Help me figure out a ROUTINE! (long)

[wyldcurlz]

Help me figure out a ROUTINE, please! (long)

PLEASE!! I'm seeing so many of you with beautiful hair and such amazingly quick growth and its making me sad that my growth/attainment seems so little. Please help me figure out a routine!! I'll tell you about my hair and what I've been doing...

I've been natural for the last 6 years (before that, I'd been relaxing for 12 yrs). I have type 3 b/C hair. When curly, its shoulder length...when stretched (or flat ironed) its about an inch above my bra strap...its been that length for at least 2-3 years. The front of my hair seems to grow slow.

Up until May I used to go to the salon once a week or every other week for a wash, blow dry, press & curl or press & flat iron. I was heat free from May 16 until July 29th. Unfortunately, I've had to press for work related reasons the last 2 weeks and will have to for the next 2 weeks - then back to heat free. (I hope)

Basically, when I try to air dry - it takes days. I tried to air dry in a single braid and it wasn't dry 3 days later. My hair shrinks a lot and when I try to wear it curly, it gets BIG - like Tracee Ellis Ross big. (Which looks good on her, but wouldn't work in the industry that I work in.) Only Curly Pudding, applied by a stylist, at the salon and dried under a hooded dryer tamed my pouf!

Sidenotes: I'm forced to work out hard about 4x a week, after two or three days or workouts, if my hair was pressed, its puffy at the roots and looks bad. So I'm sure I'll have to add some CWs in there somewhere.

I'm prone to split ends - wondering about protective styles (cuz buns don't look good on me)...wondering if they are necessary for quick, good growth. Wondering if I'll have to avoid heat forever, or better yet, how I can get a look I like without heat .

Currently, I wash weekly with baby shampoo, I try to deep condition with NTM mask and air dry. I've tried to baggy at night with some natural shea butter, NTM leave-in and a bit of vaseline. That's it.

I have no idea where to begin?! What to try? My goal is to get about 4 more inches of good, healthy growth in the back! And about 5-6 more inches of healthy growth in the front.

Please, please help!!!!
Thanks

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

Re: Help me figure out a ROUTINE, please! (long)

PLEASE!! I'm seeing so many of you with beautiful hair and such amazingly quick growth and its making me sad that my growth/attainment seems so little. Please help me figure out a routine!! I'll tell you about my hair and what I've been doing...

I've been natural for the last 6 years (before that, I'd been relaxing for 12 yrs). I have type 3 b/C hair. When curly, its shoulder length...when stretched (or flat ironed) its about an inch above my bra strap...its been that length for at least 2-3 years. The front of my hair seems to grow slow.

Up until May I used to go to the salon once a week or every other week for a wash, blow dry, press & curl or press & flat iron. I was heat free from May 16 until July 29th. Unfortunately, I've had to press for work related reasons the last 2 weeks and will have to for the next 2 weeks - then back to heat free. (I hope)

Basically, when I try to air dry - it takes days. I tried to air dry in a single braid and it wasn't dry 3 days later. My hair shrinks a lot and when I try to wear it curly, it gets BIG - like Tracee Ellis Ross big. (Which looks good on her, but wouldn't work in the industry that I work in.) Only Curly Pudding, applied by a stylist, at the salon and dried under a hooded dryer tamed my pouf!

Sidenotes: I'm forced to work out hard about 4x a week, after two or three days or workouts, if my hair was pressed, its puffy at the roots and looks bad. So I'm sure I'll have to add some CWs in there somewhere.

I'm prone to split ends - wondering about protective styles (cuz buns don't look good on me)...wondering if they are necessary for quick, good growth. Wondering if I'll have to avoid heat forever, or better yet, how I can get a look I like without heat .

Currently, I wash weekly with baby shampoo, I try to deep condition with NTM mask and air dry. I've tried to baggy at night with some natural shea butter, NTM leave-in and a bit of vaseline. That's it.

I have no idea where to begin?! What to try? My goal is to get about 4 more inches of good, healthy growth in the back! And about 5-6 more inches of healthy growth in the front.

Please, please help!!!!
Thanks

Hey girl,
I feel your pain and frustration. My cousin's are natural one has very thick hair and I've been doing there hair since they were my daughter's age. Consistency is the key, giving ur hair plenty of moisture with a good shampoo and deep conditioner. I use CON conditioning shampoo it left her have very moisturized sometimes it felt like we didn't rinse it all out, also pantene pro-v daily moisture renewal shampoo & conditioner sitting under drier for 15 min. deep conditioners. Curling wax (the orange stuff) to press her hair out it makes it very soft and hold the press very well 3wks infact wrapping it up at knight, for the last few years I've alternated w/ Liz & Daughter's pressing oil it's really good to mainly for her pple w/ thin to medium hair. A good tempered pressing comb w/ teeth in the back. Try it and see if this helps other wise you can get a Vigorol which her sister has it removes access bulk and allow you to style the hair as if you had a relaxer without it shrivelling up from jam, gel, or mousse things like that it just makes your hair really dry after the service so you have to be sure to give your self a reconstructor and a very intense deep conditioner afterwards keep the hair moistured on a regular basis so it can rebuild its moisture. Other than that just get a good organic, moisturizing relaxer and keep up with salon visits to maintain healthy hair if u can't do it yourself. (if there is a dominican shop near u i suggest them as a stylist the products they use are magnificient and leave your hair like doll hair and it just grows and grows. Sorry it's long but didn't want to leave anything out hope this helps let me know.

 

[Angelicus]

Re: Help me figure out a ROUTINE, please! (long)

Before I became a member of this site, I got healthy tips from www.motowngirl.com . I hope some natural ladies chime in this thread or PM you with more tips. God luck to you!

 

[wyldcurlz]

Bumping for more ideas...you all are SO knowledgeable and helpful that there HAVE to be more ideas out there. PLEASE!!!!

 

[Jaelin]

Basically, when I try to air dry - it takes days. I tried to air dry in a single braid and it wasn't dry 3 days later.

I use a microfiber towel to get a good degree of moisture out, but not all of it (leave some so your hair has moisture). Usually when I get up in the morning my hair is completely dry. The fact that I am sleeping with a satin cap/head tie on probably traps some of the heat generated by my head and that contributes to it drying overnight.

 

[wyldcurlz]

I forgot to add that I usually wrap my hair every night and I've always put leave in conditioner on the ends.

 

[CarLiTa]

hey wyldcurlz, i'm not natural, but i'll try to give you some tips. I think you should find a shampoo that is specifically moisturizing b/c a baby's hair goes through a lot less than yours do, so you need a shampoo that is stronger and more moisturizing for your head of hair.

i would say to try to stay heat free as much as possible but i guess there isn't much you can do about needing to straighten it for work-related events... maybe you can do a braidout or something, to loosen the curs like Tracy Ellis Ross sometimes does.

I think you should visit Peachtree's album. from what i see, it looks like she's a 3b too, and she has the most gorgeous head of natural hair i've seen... maybe you can ask her what she does and what she uses. Good luck!

 

[Blacktresses]

One thing about natural hair, at least that I have found, is that most shampoo's dry out natural hair. This is due to alcohols or a mineral oil derivatives in the shampoo. It will also make your hair hard. A clarifying condition such as V05 Kiwi Lime Clarifying Conditioner will gently clean your stands without stripping your hair of natural oils. Because natural hair is curly, hair products may take a little longer to penetrate the stands.

Another item in my hair arensal is carrier oils ( in liquid form ). I apply the oil(s) to dry hair. I had not used oil on my hair for a year and a half until March of this year. When I started to use them, I had a severe growth spurt. Not only did it grow in lenght but also in thickness . You can add some oils straight or mix them in your shampoo or conditioner.

On to styling,

Have you ever considered doing a braid or twist outs??? You add your setting products to your damp hair then braid or twist the hair. You can use a diffuser for faster dryer time. Also, you will want to use rollers on the end for a much neater styling. There are many ways to style your hair for corporate America. Just look at some of the natural albums. Some of them have perfected natural styling.

Stay away from the heat. Weekly heat styling in the long run does more damage then good. It doesn't matter what you use to protect your ends. They will still have long term heat damage. Thus the baggie and bun method.

I know I didn't cover everything but you may need to start looking at the type of products you purchase. Many products have ingredients that are bad for your hair. Many are wondering why products are having such an adverse effect on their hair. So you want to take a look at that as well. HTH

 

[wyldcurlz]

Blacktresses...is that YOU in that pictures below your post?!?

 

[wyldcurlz]

i've attempted a twist-out, unfortunately my roots frizz. i'm not good with making small braids - cornrow type braids at the root. so i've got to figure out a method to do that. if i do, that may be an option. i'd like to find a way to use curly pudding without heat.

i'm also trying to gather ideas on what people are doing to experience such quick, healthy growth! my hair has been stuck at this length. especially how i can keep my ENDS healthy! other ideas, excluding the baggie method. i have friends doing that and their ends are great. i try to baggie at night, but its tough to do it in the day time because of the way i must look at work.

thanks!!

 

[wyldcurlz]

i usually wrap at night too. but now seeing that some of my hair heros like SouthernGirl, LorraineG, Jewell & Irisistable don't wrap, maybe i'll stop too.

will a scarf tied bandana style over my head and the rest of my hair hanging down the back work on natural hair? meaning, will i still be able to style with ease in the morning - because with wrapping, i don't have to do anything but shake my head and i'm ready to go!

 

[MeechUK]

If you are prone to split ends, have you considered dusting regularly? I thought that I couldn't gain any length, but regular dusting has helped to keep my hair healthy and retain length. Also protective styles, less manipulation and lots of moisture, added to my routine.

MeechUK