adw425
Well-Known Member
Although I joined 16 months ago, I have been a lurker. I have gotten so much valuable information, which helped me not only turn a corner, but to actually start keeping what is growing. Here is a bit of my hair history.
I had healthy, longish hair as a child (second picture in album). My mom pressed it from time-to-time to straighten if there was a special occasion but mostly kept my scalp oiled, some grease on the length and in braids or ponytails. I got a relaxer at 14, the Saturday before I started high school. I bugged my mother silly for months for it as she did not want me to get one, but I finally wore her down.
For the donkey years (long time) I had a relaxer and used the curling iron at least four days a week -- spraying the ends with either hairspray or using gel so that the curl would stay (yikes!) -- there was usually a cycle when it would break and be dry and brittle for a couple of years followed by it seeming to thrive and be relatively healthy for a year or two. My hair never grew past my shoulders with the relaxer (picture three) but now I realize how lucky I was that at least it stayed at shoulder length as I really did abuse my hair.
At times, I would try different things, but it was hit or miss because I just did not know there was an art and science to good, proper hair care. I had no clue about the protein-moisture balance, clarifying, caring for your scalp, limiting heat, doing regular protein treatments, keeping hair moisturized, protecting those ends, etc.
My last relaxer was July 2003. Two things happened simultaneously: I noticed my hair was more dry, brittle, crispy, broken, raggedy, thinner and overprocessed than it had ever been in my life and in, November 2003, I noticed that I had not had a touch-up since July, which meant the new growth to that point had obviously been manageable. Since the rest of my hair was in such a terrible state, I decided to transition because putting more chemicals on what was already almost destroyed just did not seem smart.
My hair during mid- and late-transition and beyond was a coarse, dull, shrunken, knotted, dry, frizzy, tangled, wiry, dense, woolly, matted mess. I BROKE BIG RAKE COMBS! Oh and the shedding... I did not know it was called shedding then, but there had to be 1000 pieces of hair on my sink every day. It was discouraging and the detangling was labor-intensive. I think I started pressing my hair in February 2004. Over the summer of 2004, my hair did press well when I first put Ojon restorative treatment and Elasta mango butter on wet hair and let it dry, but a few months later that stopped working for me. Also, at some point, I began to blow dry and THEN press my hair. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Anyway, 2005 was kind of a bad hair year for me until I started seriously researching good/healthy hair care techniques and management and stumbled onto LHCF in May 2005. Discovering the shower comb was first; that was a Godsend. Moisturizing by adding honey to my conditioner was another wonderful solution, then discovering Jamaican Black Castor Oil and on and on…In the beginning, I bought anything someone raved about. I became a true product junkie. I was spending $100 - $200 a month, mostly on conditioners, leave-ins and oils, but I finally got that under control, for the most part…somewhat…kind of...(smile). I tried at least 20 different regimens.
Things really crystallized for me, though, when I did the Vaseline experiment/challenge from one of the posts I reviewed in November 2005, but with shea butter – not Vaseline -- and viola! I saturated my wet hair in it and was so stunned that it all actually absorbed in by morning and my hair felt so moisturized. I did this almost daily and the first thing that happened was that, after washing, my hair did not tangle/knot/mat up anymore. I gradually started retaining length and my hair became strong and elastic. I do not press my hair anymore – not since November – no heat at all. My hair stays super hydrated/moisturized – no matter what – and that has been such a huge blessing. And, because my hair stays super hydrated and moisturized, my curl pattern is very loose now – the exact opposite of what it was before. I WAS USING A LOT OF HEAT TO TRY TO TAME MY HAIR AND WHAT DID ACTUALLY TAME IT WAS MOISTURE!
Regimen: I shampoo on Saturday – one week with hemp and almond castille soap, the next Saturday CO only and then the third Saturday with VO5 kiwi and lime clarifying shampoo. After pooing, I put on my protein-rich cocktail. My big tub of protein-rich conditioner consists of three Mill Creek conditioners – Keratin, Jojoba and Biotin (which all have keratin way up in the ingredients list, the jojoba has cysteine…) Cabellina del Caballo mane and tail conditioner (thick, smells yummy and has wonderful ingredients like keratin, panthenol, horsetail and olive/coconut oils) two Tresemme conditioners (Anti-breakage and Silk Protein), Duo Tex and pure aloe vera gel. My hair feels so strong after using it.
After the protein-rich conditioner, I follow-up with my moisture combo. It’s current incarnation is Hello Hydration, Sunsilk De-frizz, Tresemme Moisture Rich and Suave Humectant condish with msm, molasses and glycerin. I rinse well and seal the moisture in with my hair “grease†(a custard-like mixture of shea-mowrah-murumuru-coffee-cocoa butters blended with a bit of almond, jojoba, castor, coconut, meadowfoam and grapeseed oils). Then I put my hair in a ponytail with an elastic band, braid it and satin scarf it. In the morning, my hair is completely laid-down, with a slight wave pattern and I go ahead and put my hair up in my French twist bun in the morning (photo 4).
Pretty much every evening, I rinse my hair with warm water, semi-saturate with my butter mixture, then rinse again with cold water and my hair is very soft and moisturized the next morning. Sometimes I condition only wash one or two times during the week. I put MTG mixed with Jamaican black castor oil, coconut oil, aloe vera and a few drops of tea tree oil on my scalp four or five times a week.
Since November 2005 I have been retaining length. Every so often, I take a section of hair down in the back and flat-iron it to see how long it is (see June, July and September 2006 pix; I know I have to tidy up those ends). My hair was at the top of the nape of my neck in May 2005. I am so amazed at my progress. It is a miracle to me! I AM SO EXCITED AND SO HAPPY. Also, I am starting to get compliments from people telling me I have nice hair (although my hair is still in a bun) which is just gravy for me….
I am so very happy and grateful that I have learned so much from you smart, generous, inspirational ladies. What in my mind was utterly impossible (goal was APL which I hope to achieve by Jan. or Feb. 2007, but now it is bra-strap…which, if things keep going well, can be achieved in a year) is now very possible, but I may never have known that if I had not discovered LHCF.
I had healthy, longish hair as a child (second picture in album). My mom pressed it from time-to-time to straighten if there was a special occasion but mostly kept my scalp oiled, some grease on the length and in braids or ponytails. I got a relaxer at 14, the Saturday before I started high school. I bugged my mother silly for months for it as she did not want me to get one, but I finally wore her down.
For the donkey years (long time) I had a relaxer and used the curling iron at least four days a week -- spraying the ends with either hairspray or using gel so that the curl would stay (yikes!) -- there was usually a cycle when it would break and be dry and brittle for a couple of years followed by it seeming to thrive and be relatively healthy for a year or two. My hair never grew past my shoulders with the relaxer (picture three) but now I realize how lucky I was that at least it stayed at shoulder length as I really did abuse my hair.
At times, I would try different things, but it was hit or miss because I just did not know there was an art and science to good, proper hair care. I had no clue about the protein-moisture balance, clarifying, caring for your scalp, limiting heat, doing regular protein treatments, keeping hair moisturized, protecting those ends, etc.
My last relaxer was July 2003. Two things happened simultaneously: I noticed my hair was more dry, brittle, crispy, broken, raggedy, thinner and overprocessed than it had ever been in my life and in, November 2003, I noticed that I had not had a touch-up since July, which meant the new growth to that point had obviously been manageable. Since the rest of my hair was in such a terrible state, I decided to transition because putting more chemicals on what was already almost destroyed just did not seem smart.
My hair during mid- and late-transition and beyond was a coarse, dull, shrunken, knotted, dry, frizzy, tangled, wiry, dense, woolly, matted mess. I BROKE BIG RAKE COMBS! Oh and the shedding... I did not know it was called shedding then, but there had to be 1000 pieces of hair on my sink every day. It was discouraging and the detangling was labor-intensive. I think I started pressing my hair in February 2004. Over the summer of 2004, my hair did press well when I first put Ojon restorative treatment and Elasta mango butter on wet hair and let it dry, but a few months later that stopped working for me. Also, at some point, I began to blow dry and THEN press my hair. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Anyway, 2005 was kind of a bad hair year for me until I started seriously researching good/healthy hair care techniques and management and stumbled onto LHCF in May 2005. Discovering the shower comb was first; that was a Godsend. Moisturizing by adding honey to my conditioner was another wonderful solution, then discovering Jamaican Black Castor Oil and on and on…In the beginning, I bought anything someone raved about. I became a true product junkie. I was spending $100 - $200 a month, mostly on conditioners, leave-ins and oils, but I finally got that under control, for the most part…somewhat…kind of...(smile). I tried at least 20 different regimens.
Things really crystallized for me, though, when I did the Vaseline experiment/challenge from one of the posts I reviewed in November 2005, but with shea butter – not Vaseline -- and viola! I saturated my wet hair in it and was so stunned that it all actually absorbed in by morning and my hair felt so moisturized. I did this almost daily and the first thing that happened was that, after washing, my hair did not tangle/knot/mat up anymore. I gradually started retaining length and my hair became strong and elastic. I do not press my hair anymore – not since November – no heat at all. My hair stays super hydrated/moisturized – no matter what – and that has been such a huge blessing. And, because my hair stays super hydrated and moisturized, my curl pattern is very loose now – the exact opposite of what it was before. I WAS USING A LOT OF HEAT TO TRY TO TAME MY HAIR AND WHAT DID ACTUALLY TAME IT WAS MOISTURE!
Regimen: I shampoo on Saturday – one week with hemp and almond castille soap, the next Saturday CO only and then the third Saturday with VO5 kiwi and lime clarifying shampoo. After pooing, I put on my protein-rich cocktail. My big tub of protein-rich conditioner consists of three Mill Creek conditioners – Keratin, Jojoba and Biotin (which all have keratin way up in the ingredients list, the jojoba has cysteine…) Cabellina del Caballo mane and tail conditioner (thick, smells yummy and has wonderful ingredients like keratin, panthenol, horsetail and olive/coconut oils) two Tresemme conditioners (Anti-breakage and Silk Protein), Duo Tex and pure aloe vera gel. My hair feels so strong after using it.
After the protein-rich conditioner, I follow-up with my moisture combo. It’s current incarnation is Hello Hydration, Sunsilk De-frizz, Tresemme Moisture Rich and Suave Humectant condish with msm, molasses and glycerin. I rinse well and seal the moisture in with my hair “grease†(a custard-like mixture of shea-mowrah-murumuru-coffee-cocoa butters blended with a bit of almond, jojoba, castor, coconut, meadowfoam and grapeseed oils). Then I put my hair in a ponytail with an elastic band, braid it and satin scarf it. In the morning, my hair is completely laid-down, with a slight wave pattern and I go ahead and put my hair up in my French twist bun in the morning (photo 4).
Pretty much every evening, I rinse my hair with warm water, semi-saturate with my butter mixture, then rinse again with cold water and my hair is very soft and moisturized the next morning. Sometimes I condition only wash one or two times during the week. I put MTG mixed with Jamaican black castor oil, coconut oil, aloe vera and a few drops of tea tree oil on my scalp four or five times a week.
Since November 2005 I have been retaining length. Every so often, I take a section of hair down in the back and flat-iron it to see how long it is (see June, July and September 2006 pix; I know I have to tidy up those ends). My hair was at the top of the nape of my neck in May 2005. I am so amazed at my progress. It is a miracle to me! I AM SO EXCITED AND SO HAPPY. Also, I am starting to get compliments from people telling me I have nice hair (although my hair is still in a bun) which is just gravy for me….
I am so very happy and grateful that I have learned so much from you smart, generous, inspirational ladies. What in my mind was utterly impossible (goal was APL which I hope to achieve by Jan. or Feb. 2007, but now it is bra-strap…which, if things keep going well, can be achieved in a year) is now very possible, but I may never have known that if I had not discovered LHCF.
!
Thanks for sharing your story!
.
Moisture does wonders for my hair, too.
