Hair Lessons -Successes & Failures -from 2013

[Ogoma]

As we approach the end of the year, I think this is a good time to reflect on what insights we have gained and mistakes we have made with our hair this year.

What did you learn about your hair, regimen, product selection etc this year? Where they successes or failures? How does this impact your regimen going forward?

 

[Ogoma]

Lessons:
1) Realizing how interdependent every activity in my regimen is. If I alter one activity, I need to make sure I do not have to change the other dependent, interrelated parts. In other words , I am co-washing less frequently during the week, and as a result protein once a month might be too much for me. I caught it early so no lasting ill effects, but I was trying to ignore the signs because I didn't want to change anything.

2) My hair loves behentrimonium methosulfate and aloe juice/gel. If a product has these in the top ingredients, my hair will love it wet, damp, dry, inside or out.

3) My hair hates products with beeswax.

Going forward:
- All my moisturizing conditioners and moisturizers contain the ingredients my hair loves and none of the ingredients it hates.
- Will not have a set schedule for protein treatments, but will go by how my hair feels.

 

[DoDo]

As we approach the end of the year, I think this is a good time to reflect on what insights we have gained and mistakes we have made with our hair this year.

What did you learn about your hair, regimen, product selection etc this year? Where they successes or failures? How does this impact your regimen going forward?

I should cowash/wash more often than I have been.

I really like the products that I have been using and have discovered so far.

I have decided to proceed without the intention of growing my hair out. I will let it do whatever it wants and randomly check its progress as needed. Learning to blow dry on wash day has made life so much easier, now it is up to me to step up my moisture and protein regimen.

 

[MileHighDiva]

Lesson learned:
DIY self-administered direct heat is a for me. In 2014, I'll either give up my four direct heat passes or contemplate going to the shop...The smart thing would be to stick to my curlformer sets which give me chemical/thermal relaxed type results,

Going Forward, I'll stick to what has worked for my hair:
Pre-pooing overnight
DCing with heat
Finger detangling, before removing sheds with a seamless comb
Products full of AVG/AVJ, ceramides, and protein
LCO as M&S method 2-3 a week

 

[CarLiTa]

Successes:

Learned late summer that my hair loooves aloe juice!! It is now a staple in my regimen. I've used it as prepoo, hair refresher, part of my shampoo, in my leave in, in my sealing. Just love it.

My hair also likes rose water. I boiled rose petals in (you guessed it) aloe juice, and my hair was so soft and pretty-smelling.

This is helping me retain length and be less frizzy.

My failures

Just a setback in late June (before all the above discoveries)
As well as having to cut a good chunk off a strand because it got caught in a scrunchy when I decided to do an impromptu random hairstyle. Ugh.

Other than that, I'm doing very little with my hair. I'm really looking forward to 2014 and seeing it surpass MBL and hopefully hitting my goal around my birthday, late July. I'd love to straighten it to see where I am now, but I'm apprehensive.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

1) Tight buns are NOT your friend

2) I need to keep up with my dusting regimen because healthy no so blunt ends just aren't good enough for me .

3) STOP BEING SO D**M HAIR LAZY!

4) Heavy butters in the winter/spring, Light butters in dead of summer.

5) Protein is my bestie and moisture is my friend. Never confuse the two.

6) Stop obsessing over other peoples hair and neglect your own. (This is a horrible habit of mine)

7) You don't need a backup to a backup to a backup. 1 product backup is fine .

 

[MileHighDiva]

1) Tight buns are NOT your friend

2) I need to keep up with my dusting regimen because healthy no so blunt ends just aren't good enough for me .

3) STOP BEING SO D**M HAIR LAZY!

4) Heavy butters in the winter/spring, Light butters in dead of summer.

5) Protein is my bestie and moisture is my friend. Never confuse the two.

6) Stop obsessing over other peoples hair and neglect your own. (This is a horrible habit of mine)

7) You don't need a backup to a backup to a backup. 1 product backup is fine .

I'm putting the bolded in my "tool box" of quotes!

EnExitStageLeft

 

[Mskraizy]

1) Trying to do a "one year trim" is a no-go for my hair. At least every 3-4 months but herelately twice a year has been good. I love the look of freshly trimmed ends and what it does for my hair, I can't give up the frequent trims anymore. My hair prospers more when I cut it than when I keep trying to tell people "I only trim once a year"....for some reason that made me feel soooo......fancy....

2) Hair needs protein at least once a month because my hair can get overmoisturized pretty fast. I now know the signs of that!

3) Protective styling is my best friend.....my boring best friend but bestie nevertheless.

4) Stick to what works and ONLY what works! If product changes are necessary, change one at a time. I've become finicky as to finding out what makes my hair do what. I know what every product I use frequently does for my hair with or without additives even my OILS. I bet my products be feeling like they're in jail on my shelf.

 

[PJaye]

I’ve learned that:

- All co-washing does is waste time, energy and product while causing breakage
- Weekly DCing produces optimal results
- My hair performs at its best after it has been straightened
- Herbal tea rinses cannot duplicate the effects of their essential oil counterparts
- I need to trim more frequently (I cannot cure scissor-happiness with nonexistence)
- My hair responds best when it’s continually tipped a bit too far on the protein side of the equation
- The only carrier oils my hair requires are jojoba, hemp seed, babassu and castor along with its cousins JBCO and HBCO

As a result, I will:

- Continue DCing every week and ignore any hankerings to co-wash
- Evolve into a straight-haired natural (or non-natural, depending upon how things work out)
- Go back to using essential oils
- Get a haircut, then trim more frequently
- Increase my protein usage
- Significantly reduce my oil addiction

 

[kxlot79]

Success:
*Going to PJ Rehab
Failure:
*Falling off the wagon

Success:
*Long-term Protective Styles
Failure:
*+3 months in a PS at MBL

Success:
*Rediscovering Co-washing
Failure:
*Periodically forgetting Protein Treatments

Overall, I've learned that every length milestone is going to bring new challenges for my hair. This is the longest my natural hair has been, and I have to keep in mind that what worked for my straight hair at this length isn't going to cut it natural. Also, sadly, every length milestone has brought a new regimen and products. So the moral of my hairstory is to roll with the punches, I guess.

Sent using LHCF app

 

[Renewed1]

DCing every week with a light protein is ideal for my hair.

Blow drying (or flat ironing) my hair every other week helps prevent tangles and ssk's.

I MUST moisturized and seal my hair everyday.

Bagging my hair overnight is awesome and I should do it more often.

combing or brushing my hair when it's soaking wet is a dumb idea. I lose so much hair.

I must oil my hairline before I wear any head gear and before going to bed at night.

 

[youwillrise]

001. hair laziness is the real reason i had to cut my hair.

002. my hair really does love condition washing and thrives with it - why do i always stop being consistent with it?

003. my hair doesn't hate silicones and i'm not reluctant to use conditioners with them anymore (i do avoid them in leave-ins & moisturizers, though)

004. my hair doesnt grow as slowly as i assumed it did. actually, it's pretty average. i think i've just been more careful recently with my hair and maybe retaining more? maybe i can keep it up and get 6 inches this year? hmmm. who knows.

005. protein is the foundation on which the rest of my regimen stands. for me, without protein, nothing else works or matters. the best conditioners and moisturizers are worthless to my hair if protein isnt present in some way - whether it be IN the conditioners themselves or if i add a separate protein to my hair. frequent (once or twice a week) use of protein has proven to be beneficial to my hair.



going forward, I will simply be more consistent with the things that work for my hair. i have a tendency to find things that work for me and then get lazy and not do them. that's my biggest hair issue. CONSISTENCCCCCCCCCYYYYYYYYYY.

 

[crimsonpeach]

Lessons:

2) My hair loves behentrimonium methosulfate and aloe juice/gel. If a product has these in the top ingredients, my hair will love it wet, damp, dry, inside or out.

This is true for my hair also.

My lessons:
1) Trim, trim, trim. Holding on to bad ends only causes sadness. My hair is fine so nipping splits from the beginning is key.

2) Step up the protein. I kinda ignored protein this year and my hair has paid the price. I've ordered a few protein DCs this BF to try.Adding monthly henna treatments back to my regimen also.

3) My hair loves ayurvedic powders. Adding more of them into my regimen. Plus clears up my scalp issues. I've slacked off and my scalp revolted.

4) *** Shea butter. Just doesn't work for my hair. Other butters are just better. Especially mango and cupacu butters.

 

[JulietWhiskey]

1. My hair needs a monthly dose of strong protein to keep my SUPER fine 4a natural strands strong in the Force...

2. DO NOT GO MORE THAN 2 DAYS WITHOUT MOISTURIZING AND SEALING. M and S everyother day is perfect for my fine strands because they stay moisturized---but not weighed down...

3. DO NOT SKIP MY BI-WEEKLY DC TREATMENT...

4. Sitting under the dryer to DC my hair works so much better than letting my "body heat" condition my hair...

5. Lotions, conditioners and emulsions from Texas Natural Supply are the best products for MY hair and I should not be without them. Everything else is just a stepped on imitation...

6. AVG or AVJ is an awesome cuticle smoother and helps restore my pH level to their optimal 4.9-5.0 levels...

7. My hair is thriving (I'm 1-2 inches from bra strap length!) because my products are good and my regimen is simple...and I need to keep it that way...

8. I need not EVER be without Trader Joe's Tingle Treat Conditioner to wash my hair...EVER! Now, I buy a bottle EVERY time I go to their store, !

9. Benhetrionium Methosulfate is the devil for my hair . It took me years to figure out this one ingredient was not working for my hair. Since eliminating it completely from my regimen, my hair has risen from the ashes...

 

[virtuenow]

I have a whole journal tracking my successes, failures, questions and lessons. I'll have to get back to you later! (marking spot)

 

[Saludable84]

Cowashing is not my friend I try to like it, but its more drama than needed.

Aloe and Glycerin can join cowashing in the bucket at the bottom of the sink

Rinse-outs can follow suit with the above stated.

Sleeping in conditioner is not the business

Steaming is GREAT… In the winter only, that is

Say what you want about Silicones, but my hair has been schooled with weekly use as a heat protectant.

Weekly DC's are all my hair can handle. Even when I do more, its like my hair says "Stop It Slide!"

My hair likes protein, my hair likes moisture, my hair likes ceramides. My hair has made it clear it does not love lightly.

The flat iron is not the enemy when used sparingly and properly. Abuse it and it will abuse you

Dusting 2x a month keeps my ends in check.

I used growth aides last year and got 6 inches (~SL-BSB), then cut 3 inches. I didn't use growth aides this year and got 6 inches (APL-MBL).

I do not have to M&S daily… even 1x a week works well.

 

[DarkJoy]

1. I have highly porous hair. Because of this, certain things easily tip me over to having mushy, over-conditioned hair, resulting in breakage:
-leave-in conditioners
-moisturizing co-washes. best done with a balanced protein-containing product.
-DCs longer than an hour a week

2. Low chemical products--because of the high porosity, my hair absorbs everything easily. And pretty much everything breaks it off if the name is 20334 letters long

3. Aloe chews off my hair

4. Castor oil causes severe hives all over my body just from a drop on my scalp

5. PSing for more than a couple weeks causes breakage

6. Wet or bone dry manipulation makes for breakage city

7. Tea and oil rinses are my friends!

8. Ayuvedics are my hair savior!

 

[Lita]

Success-Rinsing with warm water,my hair hates cold water=tangle city

Failure-Not putting hair in sections to wash..Not good.

Failure-Not washing enough

failure-Not enough detangle sessions

Success-Loose buns/braids

Success-Useing conditioners as rinse-outs

Success-Cleanser on scalp,co/wash on length=Healthy scalp & moisturized hair

Success-Doing mild protein treatments

Success-Fall/winter using a soft pomade on top of a butter=Less shed/dry hair

Failure-Being lazy & not applying soft pomade on top of a nice cream/butter


Failure-Need more dusting/trim sessions

Success-Finding a leave-in that works well with ALL my products

Failure-Vendor of said leave-in,having some customer issues..


Happy Hair Growing!

 

[IronButterfly]

Distilled water makes everything else better!

 

[CodeRed]

Successes:

-Adding grapeseed oil to conditioner

-Going back to deep conditioning multiple times a week

-Protein treatment once a week

-Mixing a regimen with store bought products and handmade products

-Reading more about ingredients (and not letting made-up "facts" steer me away from good products)

-Relaxing every 8 - 12 weeks instead of stretching

-Oiling my scalp with deep conditioners (even with protein treatments)

-Not leaving oil in my hair/conditioner washing excess out

Lessons learned:

-Stop stressing out. It ain't pretty and damnit I don't look good bald.

 

[atlien11]

blow with a real brush. not an attachment!!!

 

[jbwphoto1]

7) You don't need a backup to a backup to a backup. 1 product backup is fine .

EnExitStageLeft, now does this mean I can't have a great shampoo, a good shampoo and one that does all right? Or does it mean I just don't need to keep six bottles of my great shampoo around?

 

[SEMO]

Successes:
- Using hair butters to help seal in moisture.
- Regular trimming. My ends are happier and my hair life goes much more smoothly.
- Avoiding tangles and minimizing single strand knots by putting my hair is twists or doing braid/twist n curls after shampooing and conditioning.
- Discovering products (shampoo, conditioner and leave-in) that lay my cuticle down.
- Laying off humectants (besides just glycerin) in the cold, dry months.

Failures:
- Trying a new routine and products for flat ironing and getting a bit of heat damage. For me, excluding heat protectants, less is more when is comes to applying products before straightening (ex. leave-ins).

 

[IMFOCSD]

No more detangling on wet hair
DC once a week with a protein DC
Daily moisture
Continue PSing

Setbacks: my hair feels so thin when wet and i think improper detangling has been the reason and i have a patch of breakage on my left side right above my ear... sigh!

My plan: proper detangling and more protein and to continue, moisturizing, trimming and wigging

 

[KinkyRN]

Success: realizing I need to be fully relaxed or fully natural. Texlax is not for me. Accepting the fact that I don't want my hair longer than a big twa. Not braided or weaved or grown out of my own head.

Failures: Texlax trying to deal with collar bone length hair.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

EnExitStageLeft, now does this mean I can't have a great shampoo, a good shampoo and one that does all right? Or does it mean I just don't need to keep six bottles of my great shampoo around?

Both

 

[MizzBFly]

1. Trimming more frequently will allow me to retain what I worked for w/o a major cut- lost 4 inches after reaching MBL in Novemeber( I streched for 5 months to get there) at least Im FULL BSL

2. Add Henna back once per month

3. my hair ENDS loves shea butter- who knew-"since you grew longer thangs ain't been the saaame bewtween us" ::Teeny from Fantasia's show**

4.Continue loving protein

5. try to not make my buns tight to prevent unnecessary breakage to the perimeter-work in progress, I equate tight with neat-

 

[Hibiscus30]

Lessons:
-Doing my own twists/braid extension ($$ in my pocket) I'm able to pay special attention to edges and did I say $$ in my pocket! Lol
-Protein tx is a dear friend of mine!
-Deep Conditioning with heat is my new best friend!
-Oiling and Moisturizing is a must...can not be lazy!
-Bamboo silica and Biotin are part of the family (here to stay) Lol

Failure
-Pj'ism (even though I found new products and returned to products that works for me)
-starting out with using only 2 product lines to wayyy too many and now I must buy a storage cabinet
-other than light blow drying my heat doesn't like heat (maybe I'm doing something wrong)

 

[Ogoma]

Both

I am so guilty of buying multiples. Even multiples of things I have never tried . I regret the decision 80% of the time. I cannot seem to stop myself.

 

[Froreal3]

Successes:
Protein is my friend
Moisturize and seal every other day
Butter on my ends
Sulfur and MN for growth
Protective styling in twist updos
Finger detangling is sufficient for me most times...I don't need a comb, but once or twice a month.

Failures:
None so far because so far I've reached both length goals this year...but I think I can stand to dust more often