Co-washing ?

[Learn2Gro]

How often do you co-wash? Do you co wash in the A.M. or P.M.? What were the results?
Looking to see if any have gained length with doing this. Mainly, individuals who are 4 a/b and who did the BC( big-chop) and currently have reached BSL , WL , or TBL. If so, how long did it take to get the best results?
If you have pictures please post so that the rest of us who are interested can see.

 

[krissyhair]

I have 3c, and cowash in the morning. I don't like to sleep with wet hair. It helps retain tons of moisture, but after I got some length, it takes time out of the morning. I don't do it often anymore, maybe once a week or only after the gym, plus a regularly scheduled weekly shampoo.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Wednesday: after work
Saturday: in the morning

 

[Fhrizzball]

After exercise or once or twice a week in the morning. It helps reset my hair and makes detangling much easier for me.

 

[Coilystep]

Usually just once a week. Last year after my bc I cowashed everyday. I cut down to once a week in about April I have to much hair to be washing everyday. My hair is shoulder length and mostly 4a.

 

[Learn2Gro]

Usually just once a week. Last year after my bc I cowashed everyday. I cut down to once a week in about April I have to much hair to be washing everyday. My hair is shoulder length and mostly 4a.

That's wonderful that you obtained shoulder length hair within a year after doing a BC.
I did the BC this year around July and I now have about 2 inches. My overall high goal is TB length. I had shoulder length prior to the BC. I have thick hair. I know I can get there with maintenance. I need to figure out some styles with this mini Afro , but has yet to come up with what to do. I'll feel more comfortable once I'm able to put it up in a ponytail at least.

 

[Coilystep]

That's wonderful that you obtained shoulder length hair within a year after doing a BC.
I did the BC this year around July and I now have about 2 inches. My overall high goal is TB length. I had shoulder length prior to the BC. I have thick hair. I know I can get there with maintenance. I need to figure out some styles with this mini Afro , but has yet to come up with what to do. I'll feel more comfortable once I'm able to putart it up in a ponytail at least.

. Thanks @Top Knot
I transitioned for 17 months so I didn't really didn't have far to go for shoulder length. I have a lot of shrinkage so it really doesn't look shoulder length. When I started I wanted waist length or longer hair. However with the amount of time it takes for me to do my hair now at shoulder length I have reassessed that goal to mid back length at the most.

 

[CityGirl]

I co-wash every morning. I use a leave in conditioner; I tend to rotate all of my conditioners. The ones I co-wash with and the leave-ins. I then use some kind of first layer oil and then I seal it with some coconut oil. It has changed everything for me. I went from barely shoulder length; damaged and with a tendency to be dry to BSL and healthier than it has ever been in my life. This regimen has been working for a couple of years now.
I used to go to the hairdresser every week. Now I only go every 6-8 weeks for relaxers. Yes I still relax. But this is by far the healthiest hair I have ever had.
I only blow dry and flat iron when I want to wear my hair out and that is very rarely. I am a wet bun wearing coconut oil sealed chick every single day.
I practice a good diet, drink a lot of water and exercise. But I can tell you that the co-washing has changed everything for me.

 

[Learn2Gro]

I co-wash every morning. I use a leave in conditioner; I tend to rotate all of my conditioners. The ones I co-wash with and the leave-ins. I then use some kind of first layer oil and then I seal it with some coconut oil. It has changed everything for me. I went from barely shoulder length; damaged and with a tendency to be dry to BSL and healthier than it has ever been in my life. This regimen has been working for a couple of years now.
I used to go to the hairdresser every week. Now I only go every 6-8 weeks for relaxers. Yes I still relax. But this is by far the healthiest hair I have ever had.
I only blow dry and flat iron when I want to wear my hair out and that is very rarely. I am a wet bun wearing coconut oil sealed chick every single day.
I practice a good diet, drink a lot of water and exercise. But I can tell you that the co-washing has changed everything for me.

Thanks CityGirl. This is what i'm on my way to achieving. I did the bchop back in June/July and have about 2 inches of natural hair. My goal is to gain long healthy hair. I'm co-washing every other day. I thought about doing this everyday. I usually wet my head with water everyday just to comb through it. I have a mix texture of hair 4 a/b coarse a little.

 

[DarkAngell]

Right now I stay at home so I co wash every other day. If I'm working I do it everyday. My styles just don't really maintain. I have 3b at the nape and 3c/4a everywhere else. Years ago on here I was advised to try co washing and do it more often. I went from washing with shampoo once a week to co washing ever day. And I have to say co washing (and doing it often) is the number one reason my hair started not only growing much faster but retained the length as well.

I transitioned for a year, bc'd, and grew the tbl 4 yrs later (5yrs total including transition time). Co washing was the only thing I changed but this the first time my hair ever grew past apl.

I just bc'd again in August down to a twa and I've grown 1.5 inches back so far.

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

I generally cowash once a week midweek. I do it in the evenings and twist my hair at night.

 

[Learn2Gro]

Right now I stay at home so I co wash every other day. If I'm working I do it everyday. My styles just don't really maintain. I have 3b at the nape and 3c/4a everywhere else. Years ago on here I was advised to try co washing and do it more often. I went from washing with shampoo once a week to co washing ever day. And I have to say co washing (and doing it often) is the number one reason my hair started not only growing much faster but retained the length as well.

I transitioned for a year, bc'd, and grew the tbl 4 yrs later (5yrs total including transition time). Co washing was the only thing I changed but this the first time my hair ever grew past apl.

I just bc'd again in August down to a twa and I've grown 1.5 inches back so far.

Yeah this is the advice that I keep getting to co-wash everyday. I want to also keep some moisture in but struggling with that since my hair soak up oil. I can't deal with the greasiness.

 

[Learn2Gro]

Right now I stay at home so I co wash every other day. If I'm working I do it everyday. My styles just don't really maintain. I have 3b at the nape and 3c/4a everywhere else. Years ago on here I was advised to try co washing and do it more often. I went from washing with shampoo once a week to co washing ever day. And I have to say co washing (and doing it often) is the number one reason my hair started not only growing much faster but retained the length as well.

I transitioned for a year, bc'd, and grew the tbl 4 yrs later (5yrs total including transition time). Co washing was the only thing I changed but this the first time my hair ever grew past apl.

I just bc'd again in August down to a twa and I've grown 1.5 inches back so far.

We would like to see pictures if possible

 

[Coilystep]

Yeah this is the advice that I keep getting to co-wash everyday. I want to also keep some moisture in but struggling with that since my hair soak up oil. I can't deal with the greasiness.

Have you tried not adding oil? I don't add oil to my hair. The majority of my products have oil in them already. I'm retaining moisture fine.

 

[DarkAngell]

We would like to see pictures if possible

I've been working on finding some. I stopped posting in 2012 and just recently cme back to the forum. I found my fotki but can't seem to access it and don't remember my passwords. I had a Photobucket but didn't update that one as much.

ETA: Since I stopped posting before I reach tbl I don't remember if I have any. I hope I do. But I'm certain I have waist length pics floating around somewhere. And the fotki has start of my journey with the transition as well.

 

[Learn2Gro]

Have you tried not adding oil? I don't add oil to my hair. The majority of my products have oil in them already. I'm retaining moisture fine.

The only thing I have experimented with to see if I could hold moisture was that I had an old bottle of Carefree Curl Activator from years past. I tried some of that after co-washing. The results were/ are that my hair felt soft, not really moisturized but soft. I have co-washed and have also tried not putting anything in and the end results of this is dry/brittle
What products of your's have oil in them already?

 

[DarkAngell]

What about coconut oil? I've been using that recently. My hair does terrible with oil but coconut oil doesn't leave any greasiness at all.

 

[Coilystep]

The only thing I have experimented with to see if I could hold moisture was that I had an old bottle of Carefree Curl Activator from years past. I tried some of that after co-washing. The results were/ are that my hair felt soft, not really moisturized but soft. I have co-washed and have also tried not putting anything in and the end results of this is dry/brittle
What products of your's have oil in them already?

I mainly use as I am products, Camille rose products, twisted sista, and kinky curly products. Cantu and cream of nature naturals products work as well.
I can't recommend carefree curl products as I've never used them.
Are you into ingredients? I try to stay away from cones, parabens, and sulfates.
I recommend getting a cowash, a leave in conditioner, and a styler(gel or curling cream).

 

[CityGirl]

What about coconut oil? I've been using that recently. My hair does terrible with oil but coconut oil doesn't leave any greasiness at all.

I have found that coconut oil has been the best thing to help me maintain moisture, and protect my hair from the relaxer chemicals when I do relax. I co-wash everyday and seal in that moisture with coconut oil. I spent a lot of time thinking my hair needed hard protein conditioners and such, but really all it needed was moisture and the co-washing and coconut oil have helped with that. Coconut oil is the only oil that actually penetrates the hair strand and protects it. No other oil does this (I Googled and found this information) so this is why coconut oil is like the Holy Grail for hair.