BGLH: Your hair is SO LONG! Did you ever think it would get this long?
S: Well, I was a little uncertain as to whether waist-length hair would be possible; however, I knew that as time went on that if I took good care of my hair then it would be possible.
BGLH: How did you know what to do to get it this long? And how many inches do you think you have?
S: I knew that taking care of my hair and keeping it moisturized as much as possible would help with length retention. When measured, it is 28 inches (top/crown), 30 inches (midsection to bottom portion). It took about 4 years and 9 months to get to this length.
BGLH: So what is your secret?
S: No secret, just lots of patience & care. I try to keep my hair moisturized and protected (i.e. twists/braids)
BGLH: Have there ever been any rough periods when your hair wasn’t really growing, or you lost length or health.
S: I have had to cut off 3 inches on two separate occassions within a span of 2 months (in 2007) due to damaged ends — our afro texture makes moisture retention hard and I constantly battle with dryness, especially due to the hot climate I live in. There are times when growth is little to none, but that is just part of hair growth process.
BGLH: Was your original goal to grow your hair out, or was it to go natural?
S: Mainly, just to grow my hair out naturally, but length eventually became part of my goal as well.
BGLH: Were there any naysayers? People who thought your natural hair would always be short? What do they think now?
S: Yes, there were a few naysayers, I could care less though, and yes there were people who implied that people with my texture tend not to be able to grow long hair, although they did not come out and say it. Of course, now they are quite surprised and seem to be open to the fact that it is possible.
BGLH: Why did you do the big cut? What prompted that?
S: I was tired of my permed hair breaking and wanted to get my hair health again.
BGLH: What are some of the reactions you get from people on the street when they see your hair?
S: I get a lot of “Is that really your hair?”[touch, touch, play with hair...]. I also get a lot of stares some negative and some dismissal–some people just assume my hair is fake instead of taking the time to just ask me whether or not its my hair (I stopped being offended a long time ago, lol.)
BGLH: What would you tell a natural like me who recently did a big cut, and is struggling to learn her hair and grow it out?
S: Take time to explore and try out products that promote moisture retention (without breaking the bank, lol.) Have patience or condition yourself to be patient if you are not a patient person, especially when it comes to handling your hair. Once you find out what works for your hair you will know what helps it grow and what prevents it from growing.
BGLH: You should write a book, seriously! do you have any hair-related plans for the future, like becoming a hair consultant or something like that? :)
S: That is something I am currently taking into strong consideration (only time will tell…). ;)
