I know that I am late, but I just saw this. I have requested before, to be adopted before I even knew you had an adopt a newbie challenge. I was natural (but I never did a big chop) for 4 years until November 2007. I put in a ORS olive oil relaxer at that time. By late January 2008, my hair started breaking very badly. I ran into a colleague who was a former-coworker of Carolyn Gray (of Blackwomansguide.com, creator of Healthy Hair in a Bottle products, and author of How to Have Healthier Hair in 6 Weeks ed.1-3). She shared with me the websites she consults about hair. This forum was one of them. So around February 2008, I started lurking this site. I started doing the baggy method and wearing wigs and buns as protective styling.
I've been following some of the regimens and I think I've become a product junkie. My moisturizing shampoos are: CON and Aphogee. My others or clarifiers (I think) are: Parnevu, Pantene Pro-V, Suave Humectant, Cantu. My conditioners are: Queen Helene Cholesterol, LeKair Cholesterol, Parnevu, Suave Humectant, Pantene Pro-V, QPElasta DPR-11, Mizzani Moisturefuse, Keracare Humecto, CON Nurishing conditioner, and Cantu. My leave-ins are: Apho-ghee Green Tea Reconstructor, Apho-ghoee 2 min. protein treatment, Canu Shea-Butter Leav-in, ElastQP Mango butter, Hollywood Carrot and Olive Oils, S-Curl, Moisture Max Hair Moisture Replacement Mist (luv this). My sealers are: Hot Six Oil Mist, a mixture of glycerin, aloe vera, castor oil, and wild growth oil. I also have just bought some Equate MN 2% from Wal-Mart (yesterday). I also bought some vanilla yogurt to use on my hair. I also use Seabreeze to cleanse my scalp in between co-washes and shampoos. I think I have too much stuff. I am trying them to see which ones I really like on my hair.
I still have some Infusium 23, some ORS soy and tea tree oil, some Oil Sheen protein treatment, some Moisture Max Olive Oil, some instant hair repair by Moisture Max, some BB's hair lotion w/ castor oil and a few others. I think I've become obsessed! There is a Beauty Supply just before you enter my neighborhood.
I need to be adopted by someone who is tried and true. I don't want to relax for a long time. When I co-wash and take good care of my hair, I don't feel I need a relaxer. I don't want to cut my hair either. It used to be very thick and long back in college and in my younger years. Now I have some thinning spots at the crown and temples. Probably in part from having Dooky braids done by this African lady who did it tooo tight
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Sorry to be so long-winded, but I really want my hair back. My mom just shampoos and conditions with Tresemme (which she started because of me in my younger days) and her hair is down her back. When I was in college, I just used CON and Queen Helene Cholesterol and sometimes Optimum. I also used Nexxus Therapy and the Aussie 3-minute Miracle Line.
Well, I gotta' go. Someone adopt me, please