The real beginning of my hair journey

[KimPossibli]

Hi all

I am trying to start my hair journey for real.I want to hit Arm pit length by year end with virtually no split ends..

currently this is what I do

1. Relaxer every 6-7 weeks... and get a black rinse
2. I go to the salon every 2 /3 weeks for a treatment ( what is that anyway)
3. Trim every relaxer- will probably be stretching this to every other.. not sure yet
4. Wash every week or every other week..vo5 tea tree shampoo, ic deep penetrating moisturising conditioner, wet wrap with paul mithel the cream, mixed with the skinny serum and tie it down,,
5. Daily dry wrap with some foaming pomade to get some shine...

My hair is cut very layered.. I have a pseudo bang in the front.. the longest layer is to the shoulder... I want to reach armpit length(did isay that before ) by year end...

Any recommendatiions or suggestions... I want to be able to discuss....I dont think my hair breaks excessively... unless i treat it roughly...

 

[danigurl18]

what do you use as a daily moisturizer?

 

[*closer*2*my*dreams*]

Hi all

I am trying to start my hair journey for real.I want to hit Arm pit length by year end with virtually no split ends..

currently this is what I do

1. Relaxer every 6-7 weeks... and get a black rinse
2. I go to the salon every 2 /3 weeks for a treatment ( what is that anyway)
3. Trim every relaxer- will probably be stretching this to every other.. not sure yet
4. Wash every week or every other week..vo5 tea tree shampoo, ic deep penetrating moisturising conditioner, wet wrap with paul mithel the cream, mixed with the skinny serum and tie it down,,
5. Daily dry wrap with some foaming pomade to get some shine...

My hair is cut very layered.. I have a pseudo bang in the front.. the longest layer is to the shoulder... I want to reach armpit length(did isay that before ) by year end...

Any recommendatiions or suggestions... I want to be able to discuss....I dont think my hair breaks excessively... unless i treat it roughly...

I'm a transitioner, but when i first started, i originally wanted to stay relaxed. what helped me was:

1. Stretching the relaxers to 10-12 weeks or 12-16.

2. not trimming every relaxer (most members use the "seek & destroy" method - look for the split ends and only trim those).

3. Protein treatments are helpful, but you may want to be careful as to not suffer from protein overload.

4. daily co-washes can help as well or every other day. If opting for a shampoo, try a moisturizing one that won't leave your hair feeling dry or stripped. I do co-washes 3-7 times a week and use a moisturizing shampoo at the beggining of the next week. the week after that, i use a clarifying shampoo.

5. I used a daily leave-in or moisturizer (Giovanni Direct Leave-In or Hawaiin Silky 14-in-1) especially after co-washing; i'll tie down with a silk scarf and in the morning spritz my hair lightly with the Hawaiin Silky and maybe some light oil.

These are just a few things that helped me; i'm sure the other ladies will chime in.

 

[KimPossibli]

what do you use as a daily moisturizer?

I dont use a daily moisturiser...

 

[supermodelsonya]

I dont use a daily moisturiser...

So what do you use?

 

[KimPossibli]

I'm a transitioner, but when i first started, i originally wanted to stay relaxed. what helped me was:

1. Stretching the relaxers to 10-12 weeks or 12-16.

2. not trimming every relaxer (most members use the "seek & destroy" method - look for the split ends and only trim those).

3. Protein treatments are helpful, but you may want to be careful as to not suffer from protein overload.

4. daily co-washes can help as well or every other day. If opting for a shampoo, try a moisturizing one that won't leave your hair feeling dry or stripped. I do co-washes 3-7 times a week and use a moisturizing shampoo at the beggining of the next week. the week after that, i use a clarifying shampoo.

5. I used a daily leave-in or moisturizer (Giovanni Direct Leave-In or Hawaiin Silky 14-in-1) especially after co-washing; i'll tie down with a silk scarf and in the morning spritz my hair lightly with the Hawaiin Silky and maybe some light oil.

These are just a few things that helped me; i'm sure the other ladies will chime in.

1. how are the 4b-z ppl getting through these stretches...? I dont wantto wear braids.. I want to be able to reach the goal wearing my own hair
2. yeah definitely skipping the trim every relaxer... may do search and destroy
3. protein treatments.. tell me more is that what I am going to my salon every 2 weeks for?
4. daily cowashes? ... washing my hair on a daily seems like a lot of work,,,, especially since i dont use heat ,,,, my hair would never be dry,,, how did you manage this
5.. I dont use a daily leave in... moistly because i can usually still feel the "tackiness" of my conditioner into the week... but I am open to this


Thank you.. come backkk I need al the help I can get

 

[KimPossibli]

So what do you use?

Oh dear.... I don't use anything, on a daily basis.. the only thing that may get in my hair multiple times in a week is the pomade

 

[Odd One]

Welcome to the board!!!

Lol you sound a lot like me when i joined(couple weeks ago). Trying to get a clear regimen down BUT is still unsure about certain things and wanting to incorporate EVERYthing in a regimen, it is overwhelming

I personnally found out that i cant jump in and do a straight regimen without trying stuff first! Find what works for you and your hair and do not jump on every bandwagons! lol

Some ladies here can go a few days without moisturizing, but i would suggest getting a moisturizer(do a quick search, youll find a lot of recs!) just to make sure your hair is not thirsty!

OT : LOL @ me writing as if i was a veteran here ... well im just a nobb trying to help a fellow noob!

 

[loulou82]

What are the ingredients in the pomade? Your hair should be hydrated, this doesn't mean wet or damp but supple/ not bone dry.

I didn't like my hair to be "wet" all the time and I didn't like the manipulation to my hair so I personally didn't co wash when I relaxed. I did a shampoo wash and DC once a week.

You can stretch your relaxers with roller sets, updos, buns, bantu knot outs. Your stretches don't have to be excessive. You can start by adding one week onto your stretch and gradually tack on another week each time. You don't need to go from 6 weeks to 16 weeks overnight. How long is your hair?

Ask your stylist what the treatment includes. We cannot tell you if it's protein or moisturizing unless we know the product and it's ingredients.

 

[KimPossibli]

What are the ingredients in the pomade? Your hair should be hydrated, this doesn't mean wet or damp but supple/ not bone dry.

I didn't like my hair to be "wet" all the time and I didn't like the manipulation to my hair so I personally didn't co wash when I relaxed. I did a shampoo wash and DC once a week.

You can stretch your relaxers with roller sets, updos, buns, bantu knot outs. Your stretches don't have to be excessive. You can start by adding one week onto your stretch and gradually tack on another week each time. You don't need to go from 6 weeks to 16 weeks overnight. How long is your hair?

Ask your stylist what the treatment includes. We cannot tell you if it's protein or moisturizing unless we know the product and it's ingredients.

Ingredients on Paul Mitchell Soft style Foamin Pomade- Water, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Disodium Cocamido MIPA-Sulfosuccinate, Pentane, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Polyquaternium 7, Dimethicone Bisamino Hydroxypropyl/Algae/Aloe Barbadensis/Chamomite/, Henna/Jojoba/Rosemary/Dimethicone Copolyol, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben- got this from a site...

 

[KimPossibli]

Bumpity bump

 

[topnotch1010]

I agree with adding a week at a time for streching. You need to find a good moisturizer that you can apply daily/every few days and ditch the routine trims, unless you are attempting to get rid of bad ends. No need to continue chopping off your beautiful locks if they don't need it. I also agree with not jumping on every bandwagon. I found the best things are a good diet, exercise, H2O, a daily vitiamin, & patience! Welcome to the site! There is TONS of good information on here!

 

[HoneyA]

Hi all

I am trying to start my hair journey for real.I want to hit Arm pit length by year end with virtually no split ends..

currently this is what I do

1. Relaxer every 6-7 weeks... and get a black rinse
2. I go to the salon every 2 /3 weeks for a treatment ( what is that anyway)

My hair is cut very layered.. I have a pseudo bang in the front.. the longest layer is to the shoulder... I want to reach armpit length(did isay that before ) by year end...

Any recommendatiions or suggestions... I want to be able to discuss....I dont think my hair breaks excessively... unless i treat it roughly...

Congratulations on starting officially!

The first thing you'll have to do is take charge of your journey so you need to know when to do what treatment and why you are doing it. Learn your hair inside out and that makes the journey easier because when your hair starts to act out, you'll have a good idea why and can solve problems easily with the right techniqes and products.

Generally at the beginning of your journey you'll need a good moisturising shampoo that does not strip your hair (I'm partial to CON but they are others) amd moisturising conditioners for co washes if you decide that's what you prefer
A good moisturising DC ( you can decide whether to DC weekly or every two weeks or whenever) is important I think
Protein treatment when you need to strengthen your hair or stop breakage (depending on why your hair is breaking of course). You hair seems to be in pretty good shape now from what you said above so a protein treatment every 4-6 weeks should be fine just to maintain.
You will need a good moisturiser for daily or every other day . Moisture, moisture, moisture is KEY.
No more trimming unless absolutely necessary. This is important for getting over length humps. Light dusting is ok.

You can also try oils like castor oil or coconut oil. Stretching is also recommended. Next time try for 8 weeks. A good HSN vitamin will definitely help as well.

How does you hair feel now? How does it look now? Are you happy with what you are doing now? Are you ok with your current products? You'll probably need to tweak a few things but it's good to assess how you are doing at present. A hair journal helps. I still have one.

I think you can reach APL by year end. You are the right place. Ask all the questions you want answers to. HHG!!!

 

[loulou82]

I personally would try to find an alternative to the PM Foam Pomade. The majority of the ingredients are un-pronounceable and it also contains mineral oil and petroleum as the 2nd and 3rd ingredients. These ingredients aren't inherently bad but they can coat the hair strands and prevent moisture from penetrating. Since you wash weekly/bi weekly this may not be the best solution for you. This product reminds me of Pink Oil Moisturizer. I have no idea when it contains ammonium laureth sulfate- that is a harsh sufectant usually found in shampoos. Paul Mitchell tends to be more expensive too. There are definitely better and less expensive alternatives out there. There are many threads on moisturizers.