Pre-LHCF: Did you do anything RIGHT?

[HoneyDew]

I also did one other thing right. I stepped out of the box my mom had me in and tried "white" products.

I remember when I was a teenager, I bought an Herbal Essense shampoo and conditioner set from the dollar store because it smelled so good. My mom told me I could not use it. I used that set in the shower and my hair turned out so much better than it ever had!! From that point on I have never been afraid to step away from the products that are marketed for black hair.

 

[MizAvalon]

The only thing i did right was wrap, and sleep in satin scarfs.

i always stretched 3-4 mos.

i was pretty good at moisturizing daily...only thing was that it was pink oil moisturizer

Poochie your hair looks great in your siggy!

 

[mochamadness]

I always deep conditioned and rollerset my hair. I just wasn't using the right products, which is why my hair was always breaking esp. at the crown.

 

[Dposh167]

Poochie your hair looks great in your siggy!

lol...thanks...it's not mine tho...it's my phoney poney!...so i can't take all the credit.

 

[MariposaSexyGirl]

I co-washed
I only combed in the shower because I was scared it would break off.
I airdryed
I also stretched relaxer for as long as I could
When I would stretch I would bun becuase I like how my natural hair waved up and it looked like I didn't have a relaxer.
I kept my ends trimmied

Thats it.

 

[Desert Skye]

I kinda knew I was supposed to use conditioner, so I conditioned every wash.

When my ends were not looking right ( I guess the relaxer,flat iron, blow dryer, bleach were all taking a toll) I knew enough to trim the ends to remove the split ends.

But that is all.

 

[LoveLiLi]

My mom always taught us to take good care of our hair, so I was on the right track.

I stretched my relaxers (even though I didn't call it that), I had one of my sisters or my mom dust my ends, I wrapped my hair, didn't use heat too often, and my mom would tell us to let our hair 'rest' (in other words, wear it up and stay out of it).

She also liked quality products and used to force us to use Aphogee, we hated the smell, lol.
My family may be a bit scissor happy because my mom hates to see raggedy ends.

 

[glamazon386]

I stretched my relaxers and trims to 3-4 months in between. If I was washing at home, I airdried. I limited direct heat usage. Or wore protective styles. If I went to the salon, I got my hair rollerset and then styled once every week or every 2 weeks so that was low manipulation. I was also using Nexxus Products and washing more frequently before I came to LHCF.

 

[Evazhair]

Pre LHCF I:

maintained healthy ends

deep conditioned with a real deep conditioner every time I washed my hair

didn't use direct heat while relaxed, when natural, always used heat protection

practiced low manipulation-post LHCF it just got lower


had my relaxers professionally done with no overlap

since natural have always slathered on the deep conditioner

never wore tightly pulled styles

slept with a silk scarf and/or pillow

moisturized as needed, but with the wrong products that would build up

clarified- I thought any clarifier would chelate

massaged my scalp

when I was natural, I cowashed often and oil rinsed, but didn't know anything about the terms, I was always wetting my hair.

when natural, I started detangling with fingers first before using a brush or comb

 

[Jade Feria]

I'm not sure, let me think

Good:
I relaxed every 7-8 weeks
I *sometimes* deep conditioned
I went natural and kept my hair in braids, so that was low manipulation
I stayed away from gels

Bad:
I applied direct heat regularly (curling irons, blow dryers...no ionic or ceramic either)
I used products catered to Black people that had mineral oil and petrolatum in them...and used some of them on my scalp as well
I used combs with small teeth
I washed once a week or once every 2 weeks
When my hair was shoulder length I wore it down often

 

[caramelcutieinva]

applied base to my scalp before a relaxer and hair color
conditioned my hair regularly
limited the amount of heat I applied
wore buns.... but it was more because I was lazy rather than for protective styling
trimmed split ends
detangled properly

 

[Kurlee]

Used to stretch and deep condition alot

 

[HoneyA]

Before LHCF I didn't do any of the stuff I do now so I guess that would be a no Oh wait, I stretched perms but I think that was because I couldn't care less about my hair then.

 

[Proudpiscean]

Prior to my healthy haircare journey, I was already doing several LHCF-friendly things to my hair;

• Relaxer stretches - I only relax(ed) 2-3 times per year
• Limited heat - I would only use heat like twice per month (it it much more limited now)
• Protective style - I am, and have been, the bun queen for about 14 years
• Know the importance of conditioner - I have always drenched my hair in conditioner

What are some of the things you did "right?"

Let's see :scratchch
I have always stretched relaxers 3-4 months.
I airdried 90% of the time.
Didn't use heat often.
DC'd every time I washed my hair.

 

[monieluv]

i self-relaxed every 6 weeks; poo'd and dc'd weekly (my way of whining down from a stressful work-week); greased my scalp m-w-f; and moisturized twice a day. only thing was i slept with a nylon cap and cotton scarf. funny i never had brittle or split ends. i used heat very, very rarely, but loved, LOVED the wrap style.

 

[inthepink]

Prior to LHCF, I was trimming my hair regularly and using minimal heat. This all helped my hair grow to waist length. However, what I learned on LHCF helped would have helped me reach my goal much faster! I've learned a ton of new things since I've been here!

 

[RosesBlack]

I think the only things I did right was very little/no heat and I dc'd all the time.

Oi how am I not bald?

 

[ShaniKeys]

When I was relaxed, I deep conditioned the right way (using a mixture of milk, olive oil and eggs) but wasn't consistent...that's about the only thing I did right

 

[halee_J]

I always had my hair in a protective style but out of pure laziness

I knew the importance of DC but was never consistent with it

Knew heat was bad but I did it anyway
Ditto with perming every 8 weeks

 

[FAMUDva]

Limited direct heat, low manipulation, and SOME protective styling.

 

[Esq.2B]

Well, from about 1.5 years ago until I joined LHCF, I refrained from using direct heat AT ALL. I also washed it every week. I only DC'd once every 3 months or so though. I never moisturized. I greased my scalp due to a dry scalp problem.

About 2 years ago and before, I was brutal on my hair. I used the curling iron almost daily. I'd hear and smell my hair burning but continued to abuse it. I washed it about once every 3 to 4 weeks if that. I kept braids in it or a weave for 2 months at a time and didn't moisturize the scalp, my hair, or anything. I'd take the braids/weave out and perm it the same day or the day after.

One time, I applied a rinse and kept it in for 3 days before I washed it out. It was jetblack...I waited until it dried up on my head then wore a wig cap with my wig on top when I wanted to go out. I was trying to make sure it "took."


ETA: Oh and I relaxed every 5-6 weeks faithfully!

All this crap stopped 1.5 years ago though. Then I started washing every week and no heat and I relaxed every 6 to 8 weeks instead. SInce joining LHCF though, I moisturize, DC, stretch relaxers, use recontructor when necessary, a leave-in etc. Thanks guys!

I was a mess!

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

Nope, I didn't do anything right.

Well, I only got relaxers every six to eight weeks. Does that count? Probably not since my hairdresser used to overprocess me.

I wouldn't DC on a regular basis. I wouldn't apply moisturizer to my hair. I had no idea between protein and moisturizing conditioners. I would just picked whatever looked and smelled good at Sally's.

I guess I would wash my hair once per week and that counts too.

I just didn't know anything about caring for hair at all.

 

[poookie]

nope!
i didn't know what to do with my hair AT ALL until i found growafrohairlong.com, and i followed the instructions on how to wash and detangle relaxed hair.

ok, i did air-dried roller sets back when my hair was chin length, about 2 years ago.

but that was back in high school, when my mother didn't keep conditioner in the house. just a big ol' value size bottle of relaxed and natural shampoo, and a hard protein reconstructor.

 

[fluffylocks]

The only thing i did was "moisturize" with Pink Oil moisturizer, profectiv, or BB cremes so my hair wouldnt be dry.

When my mom was doing my hair she:
-trimmed
-relaxed 3/4x a year
-only relaxed newgrowth
-Never relaxed bone straight, always texlaxed
-moisturized daily
-Airdryed
-Protective styling
-Hot oil treatments
-We thought we were doing strengthening and moisturizing treatments, but they were all garbage---but we she did try to do protien treatments and deepconditoings


What we both did wrong
-Brushes
-Drying products
-Infrequent washing



I also knew nothing about how worked as far as setting, only ponytails. So that was very unhealthy for my hair also.

 

[lollyoo]

good-

base hair
good relaxing technique
rollerset-hardly use direct heat
airdry
stretch-never relax before 3 months.


bad-
wash may be once a month (never more frequent than once in 2wks)
hardly deep condition
pull relaxer through about twice a year.
only moisturise on wash day
daily combing dry hair
never used satin cap or pillowcase

 

[NYLegalNewbie]

The ONLY things that I did right pre-LHCF were washing my hair at least once a week and not greasing my scalp.

But other than that...ugh...

Even when wearing the weaves, my hair really wasn't being taken care of correctly. And lawd KNOWS I could not stop messing with that damn flat iron on a regular basis!

 

[lilamae]

surprisingly I did a couple of things right. ( but many things wrong)

I air dried a lot. And slept with a satin cap often.

but relaxed every 4-6 weeks, flatironed often and hardly ever DC'd
I sometimes imagined what my hair would have been like if I had known what to do a long time ago

 

[silverlotus]

Let's see... :scratchch I:
- "moisturized" daily
- for a while, got treatments every 2 weeks... too bad I didn't know what was in them or if they really worked for my hair
- no-heat. I actually didn't know people got anything other than roller-sets at the salon til I came here.
- relaxed every 8-9 weeks.

 

[jemscizir]

I washed and DC'd faithfully once a week. Yeah me

But that was it......erplexed

 

[nappity]

I was no-pooing.And I had a big old shampoo comb.