Unofficial 3 Year Length Check & Hair Facts

                     

Hi loves! So my three years natural anniversary was January 23rd. I wanted to do a length check then, but my hair was in twists. I took the twists out this week and I really wanted to see if I had attained those last few inches that I was hoping for. I usually only length check my hair once a year on the anniversary of my big chop. Since I did not have time to film an official video, I wanted to at least take some pictures. It may be March or April before I can film an official LC video and my hair may be a different length by then.

So as for my hair here are some basic facts:

-I do protective styles 75% of the time. Twist outs or braid outs. I do wash and go's on and off in one month increments.

-I do not use heat. I have a blow drier which I use maybe 3x a year to diffuse with warm heat.

-I trim every 6-8 weeks. This is something I have been doing since I was ten years old. Not everyone needs to trim as often, but this works for me and it helps me maintain healthy hair, promote growth, and remove single strand knots.

-I transitioned in 2011 for 5 months and big chopped in January of 2012. I had half an inch of hair ( I cut it myself) and I was not sure if it would grow back, what my hair texture would be like, and if I would be able to maintain it.

-I do not have any color in my hair. It is naturally a black/brown color. If I have little product in my hair it will look more brown.

-My hair type is a 4a/3c mixture despite what other 3c/4a's or 4a/3c's hair may look like, no two heads of hair are the same and that just simply is how my hair is. It is pretty fluffy and not silky like a lot of 3c/4a naturals so I can understand where the confusion stems from. If you go by the LOIS system then its O/S densely packed thin wiry strands. I have a normal porosity level and I never have any issues with shedding, breakage, or moisture retention. The only thing I look after is that I am taking my iron pills and eating right so that I can ensure that my hair doesn't fall out like it did in the past.

Personally, I don't get into the hype of hair typing, but I mention it because I do know that it is a factor in hair maintenance and retention (especially if you are using the wrong hair products). I am very low maintenance with my hair and I don't like a lot of styling or manipulation because I have so much hair. The main issue I have with my hair is that it tangles at the very ends when I am styling it. It makes my styling time twice as long. My hair is prone to single strand knots also and there is no way to eliminate them, but I do try to prevent them by stretching my hair, doing oil rinses, and regular trimming. If I had to go by any hair typing system it would be the LOIS system. Its more accurate and informative.

On average it looks like my hair is growing a little over half an inch a month. I have found that it is more difficult to retain growth during the summer because of the humidity and heat in Florida. My hair currently is longer and healthier than it ever has been. I started taking care of my own hair at about ten years old and it was natural. I have had long hair, short hair, bleached hair, and unfortunately, very thin hair (due to hair loss in my late teens/early twenties). This is the best it ever has been because it is completely natural and I use (obviously) better hair products than what was available some 20 years ago and my iron levels are currently good. I really don't have any hair "secrets" I just try to listen to my body and keep things as simple as possible. This has all been a learning experience for me since the last time my hair was natural and long I cut it because I couldn't handle it.

My goal is to reach waist length. I would like to have length while my hair is in a curly state so about 7 more inches may satisfy me. I have noticed as my hair gets longer it grows slower or maybe it is just harder to keep the ends of my hair healthy. Either way, if it continues to grow just 7 inches a year then I should be at waist length in a year. So that is my goal for the next year. As for my hair cut, I have never had a hair cut. I simply shape my fro when I am wearing wash and go's and I do the deva cut trims. Because of this my hair has natural layers so it will  be some time before all of my hair is one length.

And of course here is a selfie of me with out my lashes on lol very little makeup. I was feeling pretty sick this day, but I always have something to smile about. I hope you all found this helpful. Please refer to my YouTube channel for hair maintenance and styling videos. Have a great week!