SmilingElephant's Team for New Group Support Challenge Thread

[panamoni]

Day Dreamer and Ms. J, Congrats on your progress!!! Beautiful twistout Ms. J.

 

[panamoni]

My comments are in blue below. Enjoy your weave --I think I'm on my way to becoming a weave addict...

I will be getting my first weave this weekend :reddancer:. As you can tell i am very excited. I have been doing research (youtube and black hair media) on how to take care of the hair properly and I have a few questions:
I'm in my first weave, and I stay on there now.
1. What is best way to keep the hair underneath moisturized? conditioner and water in spray bottle, braid spray?
If it's a curly weave, braid spray or something like that would be ok. If it's straight, you don't want the weave hair to get greasy, so get a water based moisturizer, and put in a color applicator bottle or spray bottle and apply to the braids as needed. Eidese uses glycerin and water.
2. Do you have to use diluted shampoo and conditioner to wash both your hair and the weave hair?
The diluted shampoo and conditioner are for the braids underneath -- again in an applicator or spray bottle. Use regular concentrations on leave out hair and weave hair. Sometimes, I don't use the expensive stuff on the weave hair, but, I definitely do condition it.
3. I have seen recommendations to use an astrigent like witch hazel on the scalp between washings. what is your opinion on this and what is the purpose?
Some people use this as cleanser. I've been fine using diluted shampoo then conditioner.
4. Is it necessary for me to have and use the following products on the hair: spray on leave-in, spray on heat protectant and a cheapie flat iron or curling iron.
Depends if you're going straight or curly. Curly, you can get away with rollersetting to get your leave out hair to blend. Straight is a little tougher, especially if you have a lot of new growth. This has been a struggle for me. You'll need the flatiron or curling iron to get it straight. Also, be careful with the use of the leave-in products. A little goes a long way. When I use very little/almost no product when flatironing, my hair seems to look best. Of course, I do use a bit, but just a little. Then I'll moisturize it throughout the week as needed.
Thanks ladies.

 

[panamoni]

OK, so in March/April, I was initially planning to relax at 12 weeks post, but didn't because I got a weave. My last wash before getting the weave didn't go so well. I was tired and impatient and did a terrible job detangling, ripping through my hair with the comb (next time, I promise to use Mane N Tail Detangler or PM's The Detangler and an Ouidad detangling comb). So, I took some pics with my hair wet, and while there was some growth, I'm ashamed to post the pics because of the damage I did with the ripping.

Anyway, I can post some pics of my weave. It's my first weave...I'm still learning, and will eventually have a really flawless one when I find the perfect stylist and learn the optimal way to take care of it. So, I'm going to post a few pics for you ladies.

 

[Day Dreamer]

OMG!! Panamoni, that weave is so pretty and it looks like your real hair. It suits your face as well. Below are pictures of my first weave. Thanks

 

[SmilingElephant]

Panamoni that weave looks really great!!...i was looking at ur pic and i was like...what is she talkin about she's shoulder length when she's clearly APL??! lol...and then i went back and read that u put in a weave ....but it looks real to me.

Day Dreamer your weave is also pretty. Ya'll gon have me in a sew in before its all over with!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hellerrrr.... Just thought i'd bump our thread up

I wanted to know if you all were trying any new products lately? I found that i may be in LOVE with Dominican conditoners...so far i just have the Crece Pelo leave-in....but i want to try the conditioner rinses as well...they have them at CVS.

Also...i wanted to ask a fun question...what have you ladies learned about your hair thus far in your journeys? Have you acheived any goals? And is there anything thats still bothering you about your hair?

I'm SO excited to see how this team is gonna look come December 31st!! From what i've been seeing...you all have some BEAUTIFUL hair!

 

[Day Dreamer]

Hellerrrr.... Just thought i'd bump our thread up

I wanted to know if you all were trying any new products lately? I found that i may be in LOVE with Dominican conditoners...so far i just have the Crece Pelo leave-in....but i want to try the conditioner rinses as well...they have them at CVS.

Also...i wanted to ask a fun question...what have you ladies learned about your hair thus far in your journeys? Have you acheived any goals? And is there anything thats still bothering you about your hair?

I'm SO excited to see how this team is gonna look come December 31st!! From what i've been seeing...you all have some BEAUTIFUL hair!

I have learned that my hair really loves deep conditioning and 30 mins seems to be my magic number. Also, I do need to moisturise my hair. I spent years with hair falling out excessively and not knowing why. MOISTURE IS MY FRIEND but also need to keep the protein in check. I have not reached my first goal but I am on the way there. The only thing that still bothers me is my edges. I do have some more hair there thanks to some castor but not as much as I would like. When I need to relax, the hair at my edges balls up and separates so it looks like I am bald or something. Then when I relax it all lays together in a flat line so it still looks like i have a bald spot. I definitely need more hair in that area.

 

[Day Dreamer]

I am trying out some new things in my hair lately. Recently, I took down my weave (I ended up doing it alone and accidentally cut the end of my braid off. You cannot really tell so I sucked it up and will keep telling myself that it will grow back, it will grow back) and did a tea rinse on my hair. My hair feels good right now. I was thinking about trying out some henna on m y hair so i have a few question:

1. What brand of henna did you use?

2. I was reading the BAQ henna is the best but alot of people swear by Karishma, Reshma and so forth.as it contains those extra herbs. What is your opinion on this? Which brand should I buy? e.g Karishma, Reshma, Ancient Sunrise from hennaforhair.com or Godrej Napur??

3. I have done some research but in your opinion, who is a good online vendor to source the henna from?

4. I know that henna is a dye but I have a few white hairs and so not want then turned a strange. So which is better to use: regular henna for conditioning and strength or cassia obovata (neutral henna) for conditioning but does not last as long as true henna?

5. I was looking at ayurnaturalbeauty.com and saw some godrej napur mehendi 9 herbs blen. Has anybody used or heard of this one before? I am interested in trying out this one.

Thank you ladies.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hey Day Dreamer!! I haven't used Henna before but i hope some of the other ladies who have used it will chime in

 

[SmilingElephant]

Alright ladies!!!!:woohoo:

We are nearing the end of the 2nd quarter of the year!!! Please don't forget to post your progress and/or pics at the end of the month!!!

I hope everyone is doing well....and Day Dreamer...don't worry it WILL grow back....i hope you all are not becoming discouraged.

 

[Mrs. J]

Hey Day Dreamer!! I haven't used Henna before but i hope some of the other ladies who have used it will chime in

I've never used henna either, but after reading all the wonderful comments on it, I now want to try it!!!

 

[Mrs. J]

Alright ladies!!!!:woohoo:

We are nearing the end of the 2nd quarter of the year!!! Please don't forget to post your progress and/or pics at the end of the month!!!

I hope everyone is doing well....and Day Dreamer...don't worry it WILL grow back....i hope you all are not becoming discouraged.

COOOOL!!!! I haven't been totally straight in a while, so I'm actually excited about getting it done. I hope my hair has grown.....I'll be semi sad if it hasn't!!! Only semi because there are other benefits for what I've been doing with my hair...I can definitely see a difference in the overall health of my hair, so it's still a win-win!!!

Can't wait to see you alls hair progress!!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hey!!!

My JUNE updates are here http://smilingelephant.blogspot.com

 

[Day Dreamer]

I will post some pics on my next wash day. Other than needing a good relaxer, i believe that my hair is okay; not sure if its grown any though.

 

[Mrs. J]

Hey!!!

My JUNE updates are here http://smilingelephant.blogspot.com

It's so funny....last week I made a list of all the Bee Mine products I wanted to try for me & DD!!!! I haven't gotten it yet, but I don't think the growth serum was on my list (the list is at work...show's you what I be doing at work...), but I'll definitely be adding it!!!!

Anywho...your new growth looks so soft and pretty!!! I'm thinking you could definitely stretch your relaxers longer....I'm considering doing that as my hair gets longer....we'll see! I blow dried and flat ironed yesterday, so I'll be posting pics right before I leave out today, as I'm still rocking my scarf!!! I'm currently approx. 8 weeks post...with 8 more weeks to go!

 

[SmilingElephant]

It's so funny....last week I made a list of all the Bee Mine products I wanted to try for me & DD!!!! I haven't gotten it yet, but I don't think the growth serum was on my list (the list is at work...show's you what I be doing at work...), but I'll definitely be adding it!!!!

Anywho...your new growth looks so soft and pretty!!! I'm thinking you could definitely stretch your relaxers longer....I'm considering doing that as my hair gets longer....we'll see! I blow dried and flat ironed yesterday, so I'll be posting pics right before I leave out today, as I'm still rocking my scarf!!! I'm currently approx. 8 weeks post...with 8 more weeks to go!

LOL!!! I BEEN had in mine what i wanted to order from Bee Mine MONTHS ago...lol....so what i'm gonna start doing...since Bee Mine is kinda cuttin into my gas money.....I bought the regular size bottle of the Serum bc i KNOW it works and i like it and then i bought the sample size of the Luscious moisturizer bc i didnt wanna shell out $20 for a product i'm not sure i'm gonna like....and if i really like it i'll purchase the regular size of it next payday

Thanx for the compliment....my ng is pretty soft...its just that its so thickerplexed!!...I re-blow dried and flat ironed last nite as well and my hair is STILL straight.....i think this is the best i've ever done while stretching....i just been puttin Jojoba oil on it to keep it from reverting and nothing else.

 

[Mrs. J]

here are my update pics....

Not as much growth as I would've wanted, but I'm also not totally straight....I never can get myself totally straight at home.....

I have 8 more weeks to go before I relax and I'm definitely going to be ordering the Bee Mine Growth Serum !!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

here are my update pics....

Not as much growth as I would've wanted, but I'm also not totally straight....I never can get myself totally straight at home.....

I have 8 more weeks to go before I relax and I'm definitely going to be ordering the Bee Mine Growth Serum !!!

You're DEFinitely makin progress!!....its so thick and shiny!!! And what is hubby back there cookin??! Lol!!!

 

[Mrs. J]

You're DEFinitely makin progress!!....its so thick and shiny!!! And what is hubby back there cookin??! Lol!!!

LOL!!! I should have cropped his tail out the picture!!! Thank you, I'm considering putting it into a mohawk and twisting the rest so the middle can be a twistout....it's just that I know that I'll REALLY look like a teenager when I do that!!!

 

[SmilingElephant]

LOL!!! I should have cropped his tail out the picture!!! Thank you, I'm considering putting it into a mohawk and twisting the rest so the middle can be a twistout....it's just that I know that I'll REALLY look like a teenager when I do that!!!

IMHO....there is NOTHING wrong with looking younger....why not?

I rocked pigtails to work the other day....loved it!....i bet the faux-hawk would be fierce!

 

[Day Dreamer]

hey ladies,

this is my recent pic. This pic was taken oon July 5, 2010. This is hennaed, DC'ed and blow dried hair. I do not feel like it has grown all that much since I accidentally cut it when i was taking down my weave but I am happy with it. Enjoy.

 

[mysoon2behair]

Hey Ladies,

I havent checked in for a while. I finally got around to taking my progress pics. I see allot of you are doing a great job!

Here are my progress pics. As you can see it hasn't really grown as much as I would have liked but it has gotten allot thicker. The first one was taken March 2010 and the second was taken July 2010.

Take care Ladies!

 

[panamoni]

Hey Ladies, Hope you all are well. I haven't checked in in a while. My latest discovery is Silk Elements deep conditioner. It works great -- and I've found that following the instructions and only sitting with it under the dryer for 7min. works better than going longer. I like it on my hair and on my new weave hair.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Lookin good ya'll^^......it looks like you all will be making APL early next year....but that's my opinion...idk how fast everyone's hair grows....but you ladies don't seem to be too far away from it.

How is everyone? I've been up and down....sorry if i've missed any of you guys' posts.

 

[Day Dreamer]

I am doing well. I only hope to APL but we will see.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Okay ladies.....i'm welcoming another member to post in our group! Hello Grow!

I want to do something fun for our group but don't know what.

 

[Mrs. J]

IMHO....there is NOTHING wrong with looking younger....why not?

I rocked pigtails to work the other day....loved it!....i bet the faux-hawk would be fierce!

Forgot to tell you that I rocked the pigtails, but I still haven't rocked the faux hawk!!!

Next week, I'm due for a relaxer. I'm rocking my first ever curl set....came out a little crunchy, but everyone at work has been giving me compliments....and I actually like it too. I'll try to take a pic in the restroom and post it, cause I know if I don't, I'll end up forgetting to.

I'm getting my hair done (actually blow dried and curled) next weekend, so I'm really looking forward to that. Even when I blow dry my own hair, I don't get it bone straight...so, I'm really looking forward to seeing my hair down! I'll def post pics of that too!!!

 

[Mrs. J]

Hi Ladies

Unfortunately, I somehow lost the one picture that I took with my rollerset, but I liked it so much that I'm sure I'll be doing it again pretty soon and will take pics then.

I do, however, have pics of my blowout. I relaxed last Thursday with Elasta QP and I must say that I LOVE the way my hair looks and feels!!! For the last few days, I've actually been wearing it out....as in, condition, rinse and go and I'm loving it...I'll be doing this more often too because it gets really big once it dries and I love, Love, LOVE it!!!!

OK, I don't know how to attach my pics on this here new website.....ya'll help me out.

ETA: OK...I figured it out.

 

[Day Dreamer]

Hey ladies,

I have really been gone for awhile because I am in school now and have very little time for much else. I am trying to still take care of my hair but unfortunately it being a little neglected. I cut it back to shoulder length last month to try and get it evened out a bit. Now I moved to go to school and have very little supplies to do my hair with. All I have is a shampoo, conditioner and a deep conditioner by garnier fructis. Not sure how well they are working but I will use them up. I did try to DC overnight recently and it did not work very well for my hair. My hair needs heat and with only a blow drier that kinda sucks. I was thinking to get one of those caps that has a hose for the blow dryer. I could not walk with my stuff from home. Too much trouble and I have extremely limited funds ( I am broke to be quite frank). I am not able to treat my hair the same as I was at home and i was thinking to get it braided into some kinky twists. Any suggestions on how to manage my hair in college would be helpful.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Hi Ladies

Unfortunately, I somehow lost the one picture that I took with my rollerset, but I liked it so much that I'm sure I'll be doing it again pretty soon and will take pics then.

I do, however, have pics of my blowout. I relaxed last Thursday with Elasta QP and I must say that I LOVE the way my hair looks and feels!!! For the last few days, I've actually been wearing it out....as in, condition, rinse and go and I'm loving it...I'll be doing this more often too because it gets really big once it dries and I love, Love, LOVE it!!!!

OK, I don't know how to attach my pics on this here new website.....ya'll help me out.

ETA: OK...I figured it out.

I LOVE it!!! This isn't a braidout?