If you've been here for more than 3 months

[CarLiTa]

how long did it take you to perfect your hair care regimen? I know we're doing trial and error, but how long did it take for it all to just CLICK...

for real man, i've been here for 6 months, and basically i still struggle. It could be the PJ in me... or me being stubborn, not wanting to buy more expensive things that could work better, and always thinking that i'm missing out on something else. I need to find one good shampoo and one good leave-in to stick to, cuz these are the ones that i keep switching all the time!!!

I digress... answer the question please

 

[pink_flower]

About a year.

I think everyone goes through the intial pj phase.

 

[secretdiamond]

I've been here for over a year and I am just now coming into my own. Don't be discouraged. In the beginning some can't help but be a pj b/c everything works differently for everyone else and you just need time to find what's just for you. I never was really a pj, but that hasn't changed the fact that I still don't have a set regimen. I just go day by day. Plus, by the look of your posts, you are definitely on our way! You seem to know what you want and are very focused. You grow girl!

 

[Ayeshia]

took me nearly two years....and it still wont be perfected lol. my regimen changes as my hair gets longer.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

how long did it take you to perfect your hair care regimen? I know we're doing trial and error, but how long did it take for it all to just CLICK...

for real man, i've been here for 6 months, and basically i still struggle. It could be the PJ in me... or me being stubborn, not wanting to buy more expensive things that could work better, and always thinking that i'm missing out on something else. I need to find one good shampoo and one good leave-in to stick to, cuz these are the ones that i keep switching all the time!!!

I digress... answer the question please

Haaaay Carlita!!!
It took me about 8 months and then I decided to move towards organic/natural products so I'll be starting over again.
The PJ in you may be the cause. I used to have that nagging feeling that I was missing out on something by being faithful to my regimen. I had to get to a point where I was comfortable with the health of my hair so I would stop experimentin. I finally got there once I committed to Nexxus Therappe/Botanoil/Humectress/Keraphix/Emergencee & occasionally throwin in other products. In order to calm the PJ in me, I'll treat myself to a new conditioner & then I'm ok.
I would definitely suggest going towards professional products b/c my experience with them has been vastly different than the cheapies. I would highly recommend Nexxus...it calmed my PJism b/c it worked so well!!!!

Good luck girl...you'll get it, don't worry!

 

[CarLiTa]

thanx for the replies so far...

I wanna stick to something already, but every few months, things start going wrong with my hair, mainly shedding, and now my crazy ends. I just keep thinking I haven't found the right shampoo! and then there's the leave-in... why don't i get the same EROTIC results that other women get i still struggle! I think i might need to treat my hair to a visit at my favorite dominican salon and see what they use on my hair, and from that, i'll decide what to really get, no matter how expensive. I just don't want to try anything expensive and then end up not liking it, ya know? i'm just a high school student spending most of my allowance on hair things

 

[beyondcute]

It took me about a year to realize what my hair liked and disliked. My hair loves oil and conditioner and really hates water. My hair frizzes at the sight of water Im no too much of a PJ but Iused to be big time! Now that Im transitioning I have to tinker with my regimine a little but I probably wont have to do too much to it.

 

[MissCapricornCutie]

Are you serious? I'm still trying to get down all these abbreviations because some aren't listed in that definition section.

It just came to me after a 4th reading, I'm guessing PJ=product junkie?!?!?!?

To answer the question, I have been trying to develop a haircare regimen since I first started peeking in on here but I finally signed up about 4 mos. ago and I have been independently doing some things that I see others do.

I'm trying to get it cracking and on track by the end of the year so that I can make a concerted & measured effort of progress.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Welcome girl!!! You'll get it...just gotta experiment.
I made a spreadsheet of the products I used. It included the results I had, the price I spent, whether it was worth the price, and where I purchased it from.
This really helped me figure things out and it kept me from re-trying stuff after forgetting the results.
This may shorten the process....HTH

 

[TigerLily]

It took me a year because I was such a pj. Now I know what does and doesn't work for my hair.

 

[lovechic]

CarLita, Yes Honi! It's the PJ in you! I was the same way! I finally simplified my regime early this year! It took trial and error, but I finally have a simple regimen. You will get tired of trying everything raved about, and buying all these products! Trust Me! Once you do that, it will be ALOT easier to start a regimen! So basically, it took me about a year!

 

[Porsche19]

It took me more than TWO YEARS.

 

[lovechic]

Carlita, keep us posted on your regimen!

 

[angellazette]

Took me about two years.

 

[Sweetyb]

It's taken me over a year to figure out the best shampoo/conditioner for my hair, and it's taken me over a year 1/2 to figure out how often to wash and/or condition my hair, the best way to part my hair when washing, how long to leave the conditioner in, the best tools to comb with, when to apply my moisturizers, etc.!

I did a lot of PJ'ing and searching the boards to figure all this out. I'm still working on finding the best way to keep my hair moisturized with what products and also the best way to trim my hair. It feels like it's never over, but there's always progress.

 

[Samaria]

Ive been here bout a yr lurked most of it. Anyways, what worked for me I guess is sticking to what worked and not trying to grab of everything on the board(not to mention I live with my fiancee , can't be spendin money on my habit! ) Plus, you said shedding, I thought that was normal or no? I know how you feel though I be feeling like what I'm using isn;t working for me b/c it isnt as espensive as Nexxus and what not

 

[taraglam2]

It took me 8 months to find the best shampoo for my hair. I do not even look at shampoos anymore. I love different conditioners (deep conitioners, quick fixx conditioners and creme rinses ) and I also like what different formulas do for my hair so I really do not plan on sticking to just one main conditioner -- ever. It also took me 7 months to find the perfect leave-in conditioner for my hair. I know as my hair gets longer and I go for my next two goals, that the products "may" have to change. I am okay with that. Happy hair growing !

 

[MzTami]

Good question Carlita... I thought I had my regimen down and then someone mentioned parabens and I went oh no parabens! 90% of my regimen contained parabens. Now I am into the organic/natural products, but I have not found a good moisturizer; therefore, I switch back and forth with the distilled water mixed with different types of oils for my moisturizer and ORS Olive Oil moisturizing lotion. I have the Giovanni's conditioner 50/50 and leave-in, they both work pretty good. But I have not found a regimen that I will defintely stick too yet. I think it takes awhile and with LHCF raves about new products makes it extremely difficult to stick to a regimen. You just have to be patient with the products that you have and ADAMANT about products that are raved about daily.

 

[natstar]

I would say about a month. I joined the KISS challenge and that helped me out a lot.

 

[hopeful]

I joined the end of December so I've been here almost 10 months and I am still searching. Part of my issue is that since joining I have been relaxed, bc'd to natural, and now I'm texturized--all three need different things. I guess I was also a bit of a pj too and because I could afford to try most things, uhm, I kinda did, everything from Carol's Daughter to MyHoneyChild to Oyin and girl you don't need a lot of money to get good products, trust me because all I did was waste a lot of money. Simple is better, and be patient. I really wish I had known this LHCF stuff when I was in high school! You are lucky.

 

[DatJerseyDyme]

About a year to get the kinks worked out.

 

[CarLiTa]

Thanx for the replies guys! you ladies are so great! what would I do without you? *sniff* i'd probably still have short hair, haha... lol anyway

I should post a list of my products then:

Shampoo - RUSK MOIST SHAMPOO, works well, but like I said i'm always thinking that i could find a better moisturizing shampoo out there especially when the new growth gets a little out of hand

Clarifying shampoo - SUAVE DAILY CLARIFYING SHAMPOO - i've used this since I joined and there's nothing wrong with it. I'm satisfied

Conditioner - SUAVE HUMECTANT CONDITIONER - I this conditioner! smells really nice too. Don't want to change it. Use for both conditioning and cowashes.

Deep conditioner - QUEEN HELENE'S CHOLESTEROL- used this back in my healthy hair days, so I bought it again

Leave ins - INFUSUIM 23, NEXXUS HEADRESS, RUSK SMOOTHER. Nothing spectacular about any of them, i think I wan't something light that really detangles. I'm going to keep using them till I run out though. They cost money.

Daily moisturizer - MOTIONS OIL MOISTURIZER - it's light and moisturizes well. I'm satisfied

Oils - ALMOND, ROSEMARY, QUININE, and now OLIVE w. Rosemary leaves; will use them on scalp

Protein - will buy MOTIONS CPR conditioner - used this back in my healthy hair days. APHOGEE TREATMENT FOR DAMAGED HAIR, NUTRESS PROTEIN CONDITIONER.

So, from these, the products that I have on hand are 8. Then there's the oils and I usually buy small packs of protein conditioners when I'm going to do them. I'd like to do weekly CPR though.

 

[CarLiTa]

This is what my regimen has been lately. I just changed a couple things:

-CoWash on Wednesday nights (sometimes every two days): Suave Humectant. Leave-in: Rusk Smoother, Motions light oil lotion on hair shaft, olive oil+ mango butter on ends, detangle hair. Air-dry in a bun or loose. Oil scalp with Almond/Rosemary oil once hair is dry. Wear plastic cap and satin scarf on hair at night.

-Wash hair on Saturday/Sundays: Pre-poo with EVOO or Castor oil (sometimes), wash hair with Rusk Moist shampoo, light protein with Nutress or Motions CPR, deep condition with Suave Humectant or Cholesterol (under the drier) . Nexxus Headress as leave-in. Same methods as Wednesday.

-Daily: moisturize hair with Motions light oil moisturizer and moisturize ends with EQP mango butter. Plastic cap on hair every night.

- Clarify and Porosity Control every 3 weeks
-Aphogee treatment for damaged hair every 6 weeks
-Deep condition weekly from wks 6-12

 

[Samaria]

This is what my regimen has been lately. I just changed a couple things:

-CoWash on Wednesday nights (sometimes every two days): Suave Humectant. Leave-in: Rusk Smoother, Motions light oil lotion on hair shaft, olive oil+ mango butter on ends, detangle hair. Air-dry in a bun or loose. Oil scalp with Almond/Rosemary oil once hair is dry. Wear plastic cap and satin scarf on hair at night.

-Wash hair on Saturday/Sundays: Pre-poo with EVOO or Castor oil (sometimes), wash hair with Rusk Moist shampoo, light protein with Nutress or Motions CPR, deep condition with Suave Humectant or Cholesterol (under the drier) . Nexxus Headress as leave-in. Same methods as Wednesday.

-Daily: moisturize hair with Motions light oil moisturizer and moisturize ends with EQP mango butter. Plastic cap on hair every night.

- Clarify and Porosity Control every 3 weeks
-Aphogee treatment for damaged hair every 6 weeks
-Deep condition weekly from wks 6-12

Well dang, I need to up my routine

 

[MeechUK]

how long did it take you to perfect your hair care regimen? I know we're doing trial and error, but how long did it take for it all to just CLICK...

for real man, i've been here for 6 months, and basically i still struggle. It could be the PJ in me... or me being stubborn, not wanting to buy more expensive things that could work better, and always thinking that i'm missing out on something else. I need to find one good shampoo and one good leave-in to stick to, cuz these are the ones that i keep switching all the time!!!

I digress... answer the question please

Its all about trial and error. I've been here a year and I have only recently found a regime that works for me, but with Winter coming I will need to find a new one.

Every one is different and what works for one may not work for another! One thing for certain is that the cheapest ingredients can work just as or better than more expensive products. I have a large box of products under my bed that I may never use, yet the best ingredients I have found in my kitchen cupboard!

Don't fret about missing out finish what you have before trying something new! I have 3 staple shampoos and conditioners, when I go shopping I always have to remind myself that I have enough products. When I go into a BSS I still look at products recommended on this board, but I don't buy them because I cannot justify the purchase. This comes from a reformed PJ.

HHG,
MeechUK

 

[Chicoro]

Quick answer: It took me over a year to get my routine down.

Long answer...
The ends of my hair are extremely dry and prone to splitting. When I first got here, the majority of my hair was split. Prior to coming to the board I was using curl activator and protective styles, doing little manipulation and doing conditioner washes and not brushing my hair . So I was very disappointed when I saw the things that are listed above, that I was already doing were the things that were turning other people's hair around - but were not working for me. I was about to exit from the board when I found a post discussing the use of the baggie method by Adrienne0914 and another member named Leejure. Both of them had fabulous looking, long hair and gorgeous silky ends. They both mentioned that using vaseline with the baggie virtually eliminated splits.

I was using mostly natural products with not much improvement in the condition of my hair and the thought of putting a bag over my hair and putting vaseline in my hair, knowing that petroleum is considered to be occlusive and smothering to the hair, was not something I was open to doing. But I looked at the ends of my hair and the ends of their hair and took a leap of faith. I noticed more fullness after four (4) months. I still had split ends, though but there was some improvement. After nine (9) months the ends started improving in terms of less splits. After thirteen (13) months, I started seeing a reduction in my split ends to the point where it had gone from most of my hair having splits to only about 1/8. For me that was an improvement.

I am still tweaking the fine points of the routine. Next year, I want to apply the same process but employing and going back to my natural products. But I have the basic process/routine down. The true test of success for me was being able to answer 'yes' to the following questions: Is my hair improving? (YES!) and do I know DEFINITIVELY and exactly what I doing to continue and/or maintain that improvement? (YES!). Anything that added or would be added to my routine can now be quickly identified as either improving my routine or taking away from it.

You have a good, solid base for your routine and beautiful hair to show for it.

 

[CarLiTa]

thanx Chicoro and Meech...

i dont even think i'm a PJ ... i'm still in the trial and error phase, I guess. I keep thinking that my shampoos don't work but there have been a few things that happened since i started my regimen: mainly going to band practice for the marching band season, which will be over by the end of the month, THANK GOD! so basically i've been out in the Miami sun with my hat on 5 days a week, 2-4 hours a day. So i sweat a lot and that dries out my scalp. When I had first started my regimen, things were much easier... it was when the summer came around and then when marching band came around that everything started going crazy.

Let's see, what do I have down pat? how to wash the hair in sections (mohawk style for me) i also found another way from an old thread (upside down Y so that its easier to put in a ponytail), some of my products i'm satisfied with, i guess i do a decent job at keeping my ends from splitting but they're starting to dry out, so I got the mango butter.

Only problem: shedding! caused by dry scalp and detangling (need great leave in for that)

 

[hottopic]

It took me about 8 months to learn exactly what works for my hair. I was a serious PJ. I still have products that I have not used from my PJ days. I also keep seasonal products on hand. I never noticed that my hair goes through changes durning different seasons. I guess I am still learning. Because it exactly a year now, since I started paying attention to my hair.Hang in there.

 

[NYCQT16]

I've been here a little over a year and my regimen is still jacked up The only staples I have are Breakfree and CON shampoo...and sometimes even those act up

 

[Isis]

I would say it took me almost a year to have a regimen that worked consistently. That includes learning about protective styles and wearing them.