I'm not setting any more growth goals for at least a year. I realized that everytime I set the goal, I reached it but then some catastrophe would occur and all my progress would be gone. After this happened a couple of times I realized that I was putting my focus in the wrong place. My hair grows with no problem, so I kind of took for granted anything that I did or failed to do to my hair.
I didn't have a good working regimen, or I would come up with one that looked good on paper but didn't work in real life. Or I would get some kind of good regimen, but I wouldn't stick with it. I'd get lazy. During all this, somehow my hair would still grow so nothing would really change.
My wake up call came this summer when I reached my goal of shoulder length. And to top it off, I had a tail that was reaching for my arm pit. It was the longest my hair had been since 2002. And then I lost it all and then some. I think this loss was the most devastating because in addition to breakage, I lost half of my bulk, my volume. I have always had thick hair so this was very hard for me. And the worst part of it all was that I did it to myself.
So this has been a good learning experience. I have learned and am learning some good valuable basics in hair care that I should have been paying attention to all along: good moisture/protein balance, low heat, keeping the hair tied up at night. You know basics.
I also had to pay attention to the products I was using. For the longest I used whatever seemed good instead of what my hair really responded to. I really saw this with my reconstructor issue. I am loyal to the Paul mitchell Line but his reconstructor was too harsh for my hair. But you couldn't tell me that. You couldn't tell me anything because my hair was growing and I reached all my goals.
So even though this summer was devastating, I've learned my lesson. No more growth goals for 1 year. I'm going to focus on my new regimen. I've tried it for 2 weeks so it looks good on paper and it works in real life. My hair looks good despite what happened this summer so I'm good to go. I think that length will be a good side effect but one I refuse to focus on. Besides, I have hair that still has to play catch up.
Here is My New Regimen
Products:
Vitale Lye Relaxer Line(relaxer, neutralizing shampoo and other related products)
Joico Silk Result Shampoo and Conditioner
Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner
Joico K Pak Reconstructor
Paul Mitchel SuperCharged Moisture Deep Conditioner
Paul Mitchel "The Conditioner"
Sweet Almond or Kemi Oyl
La Bella Gel, Blue, #10
Regimen
1. Straight for one week
2. Wet and wavy/curly for 3-5 days in the winter, 1 week in the summer
Cycle
1. Straight
a. Wash with Joico Silk Result Shampoo
b. Condition with Joico Silk Result Conditioner
c. Let the conditioner sit on the hair with a cap for 1 hour
d. Rinse Joico Silk Result Conditioner from the hair
e. Pat hair dry with a towel and distribute quarter size amount of oil (Kemi
or Sweet Almond) on the crown, hair line and nape.
f. Distribute Quarter size amt of "The Conditiner" onto the hair.
g. Part hair into 3 sections: left and right crown and the middle/back.
h. At each part line add 3 drops of oil.
i. Massage in "The Conditioner" into each section.
j. Braid the two front sections and pin them up.
k. Starting at the back, make a horizontal part 2 inches from the nape
l. Using a hand held blow dryer with wide tooth comb attatchment, dry
that section. Do this for each section.
m. When the hair is completely dry, flat iron the hair in the same pattern
as drying.
n. wrap the hair at bed time.
Blow dry temperature: low
Flat iron setting : medium
During the week touch up on low heat with the flat iron
2. Wet and wavy/curly
I. Winter
Day 1
At the end of the week of straight, wash hair with HE Hello Hydration
Shampoo. Massage in the HE HH conditioner and rinse. Add a quarter
size of oil to the entire head. Put LaBella Gel on the edges and "The
Conditioner on the ends. At night braid the hair and wear a scarf.
Day 2
Do a quick CW with HE HH conditioner. Rinse well. Part hair into 4
sections. Add equal amounts of Joico K Pak reconstructor to each
section. Leave on for a total of 5-6 minutes. Rinse very well. Add
Paul Mitchel "Super Charged Moisture" Deep conditioner. Leave in the
hair anywhere from 15 min to 1 hour. Rinse well and continue as in day
1.
For the rest of the Wet and Wavy/Curly period, CW as needed. Styling
options include: Bun, braid out, twist out, bantu knots, braids. Basically
anything that doesn't require heat. Depending on the state of the hair
always ensure that the hair is not out at bedtime. Braid it, or twist it
so that it doesn't come loose during the night.
Summer
To be updated in April/May 2008.
Trims
Major trims with each relaxer touch up. Dusting as needed.
Relaxer and Touch ups
Every 2-3 months depending on new growth and overall state of the
hair. Next touch up due Dec/Jan 2008.
I didn't have a good working regimen, or I would come up with one that looked good on paper but didn't work in real life. Or I would get some kind of good regimen, but I wouldn't stick with it. I'd get lazy. During all this, somehow my hair would still grow so nothing would really change.
My wake up call came this summer when I reached my goal of shoulder length. And to top it off, I had a tail that was reaching for my arm pit. It was the longest my hair had been since 2002. And then I lost it all and then some. I think this loss was the most devastating because in addition to breakage, I lost half of my bulk, my volume. I have always had thick hair so this was very hard for me. And the worst part of it all was that I did it to myself.
So this has been a good learning experience. I have learned and am learning some good valuable basics in hair care that I should have been paying attention to all along: good moisture/protein balance, low heat, keeping the hair tied up at night. You know basics.
I also had to pay attention to the products I was using. For the longest I used whatever seemed good instead of what my hair really responded to. I really saw this with my reconstructor issue. I am loyal to the Paul mitchell Line but his reconstructor was too harsh for my hair. But you couldn't tell me that. You couldn't tell me anything because my hair was growing and I reached all my goals.
So even though this summer was devastating, I've learned my lesson. No more growth goals for 1 year. I'm going to focus on my new regimen. I've tried it for 2 weeks so it looks good on paper and it works in real life. My hair looks good despite what happened this summer so I'm good to go. I think that length will be a good side effect but one I refuse to focus on. Besides, I have hair that still has to play catch up.
Here is My New Regimen
Products:
Vitale Lye Relaxer Line(relaxer, neutralizing shampoo and other related products)
Joico Silk Result Shampoo and Conditioner
Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner
Joico K Pak Reconstructor
Paul Mitchel SuperCharged Moisture Deep Conditioner
Paul Mitchel "The Conditioner"
Sweet Almond or Kemi Oyl
La Bella Gel, Blue, #10
Regimen
1. Straight for one week
2. Wet and wavy/curly for 3-5 days in the winter, 1 week in the summer
Cycle
1. Straight
a. Wash with Joico Silk Result Shampoo
b. Condition with Joico Silk Result Conditioner
c. Let the conditioner sit on the hair with a cap for 1 hour
d. Rinse Joico Silk Result Conditioner from the hair
e. Pat hair dry with a towel and distribute quarter size amount of oil (Kemi
or Sweet Almond) on the crown, hair line and nape.
f. Distribute Quarter size amt of "The Conditiner" onto the hair.
g. Part hair into 3 sections: left and right crown and the middle/back.
h. At each part line add 3 drops of oil.
i. Massage in "The Conditioner" into each section.
j. Braid the two front sections and pin them up.
k. Starting at the back, make a horizontal part 2 inches from the nape
l. Using a hand held blow dryer with wide tooth comb attatchment, dry
that section. Do this for each section.
m. When the hair is completely dry, flat iron the hair in the same pattern
as drying.
n. wrap the hair at bed time.
Blow dry temperature: low
Flat iron setting : medium
During the week touch up on low heat with the flat iron
2. Wet and wavy/curly
I. Winter
Day 1
At the end of the week of straight, wash hair with HE Hello Hydration
Shampoo. Massage in the HE HH conditioner and rinse. Add a quarter
size of oil to the entire head. Put LaBella Gel on the edges and "The
Conditioner on the ends. At night braid the hair and wear a scarf.
Day 2
Do a quick CW with HE HH conditioner. Rinse well. Part hair into 4
sections. Add equal amounts of Joico K Pak reconstructor to each
section. Leave on for a total of 5-6 minutes. Rinse very well. Add
Paul Mitchel "Super Charged Moisture" Deep conditioner. Leave in the
hair anywhere from 15 min to 1 hour. Rinse well and continue as in day
1.
For the rest of the Wet and Wavy/Curly period, CW as needed. Styling
options include: Bun, braid out, twist out, bantu knots, braids. Basically
anything that doesn't require heat. Depending on the state of the hair
always ensure that the hair is not out at bedtime. Braid it, or twist it
so that it doesn't come loose during the night.
Summer
To be updated in April/May 2008.
Trims
Major trims with each relaxer touch up. Dusting as needed.
Relaxer and Touch ups
Every 2-3 months depending on new growth and overall state of the
hair. Next touch up due Dec/Jan 2008.
This time I didn't listen to her
so she had to get my attention!!!
I kept this madness up until one day I wore my hair in a pony tail and realized that it was a skinny skeleton of my former lushness
