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LHCF 'SET BACK' PREVENTION 101

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testimony777 said:
I just want to second this, especially the bold portion. For us naturals who like to change it up and wear our hair straight it can feel like a defeating blow to find out that your hair really does not do well with heat. Once you figure this out though it is best to walk away from the flat iron. For some this may mean finding creative low heat ways of straightening but for other it may mean letting go of the sleek look all together. In the end, if your goal is to have healthy long hair, it is worth it.

Also, stick to what works. If weekly deep treatments have played a crucial role in getting your hair healthy and helping you retaining length don't stop doing them because your hair looks great and it seems it doesn't need them anymore. The steps you've taken to get that beautiful head of hair are the steps you will likely need to keep in place to keep that beautiful head of hair.
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Amen Amen Amen.....Its kind of like reaching your goal weight then you stop exercising and go back to your old unhealthy ways....You gotta keep up what got you there!:look:
 
I don't think this has been mentioned, but if you like for your SO to massage your head, be careful. This can lead to broken hairs over time.

Be sure when you are moisturizing your hair, not to forget to part and include all sections. I wasn't doing this a couple of years ago and it lead to my crown being dry and broken.
 
I'll give advice based on my actual experience. Please, pllleeaasseee thoroughly research a stylist b4 trusting ur hair with them. Ask them lots of questions on their techniques, products they use and ask to see pictures, even talk with long time clients of theirs if possible. One visit to an inexperienced, cocky or distracted stylist can cause damage to the hair and a long term setback. If u notice the stylist is too chatty, be careful...she might not be focusing all of her attention to your hair. Also, it's easy to get lazy with your hair when ur really busy (kids, work, school). Always try to find time to wash, moisturize and style ur hair. Find styles that are low manipulation but still hair friendly. Don't leave braids, weaves in for too long. And think positive thoughts about your hair. Send your hair and scalp good vibes, even during times of frustration and boredom. Positive energy bring about positive reality. Happy growing!
 
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Someone already said this, its true! BE REAL with your hair and your direct heat usage. (This is mostly direct to the relaxed ladies since this is from personal experience)

Your hair does not have to look prefect all the time. I repeat! Your hair does not have to look prefect all the time! If the only way you have learn to enjoy your hair is by using direct heat every weekly, bi weekly, then you probably need to find an alternative. So you can either reduce heat usage or stop completely. Once you put down the iron, blow dryer, you'll find alternatives.

This caused me a set back, always wanting silky bouncy flat iron hair, eventually from not trimming and using direct heat, my ends got angry. Now that I got a fresh trim, improved my air drying skills, honestly my hair looks betterand now I can have a waaay more healthier regimen.

Direct heat can promote bad regimens, our a regimen that is not best for YOU. Instead of building a regimen for complete retention, you have to build a regimen around the fact you use direct heat AND retention. Also to persevere straight many deep condition less frequently, skip moisturizing to not weight down hair, totally skip co washing, a lot of manipulation, and more protein (not saying these are we all NEED to do) to try to compensated for the damage that may occur from frequent direct heat, or attempting to prevent damage.

MANY people hair strive from direct heat use, relax or natural but keep in mind, that Afro texture hair is the most driest and fragile hair out there. Our hair isn't made of steel. All the precautionary steps, solution, remedies we learn on here sometimes can NOT prevent the enable. 360 degree, is 360 degree even with Chi infusion. I'm not saying heat damage = set back, but please look at the entire picture and your options.

If you grow your hair out using direct heat frequently consider your self LUCKY!! :)
 
i so agree with you ladies about the heat issue!

this is a great thread, Irresistable, thanks for starting it!

since i stopped using heat in november of 2009, my hair has gotten past the SL stump and is well on to APL!

if i want the straight look (i am texlaxed), i just wrap my hair while it's wet and let it air dry. it comes out just as straight as it has in the past when i've used the blow dryer, flat iron and hot rollers....but without the damage.

when seeking bouncier, wavier, more curled looks, roller setting is a great option!
 
From my personal experience...

1. Don't let the hairdresser relax from root to tip. Just because I had a little more new growth than she was use to dealing with, she pulled the relaxer all the way to the ends. And of course I didn't know that that was a no no, so I didn't say ne thing. To make a long story short, I lost nearly all my hair. A setback that took me 2 years to correct

2. Also I want to re-iterate again. SPEAK UP. If a stylist is doing something that you don't agree with (wants to give u a trim, is really rough when combing, pulling the relaxer all the way to the ends) Tell them to stop. I know it sounds like common sense but sometimes people, myself included think that stylists are all knowing, and truth is a lot of them aren't. You know more about your hair than anyone else can because its YOURS. You live with it everyday.

3. If it aint broke, don't fix it. I know its prob been said in this tread b4 but is so important to say again. If what you're doing for your hair is working (as in its healthy, well moisturized, not breaking, and excessively sheading) leave your reggie alone, Don't change it up so drastically cause this will ultimately result in some kind of setback.

4. Last but no least, b4 you make any kind of major hair decision remember you have your sisters here @ LHCF to ask for advice. Sometimes you think u might something sounds like a good idea. But its good to get advice from an un-biased source. We're all here to help each other.

Lol ok I've talked enough, that's all for now :)
 
Don't be afraid to change your reggie as your hair get longer if you need to. The longer and healthier mine gets the less protein it needs or wants. Now all my hair seems to like is moisture my hair hates air drying. I did a major no no.... which was scheduling protein even though I DID not need it....this is what I believe caused all of the shedding and breaking..... I am thinner but wiser.... KNOW HOW TO LISTEN TO YOUR HAIR :yep:
 
This is a great thread. I'm a newbie to this site as I've made the decision to become a DIY and take better care of my hair. I have used the threads listed here for self relaxing and trimming and plan on building up my own hair regimen. This thread has been very helpful
 
irresistible said:
I do the same thing, I dont touch my hair to do it from scratch until I am really ready for it
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Me neither... Since I am strec=tching and out of laziness I have been stretching wash days to 2 weeks instead of 5-7 days. An dto be honest, my hair is thriving off of it. I just wear braidouts now.
 
Avoid putting any stress or tension to your hair. Don't wear your hair pulled back all the time. Your hairline might get damaged.

Dont let everyone and they mama in your hair.
 
Lisaaa Bonet said:
I used an at home colour (Clairol's Natural Instincts) that ruined my hair's texture and made my dry hair even more dry. After more than a year, I am still trimming off the damaged ends. For me and my hair, this caused a major setback.
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:sad: This happened to me as well with this hair color, pre-LHCF. The week after putting it in, my hair was gorgeous. But it all went downhill after that. I couldn't understand why my texture had changed or why my strands had different thicknesses. My hair never went back to normal - it had to grow out.
 
From my setback a year ago, I learned:

1. I started slacking with moisture. Never start slacking. It has been mentioned before in this thread, but it's worth saying again...like the comparison to weight loss, you have to maintain your hair like you would maintain your body. Don't get too comfortable (actually don't get comfortable at all) and start making stupid blunders.

2. I was using the wrong moisturizers. The right moisturizer MATTERS. This and conditioners I would say one needs to spend the most time researching, because a lot of ladies use these two types of products the most. You're gonna be applying this product every day, sometimes twice a day...make sure you get it right.

3. Wearing tight ponytails. Tension=breakage. Not hard to understand. moving on...

4. Sleeping with an uncovered head 70% of the time. Again, laziness.

5. and doing whatever I learned a few long-haired ladies do (certain products were useless to me *coughNTM silk touch leave-incough* and I should have never stopped daily co-washing!).
This can't be said enough: if it ain't broke, don't fix...some things are not for everybody.

6. I was using heavy cone products. I've found over the past several years being on hair boards that cones tend to be a love it or hate it type thing...and chances are, if you don't know whether your hair likes them or not, I'd bet it probably doesn't. Don't underestimate what one or two extra ingredients in a "great product" can do to your hair.

7. I was using low quality products. My hair needs HIGH quality products, and in larger amounts. Some people can't do the cheapie thing. If your hair is not responding to the Suaves, V05s, White Rains, leave the $0.99 bottles alone.

8. I stopped relaxing with No-Lye, LYE ONLY now. Those mineral deposits are very, VERY drying. At one point, I wasn't even convinced chelating shampoo was doing much to help. :nono:

9. Wet buns are NOT for me. Not at all. My hair is too weak when it’s more than 30% wet, especially for long periods of time. This is also the reason why I don’t baggy, too much moisture. My strands just expand and expand and then *Pop*. Instead, I do a low, very loose braid while my hair is drying, and when it is dry or mostly dry, I will then bun.
SOME LADIES CANNOT handle wet-bunning! It may very well be few of us, seeing as so many ladies on LHCF love it, but a few of us can't do it. If you find your hair is thinning, especially in the area where your pony holder and clip goes, you probably need to stop the wet bunning.

10. NO PINS are good for my hair, not even the Good Day kind.
PINS are NOT for everyone.

11. DIRECT HEAT IS MY ENEMY. It has been said before in this thread, don't underestimate what a plate heated to several hundred degrees fahrenheit can do to your hair. It will burn/boil/fry/cook/bake/grill/bbq most hair to nothingness eventually.

12. I wasn’t sealing. *crazy, I know* Please take sealing VERY seriously ladies, it’s stupid not to. Anything you apply will evaporate like you never even put it on your head, making your efforts completely worthless.

13. Some ladies NEED heavy products. I have that dry, crispy, crackly 4b hair. Lol. I NEED thick moisturizers. I NEED thick sealants. I NEED lots of leave-in, coated with MORE leave-in. THEN, and only then, my hairs are satisfied. lol. None of this “dime-sized amount” stuff, I need 2 full palms of product. Some of y'all know what I'm talking about. lol.

14. I started to DC more since I upped the co-washing. Always remember to maintain the moisture-protein balance, keep a close eye on it, it's THE MOST crucial thing to watch!

15. This is a list I formerly wrote for my fotki, so this 15th tip is added just for you who post and seek information here.

I like hair typing. I'm not ashamed to hair type. and I don't see it as discrimination, or "hair-ism" (for lack of a better word, since some have likened it to colorism :rolleyes:), or being hung up on differences.
It's narrowing down the search of what works and what doesn't by observing those who are working with something similar to what you've got. These recent discussions on the "issue" have me puzzled.

Question: If hair type really didn't matter, would we even need a black hair board? :rolleyes: Hair is hair, right? Why not just go to a predominantly white hair board and only ask their advice? Because their hair is not like mine. It's all dead protein, yes, but when you've got such a vast array of curls, texures, densities to search through... It's impractical and frankly stupid to think someone should start from scratch and formulate a regimen from every random head, haphazardly testing everything, trial and error, from doing type 3 things to type 4 hair...just doesn't make sense. Every now and then the same things will work, but let's be honest here...we have distinct differences that need to be treat differently.
No, not all type 4whatevers are the same, but they are sure much more similar in many ways. Typing a lot times cuts down on unneeded heartache. Categorizing makes sense.

So, my advice to the newbies, those having hair problems, and those who've suffered setbacks...don't be afraid to seek advice from those with your hair type. Take all advice with a grain of salt, but don't be discouraged if you're a 3c natural, to contact a 3c natural and ask that 3c natural, or several of them, what they do and why. Same for fine haired ladies, or silky-haired ladies.
 
Hard Water​

This was my biggest setback and lost at least 3 to 4 inches. The signs were extremely dry, sticky/velcro hair. I mean, the entire hair strands would be stuck together. You could see and feel the mineral deposits on my hair.

No moisturizer or DC could penetrate thru that stuff. Just think about the hard water stains you see on your sinks and fixtures at home. That stuff was on my hair.

Then I would jump on the bandwagon with Roux Pororsity Control, Vinegar rinse, clarifying all the time (making it drier) and cold water rinse...you name it.

Please do not go for an extremely long period of time trying all of these fixes I mentioned above even if you SUSPECT you have hard water. I have washed my hair for over three years in hard water and I paid for it.

Once i did a Malibu 2000 Crystal Gel Treatment at the salon, my hair TOTALLY thanked me. My hair no longer is tangled, it's much lighter and stays moisturized for days. It has really nice body.

I have HIH syndrome and keep checking and feeling my hair because it doesn't even feel like it's mine.

EDITED: I forgot to add that I no longer have broken hairs all over the sink and floor.

EDITED AGAIN: Before sending anyone off on the wrong path, I had to confirm with the Malibu Wellness folks about clarifying. I didn't want my post to sound like clarifying/chelating poos & PC are not necessary. Those things just would not combat the effects of hard water.

I sent them an email today asking should I just get rid of my Clarifying Poos thinking that the mini makeover regimen they gave me would replace the purpose of the clarifying poo.

Their response:

No, actually and clarifying shampoo is not the same as our vitamin technology. Clarifiers remove resin (styling products) from the hair with a alkaline pH and our vitamin technology (mini makeover) removes minerals, medication and stop oxidation with an acidic pH…so they really do different things. You should only use a clarifier once a week at the most and you can use our vitamin technology as often as you want….if you still have questions just let me know. Hope this helped you better understand the difference between the two.

I do not agree with clarifying once a week though. I believe others on the board would agree with this as well.
 
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Bublin said:
I found this homemade Malibu Treatment

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_5071105_make-homemade-malibu-treatments-hair.html

I wonder if it will do the job?
Click to expand...

There is a bigger thread on "thriftyfun something website" that recommends the same thing (lemonade).

But at the bottom of the thread, someone said NOT to use it on dark hair because I guess it will turn it orange or something. So, I'm a little too scared to try it. I wonder if the people who did use the lemonade were actually blondes. Therefore, the possible lightening from the lemonade would make their hair look great.
 
In 2008 my hair was shoulder lenght and I started to wear it out for the first time in years- this is when i recieved the biggest set back that caused me to cut it to ear lenght. First i wanted to relax and color it, then off course it started to break off so i decided to get a sew in to help (which it didnt) and even more hair came out due to the sew in weave becoming fused in with my hair. In aug 2009 i finally cut it all off and its been growing ever since.
I always had sl hair before i cut it last year and i always wondered why it didnt get any longer even though ive never been a person to perm regularly, never used heat, i rarely trimmed it, i washed and conditioned it in between sew-ins, and kept my hair braided 90% of the time.
Things ive now learned to do are seal, i also stopped using no-lye relaxers, started deep conditioning and leaving my conditioner on my hair longer, and i also changed my techniques- instead of wearing sew-ins i started wearing cornrows and wigs to cover because I noticed i wasnt able to get to my hair underneath the sew-ins. I also started to do my own relaxers and only apply it to the new growth. I now use better products (esp. conditoners), I completely stopped using pink lotion, hair grease, gel, spritz and started using oils such as olive, coconut and castor oil, sulfur ect. And last but not least i started taking my vitamins regularly.
 
Nice thread. Here's mine.

1. When you first start out always make adjustments to your current routine, do not drastically change your regimen based on things you heard from other people. Consider learning how to stretch your relaxers, or changing your shampoo and conditioner. Those first few months are about learning about your hair and knowing what helps it.

2. Set a hair goal, find a picture of that goal as a reminder. This will help you stay on your regimen.

3. Get used to examining your hair. Look at the ends for damage, look at areas for breakage. Touch it for dryness. Examine thin areas. If your seeing small problems now, you may need to change something to prevent it from becoming a set back.

4. Neither natural hair or relaxed hair is invincible. Do not think that once you change your hair to that style that you can suddenly do what ever you want. You hair is very delicate in all states and needs to be handled gentle. Avoid lots of tension, heat, rods, products or styles. Keep It Simple Stupid: KISS

5. Find 4 or 5 simple styles that you can wear everyday. This is help you avoid causing too much stress on your hair in one style and help cure you of your boredom.

6. Use heatless ways of styling your hair for special occasions. Bantu knot outs, curlformers, etc. Saves your hair.

7. Use heat sprays and serums. You'll eventually find the balance that won't make your hair sticky, but these will protect you in the long run.

8. What works for other people may not work for you, and vise versa. If your hair is BSL and you press every week and don't bun, you or they may be the exception to the rule.

9. Trim it. Just do it. Even though you'll lose a little progress, you'll lose a lot more if you decide to avoid it.

10. Find a stylist that won't scalp you, but also touches your hair and tells you where the damage is and what needs to be done. A second pair of eyes can help you catch where you been causing damage with bad habits.

11. Don't be LAZY! A missed DC, missed trim, sporadic scar usage, and doing the same style over and over will wreck your progress.

12. Patience. It's the only thing that's going to get it longer. Patience with detangling, with styling, with conditioning, and with growth all together. If you have that, you'll have the hair you've always wanted.
 
Loved this thread! thank OP!

I had a setback recently (still learning). I know i'm a newbie, but if i can save one hair on your head..i've done my job:yep: lol!

-When moisture DCing on dry hair..DO NOT think that you can skip conditioner after pooing because you already "conditioned it". :nuts:

I don't know what i was thinking getting out the shower and trying to detangle! I lost more hair than necessary. :nono:

If DCing on dry hair, wash it, AND then use a conditoner again so you can detangle it.
 
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