HI! Thanks so much for your support! Rollersetting is hard so its great to have you wonderful comments for motivation
I have been using lye relaxers since I was a kid. My hair is super coarse, thick, unruly and require a lot of heat to straigthen it. I used to blow dry and curl my hair (from 11-18) after washing and use the curling iron frequently throughout the week. Doing this, my hair only reached my shoulder blades.
It all changed when I started getting my hair roller set by a stylist named Todd (he used to work at the famous Olive's salon in Boston). He used quality products like Keracare and Mizani and used mesh rollers to set my hair. Then he would VERY gently blow out the roots with a Domincan blow dryer on the lowest setting to loosen and smooth the set ( mesh rollers can leave ridges from the mesh fabric) Then he would wrap me up and send me on my way. My ends were never touched. My hair went from shoulder blade length to mid back in the span of about 1 or 2 years. It seemed to get thicker and I had virtually no breakage. I wrapped my hair every night and, because I wrapped it right after having it set, the curl would last for the whole week.
After college, I went to DOminican salons to have it set in magnectic rollers. I dont think I chose a good salon because the hot blow dryers broke off my hair all around the crown and dried it out something awful. Also, for me, the magnectic rollers look nice when just set but after a few days, its looks dull and raggedy. I think the key is to have the mesh rollers because they can pull the hair tighter and thus make my hair look longer and healthier throughout the week. I remember Todd had me looking like I just walked outta a Victorias secret commercial! The rollers gave me body, bounce and giant sexy waves. Also, the funny thing is, we never did protein treatment. Just moisture, moisture, moisture and my hair was hydrated and never broke.
For a brief while, I did blow dry and flat iron to get that super straight and shiny look. Flat ironing did keep my hair really shiny and long but i think the hot iron affected the cuticle of my hair because I noticed a difference in the texture of my hair after my flat-ironing stint. It felt dry and rough.
So, since joining LHCF, I have adopted a new regime modeled after Todd's old advice ( why did I ever stray!):
NO flat-irons, blow dryers and curling irons.
Rollersetting with magnectic rollers (until my mesh rollers come) and wrapping for straight look or leaving ends out for sexy wave look
Using exclusive line (Keracare)-like a multi-vitamin may take some time to really see results. My hair keeps getting better everytime I use the Keracare line exclusively. The products seem to compliment each other
Taking multi-vitamin and hair vitamin
Exercise and drink lots of water
Eating healthy- only organic foods which dont have as many preservatives
Washing 5 days instead of 7 days-less shedding
Stretching relaxers- 2-3 months instead of 6 weeks
No proteign treatment- worked well at first but then dried out my hair and broke it off
*******Using a creme rinse after deep conditioning- detangled and gave me great shine ALL week (trying to find the one he used. It was amazing)******
Trimming 2-3 times a year- if that!
Its only been one perm cycle since implementing these changes but my hair has def grown and Im getting back the moisture and softness I once had. Until I find that creme rinse, Im still tryin to get my shine - had lots of suggestions and encouragement from the wonderful ladies at LHCF! Thanks guys!!!!
and i'm anxious to know if my hair will come out like that too, haha. 
