Low Porosity Support Thread

Smiley79 said:
Thanks @faithVA, girl I feel like you been there with me every step of the Moisture journey.

Regimen when I go to my local Natural hair salon
Clarify
Steam treatment with Garlic Conditioner
Leave in
Jumbo twist to air dry

Regimen at home (Every 1 to 2 weeks)
Poo (Giovani Direct TT poo)
Alter Ego Garlic conditioner (focus on scalp per directions)
DC (CB Smoothe or Mielle Ornanics Barbassou)
Leave In- Alikay Natural Lemongrass (just finished bottle so need a leave in)
Air dry my hair in 4-5 big braids

Oils that I use: JBCO for edges; coconut oil for ends and sealing; I've used hair grease sometimes too
Spray bottle: water and conditoner to refresh my hair morning and night.
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I looked up your DC and leave-in and they both contain amino acids (protein). If your hair is natural and you're not coloring or applying heat, you don't need a lot of protein.

I see you mentioned alopecia, and maybe your products are for this issue. If so ignore me. But if they aren't, and if I had a moisture retention problem, I wouldn't use anything from your product list, including the oils. None of those products read like moisturizing products to me, and oil does not moisturize. Oil blocks water. So if you aren't getting all of it off, that will be a problem. That garlic conditioner reads like toxic waste...too many chemicals (unless I came across the wrong one). My hair likes as few synthetic ingredients as possible.

You mentioned doing MHM at one time. Maybe consider going back to the product recommendations. No butters, though. They build up and block moisture, too.

Just food for thought.
 
nothidden said:
Ever consider getting a hair analysis? My hair used to feel like a brillo pad too, but not anymore. After the gel cast breaks, my hair is soft, and sometimes before wash day I feel like I don't even need to moisturize.

Maybe you have product build up blocking moisture. And like @faithVA mentioned, maybe you need to re-style (cleanse, condition, style) more often until your moisture levels build up.

One more thing, do you only wash your hair under a filtered faucet or shower head? Made a HUGE difference in my hair...HUGE.
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No i do not have a filter. Can i find that at Home depot or something? And yes i was thinking of upping my cowashes to every few days and see if i notice a difference. How did you hair analysis process go? You gave me some good ideas to look into. Thank you so much.
 
Smiley79 said:
No i do not have a filter. Can i find that at Home depot or something? And yes i was thinking of upping my cowashes to every few days and see if i notice a difference. How did you hair analysis process go? You gave me some good ideas to look into. Thank you so much.
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I never had an analysis, but if I felt like nothing worked for my hair, I'd like "professional" help.

I'd be surprised if Home Depot didn't sell filters. I got one from Amazon.
 
shawnyblazes said:
The one thing that I learned about my hair until i have built up enough moisture , I must let my hair air dry with a very moisturizing leave in in twists, when the hair is 95% dry/damp, I re-twist the hair into smaller twists with the same leave in.

When my moisture protein balance is out of whack, there is no way I can go from wash day to completely soft hair the next day, unless its hot outside and I'm using humectant laden products.
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I too eventually learned that moisturizing on almost dry hair is better but i didnt apply the leave in right after; I did it all at once at the moisturizng step. I will try that sequence and see if i notice a difference. Thanks
 
nothidden said:
I looked up your DC and leave-in and they both contain amino acids (protein). If your hair is natural and you're not coloring or applying heat, you don't need a lot of protein.

I see you mentioned alopecia, and maybe your products are for this issue. If so ignore me. But if they aren't, and if I had a moisture retention problem, I wouldn't use anything from your product list, including the oils. None of those products read like moisturizing products to me, and oil does not moisturize. Oil blocks water. So if you aren't getting all of it off, that will be a problem. That garlic conditioner reads like toxic waste...too many chemicals (unless I came across the wrong one). My hair likes as few synthetic ingredients as possible.

You mentioned doing MHM at one time. Maybe consider going back to the product recommendations. No butters, though. They build up and block moisture, too.

Just food for thought.
Click to expand...

@nothidden wow thank you so much for taking the time to look into them. Since last year i stopped reading product ingredients. As i mentioned before, i basically just accepted my hair for being a brillo pad and i bought whatever i liked for my hair, so what youve mentioned may very well ge applicable to my hair issue. No i am not using any products for my alopecia other than a foam once a month for my scalp inflammation. What i will do is finish up the products that i have real quick and in the meantime get back to incorporating a simplified regimen usung some components of the MHM method. I didnt like using baking soda anf bentonite clay in one session, so i need to research a better process, and i need to figure out why my hair became a bit more limp during that method.
@faithVA really kept that thread alive so i will go revisit it and see what works for me.
 
nothidden said:
I never had an analysis, but if I felt like nothing worked for my hair, I'd like "professional" help.

I'd be surprised if Home Depot didn't sell filters. I got one from Amazon.
Click to expand...

Along that thought, i even asked the stylists at my local natural hair salon, they basically suggest frequent moisture treatments for my hair.

Another thing i forgot to mention is that i also took the time to look at my health in corelation to my hair complaints....docotor visits, blood work, my diet and water intake. The derm appt revealed the alopecia, my health is all well, my diet is balanced and i can always do better when it comes to drinking water. I forgot to mention that point since it can be a factor when it comes to our hair. I did consider becoming a vegetarian/vegan to see if that would help but i havent commited to anything yet.
 
nothidden said:
Are you checking the ingredients of your products? Are you sealing?

Ever heard of Abena(?) (Embrace Your Natural Beauty https://www.youtube.com/user/EmbraceNaturalBeauti/videos)? She is a licensed cosmetologist who posts videos and has periscope sessions every Saturday @ 8PM. Her focus is low porosity hair. She's also on Instagram. Her tips have helped me.
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I cant believe that i am subscribed to her on youtube but have never watched any of her videos. I will start watching them tonight.
 
Smiley79 said:
@nothidden wow thank you so much for taking the time to look into them. Since last year i stopped reading product ingredients. As i mentioned before, i basically just accepted my hair for being a brillo pad and i bought whatever i liked for my hair, so what youve mentioned may very well ge applicable to my hair issue. No i am not using any products for my alopecia other than a foam once a month for my scalp inflammation. What i will do is finish up the products that i have real quick and in the meantime get back to incorporating a simplified regimen usung some components of the MHM method. I didnt like using baking soda anf bentonite clay in one session, so i need to research a better process, and i need to figure out why my hair became a bit more limp during that method.
@faithVA really kept that thread alive so i will go revisit it and see what works for me.
Click to expand...
If you are referring to MHM, most of us stop using the baking soda long ago. We found only needed it to jump start. Using the clay is enough and then sticking to a light leave-in or a very diluted one. And most of us switched to the rhassoul. A lot of things changed and the regimen got much easier.
 
Smiley79 said:
Okay thanks for the update @faithVA do you still incorporate the baking soda in your fegi from time to time?
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No I have used baking soda in over a year. I do Dubai Dee's method when I do MHM. I use clay and dropped all of the conditioner. I found for my hair it was the conditioners that caused a lot of the problem. They felt good initially but they coat my strands so my leave ins were never getting to my hair.

So I can do a leave in or a conditioner but not both. But the leave in works better diluted because it doesnt build up as much. Since I've stopped conditioning so much my hair is better.
 
Smiley79 said:
Along that thought, i even asked the stylists at my local natural hair salon, they basically suggest frequent moisture treatments for my hair.

Another thing i forgot to mention is that i also took the time to look at my health in corelation to my hair complaints....docotor visits, blood work, my diet and water intake. The derm appt revealed the alopecia, my health is all well, my diet is balanced and i can always do better when it comes to drinking water. I forgot to mention that point since it can be a factor when it comes to our hair. I did consider becoming a vegetarian/vegan to see if that would help but i havent commited to anything yet.
Click to expand...
Maybe google or check out the threads that address tea/coffee rinses. Yesterday I read that the caffeine in green tea stimulates the hair follicles, while alopecia attacks them. I've also read that it suppresses a hormone which causes hair loss. I know from experience that it definitely decreases shedding.

When I was into MHM I remember having a bad experience w/baking soda after months of having no issues, but that was the last time I used it. The MHM original version worked for me, Dubai Dee's did not. My hair likes conditioners, and if I warm them before applying, my hair likes them even more.

If you go the vegan/vegetarian route maybe look into protein powders for shakes or smoothies. The one I use contains a lot of hair-healthy ingredients (garden of life, raw protein). Also my multi-vitamin contains a natural source of Biotin (megafoods one daily). While some reach their hair goals w/o a change in diet, I've found that this approach has made my hair flourish, but I did it for overall health not my hair.
 
faithVA said:
No I have used baking soda in over a year. I do Dubai Dee's method when I do MHM. I use clay and dropped all of the conditioner. I found for my hair it was the conditioners that caused a lot of the problem. They felt good initially but they coat my strands so my leave ins were never getting to my hair.

So I can do a leave in or a conditioner but not both. But the leave in works better diluted because it doesnt build up as much. Since I've stopped conditioning so much my hair is better.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I will loon into that as well because I use tons of conditioner, sometimes 2 or 3 (pre-poo, dc and leave in) in one session. Btw, I love how your hair in the avi has definition after twisting it. That is my goal for my hair.
 
nothidden said:
Maybe google or check out the threads that address tea/coffee rinses. Yesterday I read that the caffeine in green tea stimulates the hair follicles, while alopecia attacks them. I've also read that it suppresses a hormone which causes hair loss. I know from experience that it definitely decreases shedding.

When I was into MHM I remember having a bad experience w/baking soda after months of having no issues, but that was the last time I used it. The MHM original version worked for me, Dubai Dee's did not. My hair likes conditioners, and if I warm them before applying, my hair likes them even more.

If you go the vegan/vegetarian route maybe look into protein powders for shakes or smoothies. The one I use contains a lot of hair-healthy ingredients (garden of life, raw protein). Also my multi-vitamin contains a natural source of Biotin (megafoods one daily). While some reach their hair goals w/o a change in diet, I've found that this approach has made my hair flourish, but I did it for overall health not my hair.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tips. Clearly I have a few months of experimenting ahead of me to figure out what my hair responds best to. I will have to start with a few products/methods at a time and tailor it accordingly. I remember doing tea rinses before and liking it, the funny thing is that I ended up drinking all my teas before I could use them on my hair, smh, lolll.
 
For the clarifying step, do I specifically have to use a clarifying shampoo....I have the Giovanni Direct Tea tree shampoo on hand, so Im wondering if that would work as well.
 
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Smiley79 said:
For the clarifying step, do I specifically have to use a clarifying shampoo....I have the Giovanni Direct Tea tree shampoo on hand, so Im wondering if that would work as well.
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You don't have to use a clarifying shampoo. Most shampoos would work. Clay also works. Most things wash off our hair fairly easy.
 
AgeinATL said:
I cosign with everything they put in the article. I have had success with these tips. The only thing that doesn't agree with my hair is using shea butter. Um, NO. It can be in a product, but shea butter by itself is a no.
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I second this

I would also add that heat works well but I've also found that extending the time of things works well. I can use a plastic cap and let it sit for a while can often work better than heat because my cuticles need time to open and then absorb. They may not absorb much in 20 minutes with heat.

I just clued myself in on something I was missing.
 
faithVA said:
I second this

I would also add that heat works well but I've also found that extending the time of things works well. I can use a plastic cap and let it sit for a while can often work better than heat because my cuticles need time to open and then absorb. They may not absorb much in 20 minutes with heat.

I just clued myself in on something I was missing.
Click to expand...

This. I too find that the longer I DC, the better my results. I use heat AND extend the time and I have excellent results. I realized that my hair needs a minute to open so like you said, short DC times don't really work for me. I DC with heat for a minimum of an hour and my hair is left soft and moisturized every time.
 
faithVA said:
You don't have to use a clarifying shampoo. Most shampoos would work. Clay also works. Most things wash off our hair fairly easy.
Click to expand...

Ok, good to know. I would like to resume using the bentonite clay, that was my favorite step of the MHM. I havent had a chance to try rhassoul clay. Im gonna look for where i can buy it.
 
@Smiley79 I don't experiment a lot with different products but I like AO White Camellia as a DC. Gonna test out two new ones from Soultanicals when they arrive. I don't use a leave-in. My hair is low to normal porosity.
 
AgeinATL said:
This. I too find that the longer I DC, the better my results. I use heat AND extend the time and I have excellent results. I realized that my hair needs a minute to open so like you said, short DC times don't really work for me. I DC with heat for a minimum of an hour and my hair is left soft and moisturized every time.
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Yeah I'm going to have to figure it out. I don't have an hour to DC and then do everything else that needs to happen. I've got a 3 hour window so hopefully I can get something that works.
 
Smiley79 said:
Ladies, Which conditioners and leave-ins are working best for your low porosity hair lately?
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When I do DC I like Naturelle Grows Herbal Blends. I'm still trying to figure out leave ins but I like As I Am and kknt. I can't use a conditioner in my hair as a leave in. It's way too heavy even diluted. I also like Terraveda Organix Carmeltini.
 
I had just purchased Mielle Organics Barbassou conditioner last month, so im going to see how that works on my hair after im done with the cbsmoothe.
I also looked at the product list from the mhm method, i will keep them in mind for my nexr purchases.
 
I'm letting my hair air dry now. I'm going to try applying my leave-in to damp hair. As usual I'm running out of time and I still need to get my hair styled so I can go to bed. Not sure how I'm going to style it.
 
Smiley79 said:
Ladies, Which conditioners and leave-ins are working best for your low porosity hair lately?
Click to expand...
I have mixed low - normal porosity. I tend to only use conditioners as a pre-poo or as a moisturizer on weekends or chill days. For this I use Tresemme Naturals (discontinued) and DevaCurl One Condition Decadence. I have used both as a leave-in when mixed w/distilled or coconut water. This worked out ok but not as good as using Kinky Curly Knot Today. When I began letting my hair grow out in 2014, Kinky Curly products left me unimpressed. Now, I have a stash. My hair loves this stuff.

I also use Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle conditioner but only as a pre-poo. If I leave it too long, my hair is left feeling rough. But when it's in and out (about 5 mins), my hair curls up and is really soft and manageable.
 
shawnyblazes said:
the best thing I ever bought that helped my hair retain moisture is a steamer. It makes anything I put on my head absorb better. I even sit under it when I do a henna.

Ive had mine a long time and its time to buy another one as its leaking.
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Yeah, steaming is the best, but I have become terribly inconsistent meaning I'm too lazy to roll it out and set it up. Mine won't run on low anymore, so I'm (low-key) in the market for a new one.
 
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