length check (june 2015)

Since I haven’t been really growing out my hair, my length checks have been going through the same pattern—I record about three inches of growth then trim it back to waist-hip length. So this time around, I wasn’t very concerned about measuring and taking digital proof before trimming. I will say that my ends keep gradually getting thicker though, and my current length is now at 27 inches.

I can’t believe how much time has passed, I’ve now had 6 Japanese straightening touch-ups, 4 from Hair IB Club. I don't have much to say about my recent visit there, everything went along fine. I am still contemplating whether to start bringing my own wide tooth comb though. And speaking of how many JHS touch-ups I've gotten now, the sodium hydroxide relaxed parts of my hair are also now at the ends, roughly making up about 1/4th of my length.

I've been asked how I measure my hair, so here I'm showing how I do it when I want to take digital proof of it's length. Because it's hard to hold the measuring tape and take a picture from my back I clip it like shown and sweep it to the side.

length check (28 1/2 inches)

LENGTH CHECK

Here comes another belated, coveted post! The last time I gave a length check, it was July and my hair was 25 1/2 inches long after getting my roots touched and giving myself a trim at home. Five months later, November 2014, I went to Hair IB to get my hair touched up again. The first thing I noticed was that my ends were much fuller than the stringy spikes that were there before the time my hair got straightened.

When I got home and measured, I was 28 1/2 inches! In five months I'd usually grow 2 inches, I got an extra inch because I was leisurely doing the GHE method the last month. The picture below is my hair right after coming home from my Japanese straightening touch-up, no trimming. Now it's completely official and I'm claiming it, my ends have recovered from the hydroxide relaxed to Japanese straightening transitioning.

Still, about a month later I decided to trim. When I said I wasn't trying to grow out my hair until my relaxed hair grows out, I meant it. I trimmed back to about 26 inches, forgot to measure and record after so I'm honestly unsure. Right now, I think the majority of my JHS hair is about 15 inches down.

length check ( & setback comeback)

LENGTH CHECK

To the right is my current length after trimming those straggly ends, this picture was just taken a day ago. As I said in my last post, "at first I self-trimmed an inch off by banding, but wasn't satisfied, and trimmed another inch and a half in the shower. (I only recommend trimming in the shower if your hair is straight or has just been permanently straightened.)" When I trimmed using that banding self-trim method, I trimmed my ends in a U/V-shape since that's how my ends have been growing lately. Also about a week ago, I dusted and did the search and destroy method on my ends outside. The weather was nice and I thought trimming outside would give me good enough lighting. But holding up my ends to the computer screen's lightening, I see I missed spots, so I plan on doing the search and destroy method again soon. I just measured, and currently I'm a little pass 25 1/2 inches.

SETBACK COMEBACK

I think it's safe to say I've made a comeback from my setback, but I think I'm going to wait until next touch-up to say whether I fully concurred my thinning ends. My ends obviously aren't thinning anymore, but their health still isn't where I want them to be. They are still noticeable unhealthier compared to the rest of my hair. And whose to say if I stop my stronger ends regimen that they will start thinning again. Below I have done my best to align pictures so you can see the improvement in my ends. The second picture I added lines so the differences are more noticeable.

I'm very pleased with the improvement. I feel the biggest contributors in my comeback have been combing only on wash day, protein layering, protective styling, and doing the search and destroy method. I've also now passed my goal of blunt full ends at waist length, which is now at 23 1/2 inches on me.