"Get your hands Outta Your Hair!" Challenge

Shay72

Natural, 4A
Just checking in....bunned all of last week. LOVING IT! That can be my protective style forever. Decided to stop waiting for my hair to get longer. When I get home I take it out of the bun do light moisture and put on my satin bonnet. Good to go! Can you tell I am very excited about this protective style? I've always wanted to wear my hair in a bun. I just think they are simple and beautiful.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
I've pretty much been wearing my braids throughout the week, and I've been liking it. It's low maintanance. On the week-ends I usually bun or something. It's actually getting slightly harder because my hair is developing a lot of NG, which leaves me with the urge to constantly mess with it, touch it, or restyle my hair to make it look better, but I've got to be strong. I did kindof bad on friday. because of how puffy my hair looked I kept taking it up and down througout the day to try to tame it. I'm sorry guys. I'm going to try harder from now on :yep:.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
Hey ladies. We're almost 2 months (half way) into the GYHOYH challenge, and I don't know about you, but I could use some motivation. I have sooo much NG and I'm so tempted to either go out and buy a flat iron, relax, constantly comb my hair, or some horrible combination of the three. Somedays are better than others, but right about now I'm gettng antsy. And I haven't been particularly good on the chanllenge this past week :nono:. But I really want to stick the challenge out. I feel that, by the end of it, it will have all been worth it. As the challenge goes on I learn more and more how to deal with my hair. It's just so hard to leave my hair alone sometimes!
 

Shay72

Natural, 4A
Hey ladies. We're almost 2 months (half way) into the GYHOYH challenge, and I don't know about you, but I could use some motivation. I have sooo much NG and I'm so tempted to either go out and buy a flat iron, relax, constantly comb my hair, or some horrible combination of the three. Somedays are better than others, but right about now I'm gettng antsy. And I haven't been particularly good on the chanllenge this past week :nono:. But I really want to stick the challenge out. I feel that, by the end of it, it will have all been worth it. As the challenge goes on I learn more and more how to deal with my hair. It's just so hard to leave my hair alone sometimes!

I'm in the same boat right now. I'm 10 wks post and I'm trying to go an additional 6-7 weeks. If I look too hard in the mirror I will break. I already have my relaxer here so it wouldn't take but a minute to mix it up and get going. I'm really holding out bc I can see I'm gaining length. Still bunning which definitely keeps my hand out of my hair more. What's interesting about this is when I didn't care about my hair it was easier. I'm trying to capture that mindset again and only truly think or worry about my hair on wash days. Meaning I will continue with my routine but really not focus so much on my hair as I have been the past 3 months or so.
 

RecipeBABY

Member
hey i dropped out of this impossible challenge a while back.. im a female i have to touch my hair everyday to make sure im decent for work.. i only see this working for people with 3a/b/c hair and below.. im a 4 a/b.. shake my head.. it would never be a hands out of day challenge.. BUT i did try
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
Okay ladies, I have been keeping my hair in a bun daily and I really like this new look of mine. It has taken years off my face and I think I will be wearing it for another 2-3 weeks or more:yep:.
 
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Okay ladies, I ahve been keeping my hair in a bun daily and I really like this new look of mine. It has taken years off my face and I think I will be wearing it for another 2-3 weeks or more:yep:.

Way to go, Aggie:drunk: How do you keep from getting bored with the bun, do you change it up from time to time? I'm already bored with mine:ohwell:
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
Way to go, Aggie:drunk: How do you keep from getting bored with the bun, do you change it up from time to time? I'm already bored with mine:ohwell:

I have this cute afro puff, really pretty curls and it's a little over sized but girrrrrrrrrlll it's cute. I put on some big dangling ear rings and it makes me look like a goddess:yep:.
 
I have this cute afro puff, really pretty curls and it's a little over sized but girrrrrrrrrlll it's cute. I put on some big dangling ear rings and it makes me look like a goddess:yep:.

Oh, that does sound really cute:yep:. There's no such thing as an oversized puff LOL, I hope my hair has one someday:lick:. I think I'm gonna see if I can get a phony puff, to change it up a little. Thanks for answering, Aggie:grin:
 

*Muffin*

New Member
Half way through the challenge :yay:! And my hair is definitely making progress length wise. I really hope that I make BSL in January. Who knows, if all goes well maybe I'll pass that...hopefully :rolleyes:.
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
Oh, that does sound really cute:yep:. There's no such thing as an oversized puff LOL, I hope my hair has one someday:lick:. I think I'm gonna see if I can get a phony puff, to change it up a little. Thanks for answering, Aggie:grin:

You're quite welcomed honey.
 

*Muffin*

New Member


Second Nature?!! That is good, you should fly through this challenge! Keep it up ... I'm going to be watching for the progress on the side lines


Happy Hair Growing Ladies

Guess I was having a good week that week :lachen:. I have my good days and bad days. Thanks for being apart of the challenge for as long as you were and HHG to you as well :yep:.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
I'm in the same boat right now. I'm 10 wks post and I'm trying to go an additional 6-7 weeks. If I look too hard in the mirror I will break. I already have my relaxer here so it wouldn't take but a minute to mix it up and get going. I'm really holding out bc I can see I'm gaining length. Still bunning which definitely keeps my hand out of my hair more. What's interesting about this is when I didn't care about my hair it was easier. I'm trying to capture that mindset again and only truly think or worry about my hair on wash days. Meaning I will continue with my routine but really not focus so much on my hair as I have been the past 3 months or so.

I feel that way a lot of times too. I find that it's best to just put my hair away and forget about it until wash days. Sometimes I get obsessed with my hair and I want to touch it and run my fingers through it. Sometimes the urge is so strong that I'm just like "I can't take it anymore!" but I want to stick it out because I want to learn how to stop manipulating my hair so much. I've lost a good amount of inches due to excessive combing and overmanipulation. I'm not going to say that I will continue to be this strict after the challenge is over, but I definitely think this challenge will help me tone it down a lot in the future :yep:.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
hey i dropped out of this impossible challenge a while back.. im a female i have to touch my hair everyday to make sure im decent for work.. i only see this working for people with 3a/b/c hair and below.. im a 4 a/b.. shake my head.. it would never be a hands out of day challenge.. BUT i did try

I'm sorry you feel this way, and I'm glad you did try. There's nothing wrong with touching your hair and making sure it's ready for work, it's just that you can only manipulate it (straighten it, comb it thoroughly) on 2 out of the 7 days of the week. I'm not sure if your job has a required hairstyle or not, but you could put your hair in a bun or ponytail and maybe use a comb/brush to smooth the edges back. But if you already tried all of that it's okay. It was nice having you on the challenge anyway.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
Yay, *Muffin*!! No doubt you'll surpass BSL by January:yep:

Thank you, I certainly hope so. I'm so sad to see some of our challengers go. I know the challenge is difficult (I lose sight at times, too) but for the challengers that are still in it let's not lose sight. Think of all the length you will retain and the progress you'll make at the end of these 4 months. It'll be very motivating. I know that I can't wait to see how long our hair has gotten/how big our puffs have grown since we first began. Honestly do you guys feel the challenge is impossible? If so let me know because I really want for us to succeed on this one :yep:.
 
How's everyone doing, is this challenge still going on? Made my goal of APL, but now I've grown tired of my hair for the time being. I'm going to hide my hair with a lacefront wig as soon as I can get the application to look right. HHG
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
How's everyone doing, is this challenge still going on? Made my goal of APL, but now I've grown tired of my hair for the time being. I'm going to hide my hair with a lacefront wig as soon as I can get the application to look right. HHG
Yup:yep: november wind, still in this challenge, in fact, I got my hair braided with some hip-length extension braids just to keep my hands out of my hair even more.
 
Yup:yep: november wind, still in this challenge, in fact, I got my hair braided with some hip-length extension braids just to keep my hands out of my hair even more.

Go ahead with your bad self, Aggie:grin:. I've been thinking about getting some braids when I get to San Antonio this month--I can't find anyone to do braids where I live. The lacefront wig thing isn't working out the way I had hoped:nono:
 

Shay72

Natural, 4A
I'm still in. Bunning on a daily. I wore my hair down yesterday for the first time in a few months. I was happy with the length and seeing as I have a few more weeks before relaxing and I have about 2 inches of new growth. I say about bc the line is semi-clear to me. I know that is the result of having great staples.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
How's everyone doing, is this challenge still going on? Made my goal of APL, but now I've grown tired of my hair for the time being. I'm going to hide my hair with a lacefront wig as soon as I can get the application to look right. HHG

Yep, I'm still in, lol. I'm in it to win it. I'm so happy with all the NG's that I have. I feel that I've learned a lot about self-control (even though it is very hard to keep my hands out of my hair, especially since I have NG's). I co-wash twice a week now and that helps a lot. I used one of my heat passes on Thanksgiving and flat ironed my hair. It turned out pretty good, but I don't think I'll be doing that again for a while, lol. I'm glad to see that some of you are still hanging in there. Be strong! I can't wait to see your result pics next month (dang, it's been almost four months already. Time flies when you're having fun :grin:).
 
I'm still in. Bunning on a daily. I wore my hair down yesterday for the first time in a few months. I was happy with the length and seeing as I have a few more weeks before relaxing and I have about 2 inches of new growth. I say about bc the line is semi-clear to me. I know that is the result of having great staples.

I'm so happy for you, Shay. Continued success to you:drunk:

lmao my SO is growin his hair out an he wants to be in this challenge cause he is constantly combin his hair

LOL that is too cute =).

Yep, I'm still in, lol. I'm in it to win it. I'm so happy with all the NG's that I have. I feel that I've learned a lot about self-control (even though it is very hard to keep my hands out of my hair, especially since I have NG's). I co-wash twice a week now and that helps a lot. I used one of my heat passes on Thanksgiving and flat ironed my hair. It turned out pretty good, but I don't think I'll be doing that again for a while, lol. I'm glad to see that some of you are still hanging in there. Be strong! I can't wait to see your result pics next month (dang, it's been almost four months already. Time flies when you're having fun :grin:).

Time sure is flying. I can't wait to see the results pics, either.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
Hello my long suffering compadres! We are at the last stretch of the GYHOYH challenge, and it's been some journey. I just wanted to reflect a little bit. From this challenge I've really come to know what is necessary for my hair and what isn't. For instance, I learned that my hair doesn't need to be combed or manipulated frequently to be "tame". I used to comb my hair because I thought it looked frizzy or puffy at the ends, and I've come to the shocking realization that it was frizzy and puffy because I was combing it obsessively. I don't comb my hair as often anymore, and I've noticed a drastic decrease in my dry ends. Secondly I've learned that my hair needs occasional protein treatments. I know it doesn't seem like that has anything to do with not manipulating my hair, but before I started this challenge I washed my hair practically everyday, and when my hands are in my hair that much I don't really pay attention to the way it feels. But now that I only wash my hair twice a week I've become more attentive to my hair and it's needs and I noticed that my hair lacked strength and needs occasional protein treatments. Now that I do that I feel that my hair is stronger. And lastly I've learned that I can beat my HYH syndrome. It's been hard...sometimes really, really hard, but for the most part I think I've done really well. It's not over yet, though. We have only 1 month to go, so I want to make that last month count. On January 15th I would like for all of the challenge members to post before and after pics of their hair (if you can) to see how much growth you've attained and/or how much your hair has increased in health. You can also feel free to post whether you'll carry some of the things you've learned with you after the challenge is finished. Thank you all very much for joining me on this challenge, and I'm looking forward to seeing the results of all your hard work :yep:.
 
Hello my long suffering compadres! We are at the last stretch of the GYHOYH challenge, and it's been some journey. I just wanted to reflect a little bit. From this challenge I've really come to know what is necessary for my hair and what isn't. For instance, I learned that my hair doesn't need to be combed or manipulated frequently to be "tame". I used to comb my hair because I thought it looked frizzy or puffy at the ends, and I've come to the shocking realization that it was frizzy and puffy because I was combing it obsessively. I don't comb my hair as often anymore, and I've noticed a drastic decrease in my dry ends. Secondly I've learned that my hair needs occasional protein treatments. I know it doesn't seem like that has anything to do with not manipulating my hair, but before I started this challenge I washed my hair practically everyday, and when my hands are in my hair that much I don't really pay attention to the way it feels. But now that I only wash my hair twice a week I've become more attentive to my hair and it's needs and I noticed that my hair lacked strength and needs occasional protein treatments. Now that I do that I feel that my hair is stronger. And lastly I've learned that I can beat my HYH syndrome. It's been hard...sometimes really, really hard, but for the most part I think I've done really well. It's not over yet, though. We have only 1 month to go, so I want to make that last month count. On January 15th I would like for all of the challenge members to post before and after pics of their hair (if you can) to see how much growth you've attained and/or how much your hair has increased in health. You can also feel free to post whether you'll carry some of the things you've learned with you after the challenge is finished. Thank you all very much for joining me on this challenge, and I'm looking forward to seeing the results of all your hard work :yep:.

Thank you so much for this challenge, *Muffin*! I truly believe that keeping my hands out of my hair has helped me to not only retain length, but my ends feel stronger and thicker, too:drunk:. I'm excited too to see how far we've all come because of this challenge. I'm set to get a weave put in on Friday (finally found somebody to do it), to change it up a little bit and to retain more growth. I'm proud of us for hanging in there!:yep:
 

*Muffin*

New Member
Thank you so much for this challenge, *Muffin*! I truly believe that keeping my hands out of my hair has helped me to not only retain length, but my ends feel stronger and thicker, too:drunk:. I'm excited too to see how far we've all come because of this challenge. I'm set to get a weave put in on Friday (finally found somebody to do it), to change it up a little bit and to retain more growth. I'm proud of us for hanging in there!:yep:

Your welcome :yep:. I'm proud of us, too! I'm not going to lie for anyone, this challenge was hard, and I understand why some of the ladies dropped out of it. But I came in it for this reason: I wasn't achieving my goals in the time frame that I should have and the only reason for that I could think of was breakage. My hair had tons of NG everytime I relaxed, but it progressed very little. This was due to over-manipulation. Oh, and another thing that I've learned that I need to cultivate is patience. It takes a lot of patience to grow ones hair long, no matter what race you are. A lot of times I'd get impatient and want to relax my hair ahead of schedule to see how much it's grown, comb my hair to see what milimeters of length I had gained, all to my detriment. I have to learn to enjoy my hair as it is and take really good care of it, and gradually I'll achieve my goals :).
 

Shay72

Natural, 4A
I just realized that I started breaking the rules of the challenge about 2 weeks ago. I started dc 3 times a week. I just didn't want my hair to even have a chance to start acting a fool d/t the weather. Still bunning on a daily though. I will most likely post results on Jan 1st bc I'm relaxing then after a 17 week stretch.
 

*Muffin*

New Member
I just realized that I started breaking the rules of the challenge about 2 weeks ago. I started dc 3 times a week. I just didn't want my hair to even have a chance to start acting a fool d/t the weather. Still bunning on a daily though. I will most likely post results on Jan 1st bc I'm relaxing then after a 17 week stretch.

It's a good thing you realized it. I'll admit that I've broken some rules along the way during the challenge. It is a difficult challenge. But, overall, I feel that if you shoot for the stars you'll at least hit some tree branches, right? I mean no one can be 100% all the time. I think we still did a good job if we said we were 60-80% faithful to the challenge. That's much better than what we were doing before, and we're bound to see good results from this. I can come out of it saying that I tried my best, and I really believe I did. I'm not trying to say it's okay for me to slack, I'm just not going to beat myself up too badly if I slip up once or twice because that's part of the learning process of the challenge :yep:.

P.S. I'm relaxing on January 1st after a 4 month stretch as well. But I will probably hold off posting the pics until January 15th because I don't really like the way my hair looks or feels right after I relax it. After 2 weeks I start liking it more.
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
Well ladies, my hair is up in braids right now and has been for about 2 weeks now. I will keep them in for another 5 or 6 weeks or so, remove, deep condition and protein treat for a week, then relax. I will continue on with keeping my hands out of my hair for a while afterwards as I am desperately trying to get to at least touching MBL but only to trim it back down to full BSL. I want to retain my length at full BSL only for a while and see how much I like that length. If I feel I can handle it longer after that, then I will attempt to grow it to MBL eventually. I'll see.

It's been fun ladies but I want to at least show my current progress here. The dates are already on the pics. I didn't take a start pic in September unfortunately but I did find one I took in October below:



 
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