my new regimen... advice needed please

[CarLiTa]

Hello ladies...
I decided to create a new regimen because I started band camp yesterday, and I'm not only trying to protect my hair from the excessive heat, but i'm also trying to have the maximum growth i can get. About 5 days a week for the next 4 months, I will be in the sun in Miami weather for about 2-3 hours... so, I need protection. So far, yesterday i wore my hat but then my hair sweated a lot and came out tangled and stuff especially since i'm 8 weeks post. Today, i added a silk scarf underneath the hat... it was better.

i'm not using my CON extra moisturizing shampoo b/c it SUCKS! my hair comes out terrible everytime i use it. Right now i'm loving Suave products *cheap and effective* until maybe later i'll buy a new shampoo that does the job. So, here goes my regimen:

- Co-wash every two days due to excessive sweating and dryness (with Suave Milk & Honey)
- Apply Infusium 23 (mixed with rose water), ORS olive oil, and maybe some avocado oil too in the mix.
- Air-dry in ponytail or do braidouts * i did my first partly-successful one on my birthday, so i'm excited about trying them again *
- On Saturdays, wash with shampoo, conditioner and deep condition WEEKLY, i dont wanna have to get a serious trim...NO SETBACKS PLEASE

Now i'm kinda unsure about the DAILY CARE... what do you think i should do?
I need something to keep my hair moist and moisturized... it's hard sicne i have dry hair...

-maybe i'll spritz my ends daily and put some oil on them... although that doesn't seem to do much... maybe i should use some grease (ORS) on my ends since my hair will be up most of the time...

-I have S-Curl but i haven't used it much...when should i use it? at night or in the morning? should i spritz my hair with some water or use it on dry hair?


Also , I read a post where Den1 said that she covered her hair with a plastic cap at night and got amazing growth. I wanna do that for the next four months too, to keep moisture in my hair and to see what it does for my growth. I've slept with the plastic cap at night twice already and i had put Avocado/Sweet almond oil on my scalp the first night... i was thinking of doing that every two nights, which would be the nights when i wash my hair. What do you think?

-I appreciate any feedback and suggestions!

 

[onepraying]

Hmmmm......your reg. sound good.

Do you plan to always wear a hat? If so, you can moisturize your hair real good using the S-curl or the other moisturizers you mention, cover with the plastic cap and then cover with the scarf and the don your hat.

If you plan to not wear the hat all day, yet keep it bunned, you can combat the dryness by creating a moisture mix (water, a little leave-in condis, moisturizer, s-curl and oil) and spray it on your head before and after practise.

For the braidouts: I'd do that once a week using shea butter and s-curl for maximum moisture. However, to me, this is exposing your hair to the unrelenting heat and sun of Miami. You don't want to cover the braidout with a hat, because, as you mentioned, you'll sweat and cause a tangled jungle....

Have you ever considered doing some cornrows? You can wear these all week covered with the plastic cap and hat OR uncovered, spritz with the moisture mix. Then you can unbraid for the braidout at the end of the week.

HtH

~op~

 

[sweetpeadst]

Hmmmm......your reg. sound good.

Do you plan to always wear a hat? If so, you can moisturize your hair real good using the S-curl or the other moisturizers you mention, cover with the plastic cap and then cover with the scarf and the don your hat.

If you plan to not wear the hat all day, yet keep it bunned, you can combat the dryness by creating a moisture mix (water, a little leave-in condis, moisturizer, s-curl and oil) and spray it on your head before and after practise.

For the braidouts: I'd do that once a week using shea butter and s-curl for maximum moisture. However, to me, this is exposing your hair to the unrelenting heat and sun of Miami. You don't want to cover the braidout with a hat, because, as you mentioned, you'll sweat and cause a tangled jungle....

Have you ever considered doing some cornrows? You can wear these all week covered with the plastic cap and hat OR uncovered, spritz with the moisture mix. Then you can unbraid for the braidout at the end of the week.

HtH

~op~

This a good suggestion!!

 

[CarLiTa]

Wow the idea of getting cornrows is pretty good! Do you think i should do them with my natural hair or get extensions???
i'm just really worried that if i get extensions that my hair will dry out a lot... and at first i was thinking that maybe it'd be better to not have my hair in braids b/c that way, I would be able to wash it more often and keep the moisture in... but i'm seriously starting to abandon that idea, b.c my hair is starting to get REALLY dry and i have more shedding than usual, i'm thinking that my scalp may be dry too, which is why i shed so much.

The braids (extensions or not) would really help me to not shed or have breakage so much, and i'd be able apply the moisture mixture more easily and cover my head up with the plastic cap more easily too...

are there any natural extensions *as opposed to synthetic hair* that you could recomment? i've only used synthetic hair in the past and my hair was like 'snap, crackle, and pop'

 

[ElecEngnr]

So far your regimen sounds good. I don't think it's necessary to do the avocado/almond oil overnight thing every two days though, maybe you can try for once a week.

I'm a fan of buns for protective styling, have you tried this? It might help, you can just moisturize your ends daily and put your hair back in a bun during the week and then do the braidout on the weekends. HTH

 

[onepraying]

Wow the idea of getting cornrows is pretty good! Do you think i should do them with my natural hair or get extensions???
i'm just really worried that if i get extensions that my hair will dry out a lot... and at first i was thinking that maybe it'd be better to not have my hair in braids b/c that way, I would be able to wash it more often and keep the moisture in... but i'm seriously starting to abandon that idea, b.c my hair is starting to get REALLY dry and i have more shedding than usual, i'm thinking that my scalp may be dry too, which is why i shed so much.

The braids (extensions or not) would really help me to not shed or have breakage so much, and i'd be able apply the moisture mixture more easily and cover my head up with the plastic cap more easily too...

are there any natural extensions *as opposed to synthetic hair* that you could recomment? i've only used synthetic hair in the past and my hair was like 'snap, crackle, and pop'

You have beautiful hair and it is a good length.

Is your practise Monday-Friday? If it is, you could cornrow your hair straight back without the use of any kind of extensions or add-ins(but then I'm biased because I don't use any of that kind of thing ). It would probably be easier to cover with the cap too. Then wear a braid out on the weekend(they work so much better the longer the braids have been in). This would help you achieve your goal by:
1. not manipulating your hair so much, causing unwanted breakage, 2. continually keeping it moist.
3. you wouldn't need heat for 5 whole months!

You could basically call this your no manipulation, ultimate moisture challenge. (by default). During this "challenge" I'd probably wash my hair every two to three days and rebraid. You can alternate between the braids and the baggie ponytail method, still keeping it moist w/ or w/out the plastic cap. All this really depends on your schedule and your hair needs. You know what will work for you, you set the rules.

As far as your dry scalp is concerned, you need to find you a good oil to oil you scalp with. Something like, Jojoba or wild growth, I've read these oils combats dry scalp. Does anyone have any other oil suggestions?

You're sure to retain so much length girl!

btw, you hair will shed natually that's just a fact. With this non-manipulation, you'll see 'seemingly' more shed hairs. When, in fact, if you aren't combing hair regularly the shed hair just sits there. They need to be combed or brushed out, that's all..... So don't be alarmed when you take down your braids after a couple days or so you see more hair.

I pray all goes well!

Blessings to you.

~op~