TexasQT's Hair Makeover - MakeMeARegimenEdition

[texasqt]

Pretty Puhleeese!
Please help me makeover my hair regimen! I've been trying to grow my hair for quite sometime and I go through spurts of progress then BAM! I'm willing to try just about anything so if you're willing to help (and for anyone who wants to start their own makeover post), here's how this will work:

Step (1) Please read my hair profile below. If your hair type matches mine and you have been successful in your hair journey, please suggest what you think I should do for the next month with my hair. If your hair doesn't match mine, feel free to offer comments on what you think I may be doing wrong or whether you agree with another type 4's regimen. In my profile, I'm going to try to provide as much information that I can. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll add to my profile.

Step (2) I'll pick a regimen that I can reasonably follow and track my progress in this thread and on my fotki. At the end of the month, I'll pick another regimen and start again.

Anybody up for the challenge!?! I hope so
​

Here's My Profile:​

TexasQT Needs Your Help
​

Hair Type:
4b, c-naps, or O on Lois (about the size of the spring you find inside a ball point pen), dense, fine strands; naturally arid dry - needs lots of moisture; Hair Goal: BSL

Notes About Hair:
transitioning 14 months with about 4 inches straight and 4 inches natural;
BKT'd about 4 weeks ago but willing to go without doing again; slow grower; was cut into light layers December 2009; usually grows in V-shape;

Length:
Collar bone in front; about 3 inches from APL in back; left side grows faster than right; search and destroy or light dusting every 8 weeks; cut in layers December 2009;

After blow drying & before curling with heat

Current Products Regimen:
Process is 60 minute conditioner with Suave Coconut or Creme of Nature Deep Conditioner, Keracare sulfate-free shampoo, 2-5 minute Suave Coconut conditioner, leave-in (Aphogee leave in & Aphogee Green Tea) and/or heat protectant (Nioxin Thermal Bliss or Proclaim Heat protection serum), blowdry, flatiron; sometimes apply WGHO on wet hair. Moisturize nightly with BB Castor Oil Moisturizer (looking for new moisturizer).

After curling with heat

Tools:
Conair Ionic Blowdryer used with Denman Styling Brush D3
Sedu Flat Iron used with flat iron comb or Sedu Rattailed comb
Zilebere Shower Comb for daily styling

March 2009 Longest it has ever been - then it got cut by stylist

All other pics taken April 2010



So what do you suggest????????????????
TIA!

 

[steffiejoe]

I see you blow dry your hair and flat iron . How often are you using heat?

 

[texasqt]

I see you blow dry your hair and flat iron . How often are you using heat?

I flat iron weekly, 320 degrees - always have. The blow dryer depends on my time availability but I also get more breakage air drying. I only blow dry on warm, sometimes cold. After typing my profile I realized that I started using the brush with my blow drying which is something I haven't always done and need to stop.

 

[LovingLady]

I'll pick a regimen that I can reasonably follow and track my progress in this thread and on my fotki. At the end of the month, I'll pick another regimen and start again.

It is difficult for someone to tell you exactly everything that you need to do to your hair. It is a lot easier if you write down the problem that you are having and then people can offer you a solution. Instead of changing everything about your regimen, you may only need to change one or two things that you are doing. Once you found a regimen that you like you have to be consistent with it in order to see results.

Here are some things to consider?

1. Are you planning on doing the big chop any time soon?
2. Are you going to be a straight natural or are you straightening your hair to be able to manage the two textures?
3. How do you style your hair daily?
4. Are you looking for a cream or a liquid moisturizer? How does your hair respond to the current moisturizer?
5. What is wrong with the regimen that you have now and how long have you been following it?

 

[texasqt]

It is difficult for someone to tell you exactly everything that you need to do to your hair.

I really want somebody to tell me exactly what to do. I know there are a lot of factors that need to be considered but I'm looking to mimic a totally new regimen (that has had success) and compare it to what I've done before as well as note any significant progress. The only thing I could narrow it down by are the things I included in my profile.

1. Are you planning on doing the big chop any time soon?
2. Are you going to be a straight natural or are you straightening your hair to be able to manage the two textures?
3. How do you style your hair daily?
4. Are you looking for a cream or a liquid moisturizer? How does your hair respond to the current moisturizer?
5. What is wrong with the regimen that you have now and how long have you been following it?

1. Not planning on BCing for another 10 months. My plan has been to transition for 2 years.
2. Right now I'm straightening to manage the two textures. I know that by doing this repeatedly plus the BKT I'm not fully experiencing my natural texture. After I BC I'll be able to make a better decision as to which I'll do.
3. I wear it straight down half of the week. The rest of the week its in a banana clip or ponytail
4. Cream. My current moisturizer (which I have run out of now) works well but after the 2nd night of using it I can tell it's making my hair a little stiff (mineral oil affect).
5. Regimen I have now I've been following since I BKT'd in September with different products here and there. In the last month or so I added in the KeraCare shampoo where before I was using Hair One for cleansing.

Thanks for your input and though provoking questions!

 

[steffiejoe]

Just a suggestion but I would cut down on some of the heat. Perhaps PS for a few months.

HHG

 

[Allandra]

Your new growth looks great. It looks like your transitoning is going well. How long do you plan on transitoning? Are you treating your relaxed ends with tlc (just like your new growth)?

 

[dachsies_rule!]

Just a suggestion but I would cut down on some of the heat. Perhaps PS for a few months.

HHG

Cosigning with steffiejoe, i started retaining my length when i stopped using direct heat on my hair June of 2009. Protective styling is also a plus for babying your ends.

 

[texasqt]

Just a suggestion but I would cut down on some of the heat. Perhaps PS for a few months.
HHG

How are you using heat? Your hair looks very thick & healthy! I'm going to consider this but I've become dependent on the heat to help me deal with the two textures erplexed I will be sure to pin my hair up during the week instead of wearing it down for 7 days. Thanks!

Your new growth looks great. It looks like your transitoning is going well. How long do you plan on transitoning? Are you treating your relaxed ends with tlc (just like your new growth)?

I'm such a fan! Thanks for chiming in! I have 10 more months on my transition with the hopes that I'll have enough length to pull into a bun. I think I have gotten off track with taking care of my ends. On the hunt for a new moisturizer to help with this...

Cosigning with steffiejoe, i started retaining my length when i stopped using direct heat on my hair June of 2009. Protective styling is also a plus for babying your ends.

If that's what I have to do to get the length you have then I'm going for it. Only thing is I haven't figured out how to do a decent braid out to get the two textures to blend.

Thanks ladies for your thoughts!!!

 

[texasqt]

For some reason, I had a little anxiety this weekend over my hair that led to desperation in figuring out what to do next. I washed this weekend and followed WestNDNBeauty's regimen using what I already had in my stash including the Nioxin Thermal Bliss. I also self-trimmed and now I'm back in love with my hair again.

I still need to figure out what I can do to increase my growth & retain length so I'll be looking into protective styles and figuring out how to manage the two textures without heat. I'm going to start a hair vitamin and I'm looking for a different moisturizer that won't weigh my hair down (preferably no mineral oil). I'll try to post pics tomorrow!

Based on the responses I did get I guess there isn't anything wrong with my regimen overall other than the few modifications I stated I will make so with that said
:thatsall:

 

[Pink Pearls]

Good hair care is important, but I also focus on my diet. There are foods I eat that promote growth, and foods I avoid that are detrimental to my hair and body.

 

[loonggood]

Good hair care is important, but I also focus on my diet. There are foods I eat that promote growth, and foods I avoid that are detrimental to my hair and body.

good luck to you

 

[steffiejoe]

How are you using heat? Your hair looks very thick & healthy! I'm going to consider this but I've become dependent on the heat to help me deal with the two textures erplexed I will be sure to pin my hair up during the week instead of wearing it down for 7 days. Thanks!



Im very style challenged , so I use a lot of protective styles(box braids, half wigs and buns). I have had a few stylist tell me not to use a blower dryer because my hair is very fine. Until I went natural August 2008, I had not used a blow dryer in over 20 years. Now If I blow dry(cool or medium setting ), its only to prepare for my box braids. I air dry in plaits and flat iron with my Sedu, no more then every three months. I plan to do this until I reach my hair goals.

There is a you tuber- NinaPruit who does a wonderful job with her braid outs. She is also transitioning.
Another you tuber-Fgrogan stretches her relaxers and had amazing results with retaining length. She also has an informative moisturizing and sealing videos.