I don't know what to do with my hair- Somebody please help me!

[MoeB424]

I'm having some hair issues and am not sure if they're issues that can be worked out or will I just have to deal.

I've been natural since June of 06. I cut off all my permed hair and was left with about an inch of all natural. It's grown to about bra strap length until I got my ends clipped this past weekend. I also got individual braids (not too small though). The person who did my hair cut off about an inch and said that I needed to cut more since it still looked a little damaged, (after she ripped through my wet hair with her wide headed brush, then I watched the steam come off of it as she ripped through it again and blew it straight ).

I remember my hair being thicker as a child even after having gotten perms since the age of 4. Now, for some reason, my hair seems really thin and feathery after I straighten it with flat irons or blow dryers (I've done this twice since I've gone natural).

My hair is fairly loosely curled and tends to tie itself in a knot. Although I'd like my hair to be more manageable I like the wash and go, curly look. So I wouldn't want to do anything to it or put anything in it that would keep it from getting back to it's natural state.

I need some sort of help finding a hair regimen, whether it be at a salon or some homemade method, that will make my hair healthier, thick (like it used to be), more manageable, and longer.

Does anyone have any advise or know of some places that I could go in the DC/MD/VA area that provides a service like this for natural hair that isn't ridiculously priced?

please help me :0)

 

[danigurl18]

I have no idea since I do my own hair but I bet other ladies can help! I have my regimen in my fotki so you could check it out even though my hair is not as long as yours yet!! HHG!

 

[msa]

I think you should evaluate your regimen and see if there are things in it that are detrimental to your hair. And, I don't think a hair stylist will be able to do that, especially on your first visit, since you know your hair best.

Since you only heat style occasionally it must be other things that are causing your hair to appear thin. It could be that your hair has changed over the years and is now naturally thinner. It also could be your diet, if you aren't getting all the nutrition you need then your hair isn't either. Also, take a look at your methods for handling your hair. Do you detangle roughly? Do you manipulate your hair alot? For some people, wearing a wash and go every day is way too much manipulation and their hair breaks because of it.

IMO, you should take some time to search the board and see if there are areas you can improve your regimen, like increasing the number of times you deep condition. Or wearing low manipulation styles. If that doesn't work after a while then go get a stylist's opinion. I just don't their opinions are worth all that much, and most times you'll find more here.

Sorry my post was so long. I hope it helps a bit.

 

[Carrie A]

You might try adding henna treatments to your regimen. This conditions the hair and gives a thicker appearance.

 

[JustKiya]

We would need more details about your current regimens (routines, products, styling choices) to have a better idea of what you can do.

Off hand, products to thicken hair that I know of are Henna, Castor Oil, and Mega-Tek. As for more managable - I hate to tell you, but wearing fewer loose wash & go's will reduce the amount of tangling that you have to deal with. Length comes with time (and MT helps with that, too). Healthier - well, that comes from your overall regimen, and that takes time - at least six months.

 

[MoeB424]

I think you should evaluate your regimen and see if there are things in it that are detrimental to your hair. And, I don't think a hair stylist will be able to do that, especially on your first visit, since you know your hair best.

Since you only heat style occasionally it must be other things that are causing your hair to appear thin. It could be that your hair has changed over the years and is now naturally thinner. It also could be your diet, if you aren't getting all the nutrition you need then your hair isn't either. Also, take a look at your methods for handling your hair. Do you detangle roughly? Do you manipulate your hair alot? For some people, wearing a wash and go every day is way too much manipulation and their hair breaks because of it.

IMO, you should take some time to search the board and see if there are areas you can improve your regimen, like increasing the number of times you deep condition. Or wearing low manipulation styles. If that doesn't work after a while then go get a stylist's opinion. I just don't their opinions are worth all that much, and most times you'll find more here.

Sorry my post was so long. I hope it helps a bit.

No need to apologize I'll take anything I can get... Here's what I've been doing for a while now...

I don't use shampoo. When I did my hair it would get really dry and seemed like it wouldn't hold on to any moisture so I make sure that I rinse it really good and just use conditioner.

I don't comb my hair between co-washes and I only use hair moisturizers like curl activator gel and moisturizing sprays daily. I've recently been using megatek off and on every other day.

I do wear wigs maybe a few days out of the month where my hair is braided underneath and I may get braids once or twice a year. I'll admit that I may leave my braids in for 2 months if it looks ok. (I know-I know that's not good)

I can definitely say I am very careful when detangling. I even found ways that work where I hardly get a snag at all. I only comb my hair when its wet and part it in sections of four using lots of conditioner.

I also haven't clipped my ends since I went natural two years ago until this past weekend. I was always afraid to because I didn't want too much cut off if I were to go to a salon and I couldn't do it myself. Thats mostly why I need to find someone that will take care of my hair rather than make it look nice.

 

[MoeB424]

We would need more details about your current regimens (routines, products, styling choices) to have a better idea of what you can do.

Off hand, products to thicken hair that I know of are Henna, Castor Oil, and Mega-Tek. As for more managable - I hate to tell you, but wearing fewer loose wash & go's will reduce the amount of tangling that you have to deal with. Length comes with time (and MT helps with that, too). Healthier - well, that comes from your overall regimen, and that takes time - at least six months.

Will definitely be getting some henna and I got the megatek. I'll just have to use it less spurty like.

I wonder if I'd need to cut off my hair and start over in order for it to be healthy?

 

[JustKiya]

Will definitely be getting some henna and I got the megatek. I'll just have to use it less spurty like.

I wonder if I'd need to cut off my hair and start over in order for it to be healthy?

Yeah, consistency is key for a lot of things - sometimes when you can't even tell it's working yet.

I don't think so - if your hair is out and out damaged, then maybe - you can't recover from that. If you hair is generally healthy though, and just needs that just right combo to make it shine - I think you will be okay.

 

[Carrie A]

Just make sure to use good quality henna and take a look at the many henna threads on the board.

 

[Lynnerie]

We would need more details about your current regimens (routines, products, styling choices) to have a better idea of what you can do.
Off hand, products to thicken hair that I know of are Henna, Castor Oil, and Mega-Tek. As for more managable - I hate to tell you, but wearing fewer loose wash & go's will reduce the amount of tangling that you have to deal with. Length comes with time (and MT helps with that, too). Healthier - well, that comes from your overall regimen, and that takes time - at least six months.

We also need to know your regimin so I know how you went from an inch to BSL in 2.5 years. Girl whatever you did to get there maybe you should go back to that reggie.

 

[MoeB424]

We also need to know your regimin so I know how you went from an inch to BSL in 2.5 years. Girl whatever you did to get there maybe you should go back to that reggie.

lol I can definitely say one consistant product I've used is some sort of hair curling activator gel. Here are the ones I used.

My hair stayed saturated with these, everything else was an add in such as the Megatek or MTG. I haven't done much experimenting at least I don't think.

I washed and conditioned my hair in the beginning maybe once a week with Olive Oil Products.

Eventually I stopped shampooing and just co-washed with either olive oil conditioner or VO5.

It was only a few weeks that I used either MTG or Megatek.

I did get braids once before now and these puffy twisty things at the time I cut my hair.

I wore mostly wash and go's and straightened my hair three times with a blow dryer and flat iron. I did use this heat protective cream called "YOU" in a red bottle. (I couldn't find a picture)

So that's pretty much the regimen from now to 2 1/2 years ago...