A Phyto Review by a Relatively New Member (Extremely Long)

[MomofThreeBoys]

I heard about Phyto about 8 months before finally seeing “the Light” with AA hair care boards. I have two female cousins who had been using it very successfully for a year. Of course, I totally ignored them at the time b/c I wasn’t one to really take care of my hair. I had been in a braids/weave mode for 1.5 years. I had totally forgotten about their experience until finding LHCF in Nov 04. Therefore in November, based on all of the reviews, I decided I was going to try it after my first relaxer stretch. I originally planned to stretch to 10 but then decided “What the heck, I’ll go to 12”. In retrospect that might not have been such a great idea.
I did really well through week 11. But during that final week I got really busy with work and the kids and was just too drained to do my hair. The stretch between my last hair wash and relaxer application was 10 days. MY HAIR WAS VERY TANGLED.

My sister does my applications and was completely pissed off at me for not combing/detangling my hair in 10 days. She based my scalp thoroughly and therefore I thought that she had gotten the major tangles out when she parted to do the basing.


She applied the relaxer in two sections: first the front then the back. As dreemssold stated in her review, I was completely floored by the absence of the normal hell fire burning. Could this possibly be love? Maybe…..could it be………

We left the relaxer in about 30 minutes each section which included application and smoothing time. The amount of neutralizing shampoo given was very generous compared to box perms. The shampoo turned white with using a little more than half of the bottle. And then……. I started getting concerned when I saw a ball of hair fall out during the washing. And then another and then another and then another until there was a HUGE ball of hair that came out of my head.

I tried to remain calm. My sister said, “It’s ok. I’ve seen that much or more come out during a relaxer before”. Sis has relaxed many friends’ and family members’ hair. For the last two years, my sister has been doing my relaxers and I can honestly say she does the absolute best she can with the information she had been given. She has been very open to the ideas I have exposed her to from LHCF. Also, to be honest I’ve never EVER paid attention to how much hair I lost during the relaxer process. Therefore I didn’t really know if this was a lot or not.

And then we felt it. Two big knots of tangled hair. I ran for my tangle tamer to try to work them out. We eventually got them and they were two balls of tangles the size of my pinkie finger balled up. I was terrified…..scared…..only thing I could think about was how I had done everything “right” for the last 10 weeks based on what I had read and now my hair was going to end up a total mess. I felt like such a failure. My sister kept trying to convince me that it still wasn’t that bad. I tried maintain some hope.

I used the reconstructor and then followed up with 20 minutes of deep conditioning with Keracare Humecto. I should have left the Humecto for much longer but I was getting VERY anxious to see what my hair would look like after it was dry.

After the deep condition, I applied Elasta QP H-TWO leave in and a dime sized amount of Biosilk. The comb glided through my hair. FINALLY. My sister then blow-dried and flat ironed my hair. My hair definitely felt “different” and it looked great. Its difficult to describe how my hair felt b/c I’ve never paid attention to it much before LHCF. Like whether it was soft or hard or dry. It felt a little on the hard side but a better word would be strong. It felt like my hair was healthy and strong. THAT IS A BIG CHANGE THAT I DO KNOW! My hair usually feels limp after a relaxer. So this was definitely a positive. My sister thought my hair felt good and looked great as well.

I ran to get my digital camera and my new DSD measuring t-shirt! (THANKS DSD!) When I saw it, my heart sank again. It looked like my hair had fallen out in the back middle part. I did see growth but…..the middle To be fair, I have had consistent breakage since my last relaxer. With LHCF, I had incorporated hardcore protein treatments like EMERGENCEE and lighter treatments like Keraphix into my regimen. With these additions, I had noticed less but not an elimination of breakage.

I have a pictures in my Fotki with pics from the experience including how much hair I lost and hair progress pics between Dec and Feb. Please take a look and let me know what you think with the amount of hair I lost in light of the 10 days of no combing and the thinness in the middle.

The bottom line:

I’ve decided to keep using PHYTO because

1)I am all about using less/milder chemicals in my hair
2)Though my hair doesn’t feel soft, it looks very healthy and feels strong and I know I didn’t leave the conditioner long enough
3)My sister says my hair feels thicker than the last relaxer application with the box perm
4)I’m not positive the tangles were due to PHYTO
5)The “no burning” during a relaxer is absolutely and positively wonderful
6)Since I’ve never “monitored” a relaxer before, I’m not ready to judge on just one experience
7)I have not seen any breakage yet and I usually see hair breakage on a daily basis including right after a relaxer. (I will update you on any breakage in a few weeks)
8)I believe it will take at least a year for my no-lye hair to grow out and only then will I really be able to completely gauge this relaxer
9)I think a lot of my disappointment with the thinness in the middle is due to the repeated self torture of looking at the following individuals’ hair: dreemssold, DSD, Carlie, Andrienne, AJamericanDiva, SherryLove, Dana SouthernGirl, and last but not least ARMYQT

Therefore barring any major breakage and major tangling on the next application, I plan on using PHYTO for the next year and look forward to steady and consistent progress. DH said my hair looked nice. My son said "Mommy your hair is pretty". My parents were like WOW your hair is so long! (This is the longest its ever been). So.......Though I was hoping for an earth shatterning, mountain moving experience and the ultimate miracle drug for my hair, instead I got a solid, respectable, and encouraging performance with the PHYTO …..... I think I am (and should be) satisfied with that.

 

[Puddles]

I heard about Phyto about 8 months before finally seeing “the Light” with AA hair care boards. I have two female cousins who had been using it very successfully for a year. Of course, I totally ignored them at the time b/c I wasn’t one to really take care of my hair. I had been in a braids/weave mode for 1.5 years. I had totally forgotten about their experience until finding LHCF in Nov 04. Therefore in November, based on all of the reviews, I decided I was going to try it after my first relaxer stretch. I originally planned to stretch to 10 but then decided “What the heck, I’ll go to 12”. In retrospect that might not have been such a great idea.
I did really well through week 11. But during that final week I got really busy with work and the kids and was just too drained to do my hair. The stretch between my last hair wash and relaxer application was 10 days. MY HAIR WAS VERY TANGLED.

My sister does my applications and was completely pissed off at me for not combing/detangling my hair in 10 days. She based my scalp thoroughly and therefore I thought that she had gotten the major tangles out when she parted to do the basing.


She applied the relaxer in two sections: first the front then the back. As dreemssold stated in her review, I was completely floored by the absence of the normal hell fire burning. Could this possibly be love? Maybe…..could it be………

We left the relaxer in about 30 minutes each section which included application and smoothing time. The amount of neutralizing shampoo given was very generous compared to box perms. The shampoo turned white with using a little more than half of the bottle. And then……. I started getting concerned when I saw a ball of hair fall out during the washing. And then another and then another and then another until there was a HUGE ball of hair that came out of my head.

I tried to remain calm. My sister said, “It’s ok. I’ve seen that much or more come out during a relaxer before”. Sis has relaxed many friends’ and family members’ hair. For the last two years, my sister has been doing my relaxers and I can honestly say she does the absolute best she can with the information she had been given. She has been very open to the ideas I have exposed her to from LHCF. Also, to be honest I’ve never EVER paid attention to how much hair I lost during the relaxer process. Therefore I didn’t really know if this was a lot or not.

And then we felt it. Two big knots of tangled hair. I ran for my tangle tamer to try to work them out. We eventually got them and they were two balls of tangles the size of my pinkie finger balled up. I was terrified…..scared…..only thing I could think about was how I had done everything “right” for the last 10 weeks based on what I had read and now my hair was going to end up a total mess. I felt like such a failure. My sister kept trying to convince me that it still wasn’t that bad. I tried maintain some hope.

I used the reconstructor and then followed up with 20 minutes of deep conditioning with Keracare Humecto. I should have left the Humecto for much longer but I was getting VERY anxious to see what my hair would look like after it was dry.

After the deep condition, I applied Elasta QP H-TWO leave in and a dime sized amount of Biosilk. The comb glided through my hair. FINALLY. My sister then blow-dried and flat ironed my hair. My hair definitely felt “different” and it looked great. Its difficult to describe how my hair felt b/c I’ve never paid attention to it much before LHCF. Like whether it was soft or hard or dry. It felt a little on the hard side but a better word would be strong. It felt like my hair was healthy and strong. THAT IS A BIG CHANGE THAT I DO KNOW! My hair usually feels limp after a relaxer. So this was definitely a positive. My sister thought my hair felt good and looked great as well.

I ran to get my digital camera and my new DSD measuring t-shirt! (THANKS DSD!) When I saw it, my heart sank again. It looked like my hair had fallen out in the back middle part. I did see growth but…..the middle To be fair, I have had consistent breakage since my last relaxer. With LHCF, I had incorporated hardcore protein treatments like EMERGENCEE and lighter treatments like Keraphix into my regimen. With these additions, I had noticed less but not an elimination of breakage.

I have a pictures in my Fotki with pics from the experience including how much hair I lost and hair progress pics between Dec and Feb. Please take a look and let me know what you think with the amount of hair I lost in light of the 10 days of no combing and the thinness in the middle.

The bottom line:

I’ve decided to keep using PHYTO because

1)I am all about using less/milder chemicals in my hair
2)Though my hair doesn’t feel soft, it looks very healthy and feels strong and I know I didn’t leave the conditioner long enough
3)My sister says my hair feels thicker than the last relaxer application with the box perm
4)I’m not positive the tangles were due to PHYTO
5)The “no burning” during a relaxer is absolutely and positively wonderful
6)Since I’ve never “monitored” a relaxer before, I’m not ready to judge on just one experience
7)I have not seen any breakage yet and I usually see hair breakage on a daily basis including right after a relaxer. (I will update you on any breakage in a few weeks)
8)I believe it will take at least a year for my no-lye hair to grow out and only then will I really be able to completely gauge this relaxer
9)I think a lot of my disappointment with the thinness in the middle is due to the repeated self torture of looking at the following individuals’ hair: dreemssold, DSD, Carlie, Andrienne, AJamericanDiva, SherryLove, Dana SouthernGirl, and last but not least ARMYQT

Therefore barring any major breakage and major tangling on the next application, I plan on using PHYTO for the next year and look forward to steady and consistent progress. DH said my hair looked nice. My son said "Mommy your hair is pretty". My parents were like WOW your hair is so long! (This is the longest its ever been). So.......Though I was hoping for an earth shatterning, mountain moving experience and the ultimate miracle drug for my hair, instead I got a solid, respectable, and encouraging performance with the PHYTO …..... I think I am (and should be) satisfied with that.

[size=+1]Sorry about the breakage in the middle of your hair. But besides all that....your hair looks great. Just don't wait so long to comb it again. Try using the baggie method as a protective style. But don't put your pony tight. A lot of tension in the middle of your nape can cause the breakage that your experiencing. I had that years ago....and I know it came from tight ponytails.

You too can have long beautiful hair. It just takes time, tender care, and patience.

I'm glad you liked the Phyto....I've decided to give it a try.

Good Luck on your journey. [/size]

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

[size=+1]Sorry about the breakage in the middle of your hair. But besides all that....your hair looks great. Just don't wait so long to comb it again. Try using the baggie method as a protective style. But don't put your pony tight. A lot of tension in the middle of your nape can cause the breakage that your experiencing. I had that years ago....and I know it came from tight ponytails.

You too can have long beautiful hair. It just takes time, tender care, and patience.

I'm glad you liked the Phyto....I've decided to give it a try.

Good Luck on your journey. [/size]

Thanks Puddles. I have been using the baggie method pretty exclusively under the instant weaves and phony ponies. I use the ouchless ponytail holders and soak them in oil but I still see hair when I take them out. What do you use to hold your ponies?

 

[prettygrl]

Natalied--

I experienced a similar breakage in the back crown/middle of my head when I relaxed last Spring.

Like you before I got my relaxer, I had gone days w/o a good combing. I'm thinking your hair loss might be from tangles....

your hair really, really, really reminds me of my hair.
I ended up cutting it so it would all be even.

You don't know if you have ever expereinced hair loss with a relaxer before?

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

Natalied--

I experienced a similar breakage in the back crown/middle of my head when I relaxed last Spring.

Like you before I got my relaxer, I had gone days w/o a good combing. I'm thinking your hair loss might be from tangles....

your hair really, really, really reminds me of my hair.
I ended up cutting it so it would all be even.

You don't know if you have ever expereinced hair loss with a relaxer before?

I know its sad but I just never paid attention b4. I do alway have breakage though.

 

[Puddles]

Thanks Puddles. I have been using the baggie method pretty exclusively under the instant weaves and phony ponies. I use the ouchless ponytail holders and soak them in oil but I still see hair when I take them out. What do you use to hold your ponies?

[size=+1]I use the same bands I use on my daughter. They're the Goody ponytail holders. The ones with the little ball on it. I don't wear my pony's low ever. Since I like my hair somewhat taught...I wear it high or in the middle of my head. I don't use any heat "At All." I wash my hair once a week and condition wash twice a week. After I get out of the shower I apply Elasta QP's recovery......then hair grease. I brush it into a pony then put Vaseline on my ends. Braid it up and put a baggie on it. I then put on a Phony pony and twirl that into a bun.
When I want to smooth my edges because of new growth I use Fruit of the Earth Gel. I noticed I haven't had any breakage in the middle anymore. I plan on doing the "No Heat" "Baggie" method until July.[/size]

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

[size=+1]I use the same bands I use on my daughter. They're the Goody ponytail holders. The ones with the little ball on it. I don't wear my pony's low ever. Since I like my hair somewhat taught...I wear it high or in the middle of my head. I don't use any heat "At All." I wash my hair once a week and condition wash twice a week. After I get out of the shower I apply Elasta QP's recovery......then hair grease. I brush it into a pony then put Vaseline on my ends. Braid it up and put a baggie on it. I then put on a Phony pony and twirl that into a bun.
When I want to smooth my edges because of new growth I use Fruit of the Earth Gel. I noticed I haven't had any breakage in the middle anymore. I plan on doing the "No Heat" "Baggie" method until July.[/size]

I don' use any heat either. I only used it at relaxer time to measure.

I just had a PM exchange with DSD and we think we might have found another culprit. In my laziness, I have been using my surge not only on my scalp but on my pony the entire 10 days before my relaxer. I had noticed some shedding during that time but I thought it was b/c I needed a relaxer badly. The more I think about it, the more I think surge is the main culprit!

 

[AJamericanDiva]

Hey there, Natalied!
Welcome to the board and your beginning quest for healthier hair. I feel awful that you "torture" yourself by looking at my album. I guess I should be flattered as I had my own share of torture looking at other people's album when I started my own quest. I should ask you what you do for protective styling? At one time I was experiencing the very thinning that I see in your pics. (See my pics when I first started in 2003. You can see the thin ends too!) I think it's because my hair didn't agree with buns on a constant basis. No matter how loose I made 'em, the middle of the back of my hair would suffer breakage. I don't really wear buns that often and opt instead to just lubing up the ends real good and rolling my hair up so the ends are tucked away. I think the excess hair you shed might have come from not combing it for the 10 days. Whenever me or my daughter go that far without a relaxer, I spray Better Braids UnBraid spray on the new growth to soften it up and ease out the tangles. This helps the combout go much smoother. You may want to try this. Other than that, I think your hair looks great. Dependent upon what style you may be wearing, you may want to trim it to get it even straight away, but if you're only wearing protective styling, it won't even matter. Happy hair growing!!!

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

Thanks AJD! I appreciate everyon'es support. I usually do the baggie method with a phony pony or I do two cornrows with low ponytails when I use my instant weave. I always wear a silk scarf underneath the instant weave. I never ever where my hair out. The only exception was for Christmas and New Years.

After reading Supergirl's post on cutting, I only plan to dust as needed!


I'm not quite understanding what your doing with your hair instead of the bun. Can you explain it futher?

Hey there, Natalied!
Welcome to the board and your beginning quest for healthier hair. I feel awful that you "torture" yourself by looking at my album. I guess I should be flattered as I had my own share of torture looking at other people's album when I started my own quest. I should ask you what you do for protective styling? At one time I was experiencing the very thinning that I see in your pics. (See my pics when I first started in 2003. You can see the thin ends too!) I think it's because my hair didn't agree with buns on a constant basis. No matter how loose I made 'em, the middle of the back of my hair would suffer breakage. I don't really wear buns that often and opt instead to just lubing up the ends real good and rolling my hair up so the ends are tucked away. I think the excess hair you shed might have come from not combing it for the 10 days. Whenever me or my daughter go that far without a relaxer, I spray Better Braids UnBraid spray on the new growth to soften it up and ease out the tangles. This helps the combout go much smoother. You may want to try this. Other than that, I think your hair looks great. Dependent upon what style you may be wearing, you may want to trim it to get it even straight away, but if you're only wearing protective styling, it won't even matter. Happy hair growing!!!

 

[hopeful]

Natalied,
My heart breaks for you. I'm glad you have such a positive attitude about the whole experience though. My daughter has extremely tangly hair too. I use motions oil moisturizer regular relaxer on her hair. And on occasion I have relaxed her uncombed/tangly/somewhat matted hair without any breakage at all. I base the best I can, slather the relaxer on, smooth but never even attempt to detangle, and when I rinse the relaxer out her hair is smooth as silk and tangle free. I'm not sure if that's just the way her hair is or if it's the motions or if its the lye. I wonder if lye relaxers do a better job at dealing with tangles. I'm not sure but I just wanted to share this with you in case you end up changing relaxers. Many people have complained of tangles with Phyto, that on top of starting with tangles is probably a disaster waiting to happen. Good luck and I wish you all the best in your hair journey.

 

[EXSQUISIT]

Natalie, I agree wholeheartedly with Diva. My hair broke in the exact same spot and I know it came from wearing the ponytails and buns a lot. My hair just cannot take it. I have been wearing mine down almost all the time now since I trimmed it even in the back, and I don't have that problem. Don't worry! It'll grow out beautifully and you'll be at goal in no time.

 

[aqualung]

Hey Natalied,

I'm very sorry that this happened to you. It might have been the tangles.

I got excessive shedding during lye self-relaxing when I had not combed through all the tangles.

If I go to the salon with the new growth tangled, my stylist takes extra time to "clear the scalp" (dry combing of the new growth) before the relaxer application.

I'm trying to stretch to 12 weeks again. I plan to use Sta-Sof-Fro (tube gel) on the new growth along with rollersetting and flat ironing.

Meg

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

Thanks all for the support. I really think the tangles/excessive shedding were caused by using the surge on length of my hair since I used it every day for 10 days without washing.

@Puddles - What is fruit of the earth gel? I'm very leary of gels but I really need something to hold my sides down when I'm stretching since I where my hair in a bun most tiems.

@Hopeful - I'm sure it was the tangles as well.

@ Megonw - I plan on using Sta Sof Fro on my roots since I will be giving up the surge.

Has anyone used Surge on length of their hair and experienced any breakage, shedding or tangling?

 

[Armyqt]

Hey Natalied I'mr really sorry to hear about the tangles and breakage. Looking @ your hair though, it's not that bad. You've got plenty to work with. I can totally understand your grief with the breakage in the middle. I'm sure you've noticed that I've been down that road a few times.

I'm almost positive that the tangling had everything to do with the fact that you didn't comb your hair for 10 days. The excess hair was probably not breakage, but shed hairs that hadn't been combed out. If you're gonna stretch out your relaxer you have to be diligent till the end. The moment you get tired of the extra care needed to make the long haul, it's time to relax. Anything else becomes counterproductive.

With time nd TLC, your hair will thrive graciously. HHG

 

[dreemssold]

Wow, thanks, natalie, but like Diva, I don't want to be the source of torture. I think, that it is important to remember (as I try to when I look at heads like those of Diva, Carlie, etc) that it takes time to achieve, and once I've been doing right by my hair for long enough, it will be where I want to it to be. Anyway, I think your hair came out good...the shine is awesome, and aside from the breakage, it looks very healthy. I don't necessarily think the amount of hair you lost was excessive, but it does look like you experienced some breakage. I think, though, that it was from relaxing tangled hair. When I went to my old stylist with a 3 day old janky looking braidout and wanting her to just slap the relaxer in and then detangle (I am BEYOND tenderheaded...I actually shed tears ) it, she was like, "I can't do that, crazy, your hair will be all over this floor". I lost so much hair in the combing out process, I was like, see, you should have just did it with the relaxer in, and it probably wouldn't have hurt as bad, either. She said, "It would have been three times this amount of hair out of your head, too". The times I have gone to Dominican salons for touch-ups with my matted supernaps, I see that they, too, completely comb it out first. That is why I decided that when my new growth is particularly heinous, I will either get a blow-out a few days before or oil it and comb it out myself thoroughly first, so that its not as painful.

I am glad you are sticking with the Phyto...I think it's at least worth giving it another try on tangle free hair . Also, I have used Surge on the length of my hair before, when it needs a shot of protein, but I don't do it regularly, because I find that my hair can go into protein overload very quickly. Thanks for the review .

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

@ Dreems and Diva - I love looking at your hair albums and others whose have wonderful success stories . Maybe torture wasn't the right word I probably should have put a smiley at end of that statement since it was meant more tongue in cheek. All of you are truly an inspiration. Like you said, I need to have patience to attain results.
@ Dreems. Gosh......I forgot Surge had protein in it!!! I used it 7 out of the 10 days on the length of my hair while it was in the ponies under the instant weave. Stupid...Stupid....Stupid.....I've learned my lesson! I have got to read all ingredients and understand a product before just throwing it in my hair. Thanks for enlightening me.

@ Armyqt. Thanks for the encouragement. You are always so sweet!

 

[MonaLisa]

Natalie....lovely one, dear heart -- the pain was already inflicted on this poor reader and former cheerleader for Phyto.

Now that Surge and other variables have been targeted as the culprit....I am soothed...just a tad. A tad.

 

[onepraying]

@ Dreems and Diva - I love looking at your hair albums and others whose have wonderful success stories . Maybe torture wasn't the right word I probably should have put a smiley at end of that statement since it was meant more tongue in cheek. All of you are truly an inspiration. Like you said, I need to have patience to attain results.
@ Dreems. Gosh......I forgot Surge had protein in it!!! I used it 7 out of the 10 days on the length of my hair while it was in the ponies under the instant weave. Stupid...Stupid....Stupid.....I've learned my lesson! I have got to read all ingredients and understand a product before just throwing it in my hair. Thanks for enlightening me.

@ Armyqt. Thanks for the encouragement. You are always so sweet!

Hi Nat!

One thing is for sure and that is we learn from our mistakes. You are just like the lot of us, coming from a "my-hair-is-the-last-thing-I-think-about" way of thinking. I was this way too. Especially being a busy mom and wife. I've had to learn to incorporate the family in my nightly regimens. I help with homework while under the dryer, answer questions while I moisturize... Cook dinner during my pre-poo treatments!

So, don't call yourself stupid or beat yourself up. Got it? GOOD

You made a mistake, saw the results and now you have to regroup, gather new info, learn new techniques and keep moving. Do you keep a journal? This really helps me in my haircare journey. I can track my mishaps and successes this way.

I've pulled some info together from the great ladies of this wonderful board, tried them out and this is what has worked for me: How I Stretch My Relaxers

hth-

~op~

 

[Puddles]

Thanks all for the support. I really think the tangles/excessive shedding were caused by using the surge on length of my hair since I used it every day for 10 days without washing.

@Puddles - What is fruit of the earth gel? I'm very leary of gels but I really need something to hold my sides down when I'm stretching since I where my hair in a bun most tiems.

[/b]

100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel*
Contains No Alcohol

Discover the many uses of aloe!

as a shaving gel
as a hair styling gel
on blemishes


You can find this at any drugstore. I buy mine from Wal-Mart. It lays down my hair real well. I like to put some grease on then the gel. But if I'm just touching up the edges without combing...I just put the gel on my edges...brush and go. HTH

 

[AJamericanDiva]

@ Dreems and Diva - I love looking at your hair albums and others whose have wonderful success stories . Maybe torture wasn't the right word I probably should have put a smiley at end of that statement since it was meant more tongue in cheek. All of you are truly an inspiration. Like you said, I need to have patience to attain results.

Girl! I ain't think you were really torturing yourself, but at the same time I wanted you to know that I was where you were not so long ago. I tell ya! I really believe in the power of the subconscious mind. Visualization is very important. I love to peep other's albums for inspiration. I visualize my hair being that length. It helps keep me positive and focused. As long as I can help you maintain a positive outlook and help you as you continue on your haircare quest, my job has been fulfilled.

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

Thanks onepraying! I am too lazy to keep a journal. I tried when I first joined the board and when I saw Carlie's journal. It got old very quickly b/c I didn't know what the heck I was doing! Maybe I 'll try again....

Hi Nat!

One thing is for sure and that is we learn from our mistakes. You are just like the lot of us, coming from a "my-hair-is-the-last-thing-I-think-about" way of thinking. I was this way too. Especially being a busy mom and wife. I've had to learn to incorporate the family in my nightly regimens. I help with homework while under the dryer, answer questions while I moisturize... Cook dinner during my pre-poo treatments!

So, don't call yourself stupid or beat yourself up. Got it? GOOD

You made a mistake, saw the results and now you have to regroup, gather new info, learn new techniques and keep moving. Do you keep a journal? This really helps me in my haircare journey. I can track my mishaps and successes this way.

I've pulled some info together from the great ladies of this wonderful board, tried them out and this is what has worked for me: How I Stretch My Relaxers

hth-

~op~

 

[MomofThreeBoys]

100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel*
Contains No Alcohol

Discover the many uses of aloe!

as a shaving gel
as a hair styling gel
on blemishes


You can find this at any drugstore. I buy mine from Wal-Mart. It lays down my hair real well. I like to put some grease on then the gel. But if I'm just touching up the edges without combing...I just put the gel on my edges...brush and go. HTH

Greese and gel? Doesn't that cause a lot of buildup? Which grease do you use?

 

[Puddles]

Greese and gel? Doesn't that cause a lot of buildup? Which grease do you use?

[size=+1]Nope. I've never had a problem with build up. I condition wash twice a week and I wash once a week. I use LeKair Cholesterol for conditioner and Ultra Sheen for grease. A lot of ladies here use
Blue Magic and Softee.[/size]

 

[Puddles]

[size=+1]Oh yeah...you don't have to use grease. I learned this technique from the one and only Adrienne. I just use grease instead of Worlds of Curls.[/size]