4C Natural Hair Journey-- Almost Waist Length In 3 Years. My Relaxed Hair Doesn'T Grow!
- Posted on 25 April, 2021
- Heatless Hairstyles
- By Anonymous
In this video, I talked about factors that inspired me to go natural. I also explain how I ended up partially relaxed, and mostly natural.
I did the big chop in 2018 and my hair has never been more healthy! I have 4c hair so I never thought this length would ever be attainable for me, but it's still growing. I hope this helps motivate you to continue on your hair journey.
If you have any tips for thicker hair, please comment below.
Hey guys welcome or welcome back to my channel in this video. I just wanted to go through my hair journey and give you a little bit of motivation. If you are a 4c girl like me, who is interested in growing their hair out or going natural and um trying to get some length, so first, i'm going to start out by telling you guys my hair journey. So i moved to atlanta in 2016 and while i was living here, of course, when you move somewhere new, the first thing you got to do is try to find a stylist and i never really found one so for a couple years, i was just doing my Hair myself, i was relaxing my own hair and y'all. I don't know who i thought i was or what i was doing, but my hair was, it was over processed, it was extremely damaged and it was very brittle, so it was breaking off. It felt like straw, like you, could take a string of my hair and go like this, and it would break it was so brittle. So i finally did find a stylus just to kind of maintain my hair and keep doing relaxers, and it was not getting any better, and so they were like okay. Well, let's cut your hair. A little bit give your ends a trim and see if that helps. So i would get my hair cut, shorter and shorter and shorter, but my hair was still brittle and thin and breaking off so like a fresh cut would look great and then two weeks later it was back to being raggedy. And so i was like. Oh my gosh like what is going on. Why is my hair just not cooperating um? This picture here is the longest that my hair ever really got. When i had a relaxer and you can see just how damaged the ends were, it was so thin. It was falling out so much it was gross. It was disgusting honestly and that's when i knew like maybe the relaxed life isn't for me, and i feel like this is, like the height of you, know: natural hair and the natural hair movement. So i was like i'm gon na try to go natural, so i was a little reluctant because i didn't know what my natural hair texture was going to be. I know that i have very dry, very coarse and very thick hair, so i figured that it's 4c um, but i just wanted to see so i was like you know what i'm just going to go natural. What'S the worst that can happen, my hair is so damaged, it's so thin brittle. It was gross, like literally imagine, combing your hair and it just it's all falling out. It'S breaking out. You got all types of uneven, um lanes, it was just disgusting, so i was like i'm just going natural, so i stopped getting relaxers somewhere in 2017 and then in january, 4th of 2018. I big chopped my hair, so i'll insert a picture here and you can see the edges are still curly that is still relaxed hair. To be honest, i cut my hair myself. I was really nervous to do it, so you know there's still some relaxed parts there and i had conditioner in so that's not really a true depiction of my natural texture, but that is the day i decided to big chop. My hair was january 4 2018 and i probably left about two inches on and during that time, what i would do is braid my hair up in cornrows and put a wig on now. I had some good wigs and i had some bad wigs. I never had them all, but for the most part i was leaving my hair alone during that time and just kind of letting it do its own thing and just wearing it wearing the wigs eventually somewhere. In 2018, i found my current stylist and she's been doing my hair protective styles ever since so i would go to her she would put braids in. I would leave the braids in for a couple months, get them taken out. Then i'll get like a sew-in with a closure wear that for a couple months my hair is completely protected. I'Ll get that taken out get another protective style like all i was doing, was going back to her to get more protective styles. At that point of time, i completely stopped doing my hair myself because, as we saw it wasn't working out and even while i was going through the whole natural hair thing, i was trying to do people's wash day routines and i'm spending. You know 12 hours washing washing deep conditioning sitting under the dryer and you know i work full time. So it's a lot of work and i have time for that and i started to notice that when i started to see her, that's when i noticed that my hair started growing the most, so i would get one style wash it out um i would wear. Maybe my hair out for a week or two in between and then go back to her to get it right back braided up into another protective style. That'S actually the only reason my hair is out right now, um, because i'm waiting on her to put some braids in it, so that was in um 2018 is when i started seeing her and i kept going back to her to get more and more protective styles. In and then it's been three years this january and my hair has grown so much and i owe all the credit to her and really just keeping my hair up in protective styles. So again, my my natural hair texture is very coarse. I'Ll insert some pictures here, and this is my hair blown out. So this is me washing my hair and then having it stretched using a blow dryer um. I cannot say that i will ever just let my hair dry, naturally, because my hair is so kinky because it's so kinky it gets tangled and matted very easily. So i really have to wear my hair and stretch states at all times and the few times that i tried natural styles. It just didn't work like yeah. I can't i can't do nothing with that and i'm sure if i tried and practiced i could but, like i said i identify myself with straight hair. I like straight hair. I like the way it looks on me and that's just what we're doing so, um so yeah. This is my length after three years of being complete, well natural, i shouldn't say completely natural, so i am partially relaxed when i was going to her getting sew ins. I would like to get someone's with a leave out. I think that those look the most natural but trying to blend that leave out with the weave and the humidity in the summertime. It doesn't work and i didn't want to keep putting heat on my natural hair because again i think that's what damages your natural hair. So i have this portion of my hair is relaxed and this actually also corresponds with the shortest part of my hair. So i think it's interesting that you know i have natural hair, but this right here is relaxed and look how short it is compared to all this back here. That is natural, that's way longer. So while i thought it's possible to have strong, healthy, relaxed, long hair, which i do think is possible for some people, but for whatever reason for me, my relaxed hair just does not grow that long now. This does blend in really really well with weaves and when i get sew ins, but when i look at my the overall health of my hair, my non-relaxed hair is way healthier than my relaxed hair. One thing i want to work on or focus on this year is getting thickness in my hair. I feel like my hair used to be really thick and it could be because i do so many protective styles that do apply a lot of tension to your hair. So if i get braids, for instance, it's a lot of weight, a lot of tension - and i just got micro links in which is a lot of tension on your hair as well. And so i do think i did lose kind of the thickness. But the length is still there and um - i don't know. I think i might be able to get um. It'S not waist length yet, but it's definitely longer than bra strap length, which is again the longest my hair has ever been. So i don't know, i'm excited for this journey, i'm going to keep going and continue to put protective styles in my hair. I might only get it straightened. You know three or four times a year, just so i'm not putting so much heat on it, but it's possible to have long 4c hair and keep it straight while keeping it in protective style. So i've actually had my hair pressed out now for about a week and it's still doing. Okay, i'm really surprised that it hasn't reverted as much. I didn't put any heat on it or anything since i did get it straightened, so i don't know we're doing good. We'Re doing real good, so um so yeah. That is my hair journey. The biggest piece of advice i have for somebody who is struggling with growing their hair is: please stop trying to diy your hair. If you've been trying it for this long, it hasn't really been working, then maybe you just need to go ahead and get a stylus get a stylist go someone that you see consistently that's going to help. You maintain your hair. When i was doing my own hair, it wasn't working, it was terrible. Now i pay somebody who literally does this for a living? Okay. She i pay her the money. I do because she has years of experience to actually do hair um, and so that's that's my story and i'm sticking to it. Oh, i also want to mention i didn't take any vitamins. I didn't do anything differently. I wish i could say i was drinking more water. I wish i could say i was um. You know watching what i ate and doing whatever. No the biggest thing for me was santa stylist, that's numero uno. She did my hair, i didn't touch it and i'll. Go back to her every couple months, so she can do something new, and that was it. So thank you for watching good luck out there. Let me know how your hair journey is going, and i will see you guys in my next video
Comments
Mokah Girl: Finally someone said it! It's ok to use a stylist! Lol The natural hair community shames us for doing that. ♀️ There is a black salon in Los Angeles that does just that. Wash/condition and braid your hair up for 3 months and then you go back to them again.
Kimberly Cleghorn: Your hair and skin are flourishing! May you continue to progress in all aspects queen . Next time you get your hair straightened you should take us along queen, we would love to know her process as well as how you maintain it in a straight style between protective styling. Thank you for the valuable content
Clarity and Self: My journey was super Similar to yours. I went natural because of damage and seeing people with their cute natural curls. I was sad when I learned that my hair was 4c. Now I kinda realize how to love my coils and stop wanting long curls
Rose-Angelie DePond: Pretty lady, pretty hair. My hair got long when I stopped going to stylists and started doing it myself lol (my hair is VERY fine and nobody can put combs/flat irons etc in my hair). I can't let them break my fine hair off, doing it myself has been a game-changer.
Sabine Desmangles: I had my first appointment with Lati yesterday. She told me about you. I'm in the same boat you were in. I'm looking forward to my hair growing long naturally like your
Queen-Asia: Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t it make sense that your relaxed hair isn’t growing especially because you leave it out, heat it and manipulate it the most after it’s already processed while you protect your natural hair?
Kristyn K: Great advice. I always did the diy natural hair journey and whilst my hair does grow, having a full time job and raising a family, it's just not working for me to keep that up past a year when my hair gets to that length that it becomes more "work". You're the first person I've watched who recommended a stylist. Thank you.
Felicia Blayke: I resonate with you so much. I'm glad that you were so transparent in this video. I, too, am a straight hair person 75% of the time. I have a beautiful coil but it's TIGHT! I honestly don't want to spend hours a week on my hair. I have other goals . I'm going to find a stylist asap. All about being efficient.
Sandy Cheeks: It’s possible to have long relaxed hair. Ask your stylists ladies. but tell them NO Excessive TRIMMING! And....NO Trims that are really CUTS.
Tee SoNatural: Just found your channel! I’m loving it. I just big chopped and restarting my 4c hair journey. I’ve already have on my todos to schedule treatments with my hair stylist and trims! You have goregous hair!
Information Hub: Great video. I am curious how did you care for your hair under the protective styles. This is my second big chop and I definitely want to do things differently. I got to just shy of bra strap before the big chop. Thanks
Dr. Dree: Thank you for proving that it’s not about whether you take care of relaxed hair or not. Many women’s hair does not grow past a certain length with a relaxer ♀️
Ayana S: Such a cute afro you had! So cool to hear the story behind your gorgeous natural hair! The progress you got over your natural journey is phenomenal! Can’t wait until the next upload :)
Cindy Christian: You inspire me because I'm thinking about relaxing my hair again!
IconicQueens'ClawsHairLashesKisses: Queen, next time you go back to the hair salon, tell your hair stylist to let you shoot a video so we can see step by step how she washes, blows dry and straightens your hair. Also what hair products she uses.
Joyfully Jalissa: Beautiful hair Darling! I'm going to join you on this conscious hair journey ♀️
aanays: Your hair is beautiful Your natural hair is so silky pressed out, I LOVE the shine. Do you find that your natural hair texture is silkier now that you are natural? I've always wondered whether the relaxer changed the luster or coarseness of my hair texture.
ShardayMC: Ok so your video gave me encouragement to not go back to the creamy crack I was seriously considering relaxing my hair at the end of this year because I am not a natural hair style wearer. I like my hair straight but I don't flat iron my hair often so I wear wigs or braids. I am in awe that you could admit that you relaxed your leave out . I am inspired because some people make being natural way too hard.
Curly Wishes Caviar Dreams: Your hair looks amazing! That’s where I’m at in my hair journey, I’m going to just let my stylist do it. I have an appointment this week and I’m excited for the next phase of my hair journey!! Thanks for the tips!!!
Keisha Francis: Thank you. You are giving me hope. I just big chopped two weeks ago and I really miss my long hair. But I believe natural hair is the better way to go.
Maryam Syed: Very interesting sis, your vibes are so contagious!
Real Reviews: You and your hair look great. Sadly, some "so called qualified stylists" will deliberately jack up your hair. Had it done to me and will never let anyone else in my hair. Shame really because there maybe is a good one near where I live, but I don't trust them and my hair is permanently f'd up since she did what she did.
fruitypebs23: My relaxed hair didn't grow for shit. I had so much breakage. Once I transitioned to natural, I was able to reach lengths I never thought I could.
Mashaka: your hair looks very healthy... i have an afro and comparing it to the time I had relaxed hair I think the rate of growth for me its faster on afro than relaxed but also you can never actually tell cuz there is also shedding, food one eat and all those stuff... lol and also age
Light side of the Moon: I don't know if anyone else has this issue but I sweat ALOT so, I spend $120 on a press or a keratin treatment and uh, a day... 3 days later it's in a pony tail. I can't deal with that anymore. Plus I'm done with committing to one thing. I have been natural for almost 15 years and I've big chopped hmmmm 3-4 times in that time. Each time my hair had gotten to armpit length. It takes me about 4-5 yrs to get to that point. But I sweat alot and it isn't working to press my hair anymore. So I"m going to try relaxers again. I hate how much thinner my hair feels relaxed but hey, it is what it is.
Saidiya Chiphe: Your hair looks waist length to me. I actually think you're on your way to hip length!!!
SelfappreciationwithA: Enjoyed this video....straight or curly...just take care of your hair...it is absolutely gorgeous
Tanai Cannon: Video Idea!!! - Would you mind posting a video on how you maintain your straight hair and moisturize? I feel like by week 2 my hair is sooo frizzy!
Ty chisholm: Ur hair is beautiful..I like the fact that you admit it's hard for you so you got a stylist..I'm o. My journey now this was good thank you...I use chebe powder and my hair is really growing
Dia S: This was such a honest review I subscribed.... please do more hair videos and please don't forget to add your hairstylist! Thank you
angel Montoya: You got this everyone's hair journey is different❤
Sable 711: At first I didn't know what you meant by partially relaxed Oh, I thought you meant texlaxed. Take it from someone who's a little older than you are, I wouldn't use relaxers in my hair at all. You yourself can tell the difference between the relaxed hair and how it grows and your natural hair. I truly believe that relaxers are bad for our health and I do believe that it caused my alopecia. My stylist technique probably wasn't very good either, they somehow can't manage to keep it off of your scalp regardless it seems. Anything that can eat through a soda can scares me. Also my cousins oncologist telling her to stop using chemicals in her hair was very telling, that was after he treated her lung cancer but she also died back in July. You just need a little more practice with your hair and do it is expensive, and I haven't tried one yet, maybe try the reverse air hair dryer. The heat will damage your curls but if you prefer to be a straight natural I want to say that's okay but it's not okay to have damaged hair. I have not used heat on my hair in five years, five years natural, so I really want to have it at least blow-dried so that I can see the end better for trims and also check the length. I think I am at waist-length and since I transition, if I had not trim that hair I probably would have been just as I joint. Good luck on your continued Journey
Tracy Alcide: Gorgeous lady with beautiful hair , your stylist is bomb waist length in 3 years is amazing
Patricia Patrick: Dry, Coarse, thick, easily tangles, matted is exactly what my hair is. Lol I don’t see that many people on YouTube with these characteristics. So I stopped listening to them and doing it the way I feel will work. Last two stylists I went to, I wasn’t impressed. I feel I have breakage in the back of my hair due to their mishandling of my hair. So I think every one should really assess what their hair needs and do what is best.
Jennifer B.: Congratulations sis ❤️ you are beautiful.
Deena curls: Your hair is beautiful! I love the look of long hair too! Does the hairstylist wash and detangle your hair or do you do that yourself? Thx for sharing!
RelaxedWithDee: You are gorgeous And your hair looks amazing!
Gods Amazing: Deserves more subbies! :)
Queen of the Sky: My use to grow and mostly I just use to do braids and I decided to go on hair journey but my hair seems not to be stuck at shoulder length and when I relax it ,it’s thin and I tried a lot of products and I found few that works for me so I think I will stick to that and go natural to see if my hair grows past shoulder length and also to see how my hair looks in it’s natural state coz I have been relaxed most of the time is just that I am scared as people are saying it’s hard to maintain natural hair
SpookieLips FatHips: My hair is about the same length and I'm trying to get it fully to waist length in a a year
Jada and Jayla: Such great hair and personality!
Agzja .L: It just made a year since I big chopped and I’m going to do a natural hair journey update when I take my braids out on my channel
Herute Amlak: Looks beautiful.
AAAReview: Lol you answered your own question as you were talking. Your relaxed hair didn't grow because you weren't doing protective styles at all while you were relaxed. Your current relaxed pieces are the shortest because those are the pieces you "leave out" unprotected. The truth is the protective styles helped grow your hair. You can do protective styles on your own or with a stylist. The key is doing it consistently.
Amanda Carr: Girl I stopped doing my hair I don’t even wash it myself… I go to my stylist… and that’s it
Devyn Green: I always recommend a stylist so they properly treat your hair! Sure DIY is fine but ultimately your not a licensed professional. I have two stylists who are bomb and maintaining the integrity of my natural hair!
T G: Others' experiences are opposite. So different strokes for different folks. Sometimes doing it yourself is the BEST way to go because stylist don't care n won't care for your hair as u would. Some folk take care of their OWN hair better. One should follow what works for them.
P. Everleigh: Does your stylist blow dry your hair on every visit in order to keep it stretched? How often do you go to your stylist and is she natural focused? Girl drop her deets please . Also Do you have your own hair wash routine?
DJ: Your hair is beautiful and it looks thick to me.
Prettybaddli: You have pretty hair that grows fast I'm jealous
Shannon Armstrong: Gorgeous head of hair and WOW you did a test of having your hair natural and permed thanks for the info
HARLAN'S LOVE: Love the video !
Sarah Luv: Your hair is nice and thick to me. My hair is so low density your hair is beautiful
Sandy Cheeks: She’s such a beautiful lady
Princess FB: My hair journey is completely ayurveda now so I don't use any over the counter products except base oils that I then ferment with herbs. Everything is a paste or hair mask made from nothing but herbs and teas or boiled water. I corrected my diet. I attempt at working out. No vitamins or anything. And I don't have a stylist. I just do varying twists styles every two weeks and oil my scalp almost daily. My hair has taken off. The healthiest and longest my hair has ever been and it only took about a year. I'm sold. I'll probably stick to this until I pass. Good luck on continuing your hair journey!!
sheila grayman: GORGEOUS.❤♀️
Francesca Raelia: It's interesting you said you can't air dry your hair neither can I I feel with it straightened out there's alot less tangles I have tried the curls and them to will tangle gona try and use the revlon brush I got for Christmas on the lowest heat possible and we shall see what that does interesting video
Kitty dollsXo: Well isn’t that normal ? I’m natural in the front of my hair is shorter then the back
Angeeluh: Hello I am Angela with Belle of hair! I create all natural hair and skin products. I also have 4c hair. Do you promote hair oil on your platform? If so, I would love to send you a bottle!
Lumka Nzwaki 555: Gorgeous hair how often do you trim sis?
Enn Vee: Wash day routine please
Celia Feliciano: beautiful !
Sharon Williams: Please, can you share her Instagram page or something? Thank you.
D I V A Kingsley: It’s really quite sad to see and hear that whether it’s the natural hair community or relaxer hair community of when people feel that they can’t wear their hair OUT…protective styles of braids, wigs, etc… just wear your own hair…also a BIG CHOP is NOT a Big Chop when there is still relaxer on your hair.
Shon9tilR: I want to wear my hair straight like yours, but I dont want to apply heat.
Irvin Griffin: Do you have micro links added to your hair in this video or is it only all of your hair?
MB the Life Coach: You look like Kash Doll!!
Daun December: Where is your stylist based? Beautiful hair
House of Lvoe: Send them my way!!! My ig is @litalvoestyles she Lvoes to keep me all to herself!
Lily Raimey: “I identify myself with straight hair.” Oof.
S Wisdom: Whay relaxer do you use?
Jazmyne Alexandria: Yesss long hair don’t care
Ashley McNeal: Please share the hair bundles you’re wearing
Aliyah Nieto: You should try miss sahel chebe, If you want thickness.
Blue Sky: Your so cute good luck
Shanice May: So do you have micro links in during this video?
Mckaila: I don't know much about hair types and right now I'm confused, is that 4c? cause my friends 4c curls are a bit different. Anyone?
Junie KL Charite: Subscribed
xxx: Sis! Pls drop the stylist!!
Deese Nuts: Thats why I'm heat training. Aaliyah tease
Christine Owori: Something about you reminds me of Kash Doll
Harry Hazelwood: Lovely hair but it ain't 4c
Connie S: I’m in Atlanta. Who is your stylist?
Face Reality: This is mid back, not waist length. Almost there though
447: 4c?
Tyler Wasabi: Yessss
Christian Girl: Jesus lived the life we couldn't live and died the death we deserved and rose 3days later, repent of your sins and trust in Him
Jazmyne Reese: What’s your stylist name ppppppplllllleaseee
Sassouu Sasoo: Boo!not subscribing
Down Dee: She cut her hair to grow her natural hair but straightens it??
Lola xo: Genetics