Things that cause setbacks- list them here

[Lady S]

-Laziness. Sometimes healthy hair means works. And sometimes I just don't feel like doing that work. And then my hair suffers.

-Not basing my scalp. Sensitive scalp + super thick, kinky natural hair + lye relaxer = burnt scalp and underprocessed hair.

-Commitment issues. Do I want to grow my hair long? Do I want to cut it? Should I go natural? Texturize? Cowash? Sulfate-free? T/Sal?

-Being a product junkie. See above.

 

[Libra08]

College
I struggled to find a regime that fits into my schedule this semester but I think I've finally found it

 

[Caramel Jewel]

13....Small Braids on Long hair.... Will KILL your progress!!!!! It killed the thickness and all the growth I had....
ONE bad hair appointment can set you back 6 months.... That will never happen again....I did not ask for Small Braids.... But them HOES..... did it anyways......

lol......

 

[locabouthair]

Stylists
overprocessing, not washing out the relaxer properly will give you a BIG setback
poor diet/lack of water- can cause your hair to snap easily
not moisturizing regularly

 

[Brownie518]

Nice thread! So, here's what sets me back:

*Stretching past 8 weeks. That is the absolute limit for me. The breakage is just unreal. Will not happen again!

*Direct heat. I think I used a flat iron once in 2008. Pre-LHCF, I used a curling iron all the time. That was one of the first things I stopped after finding the Board. I think it has definitely helped keep my ends from thinning, to say the least.

*Switching up products every other week. Once I finally settled on some great products and stuck with them, my hair really started to turn around, reaping long term benefits of some great products with great ingredients.

*Poor self-relaxing. The Board helped me see how I was severely damaging my hair with my awful relaxing regimen. I didn't neutralize thoroughly, I didn't deep condition properly after neutralizing, and, worst of all, I didn't rinse properly! I think the poor rinsing did the most damage, in the form of a nice bald spot on my nape . With the things I have learned, my hair feels great after relaxing now.

*Not moisturizing. Keeping my hair moisturized, especially problem areas (ends, nape, front edges) has done so much to improve the health of my hair. Mainly because I never used to do it. erplexed

*Not listening to my hair. I have learned to just sit back and let my hair tell me what it needs, adjusting my reg. to suit my hair rather than the other way around. If my hair needs more washing, so be it. More cowashing, okay then. More protein, here ya go. Definitely improved the condition of my hair. I clarify as needed, not on a schedule. I normally wash twice a week, but more if needed. Some people might have hair that sticks to a tight schedule, but I sure don't. Hair can be so unpredictable.

 

[NuBraveHeart]

ok....

just doing this journey for the last three months, i have found out a bit about my hair:

1. stretching past 10 weeks. i think i will relax between 9 and 10 weeks because my hair breaks way too much.

2. not wrapping my hair at night. i sleep wild (last night i put my scarf back on TWICE in the middle of the night), so i try to wear a scarf AND use a satin pillowcase. but i'm on vacay, and passed out the other night. goodness me, looked like half my hair was in the sheets!

3. not knowing yet what's the best moisturizer for my hair. i'm still trying to figure out if i like the ORS lotion. seems cool during the day, but it's all sucked up by the night. and it's a bit oily. i think i want to start trying hairveda and ayeurvedic products soon. my hair is fine and needs care that's not heavy...

4. manipulating way too often. again, my hair is fine, so if i comb too much, its in the comb too much.

 

[alopeciagrl]

My downfalls falls are...

1. Getting lazy w/ protecting my hair at night.
2. Although I pretend I don't do it but flat ironing throughout the week (the mornings when I forgot to wear my bonnet)
3. Not taking my vitamins (but in my defense I never take pills and I'm learning how to swallow those huge horse pills down my tiny throat...Geeessh!!! But for the record I took two last night and one this morning.

and last
4. my hair condition: since I have alopecia teh back of my hair is still stringy. I hoping that it will grow in fast but I'm nervous that I will have to BC to keep it from breaking off. I NEED EVERY LITTLE STRAND TO GET TO APL... STRETCH...LOL!

 

[FluffyRed]

1. total lack of knowledge of the protein/moisture needs of my hair - must have both at every step.

2. Direct heat, more than once a month

3. Overprocessing/not protecting ends while relaxing

4. Bunning without taking care of ends

5. Friction from cotton pillowcases

6. No-Lye perms

***My primary reason for "setbacks" historically incorporated 1, 3 and 4. When my hair reached full shoulder length. I got tired of the fluffines and would consistently bun, but totally neglect the hair in the bun. By the time I needed a relaxer, I was relaxing dried out, weakened hair, manipulating a demarcation line that was not protein moisture balanced and dissolving some of my ends with overprocessing.

Since finding LHCF, my relaxed hair has felt soft and moisturized on a daily basis - a FIRST ever in life. THANKS LHCF!!!

Secondary source of setbacks incorporates 2, 5 and 6. When I rocked beautiful short cuts, heat appliances would cause little pieces to break off. Sleeping on cotton, even for ONE NIGHT a month, my stylist would ask, "what did you do?" You need a trim in the back. If I slept on silk, he never said that. I repeated that "experiment" over and over... And with the no-lye perm, maybe once a year, i would experience calcium buildup and have crunchy hair and then run into the salon and he would relax it again.

AMAZING that I am not bald right now.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

too much moisture on relaxed heads
conair flat irons

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Using the wrong kind of henna the wrong way...whew!

 

[msa]

stylist cause setbacks

IMO, clients (especially LHCF members who are well informed) allow their stylists to cause setbacks.