Tips For Retention

[korean]

Good Evening Ladies--
I have been facing a serious battle with retention. It seems like every time I reach APL my hair hits a road bump. My growth seems to stop, or at least thats what I thought. However, I am realizing that my hair is still growing im just not holding on to the length. So what are some tips that you ladies have for retaining length?

 

[HoneyA]

I would say not trimming for a while, moisturising well and wearing protective styles most of the times. That's what helped me to retain length.

 

[Galadriel]

Co-sign. Moisture, Protection, and not over-using heat.

 

[wheezy807]

I would say not trimming for a while, moisturising well and wearing protective styles most of the times. That's what helped me to retain length.

Yep, plus deep conditioning atleast once a week.

 

[Lanea87]

Make sure you get some protein in so that hair can stay strong.

 

[MarieB]

I've been curious about this too...I have been just past SL before, but thin and with breakage for many years, then in January I chopped off the raggedy ends, and started using MT. So right now I am brushing full SL (I think), and growing out my layers. I protect my ends mainly with a pony with the ends tucked under, and wrap every night. My regimen is giving me great growth, and my hair looks to be thick and healthy; I just want to grow it long and strong, and keep it.

 

[Kimiche]

Good Topic OP.

 

[Everything Zen]

Swallow your vanity.

No seriously, unless you get a wig, braids or something wearing protective styles can be so blah but keep your eyes on the prize. I treat my hair like it's very weak and fragile and cowash my hair section into two big braids mostly using fingers, pin the ends up opposite sides of each other to keep them moist and slap a loose headband on and let it airdry- even in the winter. Sometimes I'll add two yaki ponytails to it and make long braids or buns.

I only wear it straight for 4-6 weeks after a touch up and then if it needs to be dressy it's reverse dry rollerset time. Roll hair onto rollers paper ends and all and THEN dunk your whole head in the shower and get it saturated. Proceed to drying as usual. But even then I don't do this often. I miss looking pretty though- I'm getting a nice wig this time around.

 

[TonicaG]

I had a former co-worker who was waist length that encouraged wearing the hair up and leave it alone. I was like "huh?" She said her grandmother told her, "If you want your hair to grow long, healthy and pretty to wear it up."

I've been wearing the donut bun going on five weeks and thank God, I've not seen any breakage. I take it down when I get home from work to apply MN/Moe Gro Oil and under the satin bun for the night.

I'm relaxing next week in order to be cuter for a wedding I'm attending and am excited to see the growth that I've achieved! Right now, I'm grazing the top of my bra strap, I hope to be under the strap after the relaxer!

So, my advice would be to minimize manipulation, keep your hair/ends conditioned and moisturized, drink lots of water and wear protective styles. If you keep in mind that you're trying to attain a goal, your mind will override the "boringness" of the buns.

Best wishes!
TonicaG

 

[Fine 4s]

I've been meaning to ask you ladies this question...
I've been wearing twists for about a month now and washed and DCed only once- got lazy. But since I still have some heat stretched ends, they don't stay twisted, they look like lose hair at the tips. Are my ends protected?

 

[Fine 4s]

I had a former co-worker who was waist length that encouraged wearing the hair up and leave it alone. I was like "huh?" She said her grandmother told her, "If you want your hair to grow long, healthy and pretty to wear it up."

I've been wearing the donut bun going on five weeks and thank God, I've not seen any breakage. I take it down when I get home from work to apply MN/Moe Gro Oil and under the satin bun for the night.

I'm relaxing next week in order to be cuter for a wedding I'm attending and am excited to see the growth that I've achieved! Right now, I'm grazing the top of my bra strap, I hope to be under the strap after the relaxer!

So, my advice would be to minimize manipulation, keep your hair/ends conditioned and moisturized, drink lots of water and wear protective styles. If you keep in mind that you're trying to attain a goal, your mind will override the "boringness" of the buns.

Best wishes!
TonicaG

Great point! I get bored too but my mind completely overrides this feeling everytime I envision my waistlength hair!

 

[Highly Favored8]

I had a former co-worker who was waist length that encouraged wearing the hair up and leave it alone. I was like "huh?" She said her grandmother told her, "If you want your hair to grow long, healthy and pretty to wear it up."

I've been wearing the donut bun going on five weeks and thank God, I've not seen any breakage. I take it down when I get home from work to apply MN/Moe Gro Oil and under the satin bun for the night.

I'm relaxing next week in order to be cuter for a wedding I'm attending and am excited to see the growth that I've achieved! Right now, I'm grazing the top of my bra strap, I hope to be under the strap after the relaxer!

So, my advice would be to minimize manipulation, keep your hair/ends conditioned and moisturized, drink lots of water and wear protective styles. If you keep in mind that you're trying to attain a goal, your mind will override the "boringness" of the buns.

Best wishes!
TonicaG

Great points

 

[TonicaG]

I've been meaning to ask you ladies this question...
I've been wearing twists for about a month now and washed and DCed only once- got lazy. But since I still have some heat stretched ends, they don't stay twisted, they look like lose hair at the tips. Are my ends protected?

I perceive you will have some regretable issues when you come out of those twists and you could potentially lose some of your length. If you're not protecting your ends, you can't expect to see postive results especially with you admitting that you've only wached/DC once.

Are you using any type of moisturizing lotion?

 

[donewit-it]

Good Topic OP.

Yes it is indeed. My mission for 2009 is RETENTION, RETENTION, RETENTION.

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Braid it up and moisturize those braids. I mean it. I know it's not pretty...or do like Ediese and use a weave as a protective style. I braid when I'm tired of my hair and have always gotten a bump in growth and retaining that has lead me to my current MBL position. Try it. What would it hurt?

 

[Faith]

Braids can look pretty if effort is put into making yourself look pretty while in braids

There are many braided styles online where the model has it in some updo for an evening out or some loose style for daytime. Cool hair ornaments can be used, scarves, etc..

Just some "retention" history. From 1999 to about 2003 I used braids to get to ~3" from my waist (I had started with 1/2" of hair).
And again I'm using them to grow my hair out. From June 2006 to now. I started from zero this time. You can use it just to get over the hump..try 3 months. Braiding every 6 weeks.

 

[korean]

bump bump bump

 

[Chameleonchick]

Yes it is indeed. My mission for 2009 is RETENTION, RETENTION, RETENTION.

Thats my mission too. I'm going to try this washing in braids thing to see if that helps out.

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Braids can look pretty if effort is put into making yourself look pretty while in braids

There are many braided styles online where the model has it in some updo for an evening out or some loose style for daytime. Cool hair ornaments can be used, scarves, etc..

Just some "retention" history. From 1999 to about 2003 I used braids to get to ~3" from my waist (I had started with 1/2" of hair).
And again I'm using them to grow my hair out. From June 2006 to now. I started from zero this time. You can use it just to get over the hump..try 3 months. Braiding every 6 weeks.

I'm sure it can. Unfortunately mine are just plain. Probably because I'm not trying to spend hours every time doing it as I just have too much hair length/thickness. so I know I do my basic cornrows that go down into a braided bun and move on with my life until the next time!

 

[Faith]

Ah, you have cornrows..yeah it's hard to do much with them. I wish I could do my own cornrows. I have the individuals.
So OP, you have choices. Cornrows in some nice intricate style for 2-3 weeks or braids that can be styled in different ways for 6-12 weeks. Plus you can use weaves, twists, etc. Good luck!

 

[joib]

Great point! I get bored too but my mind completely overrides this feeling everytime I envision my waistlength hair!

ITA Fine 4s, I don't pay much attention to the way my hair looks from fall, winter and spring. What is most important is that I moisturize and seal. I keep my hair protected for 9 months. OP, don't worry about the style so much just keep up with the DC, moist, sealing, and PROTECTIVE STYLES.

 

[RedVelvet310]

Yep, plus deep conditioning atleast once a week.

CoSigning with DCing. I also found that washing and DCing hair every 4days (twice a week) speeds up my growth. DC DC DC!! Can't stress it enough!

 

[Whimsy]

Join the bunning bandwagon. I'm hoping that's what'll get me past BSL.

 

[Sounique]

Is wearing your hair in a high ponytail considered a protective style or does the ends have to be tucked away too?

 

[mscocoface]

Any time your ends are rubbing up against something or landing on something they are being exposed to possible breakage and anything else. Doesn't matter if your are natural or not natural, low ponytail, high ponytail. If it is swinging or out in the open it is possible to have some retention issues.

My motto is protect those ends like a jealous lover. I am happy to say that this type of JEALOUSY is seeing some positive results.

I am real particular about how I detangle my ends because I am very heavy handed and can get impatient when I am dealing with knots on the ends.

I also make sure that I retain some type of moisture in my hair via cowashing, spritzing or just running water over it.

 

[Barbie83]

bumpity........bump

 

[ladysaraii]

So far I put my hair into 2 french braids and wear them under wigs during the work week. I wash (shampoo and condition) 1x per week and co wash 2x per week. Each time I take the hair out, apply my MN mix after wash and rebraid.

Should this be ok or is this too much manipulation

 

[ebonyhair]

MN and wear daily buns!! It works!!

 

[Nice Lady]

ITA with most of these ladies that if you want to see faster retention results--protective styling is key. This relaxer cycle my hair looked good and was not split like the last time due to wearing it down, not taking my time to detangle and also, manipulating my hair too much. I thought that my growth would be fine wearing it out until I sat in a movie theater with my hair pulled back and the movie theater chair ripped a couple strands as I was moving forward. From that day forward, I protective styled.

Keeping a healthy balance between protein/moisture.

 

[shamarie]

Thanks OP for starting this thread.
Thanks ladies for the great advice
Bump