Friday, September 7, 2007

Five Month Update

So it's time to post my five month photos and I wasn't feeling it at all. Everyone knows I posted a month ago about wanting more length. I look in the mirror and I feel like I see the same thing I've been seeing since March!

Cashana took the words right outta my mouth when she said, 'Don't get me wrong..I love my Sisterlocks, but I'm bored.'

I'm thinking of doing some new highlights for a change, but I am hesistant for two reasons. First, color is chemicals and I would love to be chemical -free. (Just on principle.) And second, I did highlights right before I started my SLs and they have been a good way to track my growth. However, I think my desire for change will win out.

Ok, but I promised pictures.




People have been telling me that my hair is growing, but I couldn't see it. It amused me that Aya commented on the length I have in front because that's where my hair really seems like it doesn't grow! The length I have on top right now is just a little bit more than what I started with, and that's why I've been frustrated with the sameness. But today I decided to sort through my myriad pics that were in different places not unlike Sunsail's.

And guess what I found when I compared photos?

My hair is growing! A lot!

I couldn't wait until 6 months to post these and I was having trouble with my collage software, but here they are. You get the idea...



Day 1






Month 1








Month 2







Month 3









Month 4






Month 5!

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Y'all are so impatient! Can't wait to be a bunch of mop-tops...you're getting there quick...lol.

Mel said...

BR, that is a lot of growth! Looking good girl :-)

Goodnapps said...

Girl, in 5 months your hair has done some serious maturing and growing. It looks awesome!

I keep preaching to the choir when I say you have to do those comparison shots. They give you an instant slap in the face message that your hair is growing volumes.

If you want some color I say go for it. One of these days I hope to be bold enough to go for some color myself.

blackrussian said...

Thanks ladies!

GN, I am so glad I MADE myself take photos even when I didn't feel like it. I didn't realize at all how much my hair has changed - and I never would have known without them, and I would have continued to be dissatisfied with my progress.

...Not only in length, but also maturity. I'd say 85% of my ends are still open. They just look neat because my locks terminate in a natural coil. I know my locks ARE changing, but I didn't realize how much they were thickening and changing texture until I looked back at the photos.

I am actually more excited about THOSE changes than the length!

I've pretty much decided that I won't ever do all over color again (I say now...ask me again in 6 months.) because it IS damaging and drying. I love the way my hair looks when it's auburn. That's the color it was when I was growing up, so I feel like it's my natural color.

(Like women who were blonde as children can't quite accept being brunettes as adults.)

My hair is SO soft and healthy now. I can't quite bring myself to jeapordize that. I can't STAND dark roots on myself, so I always colored religiously every 6 weeks.

THAT'S NOT HEALTHY!

IF I do highlights, I can touch them up much less frequently and I'm damaging a much smaller percentage of my hair.

I'm a procrastinator. Now that I've had the idea, I probably still won't do it for a month or two.

Unknown said...

HUGE difference!!! Your locks are condensing... they look great!

blackrussian said...

Thanks SS, I particularly like the difference you can see between months 3 and 4. Especially since there wasn't much change between 2 and 3. But then when you look at 4 and 5 compared to month 1 it's really like: wow!

I got excited all over again.

I had to TESTIFY!

I called one of my friends who used to be natural but went back to the relaxer 2 years ago. I was just like: read MY blog and my friends and faves and check out the LHBE and tell me you don't want SLs!

She's never seen them in person and known it, but she got online and looked at mine and Blaq's and was totally like: ooh! if I knew mine would look that good I would get them!

Then she got to Goodnapps and was like oh she's so cute! She was so impressed with your growth from year 1 to year 2! I told her to check out Carmen because my friend lives in G'boro. Carmen, she LOVED your hair, but we both know that ain't what the two of us WAS born with!

That's as far as we got while I was on the phone with her, but before I hung up she was pretty sure she would get braids for a few months to get enough new growth and save her money to start SLs!

We may have another locked sister soon!

Aya said...

Wow!!!!! Your hair really does grow fast. The pictures don't lie. At this rate,by the time you're a year in to your locks, they'll be past your shoulders.

N'Drea ~ the Storyteller said...

The pictures are testimony enough. Your hair is GROWING and looking REALLY good. Be patient, sis. Re the boredom, try wearing new styles and accessories. I'm into hair bands now, and am looking to try out some scarfs next. You could get some of Brunsli's hair ties and Carmen's Tomoka Twists. Explore, girl :)

CardioBunny said...

Girl your hair is maturing so quickly! I know what you mean about getting bored though... I've been tempted to dye mine completely black but I KNOW I'll have all kinds of unravelling because I have quite a bit come loose if I don't braid and band when I do a regular wash.

Hang in there and back away from the scissors!!! I ended up with bunching in a few locks because I cut too much of the permed ends off too fast and had to take them down and start them over :(

blackrussian said...

Hope so, Aya, I think the longest layers in the back will actually be there by the end of the year. The shortest layers up top will maybe be chin-length.

I can't wait to see what changes the next 5 months will bring!

Thanks n'drea. I haven't done much with sets and curls, but I do put my hair up with accessories a lot. Two to three times a week, actually.

Not a product-junkie, but definitely an accessory junkie! For whatever reason I don't really like the way I look in headbands and scarves right now. I just don't like how my locks fall when I push them back like that. I think they would look better either longer or shorter.

It's probably just me. Because I LOVE headbands on EVERYONE else!

I have a LOT of scarves and headbands and will be wearing them eventually.

WIP, so far I'm keeping the scissor-happy impulses in check!

Anonymous said...

Your hair has definitely grown. You weren't lying when you said that your hair grows fast. At this rate you wil have long locks in no darn time!

Anonymous said...

Your hair definitely has grown and thickened...

Cashana said...

I see the growth and thickening...I still need to do a post about impatience.

Anonymous said...

How did I miss this post???!!! I know this is coming late, but your hair grows at an astronomical rate (I'm a poet and didn't know it..LOL!). Just looking at your month 4 and 5 are bugging me out!!!! I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me but it seems with your growth comes additional locks...hhhhmmmm?

Girl!! Your hair will be mid-back in no time...

blackrussian said...

LOL!!! MM - Did you ever see the movie version of The Scarlet Pimpernel from, like, 1984? It stars Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews and HE IS A NUT! He plays a fool, but he's really got a secret identity as a hero. I LOVE that movie!

Anyway, there's this part where he says, "I am a poet and I did not know it." Every time I hear someone say that I think of the movie!



You know how I feel about comments. It is NEVER too late...especially if it's compliments!

Yeah...my hair is growing quickly. So quickly now that people are beginning to ask me what I'm doing and if I've added hair. But then you can stare at it up close and TELL it isn't extensions.

It's always grown like this and I KNEW it, ESPECIALLY when I was coloring my hair, I had dark roots ALL THE TIME! That's why I had to give the color up. Because I didn't like dark roots, so I was touching it up every 4 weeks and it was just too damaging even though it was the only chemical process I was applying.

But like I said, I was always cutting it because I wanted a change, or cutting it because I'd damaged it, so other people never knew it grew like this and they are amazed!

It's weird how it DOES look like more locks, but individually they don't look very thick or very much thicker than they were when I started them. I'm still EXTREMELY pleased with my choice of lock size.

I'm so eager to see how long and full it will be in December at 9 months and then March at 12!

I've got so many things going on right now, I know that time is gonna FLY!

Thanks again for commenting!