🤔 I have been doing the worst length retention method ( hair growth journey)

[@joybanks4974]

Thank you for sharing your view. I also like to wash my hair once or twice a week. My scalp likes to be clean. My 4A, course, medium density, and low porosity hair is near waist length. I wear twist-outs or wash n go. I use a detangling brush. I never wear wigs or add hair. My hair is still growing, I retain length, and I'm over 65 yrs old. Hair care is important to me. I'm proud to wear my God-given hair, even though people don't believe it's my real hair.😊

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! 😁 you having people in disbelief out here with your beautiful hair. I remember when I was wearing a wash and go a friend thought it was a wig.

[@ossier2796]

Our hair is meant to be worn out. I wash and go every 4-5days, my hair isn’t colored or chemically treated, it’s shoulder length, wash and goes only, trims every 4 months. I’ve done a roller set and will try it again. I think with your routine you’ll grow your hair longer, there’s more involved than manipulation or products. If you’re inside is healthy your outside will be healthy. Excited to see your progress.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing 💖. Yes I also believe that keeping our inside healthy is imperative to getting healthy hair. It starts on the inside.

[@miniminott48]

Rosie, you can do this. OG KZbinr Natural Reign grows her hair with wash and gos and weekly washing. She grew her hair to waist length. Recently, she suffered color damage and big chopped her hair and is using the same routine to grow her hair back to waist length. My routine is washing every 14 days typically when I wear chunky twists/twist out or two French braids with no extension, etc. and every 10 days when I wear wash and gos. I grew my hair from a TWA to mid back length and I maintain this length with frequent cuts because I don't want my hair to grow longer. I have never worn braids, wigs or weaves. I only wear my hair. Also, I only do light finger detangling before using hair tools such as combs and brushes.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing 💖, thank you for the encouragement. I am going to have to tackle my impulsive nature when it comes to my hair.

[@memim6621]

Hi Rosie, I'm a wng girlie all the way, I don't refresh and I wash and DC my hair once a week. Sometimes I use a leave in, sometimes a botanical gel instead, sometimes both and end a topper gel. I don't straighten, braid or use wigs. I've never really been interested in long hair but I did let my hair grow to see what it could do. However, after it got to shoulder length I realised that short hair is better for me. When it's long, I get lazy and start to neglect my hair care. I slick it up in a puff cos it's easy and looks cute and I get into a habit of not washing it weekly cos, for me, longer hair means longer wash days! And that's not fun! Also, I don't understand how people with longer than shoulder-length natural, kinky hair, manage to keep it from getting dry, matted and /or knotted from rubbing on their clothes. I also think a minimum weekly hair care routine is essential for healthy hair, but you should also listen to your hair. One size didn't fit all and sometimes you might not be able to do a weekly wash. In my opinion, satin scarf or bonnet /pillowcase is also a must for minimising knots and overly dry hair. I will continue to watch you with interest as you move forward on your healthy hair journey this year. ❤

[@Sunsetsmilesxo]

I think everyone’s hair is different. Personally my hair does not tolerate direct heat from blow drying/flat ironing. I’ve damaged my hair and had to cut it multiple times due to this so I avoid it now. I’ve grown my hair from ~ 2 inches to down my back within 2 years and wore it out the entire time sans wearing mini twists/braids (no added hair) for special occasions. I washed every 1-2 weeks, wore wash & gos, mainly twist outs and Afros. I love wearing my hair out and believe hair is meant to be enjoyed!

[@rosieamelia5955]

🙏🏾, yes heat isn’t for everyone. Yes everyone’s hair is different. Thank you for sharing 💖

[@BlessGirlJoe]

I wash my hair once a week, and since I started a simple routine of just braiding it, I’ve been able to retain length better than before. One size doesn’t fit all; each of us needs to find what works best for our own hair. Rosie, I’ve been following your hair journey, and I’m excited to continue supporting you. I know you will not only regrow long hair but also healthy hair. You love your hair, and that reminds me of myself. I enjoy changing my hairstyle, but I decided to try just braiding (no extension) my hair and leaving it alone to see what would happen. I’ve realized that I retain more length this way; however, tucking my hair away isn’t really for me. I prefer my hair to look a certain way, and tucking it away would force me to wear a wig if I want to look presentable. I wash and deep condition my hair weekly while it is braided (no extensions added ). I have learned a lot from you.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you so much for sharing. Yes keeping it simple is the key. seeking washing works best for me as well. thank you all your support and encouragement.

[@jdbailey442]

I am in a season of tucking my hair away because I don't want to be bothered outside of weekly maintenance ( wash, dc, blow dry on medium heat and twist). I have seen people grow their hair out with heat, straight hair, twist outs,wash n gos etc but it depends on variables like if their hair is coarse, medium or fine. I notice some sort of keeping the hair stretched works best for many. You have a solid hair regimen so enjoy your hair. You may not have as much retention but it will still be growing.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Yes I have seen people being successful using heat as well. Thank you for your encouragement and sharing 💖

[@lisaflanders3027]

Rosie, you've done it before and you'll do it again! You've got this and we are here for it!😘

[@rosieamelia5955]

Yes! Thank you!

[@lisaj4441]

Ms. Mississippi grew her hair out washing every day. She is a big proponent of scalp cleanliness. I have an oily scalp and need to wash my hair weekly. Also, when my hair and scalp get dirty, it will break out my face. I finger detangle and just reached mid-back length. On a side note, I really think that the baldness that many black women are experiencing when reaching middle age is due to long-term scalp fungus and yeast.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing your routine with us. scalp care is so important. It's really sad I see so many women affected by baldness. the lace frontals aren't helping either.

The amount of hate that woman used to get just because she believes in frequent washing was insane. I remember having to correct this one KZbinr trying to be disrespectful to her. It’s crazy how others just don’t know how to value other people’s experiences and move on. It’s like they think they own other black women.

[@georgiatl6088]

I am 100% with you Rosie, I wash my hair every week and wears it out all the time .

[@rosieamelia5955]

Love it!! Once a week washing is sweet spot too.

[@iamsunflower2011]

I have high porosity, fine strand hair and it's so important for me to deep condition once a week or every two weeks and a protein treatments every four to six weeks. My hair loves moisture and protein

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing

[@adorahowell7223]

This is the question I have always asked. I don't like mini twists braids or wigs, braids weaves. How can I grow my hair without doing that?

[@Kym-N54]

To each her own. Everyone has to do what is good for them.

[@rosieamelia5955]

100% with you on this 🙏🏾.

[@ossier2796]

I’m following with you.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you

[@michelleej]

Yes, you can retain length and wash your hair weekly. Back in the day, Kimmaytube did it. Manipulation in and of itself isn’t a problem, as long as your hair has proper moisture/protein balance (isn’t breaking) and you’re gentle. She didn’t use tools on her hair. She also didn’t tuck her hair away, the way people do now. She did protect the ends, but her hair was visible, neat, and stylish. I’m a weekly washer too and I plan to grow my hair to bra strap length. I’m at 4” now. I just big chopped in June. Right now, I’m wearing flat twists and cornrows in different designs.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing. I never got to follow Kimmaytube journey. I only learned about her this year I believe. I don’t know how much I want to grow my hair because I get impulsive and the rest is history 😅. I love change by choice of course .

[@AyeliaGDoren]

This really doesn't have to be an issue. For the most part I have always washed my hair once a week and it's grown out waist length in the past. It's short now because I got bored and started using heat and chemicals and had to cut it when I got sick of that but weekly washing has always been beneficial to me. I do agree that low manipulation is an important element of length retention so when I am actively trying to retain length I will wear my hair up more and keep my styles simpler, but this doesn't have to be washing as little as once a month. What I have found works really well for me I washing, conditioning and doing a braid out on wet hair. I might use a leave-in and hair oil. I don't put oil on my scalp, but start oiling midway down the hair shaft. I use oils as a moisture sealant. I style the hair in the braid-out texture, and again usually will put it up when I am focusing on length retention. If I am feeling really ambitious I will wet comb my hair midweek to refresh the braid out and add moisturizer. This tends to keep tangling and breakage low. Since my hair tends to be drier during winter months I will do hot oil and deep conditioning treatments to help with moisture retention. But this is about it. I don't buy or use special growth oils since hair growth happens internally. I will however eat more foods that contain b-vitamins and other nutrients crucial to hair growth and health. I also don't believe in braids or weaves for hair growth. Braids with extensions are high manipulation hair styles, there is a lot of tension on the hair and a lot of stress. Plus I don't like taking braids out or detangling my hair after that, I find it annoying and tiresome. I will use wigs to get a different look, but none of this lace-front or half-wig stuff. Just a good old-fashioned hair hat. It's easy, it's fast and there's no glue or anything damaging to your hair with that kind of wig. I don't care if people know or can tell I am wearing a wig. I don't feel the desire to pretend the hair is growing from my scalp. I don't need to live in straight hair and I think the need to live in straight is the biggest detriment to retaining length. Edit>> This is all really dependent on your hair. I will say the tucking your hair away thing is meant to get you past shoulder length because that's where a lot of people find it most difficult to retain length. The other thing you need to look at when making these decisions is your porosity and the thickness of the strands. Those two things will determine what methods work best for individual length retention. Educate yourself about those two things and then decide if you want to do what you need to do to retain length or just have shoulder length hair. For the record I have fine, low porosity 4c hair. 2nd edit>>> I don't not brush my hair. I also wash and condition my hair in sections of five to reduce tangling when I wash, this makes a big difference in how easy it is to comb and detangle after washing.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing, I appreciate your well thought out comment. You had me cracking up about wigs because I am the same where that’s concerned 😂. I also found it helpful to wash in sections in the past, it helped in reducing the amount of time it took with detangle . If I decide on growing my hair past my criptonoight length of two years. Because I get ideas and before you know it I am having a haircut because I get bored. I prefer to wear twist as a style, I don’t care for braid outs , I do like perm rods also as a style. But you provided some excellent tips, thank you 🫶🏾

[@MzToya84]

I wash my hair once or twice a week and blow dry with the round brush, no need to flat iron while it's cold. In the summer I wash the same but I alternate with wash n gos and flat ironing. Stretching with heat is a great way to retain length. A blow dryer should not be causing heat damage.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! I agree !! I love how you diversify your routine with the changing seasons.

I must say it does help retain length as less tangles or knots. It has been three months for me of weekly perm rod sets and drying with hooded dryer.

[@__HappilyMarried]

I WASH, BLOW DRY ON HIGH HEAT, HIGH SPEED AND PRESS MY HAIR ON 370 DEGREES WEEKLY AND HAVE NO HEAT DAMAGE. I also trim my hair every 10-12 weeks and have no issue with length retention. It’s the lack of knowledge that’s the issue with retaining length. My hair was the most damaged when following “natural hair” practices. Split ends and breakage galore. Never again.

[@rosieamelia5955]

yes definitely following the crowd isn't best. I think everyone needs to just learn what works for them. I only do me now , like I did before. I never had damage until I put my hair in the hands of stylist to make decisions other things other than a trim. Hair care is only complicated with all the different voices and advice. it's like everyone wants their method to be right, there is no one size fits all , I honest think stylist themself fail to remember that themselves.

Tell me about it! My hair one day surrender and just dropped out from following their bad, unprofessional advice.

[@tamaramiller9337]

I don't think washing hair weekly will cause too much damage, it all depends on how you're treating it while you're washing & detangling and the products you use I think washing & detangling once a week is better than leaving it longer (for me) as it gets so tangled if left longer and then detangling is harder and that is what will cause damage trying to get those knots out. In my experience, it's fine to wash your hair weekly and you will retain length if you're caring for your hair properly. Healthy hair is generally strong enough to withstand a weekly wash without extensive damage being caused, and if damage is being done - it's probably not due to that weekly hair wash

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing, you are on point! I agree, it’s much easier for me to handle my hair weekly, I normally have minimal shedding and tangles to work through. I also haven’t really experienced any setbacks from weekly washing.

[@tamaramiller9337]

@@rosieamelia5955 exactly. "Minimal shedding and tangles" It was by trial and error that I realised I need to wash my hair at least weekly if it isn't being contained in a style like canerows or braids. My hair is super tight curls in most places but also extremely soft & fine. Leaving THAT weeks between shampoos is a recipe for disaster as it will literally start to knit itself together like a wool scarf. untangling that is possible (I have learned the best techniques for me) but it's no fun & I feel this letting it get overly tangled too often was responsible for my lack of length retention in my early days of being natural. That's why I think heat has been useful for me, because when it's straight it doesn't get into those crazy tangles as quickly Best of luck to you Rosie, I don't want you to stress about length retention at all, just focus on gentle care & you'll be fine 💜

[@shanchip1]

Hey Rosie! I’m a wash and go natural with high porosity hair. I wash my hair once per week and have been able to retain length and moisture. Here is my routine, in case this helps anyone. Sulfate shampoo (Pantene repair shampoo)- the sulfates clean my hair effectively without drying it out and the silicones/polymers in the shampoo make it easy to lightly finger detangle to get the shed hair out. Moisturizing shampoo (Keracare moisturizing shampoo for color treated hair) to deposit some moisture Conditioner with modified silicones (dove bond strength conditioner)- the modified silicones fill in the gaps in the hair's lipid layer. Dont have to deep condition, just rinse it out once you’ve detangled Second conditioner with dimethicone (tresemme smooth and silky conditioner)- coating your hair with a conditioner with high amounts of dimethicone coats your strands and prevents water loss. Optional- add jojoba oil after the 2nd conditioner while in the shower. This is a sealing oil that mimics the natural sebum. Damage from “over manipulation” is rooted in dry hair that is not moisturized. Think of you hair like a plant. If a tree branch dries out, and then you shake the tree, the branch may fall off. But if the branch had not been dried out, it would have been able to withstand the manipulation of shaking it. If you focus on moisture retention and you dont let your hair dry out between washes. Your hair should be able to withstand the manipulation of a weekly wash day. In my experience, choosing products with high amounts of silicones, modified silicones, and sealing oils, and properly cleansing with a moisturizing shampoo with sulfates has allowed me to maintain moisture throughout the week. Also the jojoba oil doesn’t affect my styling products either. I hope this helps!

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing, yes thank you for taking the time to share your detail comment , I think we can all benefit from our shared experiences🙏🏾👌🏾.

[@no.6377]

Best length retention I've experienced so far is by twisting my own hair(not mini! The takedown is terrible) and re doing them every week. By day 4, regardless of style, scalp oiling or not, my scalp will itch and I need to wash. 😅 Back when I listened to youtube university and tried stretching my washing to two weeks, my hair would be so dry and tangly by the time I had to take the twists down that my hair was hella damaged. If I had the time I'd wash twice a week cuz it's been so beneficial to my hair.😊

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for Sharing. This was my little routine too when my hair was a little longer. I am not always a fan of twist out. I am fine with just wearing my twist, not mini twist regular size. I don’t have time for twisting and untwisting. I am too lazy 😁. I think we all end ip with regrets from following some aspect of KZbin university 😩. I have learned my lesson publicly 🤣, I am over here sticking to my little routine. I am doing what works for me .

[@tmcurly]

I have 4c the more I wash it I get barely any shedding, matting or breakage. I use lots of moisture rich curl products and everything just glides. I just enjoy wetting my head and my fluffy hair loves water. I was tired of all the rules and restrictions and followed Anthony Dickey’s advice to NOT be afraid to wet the head even just co-washing mid week with a rich curl conditioner. You need rich curl products to begin with not stuff like AG that’s not rich enough.

[@Maria-lp3ry]

Thank You! I just recently started following Anthony Dickey on utube.

[@Maria-lp3ry]

I have been in protective styles for the majority of 2024 and I want to do something different in 2025. I am going to do a twist hairstyle at the beginning of the week and do a twist out on Friday through Sunday. Well, that is my plan! I have watched other utubers who have grown their hair out without protective styling. I believe it is possible but I do believe it depends on your hair. My hair was flourishing at first but now it is dry and brittle due to medication. So I am aware that I am not going to get much growth in 2025 because I am going to wear my hair out more. Best of luck to your journey. I will be following your journey! 😊

[@royaltroot1014]

@@Maria-lp3ry I had a similar routine as mentioned above and washed frequently to lesson shed hairs on wash day. I would use a leave in and a rich curl cream to twists/ flat twists my hair and wear that for a week, then unravel the twists and wear that for a week. Every two weeks I wash my hair and repeat. I retained so much length good luck 👍🏾

[@adbc1f72]

@@tmcurly What’s AG? I love Anthony Dickey too! 😊

[@Maria-lp3ry]

@@royaltroot1014Thank You!

[@ezabreeza3223]

Hi I am so glad that you made a comment about people saying they wash their hair only once a month. First of all I am African-American and I think this is the grossest thing I've ever heard of and I am ashamed, sisters say they do this but they don't say how they clean their scalp!?😮 I have waist length hair and I don't want people to think this about me it's bad enough when they come up to you and ask you is that your real hair and look at your scalp as if you're lying.. I wash my hair 1 to 2 times a week more if I sweat

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing, Its definitely sad that this stigma exist. before following foolishness (BGC) and my hair was beautiful people taught my hair was fake and it was a wig. yes the want to look at your scalp because there are wigs resembling our hair.

[@yamocamer6418]

I wash my hair weekly ( shampoo, conditionner, hair rinse) max 30 min for all. Directly in shower i do two cornrows and i let my hair dry like that. Once it dry, i will out the cornrows and wear it all the week. Usually, i wear different styles of bun, puff ect.. Because i wash weekly, i have less knots, and my washday is so short. I can go back to others routines.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! So simple, I honestly think we sometimes make it more difficult than we need to. There are so many simple styles.

[@Naturallyrose86]

I watch my hair once a week sometime once every 2 weeks but like you said watching my hair is my me time I enjoy doing my hair. I only do a lot of twist out and braid out I don’t wear wigs so I guess if only leaving your hair on a protective style and put it away then I guess I won’t have long hair loll

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! You forgot how amazing you are on creating beautiful hairstyles 🩷.

[@Naturallyrose86]

@ that’s true I enjoy styling my hair! Someone said if I keep styling my hair every week I will never see long hair and I said I don’t care I just love my hair and am enjoying it. My hair is healthy that’s all I care about. lol

[@Jane-mt9kt]

Your hair looks really pretty and suits you.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you 💖

[@eyme.x]

Only washing your hair once a month can slow down hair growth and can cause scalp issues because every 28 days your scalp pushes up new skin cells which need to be scrubbed off and most likely those people don’t know what week their skin cell turnover occurs during and they are letting the skin and bacteria & yeast build up on their scalp. Also when a lot of those people finally shampoo it’s not with a real clarifying shampoo, and it needs to be a clarifying shampoo and scalp scrub if you’re only washing once a month. Also, twists are how you start locs, so if you want your hair to loc up or just start tangling more, definitely leave it in twists for a month. That’s why they always have to spend so much time detangling and need all these products. I, along with many other women who re-evaluated the health of their hair after certain natural hair practices, have realized my hair is healthier when I’m not doing those things. And by health I don’t just mean having long hair. I mean when you clarify your hair, blow dry it straight and flat iron it so you can see the true state of your ends. When I was wearing wash & gos, twists, braids, braid outs, ponytails, air drying, detangling on wet hair, etc, my ends were all split up my hair shaft, and my ends were thinning out. And you can’t see the full extent of the issues when your hair is always curly. Since I’ve stopped that and started getting regular trims and making sure I put my hair in a style that lays the hair’s cuticle flat (such as blow out, flat iron, or flexirod set, or perm rod set, or roller set and make sure to sit under the dryer) and make sure my hair is fully dry after wash day, and combing through my hair daily, my hair has become stronger, longer, WAY less split ends, the single strand knots (which is actually a hair shaft disorder called Trichonodosis) have nearly completely stopped, and my hair wash days are more effective and make more sense. I get that some people may not want to change up what they’re doing and that’s fine but for anyone who may be wondering why they’re having so many issues with their hair, it’s worth it to re-evaluate your hair care practices and find out if they really make sense scientifically. I don’t put a bunch of products on my hair, I wash & style my hair once every 2 weeks, and I never put any oils on my scalp, I keep my scalp clean and brush or comb through my hair daily. All the products we see online are really not needed for hair growth/health. You’d be fine just using professional shampoos and conditioners, leave-in conditioner and a serum/heat protectant or foam depending on your styling needs.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for taking the time to write this comment. I have done medium twist before and I washed my hair with them , was that a mistake because the detangling was horrible. I also feel like braids dries the hair out even if I wash my hair weekly. I love having access to my hair and scalp. yes also we don't need a lot of products.

[@ygbgforever]

I've been natural for 20 years and I wear wash and gos. Currently I use a leave in spray conditioner, Pattern Mousse and sometimes Aveda's Curl Gelee to style my hair. I use a diffuser or hooded dryer to dry my hair. I've gone through periods where I've washed my hair everyday. Currently I wash my hair 2 to 3 times a week. I only recently started deep conditioning my hair. I don't use oils or butters because they weigh my hair down. And I typically get my hair trimmed once a year, which is the only time I straighten my hair. I've never had issues growing my hair or retaining length.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing. I enjoy the frequent washing. My scalp loves it. I also change up the frequency of when I wash my hair.

[@Naturallyrose86]

Yes it’s possible to grow your hair long with twist out and braid out. I am still on a journey of growing long hair so will see.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! You have done an excellent job in taking care of your hair.

[@daliamracna9902]

looking good girl

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you 🩷

[@B_Alexis206]

I'm a former follower of BGIC method. To make long story short, I had to end up chopping off a lot of my hair, my stylist kept cutting gradually and then I finally cut it into a bob. The hair growing back is much thicker. What I've been doing for the past few months is washing weekly and doing twist outs. I absolutely must wash my hair weekly, it just feels good and my scalp feels refreshed. But I will never, ever, do wash n go's consistently again, that is a style that I can only do once in a while. I also do not do wigs, mini twists, etc. I simply wash and twist weekly. My hair was so damaged from the wash n gos that I still have ends that are bit damaged, but I didn't want to do a big chop, but I cut off a good amount.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing. I hear you about those wash and go. They are a quick and easy style but with the frequency , the shampoo etc it becomes damaging. I am sorry you had to experience that kind of damage and I hope with the frequent trims you can get to the other side. You got this 🙏🏾

[@B_Alexis206]

@@rosieamelia5955 Thank you! I've followed you and Shelly and I can relate to both of your experiences. I did the wash n go's for three years straight and didn't realize the damage until it was too late. I was so in love with the ease of doing them. Now I'm doing twist outs and I feel it takes so much more time to do on wash day, since my hair is shorter I have to section off more and do smaller twists so that my twist out can last.

[@kimleymichelle]

I believe we over think this whole washing our hair thing. I been natural for 20 years and I wash my 4a/b hair either everyday or every other day. I have NEVER had an issue with retaining length; however, I also do not use heat. I tend to cut my hair every 2 yeas and I always get asked how does my hair grow so fast and I simply say "I wash my scalp at least 3 times a week." In fact, prior to going natural I wasn't washing my scalp/hair frequently and my hair started falling out. My dermatologist said build up on my scalp was causing my hair follicles to clog thus causing hair loss. Genetics also play a major role in hair growth. I have seen people with long natural hair that is extremely damaged. I think people should do what works for their schedule.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing, it's nice to heard from someone with years of experience. I only make it to two years but I tend to retain a lot of length . yes many have long hair but not healthy hair. yes we definitely over think our routine. I also think there are so many experts nowadays it confusing .

[@privacywanted434]

Cecred... I finally got length retention with Cecred and it's been able to reverse my heat damage. That special keratin they use works. My hair is stronger, thicker, doesn't shed as much and now I can finally retain length. I wash my hair once a week and I'm a believer in enjoying my. hair. I should be able to play in my hair everyday and still have it grow.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! I am happy for you 🙏🏾. Yes I believe in enjoying our hair. I think rules and fear has robbed so many of us from enjoying our hair

[@whosthatgirl9967]

That’s my dilemma. I know long term protective styles will help me retain more but I work out 5x a week and my sweaty scalp won’t let me go longer than 1-2 weeks.

[@rosieamelia5955]

It definitely would. So before when I used to do braids I can’t say I did them for protective style purposes, it was more me being lazy . I would still wash my hair weekly but then it made my styles not last.

[@carlacookingvegan]

I workout at the same frequency and my scalp won’t let me go 3 days without needing a wash. It like I can feel it needs shampooing.

[@no.6377]

@@whosthatgirl9967 not necessarily. I know for myself and apparently quite a lot of women experience more breakage when we leave our hair alone for more than a week. Braids thinned my hair out and dried it too much(when I left them longer than a week) . And apparently there have been women who grew inches but see through ends and thinning edges with braids. It all depends on how your hair handles extensions, how fast your scalp gets oily and how quickly it tangles and/or gets matted. I've realized the best thing for mine is to twist it for a week, and wash and redo weekly, since my hair gets tangled too fast. And to cut a few centimeters every few weeks surprisingly.

[@Ioiana2]

I have the same issue! I work out 5 times per week and my scalp gets very sweaty. I really can’t imagine washing my hair once a month!

[@whosthatgirl9967]

Forgot to add when I did try wearing confined styles for a month and washing them weekly with the style in hoping for the best of both worlds my hair looked a mess by 2nd wash. Takedown is also stressful because of the tangles and 4 weeks of shed hair buildup. It’s very easy to lose what I retained that month with one awful takedown session.

[@truthserum1271]

For type 4C hair types with tight shrinkage, locs will be the only other way to retain length & density past shoulder length if you want to wash frequently at once a week.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thanks for sharing

[@tamaramiller9337]

There is so much conflicting info about what we should and shouldn't do. Combs or brushes/finger detangling Detangling wet with conditioner/detangling dry with oil No heat/heat to stretch Etc etc etc We all see what the no butters no oils did to some folks hair, and the biggest lesson in that for me is get familiar with your own hair & what it seems to thrive on. Other people's routines may work great for them & not for you. I've been many years natural and my hair only passed bra strap length when I started using heat regularly & using repairing shampoos & conditioners for damaged hair even when my hair wasn't damaged.

[@rosieamelia5955]

😅 my big chop is a result of the no oils no butter. There are so many different ideas on how to care for our hair and if you listen to all those ideas it can make your hair journey confusing and difficult. I decided I would no longer listen or follow any one. I listen to my hair and try to do what works for my head of hair. It’s the best decision I have made, I am at ease and happy.

[@tamaramiller9337]

@@rosieamelia5955 I know what you went thru and I'm sorry. You're so right, all this different advice & opinions is confusing and makes thinks difficult and stressful. We really all have to pay attention to our hair & that requires handling it ourselves (with care!) and seeing what works and what doesn't. We're all in this together and it's good that we can share tips & discuss what seems to work for us, but we shouldn't be following anyone blindly. A lot of these so-called experts sound SO confident & can be quite aggressive with their "advice" - but ultimately we are responsible for how we treat our hair & we're the ones that have to live with it or chop it off if things go wrong 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@esthertjones]

I also can't go a whole month currently without needing to wash my hair. I typically wash 1-2x a week, but I normally only detangle/remove shed hairs once a week, and use only a moisturising shampoo with conditioner (sometimes only one cleanse instead of a double) on the midweek wash to reduce manipulation. I probably should style my hair less, but I normally do something like wash>braid 2-3 days>braidout>wash again>bun/braid 1-2 days>wash again. The exceptions are box braids and minitwists (with my own hair, no extensions) and blowouts/presses, which I try to stretch a week or so if my scalp doesn't bother me too much. (grease seems to help) I've not had any trouble retaining length with this routine, although I have been trimming my ends to remove bleach damage. I believe you'll get back to the length you were before in no time! 🎉💪🏼

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing!! You have an excellent routine. I love that you switch it up.

[@valeriepeters5681]

Natural Reign has type 4 hair who washed frequently and grew her hair long with wash and go’s.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thanks for sharing, yes a few have mentioned her channel. I have watched her but I didn't know of her journey.

[@zyvo3582]

Hiiii, you’re absolutely beautiful!!! If you’re are interested in being a straight hair natural, you will definitely have less breakage and will be able to retain length. A pixie style will look really nice on you now as you grow your hair out. I wash my hair every three weeks being that it takes a while for my natural oils build in my hair and also go to the salon 3 to 4 months for trims. When I’m tired of wearing my hair out I get crochet hair style and have shoulder length hair.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing. I used to at a time in my journey enjoyed wearing my hair straight but I realized I don’t enjoy straight hair anymore. Thank you for your kind words, I did enjoy a pixie quite a bit when I was relaxed. I was an impulsive chopper then too. I like having a hair style .

[@ossier2796]

I’m thinking massage scalp when shampooing, maybe put oil (jojoba) on the ends because they probably dry out first.

[@rosieamelia5955]

I am glad you are finding a method that works for you.

[@rachelk4914]

I had hopes of washing at least every 2 weeks, but my wash days get pushed to the brink 🫣🤣 I mostly wear simple braids. I also have to do my daughter’s hair. Looking forward to your hair journey for 2025❤❤

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! I give props to you because one head is hard I can't imagine two. I have two boys, I am teaching the older one to do his hair. I do the wash for the day he has his swim lessen and he does it for the rest of the week. I also had the barber cut it because he wouldn't do what needed to be done. I told him if you don't take care of it we cutting. he was so upset.

[@rachelk4914]

@ I have a son as well. He’s very tender headed. He washes his hair himself, but I’ve handed him over to husband to deal with lol

[@rosieamelia5955]

@@rachelk4914 🤣🤣🤣, my husband is terrible at doing hair. I always have to do the kids hair over. He never detangles or add a leave in . I can’t imagine what my kids would look like if he was in charge of sending them to school in the morning 😁.

[@rachelk4914]

@ 🙏🤣

[@sabinemarie2159]

I’m also going through some changes and I’m thinking of following Cyn dolls method of washing and stretching my hair weekly and brushing my hair daily. So I’m washing and blowing out my hair weekly and using bond treatments as a prepoo. So far so good! My curls are reverting and I’m enjoying brushing my sebum into my strands daily. I am on my 3rd week and got a fresh trim last week so we will see! I’ll probably post my updates on TikTok 😊

[@rosieamelia5955]

Nice , I am happy you have found something that works for you.

[@biancam2327]

My main problem is working out. Not sure how to wait a month washing if working out throughout the weeks

[@liam.7149]

I think your weekly wash and gos worked well. I love wash and gos too but I've discovered that my hair is just too fine and it's a lot of manipulation for me. I'm currently trying out mini braids one month at a time under a wig for the winter. I cowash every other day in the braids and I think I'm retaining more length.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! Yes wash and go were damaging to me as well. I love that you are taking it slowly to see what works for you best. I wish you the best on your journey 💖.

[@Unknown2025-i7e]

Your hair will grow and not break as often. Without having it tuck away. My daughter grew out her hair. She doesn't protective style or tuck her hair at away. She keep it stretched and detangled.That's with light straighten brush. She always wear a high puff. She make sure to wear a bonnet at night. Those are the two styles she wear back to back. She don't like or wear protective styles. Her hair is much healthy than mine. mine have breakage everywhere and hers dont. Despite me wearing protective styles most of the year. Without added hair at all.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing. I can't tuck nothing away. I know I will be wearing my little fro and doing a few finger coils . I will do styles that cater to my length and keep it pushing.

[@perfectlycoiffed05]

You certainly can grow your hair by wearing it out and a weekly routine. The OG Natural hair YTer “Denim Pixie” was my source when I went natural because she had type 4 hair and really understood how to take care of hair without hiding it away.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing. Since 2019 have been rocking my natural hair, I probably have done braids maybe 3 times, only keeping them for a week. I don’t have any desire to wear braids, wigs etc. I love wearing my hair 💖

[@tobby6312]

Hi Amelia! For me, I wash my hair weekly sometimes I might go 2 weeks but regularly is weekly. I have scalp issues so I use a tar like shampoo, then wash with a regular shampoo and condition, then deep conditioning. I oil my scalp and use whipped shea butter for my ends. Once a month I do a Ayurveda treatment. Then I twist and plaits. Or, I might roller set. It just helps me to sporadically switch up my hair. ✨️

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing , I love how you keep it nice and simple.

[@SJP43]

Imo it a depends on lifestyle. I live in a cold climate, go to the gym, work under harsh weather etc… For me my hair wouldn’t survive a lot of styling. Yet my hair has to get washed weekly. Happy hair growth!

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! Yes there are so many factors, there is no one size fits all, we must all do a routine that’s beneficial to our lifestyle. Thank you and I wish you all the best on your hair journey.

[@camille_bkdimepiece]

I'm not sure 'tucking your hair away' makes sense to retain length. Without manipulation (combing, brushing, washing), hair will appear to grow, but all you're doing is retaining hair that should naturally shed. Once you comb or brush your hair, you will lose the shed (aka dead) hair. What's left will more than likely need to be cut to some degree because hair doesn't grow at the same rate evenly throughout most folks head. As long as people take care by washing, detangling, styling and regularly trimming your hair, they should retain length. And sticking with products that work and not using 50-11 products every week - how does one find what works if they keep switching up so often? Lastly, when manipulating the hair with other processes (such as coloring, bleaching), and not following through with color maintenance treatments, you can expect to lose more hair because those processes automatically compromise the hair.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing & thank you for taking the time to comment, I agree with you. Yes bleaching in particular as soon as that bleach touches your hair it's damaged. I ask my cousin who is a stylist and she explained everything to me. I am in my fun era until the end of December. I decided to get everything out of my system that I want to try because I can't see myself bleaching my hair once it grows back. also I agree that constantly changing up products weekly isn't the best course because you won't know what your hair likes. I use my products until they are finished then I move on. also once I find what I like I just stick to it.

[@Dsmileybface]

Growing up we heard that dirty hair makes their hair grow, but maybe it was less manipulation. When relaxed, I got my hair done every two weeks. As a natural, I washed every 2-3 weeks as my hair was twisted in styles. Doing wash and go's I was washing weekly to keep my hair looking neat... You may be on to something!!!

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing. I have heard that narrative many times, I don't recall hearing that while growing up in Jamaica as a child, from my recollection kids hair was neatly done weekly. my mom washed my hair weekly and styled it for the week. it was necessary because Jamaica is hot . when I was of age I was able to get some braids in the summer because added hair was not allowed in school. we were not allowed to wear earrings, no jewelry, and our shoes had to be black or dark brown, sock had to be a particular color.

[@Ioiana2]

Back in the day I managed to grow my hair to mid back length (stretches). My routine was shampooing once a week then cowashing once a week as a refresher. I wore twist out exclusively. I did used to finger detangle though, but in retrospect my hair was very tangled when finger detanging. I would use a brush now! For styling I would use heavy styling cremes. My hair was quite long, although I never got to waist length (but I got close). Would I have reached that goal of I wore protective styles? Maybe 🤔 This was my routine until 2022, when I discovered BGC 🥴 I’m slowly making my way back to that and will go back to blown out cuts from Jan.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing your routine. I am so sorry your hair got messed up with that stupid method, it’s interesting how they were able to convince us that what we were doing needed to be changed. Okay I have always had trust issues, this puts the icing on the cake. I will be hard pressed before I follow anyone on this Internet for hair advice. If I need assistance I will ask my stylist. Funny story 🤣😅, before trying that foolishness I asked my stylist and she straight up told me nope don’t do it, it doesn’t make sense 😩. And she said things would happen. And it did‼️ One year later I walked in her salon to get my routine silk press and first time ever she used a deep conditioner 😅. So I learned my lesson, if I have a question I ask her . Remember you touch your hair so overtime you will master and care for your hair. I will always go to get my trims by a professional because I find that it gives me better hair retention and healthier ends. Before following foolishness ( BGC) I only needed a trim once per year and I always had minimal split ends. I am having a little fun now that my hair is short , starting January I will start to just focus on growing out my hair. There are so many noise out in the natural hair streets and I am not listening 😁. I wish you the best and a head full of health beautiful hair 🫶🏾

[@Ioiana2]

@ haha I also have major trust issues and this has made it worse! I’m going to a salon in January and I have notes explaining how I want them to do my hair 🫠 I live in a city in Europe with not many options and my BGC stylist was the best option for my 4c hair. The other options were so bad I had to detangle my own hair 🥴 Fingers crossed the other place will be better! I’m glad we’re all learned lessons from this, it’s just a shame our hair had to be damaged along the way. I also wish you the best on your hair journey and look forward to seeing your progress in the coming months. Your hair already looks great ❤️

[@ossier2796]

To me it’s more manipulating to twist and braid but I’ve never been a person who likes to do a lot with hair so I wash it every 5-7 days. My hair is shoulder length if stretched. My stylist does finger coils when I get it done every 4 months.

[@rosieamelia5955]

So I wear my twist . Anytime you wear your hair loose it definitely leads to more damage. Like now I have twist in and I love the pixie look

[@nichie3897]

Me and 4c hair shampooing every 4 days 😅

[@rosieamelia5955]

😁

[@CharlotteMasonTT]

I like this approach and question- I can’t plait and I don’t wear wigs … I used to wash my hair 1-2 times a week but stopped. Because washing out hair is counterproductive…. hair grows regardless. I roller set and air dry mostly..

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thanks for sharing!! I am a strong believer in doing what works for you and follow a routine that you can maintain.

[@gladyswj9968]

Tuck and weaken. Simple WNG routine based on your specific moisture retention cycle with good ingredients and safe handling works. My scalp and hair thrives on quality water. I am a big swimmer and my WNG routine works. Journaling helps too. Find what works, stick to it, and keep hair in its proper place. We can not make it a god.🙅🏾‍♀️💌

[@tmcurly]

I wash or co wash 2x a week my hair has never been in such good condition. The types of products do matter.

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you for sharing 💖. I think the type of products are absolutely imperative.

[@ossier2796]

I say yes you can do it washing your hair once a week and grow your hair long. I’m too lazy to do all of that other stuff 😂

[@rosieamelia5955]

I hear you on the laziness lol! 😁

[@tamarabeckham8760]

Oh you got this … peridot

[@rosieamelia5955]

Thank you 🙏🏾

[@PreppyFay12]

Hey Rosie have you thought about doing a blowout style weekly using a round brush blowout? Blowdrying properly weekly shouldn’t damage the hair if done properly and keeping up with trims and proper treatments. I’ve been retaining healthy length this way. Roller sets can also be a great tool I just know for myself I don’t have time or desire each week to do that style. I’ve also been learning a lot from Cyn Doll his on KZbin. I like you wasn’t benefited from following BGC.

[@jdbailey442]

Cyn Doll gives horrible advice and hates kinky hair. I hope everything continues to work out for your hair. Every time I see her channel, she is ruining people's hair and has no understanding of the science of hair.

[@rosieamelia5955]

I love that for you. 🙏🏾I love that you are retaining length.I know we all went through a lot following BGC method. After that experience I learned my lesson.

[@Flowers4YourMind]

Like you said a lot of women are too lazy to retain length. Just enjoy your low maintenance little lazy hair.

[@anneel8115]

A good pre-poo helps you cheat finger-detangling. You detangle with the product doing 90% of the job. I also fibd that if your conditioner does its job than the tool only had very little to do. Natural reign had grown her hair only with wash n'gos. Good luck!😊

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing, yes I enjoy a good prep. you know what is funny I have watch Natural Reign but I didn't know about her journey.

[@Spokentruths725]

You dont have to tuck it away but confined styles like braids or twists work best for our hair.

[@rosieamelia5955]

thank you for sharing, yes I enjoy twist, not a fan of braids I get impatient with unraveling the ends.