6 Month Protective Style Challenge

The fact that my last relaxer was September 2008 and all I have is shoulder length hair pisses me off. I'm not gonna lie about that. I hate the fact that I have nothing to show for these past four years. I'm mostly pissed off with myself. But it is something that I need to let go. I know that I wasn't taking care of my hair like I should have and that is why things are the way they are. I know that I just said that I wouldn't worry about the length of my hair anymore. And that is true. That is not the point of this post. I just wanted to rant a bit and try to come to terms with the fact that I need to accept my hair. I need to accept the fact that my hair is thin and fine and that if you stare at it too hard, it'll break off smh. I need to accept that I am not gonna wake up and miraculously have long, thick hair. I have to be patient with my progress and take my time. If I'm good to my hair and I leave it alone, my hair will grow.

From now until May I intend on only doing protective and low manipulation styles. I figure if I just leave my hair alone for days/weeks at a time, it will be easier for me to retain length and stop worrying about my hair progress so much. Also, this challenge goes perfect with the length check that I already set for May 2013.

Rules:

• All protective styles must last at least 2 weeks
• All low manipulation styles must last at least 1 week
• I will deep condition every time I shampoo (which I already do...it really makes a difference! lol)
• I will continue to rub Castor oil on my edges on a daily basis. Weekly for my scalp.
• I must moisturize my hair while in a protective style. I can't just leave it alone and expect my hair to be ok.
• No Heat 
• Keep my ends moisturized

Some styles I have in mind:

• Mini Twists
• Straw Curls
• Flat Twist styles
• Buns
• Updos  
• Coils/Coil-Out
• Hair augmentation (When I eventually get a job, I will be able to afford hair. Yay!)
• Crochet Braids :)
• Quickweaves
• Half Wigs
• Ponytails

I'm excited about this challenge. I'm almost certain that I'll be able to stick to it and actually enjoy it. So far, I've had these mini twists for 3 days and I'll be able to keep them in until next weekend. I wonder what I should do next. Hmm, straw curls? We'll see :)