Apl 2016 Challenge

Today I exfoliated my scalp with Nioxin Scalp Renew

Shampooed with Redken Time Rest Shampoo (this shampoo has exfoliating properties in it) I felt a really good tingle on my scalp with these first two products.

I used semi permanent color in black for gray hair for the first time. I will see how well this works.

I will be oil rinsing with a coconut oil/aloe vera juice combo.

Deep conditioning with Hea Moisture Anti Breakage Strengthening Masque followed with Kerastase Chroma Riche Masque for moisture.

Leave in - Aunt Jackie's Quench

Moisturizing with CRN Aloe Whipped Butter gel and sealing with some natural butter/oil combo.
 
I am going to pass on a LC this time around. Too hot to blow, too lazy to undo my two canerows
Will continue alternating with moisture and protein, using teas infused with EOs in a spray bottle and keeping my ends tucked away.
 
So...I cut all my hair off (don't ask me why, I just did) and now I am joining y'all...if that's OK

What length are you now? Hmm, not sure...SHORT in the front though, grazing APL in the back

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning? Texlaxed

What's your regimen? Bunning and protective styles...still working out the particulars.

What's do you need to do/change to reach APL? I need to do what I did before, be consistent with my regimen and stay on top of these ends

What's your goal month if any? December 2016

Post your starting pic: Will do it later!
 
Hi ladies,

I haven't been in this thread for some time so I wanted to give an update.

I think my hair is not retaining length. Its been between 10-11 inches forever. It's damaged by stringy heat damaged ends (not a lot) but it's affecting how my hair feels.

I've trimmed it twice, once in december and aboit 2 months ago and I see no difference. I still have problems with the back of my hair breaking and I dont even do much with it. It just seems to break off:cry3:

I don't like my hair right now. I'm fed up with trying to get it to APL. I'm thinking of getting a fade or a tapered cut because what I have on my head right now is not working for me.

Right now I don't do much to it as I just find it difficult to deal with. It doesn't look pretty and the back of my is the most damaged part and I have no idea why.

I'm so upset:cry:. I just want to shave it all off.
 
Hi @NefertariBlu :bighug:
I'm sorry you're feeling this way at the moment. Please try not to let it get you down.

In an attempt to find out whats going on, how often have you been treating your hair- washing, protein/moisture conditioning? How have you been styling it? How often? What are your techniques? Do you cover your hair at night?
 
AbsyBlvd said:
Hi @NefertariBlu :bighug:
I'm sorry you're feeling this way at the moment. Please try not to let it get you down.

In an attempt to find out whats going on, how often have you been treating your hair- washing, protein/moisture conditioning? How have you been styling it? How often? What are your techniques? Do you cover your hair at night?
Click to expand...
@AbsyBlvd thank you for the hug :-)

I have been growing my hair for 6 years now (started with a fade) and I've barely reached Apl.

At the moment I don't do much with my hair. I was mainly wearing a half wig for the first two months of the year. Then crochet braids for a month and have just been doing PS

I wash my hair once a week and dc with OR mayo. Spray with taliah waajid spray? SM deep treatment masque and seal with castor oil and then I try and style it.

I've noticed I'm getting a lot of dandruff lately and my hair is starting to feel stringy. My edges have broken off for some reason too. Not sure why either.

I don't think I have much of a style or technique. I finger comb or use my jumbo seamless comb to detangle.

Hmm. I think I may need to concentrate on detangling because I find that my hair gets tangles easily.

I don't have a problem with keeping my hair moisturised. I.have a problem with tangles and retaining.

I also tried co washing for the first time in years
My hair felt nice but it definitely did not clean my hair.
 
itsjusthair88 said:
So...I cut all my hair off (don't ask me why, I just did) and now I am joining y'all...if that's OK

What length are you now? Hmm, not sure...SHORT in the front though, grazing APL in the back

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning? Texlaxed

What's your regimen? Bunning and protective styles...still working out the particulars.

What's do you need to do/change to reach APL? I need to do what I did before, be consistent with my regimen and stay on top of these ends

What's your goal month if any? December 2016

Post your starting pic: Will do it later!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the challenge. Glad to have you. Looking forward to seeing your starting picture.
 
NefertariBlu said:
@AbsyBlvd thank you for the hug :)

I have been growing my hair for 6 years now (started with a fade) and I've barely reached Apl.

At the moment I don't do much with my hair. I was mainly wearing a half wig for the first two months of the year. Then crochet braids for a month and have just been doing PS

I wash my hair once a week and dc with OR mayo. Spray with taliah waajid spray? SM deep treatment masque and seal with castor oil and then I try and style it.

I've noticed I'm getting a lot of dandruff lately and my hair is starting to feel stringy. My edges have broken off for some reason too. Not sure why either.

I don't think I have much of a style or technique. I finger comb or use my jumbo seamless comb to detangle.

Hmm. I think I may need to concentrate on detangling because I find that my hair gets tangles easily.

I don't have a problem with keeping my hair moisturised. I.have a problem with tangles and retaining.

I also tried co washing for the first time in years
My hair felt nice but it definitely did not clean my hair.
Click to expand...
AbysBlvd is going to give you great advice but going to add my two cents. If you have any kind of heat damage you should incorporate a keratin reconstructor or protein like Komaza every 6 weeks. You should slowly dust your ends every 6 weeks as well. With regular protein and dusting you help eliminate the damage from moving up the strands and creating gmore breakage.
 
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Thanks for the faith @faithVA:look: You ladies have been doing this for years and I always feel not worthy to give advice when you all share such great and helpful information. I really asked these questions to try and help pin down what the problem may be but don't really have much advice to offer.

@NefertariBlu do your products leave your hair feeling good? What shampoo (if any) are you using? Roughly how much do you take off when you trim? Sorry if I'm all questions and no answers. Just hope they will help. Or help others chime in:).

My hair doesn't like co washing but I've never tried a co-cleanser type thing. It also tangles more when I am in need of moisture (in my case water) or if a product doesn't agree with my hair, or if I handle it too much.

I feel like my hairline took a hit when I was wigging late last year. Previously when I wore wigs I was doing a whole head baggy with great success, this last time I did not and I think I paid for it a little.
 
AbsyBlvd said:
Thanks for the faith @faithVA:look: You ladies have been doing this for years and I always feel not worthy to give advice when you all share such great and helpful information. I really asked these questions to try and help pin down what the problem may be but don't really have much advice to offer.

@NefertariBlu do your products leave your hair feeling good? What shampoo (if any) are you using? Roughly how much do you take off when you trim? Sorry if I'm all questions and no answers. Just hope they will help. Or help others chime in:).

My hair doesn't like co washing but I've never tried a co-cleanser type thing. It also tangles more when I am in need of moisture (in my case water) or if a product doesn't agree with my hair, or if I handle it too much.

I feel like my hairline took a hit when I was wigging late last year. Previously when I wore wigs I was doing a whole head baggy with great success, this last time I did not and I think I paid for it a little.
Click to expand...
Doing something for a long time doesn't make you good at it or right. :Lol:

Anyway you pitch in is helpful. You have had more hair success in your short time on the board than I have had in my many years. :Yep:
 
Here are more pics for my June LC. I was looking greasy as hell. Hence the circles blocking my face. LOL. The purple line indicates where my hair ends.

Left side
March 2016


June 2016


Right side
March 2016


June 2016


Front
March 2016


June 2016 (sorry for the dark pic). Peach line is my chin.


I legit struggled to take pics of the back. I gave up. Sorry y'all.
 
bajandoc86 said:
Here are more pics for my June LC. I was looking greasy as hell. Hence the circles blocking my face. LOL. The purple line indicates where my hair ends.

Left side
March 2016


June 2016


Right side
March 2016


June 2016


Front
March 2016


June 2016 (sorry for the dark pic). Peach line is my chin.


I legit struggled to take pics of the back. I gave up. Sorry y'all.
Click to expand...
You have officially graduated. Congratulations. How far to BSL for you? With your growth rate you may very well make it by the end of the year.
 
Thanks ladies! I can see true APL in my future. :yay:

I will not have you kicking me out of anymore challenges @faithVA! Lol! My nape isn't APL yet. I have about 2-2.5 inches to go. So my butt stays right here, thank you very much.

My nape grows slower and the hairs are super super fine and fragile. So I use that area as my benchmark. I will say this though, this is the first time I have been able to pull my hair to touch my tiddays. :giggle: yay me!
 
AbsyBlvd said:
Thanks for the faith @faithVA:look: You ladies have been doing this for years and I always feel not worthy to give advice when you all share such great and helpful information. I really asked these questions to try and help pin down what the problem may be but don't really have much advice to offer.

@NefertariBlu do your products leave your hair feeling good? What shampoo (if any) are you using? Roughly how much do you take off when you trim? Sorry if I'm all questions and no answers. Just hope they will help. Or help others chime in:).

My hair doesn't like co washing but I've never tried a co-cleanser type thing. It also tangles more when I am in need of moisture (in my case water) or if a product doesn't agree with my hair, or if I handle it too much.

I feel like my hairline took a hit when I was wigging late last year. Previously when I wore wigs I was doing a whole head baggy with great success, this last time I did not and I think I paid for it a little.
Click to expand...


I use Aunt Jackie's Shampoo. It's stripping but I suppose the "least" out of all I have tried. I have just started to use the Lustrasilk (one for curls) and that seems to be nice but it doesn't get rid of the build up like the Aunt Jackie's one.

I take off about 1/4 to 1/2 and inch depending on the splits I see.

I tried moisturising with water and that wasn't a good thing for me to do. My hair shrank and tangled even more. I ended up just using the SM deep treatment masque to detangle then castor oil. that was so much better.

My hair dried so quick after applying the water, I definitely know I have high porous hair; hence the tangles and quick drying.
 
NefertariBlu said:
I use Aunt Jackie's Shampoo. It's stripping but I suppose the "least" out of all I have tried. I have just started to use the Lustrasilk (one for curls) and that seems to be nice but it doesn't get rid of the build up like the Aunt Jackie's one.

I take off about 1/4 to 1/2 and inch depending on the splits I see.

I tried moisturising with water and that wasn't a good thing for me to do. My hair shrank and tangled even more. I ended up just using the SM deep treatment masque to detangle then castor oil. that was so much better.

My hair dried so quick after applying the water, I definitely know I have high porous hair; hence the tangles and quick drying.
Click to expand...
You really need to get a good shampoo that isn't stripping. Even if you conditiin well that shampoo can tear up your ends. In the meantime put oil and/or conditioner on your ends prior to shampoo to try to protect them.

After you shampoo, you condition? And detangle with conditioner in?

If you are high porosity you shouldn't need to remove build up too often.
 
faithVA said:
You really need to get a good shampoo that isn't stripping. Even if you conditiin well that shampoo can tear up your ends. In the meantime put oil and/or conditioner on your ends prior to shampoo to try to protect them.

After you shampoo, you condition? And detangle with conditioner in?

If you are high porosity you shouldn't need to remove build up too often.
Click to expand...

I've had a tough time with shampoo, however I do like the lustrasilk one (so far) since it didn't strip my hair, but build up was still on my scalp. I'm going to try the SM (orange one) as that was ok from what I remember.

I have found two conditioners that work well for my hair. The ORS replenishing pak and mayo. They are both protein ones though. Still on the hunt for a moisturising one that doesn't have protein in it.

One thing I learned yesterday, was to actually take time to detangle. It took me about an hour to do but it was worth it! Getting ready for bed and my hair was in a twist out puff; I was able to plait it quickly without the usual dry tangles.

This may be a no brainer for you all but I was doing it all wrong for YEARS :-/ no wonder I was getting crazy tangles.

I was thinking about adding an oil before washing the next time I wash. thank you for the tip!!!
 
AbsyBlvd said:
Yes @NefertariBlu thorough detangling is key for me (although I use a comb about once every 6 months). It's one of the key reasons my wngs last so long without major issues.
Click to expand...
I always wondered why it took some women hours to detangle. I was like why does it take that long? lol.

I never spent more than 15 minutes "detangling" :confused:. That was part of the reason why I was getting tangles.

Any recs on a deep conditioner?

Thank you for the tips. I've been natural for so long and I'm still learning about my hair.
 
NefertariBlu said:
I always wondered why it took some women hours to detangle. I was like why does it take that long? lol.

I never spent more than 15 minutes "detangling" :confused:. That was part of the reason why I was getting tangles.

Any recs on a deep conditioner?

Thank you for the tips. I've been natural for so long and I'm still learning about my hair.
Click to expand...

@NefertariBlu You're welcome:). We're all still learning.

A DC is really the only thing I'll happily experiment with and try new things, based on the ingredients. Currently, I mainly use Aubrey Organics White Camellia and HSR (both are without protein). I also like Soultanicals Afrotastic Curl Elastic (very light protein for me), and Millcreek Botanicals Jojoba conditioner (heavier protein- keratin, I haven't tried the new formula yet but I'm hoping it works just the same).

I have a list of a couple others I like the sound of and would love to try *cough* (Naturelle Grow, Annabelle's Perfect Blends) but being in the UK is kind of restricting my choices and forcing the PJ in me to have a seat:lol:.
 
I've used the HSR a couple of years ago and I hated it :look:. All the other ones I've not heard of.

I'm in London, so there is a good choice; I don't want to get addicted to something I can't get easily and I like to keep it simple. I think I've cured my pjism. I'm just on the hunt for a good shampoo and conditioner. Shampoo's are just too striping for my hair.
 
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