relaxed 4a/4b hair needs advice. please help!

[mzhotniz86]

I believe my hair is type 4a/4b (coarse). I just recently visited a Dominican salon for my touchup on 3/24/07(this past weekend). She used Affirm for my relaxer and I believe after the whole process she deep conditioned it with Miss Key 10 en 1 condioner. She then called herself "trimming" my ends, and its more like she cut it, cause she didnt take out all the split ends.My ends are still see through and uneven around. Then she rollerset me and blew it out. My hair had body afterwards and it was kind of like a little poof ball. I will not be going back to that salon. Anyway, I went to the hairstore and purchased the BB moisturizer and Wonder 8 oil (the spray) to keep my hair moisturized through the week. I "bagged" my ends using the moisturizer on my dry ends tuesday and yesterday. I will be visiting a new salon next week , and the lady specializes in the Keracare line (which goes hand in hand with my Affirm relaxer). I am trying to get my hair to grow back healthy , long and strong. Here are my questions:
1) How should I wear my hair to bed at night? Do i continue to just wrap it or does anyone use other techniques for their relaxed hair before they go to sleep?
2) Do the keracare products work good?
3)I'm anemic and I havent yet started taking my iron pills , but what are some good supplements to take for growing hair, seriously? Ive heard of prenatals and other things, but is this for everyone to use?Anybody have firsthand experience with their vitamins and can recommend me some please?
4) I will most likely be going to the salon every two weeks (not every week, i aint ballin yet lol) , does it help your hair better to wash it every week in between visits, or just wait until I go to my stylist? and if so , what is a good shampoo/conditioner that works with my hair type?

5)Are there any more challenges that are going on that i could join? Ive seen a lot of young ladies on here who are doing such a great job at growing their hair out. Anybody got some tips?
Thank you so much and Im very sorry if these questions have been already asked/answered/posted, but Im doing this from my job , and its kinda hard to scroll around and look through each post and my appointment is next week. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[locabouthair]

hi welcome to the board! you should look at the thread that says your favorite sticky. and then click on the newcomer's thread. there is a lot of information and will tell you what you need to start a regimen.
1) some people avoid wrapping because it thins out their hair. some people sleep with their hair in a loose bun or do a cross wrap
2)i only used keracer shampoo and it worked ok.
3) a lot of women take biotin for hair growth. there are so many other but make sure u use a multivitamin every day
4) i think most of the women here wash their hair once a week. which is what i try to do. im relaxed 4b and i think ym hair needs it. but it might be different for u.
5) there is a great lengths challenge. i think thats what its called. it basically has all the things that we should be doing for the gain length. i will bump it up for u. whatever u d make sure u moisturize every day. HTH

 

[secretrose]

I believe my hair is type 4a/4b (coarse). I just recently visited a Dominican salon for my touchup on 3/24/07(this past weekend). She used Affirm for my relaxer and I believe after the whole process she deep conditioned it with Miss Key 10 en 1 condioner. She then called herself "trimming" my ends, and its more like she cut it, cause she didnt take out all the split ends.My ends are still see through and uneven around. Then she rollerset me and blew it out. My hair had body afterwards and it was kind of like a little poof ball. I will not be going back to that salon. Anyway, I went to the hairstore and purchased the BB moisturizer and Wonder 8 oil (the spray) to keep my hair moisturized through the week. I "bagged" my ends using the moisturizer on my dry ends tuesday and yesterday. I will be visiting a new salon next week , and the lady specializes in the Keracare line (which goes hand in hand with my Affirm relaxer). I am trying to get my hair to grow back healthy , long and strong. Here are my questions:
1) How should I wear my hair to bed at night? Do i continue to just wrap it or does anyone use other techniques for their relaxed hair before they go to sleep?
2) Do the keracare products work good?
3)I'm anemic and I havent yet started taking my iron pills , but what are some good supplements to take for growing hair, seriously? Ive heard of prenatals and other things, but is this for everyone to use?Anybody have firsthand experience with their vitamins and can recommend me some please?
4) I will most likely be going to the salon every two weeks (not every week, i aint ballin yet lol) , does it help your hair better to wash it every week in between visits, or just wait until I go to my stylist? and if so , what is a good shampoo/conditioner that works with my hair type?

5)Are there any more challenges that are going on that i could join? Ive seen a lot of young ladies on here who are doing such a great job at growing their hair out. Anybody got some tips?
Thank you so much and Im very sorry if these questions have been already asked/answered/posted, but Im doing this from my job , and its kinda hard to scroll around and look through each post and my appointment is next week. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hello there!

As far as wearing hair to bed, I can't be of much help because i wear conrows in the back and scarf method for the front. I wear clip-ins.

Not sure about Keracare line - i use hawaii sillky shampoo with camomile (great detangler) and silicon mix as a conditioner.

I am also anemic and I used to take twinlab prenatals, - great stuff! They seem to be sold out from all the vitaminshoppe's near me so I substituted with the twinlab multivitamin w/iron. I hope it's not too different. erplexed

I con-wash every other day, since i wear protective styling every day.

HTH

 

[Divine Inspiration]

1) How should I wear my hair to bed at night? Do i continue to just wrap it or does anyone use other techniques for their relaxed hair before they go to sleep?
I stopped wrapping my hair a few years back b/c I felt that it was causing too much stress and tension on my strands. Now I crosswrap, bun, or bantu knot it before putting my scarf on.

2) Do the keracare products work good?
This is subjective. I've never used Keracare long enough to answer this. I use Nexxus & J/A/S/O/N products regularly so maybe Macherieamour or someone will come in and discuss Keracare in detail.

3)I'm anemic and I havent yet started taking my iron pills , but what are some good supplements to take for growing hair, seriously? Ive heard of prenatals and other things, but is this for everyone to use?Anybody have firsthand experience with their vitamins and can recommend me some please?

This is such a subjective thing so don't take this as the gospel. This will require a lot of trial and error. I've used bitoin before with EXCELLENT results...my hair was growing in thick and fast...but it broke me out like crazy so I stopped taking it. You should DEFINITELY take your iron though...this can lead to major shedding if you don't. Also, you may not need a lot of special things...I would start with a good multivitamin and if you want to add more later, you can. I also like the effect that MSM has on my body, skin, and hair.

4) I will most likely be going to the salon every two weeks (not every week, i aint ballin yet lol) , does it help your hair better to wash it every week in between visits, or just wait until I go to my stylist? and if so , what is a good shampoo/conditioner that works with my hair type?

Locabouthair is right, I believe. I think most ladies here wash & deep condition every week, some more, some a little less, but that's the average. How often you do it is going to depend on how much time you have, and whether your hair likes water. Mine seems to really appreciate being washed and DC'd every 5-7 days so I'd say weekly. As far as products go, I really like Nexxus and J/A/S/O/N.

5)Are there any more challenges that are going on that i could join? Ive seen a lot of young ladies on here who are doing such a great job at growing their hair out. Anybody got some tips?

There are tons of challenges. If you go to the search function and type in challenge, most of them should come up. There are length challenges, thickening challenges, weave challenges, low manipulation challenges, technique challenges...the list goes on.

Tips...moisture is key. Treat your hair like fine lace...always be gentle with it. ALWAYS sleep in a scarf or on a satin pillow case. Drink plenty of water...eat right...exercise. Baby your ends since they're the oldest portion of your hair. If possible, learn to trim your hair yourself so you don't have to worry about stylists setting you back. Deep condition as often as possible. Stretch relaxers as much as possible. Consider protective styling to protect your ends from straps, clothes, etc. Consider adding oil to your deep conditioners...amla, olive oil, and castor oil are effective favorites. Avoid heat whenever possible. Don't use rubberbands in your hair...get some ouchless hair bands to use instead. Replace bobbypins with Good Days hair pins. Get a good detangling comb like the Jilbere de Paris shower comb sold at Sally's or the Mebco detangling comb. Be sure to maintain the moisture/protein balance by periodically doing protein treatments if your hair needs it.

Ok, this is all I can think of for now. HHG!

{DI}

 

[kandi1280]

1.) How should I wear my hair to bed at night? Do i continue to just wrap it or does anyone use other techniques for their relaxed hair before they go to sleep? - - I tend to sleep with my hair in a bun with the baggy method. I stopped wrapping my hair, because for me personally it was too much manipulation. But a lot of women on this board do well with wrapping.
2) Do the keracare products work good? I LOVE kera care products, they are very moisturizing and conditon wonderfully.
3)I'm anemic and I havent yet started taking my iron pills , but what are some good supplements to take for growing hair, seriously? Ive heard of prenatals and other things, but is this for everyone to use?Anybody have firsthand experience with their vitamins and can recommend me some please? I take women's one a day and cold pressed flax seed oil - but again, everybody is different.
4) I will most likely be going to the salon every two weeks (not every week, i aint ballin yet lol) , does it help your hair better to wash it every week in between visits, or just wait until I go to my stylist? and if so , what is a good shampoo/conditioner that works with my hair type? - the keracare shampoos and conditioners work well, also I love Kenra styling products, and Mizani are great too!

5)Are there any more challenges that are going on that i could join? Ive seen a lot of young ladies on here who are doing such a great job at growing their hair out. Anybody got some tips? I suck at challenges, but the hide your hair challenges are great, because I bun and baggy a lot anyway


HTH - Happy Growing!!!!

 

[mzhotniz86]

thank you all so much for your replies!! I will be looking and trying out all of your advice to find the right solution for me. i'll probably find a challenge to join as well for motivation. good luck everyone and thanks again!!

 

[mzhotniz86]

ok yall, more questions. I have learned SOOOOOOO much these past few days it aint even funny. I havent washed my dirty behind hair in TWO WHOLE WEEKS because Ive been trying to do my research on different products. My appointment with the new beautician got pushed back to next week , so I cant wait any longer to do my hair. the thing is , I will be completely starting over with new products and I am very confused on the best way to shampoo my hair erplexed . So far I am seeing good things about CREAM OF NATURE SHAMPOO---only thing is the complaints about coating on the hair. I'll be doing my hair tonight/tomorrow and I need some advice on starting a new regimen. So far Im not feeling the BB moisturizer that I bought and I am going to buy all new poos and cons today.Ok so new questions:


1. When do you clarify? I know it is for ridding the hair of build up, and my hair at this point is dry and my ends are a frayed mess!!! So do I clarify when i wash today and then repeat the lather with a moisturizing poo ? or do i just wash with the clarifying and then condition my hair? Basically, Im asking to know when exactly do you use a clarifying shampoo? How often? Or does it even matter if I use clarifying or moisturizing? HELP!!! lol

2. Is it true that ANY moisturizing conditioner can be used as a deep conditioner? After I shampoo I usually sit under the hood dryer for like 15 min with cond on.

*Mind you ,i have relaxed hair and with my schedule , I'll only be able to wash my hair about once a week . After I shampoo tonight , I plan to do a rollerset (I'll be sure to let you guys know how that turns out).

 

[mzhotniz86]

bumping...

 

[Lusa]

1. When do you clarify? I clarify about every two weeks when in braids, and about once a month without braids.

2. Is it true that ANY moisturizing conditioner can be used as a deep conditioner? - No, a deep conditioner is one that tells you to let the product sit in for 10-15 mins or more under a hood dryer, etc. This ensures that the product penetrates the hair shaft as opposed to "instant" conditioners that will just coat the top layer of the hair strands.

However, be careful when deep conditioning because you can over-condition it which can lead to limp hair prone to breakage.

I believe there was a thread about this a while ago, you could try searching the forum.

 

[mzhotniz86]

thanks so much for your response! I will surely keep that in mind about deep conditioning. I was going to head to the bss later and get some miss key 10 en 1 (dominican conditioner), I heard it was good and it was the last thing used on my hair from when i went and got it done. I didnt talk to the lady yet so I cant get the keracare products right now. Im sure ill find something tho