Relaxed Ladies, how are you growing your hair?

[Starronda]

DC one or two times a week
Keep hair braided under wig
Moisturize scalp with emu oil when needed
Moisturize hair with water or rose water and seal with oil (Castor oil, EVOO, Almond or Emu
Drink at least 65 ounces of water per day

 

[Highly Favored8]

ITA with all the ladies here they are giving out some good advice.

What works for some might not work for others.
You just have to find out what works best for your hair.

Now, since our hair is relaxed we must do protien treatments which I do once every 6-8 weeks.

I just started co-washing I have not done it in a few weeks b/c I just had my touch up done about 3 weeks ago had twists and now my hair is in a spiral set at the moment.

What grows my hair honestly is

Spiral, roller, flex rod sets leaving them alone and letting them fall.
Moisturizing my hair thrives on it.
I use hair growth serums/oils on my hair.
I take care of myself inside as well as out water, I drink lots of it, I exercise on a daily basis, I make it an effort to eat healthy.
I only do my touch ups 4x a year that is all and I stretch for 12-18 weeks at a time.
Bunning and just leaving my hair alone and trim only when needed.

 

[*Muffin*]

Oh yeah, just thought of another one. This one may seem simple, but it set me back A LOT. It's IMPROPER RELAXER NEUTRALIZATION. I didn't know that the way I'd been neutralizing wasn't good enough. I would shampoo with the neutralizing shampoo a few times until I felt the relaxer was out, and then I was done. But you have to let either the shampoo or something else acidic (like lemon juice or vinegar) sit on your head for at least 5-10 minutes so that it neutralizes all the way to the core of your hair. I like to mix either vinegar or lemon juice in conditioner and further neutralize that way.

 

[liteskinshowdy]

I REALLY agree with the roller, flex rod sets being a major role in growing my hair, MAJOR.
Also, stretching as long as you can without breakage. I relax when I can't get my comb through wet hair to detanlge. I'm hoping to only get one more relaxer this year. Maybe Aug/Sept and try to stretch until May/June of next year.
Only trim when needed, I personally just try to get them when I relax, my hair is normally curled up so you can't see my ends.
Find a style that you can keep up from wash day to wash day that you don't have to "re-style" everyday.
Airdrying as much as possible.
I wash with a mixture of Dr. Bonners Peppermint, with GF L&S with VO5 Green Tea for my shampoo. I shampoo at each wash, and for conditioning, I use a mixture of Mane and Tail and coconut oil and GF L&S.

 

[*Muffin*]

I really have to step up my game on this one. Especially my protein. Back to eating my tuna 3 times a week.

Just wanted to warn you (as a fellow tuna lover) to be careful how frequently you eat it. Fish like Tuna and Salmon (my favs) have elevated mercury levels in their system, and this is a heavy metal that's toxic to your system. Lemon and Garlic naturally detoxify the body and help get rid of heavy metals. Just wanted to look out for you .

 

[trendsetta25]

i've been weaving it up baby! while taking care of my hair underneath it all. I dont however keep my weave in for longer than a month (i guess it's because i do my own hair).

 

[DDTexlaxed]

You guys are so awesome! I am unable to braid, but I will look into learning how. My twist outs look horrible, so I will be roller setting and using buns to make my goal!

 

[Jalen's Mom]

^Good advice!

-Use an SLS free shampoo
-Dc with every shampoo
-Protective styles are your friend
-Moisturize twice daily, in the morning and before bed
-Baggy at night
-Comb very gently in small sections from the ends up
-Spray a moisturizer directly on your newgrowth to keep it moisturized, soft and well-baheved
-Stretch relaxers at least 12 weeks
-No direct heat. If you do use it, only use one form (either flatiron or blowdry, don't do both) and no more than once every few months
-Use a boar bristle brush and only use a brush to smooth your style, it shouldn't be used to detangle and get snags out of your hair

How do you go about baggying at night? Do you moisturize and seal, then cover your head with a plastic shower cap, then a silk or satin scarf/bonnet?

 

[The Princess]

Oh yeah, just thought of another one. This one may seem simple, but it set me back A LOT. It's IMPROPER RELAXER NEUTRALIZATION. I didn't know that the way I'd been neutralizing wasn't good enough. I would shampoo with the neutralizing shampoo a few times until I felt the relaxer was out, and then I was done. But you have to let either the shampoo or something else acidic (like lemon juice or vinegar) sit on your head for at least 5-10 minutes so that it neutralizes all the way to the core of your hair. I like to mix either vinegar or lemon juice in conditioner and further neutralize that way.

At the bolded...I used to wonder why my beautician did this. She would let it sit and go sit down for a few mins. Then come back and continue. Thats why she get paid the big bucks.

 

[joytimes10]

Subscribing to read later... Keep it comin ladies

 

[ellehair]

This is a great thread for the relaxed ladies trying to grow long hair. agreed, keep them coming, im a newbie so cant give any advice yet, just taking everything in!!

 

[ellehair]

DC one or two times a week
Keep hair braided under wig
Moisturize scalp with emu oil when needed
Moisturize hair with water or rose water and seal with oil (Castor oil, EVOO, Almond or Emu
Drink at least 65 ounces of water per day

Where do you get rose water?? is it like a mist? btw, ur hair is very lovely

 

[Leesh]

For Me, Less is more, the less I handled my hair, hence protective styling, the more I accumulated, also Deep Conditioning is Your Friend!

 

[Patricia]

Using a no heat method is key and also remember to balance protein and moisture!

 

[*fabulosity*]

Hmmm.. I am about full APL now and even though I have a ton of products ... I try to keep my regi simple.. I also wear my hair "out" much more than the ladies here.. I don't believe in having long hair and having it bunned ALL the time.. but bunning and those protective styles do have their benefit. My reggie is:

DC 3X/week
Moisture Cons.. ALL the time!!
Use a poo without sulfates
Try to stay away from parabens
Keep the hair moisturized (I try to use natural products)
Bun/twist for the majority of the week
Protein treatment 1-2X per month...depending on condition
When it's down make sure my ends are nice and moisturized with one of my many products..

I probably am not achieving all of the retention that I could be if I didn't use heat or ever wore my hair down.. but it's all part of the journey.. and I'm happy with mine so far!

Good luck!

 

[imaccami]

Wow, so many good tips.

Most important to me:

-Shampoo often. Or cowash if you like that
-Wear a scarf to bed
-Be careful about the clips and hair holders you use because they can cause breakage. It took me a long time to figure out that my breakage was coming from my ponytail holder. So I started using sunglasses. I combed my hair back away from my face (sometimes I did a sideswept bang over my forehead) and used my sunglasses to hold it in place. I did that for about a year and a half until my breakage grew out.
-When my hair is dirty I either wash it or don't touch it. If I mess around with it when it's like that it will break.

 

[*Muffin*]

At the bolded...I used to wonder why my beautician did this. She would let it sit and go sit down for a few mins. Then come back and continue. Thats why she get paid the big bucks.

You have a good beautician. I've been to only a few in my life, but not one of them neutralized my hair properly. So glad I learned that lesson .