Struggling with your natural hair? Come in here.....

Welcome and sorry to hear about your troubles DarkChyld!

The ladies have given fantastic advice and I agree about those products. Time to dump the cones and only use sulfate shampoos on the rare occasion to clarify. This includes the devacurl products which has hidden cones (don't get me started!!)

The only thing I have to add because I'm sure you're overwhelmed is, barring med issues, I'm pretty confident your edge thinning is due to the scarf. Try a silk or satin without any elastics.

Keep us in the loop!

HHJ!
 
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I am very open to changing my regimen. I've changed it a few times. I use the Osmo the most for deep conditioning...it's a favorite.
 
HanaKuroi said:
The Nexxus Therappe seems to be a sulfate shampoo which would strip all the cones from your hair and any moisture and any oils making your hair even drier. (I am not sure if my reply about cones was deleted, I can't see while replying using this app) Cowashing with silicones that may keep out moisture, not moisturizing and sealing, dcing with silicones (one of you dcs seems quite nice) and removing with a sulfate shampoo is probably making your dryness worse.

I am guessing you are in the UK based on one of the products you use. The dc that you use after weave removal seems to be very good!

How do you feel about altering your regimen?

Eta: I didn't have the energy to retype everything that was deleted with my thumb. :(

Eta2: the redken buttersoft and the ors have silicones. The morrocon oil iirc is okay but I would use the osmo dc.
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I'm in Los Angeles.
 
I am going to admit to myself that breakage gets the best of me each and every time. I don't know how to put it to rest. I have to do my hair dry/semi-dry to keep SSK at bay but then it breaks. I really want to just cut it all off.
 
[USER=64807 said:
IrrationalThoughts[/USER];16820285]I am going to admit to myself that breakage gets the best of me each and every time. I don't know how to put it to rest. I have to do my hair dry/semi-dry to keep SSK at bay but then it breaks. I really want to just cut it all off.
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I hear your frustration. At what point are you applying your leave-in and moisturizers? And what are you using?
 
I am making a little progress. My wash, condition regimen is working out. And I think I am making improvements on the initial leave-in after washing. It doesn't get me through several days but it does feel good that first day. Now I need to figure out how to moisturize the days between washes. I thought I had it yesterday but by mid-day it had dried up. But at least its progress.

Going to keep playing around with the GHE method and see if over time that helps any.
 
I would like your help :)
Hair profile: Type 4 (A I think), fine strands, medium density.

Reggie and products: Honestly, I have not been the most consistent with products but I dont think that is the reason why I have the problems that I do.

I wash weekly with some sort of non-sulfate poo (I have/do use sulfates on occasion). I've also experimented with co-washing instead of shampooing but my hair tends to not feel clean.

My conditioner of choice is HE Hello Hydration.
I DC weekly with either Shea Moisture Shea Butter DC or some type of protein DC (Aubrey Organics GPB, Camille Rose Naturals Algae DC)
I started using cassia about once a month earlier this year, it helps cut down the amount of broken hairs i see for like for a week or so. I have a steamer but I don't use it much anymore as it didn't seem to be helping my DCs any more than normal.

How do you style your hair? I've been a big protective styler ever since I've had enough hair to be able to. I usually bun, cinnabun, or wear twisted pin up styles that have my ends tucked/pinned for at least 4-5 days out of the week. The other days I will usually wear a puff. I almost never wear my hair out.

What problems do you have with your hair?
I'm honestly frustrated with stagnant length as well as breakage/split ends/rough ends. I take care of my hair 100 times better than when I was permed/frying and dyeing my hair but my ends still behave like I am, lol. I have been natural for what will be two years this coming March and I still have never gotten a hold on breakage/nasty ends.

I also want to say that I have used heat on my hair a total of three times since my BC in March 2011 and each time was just using a blow dryer, no flat iron. I have a satin pillowcase and scarf, I finger detangle and dry with a micro fiber towel.

I would greatly appreciate your help. I feel like I have exhausted every option at this point.
 
[USER=129805 said:
kristaa.10[/USER];16822699]I would like your help :)
Hair profile: Type 4 (A I think), fine strands, medium density.

Reggie and products: Honestly, I have not been the most consistent with products but I dont think that is the reason why I have the problems that I do.

I wash weekly with some sort of non-sulfate poo (I have/do use sulfates on occasion). I've also experimented with co-washing instead of shampooing but my hair tends to not feel clean.

My conditioner of choice is HE Hello Hydration.
I DC weekly with either Shea Moisture Shea Butter DC or some type of protein DC (Aubrey Organics GPB, Camille Rose Naturals Algae DC)
I started using cassia about once a month earlier this year, it helps cut down the amount of broken hairs i see for like for a week or so. I have a steamer but I don't use it much anymore as it didn't seem to be helping my DCs any more than normal.

How do you style your hair? I've been a big protective styler ever since I've had enough hair to be able to. I usually bun, cinnabun, or wear twisted pin up styles that have my ends tucked/pinned for at least 4-5 days out of the week. The other days I will usually wear a puff. I almost never wear my hair out.

What problems do you have with your hair?
I'm honestly frustrated with stagnant length as well as breakage/split ends/rough ends. I take care of my hair 100 times better than when I was permed/frying and dyeing my hair but my ends still behave like I am, lol. I have been natural for what will be two years this coming March and I still have never gotten a hold on breakage/nasty ends.

I also want to say that I have used heat on my hair a total of three times since my BC in March 2011 and each time was just using a blow dryer, no flat iron. I have a satin pillowcase and scarf, I finger detangle and dry with a micro fiber towel.

I would greatly appreciate your help. I feel like I have exhausted every option at this point.
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What other products are you using? What are you using as a leave-in after conditioning? What do you seal your ends with? How often do you moisturize during the week? What are you moisturizing with?

Do you take your bun down at night? What do you do with it at that point? (products? technique).
 
faithVA

I rotate between Shea moisture's original leave-in, their DC, and oyin's hair dew as leave-ins. I also moisturize with these leave-ins and I seal with olive oil or vatika oil. moisturize and seal every other day.

I take down my bun/ PS every other night to moisturize, seal, then put it back in the PS and put a scarf on it. Its easier to get up and go / less manipulation.
 
kristaa.10 said:
@faithVA

I rotate between Shea moisture's original leave-in, their DC, and oyin's hair dew as leave-ins. I also moisturize with these leave-ins and I seal with olive oil or vatika oil. moisturize and seal every other day.

I take down my bun/ PS every other night to moisturize, seal, then put it back in the PS and put a scarf on it. Its easier to get up and go / less manipulation.
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Well I need my back-up ladies to step in here because they see things that I don't.

The only other thing I can think of is perhaps you need a protein treatment. How often do you do those?

I'm not big on protein but I do know some naturals need them.
 
faithVA I use Aphogee 2-Minute probably about once a month too. I've never used anything stronger than that-one time I used an egg and my hair was stiff for days lol
 
kristaa.10 said:
@faithVA I use Aphogee 2-Minute probably about once a month too. I've never used anything stronger than that-one time I used an egg and my hair was stiff for days lol
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HanaKuroi and DarkJoy, your help is needed.

kristaa.10, if you are doing everything else right from wash to moisturizing, then your bun may be the culprit. But I won't go that far yet. Let's see if the other two ladies have some thoughts.
 
When was your last trim kristaa.10? I honed in on the below. Raggedy ends and stuck at one length generally sounds like it needs reggular trims/dusting. Just went thru this myself.


kristaa.10 said:
I would like your help

I have been natural for what will be two years this coming March and I still have never gotten a hold on breakage/nasty ends.

I also want to say that I have used heat on my hair a total of three times since my BC in March 2011 and each time was just using a blow dryer, no flat iron. I have a satin pillowcase and scarf, I finger detangle and dry with a micro fiber towel.

I would greatly appreciate your help. I feel like I have exhausted every option at this point.
Click to expand...
 
Last night I wet my hair with water in spray bottle, put on Shea butter, then twisted for today's twist out. Still feels a little brittle, but it's definitely better.
 
kristaa.10 said:
DarkJoy
I actually dusted last week, sometime in July, and I got two inches trimmed off in June. Should I be dusting/trimming more frequently?
Click to expand...

Do you have color or highlights in the past year?

Eta: I am going to look at your products.
 
HanaKuroi

I do have a small section of the middle of my hair that I dyed in the middle of October. Strangely enough, the hair in the middle of my hair has the best length retention and my ends never split and break there. Weird.
 
He hydration conditioner ingredients. I don't think this is very moisturizing.

water, stearyl alcohol, cyclopentasiloxane, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, dimethicone, vanilla planifolia fruit extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) milk, fragrance, glutamic acid, benzyl alcohol, edta, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, blue 1

What do you shampoo with? I cannot shampoo weekly even with sulfate free. It dries out my hair. The HE conditioner has dimethicone and if it builds up it can coat your hair and prevent moisture from entering.

What moisturizing dc do you use?

I am not familiar with the aphoghee but I don't believe naturals have to worry about protein as much as relaxed hair. Too much protein can cause brittle, and dry hair.



Can you start with clean, silicone free hair? I am thinking that weekly shampooing might be too drying.

Cowashing with the wrong conditioner can make bad matters worse. Stay away from silicones in your cowashing conditioners. If you must wash do a prepoo first.

You need a good moisture rich dc. I would dc every 3 or 4 days until your hair feels better.

I would break the steamer back out. You may not have felt any difference because your hair was coated with cones and didn't allow the steam to penetrate.

You might want to change you m/s products.
 
DarkJoy said:
@itsjusthair88, girl--rent, food, gas (is it REALLY almost $4.40 a gal lately?!?!) ugh...

Flax seed gel recipe by Naptural85 (I stir in castor oil and whatever other oil on hand with EO right after straining). Refrigerate! Yes, it DOES make the hair crispy like any other gel. Doesnt seem to be damaging my fragile hair, tho... *knocks wood* Seems to fend off my ssks too--and I was plagued by them.

Wen knockoff (Lisa Rachel) I at the black BSS not general ones like Sally's. DOesn't smell as good but I ain't paying for Wen right now.

Whole Foods shopping list
-flax seeds: buy in the bulk section. the packaged ones cost too much. buy what you can afford and not a $15 container. ridiculous!

-Aubrey Blue Camo Condish and/or GPB or Honey Suckle Rose

-Giovanni Direct Leave-in, 50:50 condish ($15 ish): People swear by this line...My hair didn't like. Yours may like.

-Herbs/Teas (see below): if you wanna try something exotic or diff, go to the BULK tea area. Tons cheaper!! Sure, some say $15 a pound, but do you know how many leaves it takes to make a pound?! Damn near a kitchen garbage bag (lol!) You'd be drinking and pouring tea for 5 years! I usually get $3 - $4 worth of whatever and have enough for a couple months... Just weigh and do the math...Cheaper than the fancy box ones...

Teas (challenge link in my siggie)
-lotta ladies like the black teas like lipton, green teas, herbal teas, or your leftover coffee...as long as there's no sweeteners and artificial flavors. They slow the shedding process and keep it thick(er) and stronger (depending on the herb). Gotta experiment to see which your hair likes best... Just make a cup of tea, let it sit for a while and cool then pour it over your head after washing! Some add their DC on top. You can store some in the fridge in a spray bottle and use it like a leave-in/refresher once you find what your hair likes.

You can always PM me, if you like...
Keep us posted!
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DarkJoy Uh YEA...gas is bonkers I have to really think about whether I need to go places or not (LOL) I went to Whole Foods and got Aubrey GBP condish as well as a henna which I'm going to try this weekend (crossing my fingers)

I'm still on the hunt for a cleansing creme...will check back, thanks for the help, I might be PM'ing yo later

BraunSugar said:
@itsjusthair88

You have gotten some great suggestions for a cheap products from @DarkJoy. I'll share mine with you. I have always promised myself that I'd never spend more than $10 on a hair product. Can you believe that I never have? The most expensive product I've purchased in almost 2.5 years is Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie for $9.99. Didn't even repurchase :lol:

Okay, here's my list:

Cleansing & Refreshing Hair
Black Soap- You can get from the drug store for about $3-4 a bar. I have a BSS that carries it, so I get it there)
VO5- It's good for removing a little product build up and to refresh my hair between washes if I need it. $0.89 a bottle at Walmart

Detangler & Conditioner
Tresemme Naturals- About $4. It's on sale pretty often in places like Walmart, Walgreens, etc.

Leave-In
I make my own leave-in. Recipe is:
3/4 cup Aloe Vera Gel- Fruit Of The Earth $4
1/4 cup crisco- $5 for a big container. It lasts about 3 months
2 tbsps Grapeseed Oil- $6 bottle
1 tbsp Castor Oil- $5 for a small bottle

Moisturizer
Aloe Vera Juice- $8 Gallon

Styler
Flaxseed Gel- $4 24oz Flaxseeds @ grocery store in baking aisle
Honey- (Goes in the flaxseed gel to give it a firm hold. About $5)
Sometimes I just style with my leave-in.

I'm on a budget and a cheap skate in general. :)
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BraunSugar that leave-in sounds fantastic! Is it a creamy or runny? I'm going to go buy the grapeseed oil and crisco this weekend. Thanks for all the help, it's nice to see someone else on a budget!
 
~I hate my hair right now! bitcch won't detangle seriously what gives?!!!

I mean it literally curls back on itself the instant i detangle
 
fairyhairy said:
~I hate my hair right now! bitcch won't detangle seriously what gives?!!!

I mean it literally curls back on itself the instant i detangle
Click to expand...

Not sure what your hair is like, but is this something new? Or is that just your hair?

My hair curls back instantly as well. That is just how my hair is. If I add a heavy oil or butter I can decrease it somewhat but I don't have hair that I can detangle and let go and thing it's going to stay that way.

But if this is something new for you then yeah you might want to see what has changed.
 
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