setbacks in 2010? what did you learn?

What happened Did a 6 month stretch ad did not take the time to detangle.
What happened Used a new Deep conditioner that was not moisturizing enough.
What Happened Cut my almost waist length hair to get out the said tangles and knots.


What I will do differently in 2011 No more long stretchs or trying no products when there is new growth involved.

Goal for 2011 I am bra strap now after cutting my hair. I want below bra strap full and healthy hair. Before the end of 2011.
 
(1) what happened:

a. I blow-dried and flat-ironed instead of air-dry. I did this 3-4 times within a 12 week stretch and paid dearly for it. I did this ironically because I was so busy getting the new salon up and running. I'd use lighter protein conditioners instead of my staple UBH because I thought my staple was protein loading my hair. I got off my tried and true regi.
b. I used Clairol 'Natural Instincts' and loved it instead of my Bigen. It made my hair feel silky and was so shiny instead of a more flat color that Bigen gives, but I paid for it; my hair started breaking at 10 weeks post. I think it has ammonia even though it is semi-permanent.
c. I got my touch up at 12 weeks and the ends looked so bad I self-trimmed. I have not made growth progress since October and am now a 1/2" shorter than then.
d. The only new thing I did that worked fantasically was do warm EVCO scalp massages. It increased my hair growth by almost a half-inch.

(2) what I will do differently in 2011:

a. continue the hot EVCO scalp massages. NO BLOWDRYING or flat-ironing except when there is enough NG at about 8 or 9 weeks and then NG ONLY.
b. stick to my tried and true products and regi.
c. STAY AWAY from the scissors...EVERY scraggle is not a split.
d. TRY NOT TO GET DISCOURAGED. This is the hardest part when it seems that everyone's pictures on here have such consistent progress. People seem to be transitioning with ease. It would literally take me 5 years to transition out of a relaxer without BC'ing and I'm 'old' now as it is.
e. Stay away from new types of color. Beautiful browns might only last a few weeks, but at least I know it won't damage my relaxed (texlaxed hair)

On a side note, I feel as though I'm being held to a higher standard now with the salon. Maybe the best way for me to retain will be PS which I do a lot anyway. I was hoping to be full BSL for the 15th, but that's not gonna happen. My longest 5 hairs are at BSL.....BARELY.

Tryin' to keep my chin up.

a. I will stick to my tried and true regi.
 
(1) micros set me back a lot, i struggled to find a balanced regimen for my lifestyle, and I was not at peace with my hair; I don't look good in two strand twists or twist outs; my hair grows fast without supplements and other things, but not consistently because I live a stressful life

(2) I will appreciate my hair, I will continue to do simple things (oil rinses, daily water rinses, minimal product); I will take a break from hair by staying in yarn braids for 8-10 weeks; this summer I hope to rock a simple rinse and go, my hair loves it and maintains amazing curls well

(3) appreciate what I have, have BSL by graduation...MBL is not necessary, thicken strands, be content with what I have and help my siblings rather than being too focussed on my hair's negatives
 
To never relax any part of my hair again! Only relaxed a small patch (long story), but it fully dropped out.

Not to braid my hair because it doesn't like it for some reason. Twists help me retain more.

Go easy on the heat!!
 
**I had major setbacks using Lye relaxer. I just don't like the results and I've suffered A LOT of breakage from my last stretch - way too much than I'm comfortable with. I don't know what no-lye I'll use, but I got to BSL all by myself using Gentle Treatment in '07. I wasn't even trying to grow my hair then.

So, yea, 2011 will see me return to no-lye.

**glycerin - makes my hair dry. (will not use on dry hair ie. whipped ends) But I do like the HV hydrating conditioner which does have gly. as like the second ingredient. So I'm supposing glyc. is good so long as its on very wet hair, and its surrounded by other hydrating ingredients (not oils) and I eventually rinse it out.

**henna. - I have a love hate with henna. I don't like the red anymore, but I don't want indigo black either - I've been experimenting with color, and I may just use cassia and katam and amla. It will def. have to be a deep brown, but because my base color is red, the henna brings it out every time. *le sigh*
 
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I used to comb my braidouts each night (with a leave-in conditioner). It wasn't until the latter half of 2010 that I realized that finger-combing was the way to go with braidouts, when I rebraid each night. I'm sure I suffered a lot of damaged due to that setback.

I also got a lazy with sealing in my moisture and wearing my hair down all time last winter. BIG MISTAKE. I'm bunning this entire winter/early spring to make up for that setback.
 
Stop moisturizing on a daily basis...=Matted hair (like now) so I must take my time detangleing..


Didn't Dc after each wash....=Tangle hair

Wash hair out=A big tangle mess..I must all-ways-All-ways (wash my hair in twists or braids) I mean All-ways..


Happy Hair Growing!
 
My hair don't like protien especially anything aphogee. I have to give away my aphogee stuff. When ever I use that stuff I always get clumps of hair, and the day before my hair wasn't breaking... In 2011 I'm done with protien. I kept on using it because I felt that it is a must for afro-textured hair.. I guess after all its just one of my foes. This assumption is the reason why I kept on giving protien a try.

Next year, no protien treatments.. no nexxus, no aphogee.. just coconut oil, black strap molasses, black tea rinse, and what ever wheat germ is, i forget the name at the moment.
 
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(1) what happened

a) I allowed my micro braider to not braid all the way to the end of my hair.
b) I was not gentle while removing braids
c) I lost tons of hair while blow drying

(2) what will you do differently in 2011?
a) No micro braids
b)blowdry gently and sparingly
c)wear protective styles that are easier to take down (buns, crochets, kinky twist)
d)have a tried and true regimen

(3) goal for 2011
a)BSL (or atleast very close)

I don't know if I really experienced a setback or that the year 2010 was just a learning experience. My hair is within an inch of my goal for 2010 (apl) and it is longer than it has ever been. So I am not really bashing myself. I am just going to improve my practices in 2011.
 
i learned that i should have never colored my hair. no breakage or setbacks but growing it out is just like growing out a relaxer to me.
 
What Happened

Had the final straw moment with a (formerly) trusted hairdresser. I went with this idea to lighten my hair. Since I did not do my research and she did not ASK any questions about my hair condition after not seeing me for nearly 2 years - I walked out with nearly black hair, not the light brown/golden brown hair I envisioned. Why was it darker than I wanted? Because she applied color to lighten my hair only to realize after it was done that I still dark ends due to HENNA (she learned this AFTER she asked about my hair with the botched color job). The only fix she offered was to either cut my hair (and lose my progress) or to apply a dark color over it. I opted for the dark color and received no apology.

Lesson Learned
- ASK ASK ASK lots of questions and research what needs to be done to achieve final desired results at a hair salon, any hair salon.

- Never blindly trust a hair stylist. The best advocate for you will always be Y-O-U.

- Any fixes to color mistakes either need to be cut out, covered over or double processed to lift and lighten. :perplexed

My saving grace has been, learning how to infuse moisture into my hair to keep it supple and safe from disastrous results like this from LHCF.

Goals for 2011
- Sadly, I have to fix this hair color disaster because with all my new growth I now have about 4 or 5 different colors in my hair. I am setting up interviews with potential stylists now and even considering driving back to MD for my stylist from my teens.

- Continued work on my bald spots which are getting good growth from sulfur oil and MT mix.

- Retaining my length without giving into the trim and cry cycle. This requires me paying attention to my ends regularly. Tough/dry ends are what makes me want to "trim" in the first place. An over trim is what makes me cry.

- Resolve my debate about doing a straight hairdo. Need to decide if I really need straight hair or not.
 
What Happened:
My already thin, looser curled front became is now heat damaged from straightening this fall.

Lesson Learned
My hair can't really tolerate heat. Even with 2 heat protectants and only using 2 passes and turning the heat down is not enough to protect my fragile bang area.
Straight hair isn't my thing anymore so I won't miss it. I'll just rollerset if I want a straight look

Goal in 2011
Slowly cut away the heat damage as it grows out.
Continue with PS styling year round and my current reggie
Grow my hair to BSB/BSL/MBL since they are all about the same length for me
 
(1) what happened
I did too much experimenting, product and bandwagon jumping and manipulation which resulted in alot of breakage.

(2) what will you do differently in 2011?
I am sticking to a handful of products and a set reggie. No bandwagons!!!!!

(3) goal for 2011
By 12/31/10 I would like to be MBL
 
what happened: I realized that wrapping my hair too tight and in the same direction caused one side to be thinner and shorter :wallbash:

what happened: I realized that the hard pointy teeth of the bone combs I bought (bandwagon) were causing breakage on the OTHER side of my hair :wallbash::wallbash:

what I will do differently: Back to the simple things that work, wrap loosely (that side of my hair is already thicker and even with the other side), back to my jilbere shower comb that although it has seams doesn't break my hair off!

goals for 2011: keep it simple and just let it go/grow.
 
I need to not wear do rags or scarvs anymore. When you tie them in the back at the nape, they thin my hair out back there. This is going to be hard for me because my locs are still short and don't look that good yet and I work in a salon. I still wear rags to cover my locs untill they get longer. I just don't know what to do.
 
- I learned that dominican blowouts make my hair look great but is too much for my hair to handle. HOWEVER, they do help when i'm stretching so I can start at seven weeks post.
- I need to detangle well - with a denman brush before washing - especially if i'm going to go to a salon after weeks of air drying in twist. I had the most embarrassing detangling session at the salon where I lost A LOT of hair.
- I need to trim my own hair or have someone that I trust to listen when I say half an inch! I should have been at least an inch past APL :-/
- My big goal is to reach BSL by December 2011, perfect my roller set and slow down shedding.
 
(1) what happened and -skala happened *gggrrrr*

(2) what will you do differently in 2011? no more bandwagons. stick to what i know works. there is no need to be a pj when you already have a set reggie that is proven to work for you

(3) goal for 2011 blunt thick hl or blunt thick tlb
 
(1) what happened-Cheap styling tools and hair spray

(2) what will you do differently in 2011? Stick with what I know......Stick to a reggy....Pack my stuff when on vacay do not use the hotel blowdryer and your mothers flat iron and curling iron ever again!

(3) goal for 2011 BSL layered
 
I had to cut off about 2.5 inches of hair last weekend because so much had broken off due to my use of the Instyler Rotating Iron. I would have been better off using a regular flat iron. That was a major setback for me. My hair had finally grown past my shoulders and now it's just at the base of my neck. I thought about just cutting it into a pixie again, but I'm not sure. I think I need to go back to no direct heat.
 
I learned that no one is going to be as gentle and caring about my hair as me. So from here on out, no hands except my own will be coming anywhere near my head. My goal for 2011 is just to get my hair back healthy and thick.
 
I've learned that no matter what I do to my hair some things are beyond my control. I went from APL to TWA (an inch).

(1) what happened - extreme postpartum shedding and breakage
(2) what will you do differently in 2011? - learn to love my natural hair and how to take care of it.
(3) goal for 2011 - health and grow, grow, grow
 
(1) what happened?
I used heat 5 times this year. Once was a horrible blowout done at a salon (never ever again) after which I flatironed my hair myself :nono:.
I kept trying to make traditional rollersetting work for me. The combing and the heat of the dryer are too much.
This last time I wore shrunken wash n'goes made me realize that their not good for my hair although I was doing them all this year. Yeah it took me this long to figure that out again! :spinning:
(2) what will you do differently in 2011?
No heat at all.
I discovered braid n'curls and my hair seems to love them so far.
I will only be doing stretched styles and I won't do a single wash n'go in 2011 :sad:.
(3) goal for 2011
I want to be full WL and I want to get there without having to protective style :yep:. My fingers and toes are cross that all goes well.
 
I BC'd 12/20/09 and was so excited to straighten my hair for a length check. I expected thick full CBL based on where my hair stretched. What I found was uneven hair somewhere between NL and SL with raggedy ends. :sad:
(1) what happened?
I wore my hair in a puff the entire year. Although I tried twistouts they just never worked and I would end up pulling them into a twistout puff anyway. Because I cowashed almost every day during the spring and summer I did not add any additional moisture and because I was oil rinsing in the shower I did not seal my hair. I think the combination of not protecting my ends, not sealing, and not moisturizing and sealing at night led to my ugly ends. I also noticed some breakage in the top left crown area (not sure why), and the middle back section of my hair is see through, my DH says because I wear my hair pulled up in a puff all the time. I'm sure he's right.
(2) what will you do differently in 2011?
I lost a LOT of hair straightening my hair today. That in addition to the breakage and thin hair I discovered today I will add protein into my regimen. I only used protein 3-4 times this year. I'll probably get some Aphogee 2 step for next weekend. I am going to PS by wearing my hair in a bun. It's not long enough to bun on my own so I'll add hair and do this for at least the first quarter of 2011. I will moisturize and seal twice daily, add ceramides to my regimen, and henna for shine, strength, and thickness. I'm not sure if my ends need to be trimmed or if they just look this way because I am a very tightly coily 4A with ends that are difficult to get smooth. I may wait until April and trim my own hair, I already did two mini trims a couple of weeks ago.
(3) goal for 2011
My overall growth in 2010 was good, just not as even as I would have liked. I will revamp my regi sticking to the basics and keeping it simple. My goal is strong, thick, shiny APL which I think I can reach, but I'll be happy with a thick and full SL if trimming is required to get my ends in order.
 
What did I learn in 2010:

1. Brazilian Keratin Treatments are not for me, not even a mild non-formaldehyde brand on my baby-fine previously natural hair. I am currently SICK when I see how much hair I have lost, how thin it is. The road to recovery will be long.

2. Do not trust a stylist, even if she is experienced. I KNOW my hair.

3. Go back to hiding and meticulously taking care of my hair. Once I achieved bra-strap length, I majorly slacked off.
 
1) Do NOT trust a stylist who cannot even remember what customer she is working on. She thought I was another customer and cut off about 2 inches of my hair when I asked her to "dust" my ends."

2) Become a total DIYer. And when it comes to trims either learn how to do it or go to a Hair Cuttery. At least they listen to what you want.

3) I'm hoping for APL Natural in 2011
 
What I learned/ what happened
Stay the Hayle away from product Bandwagons. I jumped on the Aphogee train in August 2009, by Jan 2010, I had to cut 2 inches off my hair because of protein overload. My ends were just snapping off and disappearing. It was my fault I thought I could use the 2 min reconstrutor once or twice a week. and I loved the smell so I was hooked. I had read that it had less protein so it could be used more often. WRONG!:sad::perplexed:ohwell:

I also learned no matter how bad I want to wear my hair out. I have to do it Sparingly. Special occassions only. by April 2010 my hair was back to the length it was in Aug 2009. Then during the summer I got lazy and stopped protective styling. by September, I had lost the growth I had gained back in April 2010.

What I did to recover
September I started keeping my hair in cornrows and now my length is a little past what it was before August 2009. So I lost a whole year of progress because of jumping on bandwagons and being lazy.

I learned to keep it simple, if it's working leave it alone. And no matter how many people swear by a product for them, it doesn't mean it's meant for me. My hair likes natural products, so that's all it gets.

Goal for 2011
Don't change a thing don't add, don't take away. Keep my hair in cornrows 24/7. baggie every night, continue to use, Olive oil, Coconut oil, Sweet Almond oil, peppermint oil, and water when i baggie. dust my ends every 3 months.

keep my ends baggied under my fake afro puff. No Heat/ No Shampoo.
I cleanse my hair with Bentonite Clay and Apple cider Vinegar once a month.

Hopefully I can get to APL in another 6 months.

Oh and if you see me out and about without my puff on, give me the finger wag talking too and send my hot butt back home to get my phony pony:lachen::lachen:
 

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That W&Gs though easy and cute are not my friend.
That laziness leads to W&Gs which leads to splits and SSK.
That I need to come up w/a new easy go to style because,
basically W&Gs are the devil.
 
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