Overcomplicated

[B_Phlyy]

And ladies let me clarify something - I am in no way attemping to be judgemental of those who choose to mix cocktails and extend their regimens. If that is what they are in to it is all cool.

I really want to find out from those who have done that did you really see tremendous results doing it or was it just extra work for mediocre or similar results so in the end we made someone very rich and still had to wait to achieve our length goal.

I have finally resolved myself to the fact that less is more. When I first joined LHCF in September / October 2005 I did the expanded regimens for 1 full year and while I did experience growth (hair does grow anyway about .5 a month) it wasn't anything extraordinary or something I would not have otherwise achieved staying on the same course I was on.

Well, my hair grows slow and is very dry, so I wasn't really looking for length per se, but a way to stop the hair from breaking. So I would mix protein and moisture conditioners together, instead of doing two steps, and usually it worked for me.

Unfortunately for me, it took a while to get the exact mixtures right, so I would usually run out of one part before the other. But once I'm finished with my current products, I think I will go back to my basic mixtures that I know work.

 

[sweetwhispers]

^ yeah i don't mix for growth but to make my hair feel better and it works. Henna- which is part of my culture/upbringing really isn't that complicated, and my DC of honey/castor oil/aphogee have really made my hair feel better than i can remeber.

 

[SilkyandSmooth]

Well, I keep it simple and my hair is just fine. It's healthy and the longest it's ever been. I got a touch-up last weekend and for the past week, everyone's been commenting on the length of my hair. Honestly, I don't have the patience for all that mixing.

 

[jtsupanova]

I'm a mixer but i actually do it to simplify my regimen. I mix infusium with my home made leave in so that I don't have to spray my hair from two different bottles. I mix olive oil and honey in suave for my pre poo because it cuts down both my detangling and my conditioning time.

 

[br0wney3z]

Thank you for starting this thread, it was really like the intervention I knew I needed. As a newbie, I have been so excited about learning all these new hair care techniques that I was becoming a slave to the products. I started mixing up all these different things together not even knowing what each was suppose to contribute to the greater health of my hair. After reading through the posts and looking through my now bluging product cabinet I have decided to take a step back and keep it simple. That way I can start to pinpoint what really works for my hair and what doesnt. Mixing together 10 different quantities of 20 different products will not allow me to know which one of those products my hair truly agrees with. Anyway, so the long and short of it is that I'm keeping it simple. I will only be mixing my cholesterol now, I did that yesterday, and I don't think in all my 22 years my hair has felt so soft, strong and moisturized all at the same time. I found love

 

[CAPlush]

I agree with the OP in that we should look to members who grew hair from shoulder length to mid back or waist to find the foundations of a solid regimen. Anything extra is for fun and to tweak a regimen to "optimize it" only.

Also, I think it is very difficult for newbies. When I first came here daily conditioner washes were all the craze, and I did not want to wash my hair every day, so I never developed a solid regimen. I did not have the time to scour the entire forum for a more reasonable regimen, so I never really grasped the basics. Since I have been here for the past 6 months or so, I've seen several trends gear up and die down. Oddly enough, reading Cathy Howse's book in B&N one day helped me to re-focus my efforts on what I believe actually matters to my hair. After I decided I did not require vitamins, topical growth aids, or "mixtures" to grow my hair, I just settled into a regimen that actually has me retaining the growth I do get and has me looking presentable every day, which are the 2 most important results of a good regimen to me. I'm not saying any of the extras are bad, but they are merely improvements on a solid protein/moisture balance, low manipulation regimen.

 

[justsimply]

I was lucky in that the first "rave" product that I tried made my hair feel like garbage. It was a quick lesson that everything doesn't work for everybody. So I concentrated on the routines. It was trial and error 'til I found products that work for me. But this opened my eyes to not try EVERYTHING. But I do try things that are interesting to me.

I tried vitamins that I never would have bought if I had not read about them here. Some I kept; some I dropped. The ones I kept were because I saw improvement in skin and nails. Although my hair has done an about face as far as condition and retention, I don't know if it's the vitamins, routine, products or all (since I've incorporated all in about a 4 mth period).

One of the things I like about the site is that there are so many things out there to try and see if it works for me; things I never would have thought of on my on. And if they work I keep and if not ... oh well.

 

[esoterica]

i have seen some pretty OTT regimens in my time here and almost none of them belonged to ladies brastrap or beyond.

 

[peacelove]

I think it is just finding what works for you.

I know that when I wear my hair straight (like in my siggy) it is do next to nothing. Just rake with a wide tooth comb, a dab of serum and go. Bonnet over my hair at night. But my no heat style is a condition wash and a single braid that I pin up. I find for me the best way to have my hair dry in this style is with a number of products - first I use surge spray, then leave in conditioner (I mix 2 of them) followed by a moisturizer like cantu shea or olive oil lotion, followed by kemi oil or some other oil. And I dab grease at the end of the braid. A lot of steps? Yea, but it works like a charm. And my little braid does not work the same if I don't do all of them. The moisture holds longer in my hair this way. So it really is about finding the system that works for you. I don't jump on every bandwagon here, though.

 

[Bublnbrnsuga]

LOL you are funny and love the fun loving pic in your signature. I know I am talking about myself when I saw "alot of people" as well as others who have not followed instructions in the past, totally figure I know better than the creator of the product to use it how I see fit and expect extraordinairie results. Am I being unreasonable? Umm, I have learned yes I was being unreasonable.

I do appreciate that I found my staple product from these boards which is Elucence shampoo and conditioner. I can appreciate I have learned that castor oil DOES seal in moisture and ORS Mayonnaise used as a pre-poo is PHENOMENAL! Anything more, for ME, will be overkill and really create diminishing returns.

And when we switch products, how do we know what really worked and/or if we break out or experience adverse effects - what did it?

I hear ya and to be honest with you, I am tired of trying to find the right mixture/products. I am sticking with my grease, dag nabit and I plan on keeping my hair box braided and cornrowed until December. I am tired.

 

[CurleeDST]

I feel you - I am tired too. If you keep box braids how frequently you taking them down?

 

[Lavendar]

And ladies let me clarify something - I am in no way attemping to be judgemental of those who choose to mix cocktails and extend their regimens. If that is what they are in to it is all cool.

I really want to find out from those who have done that did you really see tremendous results doing it or was it just extra work for mediocre or similar results so in the end we made someone very rich and still had to wait to achieve our length goal.

I have finally resolved myself to the fact that less is more. When I first joined LHCF in September / October 2005 I did the expanded regimens for 1 full year and while I did experience growth (hair does grow anyway about .5 a month) it wasn't anything extraordinary or something I would not have otherwise achieved staying on the same course I was on.

I am curious as to what you call an expanded regimen. I do pay attention to the different products people use if they match my hair type, but I never really paid much attention to their regimens. Before I had a regimen my hair growth/retention was less than 1/2 inch a month and has at least tripled. I basically developed my own right from the start, so my curiosity is really piqued about what an "expanded regimen" is and if mine is considered to be one. I wash and DC once a week, aphogee every 6 weeks, henna once a month, relax between 2 and 3 months, and trim every 3 months. I mix things in the DC and henna when I do them. Is that what makes a regimen expanded and complicated, cause you mix oils and things in your conditioner or because you choose to henna instead of using hair dye? Please explain!!!

Personally, I wouldn't remain a member of LHCF for years if all I ever got was mediocre or similar results. That, too, is a paid subscription and if it's not working, why bother. The point of joining was to make a change....get healthier and/or possibly longer hair through learning a better way to care for hair and with healthier living/vitamins, growth aids, natural/organic products, whatever. Reading and replying to threads year after year with mediocre or similar results would be much more complicated for me than using an "expanded regimen." I could spend my time in much more useful ways.....like trying to find a new mix that really DOES work!

 

[Divine Inspiration]

This is ironic...

For the longest, I felt the same way as CDST...that much of the mixing was just too much.

However, I was in an experimenting mood this weekend, and I mixed a yummy conditioner concoction...my hair was so SMOOTH and easy to detangle....and when it dried, it was seriously the softest it's been in a long time. So, I probably won't be doing that every week b/c I'm not into mixing like that, but I will say that sometimes mixing is purposeful and effective.

And I agree with Camellia. Coconut milk & honey are two ingredients that seem to enhance the performance of my conditioners as does castor oil. So, I guess "complicated" is subjective. I don't find my regimen complicated...I don't even moisturize every day...but on wash day, I'll add honey, cm, and castor oil to my DC and it does make a difference in my hair.

Great thread.

 

[Lavendar]

And I agree with Camellia. Coconut milk & honey are two ingredients that seem to enhance the performance of my conditioners as does castor oil. So, I guess "complicated" is subjective. I don't find my regimen complicated...I don't even moisturize every day...but on wash day, I'll add honey, cm, and castor oil to my DC and it does make a difference in my hair.

Great thread.

For the longest time I read about members using honey in their conditioners and I was like...EWWWW!! That's gotta be a sticky mess. I don't even remember what made me finally decide to try it, but I got some raw honey from the health food store and that was the best thing I could have ever done. I gives such a moisturizing boost to my conditioner and much more softness to my hair. It also makes the skin glow when applied as a face mask.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

For the longest time I read about members using honey in their conditioners and I was like...EWWWW!! That's gotta be a sticky mess. I don't even remember what made me finally decide to try it, but I got some raw honey from the health food store and that was the best thing I could have ever done. I gives such a moisturizing boost to my conditioner and much more softness to my hair. It also makes the skin glow when applied as a face mask.

YES!! I have been using it as a facial mask for the longest, but I had the same reaction when people spoke of putting in conditioner...but like you, when I tried it, I was VERY impressed...so much so that I continued adding a teaspoon to my mix each week.

I felt the same way about coconut milk. I was kind of like, "Can it really be THAT great?" I had my doubts, but I added to one of my DCs and the smooth, soft hair it left me with was more than enough to convince me. It's super light so it doesn't weigh my hair done, but my hair seems to "drink" the milk and love it. It's a DC staple too because it's cut my frizziness WAY down, and I love that.

The first conditioner additive I ever learned about was EVOO. I used it for the first year of my hair "journey" then I decided to experiment with some other oils. My hair has really taken a liking to cold pressed castor oil so I use that instead of the EVOO now. Regardless, oils have definitely improved my DCs performance as well.

 

[NuMe2004]

Ok folks I have read some people's routines and wanted to ask - why are people mixing up so many convoluted concoctions (i.e. mixing V05 with 8 different oils, 2 additional conditioners and honey for good measure)? Are you all really seeing that much improvement in hair condition and or length with it or are we overthinking this entire thing?

AMEN! Finally, someone said what I've been thinking all along. My eyes get tired trying to read some of the long hair care routines posted by some of the ladies. I agree in that it is not that complicated. I think all one needs to do is simply wash, condition, moisturize and periodically trim their hair. I also agree in that the less you manipulate/style your hair, the better.

 

[Kayluv]

Thank you for posting this because I thought I was the only one who noticed this. When I first began visiting this board it seems like some folk's regimen's require they invest hours into doing their hair. I became dizzy reading what some folks do. My first reaction was wow! I was seeking a less labor intensive method. However, some of the people with the longest, healthiest hair that I admire subscribe to the KISS principle. For a moment, I almost jumped on the product bandwagon but trying all these products cost alot of money. But, I am thankful to you ladies because I discovered ORS hair mayo.

 

[Softresses]

I too think that the bandwagon thing is a phase. My hair cannot tolerate a whole lot of things, it gets weighted down too easily. I love to save info on emergency treatments etc. I am a confessed accessory PJ fanatic!

I stumbled upon the fact that I "protective style." My love for upsweeps lead me to the internet, where if found Wanakee's site first, there she said that updos are protective. I found LHC, and then LHCF.
I have tried a few of the things mentioned (for growth etc) but stopped, because I realized that consistancy and gentle treatment alone works for me.

My routine:

CO wash, air dry, pin up
Every 4th month henna, texturize



Softresses

 

[LipGlassHoney]

I get the best results when I kept it simple. I spent so much time looking for my "holy grail" that I was coating my hair with junk constantly. I tried a combination and slowly took away items until I found what gave me the results I wanted.

 

[sweetwhispers]

I am curious as to what you call an expanded regimen. I do pay attention to the different products people use if they match my hair type, but I never really paid much attention to their regimens. Before I had a regimen my hair growth/retention was less than 1/2 inch a month and has at least tripled. I basically developed my own right from the start, so my curiosity is really piqued about what an "expanded regimen" is and if mine is considered to be one. I wash and DC once a week, aphogee every 6 weeks, henna once a month, relax between 2 and 3 months, and trim every 3 months. I mix things in the DC and henna when I do them. Is that what makes a regimen expanded and complicated, cause you mix oils and things in your conditioner or because you choose to henna instead of using hair dye? Please explain!!!

Personally, I wouldn't remain a member of LHCF for years if all I ever got was mediocre or similar results. That, too, is a paid subscription and if it's not working, why bother. The point of joining was to make a change....get healthier and/or possibly longer hair through learning a better way to care for hair and with healthier living/vitamins, growth aids, natural/organic products, whatever. Reading and replying to threads year after year with mediocre or similar results would be much more complicated for me than using an "expanded regimen." I could spend my time in much more useful ways.....like trying to find a new mix that really DOES work!

IA With your whole post, i would also like clarification on what exactly a complicated regimen is

 

[CAPlush]

IA With your whole post, i would also like clarification on what exactly a complicated regimen is

I think a complicated regimen is pretty much any regimen that overwhelms the person trying to stick to the regimen. People can do a "complicated regimen" for a few weeks, max, then fall back on old habits or skipping wash sessions or going to the salon, etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with being a mixologist as long as you find it to be fun, but when it becomes a chore you're doing too much.

 

[CurleeDST]

I will add this caveat - I AM LAZY YALL!! I don't want to put too much work into something like that with my hair so what I may perceive as complicated when you look at it really isn't. But I consider complicated when you have to let things 4 or 5 additional ingredients mix and sit for 1 hour before applying it to your hair then sit for another 8 hours with it then rinse it with another concoction outside of water and THEN get to wash it like normal.

When it comes to daily maintenance anything beyond just uncovering the hair, taking down the pincurls or refreshing the natural with a mist or water and going without adding about 10 oils, 3 styling products (all from different makers) and then going and finish styling once you get to your destination.

I am exaggerating a bit but I want to know for those who practice that are you seeing significant enough results that warrent putting in that much time, money and effort or could you see the same results if you didn't do as much?

I believe experimentation is necessary to optimize your regimen and there are WONDERFUL ideas shared on this forum - I have truly learned alot when it comes to products, their benefits and figuring out what my hair likes and doesn't like but in the same note I have learned I can't jump on every bandwagon b/c in the end I can't tell what worked if I did see results. And it seems many of these product makers want you to use their products exclusively for a period of time 3 months or longer to determine whether they really work for you or not.

I have learned alot from this forum and feel it is very valuable for those who can do all of that and benefit from it or from those who can share trimmed down regimens and show how that works too. Not one thing works for all so I can appreciate that and will continue to contribute and look forward to reading all of your regimens - complicated or not b/c maybe I can glean something from it that further enhances mine.

I must say CASTOR OIL is something I learned about on here and it is WONDERFUL!

I am curious as to what you call an expanded regimen. I do pay attention to the different products people use if they match my hair type, but I never really paid much attention to their regimens. Before I had a regimen my hair growth/retention was less than 1/2 inch a month and has at least tripled. I basically developed my own right from the start, so my curiosity is really piqued about what an "expanded regimen" is and if mine is considered to be one. I wash and DC once a week, aphogee every 6 weeks, henna once a month, relax between 2 and 3 months, and trim every 3 months. I mix things in the DC and henna when I do them. Is that what makes a regimen expanded and complicated, cause you mix oils and things in your conditioner or because you choose to henna instead of using hair dye? Please explain!!!

Personally, I wouldn't remain a member of LHCF for years if all I ever got was mediocre or similar results. That, too, is a paid subscription and if it's not working, why bother. The point of joining was to make a change....get healthier and/or possibly longer hair through learning a better way to care for hair and with healthier living/vitamins, growth aids, natural/organic products, whatever. Reading and replying to threads year after year with mediocre or similar results would be much more complicated for me than using an "expanded regimen." I could spend my time in much more useful ways.....like trying to find a new mix that really DOES work!

 

[zora]

I think you bring up a great point. I'm still trying to simplify my no-hair-growing routine.

And for me it just boils down to less heat and less manipulation is best for my hair.

 

[Candiss]

I'm lazy too, ok, not really, but I have taken my whole hair routing down a notch or two. At first I was into the mixing, mixing two conditioners with evoo and honey, etc. and leaving it on for 45 min then the wash, then the deep condition, etc. I finalyy realized there are PLENTY of products right off the shelves that are GREAT and don't have to be mixed so they can be SUPERIZED for maximum effectiveness. It's just too much. My hair does thrive on moisture, protein and less manipulation. I think when a lot of folks start this hair journey, they just want to try EVERYTHING they hear that others are trying but after awhile, you just find out what works for you and let all the extra stuff go.

 

[imstush]

I am guilty of trying and jumping on the bandwagon. For the life of me I couldn't understand why my 3rd transition is taking the longest. I looked under my bathroom sink and realized I don't use half the things under there. Since HS I've been using regular old BSS henna without any problems. I purchased the body art henna a month ago and it is still sitting under my sink. Same with the keracare products, and the Fantasia Heat serum. I was using plain Hollywood Carrot oil and everyone kept saying how they loved ORS Carrot Oil, bought it, hated it and I still have a jar under my sink. I am back to regular old shampoo and conditioners, no mixing. No Amla oil (which I purchased also) just a normal hot oil treatment. I did buy BT, but that's my only hair oil/grease that I am using.

For me simple is more effective.

ETA: one bandwagon that I am happy I tried is JBCO, now that is a staple.

 

[deontaer]

After joining this board, I have become a life long concocter of my own hair recipes, not because I'm looking for extrodinary growth, but because I've become more educated and concerned about the ingredients in off the shelf products.

4 years ago when I found this board, my hair would flake and shed like no bodies business. No matter what treatment my stylist would give me or how much I washed and lubricated my scalp, it always looked like the swiss alps. It wasn't until I discovered this board and some very educational threads about preservatives, acids and other caustic ingredients that are in commercial products, that I realized all of that crap was destroying my hair and scalp. When I started learning how different carrier oils, essential oils and food products such honey and avocado had a lasting and more natural effect and healing effect on all of my hair problems, I went that road and never looked back. Growth just happens to be an added bonus. This road is more expensive then just picking stuff up off the shelf, but making my own products is actually therputic for me and the results have been astonishing. I havent had a flake in months. My scalp no longer itches to the point where I used to think I had lice, and the shedding has gone from having a baseball of hair everytime I washed - not including the hair that I've lost during the week from combing and brushing, to having just a few strands that I can actually count - so for this, I thank all of my "mixing" boardies for dropping little nuggets of knowledge that pointed my in the right direction.

Other than that, my actual regimine is simple - wash, condition moisturize and bun.

 

[gimbap]

How did I miss this thread? ITA with the original poster. I've been thinking the same thing since I joined, but I never bothered to say anything.

I use everything as is. If you have to add 50-11 oils to a conditioner for it to work well, why not just use something else.

 

[LaNecia]

I totally agree Deonataer! When I first joined, I used products straight and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Since I've become a 'mixologist', my hair is both longer and healthier than it's ever been. At the same time, I can't credit all of the progress to my concoctions, I've been simplifying my regimen and that has also helped tremendously.

The two working together are doing wonders for MY hair. In long run, I hope to scale back my regimen even more.