Taking Inventory: What worked and Didn't in 2011

[Cendra]

After 3.5 years of being natural, this is the first year that I think I finally got it and followed a hair regimen, exercised, ate right (well, mostly) and even drank my 10 glasses per day.

What did YOU change this year that really made a difference in your hair/life?

For me it was the following:

Exercise
Satin bonnet
Protective styling
Washing hair in sections
Steaming

 

[lboogie2679]

I finally figured out how to airdry my hair with predictable results. Before it was hit or miss.

 

[lilyofthenile]

I made a lot of changes this year because it is pretty much my first year being on my hair journey.

I dry my hair with a microfibre towel, I drink more water + eat more healthily, I protective style a lot more, I do search and destroys every eight weeks, I do everything in sections and when I seal, I always pay close attention to my ends.

 

[lamaria211]

I just recently learned how to properly moisturize my hair and that definitely works!

Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using SPH-M820-BST

 

[ebonyseas]

As my hair got longer I could no longer rely on detangling in the shower just because I was washing in braids. I now detangle before I wash, and wash in braids too.

 

[chebaby]

steam. that thing really does work lol.
sticking to certain products. i have a lot of products and they are all of great quality, but sticking to the same products over and over, i saw my hair thrive.

henna, hmmmm i dont know if i should give this up, or justdo a treatment every other month. ive been doing it back to back every week for about a month and my hair has loosened. luckily its temporary.

heat, i will never flat iron again.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Using a Detangler.

I've finally learned how to 'properly' detangle my hair to avoid mats, tangles, knots.

I lost alot of hair not detangling properly or even knowing how to.

For me it was best to detangle on WET Hair using a detangling product.

 

[jareya]

Great thread! This year I learned how important it is to handle my hair very gently, and I upped my DC game and saw great improvement. Also experimented with supplements for the first time and learned that biotin gives me terrible breakouts! The importance of keeping my hair hydrated - both from the inside (by drinking lots of water) and the outside (by wetting it frequently) - HUGE lesson for me this year.

 

[LovelyLouboutin]

Using a Detangler.

I've finally learned how to 'properly' detangle my hair to avoid mats, tangles, knots.

I lost alot of hair not detangling properly or even knowing how to.

For me it was best to detangle on WET Hair using a detangling product.

What's is your favorite detangler?

 

[winona]

Store bought/ easy to do keepers

Qod gold self applied on wet hair and flat ironed at 375 every 2-3 months

GVP Paul Mitchell the conditioner

Ceremides(especially wgo/rice bran) incorporated into pomade, oils, poos and conditioner

Silicon mix bambu

 

[tuffCOOKiE]

I just recently learned how to properly moisturize my hair and that definitely works!

Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using SPH-M820-BST

Do you have any tips?

 

[winona]

I forgot techniques

EVERYTHING is done in sections to relieve mats and tangles

I finger detangle before getting in shower and detangling under water with slippery conditioner

Dc with heat at least 1x per week

Poo about every 2 weeks if needed

If I don't feel like doing my hair I leave it alone

Ps out of laziness/necessity

 

[kupenda]

I have learned to value health over styling. An that just cuz my hair looks dry doesn't mean that it is. Often times, it may look frizzy but it's very soft and always passes the strand test

Scissors are my friend!

Castor oil massages really do work lol

My hair loves oil and moisture!! But I make sure I DC no more than 3x a week just to be safe

I've also learned to be patient and to read the ingredients on every product I put on my hair. There is a benefit to putting oils in almost every product I own, and I have seen it firsthand

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[Demi27]

I learned to be honest about my so called "attempts" at taking care of my hair. I realized that I really wasn't.

What worked for me (surprisingly) was relaxing my hair after being natural for over a year. I learned how to carefully take care of my hair. It came in handy when I did the big chop again last month. I'm so gentle with my hair now it's ridiculous.

Co-washing, using oils (in my conditioners) and hair steaming are definitely my friends.

 

[jamoca5]

I still haven't figured out the perfect regimen for myself, but after seeing my little brother's long growing hair--which he constantly keeps in cornrows--I've finally made sense of the importance of PROTECTIVE STYLING. I'm a girl who loves her fro, but now I know that if I want my hair to be any longer, I can't just wear my hair out 24/7.

 

[Ogoma]

I learnt that if I treat my hair like a problem, it becomes a problem. It is more important to be consistent with any product than rotate so many products. A simplified, consistent, moisture-rich regimen works for my life AND my hair.

 

[BlkOnyx488]

PSing 24/7. I keep my hair in cornrows under a kinky curly half wig.

total diet change no meat

whole head bagging every nite

KEEPING MY HANDS OUTTA MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!i

 

[bellebebe]

I CANNOT STRESS PROTEIN AND MOISTURE BALANCE ENOUGH!!!

Also realizing that my hair does not like braids.

Hardcore protein 1x/month

DC 2x/week.

Moisturize during none DC days, and leave the hair alone.

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

Most important thing I've learned is that natural products are my hairs best friends. The more natural ingredients the better.
Learning what my hair loves - Cowashing/washing 2x a week at the minimum, honey, castor oil, roller sets, and protein.
Learning what my hair hates - pregnancy, braiding, heat, wash and go's, and being ignored.

Oh, and that patience is a virtue, and my hair is not gonna go from scalp to my waist in under 5 months....

 

[Mische]

What didn't work:
-Stretching past 12 weeks
-Abusing perm rods led to a bunch of SSKs


What worked:
-Switching to mostly natural products
-Detangling on dry, lubricated hair prior to washing
-Shampooing in braids
-Medium tooth combs on wet hair
-Switching to a silk scarf

 

[cicilypayne]

taking a break from weaves and using sulfate free shampoo

 

[MsLi@512]

What worked: Mostly natural products and sticking to those that worked, made my hair thrive. moisture, moisture and more moisture including wetting the hair often with my aloe vera, oil mix and henna as needed for strengthening. Protective styling and sticking to 12-14 week stretches. And my relaxer system gives me consistent texlaxed texture that is predictable and that I love.The half/half method. John Frieda serum is devine for roller sets and flat ironing.

What didn't work: Trying to stretch past 14 weeks. Mineral oil, petroleum and heavy silicones as my leave in and d/c. Sulfates in my shampoo is a no. and slacking in the exercise and diet areaperplexederplexed

 

[Curlykale]

what didn't work

avocado or egg treatment (= protein overload)
styling products with protein and collagen


what worked
aloe juice (and aloe with clay)
keeping wheat germ and castor oils around
using olive oil underneath or over whipped butters
always braiding my hair at night and protecting at least my bun

 

[skraprchik]

What worked:
Satin bonnet
Dusting
Wash-n-go's

What didn't:
Regular twisting

 

[Diva_Esq]

What worked:
Daily cowashing with a cheapy deep conditioner
Leaving a moisture intensive, creamy full strength conditioner in my hair
Finding staple products
Less shampooing (wish it could be none at all)
Satin nun looking hair cap from Sally
Banana clips
Protective styling most of the week
Deep conditioning overnight
Being thorough about heat protecting before length check/trim flatties
AUSSIE MOIST PRODUCTS
Mizani Supreme Oil (so light!!)


What did not work:
Sleeping in a tied silk scarf (headaches out of this world!!!!!!)
Most oils, especially coconut oil!!!!
Using a wide tooth comb on APL hair to detangle. Had to upgrade to the Ouidad Double Detangler!!!!
Loose hair overnight... Means a tangling nightmare in the morning. Loose braids or a pineapple work!
Any gel outside Ecostyler clear!!!

 

[youwillrise]

co-signing w/ those who said natural products...eliminating products with hard to read ingredients has really changed my hair for the better...most notably in the moisture dept.

applying my dc in sections, making sure every strand is coated.

oils oils oils. my hair cant do without em.

bentonite clay for cleansing. makes my hair clean, but not stripped and i feel like my dc is accepted better. hmmn

revisiting baggying. didnt work well for me before...could be the elimination of certain products/ingredients. works great now.

so far (still in trial stage)...hiding ends for long periods of time without taking them down. had my ends ehidden for 11 days straight...in those 11 days, i rinsed & conditioned once and dc'ed once...ends never came down. i baggied nightly using my moisture spray...when i took my hair down on friday, my ends were mousturized as well as lubricated. doing it again to see if results are same.

careful & gentle finger detangling on twist/braid take down days in the shower before doing the rest of my cleanse/condition routine. i dont add any extra conditioner or oil to my hair when detangling. the oils already in my hair plus the running shower water have made detangling a breeze for me. it's wonderful, i used to have so much trouble with this.

 

[halee_J]

What worked:

Regular moisture DCing
Using a low pH product, like Roux PC condish or ACV rinse, every wash.
Using a light reconstructor every wash
Leaving my hair alone, in a bun
Ceramide oils
Using heat to stretch my NG
Using the Tangle teaser every once in a while


What didn't work:

Using heavy reconstructors every 4-6 weeks:
Too difficult to regain moisture balance after, it's much easier to keep P/M balance with lighter, more frequent doses of protein.

Using direct heat on my relaxed hair

Using the TT everyday:
Too much, it was starting to thin my relaxed ends.

 

[hair4today]

Great thread...one thing I've learned this year is to take stock of what's working and document this for future reference. By doing this I've learned the following in 2011:

What's Worked:
1) figuring out that I have low porosity hair. This was a major breakthrough. I finally understood why my hair was always dry no matter what i did. I was using products and techniques for high-po hair rather than lo-po hair which was futile. Now that I use products/techniques suitable for my hair's porosity, I'm no longer frustrated by my hair and what it needs to thrive.

2) Terressentials Pure Earth Organic Hair Wash - the one product that literally transformed my hair. Read Mud Wash = No DC thread for more commentary on what this product has done for my hair.

3)Protein - since my hair was so dry, I focused exclusively on moisturizing and only did moisture DCs. When I started incorporating light protein DCs and reconstructors (Komaza, SSI fortifying masque, etc) to my routine, my hair did a major 360 in strength and retention.

4)KISS - keeping it simple. I discovered that my hair hates constant change and experimenting with new products. When I keep it consistent, my hair thrives so now I use the same products and routine for at least 1 month and then change it up at that point if I'm getting bored with it.

5) Give It A Rest - I found the highest period of growth/length retention occurs when I take a break from styling by installing braid extensions. I do this every 6 months to give me and my hair a break from manipulation.

What Did'nt Work:

The opposite of the above.

 

[FoxxyLocs]

I started using t-shirts to dry my hair.

Seamless combs

Aloe + water + coconut oil to prepoo

Finally perfected my homemade moisturizer - mango butter + argan oil + safflower oil + xanthan gum + water

Sent from my HTC Evo

 

[30something]

What did work
This is going to sound so cliché... but being natural has really been the #1 best thing I done for my hair. First time in two years on a HHJ that my hair has made a complete turn around. My hair is much more healthier and is easily 3 times thicker.

That it really I haven't really done much with my hair besides my basic regimen. I guess keeping it really simple has worked a lot for me too.