Getting Frustrated *vent sort of*

[motherx2esq]

I love how much more healthy my hair is BUT it seems like after almost two years I am not even at APL. Is my goal of midback a dream? I know there are many women on here who have obtained my goal length and beyond in no time flat! One being my good friend Kini, who started me on my hair care journey. Her progress inspired me day in and day out. I know that her fine mane is totally different than my very very thick mane, but a girl can dream! lol

No really, I grow more and more frustrated with my hair after I take a length photo. I know that my hair is healthy, thick and thriving. I love all the attention I get from people when they get the pleasure of seeing my hair because I am the queen of protective styles. I do all the good things you can do for your hair and yet I am still getting breakage and it seems like to retention. After my last length I just wanted to cry because I do not see a difference at all! Thanks you ladies for listening. You are the only people I can talk to about hair without getting the "here she goes again" look. lol

​

 

[FlawedBeauty]

hi!! sorry to hear your frustrated what products are you using as part of your normal regimine and what types of protective styles are you doing? we will get to the bottom of this

 

[kweenameena]

Awww sweetie....I can so relate. Me and my hair are not on speaking terms right now because it's taking so long to grow. And I really wanted to be at apl before July.

Why don't you post your regimen here? The ladies are really good at dissecting it and figuring out where you're going wrong.

 

[motherx2esq]

hi!! sorry to hear your frustrated what products are you using as part of your normal regimine and what types of protective styles are you doing? we will get to the bottom of this

Girl you made me smile and tear up at the same time! lol

Products
Wash and condition with Dove Moisture Therapy.
Moisturize with either NTM, Surge 14 or ORS Oil Moisturizer and seal with Kera Care 7 essential oils.
Protein treatment two weeks after a relaxer Ion Reconstructor Treatment.
I prepoo with Silk Elements MegaSilk.
I co wash with whatever conditioner I have laying around.
I blow dry twice a month, maybe.
I deep condition with ORS Replenishing Conditioner once a week.
I wear wigs with a stocking cap underneath or buns.
That's about it. Please help me!

 

[motherx2esq]

Awww sweetie....I can so relate. Me and my hair are not on speaking terms right now because it's taking so long to grow. And I really wanted to be at apl before July.

Why don't you post your regimen here? The ladies are really good at dissecting it and figuring out where you're going wrong.

This is so how I feel with my hair! I am just going to put my hair away for a minute. We need a break from one another!

 

[FlawedBeauty]

awww.

well what i have found with my thin hair is that it cant take much product. its just too heavy for my hair. i have used the ors oil and found that it built up too quickly and would cause my hair to break. i only put alma oil in after my was, but i wash everyday almost.

the bunning may be too stressful on ur end or the rubbing from the stocking cap when you wear ur wigs.

now, if ur dc'in with ors once a week and also doing a protien treatment, even though ors paks are a light protien perhaps that is too much for ur hair? how often do u relax?? i use ors paks once a week too. how strong is tht protien treatment u use? is it like aphoge cuz that stuff is strong and my hair breaks from that.

instead of bunning maybe u can try a loose braid clipped up when u wash, thats what i do. coat with oil, loosely braid then clip up. i am about to wash in a few and will post a pic for u.

Girl you made me smile and tear up at the same time! lol

Products
Wash and condition with Dove Moisture Therapy.
Moisturize with either NTM, Surge 14 or ORS Oil Moisturizer and seal with Kera Care 7 essential oils.
Protein treatment two weeks after a relaxer Ion Reconstructor Treatment.
I prepoo with Silk Elements MegaSilk.
I co wash with whatever conditioner I have laying around.
I blow dry twice a month, maybe.
I deep condition with ORS Replenishing Conditioner once a week.
I wear wigs with a stocking cap underneath or buns.
That's about it. Please help me!

 

[Misshairdiva]

Are you relaxing your hair?? For years, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't retaining length and the three times a year I would relax along with ONLY four times a month blow dry and curl was just enough to keep my hair from gaining length.

 

[CHECKMATE!]

awww.

well what i have found with my thin hair is that it cant take much product. its just too heavy for my hair. i have used the ors oil and found that it built up too quickly and would cause my hair to break. i only put alma oil in after my was, but i wash everyday almost.

the bunning may be too stressful on ur end or the rubbing from the stocking cap when you wear ur wigs.

now, if ur dc'in with ors once a week and also doing a protien treatment, even though ors paks are a light protien perhaps that is too much for ur hair? how often do u relax?? i use ors paks once a week too. how strong is tht protien treatment u use? is it like aphoge cuz that stuff is strong and my hair breaks from that.

instead of bunning maybe u can try a loose braid clipped up when u wash, thats what i do. coat with oil, loosely braid then clip up. i am about to wash in a few and will post a pic for u.

this is EXACTLY what I do as well! this,I guarantee (along with no trimming,and stretching),will get u to your goal in not time...I learned that patience and preseverance is key to this growth thang

 

[motherx2esq]

awww.

well what i have found with my thin hair is that it cant take much product. its just too heavy for my hair. i have used the ors oil and found that it built up too quickly and would cause my hair to break. i only put alma oil in after my was, but i wash everyday almost.

the bunning may be too stressful on ur end or the rubbing from the stocking cap when you wear ur wigs.

now, if ur dc'in with ors once a week and also doing a protien treatment, even though ors paks are a light protien perhaps that is too much for ur hair? how often do u relax?? i use ors paks once a week too. how strong is tht protien treatment u use? is it like aphoge cuz that stuff is strong and my hair breaks from that.

instead of bunning maybe u can try a loose braid clipped up when u wash, thats what i do. coat with oil, loosely braid then clip up. i am about to wash in a few and will post a pic for u.

I do put lots of product in my hair. I need to learn to use a dime size amount. I relax maybe 2 or 3 times a year so I only use the protein treatment 2 or 3 times a year too. You maybe right about the stocking cap. I will start to use my satin cap instead and see if there is a difference. My buns are loose and I use a very loose elastic (soaked in evoo) to keep my ends in place and I just tuck them into place. I do use a sponge type donut to make my bun. Maybe I will take some satin and put it on there with a few stitches.

Now that I look at it maybe I am using to much protein. MegaSilk is a Mayonnaise conditioner that I use every week, the ORS deep conditioner (I have the big bottle), cowashing adding eggs to my conditioner and the protein treatment a week after my relaxer.

I like the idea of the braid. Please show me a photo when you are done. That's you are giving me hope!

 

[motherx2esq]

Are you relaxing your hair?? For years, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't retaining length and the three times a year I would relax along with ONLY four times a month blow dry and curl was just enough to keep my hair from gaining length.

I try to relax 2 or 3 times a year and I will blow dry my hair MAYBE twice a month. Sometimes I only relax once a year. I self relax and I get busy and don't feel like doing it. I coat my hair with evoo before relaxing and get only the new growth. I need to throw out that darn blow dryer! I don't curl my hair because I really suck at it. So I use my flexi rods. lol

 

[FlawedBeauty]

ok im back first i would like everyone to please commend me on finally taking a picture in a clean mirror

this is just a twist i did because i have an ors pak in and im about to put a plastic bag over my head lol. i used to to the twist like this daily but have switched it up to a braid a long time ago because i think it was causing the weak spot in the middle of my hair for some reason. but this pic is how i wear my hair everyday, only its normally a braid.

after i wash i coat my hair with alma oil then i slick it back into with my hands and make a braid, no combing or brushing. then i coat the braid with oil before i put it up. then i put on one of those satin scarfs from sallys and go to bed. when i wake in the morning i pull of the scarf and go. everything but the braid is normally dry and that is only slightly damp but it dries out by the end of the day. then i will do it all over again b4 bed. hope this helps

this ones a little blurry but u get the idea lol

 

[motherx2esq]

ok im back first i would like everyone to please commend me on finally taking a picture in a clean mirror

this is just a twist i did because i have an ors pak in and im about to put a plastic bag over my head lol. i used to to the twist like this daily but have switched it up to a braid a long time ago because i think it was causing the weak spot in the middle of my hair for some reason. but this pic is how i wear my hair everyday, only its normally a braid.

after i wash i coat my hair with alma oil then i slick it back into with my hands and make a braid, no combing or brushing. then i coat the braid with oil before i put it up. then i put on one of those satin scarfs from sallys and go to bed. when i wake in the morning i pull of the scarf and go. everything but the braid is normally dry and that is only slightly damp but it dries out by the end of the day. then i will do it all over again b4 bed. hope this helps

this ones a little blurry but u get the idea lol

Yay oh the clean mirror! Mine is always dirty! lol

This does help. I am actually going to do this right now. Thank you for being so helpful. Thanks everyone. You guys talked me off my hair suicide ledge!

 

[Reinventing21]

Hi ! Don 't get frustrated! I've been in the same boat and just now stepping out of it-hee hee. Remember you and Kini may have started from different points as in maybe your hair was more damaged at the start, &/or you needed to practice more your techniques, it took you longer to find the best styling tools, products, & practices for your hair....

Now it seems you have a great handle on the products & practices since you said your hair looks healthy (looks beautiful in the pics too) so maybe you need to focus more on the nutritional aspect so your body has plenty of extra nutrients for thriving hair.

I have been on my journey for the same amount of time, and have felt frustrated that I should have seen more length, but at the same time I know that my starting point wasn't good --damaged hair, inferior products, so so techniques, and I was covering from an illness. Now my hair looks great, and the pure spirulina I've been adding to my health shakes, I swear is the cause of the boon in hair growth to the point I can actually SEE the difference in length from a month ago. So I am hoping that now I can finally get somewhere signifcant! HTH

 

[motherx2esq]

Hi ! Don 't get frustrated! I've been in the same boat and just now stepping out of it-hee hee. Remember you and Kini may have started from different points as in maybe your hair was more damaged at the start, &/or you needed to practice more your techniques, it took you longer to find the best styling tools, products, & practices for your hair....

Now it seems you have a great handle on the products & practices since you said your hair looks healthy (looks beautiful in the pics too) so maybe you need to focus more on the nutritional aspect so your body has plenty of extra nutrients for thriving hair.

I have been on my journey for the same amount of time, and have felt frustrated that I should have seen more length, but at the same time I know that my starting point wasn't good --damaged hair, inferior products, so so techniques, and I was covering from an illness. Now my hair looks great, and the pure spirulina I've been adding to my health shakes, I swear is the cause of the boon in hair growth to the point I can actually SEE the difference in length from a month ago. So I am hoping that now I can finally get somewhere signifcant! HTH

Thanks Reyna! You are so right. I am going to have to be patient and see where I need to tweak my regimen.

 

[Mook's hair]

Your ends look pretty good so my question is how often are you trimming or getting it trimmed?

Are you cutting off your progress?

 

[motherx2esq]

Your ends look pretty good so my question is how often are you trimming or getting it trimmed?

Are you cutting off your progress?

I get a trim once a year. I have never been one to cut or trim my hair. Also my little sister does my trim and she only takes off what I tell her to.

 

[janeemat]

Your hair looks very pretty and healthy! And I love the curls. Get rid of that darn blowdryer. I trashed mine in 2005. Also, concentrate on those ends for retaining length. I moisturize my ends morning and night. That's the second best tip that I have picked up from this forum. Stretching is the best of all. Happy growing!

 

[locabouthair]

Hi ! Don 't get frustrated! I've been in the same boat and just now stepping out of it-hee hee. Remember you and Kini may have started from different points as in maybe your hair was more damaged at the start, &/or you needed to practice more your techniques, it took you longer to find the best styling tools, products, & practices for your hair....

Now it seems you have a great handle on the products & practices since you said your hair looks healthy (looks beautiful in the pics too) so maybe you need to focus more on the nutritional aspect so your body has plenty of extra nutrients for thriving hair.

I have been on my journey for the same amount of time, and have felt frustrated that I should have seen more length, but at the same time I know that my starting point wasn't good --damaged hair, inferior products, so so techniques, and I was covering from an illness. Now my hair looks great, and the pure spirulina I've been adding to my health shakes, I swear is the cause of the boon in hair growth to the point I can actually SEE the difference in length from a month ago. So I am hoping that now I can finally get somewhere signifcant! HTH

Those were points I was going to make. Hair needs time to get healthy first and yours looks very healthy.

I know the reason I havent been making that much progress is because I havent been eating right. How your diet?

 

[Hair Iam]

Are you taking vitamins?, biotin, MSM have thickened and strengthened my hair . Also multivitamins are important , especially if your diet is not quite perfect. You'll be past APL in no time

 

[motherx2esq]

Those were points I was going to make. Hair needs time to get healthy first and yours looks very healthy.

I know the reason I havent been making that much progress is because I havent been eating right. How your diet?

I can't lie. It sucks! But I am changing that as of yesterday!

 

[motherx2esq]

Are you taking vitamins?, biotin, MSM have thickened and strengthened my hair . Also multivitamins are important , especially if your diet is not quite perfect. You'll be past APL in no time

I have a multi vitamin with biotin in it but I was not taking it regularly so I stopped. I know that was bad and I will start retaking that along with my flaxseed oil. I have MSM but that gave me cysts on my face that were gross. Maybe I will put it in my conditioner.

 

[Qualitee]

Hun it's ok!!!! I heard from many ppl on this site that their hair thicken up way before they saw growth. But your hair is so fabulous!!!

 

[motherx2esq]

Hun it's ok!!!! I heard from many ppl on this site that their hair thicken up way before they saw growth. But your hair is so fabulous!!!

Aww, that is so sweet thanks!

 

[elaine07]

I love how much more healthy my hair is BUT it seems like after almost two years I am not even at APL. Is my goal of midback a dream? I know there are many women on here who have obtained my goal length and beyond in no time flat! One being my good friend Kini, who started me on my hair care journey. Her progress inspired me day in and day out. I know that her fine mane is totally different than my very very thick mane, but a girl can dream! lol​

First let me give you a big
No, it's not a dream. If other women, with your hair type can do it, so can you. Trust me, I feel your pain. My hair seems to take forever to grow. And like you, I'm not APL yet, but I'm not gonna to give up. Alot of the ladies have already given you some good advice. The only thing I'll say is that even though your hair may grow a little slower and/or retain less than others, it's still growing. Look on the bright side, your hair is thick and healthy...length will come in time.

 

[charmtreese]

Hi, Im sorry youre feeling a little down about your hair right now. We have all been there!

Im also only protective styiling however I do not use any hair ties or scrunches at all. Basically I loosely twist my hair in a bun and secure with two hair pins ( the onese that have an open V), there is a picture of it in my fotki under protective styles, messy bun. This way there is no tension on any part of the hair. Good Luck!

 

[laurend]

Do you have heavy periods and are you anemic? If so, maybe need to take vits with iron. Also, how is your diet are you eating a lot of veggies and fruits maybe adding carrot juice can help.

 

[Jassy28]

I also think your hair looks amazing. The growth will come. I do know how you feel. I am a newbie and this journey seems sooo... long. But Im trying to stay positive, seeing your progress and the progress of others helps me do that.

Aww, that is so sweet thanks!

 

[Baby Girl]

awww.

well what i have found with my thin hair is that it cant take much product. its just too heavy for my hair. i have used the ors oil and found that it built up too quickly and would cause my hair to break. i only put alma oil in after my was, but i wash everyday almost.

the bunning may be too stressful on ur end or the rubbing from the stocking cap when you wear ur wigs.

now, if ur dc'in with ors once a week and also doing a protien treatment, even though ors paks are a light protien perhaps that is too much for ur hair? how often do u relax?? i use ors paks once a week too. how strong is tht protien treatment u use? is it like aphoge cuz that stuff is strong and my hair breaks from that.

instead of bunning maybe u can try a loose braid clipped up when u wash, thats what i do. coat with oil, loosely braid then clip up. i am about to wash in a few and will post a pic for u.

Hi, I am a newbie and I have been searching the board and finally decided to pay my $5.oo. Your before picture is how my hair looks now, except fro thinning edges and a slight bald spot in the back. Weaves and gluee ruined my hair. What is some good products that I can try on my hair to thicken it up and help my edges grow back?

 

[motherx2esq]

Do you have heavy periods and are you anemic? If so, maybe need to take vits with iron. Also, how is your diet are you eating a lot of veggies and fruits maybe adding carrot juice can help.

I don't have any periods nor am I an anemic. I take birth control shots so I have not had a cycle in 4 years. I love veggies and fruit. I drink Green Tea and fresh fruit shakes that I make for breakfast. My lunch and dinner habits suck. But I am trying to eat better.

 

[motherx2esq]

Hi, Im sorry youre feeling a little down about your hair right now. We have all been there!

Im also only protective styiling however I do not use any hair ties or scrunches at all. Basically I loosely twist my hair in a bun and secure with two hair pins ( the onese that have an open V), there is a picture of it in my fotki under protective styles, messy bun. This way there is no tension on any part of the hair. Good Luck!

Another fotki to stalk! lol I will take a look. I like the idea of your bun. I love buns!