Naturals: WORST mistakes you ever made as a natural?

[PhonyBaloney500]

Back in junior high/high school days--Detangling by combing dry hair with a pick (tufts of hair lost). Then after washing, combing my hair out again (thought I was supposed to). Never saw my curls, thus. Not using conditioner consistently. Using curling irons to curl my hair. Getting lazy with detangling such that I ended up with a piece of dreadlocked hair in the middle of my head. :-/

Recently--ugh pressed for the first time and some of my strands got heat damaged. Could be worst but still. Baaaad move. Not deep conditioning consistently (back on the wagon though).

 

[ceedeelight]

Going to my licensed hairstylist friend who use to do my hair when it was relaxed. Said she can do my natural hair and ended up dis-satisfied with the process.
The process you ask: Wash, condition, THEN SIT ME UNDER A HAIR DRYER AND AFTER THAT PROCEEDED TO DETANGLE MY DRY HAIR with a fine tooth comb and detangle it. The flat iron job was nice, but thank God I didn't lose a lot of hair!!!
Rest assured I have not been back since. She's still a friend, but I do my own hair now.

 

[laurend]

Two things, getting my hair straightened by the Egyptians in Chicago(1998), too much heat and my hair broke off. In 2000, I wanted to try a new hairstyle and I got a straw set. My hair was so tangled, I thought I was going have to cut it off. My DH helped me detangle and he told me, never get that hairstyle again.

 

[luxe.li.]

Well my worst was just last month. My hair has been doing really great. This is my second time natural n I wish I would have found LCHF sooner. Last month within a spain of 5 days I colored my hair 3 times and bleached it twice. Needlsy to say I was smoking some good crack to think my hair would be alright bx it ws natural. Well yup u guessed it I had orange straight hair and I lost a patch in the back, yes I live and I learn. I started immediately on aphogee protein, oil and moisturizers (luv luv luv n thanks to the ladies here and nappy natural) my hair has given me another try and did not laugh at me and fall out.

Will I do it again h____ll to the naw my hair may not give me a second chance.

That was my experience. I BC'd in Dec, grew a 1" and had to cut that 1" off because I dyed my hair 3 times in one week and the first dye job was fine, the 2nd job was fine, the 3rd time when I tried to give myself tips, blistered my ends and I had to CHOP CHOP CHOP them off.

Now I've grown about 1/2" of new growth since the dye job in 3 weeks which I'm happy about......

 

[Sha76]

my worst was getting relaxer again.

but second would be using a blow dryer to blow out my fro.

 

[RavenMaven]

Using heat with my egg treatment. It's no fun picking scrambled eggs out of your hair!

Eggs are great for hair...just don't heat 'em up.

lmao!! well i guess things like that can slip by

 

[Chiba_revolution]

buuuuuuuuump

 

[MummysGirl]

This is a fantastic post! Thanks for sharing everyone! I am gathering as much information as I can so that when I do my BC, I will have a lot to work with.

 

[Pooks]

My worst mistake (pre LHCF and healthy hair practices) was getting my hair hard pressed over and over and over and over until it was permanently heat damaged, thin and lifeless. Never again.

 

[BlondeByDesire]

Bumping ... this is a wealth of knowledge for us 2009 transitioners ...

 

[Loves Harmony]

Going to hairstylist that didnt have knowledge of straighten natural hair.... Last thanksgiving my hair was fried

 

[hair_rehab]

The only mistakes I've made so far since being natural (almost two months) is not doing it sooner, and becoming a raging product junkie within the first two weeks. I guess I got too excited, lol.

Thanks to you guys I've learned so much about natural hair that hopefully I won't make too many mistakes!

 

[oreoday99]

Before LHCF, I just didn't care about my natural hair at all via keeping it under weaves, braids, and wigs and never taking care of it underneath. I wouldn't give my poor hair a break. I would literally take braids out, shampoo with sulfate product, conditioner for three mins, then blow dry straight, slap some petrolium grease on my scalp and all over my hair and finally have braids or weave put right back into my hair. ALL IN ONE DAY. Now I'm trying to correct that mistake. At the moment I have braids (first time in almost a year btw I wore wigs during the year still didn't take care of my hair underneath), however I did them myself then made my own braid spray with aloe vera gel, coconut oil and a little veggie glycerin.

 

[mscocoface]

Knowing that if I would of had this knowledge when I first went natural I would have tailbone length hair now. Stretched of course!

 

[GoingNatural]

getting hot combed instead of a roller set

 

[Qurlyqt]

The Ouidad cut! Set me waaaaaaaay back... but I'm dramatic! My sister was like, "Noooo, you are NOT crying over a hair cut! It will grow back."

 

[JinaRicci]

My worst mistakes would have to be: 1) not realizing that my natural hair needed different care than my relaxed hair and 2) not chopping off those relaxed ends sooner when I first went natural- transitioning just kept me back.

 

[Southernbella.]

Before LHCF, I just didn't care about my natural hair at all via keeping it under weaves, braids, and wigs and never taking care of it underneath. I wouldn't give my poor hair a break. I would literally take braids out, shampoo with sulfate product, conditioner for three mins, then blow dry straight, slap some petrolium grease on my scalp and all over my hair and finally have braids or weave put right back into my hair. ALL IN ONE DAY. Now I'm trying to correct that mistake. At the moment I have braids (first time in almost a year btw I wore wigs during the year still didn't take care of my hair underneath), however I did them myself then made my own braid spray with aloe vera gel, coconut oil and a little veggie glycerin.

Your hair is gorgeous!

 

[natural_one]

shampooing everyday
Not separating my hair at night, just throwing a scarf on it. Of course it was a big matted mess.
Not conditioner washing
Being afraid of curl definers
Being very natural-militant!
Not being creative enough with my styles

Because of all those things I am transitioning now..I am almost 3 mtns post, looking to go 6 before I BC.

 

[prettywhitty]

Shampooing with sulfates.
Not DC'ing because I was doing CW's with cones, then using gel on my ends and wondering why my hair was so dry.

I have since gotten rid of the cones and sulfates and my hair is starting to make a turnaround.

 

[RavenMaven]

come on, keep the education rolling, ladies!

 

[Sui Topi]

Pressing my hair frequently during and right after my transition. My hair was as dry, coarse, shrunken, dense, unmanageable as it is possible to get. I would press my hair several times a week and put oil or moisturizer on dry hair, which just dried my hair out more. I had not as yet found LHCF, and once I did in 2005, I stopped pressing my hair altogether and have only flat-ironed about five times since then. I was trying to tame my hair with heat, but what really/actually tamed my hair (got my hair to behave) was moisture, moisture, moisture and I haven't looked back. I started co-washing nearly every night and used a bit of oil like almond, avocado, olive, etc. on wet hair and then sealed with shea butter. The first time I did this, I woke up with moisturized, non-greasy hair and it was wonderful. That is where I turned the corner because my transition and right after was hellish.

Now, of course, I have evolved beyond that to using aloe vera mixed with a creamy leave-in (my current favorite is Surya Henna's volume reducer with tucuma and cupuaca butters) after co-washing or rinsing and sealing with whatever butter I have on hand. My current butter mixture is ghee, wheat germ butter, avocado, castor, camellia and monoi oils. The more moisturized my hair is, the looser the curl and wave pattern and it is pretty much non-existent at this point. People are constantly saying to me now that I have "good" hair and I think, "No one was saying this three years ago, so how did I suddenly get good hair?"


(For the record, I do not believe in good/bad hair. I believe in properly cared for hair and improperly cared for hair.)

You are always plugging that whole Aloe Vera thing and I must say I listened to you, and it is one thing I don't think I am every taking out of my routine. It is the first thing I put on my damp hair followed by conditioner and then whatever oil gets on my hair from my scalp. Honestly my hair is so soft now, and I tried this with just conditioner and it didn't have the same results. Thank you so much!

erplexedusing wash n goes as a main style. doing this constantly gives me single strand knots galore.

There it is. Combine that with no protein, co washing into a wng daily, raking a comb through my hair daily during said cowash. My ends are disgusting. I can say though since March, I've been co-washing every other day, using protein regularly, finger combing exclusively, and making sure to air dry in some sort of stretched style ( six plaits, 3 on each side). My hair is so happy and I think is retaining at least 90%. It also feels extremely thicker, but I will see the difference when I flat iron in June.

 

[Stormy]

Well I've only been natural for two months so I'm still learning, but I just have to say this because it's not the norm for most of you ladies. The WORST mistake I've made so far is combing my natural hair daily when wet! That's right my twa which has grown quite a bit now looooves to be combed DRY! I'm telling yall the only time I can comb it wet and not see any hair in the comb is if I'm washing it. So if it has shampoo or conditioner in it when I comb it's okay, but daily spraying or wetting and combing is a no no for my hair. If I comb my hair while it's wet or even very damp I'll get quite a few hairs in the comb (or pick), but when dry NO HAIRS! Well... if it's early morning and a little matted I might get one or two, but that's it, barely noticable.

Different strokes for different folks I tell ya.

 

[cutiebe2]

thinking I coul wash my hair and not detangle...omg sooo many knots

I keep my hair stretched all the time now, it just cannot shrink up without tangling (I need it in braids, braidouts, etc)

 

[NaturallyGraceful]

Coloring(going lighter).
My hair was perfect & then I just had to color it. The colored hair texture feels entirely different & responds differently to product than the virgin hair and I only got split ends after I colored.
I was pre warned that coloring hair was indeed a "process" and I found out the hard way that it's true.
I do love color, but going forward I will only add a few highlights or something-no complete coverage.

 

[spelmanlocks]

I'm no longer natural, but when I was I used to press my hair every two weeks for years. Over time my hair texture changed and my hair became so damaged it was breaking off like mad. Another mistake was not taking the time to properly learn how to care for my natural hair in general.

 

[TheQueenBeeMaya]

washing my hair every 3 weeks-month. just plain nasty !

 

[Skiggle]

Subscribing..

 

[Oasis]

-Jumping on every bandwagon.
-Not giving things time or modifying them to fit my hair needs but just completely giving up.
-Moisturizing my naturally, very dry hair only sporadically.
-DCing infrequently.
-Dry combing. I cringe just thinking about it.
-Washing my hair loose.

 

[winona]

Constantly cutting my ends thinking they were split, when they really just needed TLC. I would have much longer hair by now if I had not cut it so much.

O Boy did I. I know I definately set myself way back because of this one. Now I just do search and destroys on single strand knots and dust MYSELF whenever I need it.

I've made a few starting with:

1) Mistaking my co-rinsing for co-washing and then wondering why I have so much build up on my scalp....ewww.
I thought it was just me. I really didnt get the concept b4 I was onto this bandwagon

2) Thinking that because I co-washing (really rinsing) daily, and didn't need a dc at all.
3) Not respecting the moisture/protein balance thing. My hair needs both too much of either is a no - no for me.
4) During my transition I had braids and I didn't detangle before I washed (I really didn't know any better) and I ended up losing handfuls of hair. I cried every time I took them down.

Combing and trying to Detangle my hair while Dry!!
Not Detangling My hair Enough!
Trying to Flat iron my hair!!!(Never Again)

What a disaster both attempts

Not enough moisture
Not enough DC's[/QUOTE]


and I was wondering why my ends felt ughhh

Hmmm. Good thread.

(1) Not combing from the ends up when detangling.
(2) Not covering my hair with a satin scarf at night.
(3) Using shampoo with every wash.
(4) Thinking that my hair would look like or act like another natural's hair just because we APPEARED to share similar textures or lengths.

What a learning experience. This experience has really taught me to love me for me.

Thankfully, I figured out my issues quickly. The past 7 years have been awesome.

-Jumping on every bandwagon.
-Not giving things time or modifying them to fit my hair needs but just completely giving up.

Do you mean Jun Bugs super duper growth oil really gave you 2 inches in one month LOL Gurl I got to try that LOL

-Moisturizing my naturally, very dry hair only sporadically.
-DCing infrequently.
-Dry combing. I cringe just thinking about it.
-Washing my hair loose.