"Taking braids out. I'm wondering why, with all the new growth that I've been getting, still seems kinda short."

This year it was back to basics: braids, twists, twist outs, and pony puffs.  My  hair had gone through some serious heat damage--if you have already read my previous posts, you would have realized this too.  The problem with direct heat is that although it leaves your hair looking gorgeous, you will see damage in your hair over an extended period of time.  Usually this results from misusing direct heat: applying it to unwashed/unconditioned hair, applying damaging products to the hair prior to using heat, using heat tools that do not regulate heat evenly throughout the hair, using a high heat setting or a heat tool that does not display its current temperature, using heat on already damaged hair, etc.

I can attest that I had bad direct heat habbits.  For years I pressed with "pressing creams" that were extremely damaging to the hair.  I would hear that "sizzle" or "popping" noise and think it was normal :-/  I also used the wrong heat tools.  I used a hot comb that was waaaay past its time.  I also used hot tools way too often--more than once a week--and used more than one pass of the hot comb through my hair as well.  In addition, my hair type is fine, meaning my hair strands can easily be damaged by such things as direct heat styling.

At this point, I needed to give up the electric hot comb from the '70s, and lay off of heat styling.  Braids are one of many "protective" styles out there.  It's called a "protective" style because it keeps your hair from being manipulated by combs, brushes, or your hands... and relieves you of direct heat use.  They give your hair a break and allow it to "rest and grow."  Braids make a wonderful transitioning style (those who are growing out their relaxed hair and growing in their natural hair).  So as far as what I was going through June of 2002, I gained a lot of new growth but my overall hair length still seemed kind of short.  This is due to the continual shedding of my hair over the year or so since my hair was experiencing heat damage.  I had a long way to go as far as fully growing my hair back to a decent length.