Struggling with your natural hair? Come in here.....
- Thread starter JudithO
- Start date
faithVA
Well-Known Member
I learned that even though I think my hair is saturated with product it is not. I can still apply more. Saturated my hair with Taliah Waajid Mist Bodifier and started to twist. My twist unraveled. I applied a lot more and my hair liked it. So I need to learn how much product to apply to my hair. I will know tomorrow whether what I applied tonight was good.
That is with freshly cowashed hair. I'm not sure what I should do when I am moisturizing it between washes. Still figuring that out.
That is with freshly cowashed hair. I'm not sure what I should do when I am moisturizing it between washes. Still figuring that out.
NewlyNature12
New Member
Tonight while twisting my hair, I noticed a ton of breakage on my hands -- it's all from my heat trained bangs and sides because the pieces were all completely straight :/ It was really disturbing to see.
I don't want to cut it yet, because I will have to cut a lot, and i think it will be really crazy looking. How can I stop this breakage? More protein?
I don't want to cut it yet, because I will have to cut a lot, and i think it will be really crazy looking. How can I stop this breakage? More protein?
CandiceC
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I have no advice. I was wondering if you were only using heat on your bangs and edges. I used heat for the first time since December the other day to create a small leave out section for my wig. I'm afraid of long term heat damage. I'm not so concern about the ends cause those are relaxed, but my transitioning new growth is what I'm concerned about not reverting back after awhile.
NewlyNature12
New Member
I wore a partial weave to transition, so I used heat frequently because of the style of my weave. Now that I am 100% natural I no longer use heat, but I have a lot of heat damage in my bang area as a result. I'm sure that sporadic use of heat is fine, but I was using at least once a week for quite a long time.
CandiceC
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Ah Ok. Thanks. I'll have to really think about how much I use heat on that area. I could see myself easily using it once or twice a week. It's a small section, but I can see how it being right up front and losing its texture could be an issue after I BC.
I hope you find a solution for the breakage!
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Cruzankink
Well-Known Member
@NewlyNature12 You may not want to hear this but the best thing to do w/ heat damage that severe is to cut it off. I've read so many posts from ladies describing heat damage that traveled up the hair shaft not only destroying healthy hair but sometimes resulting in a 2nd or even 3rd BC.
I suffered from heat damage I got from keratin treatments. Like you, I didn't want to cut all of it immediately. So I trimmed about 1/4-1/2 in. ever so often (4-6 weeks) depending on the breakage. I also used protein every two weeks then increased to every week to strengthen my hair and minimize breakage. [FYI: I use quinoa protein but ladies in this thread rave about AO GPB].
This regimen worked great for me but I didn't want to risk the damage destroying my healthy hair. So, I recently cut off the remaining heat damaged hair. No, my hair isn't as long as it would be had I not cut off my damaged hair. Yes, my hair is lumpy since they were places that I had to cut more damage out. But now my hair feels soooo much better and I have not noticed the li'l pieces of hair that continued to remind me of my damage
. In short, the beauty of cutting off heat damaged hair is that you can focus on promoting healthy hair instead of nursing damaged hair that can potentially destroy your healthy hair.
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faithVA
Well-Known Member
[USER=3466 said:
You need a protein treatment, not a protein conditioner.Then put yourself on a 4 to 6 week trim schedule. You will probably need to do a protein treatment every 6 weeks as well until it is gone. The protein should help fill in any holes and hold your hair together a bit until you can trim it off. If the protein treatment doesn't help then you will need to cut it all off at once. But the protein should slow down the breakage and the spread of the damage. Make sure you use a good moisturizing treatment after the protein treatment.
You can read the Komaza Care thread to read what type of protein treatments were recommended for ladies with heat damage. But if you already have a protein treatment you like use that.
NewlyNature12
New Member
Thanks Cruzankink and faithVA for the advice. I just bought AO GBP (is that the name?) from Vitamin Shoppe. I did the Aphogee two step protein treatment on Sept 1st, right after I got my weave removed. That's another reason why I was so horrified with all those short straight hairs. I guess I need to wait a few weeks before I do another one.
I know you ladies are right. The sooner I chop, the sooner I can recover and move on. And because it's my bangs, it probably won't look as bad as I think. I might get my boyfriend to do it for me this weekend.
I know you ladies are right. The sooner I chop, the sooner I can recover and move on. And because it's my bangs, it probably won't look as bad as I think. I might get my boyfriend to do it for me this weekend.
DarkJoy
This is interesting. I was under the impression that clarifying was only done say, every other month to avoid drying out the hair. I guess with the use of grease that frequency would be necessary.
OK, so today I was very productive.
I dusted my ends, co-washed and deep conditioned.
Whilst the dc was in I made my very first batch of flax seed gel and a new batch of Shea Butter Mix.
I applied the shea mix to damp hair and followed with the gel for my braid out.
I'm wondering how my hair is going to look and feel as i haven't used any kind of gel for years.
DarkJoy
Bent. Not Broken.
Bublin said:
Oooh! Welcome to the flax seed gel family Bublin! Hope it defines your coil as well as it has for others and me! Anxious to see how you like it.
I think clarifying is pretty individual. I use baking soda which seems to be the opposite of drying. Plus I cowash a LOT so it stays hydrated in general. Tried shampoo yesterday and disaster! Mats! Oh well...that's the next post. Lol.
Prettycoach
New Member
Hi all. This is my first time posting something. I usually just come on and read all the advice you ladies provide but I have an issue with my hair. I have been natural since my 2004 but I have put texturizers and I always straightened it. This past February I put a Keratin treatment for the first time. I got it done a second time bc the first time didn't work. Since then I didn't put it back in my hair again. I BC in may bc I wanted my natural curls and put weaves in since then. Well now I am trying to take care of my hair without weaves. My struggle is that it's shoulder length in some areas and chin length in other areas. But I still have the keratin at the ends a little. So my Afros arenas all the way curly. Any protective styles you recommend. And how do I start a routine that will let me hair be and still give it the products it needs. Thanks y'all in advance lol
Carmelella
Well-Known Member
Prettycoach said:
If you have no plan to go back to straightened hair or flat iron often, I say just cut off the keratin ends ( how many inches is it, and is keratin permanent?). In the natural state you probably won't be able to tell the difference up to a 3 inch cut, especially if u dry using tension to stretch it more than usual.
How about buns using added hair. I'm 4b and senghori shells natural rhythms was a good match for blow dried natural hair or air dried relaxed ( I swear I don't work for them, lol). I've seen some pics lately of Afro weaves which looked so lush so you can try researching other brands. I could wear one bun for up to 5 -7days without having to recomb, just lightly brush edges or smooth with my hands. The added hair gives the bun volume and keeps it neat. And you still have access once a week to do whatever or spritz the bun daily. Add braids, twists, twist-out bang in front for interest. Decorate with flowers and very gentle headbands.
Another member posted a pic of two French braids with added hair. I know u said you want to get away with fake but at ur length just a ill bit keeps it beat so you wont have to manipulate too often.
I'm definitely not on long hair don't care status, far from, but I wouldn't do any styles that required frequent detangling.
After I take this install out I won't be relaxing again till I'm full APL. I'll be trying these styles.. Found on google so if I post a pic of a member forgive me.
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Carmelella
Well-Known Member
Prettycoach
New Member
I am in the process of clipping my ends in about 2 more weeks. My stylist cut some of it out already. She thought she had cut it all off the last time I got my BC but found out it was still in there lol. Yeah my friend was saying that i might need to add some hair and put my hair in a style for about 2-3 weeks. I love the picture of the hair twisted on both sides. I tried that but it looks crazy bc of my hair length. I have the HIH syndrome ( hands in hair) so yeah i need something that i wont be able to have access to it. thank you so much for giving me an idea. THANKS
NewlyNature12
New Member
I cut off most of my straight ends tonight! I just couldn't wait. I used GPB tonight...omg. My hair immediately felt different. Put in a leave in and sealed with jojoba oil. I think my hair likes it!
AJellyCake
Well-Known Member
fairyhairy
New Member
Carmelella
Well-Known Member
AJellyCake said:
Depends on the style ur going for. If its going to be in a controlled style or pony or stretched puff you can detangle and separate in shower and then when blow drying take one section and point warm blow dryer on it while stretching hair out. U don't use a comb attachment to limit snagging and breaking hair. If ur still going for a curly style you could tension dry to 50-70% dry then put hair in twists, braids, or thin flexi rods. Let it completely dry and when you take down you should have a looser/ longer appearing curl than if you had let your hair shrink completely. depending on texture you might notice less frizz and more definition.
Cruzankink
Well-Known Member
HanaKuroi
Well-Known Member
fairyhairy
New Member
breakage - urgh, I am really hoping doing the cg method will help in improving my moisture levels
Victoria44
Well-Known Member
virtuenow I just had to thank you for your advice on trying castor oil rinses! I tried the castor oil rinse today right after shampooing and i wasn't really expecting great results because it didn't feel like anything in my hair, but when i rinsed it out 
my hair felt softer and more moisturized than it has EVER felt! I almost didn't want to deep condition after because I was afraid i'd rinse away all the castor oil magic 
. The AO GPB worked okay. My hair didn't feel as moisturized as it did right after the oil rinse. I think i'm definitely going to do the DCing first, so I can end with the oil rinsing now. I expected my hair to feel greasy and coated, but it wasn't at all. I'm sooo pleasantly surprised, thanks again!
my hair felt softer and more moisturized than it has EVER felt! I almost didn't want to deep condition after because I was afraid i'd rinse away all the castor oil magic . The AO GPB worked okay. My hair didn't feel as moisturized as it did right after the oil rinse. I think i'm definitely going to do the DCing first, so I can end with the oil rinsing now. I expected my hair to feel greasy and coated, but it wasn't at all. I'm sooo pleasantly surprised, thanks again!Yes. I am in awe of the flax seed gel. Shop bought gels contains things like glycerin that my hair hates so it stands to reason my hair would like this. Wish I had tried it sooner.
I'm also spritzing my ends and heavily sealing them with my Shea Butter mix every night. It's really helping.
