Shea Growth And Retention Regimen 2018

Has Shea Butter 'got you'?

  • Let me look over my investment portfolio and see if I have room for shea related stocks.

    Votes: 21 12.8%

  • I've got 8 pounds in the house, I need to order me some more because I don't want to run out.

    Votes: 29 17.7%

  • 1 Day without sealing my ends is just unthinkable.

    Votes: 12 7.3%

  • It works for me for now.

    Votes: 45 27.4%

  • Nah, I can take it or leave it.

    Votes: 12 7.3%

  • Meh, I'm here for the posts.

    Votes: 28 17.1%

  • That stuff just weighs down my hair. No thanks!

    Votes: 17 10.4%
  • Total voters
    164
sunflora said:
Here's my check-in for the year! This is only 9 months and I joined this challenge late, but if I post my other progress pics it's very clear that I've retained more in these past few months (heck, this past month!) than I was retaining before. My regimen is still changing, but this is what I'm DEFINITELY without a doubt carrying into 2019 with me.

1x week:
Hot Oil Treatment - I use warm coconut oil, mustard oil, or really any nutrient rich oil and massage my scalp. Then I apply it to my hair after warming it, using a wide-tooth comb and remove my shed hair. I braid up the hair and then put on a plastic cap, leave it on for as long as I can as I lounge around I mean be a productive citizen.
Shampoo - really nothing special here, I shampoo after doing this.
DC - I *always* DC with heat, which I realized was a game-changer early on. I use my hot-head with a plastic cap under it, and DC for maybe 30 minutes to an hour. Usually just watch YouTube videos in my bath robe and then hope back in the shower.
I do a rinse-out while I'm washing out my DC with extra light EVOO. Then I following with a regular conditioner so that my hair is not too oily.

I set my hair in 8 braids using LCO, followed by shea butter on the ends. This method clumps my hair and prevents ssks. It is an extra step that takes almost a day to try, but it is absolutely worth is as I cannot simply do a style like dutch braids on my wet hair. My hair wants to be dry when I manipulate it, or I get knots, tangles and irreparable breakage.

I've been wearing two dutch braids throughout the week. I re-do them as needed to keep them presentable, adding shea butter to the ends, as well as oil and a cream as neccessary. I gently remove shed hairs as I'm going, but never touch my hair with a comb or brush for the remaining of the week. This is why the HOT is so important! There's a lot of shed hair that would cause tangles and knots if I wet my hair after this, or went straight to shampooing. So gently removing the shed hair with a comb while my hair is heavily oiled prevents all of this from happening.

And here's my pic!

View attachment 440175

Previous progress pics:

View attachment 440177

View attachment 440179

See that difference in retention?? I do!!!

View attachment 440181

I'm rather happy at this years gains, I was pessimistic at first.

Merry Christmas!!
Click to expand...
Awesome retention!! I definitely see the difference in how much longer your hair got once you added Shea Butter to your regimen. Good job! Can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring!!
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
I wonder what would happen if I added a little deep conditioner to the ends and used some Shea to seal the ends?:scratchchin:

I guess I’m about to find out :rofl:
Click to expand...
For the record it was Mielle Organics Mongongo DC and plain Shea (that is really soft from it feeling like I’m in Hades in my apartment. It gets really hot lol)from the BSS. I haven’t even cracked open my 3cag butters yet :spank::lol:
 
Chicoro said:
"I'm rather happy at this years gains, I was pessimistic at first."

What a wonderful gift Queen Shea has helped you get this year in 2018!

Thank you so much for gifting us all with your detailed regimen. It looks like you have retained a minimum of 5 inches in this photo. Amazing!!!!!
Click to expand...

Thank you! Right about where my hair is now is where I always end up with a setback. Currently, even though I'm growing out heat damage, it's not in too bad of shape. Once I hit that birthmark/mole in the middle of my back, I'm officially at my adulthood longest. Can't wait!
 
caribeandiva said:
6 inches if measured from the front of my body (collarbone to breast) and 7 inches if measured on my back.
Click to expand...

I could see that you were at armpit from the view of your hair from the back. Thus, I am going go with the 7 inch measurement. Based on the back view, your hair has clearly reached armpit length.

Then, you have grown about 6 to 7 inches of hair, in 2018, using Shea butter. You have retained about 5 to 6 inches. Now, you know what your hair can do!
 
Chicoro said:
I could see that you were at armpit from the view of your hair from the back. Thus, I am going go with the 7 inch measurement. Based on the back view, your hair has clearly reached armpit length.

Then, you have grown about 6 to 7 inches of hair, in 2018, using Shea butter. You have retained about 5 to 6 inches. Now, you know what your hair can do!
Click to expand...
Yasssss!!! *twerks*

I don’t wanna keep hijacking this thread so I’ll start a separate thread with more progress pics.
 
caribeandiva said:
Yasssss!!! *twerks*

I don’t wanna keep hijacking this thread so I’ll start a separate thread with more progress pics.
Click to expand...

Excuse me? That's what this thread is for. Don't start a separate thread. Post them photos. This thread has only about 5 more days of active life. Your results are a RESULT of this thread. Don't deny us. POST!
 
I pray this post doesn’t get buried deep in this thread because I know it’ll help a lot of discouraged ladies.


I started my hair journey 12 years ago. All that time my hair never got longer than collarbone length. It was frustrating. I present to you, Exhibit A:
8283DC97-F45E-447D-98ED-B5BF0473AB69.jpeg

March 2017 is the last time I got my hair done and trimmed professionally. It STAYED that length up until I changed my regimen with @Chicoro ’s help and started doing the LOC method with Shea Butter. If you had told me that my hair grows very fast I would’ve thought you were on drugs. I was convinced otherwise. Hello, see exhibit A! :lol: And the truth is I was comfortable with my old regimen and didn’t wanna change. I was in my comfort zone.

Fast forward one year and these are my results:
6D09B469-E837-44C6-90B7-D2E41C134E41.jpeg
91316501-42FF-4ED2-9AE0-22A1E574C2F7.jpeg

All of that to say: never give up on your dreams!! If your hair isn’t getting longer it’s because something isn’t working in your regimen or it’s a health issue. I was convinced I had a thyroid issue around year 3 because of breakage but it turned out to be iron deficiency anemia. Fixed that immediately but still wasn’t retaining length. Now what? I didn’t give up. I kept looking for answers. I knew if other black ladies could do it then so can I. I now know to keep my hair stretched out at all times AND moisturize and seal with a heavy butter daily.
 
I should’ve started off by saying my ends were left loose from the cornrows because I planned on connecting them to each other. Then I applied the dc and Shea.

It’s been a few hours and my hair was wrapped all night. Ends feel really nice, and I had some curl poppage while working the DC and Shea. I still feel the curls, but they’re probably too frizzy now from me constantly touching them lol. I kinda want to take a braid down in the crown where it’s the kinkiest, wash it and stuff, let it air dry, then apply the DC and Shea and see what happens :lachen:

Annnd, I want to disconnect the braids in the back and slather them too:angeldevil:
 
caribeandiva said:
I pray this post doesn’t get buried deep in this thread because I know it’ll help a lot of discouraged ladies.

All of that to say: never give up on your dreams!! If your hair isn’t getting longer it’s because something isn’t working in your regimen or it’s a health issue. I was convinced I had a thyroid issue around year 3 because of breakage but it turned out to be iron deficiency anemia. Fixed that immediately but still wasn’t retaining length. Now what? I didn’t give up. I kept looking for answers. I knew if other black ladies could do it then so can I. I now know to keep my hair stretched out at all times AND moisturize and seal with a heavy butter daily.
Click to expand...
Beautiful Pics!!!!!!!
I have a question for you, because I am currently battling Iron Deficiency Anemia.
I didn't know it was so bad until I had to go to the hospital/emergency in October for a blood transfusion.
I'm better now, but I'm experiencing so much shedding it's not funny.
I'm taking iron, and i'm now eating chicken....
WHEN WILL MY HAIR STOP SHEDDING????

(and do you have any tips and tricks to bounce back from anemia?)

P.S.
I know my anemia isn't corrected yet, because my finger nails are still brittle and peeling
:(
 
metro_qt said:
Beautiful Pics!!!!!!!
I have a question for you, because I am currently battling Iron Deficiency Anemia.
I didn't know it was so bad until I had to go to the hospital/emergency in October for a blood transfusion.
I'm better now, but I'm experiencing so much shedding it's not funny.
I'm taking iron, and i'm now eating chicken....
WHEN WILL MY HAIR STOP SHEDDING????

(and do you have any tips and tricks to bounce back from anemia?)

P.S.
I know my anemia isn't corrected yet, because my finger nails are still brittle and peeling
:(
Click to expand...

The big part of anemia is finding out why you are anemic. If you're anything like me, you can get an iron infusion and come back anemic later. Did you go back and verify that your iron levels are normal now? As long as it isn't corrected, you will most likely still have problems. :(

I definitely recommend following up (not taking my own advice, I didn't like iron infusions and just stopped going >.<).
 
metro_qt said:
Beautiful Pics!!!!!!!
I have a question for you, because I am currently battling Iron Deficiency Anemia.
I didn't know it was so bad until I had to go to the hospital/emergency in October for a blood transfusion.
I'm better now, but I'm experiencing so much shedding it's not funny.
I'm taking iron, and i'm now eating chicken....
WHEN WILL MY HAIR STOP SHEDDING????

(and do you have any tips and tricks to bounce back from anemia?)

P.S.
I know my anemia isn't corrected yet, because my finger nails are still brittle and peeling
:(
Click to expand...
Thank you! :)Get your iron levels checked often. Mine was an 8 out of 14 with 14 being healthy, normal levels. My doctor said if my levels were any lower I would need a blood transfusion. My advice is to take your iron pills faithfully and on time. Take them with orange juice if possible because vitamin C helps iron absorb faster. When you take your iron pills DO NOT drink any caffeine, dairy or eat wheat bread for an hour afterwards. Those things block iron absorption. If you do consume one of those food that are iron blockers, then wait at least 2 hours before taking your iron pills. Eat a lot of greens: spinach, collard greens, kale. Also beef has a lot of iron. So a burger once in a while is good for you.
 
Last edited:
sunflora said:
The big part of anemia is finding out why you are anemic. If you're anything like me, you can get an iron infusion and come back anemic later. Did you go back and verify that your iron levels are normal now? As long as it isn't corrected, you will most likely still have problems. :(

I definitely recommend following up (not taking my own advice, I didn't like iron infusions and just stopped going >.<).
Click to expand...
Agreed. Find out what’s causing it. Mine is caused by fibroids.
 
TamaraShaniece said:
I started using a whipped shea butter infused w/ oils in December.... reading the rules, the shea butter blend does count for the challenge (that answered my original post). Since I just started using the butter for retention 3 weeks ago, I'll just lurk this thread til someone posts the 2019 shea retention thread.
Click to expand...

Yeah, @Chicoro , we're all waiting on you. We can't have a shea challenge without you!!

*peer pressure*
 
metro_qt said:
Beautiful Pics!!!!!!!
I have a question for you, because I am currently battling Iron Deficiency Anemia.
I didn't know it was so bad until I had to go to the hospital/emergency in October for a blood transfusion.
I'm better now, but I'm experiencing so much shedding it's not funny.
I'm taking iron, and i'm now eating chicken....
WHEN WILL MY HAIR STOP SHEDDING????

(and do you have any tips and tricks to bounce back from anemia?)

P.S.
I know my anemia isn't corrected yet, because my finger nails are still brittle and peeling
:(
Click to expand...

The other ladies have already given spot on advice. I will just add precaution when washing and styling your hair. Use the gentlest styling technique that you have. Avoid hair styles that place tension on the scalp. Avoid heat styling, including blowdrying, and chemical treatments (relaxer, permanent dye, etc) as much as you can. These can be irritating to a healthy scalp and while your scalp is healing it can not withstand these treatments like it use to.

It takes roughly 120 days a newly made red blood cell (RBC) to die. You were previously making poor quality RBCs because of your anemia. Your body makes new blood cells every day so it will take 4 months for your body to only contain the RBCs that have an iron supplement boost. So every day the nutrient quality of your blood will improve as long as you are taking your supplements and in 4 months you'll receive its full effect. However, it may take a bit longer for your hair and nails to respond to being flooded with high quality RBCs. Hang in there and continue taking your iron supplements as prescribed by your doctor.

Consider setting an alarm on your phone for when you will take you iron pills and set aside a few pills in your purse or key chain for when you find yourself away from home.
 
I take back any bad mouthing I was giving my first ever DIY whipped shea.

My hair today was so smooth and and soft from using my shea butter mix Tuesday night. I found myself touching my ends constantly during work. That was the power of my whipped shea mix on freshly washed hair with a bit of Oyin Hair Dew as a leave in.

Tonight I moisturized with AVG and sealed with more of my whipped shea mix and twisted to wear as a twistout bun tomorrow. Well I had to redo a couple of twists to make them smaller and more consistently sized with the rest. When I undid those jumbo twists, the definition was STRONG! When I separated the twists, the definition was still there! I never get results like that from jumbo twists. It looks like I made my own twisting butter that is better than any I've purchased before!

Tonight the application of shea was easier than on Tuesday. I don't know if it was the AVG or if I just wasn't used to using something different than my Shea Alma Parfait staple. The Shea Alma Parfait just melts and disappears into my hair without any effort, but the definition isn't that great, especially after separating twists. In comparison, I have to rub in my DIY shea mix a bit more, but the definition is amazing. I prefer my DIY shea mix just for this reason. Both products give me soft moisturized hair so the fact that my mix is cheaper and good for styling makes it my new HG.
 
fluffyforever said:
I take back any bad mouthing I was giving my first ever DIY whipped shea.

My hair today was so smooth and and soft from using my shea butter mix Tuesday night. I found myself touching my ends constantly during work. That was the power of my whipped shea mix on freshly washed hair with a bit of Oyin Hair Dew as a leave in.

Tonight I moisturized with AVG and sealed with more of my whipped shea mix and twisted to wear as a twistout bun tomorrow. Well I had to redo a couple of twists to make them smaller and more consistently sized with the rest. When I undid those jumbo twists, the definition was STRONG! When I separated the twists, the definition was still there! I never get results like that from jumbo twists. It looks like I made my own twisting butter that is better than any I've purchased before!

Tonight the application of shea was easier than on Tuesday. I don't know if it was the AVG or if I just wasn't used to using something different than my Shea Alma Parfait staple. The Shea Alma Parfait just melts and disappears into my hair without any effort, but the definition isn't that great, especially after separating twists. In comparison, I have to rub in my DIY shea mix a bit more, but the definition is amazing. I prefer my DIY shea mix just for this reason. Both products give me soft moisturized hair so the fact that my mix is cheaper and good for styling makes it my new HG.
Click to expand...

This thread is too long for me to check, but at some point I tried shea, was like 'nope, nope too heavy', and gave up. For whatever reason I tried again and was right back in here. I'm glad I gave it a second chance. Everyones hair is different in what they like, but it's awesome when you make a mix that you know is just for you! I hope you keep getting good results from your new bff. lol :D
 
sunflora said:
This thread is too long for me to check, but at some point I tried shea, was like 'nope, nope too heavy', and gave up. For whatever reason I tried again and was right back in here. I'm glad I gave it a second chance. Everyones hair is different in what they like, but it's awesome when you make a mix that you know is just for you! I hope you keep getting good results from your new bff. lol :D
Click to expand...
I remember trying shea when I first went natural over a decade ago and it was a bad drying experience. Then Shea Moisture came to my attention and I liked the restorative conditioner but it was too sticky and dull looking and I was looking to dump things with glycerin. Then I tried Cantu shea products but they didn't feel good in my hair. I went back to the SM restorative conditioner but it was just too darn sticky and my hair would attract all kinds of dirt. I gave up shea butter for years.

Eventually I found this thread and decided to try and buy whipped shea because of the rave reviews. I fell in love with whipped shea, but I wasn't about that mixtress life.

But now I've made my own and it is wonderful. It's been a long journey to get here and I can finally say I know how to moisture and seal my hair.
 
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