Last year I think I got close to 7-8 inches. But I only kept about 3 to 4 due to excessive trimming. I needed the trims, so in a way I don't regret it. Honestly I don't know how fast my hair grows. The shrinkage from being natural confuses me.
erplexed Plus, with all the trimming, I can't really tell. But I think my hair grows about 1/3 inch per month. The extra inches from last year were based on a huge summer growth spurt. I didn't get the same spurt this year, but my hair still grew a little bit. Basically what has done my hair the most good is keeping it braided and deep conditioned on a regular basis.