Could You Have Grown Long Hair Without Protective Styling

[vtoodler]

For those who have achieved their hair goals or are getting there, do you think that you could grown your hair without protective styling?

Because for me, I hate protective styling. I believe that, once you work hard and realize your growth goals, you should be able to enjoy it and wear your hair as you like. You should enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What do you think?

 

[MsChelle]

I have had long (past shoulder length) hair all of my life and I had never heard the term "protective styling" until I joined LHCF. In the past I have been a scissor happy kind of girl so once my hair got to the point it was below my shoulders I would cut it.

 

[Kurlee]

Yes, but it would have been slower.

 

[prettypithy]

Personally, I think low manipulation, rather than protective styling, is the secret to my own length retention. With that said, I'm lazy, PSing is easy and reliable and so I do both.

 

[nickpoopie]

I'd never heard of protective styling or any of the methods used on this forum until I joined and I was able to grow my hair past shoulder length. The longest my hair has ever been is APL and all I ever did was wash my hair weekly and rollerset it. It seems that I didn't start having set-backs until I started back going to the salon and I'm positive that had I continued to do it myself I'd be waist length by now. I'm currently back to doing my own hair, except for relaxers-I still go to the shop for that, my current routine is 20 week strecthes. Once I get to week 12 I have to bun-it for the remaining 8weeks. I just relaxed this past Saturday from a stretch and I think I'm 3 inches from APL. This next stretch should do it for me.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Yes, definitely. Growth and retention was never an issue. Only damage by myself and stylists.

 

[LongLeggedLife]

Never wore any with growth goals in mind, my "protective styling" is a bad hair day
I try not to have them often, but when pressed for time or I've been lazy the previous night, southern tease bun+chopsticks it is.

I'm past my hair goal without using PS, I just wanted to grow from a short cut to whatever amt of hair Tracee Ellis Ross hasLOL. But now looking at all the ladies who go to Reniece, I kinda want that perfect u-shaped MBL! In no hurry though-I'm content now.

 

[coachchica]

Yes. I didn't know about protective styling until I became a member in August. I have never done this and my hair grows to mid back easily. I added a moisturizer and and stopped cranking my flat iron to 450 my hair has hit waist which is my goal.

 

[Austro-Afrikana]

No - my hair is too fine. I couldn't have achieved any decent growth without braids.

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

Lol, nope.
My hair is fine and fragile, and I am not a careful person. So when I slack on PSing, I don't retain anything because it all splits and breaks from rubbing on stuff and getting caught in everything.

When I get to goal and can focus on maintenance, I will wear my hair down because I'll be trimming anyway, but while I'm growing, I gotta PS.
Luckily, I don't mind.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

^^^(LOL Jinx!) For me, protective styling and low manipulation is a must for the lengths I want to achieve. My hair is fragile, I don't have thick strands, so the more I leave it alone the more strands will have stayed in tact 4 years down the line.

 

[NikkiGirl]

Yea, I have always had long hair. So growth/retention was never a problem with me. My problem was I was killing my hair with heat. Heat is my numero uno enemy!

 

[pre_medicalrulz]

I wondered this too. Many long haired women on the board, WL & beyond, seemed to have PS 99% of the time. At least that's what I have read so far.

Some people like to wear their hair out on their HJ. That's okay too. Just be happy. However for myself, I have reached BSB/BSL before the hair boards and before my journey with no PS. But never any further. So I don't care about wearing hair out that I'm used to having all along. Now I want something like WL or HL & PS'ing is going to get me there in the least amount of time. Length now, play later.

Sent from my LG-MS690 using LG-MS690

 

[MariposaSexyGirl]

Yes. Although I wear my hair up during the week, I have worn my hair down pretty much every weekend since I started growing my hair. Occasionally I wear my hair down during the week if I have some where to go. But if I'm not doing anything my hair is up out of the way. I enjoy wearing my hair down and seeing the length. I do what I want with it.

Sent from my Sprint EVO using LHCF app

 

[**SaSSy**]

Yes, but I think PS have help protect my ends better which results in less trimming which equals more length retention.

 

[Triniwegian]

I couldn't because my strands are super thin.

 

[FoxxyLocs]

My problem wasn't with retention, but I'm very scissor happy. If I didn't ps I would have cut my hair out of frustration. So my answer is no. I like to put my hair away and leave it for a week or more. If it weren't for that I'd be maintaining at SL.

Sent from my HTC Evo

 

[Forever in Bloom]

No, because I didn't see a difference until I actually started protective styling. My hair growth and retention took off when I began hiding it away.

 

[Ronnieaj]

My ends can get frayed very quickly, even with PSing. However, I wouldn't get to this length without a major cut without doing fairly consistent PS. I wear my hair out more in the summer and when I reach my goal length I'll wear it out even more, but there's no since in my risking a setback just to enjoy my hair temporarily, when I'm not where I want to be.

 

[Napp]

I think i get better retention wearing my hair loose. For me it means less manipulation. If i dont use direct heat i dont have issues with splits or breakage. The tangling and detangling sessions i have from protective styles negate the low maintenance the initially provide.

 

[*CherryPie*]

Yes...and I did. I've always had long hair (APL-MBL) and I never protective styled or used low maniplation.

 

[Evolving78]

i have better luck without protective styling. low manipulation is the key for me.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

Prior to cutting my hair four years ago, I always had long hair. I just wanted healthier hair practices.

 

[ADB]

Yes. My hair has always been long. I wore it down all the time in high school. it was brastrap length then. When I found LHCF and learned about protective styling my hair grew to waist length and beyond.

 

[LovelyNaps26]

i didn't need ps when i was relaxed. as a natural it's different. case in point...

2010: i retained 5 inches in one year from protective styling all the time
2011: with wearing braidouts much more often i only retained 2-3 inches b/c i had to cut knots out more.

retaining 2-3 inches a year is fine once i reach my goal but for now i'm going back to wearing protective styles 90% of the time. one more year of this and i'll be waist length. totally worth it!

 

[Aireen]

Yes, I have. Any mistakes along the way in my journey I can attribute to my foolishness that has nothing to do with protective styling. I feel like I shouldn't have to go through extremes just to have long hair and if I have to, I rather not have it; a reason why my regimen is so simple and succinct sans protective styling.

 

[ManeStreet]

Yes but it would take longer because I would have to trim more often.

 

[Carrie A]

I'm past my hair goal without using PS, I just wanted to grow from a short cut to whatever amt of hair Tracee Ellis Ross hasLOL. But now looking at all the ladies who go to Reniece, I kinda want that perfect u-shaped MBL! In no hurry though-I'm content now.

I've been drooling over those Reniece hemlines too

I think protective styling (bun) helped me but I feel like it's not impossible to grow without it. I think the main keys for me are being natural and sealing ends with water and castor oil.

 

[Mische]

I feel like I shouldn't have to go through extremes just to have long hair and if I have to, I rather not have it

This is how I feel. If I have to hide my hair 99% of the time to reach a new length, I'd rather just stay where I'm at. Luckily, airdrying and low manipulation have been enough for me to retain length despite wearing my hair out daily.

 

[Kn0ttyByNatur3]

I dunno. My hair always been MBL or longer , but it always been a ponytail, braids and bun ALL my life. My mother was very lazy on doin my hair and I turned out to be the same. I don't really like my hair out and free a lot.


I just learnwed about PSing on forums.