Anyone Here With Hair Shrinkage Goals!

mscocoface · May 17, 2007

For all of you ladies that are completely natural and you have some serious shrinkage issues, how long do you think your hair in its TOTALLY natural state would need to be in order for you to reach a goal in length you would be satisfed with?

For example, if I stretch my hair now it is just at BSL, but without stretching it is just at shoulder length. So for me I would be satisfied with length UNSTRETCHED somewhere near the BSL. Now by this I mean just doing regular unheated styles like pony tails, pig tails, twists, braids, cornrows, box braids, locs, etc.

That means I will need another 8-12 inches in length unstretched which means another 2-3 years, for me this would be interesting to try and obtain, but I could do it. :eek:

I was thinking about this because I realize 99.99999% of the time I will not be placing any heat in my hair or doing any banding to help show the true length so I thought getting a real sense of the truly natural state of my hair would help me in dealing with the reality of the shrinkage.

I will keep and maintain my stretched length goal as well as trying to obtain the new goal for hair with shrinkage. I don't think I can let go of the stretched goal just yet, considering all the work that has gone into it.

Anyone up for that challenge? What would be your shrunken hair length goal and when do you think you would make it?

Dee Raven · May 17, 2007

Hey MsCoco,

Interesting topic. I never though of having an unstretched goal until right now when you mentioned it. Mainly because my hair shrinks a lot. On the top of my head, I just measured, unstretched its 2 in, 6in stretched. And on the sides, it's 1 in unstretched and 6 in unstretched. I like how my hair is now unstretched, it's the perfect little twa, but I can't imagine what it would look like longer. I'm not really a fan of the BAA.

Do you have any expectations of how your hair will look unstretched at BSL? Also, since you hair is longer, have you noticed that your hair shrinks less with the additional growth?

EMJazzy · May 17, 2007

My unstretched goal is a HUGE BAA that can(will) lay comfortably 2 inches pass my shoulders. :eek:

That is going to take a long long long time. :ohwell:

SignatureBeauty · May 17, 2007

My Unstretched goal is Shoulder length, and with a Twa I will have to have probably 12 more inches? I am guessing, I have about a 2 inch Twa so someone can help me estimate.LOL!!

cmw45 · May 17, 2007

I have an unstreteched goal...this is the only goal I've ever had because I don't think that there will be anytime that I am willing to put heat on my hair everyday. :mad:

But as a lover of long hair, I want my hair to be long. My unstretched goal...completely unstretched (my hair is incredibly curly)...is APL...anything longer than that will kill me while I'm in school.

I admire mscocoface...that is a great goal...I don't think I could do it. :lachen:

GoldenBreeze · May 17, 2007

Since my stretched goal is at least WL, then I'd have to say that my unstretched goal is at least MBL. I give it about 3 1/2 yrs. Currently I'm BSL stretched and about 2- 3 in. past shoulder unstretched. Let the challenge begin!

Victorian · May 17, 2007

My hair is really shrinky. I mean REALLY shrinky. Maybe a "partially stretched" goal would work for me, like if I dried my hair in a banded ponytail or something. Otherwise I'd need to be darn near classic length :lol:

Maybe I'll partially stretch my hair this weekend and see where it's at. It would be nice to grow to APL partitially stretched :yep:

cheetarah1980 · May 17, 2007

I would love to have a twistout that sits just below my shoulders. I don't have any goals for my completely shrunken fro since I never let my hair totally shrink.

mscocoface · May 17, 2007

Dee Raven said:
Hey MsCoco,

Interesting topic. I never though of having an unstretched goal until right now when you mentioned it. Mainly because my hair shrinks a lot. On the top of my head, I just measured, unstretched its 2 in, 6in stretched. And on the sides, it's 1 in unstretched and 6 in unstretched. I like how my hair is now unstretched, it's the perfect little twa, but I can't imagine what it would look like longer. I'm not really a fan of the BAA.

Do you have any expectations of how your hair will look unstretched at BSL? Also, since you hair is longer, have you noticed that your hair shrinks less with the additional growth?

So far my hair is growing out and not really down. Shrinkage does not seem any different, the strands are just longer and jockying for position on my head!

So let's see who is all down for the challenge and check in on a schedule. Should it be quarterly or biannually? I think doing anything shorter than these may not be the moral booster we want. But I could be pursuaded otherwise.

I am going to place my unstretched goal in my siggy and my fotki so I can do some comparisions. I think I will keep comparing my length by doing twists which are also in my siggy.

Anything else you ladies would recommend?

mscocoface · May 17, 2007

EMJazzy said:
My unstretched goal is a HUGE BAA that can(will) lay comfortably 2 inches pass my shoulders. That is going to take a long long long time.

It might, but you will be so proud of yourself when you meet that goal. Whoohoo, go on wit cho bad self.

As my Mamma always says, nothing beats a failure but a try! Go for it girl!

mscocoface · May 17, 2007

cheetarah1980 said:
I would love to have a twistout that sits just below my shoulders. I don't have any goals for my completely shrunken fro since I never let my hair totally shrink.

I am going to determine my shrinkage growth by when I do my twists like in my siggy. I understand not wanting it to completely shrink because it is something to deal with when it drys to that state, but with the twists or braids it will allow the hair to lay down and you can see the length in its natural state unmanipulated by heat or banding.

mscocoface · May 17, 2007

NappyParadise said:
My Unstretched goal is Shoulder length, and with a Twa I will have to have probably 12 more inches? I am guessing, I have about a 2 inch Twa so someone can help me estimate.LOL!!

I would say go with your guess and then adjust as your hair grows and you get more volume and see the shrinkage factor you have.

mscocoface · May 17, 2007

cmw45 said:
I have an unstreteched goal...this is the only goal I've ever had because I don't think that there will be anytime that I am willing to put heat on my hair everyday. But as a lover of long hair, I want my hair to be long. My unstretched goal...completely unstretched (my hair is incredibly curly)...is APL...anything longer than that will kill me while I'm in school.

I admire mscocoface...that is a great goal...I don't think I could do it.

Check out my hair site and you will see some seriously curly, naw let me call it what it really is some seriously kinky hair. :lachen:

I have a comparison shot somewhere in there of my hair when it is in its natural state as an afro and you will see how long my hair is when it is pulled from what looks like a small to midsize afro. It is shocking to say the least.

Those pics are what got me to thinking about doing this.

Here is what my afro looks like and my shrinkage! :eek:

turnergirl · May 18, 2007

I have an unstretched goal and that is shoulder length in a wash and go style. I refuse to let my hair grow beyond the bottom of BSL so I have 3-4 inches to go and I doubt that will be enough to get me to shoulder length with my wash and go. So I am somewhat accepting of the fact that I may not reach that goal.

GoldenBreeze · May 18, 2007

mscocoface said:
So far my hair is growing out and not really down. Shrinkage does not seem any different, the strands are just longer and jockying for position on my head!

So let's see who is all down for the challenge and check in on a schedule. Should it be quarterly or biannually? I think doing anything shorter than these may not be the moral booster we want. But I could be pursuaded otherwise.

I am going to place my unstretched goal in my siggy and my fotki so I can do some comparisions. I think I will keep comparing my length by doing twists which are also in my siggy.

Anything else you ladies would recommend?

I don't really have dates in mind for when I will reach a certain lenght. I hope that's okay. Somehow saying that I'm going to be at a certain lenght on/by a certain date takes the fun out of hair care for me. Can I still be in the challenge, please, please?

miss Congeniality · May 18, 2007

I would really love to have a wash and go that was passed shoulder length. I know that it will take a few more years, if not forever. It is just so hard for me to gage growth with shrinkage. I know my hair is growing... I think it is. Well, it feels like it is getting thicker instead of longer. I guess another joy of being natural :grin:

Ayeshia · May 18, 2007

I would like my ultimate length with shrinkage to match my sewn in weave in my siggy (BSL unstertched)...anything longer than that is a blessing. If I was WL unstretched then I think my hair would be knee length..not cute

guesswho · May 18, 2007

I don't do straight hairstyles so my only goal was unstretched length, when I stretch my hair now its at brastrap but I want waistlength unstretch I know I know that's a reach, so I'm guessing I have a long road ahead of me, but all I got is time for this hair thing so I'm all up for it, in reality if I want waistlength unstretch I probably have to grow ankle length stretch lol, because my hair have major strinkage its insane,

bLackButtaFly · May 18, 2007

turnergirl said:
I have an unstretched goal and that is shoulder length in a wash and go style. I refuse to let my hair grow beyond the bottom of BSL so I have 3-4 inches to go and I doubt that will be enough to get me to shoulder length with my wash and go. So I am somewhat accepting of the fact that I may not reach that goal.

TURNERGIRL! :eek:

That rollerset is fierce!* off to your fotki to check it out up close*

Back on topic...

My unstretched midterm goal is just shoulderlength twistout, all around front to back.
And my long term goal would be bsl twistout, and mbl stretched. (What a beautiful dream...)
It's be a while b4 I get that. I would see by about Dec 2008 or so I should be there. :look:

cheetarah1980 · May 18, 2007

In order for me to have a shoulder length twistout all the way around, I think my hair would have to be at least BSL all the way around. That goal is probably 2-3 years away (and that's with perfect haircare and no setbacks). I wouldn't want my hair any longer than BSL stretched because that would just be too much hair to deal with.

mscocoface · May 18, 2007

GoldenBreeze said:
I don't really have dates in mind for when I will reach a certain lenght. I hope that's okay. Somehow saying that I'm going to be at a certain lenght on/by a certain date takes the fun out of hair care for me. Can I still be in the challenge, please, please?

Absolutely, I think if we just check in with each other to see the progress is good enough also. This one is a little interesting so I think keeping goals light and checking in is a good thing!

BroadstreetBully · May 18, 2007

My goal length is terminal...which I hope will be at least waistlength stretched. So unstretched I'm hoping for at least a little past shoulder in the back, and at shoulder in the front.

mscocoface · May 18, 2007

Here is who we have up for the challenge right now:

cheetarah1980
bLackButtaFly
guesswho
Ayeshia
miss Congeniality
GoldenBreeze
Poohbear
redRiot
turnergirl

Okay so I think checking in with everyone every three months makes sense?

Does anyone have any advice for those who are in the TWA phase right now?

I think we are all available for questions, comments, rants, praise, etc!

I just admire all of you for the work and effort you have put into the natural process and all its wonderful twists and turns in the journey, you beautiful ladies make me proud to be a natural hair woman. I draw a lot of strength, love and encouragement from you all.

Poohbear · May 18, 2007

I think even when (or if) my hair reaches BSL, my hair will still shrink into a 2 inch TWA. Now that my hair is armpit length, it still shrinks to a 2 inch TWA. It doesn't hang at all after my hair is completely dry from a wash n go. It shrinks up into a coily fro.

guesswho · May 18, 2007

mscocoface said:
Here is who we have up for the challenge right now:

cheetarah1980
bLackButtaFly
guesswho
Ayeshia
miss Congeniality
GoldenBreeze
Poohbear
redRiot
turnergirl

Okay so I think checking in with everyone every three months makes sense?

Does anyone have any advice for those who are in the TWA phase right now?

I think we are all available for questions, comments, rants, praise, etc!

I just admire all of you for the work and effort you have put into the natural process and all its wonderful twists and turns in the journey, you beautiful ladies make me proud to be a natural hair woman. I draw a lot of strength, love and encouragement from you all.

ok how should we take the photos? should we take the photos like your example by stretching the back to see the length? and what's the official beginning date so I would mark my calender for the 3 mth mark to take the pic, I like this challenge btw

GoldenBreeze · May 18, 2007

mscocoface said:
Absolutely, I think if we just check in with each other to see the progress is good enough also. This one is a little interesting so I think keeping goals light and checking in is a good thing!

Great, this should be fun. I look forward to the ladies in this challenge growing hair, sharing, and learning from one another for the next few years.

miss Congeniality · May 18, 2007

mscocoface said:
Here is who we have up for the challenge right now:

cheetarah1980
bLackButtaFly
guesswho
Ayeshia
miss Congeniality
GoldenBreeze
Poohbear
redRiot
turnergirl

Okay so I think checking in with everyone every three months makes sense?

Does anyone have any advice for those who are in the TWA phase right now?

I think we are all available for questions, comments, rants, praise, etc!

I just admire all of you for the work and effort you have put into the natural process and all its wonderful twists and turns in the journey, you beautiful ladies make me proud to be a natural hair woman. I draw a lot of strength, love and encouragement from you all.

OK, are you trying to make me tear up. Your words are just too kind.

I have no idea how to post pics on here; so I'll make the a folder in my fotki.

starfish79 · May 18, 2007

ooooh I like the sound of a challenge in the morning! :lachen:

Right now my hair is hovering above APL stretched. I'd love to have BSL unstretched which (I think) would put me at MBL or WL stretched. Overall I don't want my flat ironed hair to be too much longer than that old pic I have in my avatar. I have some older pics in my fotki, but I'll take some newer ones. So when do we check in again?

silvergirl · May 18, 2007

id love ,.love to have waist length unstretched . it should take me about 2 more years to get to waist length stretched then 1-2 additional year to get there with shinkage.
thats 3-4 more years.. yikes..

WhipEffectz1 · May 18, 2007

I would like to have shoulder length thick shrinkage which tells me that I would need to be at or about BSL.

Anyone Here With Hair Shrinkage Goals!

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