SmilingElephant's Team for New Group Support Challenge Thread

[SmilingElephant]

Hello My Team!!!

I hope you guys are okay!

It was suggested by one of you that i should start a thread for our team and i thought that was a brilliant idea!!!

This is my team:

Nymane
Mrs. Jackson2007
ShakiraShakira
Mysoon2behair
Day Dreamer
MrsSmitty77
Panamoni
Vmelcar
polished07
jdbe

Team Goal Our overall team goals are to gain and retain as much of our growth as possible this year. To keep breakage at bay and to learn how to keep our moisture and protein balanced.

Posting PicsAt the end of each quarter...all members shall post a length check pic...this will show the overall health of your hair

These are my 10 newbies i am helping...Fyb87 is handling Section B of the challenge so pls pm her ladies who i have not added to my list....find out if she can handle anymore newbies bc i'm trying to keep my team kinda small bc of my busy schedule IRL and bc i want to give my members as much attention as possible.

So.....i wanted to know if my ladies have any ideas for a Team name? Tell me your ideas....i would like to do a poll on it so we can all have a vote...to be fair.

Also....i have pm'd all my members for their regimens....for those of you who haven't sent them to me....pls try to get it to me before the end of the month...i am looking over them and seeing where i can possibly help you out.

Have a Great December!!! HHG!

 

[SmilingElephant]

My goals for 2010 is to get at least to a comfortable waistlength and have very healthy ends.....once i reach my desired length i will be maintaining it there and keep my ends looking freshly cut.

I am in both the WL and HL challenge for 2010 as well as this one

I'm thinking about doing Bootcamp......but i dunno .....i'm skeered!!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hello.....team?

 

[nymane]

Hi SmilingElephant

I don't have a team name suggestion...I'll start brainstorming

My goals are to reach Full BSL by Dec 2010 and grow out my pre-LHCF breakage in my back middle & nape area

 

[SmilingElephant]

Bumping for the team!

 

[MrsSmitty77]

Hi Team!

My goals consist of filling in my edges from a bad case of braids gone wrong.
I would like for my hair to be the same thickness root to tip.
I would also like to be approaching BSL by next Christmas.

 

[panamoni]

Hey SmilingElephant! I almost didn't see this thread.

I'll think about team name suggestions.

My goal this year is to AT LEAST make APL. I've joined almost every challenge there is for 2010 ;o)

I was unmotivated for a while, but I think I'm getting back on the wagon. Weeding out products has been a major challenge for me. I think I should stay away from products heavy in mineral oil.

I'm dealing with some dryness now, and I'm going to purchase some products w/ ceremides next to see if that helps.

 

[jdbe]

I almost missed this thread too....I have been browsing the forum lately

Currently, I have a sew in (installed Oct 8th, planning to take down Jan 10). My goal is to be at apl or pretty close when I take the sew in out. I am a little scared because I am planning to do it myself and wait 2 wks before getting a relaxer....

I need to send my pre sew in regimen over to you, Smiling Elephant. I have been MIA and logging on here and there since I have had the sew in installed...but I will be back in full force in a few weeks and needing a lot of help to get used to doing my own hair again

 

[SmilingElephant]

@ panamoni....my hair HATES mineral oil!!

I have stopped using regular commercial hair moisturizers and now i use Seyani Hair Butter from shescentit.com or buy my own pure shea butter, melt it down some and mix it with olive and Vatika oil...works perfect for me!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

@jdbe

i got ur pm gurlie!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hey team it's Day 1.....how is everyone?

Okay....tomorrow...or maybe later on tonight i am going to explain to you ladies where i think you can tweak your regi's.

So far you all have really good regimens...but some i feel need to learn to balance moisture/protein a lil better

I have it all saved in my notebook....so i'll hop on that asap...i almost forgot to post today.....plz 4give me

Hope you all had a great New Years Eve!!

 

[Mrs. J]

So I actually DID miss this thread!!! I was wondering where everyone was hiding!!!!!

I kicked off 2010 with a braidout! I've had these braids in since NYE and will take them down today because I'll actually be going OUT the house and this whole inmate look won't cut it!!!

I've decided to let my 10 y.o. DD join this challenge for two reasons:

1) she likes to do everything momma does
2) this is her second year on the swim team and the first year was VERY hard on her hair .....so she's why I happened upon LHCF in the first place!

I'm going to try to stay away from as much heat as possible this year!!! I'm really excited about all this!

 

[changedname]

I completely missed this thread! At the moment my hair is straight after a roller set on wednesday. My aim this year is to really crack down on breakage and maintain my moisture/protein balance. I had some breakage this wash day and I think it's because I used a protein conditioner when my Keracare Humecto ran out (mistake, I know) and my hair really needed moisture. I've been pincurling recently as well and I think I have breakage from using bobby pins to pincurl as well. And I need a trim! I made so many mistakes last year, I really hope this year I can just learn to interpret my hair's needs. And grow grow grow! Good luck to all of you with this challenge! I'm excited about seeing our results pics already!

 

[nymane]

Okay so my short term goal is not to get lazy during this relaxer stretch. I'm 20 weeks post and I just want to leave my scarf on until Mon! But I will not do that

Today I'm going to Shampoo, DC, and air dry in a braid out

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hey ladies!!! Sorry about the delay...i am now going to post my regimen "critiques" ....

 

[SmilingElephant]

MYSOON2BEHAIR

My Regimen is:

Poo and DC weekly
Moisturize and seal daily with: Govanni leave in, Paul Mitchell the Conditioner, or HE LTR leave-in and seal with EVCO or EVOO.
S-curl on my NG
CO on my edges and ends
Bun throughout the week.
No direct heat

I have a problem with:

My crown being extra dry
Trying to get my right side to catch up with the rest
Finding a low maintenece alternative PS

I would like to:

Reach APL in 2010
Achieve thicker healthier fuller hair

I'm so excited about starting the challenge!!!

**MySoon2BeHair: Okay...For you i'm going to just suggest you oil your scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil...it now comes in Lavender scent which...i am CRAZY about!! This will help keep your scalp moist and help with thickness Overall you have a good reggie so far

VMELCAR

My Regimen is for Chicago winters:

-MON - co-wash with Giovanni Smooth as Silk, dc NTM deep recovery hair mask, NTM leave in and bun//THURS - wash with poo (GSS) Thurs, dc NTM, NTM leave in then rollerset w diluted Lottabody mixed with EVCO
-No direct heat
-Moisturize with Mango Butter and seal with EVCO nightly

I have a problem with:

-Touching my hair too much
-Letting my stylist 'trim' my progress after relaxer
-Paranoid whenever I see even one strand of hair lost, lol

I would like to:

-Become full DIY
-Learn to stretch longer than 12 weeks
-Grow to APL (at least) for once in my life

**Vmelcar....I can help you go full DIY. I've been DIY since 2008 and its WONDERFUL!! You get to learn how to treat your own hair and you will learn what your hair likes and does not like.

One thing i know about stretching is that you HAVE to keep the ng moisturized...unfortunately...i cannot deal with my hair after 12 weeks...lol! If you DO try to DIY relax...try a regular strength relaxer of your choice...i recommend Olive Oil relaxer...its really DIY friendly And i recommend basing your scalp the day before and the day of your relaxer ...reaching APL will be a breeze...you just have to concentrate on keeping your ends off your clothes as long as you can...and keep them moisturized and sealed.

PANAMONI

My Regimen is:

Well, I'm ashamed to say I really don't have one anymore, except for slapping moisturizer and castor oil in daily so I can redo my bun.

For a while I was washing or cowashing twice a week, then once a week, ACV rinsing, protein/moisture balancing, etc. I haven't washed my hair in almost 3 weeks, and it's been sporadic before that. I had a schedule change that took away my Saturday morning wash days, and have been off track ever since.

I have a problem with:

Styling. I'd like to learn to do updos with just pins, because I think the nylon I've been using for my buns has been causing breakage.

I would like to:

Rollerset. I bought the DVD a while ago, and have yet to use it. But, back when I used to go to a salon weekly for rollersets, my hair thrived. I also don't think that airdrying is best for my hair.

I'd like to meet my first goal of APL at least during 2010, grow my nape, and keep my hair moisturized and not having a dry feeling, prevent breakage.


MrsSmitty77

I am still building a solid regimen but so far I:

My Regimen is:Co-Wash every 3-4 days. I moisturize nightly with Hollywood Olive Oil Cream, seal with EVOO then bun and baggie. I use JBCO nightly on my edges and I do a protien or Henna every 6 weeks.

I have a problem with: Getting my hair to stay moisturized when wearing it straight.

I would like to:Master the perfect rollerset and reach APL by the first day of spring.

I have been unemployed for a year and about to start this new job the Lord has blessed me with and I am concerned that finding suitable styles for work will be difficult.

**MrsSmitty: Congratulations on your new job!! I'm gonna suggest you to start deep conditioning every week with a good balancing deep conditioner like ORS Replenishing Pak Conditioner or Lustrasilks Mango and Shea Butter Cholesterol conditioner...DC helps put added and needed moisture into your hair...and also try sealing your moisturizers with oil so the moisture can't escape into the air

Mrs. Jackson2007
Currently, my hair regimen is:
- wash and dc every 7 - 10 days (depending on schedule)
- I try not to use heat (including heat from a blow dryer)....but, I probably end up blowing out my hair once a month. Otherwise, I'm air drying or wearing a bun/braid out.

I would like to:
- grow my hair to waist length in the back and mid back length in the front...would that be boob length!!!
- keep my ends tight

I have a problem with:
- my scalp...I hate to oil it and it gets dry within days of washing it
- subsequently, my hair can sometimes "appear" really dry
- keeping my ends tight

**Mrs.Jackson2007: Your regimen is good...check your products for mineral oil, petroletum or beeswax....these ingredients can cause a dry look or actual dryness......keep your ends sealed with oil. Try a light oil...for instance...i like Proclaim Olive oil from sally's...its really light

Nymane

My Regimen is:

Shampoo & DC 1x a week
Pre-poo & Co-wash 3x a week
No direct heat, I air dry & wear braid outs, flexi rod sets etc...
M&S Daily
Aphogee 2 step every 2-3 months

I have a problem with:

Fortunately I don't have any problems so far, however, I'm 16 weeks post relaxer (officially my longest stretch ) and I'm going for another 14 weeks.

I'm also trying to grow out my uneven length (that's another reason I only wear textured styles)

**For Nymane: Make sure to keep your roots moisturized as to avoid matting and for easy manageability


Day Dreamer

My Regimen is:

-Wash every two weeks with aphogee shampoo for damaged hair
-DC for 30 mins with Fantasia IC Deep Penetrating Creme moisturizer
-Apply Fantasia IC Heat protecting serum and sit under dryer for 20 mins
-then finish dry hair with blow dryer for 5 mins

I have a problem with:

-breakage (shedding?? either way hair comes out but it has lessened now. probably was post partum shed but i wouild like for no hair to come out)
-Dryness


I would like to:

-have very healthy hair
-have very thick hair
-have hair with some lenght

**Day Dreamer: It is normal to shed about 100 hairs a day. The hairs with the white bulb on the tip...which is the root...are shed hairs...shorter hairs with no root are broken hairs.
Try co-washing 1x a week, and shampoo & DC once a week
Jamaican Black Castor Oil is great for gaining thickness!!!
Check to see if products containing mineral oil, lanolin, petrolatum or beeswax could be causing dryness, try using a shea butter based moisturizer.
Moisturize and seal every day!!
Try taking Hair, Skin & Nails vitamin or Biotin


ShakiraShakira

My Current Regimen is:

-Pre poo with JBCO. Wash and DC once a week with either Motions CPR (if my hair needs protein) or Keracare Humecto. These are nearly finished though so after that I will use an egg mixture for my protein and Akin Intensive Moisture Mask for my moisture.
-Moisturise daily with Akin 24 Intensive Moisture Leave In Conditioner. Seal with Neal's Yard Rosemary and Cedarwood Treatment.
-No heat, pincurl or wrap dry after DC, Hair, Skin and Nails Vits 3X per day, MSM, Iron and Vit C tabs. My hair is only about 5 inches long (which is good as it was about 1.5 inches in May).

I have a problem with:

-Occasional breakage. Two weeks ago I pincurled for the first time and used a really cheap setting lotion with alcohol in it. Big mistake. My hair dried out and broke. This was after using Aphogee 2 Step as well, as I thought I should use it after having my touch up. I've learnt now not to use that unless my hair really needs it! My hair breaks occassionally because of mistakes like this and all of the manipulation from pincurling.
-Dryness. My hair is better now, but it's definately more on the dry side.

I would like to:

-Grow, grow and grow some more. I have never had such short hair before and it's driving me to distraction!
-Stop breakage and really strengthen my hair.
-Learn to balance protein and moisture.

**ShakiraShakira: Avoid products containing alcohol at ALL COSTS!!
Right now you need moisture....forget about protein for about a month...unless your hair begins to feel weak.

jdbe

I currently have a sew in installed (planning to take it down 1/10) so I will provide my pre sew in regimen.

Wash every week with Elucene shampoo, alternate Aubrey Organics GDP protein conditoner on dry hair or Beauty 4 ashes scalp mositruzung cream as a pre-shampoo treatment.

Deep condition with Hairveda Strinallah for 20 mins under a hooded dryer. On the alternate week when I use the protein conditioner I will also follow up with a final rinse of porority control.

Use Lacio Lacio and Giovanni Direct as a leave in, apply shea butter/coconut oil/jojoba oil as a sealant.

Sit under a hooded dryer until about 70% dry. Apply chi silk infusion and blow dry straight. Pin curl overnight. I try to limit the use of a flat iron and blow dryer so I will pin curl instead.

I can not roller set so I was going to the hair salon every 2 weeks for some form of roller/twist/spiral set.

**Jdbe: So far i think your regimen is pretty good!

These are all my suggestions for my team....hopefully these tips can help you get on the good foot to longer and healthier hair

 

[mysoon2behair]

Ok I'm late. I missed this thread...

 

[mysoon2behair]

**MySoon2BeHair: Okay...For you i'm going to just suggest you oil your scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil...it now comes in Lavender scent which...i am CRAZY about!! This will help keep your scalp moist and help with thickness Overall you have a good reggie so far

Hey SmilingElephant..
Where can I find the JBCO in lavender scent? TIA

 

[SmilingElephant]

**MySoon2BeHair: Okay...For you i'm going to just suggest you oil your scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil...it now comes in Lavender scent which...i am CRAZY about!! This will help keep your scalp moist and help with thickness Overall you have a good reggie so far

Hey SmilingElephant..
Where can I find the JBCO in lavender scent? TIA

I order mine online at sams247.com. Its a caribbean website...the lavender really drowns out the weird smell that the plain one has....its the same JBCO just with Lavender scent.

 

[mysoon2behair]

I order mine online at sams247.com. Its a caribbean website...the lavender really drowns out the weird smell that the plain one has....its the same JBCO just with Lavender scent.

Great! thank you I will look into ordering this...

 

[panamoni]

Hi Ladies,

SmilingElephant, did you have any tips for me?

Well, I'm getting my regimine together a bit more, and am back on the wagon after falling off when I wrote you.

Now, I know that my hair needs to be washed every 4 days. So, I try to wash it at least once a week (4-7 days).

In terms of products, I have a lot of products that I've had for a while, and some that a wonderful LHCFer sent me, so my goal is to use up what I have moreso than try new ones and get staples. I'll work on trying new ones and getting staples, when I've used up more.

So, right now, I:

- Pre-poo (either w/ Phyto Pre-poo, Burt's Bees Avocado, or EVOO)
- Shampoo (Infusium 23, Avlon Organics Clarifying, KeraCare Dry & Itchy Scalp, or Joico KPac Poo)
- Protein Condish (variety)
- Moisture DC (variety)
- Porosity Control
- Leave-ins
- Seal w EVCO and JBCO

I've been throwing in products w/ ceremides to help w retaining moisture.

I've been airdrying and bunning lately, which I'm starting to really like. I'm going to try rollersetting after my next relaxer this weekend, and we'll see how that goes. I'll be 12 weeks post this weekend, and am excited about my relaxer, and my length check.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hi Ladies,

SmilingElephant, did you have any tips for me?

Well, I'm getting my regimine together a bit more, and am back on the wagon after falling off when I wrote you.

Now, I know that my hair needs to be washed every 4 days. So, I try to wash it at least once a week (4-7 days).

In terms of products, I have a lot of products that I've had for a while, and some that a wonderful LHCFer sent me, so my goal is to use up what I have moreso than try new ones and get staples. I'll work on trying new ones and getting staples, when I've used up more.

So, right now, I:

- Pre-poo (either w/ Phyto Pre-poo, Burt's Bees Avocado, or EVOO)
- Shampoo (Infusium 23, Avlon Organics Clarifying, KeraCare Dry & Itchy Scalp, or Joico KPac Poo)
- Protein Condish (variety)
- Moisture DC (variety)
- Porosity Control
- Leave-ins
- Seal w EVCO and JBCO

I've been throwing in products w/ ceremides to help w retaining moisture.

I've been airdrying and bunning lately, which I'm starting to really like. I'm going to try rollersetting after my next relaxer this weekend, and we'll see how that goes. I'll be 12 weeks post this weekend, and am excited about my relaxer, and my length check.

Hey gurlie i'm sorry i skipped you!!

But your regimen looks pretty good to me...as long as you're not experiencing breakage problems or "hard hair" you're good to go!

 

[SmilingElephant]

For my ladies that have breakage issues....if every single time you do your hair and you have those chips of hair all over the back of your shirt.....that is breakage....not shedding.

So to combat this...focus on moisture....MOISTURE MOISTURE and... moisture!!

The reason is because protein strengthens your hair....too much protein will make it too hard and when you comb or do anything to it it'll chip off....same thing goes to no moisture at all...your hair will chip off.

Most moisturizing deep conditioners do contain a little bit of protein...which is a good thing. Because you can over moisturize too and your hair will feel kinda like over cooked noodles....eww.
So don't freak out if your moisturizing conditioner has protein.

That is my tip of the week

 

[Mrs. J]

I wanted to drop in and ask you ladies if any of you have used Ion products??? I saw it in Sally's and it seemed to have what I was looking for (and even a swimmer's shampoo and swimmer's leave in conditioner for DD)....so I just wanted to see if any of you had any experience with it. TIA

 

[SmilingElephant]

I've never used their products...hmmm i'll see if i can pull up any reviews...i know they are sold in Sally's tho.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Found It!!!
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=420352&highlight=ion+products

HTH

 

[nymane]

Okay today I did an Aphogee 2-step Treatment (love it! ), DC'ed with Silicon mix for the first time and I'm really impressed with this conditioner. I'll be 21 weeks post Friday and it made my hair feel like butta. I was mostly impressed because I didn't need half the jar for my hair to feel saturated.

Any way, after I DC'ed I applied my leave-ins and air dried in braids...
My hair feels great, but this process is always sooo time consuming especially now that I'm so far into my stretch

 

[Mrs. J]

Found It!!!
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=420352&highlight=ion+products

HTH

Thanks so much!!!! I gotta remember to use that search engine!!!! I'm happy that other ladies have found these products to be very useful to their HHJ because I shole already bought three of the products !!!!!! They were having a sale at Sally's too, so it was buy 2 get 1 free....I have the leave in conditioner for me and the swimmer's shampoo & cond for DD!!!! The leave in for me is GREAT!!!!! It's such a light mist that I am literally able to spray it on my braidout in the AM and it's not too wet to leave out! I LOVE IT so far. Haven't tried anything on DD yet...swim has been cancelled every day this week!

 

[Mrs. J]

I'm thinking about finally relaxing my hair. I honestly couldn't tell you when my last one was....but, I bought a box several months ago and didn't use it! I wish I knew how long it's been so that I could try stretching it for longer next time. I'm wanting to relax just so I can get a better gauge at where my hair is, in terms of length because as it stands....I have an index finger worth of new growth and I'm itching to see where it is. I have a wedding to go to at the end of February, but I really don't think I can wait THAT long erplexed!!!!

 

[Day Dreamer]

Where has this thread been??? I so completely missed this. SmilingE, thanks for the advice. I am still in braids and have not been able to try anything yet. With school starting back up, daughter teething and my full time job its gonna a bit rough but I am gonna do my best.

Will be taking notes in my note book.

ETA: For a team name, I was thinking of the following. Let me know which one you like:

Mane Event
Hair Sisters (i know its a website but i think its kinda cute)
Unified Tresses
Happy Healthy Hair

This is all I got so far.