Before LHCF and your regimen....

[Denim And Leather]

....what was your hair routine like before all this? And when did you decide to start a hair care regimen?

I got my hair relaxed when I was in 5th grade. My mother never took good care of our hair, I guess she figured you just put the relaxer in and it stays straight! So of course, mine and my sisters' hair broke off. In high school, I started seeing a hairdresser regularly, and my hair grew just above my shoulders. But I lapsed in that, and my hair started breaking off again. A year after I graduated high school, I started wearing a sew in weave, and did so for the next 16 years. About two years ago, I got tired of it, I felt very phony (not to put women down who wear them, as I understand that some women on this board wear weaves as a protective style. I wore hair extensions continually for 16 years, so that is why I felt like a phony.) I wanted to love and appreciate the hair God gave me, and really desired wearing my own hair. After a lot of thought, I had the weave taken out, and started wearing my own hair, by now it was just a little past the shoulders. I got my hair relaxed every six weeks, which included a blow dry and straightened from the marcel stove. In between touch-ups, I would wash and condition my hair once a week, and blow dry and flat iron it. My hair grew, but not as long as I figured, since in my opinion, I was taking better care of my hair (yeah, right!)

Earlier this year, I started wondering why my hair never grew longer like it should have, and thought maybe it was something my hairdresser was doing. One day, quite by accident, I came across the UBH website, and that opened my eyes. I ordered Cathy Howse's book and products and got to work on making my hair better. A few days after getting Cathy's products, I ended up on this board, and my eyes were opened even more!

It's been about six weeks, and I'm very glad I came across this board, it has been a wealth of valuable information, and I look forward to reaching my hair goals. Seeing all the beautiful black women and their beautiful heads of hair is definitely an inspiration to me.

Sorry for the long post!

 

[amy1234]

it was thin at the ends and relaxed every 6 weeks with revlon no-lye

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

Back when I was a kid my mom made it a point to have my hair done on the regular. Not sure how old i was when I first got a relaxer, but I've had half a dozen people (some professional, some who did it on the side) work on my head and fortunately, not one of them did my hair a bad turn. When I was 13 i even had my hair done by an Asian woman (whose command of english wasn't all that good) and even though she did pretty crummy job, my hair remained healthy with little breakage. Since the age of 13 I've gotten my hair done just about every 2 weeks by a professional. Sometimes, my mom did my hair but she hated dealing with it so she paid someone else to do it. Up until I joined LHCF i continued to have my hair done bi-weekly without washing it in-between. My hair seemed healthy and thrived with little washing- how about that? I wash more regulary now but I still have to go to the salon for that touch-up and trim. I'm just not brave enough to execute it myself.

 

[sweetcashew]

My routine hasn't changed much. Same products also. The only difference is I use less heat. Oh and I trim every two months instead of once a month.

 

[Poohbear]

Before LHCF, all I used was relaxer, shampoo, grease, and a blowdryer. I would also use curling irons from time to time.

I found and joined LHCF in April 2004...the first online forum I ever joined. I tried developing a regime after viewing the feature of the months. As time went on, I found that I could never stick to a routine.
Then I decided to go natural, something I never thought about doing. Anyway, its been a fun experience and I've learned so much!

 

[Lucia]

My hair was damaged, dyed fried, thin and tired. I lurked for months here trying to get a regime, as I started making changes my hair got healthier and then longer. When I was a kid and my mom took care of my hair it was thick and BSL natural..then I got my hands on it-

 

[Healthb4Length]

I would shampoo every 2 weeks, "deep treat" by using hot oils every month or 2, used grease on my hair and scalp everyday. My hair always stayed at the same length, if it did start to break I would just get braids and call it a day.

 

[senimoni]

I was completely clueless before lhcf. My regime was pretty much a relaxer every 6 weeks and a salon appt every 2. I did nothing on a daily basis as far as moisturize unless you count pink lotion...lol. Heat daily, rough handling, all that good stuff.

 

[HairQueen]

I was baaad to my hair before LHCF. I relaxed every 6 weeks washed & conditioned well - whenever! I didn't trim regularly as I tried so many times to grow my hair so I thought if I don't trim it it will grow, but as I wasn't conditioning it regularly the split ends just traveled up and up and up my hair. It was REALLY a mess.

The only good thing I did was moisturise every night and never go to bed without a scarf.

 

[WomanlyCharm]

I'm embarrassed to ever remember how badly I treated my hair!

I got my first relaxer when I was 10, my mom took me to the beautician every two week,s she took good care of it, it grew.

Then I got "grown" and wanted to do it myself...the breakage was so bad, we cut off what was left and I got a jerry curl (no laughing, please!).
My hair grew back again...and again I abused it. Dying multiple colors, shaving the sides, heat everyday, I'm lucky to still have hair at all!

Thank God for this board.

 

[Kimberly]

I was relaxing every 6 weeks and trims every 6 weeks. Shampoo every two weeks when I went to the salon and I'd have to remind her or ask her for the dep conditioner. It bothered me that I was having "new growth" every 6 weeks but my hair was not getting any longer...it would get shorter. If something came up where money was tight or my shift changed at work or just got busy for a while and couldn't make it to the salon, I'd have a lot of breakage but I'd also finally realize a little length. Then, I'd go back to the salon and end up back where I came from.

Since being here, I have cut back on my salon visits a lot. I'm trying to teach myself how to self-relax and take better care of my hair. IU've been around for about 2 1/2 years and I still haven't gotten much of a regimine together yet. I am too much of a PJ but, hopefully, that will be calming down soon. I'm going to start a hair journal to help me remember what my hair likes and what it doesn't like (an idea I got from LHCF). I relax my hair when my nappy roots say I need it and not every 6, 12, 26, or 52 weeks because that's what works best for my hair. My hair can not take too much stretching or I have not yet found the products that can help my hair take too much stretching. I am more aware of how what I put into my body affects my hair.

Being on LHCF has been nothing but good for my hair. I don't think anyone could come to this board and not get something positive from it. Even if you already have a regimine down that works wonders for your hair and you got the perfect supplement combination for optimal results, you still are going to get something or learn something here.

And, honestly, just being able to come here where there are people just as crazy and obsessed as I am helps me so much. When my mother wsa asking me why would I bother to try (to grow my hair out), you guys told me I could do it. When my aunt was pulling my hair and telling me I won't make it (to BSL), you guys told me I would and that has done more for my hair than all of the MSM, MTG, EVOO, CWs, and OKRA ever could and I am so appreciative and thankful.

I'm sorry...I don't want to delete anything I said because I mean every single worrd but I fear I may have gotten a little OT and I apologize if I did.

 

[Denim And Leather]

I see a lot of you ladies had a good routine going beforehand. I, on the other hand, was completely ignorant of hair care for black hair...I bought into the lies of "don't wash your hair but once a week/2 weeks, or you could wash the natural oils out", or that black hair just don't grow long on average. The first time I got my hair relaxed, my older sister told me that once I washed it, the relaxer will wash out, so I didn't wash my hair for a whole month!

I remember reading in a fashion magazine years ago, the advice for black hair care from this white male hairdresser, and the thing he said that really insulted me, and still makes me mad to this day was "Every black woman should have a wig in her wardrobe." AS IF our hair was so bad, that we need a wig.

Sorry for the rant, but reading some of these posts brought back memories.

 

[Suri]

Before LHCF I used to airdry and stretch my relaxers (I never liked getting them often). What I really learned here was the great tips that we share about new protective styles. I learned about braiding (with extenstions, the Crown and Glory Method), MTG, MN, I think the most important would have to be creating a regimen and sticking to it, and of course all the PRODUCTS that entice me! I never had damaged hair, I came here in the middle of my transition, so I was already practicing 'healthier' hair behavior...I love lhcf