I need some quick advice....

[tammiematthews]

I've just begun my hair journey. I've just purchased and have been using Surge 14 (based on yall's suggestions)I had cornrolls,butjust recently took them out..and now I'm a little lost /images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif. I purchased a fall, so i'm wearing that. But I dont know where to go from there? Any suggestions? I know you guys cant tell me what to do, but I just need a little advice/suggestions on how you guys proceeded in the "early days" of yall's hair journey.

 

[ms_kenesha]

How long is your hair?

I would recommend rollersets as a good non-direct heat hairstyle. I would also recommend airdrying your hair when not rollersetting. You can also do the phonypony route, search on baggie method for more info. on that. I've never worn a fall so I don't know how to take care or protect your hair while wearing one, but there are other members who can help you on that.

Other than styling how do you currently care for your hair? You might want to look at some members regime and create one for yourself. Here's mine:
<font color="blue">
Shampoo &amp; Conditioning
Once a month: Intense Protein Treatment w/ heat followed by moisturizing treatment. Products to be used either Nexxus Emergencee or Elucence Extended Repair Treatment. Will follow with Motions CPR. *regime change* I will be doing a surge/castor oil overnight treatment once a month as well, it really helps with the elasticity and moisture of my hair!

Every 3 weeks: Mild protein treatment - Aubrey's GPB, followed by Nexxus Hummectress.

Every 2 weeks: Shampoo with the Nioxin Smoothing Protectives Line.

Every four to five days: Con-wash with V05 Blueberries &amp; Cream, Strawberries &amp; Cream, or Coconut Cream.

Styling
Use Loreal Vive Smooth Intense Anti-frizz cream after washing. Use Neutrogena Triple Moisture before rollersetting or use Redken Heat Glide before blow-drying or heat styling.

Rollerset 95% of time.

Go to salon every 4 weeks for rollerset/blowout, or every two weeks when newgrowth gets harder to manage.

Chemical Processes
Stretch relaxers out to every 12 weeks, lowering relaxer time to 4 times a year.

Do a clarifying shampoo and a protein treatment 3 days before a relaxer and apply aloe vera gel to hair prior to relaxing(new growth as well). </font>

 

[KAddy]

I think Ms. K gave you great advice. Are you transitioning or natural or relaxed? I think knowing this is helpful to us.

 

[MizAvalon]

Tammie, please be careful and don't make the same mistakes a lot of newbies do when they discover the board. Going out and buying and trying every single thing that is talked about here. Just because a product or technique is raved about here, does not mean it's the right thing for you or your hair. There have been a million posts where people have taked about going crazy when they first arrived, overloading their hair with product and in the end, not even helping their cause or possibly, even making it worse. Just be careful and find what things are right for YOU.

 

[tammiematthews]

(sorry, just getting back to the board...AOL kicked me off)..Anyway...I've been real carefull about not going overboard on products. But I did check out the Suge, since I had braids at the time, I also tried it on my daughter's hair, after washing, and it did help with detangling. So I really like it for that reason. My hair is currently to the back of my neck,but there is some shrinkage, I think, due to the fact that I havent had a perm in 3 months now. I'm not going to go completely perm-less, but my goal is to get longer, stronger hair. I've never been very good at maintaining my hair on my own, so this will be a first for me. (Hence, my apprehension(sp) and confusion) Today I have on my fall, with my hair braided underneath the wig part. I sprayed my natural hair with Surge and oiled it with carrot oil (it was washed Sun, with CON and conditioned with Kenra - I emailed for a sample)..so I guess my next question would be..now what? How long do you try a product to determine if it's working for you or not?

 

[KAddy]

Well, I look at how my hair reacts to a product after I use it the first time, especially shampoos and conditioners. However, I wouldn't say that it is ineffective unless I have used it for atleast a month. I am trying not to go back to being a PJ, so the shampoo and conditioner I am using now I plan on using until it is finish UNLESS I start seeing adverse effects.

Are you planning on doing a touch-up soon? If not, I suggest braiding your hair (cornrows or something) so that the difference between the two textures doesn't result in breakage. I think you could also just stick with wearing the fall and keeping your hair moisturized underneath it.

 

[tammiematthews]

Thanks so much Kaddy!!! I was just thinking to myself, what would happen if I got my hair relaxed soon. Or should I stretch it out a littl longer? Maybe I would see a difference if I relaxed and then stretched out the next time I relaxed again, while still using my products for maintenance??

 

[Tonya]

Hi Tammie.
I follow a regime similar to Kenesha's. I change my styles frequently but right now I ma in a fall. I ahve been doing CON washes...surging muy scalp putting wigged portion of hair in ponytail and coating my ends with vaseline and doing baggie method to keep my ends moisturized.

 

[tammiematthews]

/images/graemlins/wave.gifThanks Tonya, ps I got the pm for the "goodies" pics...very nice!!! /images/graemlins/notworthy.gif After washing my hair this past Sun, I blow dried it straight (on low setting) and dry rolled it (only using surge and shea butter oil) and slept in the rollers, (combination of curl rods and satin covered sponge rollers) it came out very pretty, but then I went outside....before i made it home good, the curls had fallen /images/graemlins/cry3.gif and all i had left was a frizzy mess..LOL!! /images/graemlins/whyme.gif So ladies, what would be the best product to reduce frizz and hold curls w/o using an alcohol based product??? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Tonya]

Thanks... Tammie...when I roller set I simply use a leave in (Salerm 21 right now) and a very like of Elasta QP Silk. That holds my sets...I try to stay away form the blow dryer.