Hi everyone!
I'm new to the boards and thought I'd make my first post with this thread. I have always been interested in healthy hair care. My mom (R.I.P.) and my aunt were both hairdressers and so I was spoiled as a child through my teenage years with having them always take care of my hair. My hair has always been fairly healthy and around shoulder-length aside from the one time I got it cut into a reverse-chin-length bob and another time when I messed it up terribly:
I was using peroxide and Sun-in without rinsing it out and I didn't tell my mom. My hair color changes naturally with the sun and she just thought it was lightening on its own. When she went to give me a relaxer the day before my HS senior pictures, it broke off severely, all the way to the new growth in several places. You can't tell from how beautiful my pictures came out though. The longer hair on top covered the broken-off parts, but it was pretty bad. I cried. My mom, being the goddess that she was, made magic of my hair for the pictures. After that, my hair continued to fall out with each shampoo, but several, several protein treatments later and following the heavy use of fermodyll, it finally recovered. I couldn't wear it in a ponytail for a couple of months due to the lack of hair in the front of my head though.
Now, ever since I graduated from college back in 2002 and moved away from my family and when my mom passed away in 2005, I have been neglecting my hair BIG TIME
The only reason it has grown so much is due to pregnancy (3 kids, 5, 2 and 3 months) and just overall laziness. I have been wearing ponytails and buns for about 3 years now because I just haven't dedicated the time to my hair that it deserves.
Right now, my hair is about APL and though its in fair shape, I've been experiencing a LOT of breakage lately, probably due to overprocessing. I have been stretching relaxers (1-2 a year myself for the past 3 years and then getting virgin relaxers professionally done when it just gets too much to handle. Up until last week, I really thought that all of that hair on the floor was normal. I figured it was just shedding. Now, I realize it is breakage, and most likely for me, due to a SERIOUS lack of moisture and those overlapping virgin relaxers.
So, I googled something last week (can't remember what it was atm) that led me to the BHM forums. I was amazed at all of the gorgeous hair that I saw! I always figured that women of color are either blessed with great hair-growing genes (my sister's hair has always grown very long, strong and beautiful, and her daughter's hair is the same way. They both have very thick hair). Now I know that anyone can grow their hair long if they take the time to care for it.
From BHM, I viewed several members' profiles and eventually stumbled upon LHCF and I feel that this will be my home!
My current goal starts of course with me first nursing my hair back to health. I plan on texlaxing with Phyto Step 1, and I have a regimen picked out that I will begin this week as soon as my newly ordered products arrive. I have a Mason Pearson rake comb on the way too, and I'm trying to talk DH into getting me a Pibbs lol. PJ before I even start haha! I think that full Mid-back length hair would be a good goal for me by year's end.
My children are half Puerto Rican, and have beautiful curly hair. My son's hair is cut short, so its extremely low maintenance. My middle child has type 3a-b hair, very pretty, bouncy ringlets that are super super soft and I suspect that my 2nd daughter's hair will be about the same texture. I'm about a 3c. During those long relaxer stretches, I thought I was going natural, but I just got too fed-up with the tangles and unmanageability of it all. A lot of it was just due to me not knowing how to take care of my hair though.
So, thank you for having me. I'm looking forward to this and to getting to know you all better!!!
. My hair was flat. So I am wearing my hair in my ole faithful ponytail
. I've come to love and accept this ponytail. I used to think it was boring but it is really a lifesaver.
....ummmm....I just bought a steamer. I have not received i yet, but I will let you know how it turns out when I get it...
FM Hold on just a minute!!!! You know we need details girl 
!!!!
We are SO glad to have you. I used to use the Sun-In in secret as well!!!
...you can always go back...im been doing alot of researh and trying to come familiar with my texture...im still not sure what texture my hair is...lol...but I also found this salon not to far from my house called Uncle Funky's daughter and from what I read they are great and they also help with the transitioning process....I think imma try it out...hopefully I can stretch and do it....i like the versitility and I also like the fact that it can handle much more that way