-2 inches past my shoulder @ it&#39;s longest point. Then it only began to break off.

As soon as I stopped perming it though- it began to grow like crazy.

I&#39;m working on wearing protective styles and haven&#39;t been natural that long so I don&#39;t know my hair&#39;s full potential yet even though I&#39;m sure I can grow it past shoulder-length. The question is- can I keep it healthy?

[Natural Kinks]

That&#39;s a great question. I definitely think that genetics play a role. I didn&#39;t let my natural hair get as long as my relaxed hair was. But then my relaxed hair wasn&#39;t as long as my natural hair was as a child. I definitely think that it could get there if I let it grow though. I didn&#39;t deal with "damage" even with relaxed hair as it was still lengthy and thick until I cut and kept it cut for 6 years in that Halle design.

[Sekhmet]

After almost 4 years, my natural hair hasn&#39;t yet reached my maximum length when it was relaxed. I figure I need 2 more years. It took me about 6 to grow it that long. It&#39;s only at brastrap length right now.

[mrsloh]

I really haven&#39;t worn my natural hair long enough without cutting it to be able to get to the length my permed hair was when it was at its longest. In my relaxed days whenever I cut to a pixie cut (1-2") it took about 2 years to get past my shoulders, I figure in another year (if I dont cut it) I will be at around that length. I will see what happens from there..... ETA, One thing I do notice is that my natural hair grows faster than my permed hair.
[/b]

same here...

[Jazitones]

Some fantastic replys!

[nappysurgeon]

Now here is my question. Does anyone notice that your hair is the same length today as it was when you had the perm?
Has your hair grew longer natural?[/b]

My hair has been longer natural than with a perm. My longest hair as a perm was just past my shoulders. The longest natural hair was a little past mid shoulder blades (blow dried), it took 3 yrs to go from TWA to that length. And that was with trims every 4 months.

What is the source that hair growth length is genetics? I thought the rate at which it grew is genetics. I guess I should google that. :doh

[kblc06]

I understand that genetics may play a role in hair growth, but what if many people can&#39;t determine their genetic potential when many in their families practice unhealthy hair care techniques and are constantly experiencing breakage or always cut their hair before it reaches its max. potential. For instance, when my mom was younger, her hair came to about midback and grows extremely fast, if she takes care of it, but most of the time when it gets to about apl, she cuts it back off to her neck. And for me when i first got a re.laxer at 10 (i was about 4&#39;10 in height) , i could literally sit on my hair (and i haven&#39;t grown but about 4in. in height since then, now 5&#39;2) so i know i should at least be able to get to waistlength.

But here&#39;s the thing I wonder about, i cut my hair to about chin length (in the very front and left 2- 3inches of relaxed ends which i still have left to cut) in Dec 2005, and 1.5 in the back and crown of my hair. I kept my hair in a bun for about 3-4 months afterwards and i took it down and it had literally grown to 2 inches below shoulders(about 4-5in), including the back, but from this point (even when it was relaxed) it would take me a good year to get it to come anywhere near bsl. I wonder, is it possible that hair grows in spurts, because my hair will grow easliy from 1 length to the next, then take forever to get to the next milestone, and then it&#39;ll grow fast again after it reaches that milestone. However my mother&#39;s hair grows consistently at a steady rate, so maybe the problem is that your hair is going through a similar phase. I honestly believe that hair growth depends majorly on retaining the length through proper hair care, not so much on genetics because let&#39;s face it, many black women don&#39;t have a really good model for determining genetic max potential.

[NappyHeadedGirl]

If hair is constantly growing, even for a little bit after you die, then how can you have a predetermined length?

[SoulfulSista]

Now here is my question. Does anyone notice that your hair is the same length today as it was when you had the perm?

Has your hair grew longer natural?
[/b]

My hair is longer natural than it was relaxed. My longest length as a permie was around shoulder length. I&#39;ve been natural for almost two years now and my hair is a couple inches shy of bra strap length when stretched.

[humble1]

If hair is constantly growing, even for a little bit after you die, then how can you have a predetermined length?
[/b]


Genetics can determine the length of the anagen (growth) phase. For example, my anagen phase might allow my hair to grow for 4 years before it sheds. If someone with a similar growth rate has a shorter anagen phase their hair is not capable of attaining the length mine might. Of course this example assumes we are able to retain all we grow. My poor hair care practices might not allow me to retain 4 years worth of growth.

[Blutifully Human]

Honestly, my hair length and strength has never been the same since chemicals. I&#39;ve been natural for most of my life, but when I would look back at childhood photos, my hair seemed veeery long and healthy before I got my first (and last) perm in grade school. I don&#39;t know if it just appeared that way becuz the hair is being compared to a younger & smaller body than what I have now, but I can see the difference.

My hair is still very thick & full, but length wise, it rarely goes too far past my shoulders unless I wear braids/extensions for a long period of time (2 months or more). But usually I have to get the hair trimmed coming out of braids, and ya&#39;ll know how hairdressers can get scissor happy...so there goes all that length I gained :rolleyes:

Still workin on it tho. I promised myself that i&#39;m going to keep my hair in protective styles for 3 months, so I&#39;ll see if there&#39;s any progress...

[Napia Mia]

Honestly, my hair length and strength has never been the same since chemicals. I&#39;ve been natural for most of my life, but when I would look back at childhood photos, my hair seemed veeery long and healthy before I got my first (and last) perm in grade school. I don&#39;t know if it just appeared that way becuz the hair is being compared to a younger & smaller body than what I have now, but I can see the difference.

My hair is still very thick & full, but length wise, it rarely goes too far past my shoulders unless I wear braids/extensions for a long period of time (2 months or more). But usually I have to get the hair trimmed coming out of braids, and ya&#39;ll know how hairdressers can get scissor happy...so there goes all that length I gained :rolleyes:

Still workin on it tho. I promised myself that i&#39;m going to keep my hair in protective styles for 3 months, so I&#39;ll see if there&#39;s any progress...
[/b]

Well, one things for sure, you need to learn the nappy technique for trimming your own hair so you can stop going to the hairdresser. At this point, there is noooooo way I&#39;d let one get near me with a pair of scissors for any reason. Get a good pair of hair scissors (and don&#39;t use them for anything else but cutting hair). Twist your hair in medium-sized twists. Snip the ends. That&#39;s it. So simple. That way you control how much hair you cut off. Also, if you&#39;re taking really good care of your hair, you MAY not need to trim it frequently. I last did a full head trim back in February. Before that, the previous July. Not sure when I&#39;ll do the next trim.

Anyway, girl do it yourself and save your money...and your hair!

[Blutifully Human]

Well, one things for sure, you need to learn the nappy technique for trimming your own hair so you can stop going to the hairdresser. At this point, there is noooooo way I&#39;d let one get near me with a pair of scissors for any reason. Get a good pair of hair scissors (and don&#39;t use them for anything else but cutting hair). Twist your hair in medium-sized twists. Snip the ends. That&#39;s it. So simple. That way you control how much hair you cut off. Also, if you&#39;re taking really good care of your hair, you MAY not need to trim it frequently. I last did a full head trim back in February. Before that, the previous July. Not sure when I&#39;ll do the next trim.

Anyway, girl do it yourself and save your money...and your hair!
[/b]

Wow, I am always so amazed by people who can cut their own hair. I&#39;ve always been afraid that i might cut too much, too little (not cutting off the split ends/damage), or that i&#39;m making my hair uneven. I guess that&#39;s probably just coming from a straight hair mindset, in which u can easily notice any significant inconsistencies. I don&#39;t go to the shop often, but I know that whenever I do, a trim is ALWAYS suggested (which of course means more money <_< ). Since i&#39;m committed to natural styles now, I think i&#39;m gonna give it a shot and start trimming my own hair. I&#39;m all about saving some change. Thanks for the boost NappymeHappyme :)

[Mezzie]

My hair is almost two and a half times as long as it was when I was perming. My hair would never get past the top of my shoulders also. Now it is that same length when it&#39;s twisted and it falls down my back to my shoulder blades when burnt. The only reason I know this is because I get my hair burnt like once or twice a year strictly for trimming purposes. I have split ends that cannot be tamed by trimming when in it&#39;s natural state. When other women see my hair like that the often wonder why I don&#39;t perm it anymore. They have no idea that my hair would not be this long and thick and healthy if I had not stopped perming it in the first place. Give me a BAA over long straight hair anyday. :afro:

[Jazitones]

As far as age goes the older you get, the slower your hair grows.
[/b]


BINGO! I&#39;m 45 and do believe that my hair growth has slowed down due to my age. Thank you! :P

[MissEmbrya]

I can&#39;t really answer the ?. When I was a p.ermie (and before as a natural), my hair was always cut at midback or a few inches past shoulder length so the ends would be healthy. And I&#39;ve only been natural for 10 months (after 13 months of transitioning) so I have no idea how long my hair can grow.

Hair growth is mostly genetic, but also is related to a lesser extent to environmental factors such as hormone levels, nutrition, age, etc. For example, I used harsh shampoo and some Motions grease on my hair as a permie and curled it every day, but I still had midback length hair with healthy ends. Lots of women in my family do this and maintain shoulder length, waistlength, etc. hair.

I think a lot of people forget that loc&#39;ing traps hair that would otherwise shed (weaving it into a basket of sorts) so that&#39;s not true growth --> as in the length of an individual strand.

[Cammydoll]

Its a little soon for me to tell as well. If my growth is steady, in a few months Ill be able to know. Im 100% sure that my hair will grow longer in its napptural state.

When I was a permie it was a little longer than it is right now but its because the perm stretched my hair out.
One thing that hasnt changed its still long and fast growing on the top of my head :lol: What is this protection for the winter months or something?

My mom has long hair and most of the women in my family have fast growing hair I do too.

I refuse to belive that locking(as beautiful as it is) is the only way to retain length.

I believe we have a predetermined maximum growth potential however proper hair care, nutrition and protective styling is the best way to reach maximum length.

[zaftig77]

When I was younger, my hair reached to the center of my back. I think it is because my mother never did anything to it. She just put it in a bun 24-7.

. The longest my hair has ever been when I started using the CFC was just beyond my shoulder. Now that I am nappy, it is back to that length, and I hope to grow it as long as it was when I was younger, but I may have only had that length because it was in a bun. Besides, I don&#39;t know what I will do with all of that hair...

[sirabe10368]

During my first natural experience 2001-2004. My hair exceeded my permed growth stage. Actually at 9 inches, it even exceeded my childhood length. Then I got it p.ermed in 2004 it got to 11 inches( mainly because of the things I learned being natural) I BC&#39;d in oct 2005 to 1.5 " (not becasue Natural is the way to go but I don&#39;t like going to the salon) and now it is to 6.25 ". I think that I retain length much better this time being natural, ( but that could be because I wear it mostly in twists, rather than fro&#39;d out like the first time).

[Whitley Gilbert]

Now here is my question. Does anyone notice that your hair is the same length today as it was when you had the perm?

Has your hair grew longer natural?
[/b]

My natural length hasn&#39;t gotten anywhere near my permed hair length, not even close to my natural length before my very first perm. Although, I was permed for a longer time than I&#39;ve been natural now. I was also natural longer when I was younger, than this time around. So, with that said, I&#39;m just chalking it up to time... the length will come eventual. I&#39;m in no hurry. :)