PROTEIN IS MY FRIEND

[november wind]

oooh november, it was the best ever. I am 10 weeks post my last relaxer and girl I need all the softness I can get for my new growth. The hot oil prepoos and treatments just before my DCs are helping tremendously at keeping my new growth very soft and silky like. Cold water final rinses are a God-send too.

I finally feel like I know what to do to stretch much much longer than usual. I am only stretching really long now (hopefully 32 weeks this time) because I am newly texlaxed but once I am fully there, I will return to my regular 10-12 weeks and no longer.

I am losing some hair from the texlaxed demarcation line that connects to the bone straight hair but I don't mind because I am slowly cutting it off anyway. I am excitedly looking forward to having fully texlaxed hair. I am falling in love with my hair all over again.

I know what you mean about the new growth. I stretched for 6 months and cold water rinses were a God-send for me too, as were ACV rinses. I'm getting closer to the length you have, I just need the thickness nowWe are all rooting for you and supporting you in your long stretch. I hope it works well for you.

 

[november wind]

Ahhhh! great minds think alike. Your gloss seems real close to the one that I did today november....WOW! Also you did the right thing by getting your hair wet within 3 days to stop the neutralizing process. Wetting the hair within 3 days of a relaxer causes the hair to revert a little, hence the good results you got. The protein treatment certainly helped as well. Good thinking.

Thanks Aggie. Aren't the glosses wonderful? That and the protein were my lifelines. I can't wait to do the next one I'm so relieved to have texture back. Now I know what to do and what not to do next time I touch up

 

[Aggie]

You can purchase the Wella from Amazon.com. It is pricey though.

Thanks taz007. I will check it out...can't promise I'll buy it though.

 

[first2grace]

I've been keeping up with my daily dose of MT and I Dc'ed with alter ego and redken extreme last night uncovered and no heat for about 3 hours. I washed with aphogee poo for damaged hair and put some aphogee 2 min and porosity control in while I washed the rest of me and rinsed it out about 10 minutes later...and my hair felt lovely! 10 all the way!

Afterwards I put some LTR leave-in and sprayed a bit of aphogee green tea in and put my bedroom fan on hi for about an hour while I watched tv. I noticed a big difference in my hair's strength by not tying it up soaking wet. Today my hair feels strong and soft, I almost don't want to do my weekly henna treatment...but I have to if I want to regain my thickness...so I'm off to mix up some henna!

 

[Shay72]

I cowashed with AOGPB mixed with ayurvedic herbs. 10!!!! I think it is my first 10. My hair is so strong now. I've been alternating moisture and protein dcs. I've also been alternating moisture and protein cowashes. I've been doing protein treatments every 2-4weeks. My hair loves protein.

 

[Patricia]

(sighs) I could not hold out - I relaxed on Tuesday...however, when I tell ya since increasing my protein over the last 3 months has made a big difference...my hair feels so strong (I also added protein to my relaxer , SAA, Hydrolyzed Keratin and Keratin Amino Acids) - if I had some BTL (Boo-Tay Length) hair - I declare you would be able to jump rope with it -

I know how you feel. Right when I thought I could hold out, I change my mind. I'm scheduled for every 3 months. April is the month. OMG you silly. I wish I did have BLT hair. I'm so glad your hair has seen a difference using protein. You make me want to try putting it in the relaxer.

 

[Patricia]

I know what you mean about the new growth. I stretched for 6 months and cold water rinses were a God-send for me too, as were ACV rinses. I'm getting closer to the length you have, I just need the thickness nowWe are all rooting for you and supporting you in your long stretch. I hope it works well for you.

You and me both wanting the thickness. Lets figure this part of it out. Yes I agree Aggie you can do it. I wish I was motivated to go 6 months

 

[Patricia]

I've been keeping up with my daily dose of MT and I Dc'ed with alter ego and redken extreme last night uncovered and no heat for about 3 hours. I washed with aphogee poo for damaged hair and put some aphogee 2 min and porosity control in while I washed the rest of me and rinsed it out about 10 minutes later...and my hair felt lovely! 10 all the way!

Afterwards I put some LTR leave-in and sprayed a bit of aphogee green tea in and put my bedroom fan on hi for about an hour while I watched tv. I noticed a big difference in my hair's strength by not tying it up soaking wet. Today my hair feels strong and soft, I almost don't want to do my weekly henna treatment...but I have to if I want to regain my thickness...so I'm off to mix up some henna!

Wow thats great! Best of both worlds. Soft and strong. That what I like to hear

 

[Patricia]

I cowashed with AOGPB mixed with ayurvedic herbs. 10!!!! I think it is my first 10. My hair is so strong now. I've been alternating moisture and protein dcs. I've also been alternating moisture and protein cowashes. I've been doing protein treatments every 2-4weeks. My hair loves protein.

Wowsers Congrats on your first 10

 

[gissellr78]

I relaxed and applied a cellophane...

I used Joico reconstructor (the sally brand) after rinsing and before neutralizing and my hair feels stronger and so good.

Last week i did a hard protein i did Aphogee 2 step...I followed instructions and used the balancing condish....After my hair felt rough, thick i guess it was stronger but i didnt like the feeling..during the week..


But My relaxer came out great!

 

[november wind]

You and me both wanting the thickness. Lets figure this part of it out. Yes I agree Aggie you can do it. I wish I was motivated to go 6 months

The funny thing is that the back of my hair is pretty thick. I think it was because I was concentrating most of my treatments at that spot. Unfortunately it meant the crown and the front are showing the neglect. I've been doing nightly massages with coconut/vatika oil and pulling it through to the ends. It seems like the ends are looking a little thicker for the most part, but I don't know if it's because the thin ends have popped off or whaterplexed. I'm still doing search and destroys to get rid of any stragglies that are left on the ends. I am now wishing I had taken before pics to compare with what's happening with my ends now. Thank goodness I've been doing the "Get Your Hands Out Your Hair Challenge", so I can leave my hair alone (for the most part). If I find the "magic bullet" for thickness, then you all will be the first to know.

 

[1Aleeesha]

WHAT TYPE OF PROTEIN YOU USE?
Motions CPR, Joico-K Pak, Aphogee 2-Min Reconstructor (These are the last few I can remember right now lol) Sebastian Potion No.9 is a Leave-In and I use that as well only on hair after I Deep Condition.
HOW YOUR HAIR FEEL ON A SCALE FROM 1-10?
10 - Strong
WHAT CHANGES CAN BE MADE TO ACHIEVE A 10?
N/A

A weekly dose of light protein is wonderful it prevents breakage from happening, prevention is key for me

 

[Prose Princess]

I've been keeping up with my daily dose of MT and I Dc'ed with alter ego and redken extreme last night uncovered and no heat for about 3 hours. I washed with aphogee poo for damaged hair and put some aphogee 2 min and porosity control in while I washed the rest of me and rinsed it out about 10 minutes later...and my hair felt lovely! 10 all the way!

Afterwards I put some LTR leave-in and sprayed a bit of aphogee green tea in and put my bedroom fan on hi for about an hour while I watched tv. I noticed a big difference in my hair's strength by not tying it up soaking wet. Today my hair feels strong and soft, I almost don't want to do my weekly henna treatment...but I have to if I want to regain my thickness...so I'm off to mix up some henna!

That's my leave-in combo too! Yum! I put castor oil on top of it all and then rollerset. Soft, touchable hair every time!

 

[morehairplease]

Deep conditioned overnight with lanza moi moi masque, designer touch equilibrium moisture balance conditioner and colorful neutral protein filler. This morning, I shampooed and rinsed with a cheapie conditioner(trying to use up my supply asap...lol). My hair definitely looks and feels like a 10. I air dried with a scarf and my hair is bone straight(which is awesome considering I am a little over 3 months post and attempting to transition).

 

[Patricia]

The funny thing is that the back of my hair is pretty thick. I think it was because I was concentrating most of my treatments at that spot. Unfortunately it meant the crown and the front are showing the neglect. I've been doing nightly massages with coconut/vatika oil and pulling it through to the ends. It seems like the ends are looking a little thicker for the most part, but I don't know if it's because the thin ends have popped off or whaterplexed. I'm still doing search and destroys to get rid of any stragglies that are left on the ends. I am now wishing I had taken before pics to compare with what's happening with my ends now. Thank goodness I've been doing the "Get Your Hands Out Your Hair Challenge", so I can leave my hair alone (for the most part). If I find the "magic bullet" for thickness, then you all will be the first to know.

Thats just where I need thickness. Crown and the sides. I've been using the doo grow anti itch oil every other night for massages. I cant tell if its working

 

[supermodelsonya]

Got tree braids done, taken out in a week, did a MT DC, and put them right back in! Protective styling until June ladies!

 

[Patricia]

WHAT TYPE OF PROTEIN YOU USE?
Motions CPR, Joico-K Pak, Aphogee 2-Min Reconstructor (These are the last few I can remember right now lol) Sebastian Potion No.9 is a Leave-In and I use that as well only on hair after I Deep Condition.
HOW YOUR HAIR FEEL ON A SCALE FROM 1-10?
10 - Strong
WHAT CHANGES CAN BE MADE TO ACHIEVE A 10?
N/A

A weekly dose of light protein is wonderful it prevents breakage from happening, prevention is key for me

Congrats to you! Sound like you doing it right

 

[Patricia]

I'm officially not using duotex anymore! This is the second time it turned on me. After I used it it seemed like my hair was super mushy. I don't know if it lifted my cuticles to much or what. Anyway I had to use my handy dandy mix of moisture and protein to get my hair back feeling good and strong. I'm about a 9 and I think its because that whole ordeal tramatized me. I'm going to see if my niece wants it. It works for her good. I don't understand it. It use to work for me. Wow!

 

[darlingdiva]

Okay, so Aphogee isn't the devil after all.

Last week, I washed w/ my Earthly Delight Herbal Shampoo. Then I applied the Aphogee 2-min for about 10 minutes & I followed it up with the KBB Deep Conditioner. Then I twisted my hair & rolled it w/ perm rods.

When I was twisting my hair, I noticed that I got less breakage than what I normally get. I also got less breakage than I normally get when I detangled my hair after the twist-out.

I would say that my hair is about an 8 b/c I still got breakage; it's just that I got less breakage.

I discovered that it was the V05 Miracle Mist that made my hair hard the last time. Watery solutions w/ cones just aren't for me.

Although the Aphogee worked fine, I picked up a bottle of Aubrey's GPB b/c I want to see if there's a way that I can incorporate more protein into my regimen & reduce breakage w/out the use of petrolatum, mineral oil & cones.

We'll see.

 

[Shay72]

Will be dcing with a mix of greek yogurt, ayurvedic powders, cocasta & shikakai oil, and wheat protein in a few hours

 

[meverllyn1]

I found out that protein is my friend too. I thought for the longest moisture, moisture, moisture. To my surprise, texture determine if you need protein vs moisture. If you have fine hair you need protein more often, if your hair is coarse than you need moisture, moisture, moisture.

I found out about this from The Curl Whisper.

Here is what she wrote:

"1) Pick the Right Product Ingredients
A common belief is that very tightly coiled hair that is naturally dry by nature needs to have a ton of very heavy conditioners applied to it. And that's great--IF that tight coil happens to contain hair strands that are coarse in texture. If those hair strands are fine, however, then overloading the hair with heavy moisturizers will lead to further issues.

Fine hair--which is quite common in tightly coiled hair--frequently seems dry when, in fact, it is easily over-moisturized. When I talk with any of my fine-haired clients about this, we inevitably share this "A-ha!" moment as they realize they've been feeding heavy moisturizers into hair that is often already over-moisturized. For any fine-haired girls with curls, regardless of wave pattern, products with a lot of heavy emollients are usually best avoided in favor of those with proteins.

Conversely, coarse hair naturally manufactures an overabundance of protein within the hair shaft on its own, so this is the type of hair that needs those heavy creams and butters and oils and emollients. Stay away from products with proteins, as putting protein on top of your already protein-heavy hair is likely to dry you out into a wicked, straw-like mess."


I tried adding more protein the other day and wow my hair feel so much stronger.

So i'll try this for a while.......i'll let you know how it turn out for me.

 

[Aggie]

I'm wearing my cornrows right now so I made an ayurveda tea spritzer to spray my hair and scalp with for gowth, strength and stimulation. Here's the recipe for my mix:

2 Tbs of amla powder
2 Tbs of brahmi powder
3 Tbs of kalpi tone powder
24 oz of very hot distilled water
6 oz my special oil blend of brahmi, bhringraj, amla, and shikakai oils
50 drops of rosemary essential oil for preservation and scalp stimulation

I steeped the powders in the hot water overnight, wrapped in a towel. This morning I strained it twice using an old stocking cap I have. I mixed in the oils and essential oil and put it in 2 spritzer bottles and will spritz my cornrows, scalp and hair daily with it. I need all the strength and conditioning I can get from these natural powders and oils even while in braids and cornrows.

ETA:
Update: I will need to add more oils to my mixture for a little more moisturizing and more water as the mix seems very concentrated. Thhis may be a good thing though for strengthening purposes while in the braids.

 

[Aggie]

I'm officially not using duotex anymore! This is the second time it turned on me. After I used it it seemed like my hair was super mushy. I don't know if it lifted my cuticles to much or what. Anyway I had to use my handy dandy mix of moisture and protein to get my hair back feeling good and strong. I'm about a 9 and I think its because that whole ordeal tramatized me. I'm going to see if my niece wants it. It works for her good. I don't understand it. It use to work for me. Wow!

That's because of the hydrolyzed collagen that adds elasticity to the hair strands and this is the main reason I don't use it alone. I always mix it with other proteins like Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor, CON reconstructor, Mizani Fulfyl treatment, or ION reconstructor and it works fine that way for me.

 

[sqzbly1908]

I'm officially not using duotex anymore! This is the second time it turned on me. After I used it it seemed like my hair was super mushy. I don't know if it lifted my cuticles to much or what. Anyway I had to use my handy dandy mix of moisture and protein to get my hair back feeling good and strong. I'm about a 9 and I think its because that whole ordeal tramatized me. I'm going to see if my niece wants it. It works for her good. I don't understand it. It use to work for me. Wow!

Wow - that is interesting - I haven't used my DuoTex in a while but then again I don't feel I need to- it maybe counterproductive to use it at this point since your hair is stronger than what it was when you initially started - it is probably better to use is a mid-step when relaxing....

 

[sqzbly1908]

Not too much protein this go round - washed hair with Kenra MS followed up with Kenra MC for about 5 minutes - rinsed followed up with Joico Leave In Reconstructor - (10) ....Less is definitely more in my case!!!

 

[Patricia]

I found out that protein is my friend too. I thought for the longest moisture, moisture, moisture. To my surprise, texture determine if you need protein vs moisture. If you have fine hair you need protein more often, if your hair is coarse than you need moisture, moisture, moisture.

I found out about this from The Curl Whisper.

Here is what she wrote:

"1) Pick the Right Product Ingredients
A common belief is that very tightly coiled hair that is naturally dry by nature needs to have a ton of very heavy conditioners applied to it. And that's great--IF that tight coil happens to contain hair strands that are coarse in texture. If those hair strands are fine, however, then overloading the hair with heavy moisturizers will lead to further issues.

Fine hair--which is quite common in tightly coiled hair--frequently seems dry when, in fact, it is easily over-moisturized. When I talk with any of my fine-haired clients about this, we inevitably share this "A-ha!" moment as they realize they've been feeding heavy moisturizers into hair that is often already over-moisturized. For any fine-haired girls with curls, regardless of wave pattern, products with a lot of heavy emollients are usually best avoided in favor of those with proteins.

Conversely, coarse hair naturally manufactures an overabundance of protein within the hair shaft on its own, so this is the type of hair that needs those heavy creams and butters and oils and emollients. Stay away from products with proteins, as putting protein on top of your already protein-heavy hair is likely to dry you out into a wicked, straw-like mess."


I tried adding more protein the other day and wow my hair feel so much stronger.

So i'll try this for a while.......i'll let you know how it turn out for me.

Glad to hear. Very good info you posted Thanks a million!

 

[Patricia]

That's because of the hydrolyzed collagen that adds elasticity to the hair strands and this is the main reason I don't use it alone. I always mix it with other proteins like Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor, CON reconstructor, Mizani Fulfyl treatment, or ION reconstructor and it works fine that way for me.

Ok thanks I didn't know that. I don't need to increase elasticity. I need my hair to stay strong! Good info thanks aggie

 

[Patricia]

Wow - that is interesting - I haven't used my DuoTex in a while but then again I don't feel I need to- it maybe counterproductive to use it at this point since your hair is stronger than what it was when you initially started - it is probably better to use is a mid-step when relaxing....

Yeah I was wondering was I overkilling trying to use it and I guess my hair didn't need it. well Its going to be dumped as soon as I finish posting.

 

[november wind]

I'm wearing my cornrows right now so I made an ayurveda tea spritzer to spray my hair and scalp with for gowth, strength and stimulation. Here's the recipe for my mix:

2 Tbs of amla powder
2 Tbs of brahmi powder
3 Tbs of kalpi tone powder
24 oz of very hot distilled water
6 oz my special oil blend of brahmi, bhringraj, amla, and shikakai oils
50 drops of rosemary essential oil for preservation and scalp stimulation

I steeped the powders in the hot water overnight, wrapped in a towel. This morning I strained it twice using an old stocking cap I have. I mixed in the oils and essential oil and put it in 2 spritzer bottles and will spritz my cornrows, scalp and hair daily with it. I need all the strength and conditioning I can get from these natural powders and oils even while in braids and cornrows.

ETA:
Update: I will need to add more oils to my mixture for a little more moisturizing and more water as the mix seems very concentrated. Thhis may be a good thing though for strengthening purposes while in the braids.

That sounds like a great mix Aggie!

I'm gonna try adding egg to my treatments, see if it will help with volume and strength. Got the idea from these posts:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=354819

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=64397

Hope it works. Will post my results.

ETA: Did an egg, ORS Mayo, amla oil and henna treatment this morning, followed by a coconut oil DC. Hair feels nice and strong and soft. Hair air dried nice and full...made my first unassisted bun today =)

 

[Patricia]

I relaxed earlier. did the reconstructor step before the neutralizer. I'm very pleased how my hair turned out.