Consistency 12-Month Challenge

[SvelteVelvet]

Hi! I felt like I needed a little support and I haven't really seen this type of challenge. Basically this is for anyone who through much experimentation has finally found a regime that they feel omits the damaging stuff and encourages more of the good stuff that your hair needs and with consistency will help you acheive your hair goals whether it's length, health or both.

The beauty about this challenge is that the only specific thing it requires is consistency. Everything doesn't work for everybody, but whatever is working for you, here is support to stick with it and not jump on every new bandwagon, and see where it gets you. This also may give undecided or stuck in limbo people a chance to maybe save a lot of trial and error time by relating to other members who want the same end results goals in their regime.

I've personally had a hard time keeping up with challenges, C&G-failed, Full-head baggie-failed, and on the verge of failing the BT challenge. I learned I'd love to protect my hair and nurture it's health but I don't like sacrificing style. Since taking my braids out and getting my touch-up almost 3 weeks ago and dumping my hairdresser, I've come up with a number of different regime's now having full control of my hair and over the last few days I think I've found a happy medium.

My Consistency Challenge is..

*Wash/DC weekly, Treatments every other week

*Apply leave-in then air-dry in one big braid(omits blowdrying & wet-wrapping)

*Once dry, moisturize, seal, apply BT and pin-curl for the week. Repeat nightly or every other night during the week as necessary. (omits flat-ironing and dry-wrapping)

*Taking vits (6 wks, still going strong)

With this regime, I'm sacrificing heat and wrapping stress, incorporating moisturizing and BT app. into a routine, and not sacrificing style. I love love love the outcome of pin curls. It can be very versatile, effortless yet sexy that you can dress up or down, I can go from the office to the club with a few finger toussles in between and I'm good to go. I also like that I can semi-hide my length. My relaxer schedule is every 3 months and I'll flat-iron only then to monitor growth, 4 times a year isn't bad at all! And at those touch-up dates is when I'll report progress with pics.

Any other mind made up ladies want need support in sticking with what works for you?

Members enlisted so far...
SvelteVelvet
Blackoutzangel05
trimbride
sugarose
sareca
Rhapsodie
gymfreak336
B_Phlyy
bablou00
brickhouse
taraglam2
bauderlady
lynb76

 

[Blackoutzangel05]

Now this sounds more my speed. I have failed the wig challenge, removing myself from the baggy challenge because I love roller sets and the two don't mix, and although I wear protective styles mainly there are some days when I want to show my hair....the rest of the challenges are going good for me.

My goal is to simplify my regime. I like to get it done and be out of the way with it. But I love having options. My cleansing weekly regime won't change but my styling probably will, however I believe that having healthy hair gives you that freedom.

So here I go:

Weekly Shampoo consisting of:
Cheap conditioner pre poo with baggy
Shampoo
Condition
DC
Leave In conditioner
Style

Weekly Co-Wash (to be done once per week):
Clarify (with Suave daily clarifying wash, if needed)
Cheap Conditioner wash
Conditioner with Porosity Control
Apply Leave-In conditioner
Style

Silk Protein treatments will be given every other week with each shampooing.

Texlax touch-ups will be given every 16 weeks. Schedule as of now according to last application is 8/24/07 and 12/14/07

BT mixed with non-mineral oil/petroleum oil grease used every other day to grease scalp.

Still searching for a moisturizer to seal my edges with that won't curl my hair...

 

[MzOptimistic]

Hi! I felt like I needed a little support and I haven't really seen this type of challenge. Basically this is for anyone who through much experimentation has finally found a regime that they feel omits the damaging stuff and encourages more of the good stuff that your hair needs and with consistency will help you acheive your hair goals whether it's length, health or both.

The beauty about this challenge is that the only specific thing it requires is consistency. Everything doesn't work for everybody, but whatever is working for you, here is support to stick with it and not jump on every new bandwagon, and see where it gets you. This also may give undecided or stuck in limbo people a chance to maybe save a lot of trial and error time by relating to other members who want the same end results goals in their regime.

I've personally had a hard time keeping up with challenges, C&G-failed, Full-head baggie-failed, and on the verge of failing the BT challenge. I learned I'd love to protect my hair and nurture it's health but I don't like sacrificing style. Since taking my braids out and getting my touch-up almost 3 weeks ago and dumping my hairdresser, I've come up with a number of different regime's now having full control of my hair and over the last few days I think I've found a happy medium.

My Consistency Challenge is..

*Wash/DC weekly, Treatments every other week

*Apply leave-in then air-dry in one big braid(omits blowdrying & wet-wrapping)

*Once dry, moisturize, seal, apply BT and pin-curl for the week. Repeat nightly or every other night during the week as necessary. (omits flat-ironing and dry-wrapping)

*Taking vits (6 wks, still going strong)

With this regime, I'm sacrificing heat and wrapping stress, incorporating moisturizing and BT app. into a routine, and not sacrificing style. I love love love the outcome of pin curls. It can be very versatile, effortless yet sexy that you can dress up or down, I can go from the office to the club with a few finger toussles in between and I'm good to go. I also like that I can semi-hide my length. My relaxer schedule is every 3 months and I'll flat-iron only then to monitor growth, 4 times a year isn't bad at all! And at those touch-up dates is when I'll report progress with pics.

Any other mind made up ladies want need support in sticking with what works for you?

Not trying to be rude or anything (((hugs))) but your challenge sounds like the Boot Camp challenge. The bootcamp challenge allows you to do what you do to obtain the maximum growth and the key to the bootcamp is to stay consistent. That's why it's called Bookcamp so you will stick with it. No heat is allowed in the Boot Camp challenge either.

 

[Radianthealth]

This sounds like a good challenge my routine is very similar to yours.

I don't like to baggy anymore with my fine hair so I will be

1. Moisturizing daily with Kids Organic Shea Butter Detangling Moisturizing lotion and Castor Oil
2. Applying Scented Boundless tresses and/or Essential Oils to my scalp
3. Wearing a UPA Clip or Flexirod Set
4. Texlaxing every 3-4 months
5. Deep Conditioning on Wednesdays and Sundays. Sunday is a shampoo medium protein deep condition and Wednesday is just a deep condition with moisturizing conditioner. A heating cap will be used both days for at least 30 minutes.
6. Clarify when necessary most likely on a monthly basis
7. Use porosity control and ACV after each wash/DC to maintain the health of my relaxed ends also to help my hair hold the moisture.
8. Try to not walk around with soaking wet ends 24/7. This did not help my hair at all because my hair is fine and porous. I will also try to not use too much product, I have a tendency to overdo things

These last two are things that I really want to do but haven't been doing

• Eat healthier, Use my steam cabin daily, and Exercise daily
• Drink carrot juice every morning
• Take all the vitamins that I have

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Not trying to be rude or anything (((hugs))) but your challenge sounds like the Boot Camp challenge. The bootcamp challenge allows you to do what you do to obtain the maximum growth and the key to the bootcamp is to stay consistent. That's why it's called Bookcamp so you will stick with it. No heat is allowed in the Boot Camp challenge either.

Oh! My bad, well then, I guess I'll join bootcamp. Is there a time cap-off or is it..well I'll just go look it up. Thanks for the info!

 

[Blackoutzangel05]

Not trying to be rude or anything (((hugs))) but your challenge sounds like the Boot Camp challenge. The bootcamp challenge allows you to do what you do to obtain the maximum growth and the key to the bootcamp is to stay consistent. That's why it's called Bookcamp so you will stick with it. No heat is allowed in the Boot Camp challenge either.

I believe the difference here is that you don't have to follow her regime. She just posted her's here. Even though her sounds like the bootcamp challenge, what if another poster wanted to just use heat once a week and that is part of their regime. That is what is different about the consistency challenge, there is no set of rules for everyone. Just find a process and work it for a year.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

I believe the difference here is that you don't have to follow her regime. She just posted her's here. Even though her sounds like the bootcamp challenge, what if another poster wanted to just use heat once a week and that is part of their regime. That is what is different about the consistency challenge, there is no set of rules for everyone. Just find a process and work it for a year.

Right! And thanks for pointing that out, I feel a little slow today..I read and joined the bootcamp and I felt like something was different but I couldn't pin-point what, especially since the bootcamp "rules" are so close to my Consistency regimen, but the thing here is, there are no rules, you don't have to punish yourself, but it will be to stick to a regimen that fits your lifestyle and will still help meet your length and healthy hair goals. Thanks again Blackoutz!!

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Now this sounds more my speed. I have failed the wig challenge, removing myself from the baggy challenge because I love roller sets and the two don't mix, and although I wear protective styles mainly there are some days when I want to show my hair....the rest of the challenges are going good for me.

My goal is to simplify my regime. I like to get it done and be out of the way with it. But I love having options. My cleansing weekly regime won't change but my styling probably will, however I believe that having healthy hair gives you that freedom.

So here I go:

Weekly Shampoo consisting of:
Cheap conditioner pre poo with baggy
Shampoo
Condition
DC
Leave In conditioner
Style

Weekly Co-Wash (to be done once per week):
Clarify (with Suave daily clarifying wash, if needed)
Cheap Conditioner wash
Conditioner with Porosity Control
Apply Leave-In conditioner
Style

Silk Protein treatments will be given every other week with each shampooing.

Texlax touch-ups will be given every 16 weeks. Schedule as of now according to last application is 8/24/07 and 12/14/07

BT mixed with non-mineral oil/petroleum oil grease used every other day to grease scalp.

Still searching for a moisturizer to seal my edges with that won't curl my hair...

I'm so glad you grasped the concept. I just want support for us members who's regime may not mirror each others exactly, but if it works for us we can at least have a support system to keep at it and somewhere we can post our progress as a result from just being consistent.

 

[sugarose]

This is a different challenge than Bootcamp because (as another poster pointed out) we all don't have to follow the same regimen, just be consistent with what works for us.

This is my kind of challenge. I have perfected my regimen, but lately have been slacking off a little. So, perfect timing for me!

My regimen is:

Condition-Protein treatment / Shampoo / Condition every 6-7 days
Spray with Dove leave-in and airdry in 1 or 2 braids

Daily: Protective styles

Nightly: Apply MN to my scalp, moisturize with CON leave-in mixed with Castor Oil. Braid and baggie the braids.

*One a month I will flat-iron to check length.

Goals for this challenge: To reach WL, and to obtain ultra-thick hair.

I will be following this regimen until I reach waist length (3 inches to go!!). After that, I'll probably let go of protective styling a little, and I'll be flat-ironing more often.

Great Challenge!!

 

[Blackoutzangel05]

Right! And thanks for pointing that out, I feel a little slow today..I read and joined the bootcamp and I felt like something was different but I couldn't pin-point what, especially since the bootcamp "rules" are so close to my Consistency regimen, but the thing here is, there are no rules, you don't have to punish yourself, but it will be to stick to a regimen that fits your lifestyle and will still help meet your length and healthy hair goals. Thanks again Blackoutz!!

I was about to say I sure hope that I got that right because it was just the challenge that I was searching for. I wanted something that I had found worked for me but was very simple. I am still following some the boot camp principles and still not trimming, etc but I am basically doing what works for my hair right now and sticking to it.

 

[Blackoutzangel05]

This is a different challenge than Bootcamp because (as another poster pointed out) we all don't have to follow the same regimen, just be consistent with what works for us.

This is my kind of challenge. I have perfected my regimen, but lately have been slacking off a little. So, perfect timing for me!

My regimen is:

Condition-Protein treatment / Shampoo / Condition every 6-7 days
Spray with Dove leave-in and airdry in 1 or 2 braids

Daily: Protective styles

Nightly: Apply MN to my scalp, moisturize with CON leave-in mixed with Castor Oil. Braid and baggie the braids.

*One a month I will flat-iron to check length.

Goals for this challenge: To reach WL, and to obtain ultra-thick hair.

I will be following this regimen until I reach waist length (3 inches to go!!). After that, I'll probably let go of protective styling a little, and I'll be flat-ironing more often.

Great Challenge!!

I like your regime.....i would settle for my hair being as long as yours is right now.

 

[Rhapsodie]

Long-time lurker here!!!

I'll definitely join this challenge. I've finally found one product aside from shampoo and conditioner that keeps my hair moisturized (Coconut Oil )so I need to stop buying and trying all these different products. My routine is now ridiculously simple:

My regimen is:
Long-term protective styles - twists with braided roots
Shampoo and condition every other day (plan to swim every other day)with whatever I have, this will allow me to get rid of all the shampoos and conditioners lying around my house

Every 3-4 weeks:
Pre-poo with conditioner, olive oil and coconut oil
Undo twists and detangle with wide-tooth comb
Wash and henna
Deep-condition
Re-twist

Daily
Apply coconut oil to my ends and put twists in an updo

Also, I want to be consistent with my juicing, maybe not everyday, but at least 3 times a week.

Goals for this challenge:
I want to get to APL stretched and reduce my splits.

 

[sareca]

I didn't join bootcamp. I didn't want there to be rules. I've been on the Use it up Challenge and now that my cabinents is emptying out I find myself on a product binge. I've tried at least 4 new projects in the last 3 weeks. That's more than I tried in the last 5 months! I need to use what I know works.

Aveda DR for moisturizing my braids (diluted of course)
Steaming my braids w/ a microwaved towel
Coconut or amla oil treatments once/week
I like BT (it's a newer product but I'm adding it as a staple)
SAA in my braid sprays
Braid spray 2X/day--that should be easier now that it's warm
Garlic poo (dulited) to cut down on shedding

That's it. I've been consistent w/ C&G, but inconsistent w/ moisturizing and steaming.

 

[gymfreak336]

My regime

Wash and deep condition every 3-4 days.
Prepoo everyother wash with cholesterol or alma oil.
Use porosity control every wash for just a minute and follow with conditioner.
Protein is to be used every 3 washes.
Rollerset to dry or air dry over night and flat iron on the lowest temp in the morning.
Moisturize daily and use bt every 2-3 days.
Relax every 8-10 weeks.

I have been consistent with this regime every since my "trim" disaster in March and I have regained my lost inches. I have alot less breakage and shedding. I need to get better at managing my newgrowth though.

 

[B_Phlyy]

Do our products have to be the same? I have a pretty consistent routine, but I'm still trying to pin down my staples.

Routine

Daily
Co washes, leave-in, and sealing with oil

Twice a week
Pre-poo with hot oil and protein
Shampoo
Deep condition

I have a TWA, so all I do is finger comb and go for styling.

 

[bablou00]

Great idea. I stopped all the challenges I joined cold turkey in March because I realized that I was doing my own thing basically. I would incorporate different things from this and that challenge but all in all I was doing what worked best for my hair. Here is what I been doing and some things I am adding due to summer and working out.


-Clarify once every 2-3 weeks
-Shampoo once a week
-Conditioner wash or just rinse other days
-Pre poo once thru out the week (Protein one of these times)
-Deep condition once a week
-Leave in conditioner after every wash w/ EVOO
-This summer is all about braidouts and up dos. Rollersets once a week and then wash hair when I feel it needs it.
-Next relaxer mid-August. I might be looking like Scary Spice but oh well its my head...haha

This is what I plan on doing all summer up till winter then I will cut back on the amount of times I wash and plan on relaxing every 4 mos (3x a yr) starting in August. Good luck to all that have found what works for them. I love that this isnt a strict challenge. Be sure to update on your progress.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Do our products have to be the same? I have a pretty consistent routine, but I'm still trying to pin down my staples.

Routine

Daily
Co washes, leave-in, and sealing with oil

Twice a week
Pre-poo with hot oil and protein
Shampoo
Deep condition

I have a TWA, so all I do is finger comb and go for styling.

No, not at all! There are no rules on any specifics. You set your own rules on your hair care regimen, your products (can switch up your prods too)your style regimen and your schedule. The key is to stay consistent with it for at least 12 months.

I'm really looking to achieve max retention and the most health as my hair grows. I came up with mine knowing I wanted and needed to omit heat and all wrapping from my regimen and moisturize & seal my ends more and apply BT more routinely without sacrificing my personal style. Yours sound really good for keeping your natural hair in great condition as it grows! Good luck!

 

[brickhouse]

I am in. I used to have a regimen but now I am all over the place. Once I reached brastrap I stopped trying. Now I am going for wsl and I need to get serious. I will be back to post my regimen.

 

[Blackoutzangel05]

I am alternating styles and probably going with straight wash n go's in the summer months, actually after this roller set when I was this week. I know that my hair is going to get extra puffy with the summer months approaching, so I might as well not even fight it and just wear my hair curly. With that in place, my regime is going to change slightly. I will be co washing more often...

 

[SvelteVelvet]

I am alternating styles and probably going with straight wash n go's in the summer months, actually after this roller set when I was this week. I know that my hair is going to get extra puffy with the summer months approaching, so I might as well not even fight it and just wear my hair curly. With that in place, my regime is going to change slightly. I will be co washing more often...

I feel ya because I'll probaby do wet-set twist outs one week, braidouts sometimes to switch up when I'm bored with pin-curls but I'm gonna keep my wash/DC/treatment/moisturizing/oil schedule and all these styles still keep me from heat and wrapping. I think it's great to enjoy your hair in between doing what's necessary to meet your goals! So I'll def. be tweaking as far as style goes but, I'll keep all the important stuff consistent.

 

[sugarose]

I like your regime.....i would settle for my hair being as long as yours is right now.

It doesn't feel as long as it is. I still fell like I have shorter hair. Just today I was looking a family pic that was taken about 1 month ago and I was like wow! My hair did get longer! My mom was like you didn't notice?

 

[taraglam2]

My hair needs consistency. After more than 2 years of trying all kinds of hair products and regimens it is time for me to be consistent and stick with something for more than 3 months The good thing is I have found products that I love and I love what they do to my hair but the PJ in me wanted to try some of this and some of that. Thanks to the PJ USE IT UP CHALLENGE which really helped my inner and outer PJism really slow down / almost totally stop. So now I am going to be consistent--

Deep Condition once a week (plastic cap warm hooded dryer 30 minutes to an hour)
Shampoo and Condition twice a week
Moisturize Daily with NTM Silk Touch Leave-in Cream on Dry Hair sealed with Jojoba oil or one of my serums (NTM or AVEDA)

Jojoba Oil & AVEDA Oil as my oils
MNT Shampoo
MNT Conditioner
MNT Conditioner as a leave-in
MNT Detangler
KENRA Moisturizing Shampoo - My Detangling Shampoo
RUSK Smoother Leave-in Conditioner
NTM Daily Deep Conditioner
NTM Serum
QUEEN Helene Cholesterol
FERMODYL 619
AVEDA Anti-Humectant Pomade
AVEDA Brilliant Serum w/rice bran oil
AVEDA Detox Shampoo

Vitamins - Pre-Natal Vitamins, GNC Biotin, SOLARAY BAMBOO

Consistency 12-Month Challenge "I'm In" !

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Welcome taraglam2 and good luck!

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Hi yall! Just bumping and seeing how everyone is doing.

I had to add a co-wash to my regime this week, actually I did a few tweaks to my regime, does that mean I failed? Hope not, it's still fairly early and sometimes 'our hair' dictates what we need to do to it. Like it told me yesterday to co-wash. Afterwords I put it in 2 big plaits and moisturized and oiled the crap out of it and let it dry over night. Today it's in a half clipped half down do and it has a cute wavy wet look to it. I think I'll be adding this procedure to my weekly wash & DC so I'll do that, which is my Thursday night-for-the-weekend thing, if I'm staying in Friday, I do it Friday. Then Mon or Tues of the next week do my co-wash, set & airdry.

My other tweaks, I went out and bought an Ion hard-head dryer for DC's & Rollersets last weekend. I figured since I'm not going to the salon anymore I need to have one in my home. Plus I was sold on the conditioning properties it has and when I did my rollerset last week with the magnetics, my hair and ends were sooo smooth and shiny, that thing dries quick too! Then I cross-wrapped and the next morning I flat-ironed the roots only, to smooth roller lines and new growth. My hair was soo thick, yet straight and lucious. So I'm going to try this out for a while. Hopefully my hair likes it and doesn't tell me to change anything else. I think the added co-wash will do me good, considering the little bit of heat I've now added. As my new growth comes in more I'll stretch these washes out to weeks. Co-wash one week and wear the set for the week, then the next week poo-wash/DC/Rollerset/iron roots.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

Bumping.....

 

[B_Phlyy]

I am doing pretty good. Last night I slipped up a little and didn't do my co wash, but I'm going to make up for it today by adding a little honey or coconut milk to my deep conditioner to make it more moisturizing.

Also, even though I didn't state it earlier, I have been consistently taking my vitamins and drinking 64-72 oz of water everyday.

 

[sareca]

I've been moisturizing at least once/day, but I haven't steamed my hair once in 3 weeks.

I'm going to do it tonight.

 

[bauderlady]

Ok...


Daily:

Take Hair Supplements
Apply BT to my scalp
Massage my scalp
Be gentle to my hair
Try down at night with a silk scarf

Ever week:

Use Albreys Natural to pre-poo
Wash and Deep condition 1-2x's a week
Use leave in and heat protectants
dry under hooded dryer
use caruso steam curlers
Use flat iron only when absolutely needed!

 

[Ladylyn]

If its not too late I'd like to join.

Daily
take vitamins
drink 8 glasses of water
massage scalp
moisturize and seal ends
wrap scarf at night

Weekly
wash every 3 days to 1 week max
deep condition 1 every 2 weeks

 

[SvelteVelvet]

If its not too late I'd like to join.

Daily
take vitamins
drink 8 glasses of water
massage scalp
moisturize and seal ends
wrap scarf at night

Weekly
wash every 3 days to 1 week max
deep condition 1 every 2 weeks

Welcome and good luck!

I'll bump this thread randomly once in a while to see how everyone is doing in their consistency.

So far so good, I've been consistent with my regimen since my tweaks, I've found a good cycle that keeps my ends protected from direct heat yet doesn't let me get bored. I'm personally going to report progress every touch-up and my next is in July, my avi is my starting point and I'm already seeing a difference from that pic.