APL 2012 Challenge

[mamaore]

I'll leave the shedding alone, because in my opinion, it's normal and i've just accepted it myself, as long as my hair isn't thinning out i'm cool. However i do notice that when my hair is on point, moisture, low mani, etc. i shed less too so maybe if you get the breakage under control, the shedding will ease up too.

Personally i think weekly chelating is a lot, i have a friend who did that and his hair went from soft and shiny to brittle, dull and splitsville! I have never seen so many splits in one head before! So that might be something to try even though you have hard water.

I dont know much about the products you mentioned, but make sure that you are DCing with a product intended for DCing, something that instructs you to leave it on for 10-15 minutes, i found that DCing with instant/cheapie conditioners was not doing it for me at all, so i had to get a real DC.

Also you need to find a good moisturizer that you can use daily or every other day, when i was relaxed my hair could not do without WN Moisturizing Mist but it did nothing for my natural hair and boy have i struggled with splits, breakage and dryness as a result! I just started using S-Curl tho and i am in hair heaven! I cant keep my hands out my hair and the breakage (and shedding) has become almost non-existent. So try and find a water based moisturizer that works for you, you mentioned the NTM but is that creamy or watery? I find the watery ones work better for me, but you can always seal your hair with the creamy one.

P.S. Sorry so long but hope something helps

Khaiya thanks for the support. I should have responded earlier but I was away for the last few days with no web access.
Ill lay off the chelating poo till 1 week before my touchup.
Yes, my hair definitely prefers a watery moisturizer not just a water based one. I made my own home made mix of AOHSR water and AVJ.
I'm not giving up, I'll keep looking for what works.

 

[mamaore]

Looking forward to all the juicy reveals. I just joined this challenge so I'll be drooling from the sidelines.

 

[Seamonster]

If I can just hold off flat ironing until December. Kicks rocks, because I just got two new flat irons, and I want to play with them so bad erplexed.

 

[lamaria211]

im not trying to flat iron my hair anymore i really suck at it so ill be pulling for the check-in
esi.adokowa i think i buy something everytime i leave the house

 

[kittenz]

I :heart2: my steamer!!

Before- Dry hair


My new BFF


Hair lathered in con


30 minutes of steamy bliss


After
I used a wide tooth comb to apply my leave, love it

 

[Evolving78]

I'm not flat ironing till may.

Sent from my iPhone 4s

i am going to try not to use any heat until the end of the year. not even the hooded dryer unless it is to deep condition. i am really trying to be serious about this protective style thing.

 

[Poutchi]

I m also hoping to go through 2012 without flat ironning or blow drying my hair... will be threading my hair to stretch it out

 

[lamaria211]

Im feeling kind of frustrated with my hair i feel like i need to go back to the basics of haircare i think i gonna reread all the old threads the ones i used to study as a newbie

 

[NikkiQ]

Wow the thread had been pretty damn busy today!! I've been battling a killer hangover all freakin day. I'll be back into the swing of things tomorrow lol

Sent by me from my Android phone.Boom

 

[Khaiya]

I did my wash and condition with the CON and it was good, I like it, I'll definitely be using it again. Couldn't bother with the flexirods tho, it was faster amd easier to just thread it so that's what I did.

 

[Evallusion]

My oh my, do I have a story for you ladies. I have been seriously neglecting my hair this past week since taking out my sew in. I was wetting my hair daily and squishing a wig over top of it. I did this for a week straight...without combing my hair. Well, Saturday morning I decided to get a protective style put in so I went to poo, dc and detangle my hair and for the first time in my life, I experienced MATTING!!!!

It took forever and a day as well as copius amounts of Miss Jessie's Baby Butercream to get my hair detangled. I then tried to blow dry my hair to get it semi straight and it was so damn thick I broke the friggin' comb. I was sooo tempted to cut!!! My arm was cramping from trying to rake through this stuff. Sooooo much breakage...These two textuers are not for me. Me no likey.

Sooo......

I went to "The African Braid Shop" after all that nonsense. It was PACKED so I said I'd come back. I left the shop and get to the corner of the block only to hear someone trying to get my attention. The lady calls me back and says she will do my hair right away. I'm like "Dag, she want my money bad".

Anyway, I wait for 30 minutes (liar liar) and another lady starts on my hair. When my hat is taken off, everyone starts talking about how thick my hair was...so I'm like "wait for it...wait for it." I just knew they were gonna try and jack the price up on me. The lady then taps me on my shoulder and whispers in my ear that I should pay her an extra 20 dollars and she would have another lady help braid my hair so that it would be faster. I'm like oh heck nah. If I take my car to the mechanic and 2 people work onit, I don't have to pay each person? WTF?!? So I said ya'll are getting a 100 bucks and thats it.

Meanwhile, some lady brings her 2 year old in to get cornrows and they were practically braiding her scalp. Mom, is holding her down and telling her to be quiet while the little girl cries and says she wants the lady to stop. On my right is a seriously obese 11 year old who is talking about how bad she wants to lose weight and she is being bullied at school. Her mom walks in (also obese) and states that she is happy with her size, big is beautiful and yada yada yada. I'm thinking to myself, "Your child is hurting and crying out for help and you just brushed it off with nonsense." Way to help out your kid and be a role model....but this paragraph here is a thread for another day.

Anyhow, the braider was using a tiny *** ratail comb to part and comb my hair. I asked her to use a bigger comb twice. The second time she grabbed a comb and rammed it in my loose hair. I'm like, are you gonna use it because you are hurting my scalp and pulling out my hair. She then snatched the wide tooth comb out of my hair and told me to comb my own hair. WTF? So I told her to watch and learn so she would know how to properly comb and detangle someone's hair. The shop got quiet and then they started speaking Mandingo...I know damn well they were talking about me. Side eye... To wrap things up, she took a lighter and ran it up and down my braid. WTF?? My hair is in there lady!!!

Anyway, after about 4 hours, I was done. By far, the most pain I've ever experienced while getting my hair done. This was my first and last time at this shop.

Some lessons were definitely learned.

I got kinky twists by the way, attached are pics....

...@Evallusion your hair looks great! If you do braids what type are you going to put in? Please post pics too

 

[diadall]

Welcome to the braidy bunch!

I was told a small amount of fabric softener will loosen tangles.

 

[Aggie]

Doing less with my hair for a while.

 

[pookaloo83]

I get so many compliments on my hair! It's getting longer. Thinking about putting my hair in two strand twists before I go outta town on the 11th of april. So I do t have to rebraid for my braidout every night like I do at home. I'll put it in some type of updo or bun it with a banana clip.

Sent from my iPhone 4s

 

[Seamonster]

Evallusion I am laughing so hard, I am crying at that braid shop. But they shol got you looking good.

 

[jprayze]

If I can just hold off flat ironing until December. Kicks rocks, because I just got two new flat irons, and I want to play with them so bad erplexed.

Maybe flat iron someone else's hair? Live vicariously through them

 

[itsjusthair88]

Hi guys, just checking in...I can't believe it's almost time to check in already, I am nervous because my hair is still sucking pretty bad, so...yea. I wore twists the lasted about 8 days, because they were sloppy, next set will be mini-twists and will last about 2-3 weeks (Lord Willing) I am going to wear this twist-out right on through the check in on 3/31 my stretched hair goes a little past my collar bone now, so I am a little excited about that...oh well, we shall see in a few days, whenever the next check-in is, I will straighten and trim.

lamaria211 that has to be one of the most adorable siggies I've ever seen on LHCF, those cheeks!!!!! Congratulations (even though I'm mad late)

 

[lamaria211]

Hi guys, just checking in...I can't believe it's almost time to check in already, I am nervous because my hair is still sucking pretty bad, so...yea. I wore twists the lasted about 8 days, because they were sloppy, next set will be mini-twists and will last about 2-3 weeks (Lord Willing) I am going to wear this twist-out right on through the check in on 3/31 my stretched hair goes a little past my collar bone now, so I am a little excited about that...oh well, we shall see in a few days, whenever the next check-in is, I will straighten and trim.

@lamaria211 that has to be one of the most adorable siggies I've ever seen on LHCF, those cheeks!!!!! Congratulations (even though I'm mad late)

Thank you sooo much sweety;
I am also very excited and a lil nervous for the check-in but im sure we will all do better than we think

 

[NikkiQ]

I can't wait to see everyone's updates!!! I feel like a proud mama right now

 

[Poutchi]

Evallusion... they did an awesome job on those twists... even though I am sorry she was abusing your hair ... But you look fierce with that style

 

[Poutchi]

I can't wait to see everyone's updates!!! I feel like a proud mama right now

So the next reveal is end of june if I am not mistaken right?

 

[NikkiQ]

^^^Yes ma'am! Every 3 months

 

[pookaloo83]

I'm kinda wanting to just do a June reveal to surprise myself.

Sent from my iPhone 4s

 

[NikkiQ]

Pook if you wanna just do a side by side comparison shot of your twist outs for your check in, that would totally work and then you can do your big reveal in June.

 

[Phaer]

Evallusion
I can understand the frustration, the braid shop I go to must hate me (but since I've got them mostly trained I only go to them) . I dont blow-dry my hair, bc I am afraid of heat damage, I won't let them put their icky grease, I bring my own comb (I do detangle it before and during the braid session), and I am always telling them if they are doing it too tight.
I don't understand why they passed the lighter on the braids, kinky twists are supposed to be a little frizzy. I will start telling them not to cut the frizz off with scissors, I just realize they may be cutting some or my hair (duh) .

 

[Phaer]

Do I have to do a reveal? I kind of want to surprise myself in December.

 

[NikkiQ]

^^Do you have a comparison shot maybe? Are you part of the Braidy Bunch too?

 

[pookaloo83]

Pook if you wanna just do a side by side comparison shot of your twist outs for your check in, that would totally work and then you can do your big reveal in June.

Yeah true dat!

Sent from my iPhone 4s

 

[NikkiQ]

Does anyone else have any concerns about the check in this weekend?

 

[TheNDofUO]

Not much. I've already done a length check after my relax in Feb but I'll either stretch a bit or wrap it. I'm not straightening