Good things Gone Bad - the official WARNING thread

[crazydaze911]

We learn alot here on the board, but i figure we need a warning thread b/c seemingly good things or good advice can go OH SO WRONG. so i figured we could put examples here of good things gone bad.

i will start

1. I've been bunning for 10 years. why is my hair not floor length? b/c for about 8 or 9 of those 10 years i was bunning too tight and in the same spot so i had breakage around the bun area. when i went to the salon, the beautician could tell right away 'you bun alot, dont u?'

2. Rosemary oil. i read alot that this was good for hair growth and 'natural' so i went to a health food store and purchased some. i would put it on my scalp each night. i didnt know you had to DILUTE IT. i had severe burning on my scalp as bad as fresh relaxer - it was HORRIBLE.

3. Jojoba oil - not as bad as the rosemary experience but i heard my hair needed it so i DRENCHED my hair in it for like 6 months. i would wash and condition my hair at the salon and after the rollers and blowdry, it was still a greasy mess - YUCK - what was i thinking?

Controversial...

4. Trimming - i do think its a 'good thing' but it really really depends on the persons hair. i listened to all that 'trim with every relaxer advice' which im sure would keep my hair neat BUT i obtained NO growth this way. works for some, but for me i was stuck at the same length for years b/c each 'trim' would set me back to the last length whether i did them myself or at a salon (slow grower here).

5. I'm still not sure if growth aid shedding is ok - i have ALOT -but i guess i'll find out by experience - wish me luck.

 

[HoneyDew]

Self relaxing -

It can be great - BUT SO BAD!

Overprocessing is so easy to do. Also underprocessing some parts can lead to frustration over time - and breakage.

I would suggest relaxing in two parts of you are not fast enough. Or using a milder relaxer that allows more time.

 

[supermodelsonya]

Thanks for the post. I guess I have a story...

Baggying--when overdone (especially if the hair is moist before you do it) will leave lots of breakage.

My ends were looking like the charlie brown christmas tree last weekend. After a heart attack followed by a mini-stroke, I did a protein treatment which stopped the breakage immediately.

I also tend to be very heavy handed when it comes to hair products so anything that is over done is not good, especially on your wallet because you run out much faster.

Great thread.

 

[locabouthair]

Self relaxing -

It can be great - BUT SO BAD!

Overprocessing is so easy to do. Also underprocessing some parts can lead to frustration over time - and breakage.

I would suggest relaxing in two parts of you are not fast enough. Or using a milder relaxer that allows more time.

I relax in two parts because I know I can't do my whole head. The first time I tried to do my whole head at once and ym hair didnt look like a relaxer even touched it. Now I did it half and half, and it comes out much better. I also part my hair into mini sections so that cuts back on time too.

ACV rinses-no matter how I diluted I got tangles galore

 

[**SaSSy**]

We learn alot here on the board, but i figure we need a warning thread b/c seemingly good things or good advice can go OH SO WRONG. so i figured we could put examples here of good things gone bad.

i will start

1. I've been bunning for 10 years. why is my hair not floor length? b/c for about 8 or 9 of those 10 years i was bunning too tight and in the same spot so i had breakage around the bun area. when i went to the salon, the beautician could tell right away 'you bun alot, dont u?'

2. Rosemary oil. i read alot that this was good for hair growth and 'natural' so i went to a health food store and purchased some. i would put it on my scalp each night. i didnt know you had to DILUTE IT. i had severe burning on my scalp as bad as fresh relaxer - it was HORRIBLE.

3. Jojoba oil - not as bad as the rosemary experience but i heard my hair needed it so i DRENCHED my hair in it for like 6 months. i would wash and condition my hair at the salon and after the rollers and blowdry, it was still a greasy mess - YUCK - what was i thinking?

Controversial...

4. Trimming - i do think its a 'good thing' but it really really depends on the persons hair. i listened to all that 'trim with every relaxer advice' which im sure would keep my hair neat BUT i obtained NO growth this way. works for some, but for me i was stuck at the same length for years b/c each 'trim' would set me back to the last length whether i did them myself or at a salon (slow grower here).

5. I'm still not sure if growth aid shedding is ok - i have ALOT -but i guess i'll find out by experience - wish me luck.

I really don't see anything bad about what you did, it's just that the way you did it was improperly conducted. Bunning is good, but just like anything good for you, it can turn bad. Your hair needs a rest from the same bunning day after day. You can't make your bun too tight, and you can't put them in the same spot for 5 to 10 years day after day. There was this girl many moons ago I went to JH with that wore 2 ponytails on each side of her head and she had balding all around her hairline. Also you have to moisturized everyday. Sealing is important, but you don't have to do it to still have healthy hair.

Now with the rosemary oil, I never knw you can use that on your hair until I came here, but before I try anything new on my hair in general I got to do my own research to see if it's safe. I love to mix rosemary oil in my general oil mix.

I think the only thing that I tried that is "good" for other people and not really good for me is not daily detangling my hair.

 

[hair101]

Thanks for this thread! There is a ton of helpful info on this site; however, I'm a newbie and just knowing some of the "good things gone bad" experiences of you ladies helps me to minimize setbacks.. (i dont think my hair could take too many setbacks..) .. keep 'em coming

 

[HoneyDew]

I relax in two parts because I know I can't do my whole head. The first time I tried to do my whole head at once and ym hair didnt look like a relaxer even touched it. Now I did it half and half, and it comes out much better. I also part my hair into mini sections so that cuts back on time too.

Girl, I have messed up my hair so many time by not doing it in two parts.

I cannot tell you how many times I have overprocessed my hair trying to doit all at one time, only to get unavoidable hair loss later.

Then out of my fear, grossly underprocessing certain sections because I don't want to leave it in too long.

Doing it in two parts just works so much better for me. And my sides and front can go longer without a relaxer anyway. I have even relaxed the back and waited a week to relax the front. I don't really like doing it that way because I waste relaxer, but anything that can help me avoid the mistakes I have made in the past.

 

[BeautifulFlower]

Curlformers....


They ripped my hair out when trying to insert them into the curlformer thingy. I dont know exactly where i went wrong but if you feel like you're pulling your hair, you probably are.

 

[HoneyDew]

4. Trimming - i do think its a 'good thing' but it really really depends on the persons hair. i listened to all that 'trim with every relaxer advice' which im sure would keep my hair neat BUT i obtained NO growth this way. works for some, but for me i was stuck at the same length for years b/c each 'trim' would set me back to the last length whether i did them myself or at a salon (slow grower here).

A side note on trimming - is the quality of shear. If we do trim, we need to use nice shears and save them for hair ONLY. Don't cut coupons with your hair shears! And if they are really nice ones, get them professional sharpened - don't use those kitchen knife sharpeners. If they were on $15 or less, just replace them when they are no longer sharp. It is not worth it.

 

[meziaa]

Bunning thinned the hell outta my fine hair ends

 

[locabouthair]

Girl, I have messed up my hair so many time by not doing it in two parts.

I cannot tell you how many times I have overprocessed my hair trying to doit all at one time, only to get unavoidable hair loss later.

Then out of my fear, grossly underprocessing certain sections because I don't want to leave it in too long.

Doing it in two parts just works so much better for me. And my sides and front can go longer without a relaxer anyway. I have even relaxed the back and waited a week to relax the front. I don't really like doing it that way because I waste relaxer, but anything that can help me avoid the mistakes I have made in the past.

I did this the last time and people were laughing at me Someone here told me to just use half the relaxer and half the activator, instead of buying two boxes, cause I use no lye.

I think I'm gonna do the back next week and do the front 5 days later. It's kinda tedious to do it this way but your hair will be healthier and you'll get better results, so it's worth it Doesn't if feel good to be in control of your hair?

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

holding on to ends that don't make you happy.

In the past I have tried to hold on to ends to get from one hair growth hurdle to another, but at the same time I would be disgusted with my hair.

I think it is better to trim your hair and have a style that makes you happy right now, instead of waiting months or years b/f you will feel like you "made it."

That way, you can enjoy your every step in your hair growth journey.

I recently cut 3-4 inches, partially b/c I didn't like my ends and also b/c I needed a change. I'm very, very happy for it. I'm sure I'll be back to my original length sometime this year. But hopefully my hair will be a lot thicker at that time.

 

[Amerie123]

I relax in two parts because I know I can't do my whole head. The first time I tried to do my whole head at once and ym hair didnt look like a relaxer even touched it. Now I did it half and half, and it comes out much better. I also part my hair into mini sections so that cuts back on time too.

ACV rinses-no matter how I diluted I got tangles galore

So, do you just suggest that sticking to neutralizing shampoo will be good enough??

 

[prospurr4]

Great thread, OP!

I have to say self-relaxing; it used to be a bad thing for me. I did it for years, before I actually understood what I was doing, and my hair suffered for it. On 12/2005, I broke off a huge back section of my hair; it went from past shoulder length to neck length.

Now, self-relaxing is a good thing because I have much more knowledge. It is important to understand your hair enough to know what strength relaxer to use, how long to process, and if you have resistant hair that won't get straight, no matter what you do. As a texlaxed head, self-relaxing is an advantage because I can control processing time...and I don't have to hear comments about how long I'm stretching my touchups.

 

[HoneyDew]

I did this the last time and people were laughing at me Someone here told me to just use half the relaxer and half the activator, instead of buying two boxes, cause I use no lye.

I think I'm gonna do the back next week and do the front 5 days later. It's kinda tedious to do it this way but your hair will be healthier and you'll get better results, so it's worth it Doesn't if feel good to be in control of your hair?

Yes that is a good idea.

I use Profectiv, which has a cream activator to add to the cream relaxer. Seems like so much trouble to measure that out. But the way they package it, I can buy one kit and just use half of that for one section and if I wait to relax the rest in a week or so, I can use the other half.

I do like the way they package their relaxers because it helps me split it easily.

 

[CurliDiva]

Great thread!

1. Henna - f**ked up my natural hair and I lost nearly all of my first process and had to start over! Plus my hair had these weird orange coopery highlight...

2. Indian Oil - bought a bottle of oil (don't remember the name but it was sittin next to alma, so I bougt both at the Indian market) and with no english on the box or bottle I decided to use it for a oil rinse. Without testing it I dumped half the bottle on my head (it felt like vicks vipor rub) and would not rinse off.
Even after lather up again my scalp, body and face felt like metholatized (sp?) I seriourly thought about going to the hospital.

No more foreign products with no english subtext!

 

[SlantedEyezMiss2003]

Girl I feel you on the bunning.....I can't stand it, I do some braidouts here and there, I mean I haven't received any breakage....but I just don't think bunning is necessary to growth hair......and if I bun for 10 years and didn't see length, then something is wrong, have you tried bunning without doing the ponytail first, just gather the hair like you are about to put a ponytail holder on it, but use the hair doughnut instead, that's a little better, it's just loose......but I feel you girl!!!

 

[Eclass215]

holding on to ends that don't make you happy.

In the past I have tried to hold on to ends to get from one hair growth hurdle to another, but at the same time I would be disgusted with my hair.

I think it is better to trim your hair and have a style that makes you happy right now, instead of waiting months or years b/f you will feel like you "made it."

That way, you can enjoy your every step in your hair growth journey.

I recently cut 3-4 inches, partially b/c I didn't like my ends and also b/c I needed a change. I'm very, very happy for it. I'm sure I'll be back to my original length sometime this year. But hopefully my hair will be a lot thicker at that time.

Thank you - I needed to hear this. I am struggling right now with deciding on whether or not to trim and I think I just have to bite the bullet and do it for a fresh start. I used to cut my hair ALL the time and never thought twice about it. Ever since I've been on this long hair journey, the thought of cutting it just terrifies me. But you are so right and I am making an appointment right now to get a professional trim!

 

[locabouthair]

So, do you just suggest that sticking to neutralizing shampoo will be good enough??

I never used acv durign the relaxer process. I used it after I DC. But when I relax I only use neutralizing shampoo.

Great thread, OP!

I have to say self-relaxing; it used to be a bad thing for me. I did it for years, before I actually understood what I was doing, and my hair suffered for it. On 12/2005, I broke off a huge back section of my hair; it went from past shoulder length to neck length.

Now, self-relaxing is a good thing because I have much more knowledge. It is important to understand your hair enough to know what strength relaxer to use, how long to process, and if you have resistant hair that won't get straight, no matter what you do. As a texlaxed head, self-relaxing is an advantage because I can control processing time...and I don't have to hear comments about how long I'm stretching my touchups.:rolleyes:

I agree...And you can neutralize as many times and as long as you want.

What mistakes did you make in the beginning? Also for all the self relaxers, if you DC with moisture the day you relax, do you DC with heat. I heard it's not good to DC with heat right after the relaxer because the cuticles were opened from the relaxer and the heta would just reopen them again.

 

[crazydaze911]

A side note on trimming - is the quality of shear. If we do trim, we need to use nice shears and save them for hair ONLY. Don't cut coupons with your hair shears! And if they are really nice ones, get them professional sharpened - don't use those kitchen knife sharpeners. If they were on $15 or less, just replace them when they are no longer sharp. It is not worth it.

I totally agree with you on the quality and use of scissors. i argue with the fam all the time about NOT using my 'hair' scissors - lol

 

[heyfranz]

You must DC after henna! Unfortunately, i hennaed after reading 30 or more pages of the henna thread and didn't see this anywhere until a couple of days ago. My hair is so dry and i just hope it can recover.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

Thanks for the post. I guess I have a story...

Baggying--when overdone (especially if the hair is moist before you do it) will leave lots of breakage.

My ends were looking like the charlie brown christmas tree last weekend. After a heart attack followed by a mini-stroke, I did a protein treatment which stopped the breakage immediately.

I also tend to be very heavy handed when it comes to hair products so anything that is over done is not good, especially on your wallet because you run out much faster.

Great thread.

I learned the hard way about baggying too. esp on relaxed hair it can go BAD real fast. wet mushy relaxed ends that are protein deprived and over saturated are not cute, no matter what you do to them.

OP, I vote against the growth aid shedding. I've used one that had my hair growing, but it was thinning at the same rate it was growing and imo, long, stringy, straggly hair isn't as cute as thick thriving midlength hair.

 

[prospurr4]

I agree...And you can neutralize as many times and as long as you want.

What mistakes did you make in the beginning? Also for all the self relaxers, if you DC with moisture the day you relax, do you DC with heat. I heard it's not good to DC with heat right after the relaxer because the cuticles were opened from the relaxer and the heta would just reopen them again.

You are so correct about the neutralizing. I usually do it twice, for 5 minutes each time.

In the beginning, the one major mistake I made was trying to relax a section of my hair that was resistant. After repeated attempts (it would only "texlax"), it just broke off. Now, I just texlax the other sections of my hair to match, and my whole head is happy!

I never DC with heat. In fact, the only time I DC is during the touchup process. I apply the DC, cover with a plastic cap, wait about 30 minutes, then rinse. Otherwise, I co-wash weekly and moisturize daily and that seems to be enough moisture for me.

 

[HoneyA]

1. Protein: Makes hair strong and aids in length retention but too much of it leads to breakage. Learnt that the hard way. Now I protein treat every 4-weeks ONLY.

2. Baggying: good for keeping ends moist but can lead to mushy hair, which is weak and snaps off easily.Learnt that the hard way too and stopped baggying altogether.

3. Satin caps: great for protecting the hair and retaining moisture overnight. Bad for the hairline. I just noticed a bit of thinning at the very front where the elastic rests night after night. Ran out and bought another scarf quick.

You live and learn

 

[locabouthair]

You are so correct about the neutralizing. I usually do it twice, for 5 minutes each time.

In the beginning, the one major mistake I made was trying to relax a section of my hair that was resistant. After repeated attempts (it would only "texlax"), it just broke off. Now, I just texlax the other sections of my hair to match, and my whole head is happy!

I never DC with heat. In fact, the only time I DC is during the touchup process. I apply the DC, cover with a plastic cap, wait about 30 minutes, then rinse. Otherwise, I co-wash weekly and moisturize daily and that seems to be enough moisture for me.

Thanks.

I think I neutralized like four times, the last relaxer. I'm paranoid My hair ended up very dry. I think it was because of the sulfates in the neutralizing poo.

 

[MarieB]

ITA about trimming. I just did the BC the other day because I couldn't take my scraggly ends anymore. Length without health just is not worth it.

 

[Patricia]

We learn alot here on the board, but i figure we need a warning thread b/c seemingly good things or good advice can go OH SO WRONG. so i figured we could put examples here of good things gone bad.

i will start

1. I've been bunning for 10 years. why is my hair not floor length? b/c for about 8 or 9 of those 10 years i was bunning too tight and in the same spot so i had breakage around the bun area. when i went to the salon, the beautician could tell right away 'you bun alot, dont u?'

2. Rosemary oil. i read alot that this was good for hair growth and 'natural' so i went to a health food store and purchased some. i would put it on my scalp each night. i didnt know you had to DILUTE IT. i had severe burning on my scalp as bad as fresh relaxer - it was HORRIBLE.

3. Jojoba oil - not as bad as the rosemary experience but i heard my hair needed it so i DRENCHED my hair in it for like 6 months. i would wash and condition my hair at the salon and after the rollers and blowdry, it was still a greasy mess - YUCK - what was i thinking?

Controversial...

4. Trimming - i do think its a 'good thing' but it really really depends on the persons hair. i listened to all that 'trim with every relaxer advice' which im sure would keep my hair neat BUT i obtained NO growth this way. works for some, but for me i was stuck at the same length for years b/c each 'trim' would set me back to the last length whether i did them myself or at a salon (slow grower here).

5. I'm still not sure if growth aid shedding is ok - i have ALOT -but i guess i'll find out by experience - wish me luck.

Subscribing! I feel ya. I still have rosemary oil that I used and my hair was falling out. I use it for fragrance now. I bunned before the boards out of convience. I didn't know it was for growth. The list goes on. GREAT THREAD

 

[mariofmagdal]

Wow am I learning.

I am baggying, but attributed my sudden breakage to the sudden cold weather we are having. I moisturize my hair daily and even before I bag. I never had any breakage before.

Also, I have been a bunner for what seems like life. I do not have hair to the floor, but I do not use any type of holder on my hair in creating the bun, I just twist my hair into a circle and pin it down or use a silk scrunchie. I tried bunning with a holder to do a fancier bun as others have demonstrated on here, but I did not like the way it felt.


I think I don't have hair to the floor due to my poor hair care in general. I am better at it now.

 

[Patricia]

I was to scared to try the baggy method. I didn't baggy when I had a jeri curl. lol

 

[Calia001]

has every evil ingredient in it
wasted 4 bucks