what made you take your hair(care) into your own hands

[Lucia]

what was the last thing that happened to you hair wise that made you decide to BC, transition and or take better care of your hair? TIA

 

[TexturedTresses]

The main reason I'm trying to lear to take care of my own hair is because I feel like I'm gentler then most hairdressers and I actually care more. Also, all of this hair research has made me a little nervous when someone else is doing my hair. I never used to care before.

 

[nichelle02]

I moved to Minnesota

It was hard to find anyone besides my cousin's friend's uncle's sister in law's daughter's friend (or something like that). I found a couple of stylists but didn't like any of the results. They were not horrible, but there was no listening to what I wanted. So, I started doing it myself. I found healthy hair practices through internet searches. And now I have better results.

 

[Neith]

My hair looked like this:

Even after paying 70 dollars every 2 weeks at the salon.

I don't care if I never grow long hair in my life. AT LEAST I don't have to walk around not able to do anything at all with my HORRIBLY damaged hair.

 

[FindingMe]

I moved to a new city and could not find a stylist that I liked

I had the perfect stylist in Scottsdale, AZ...perfect...

 

[JustKiya]

I'm cheap, picky, and impatient. The only way I could deal with my hair without stressing myself out (and being blackballed by local stylists for being 'difficult') was to do it myself. It's better for the blood pressure, too.

 

[back2relaxed]

I went natural after having my hair damaged from a color-scissor happy stylist! My hair had had enough, and went into shock...so I decided no more relaxers. I ended up getting it cut to about 2 inches long...all natural...and then some months later got a virgin relaxer. My hair has never been healthier knowing what I know now, from LHCF!

 

[mscocoface]

My hair did or lack there of it!

I figure why pay someone to destroy it when I can do bad all by myself!?

Got to reading and researching and voila!!!

 

[Fine 4s]

Here's my progression:

After I left my native land I had no one to take care of my hair. Back home, women go to the salon every week (DR process) and paid about 7-10 including a DC.

During college, I didn't know how to deal with it so I just didn't. My hair got noticeably shorter but not short.

I started going to the salon more regularly. I had my first set of braids in 1995. When I went to the salon to take it out, they told me I couldn't get a touch up but that they could press my hair.

Going forward I kept pressing the roots. I liked it so continued until the perm was all gone.

Then one day my homegirl blow dried and curled it. It was straight enough for me and I liked it too. Especially the price tag.

I started following this process myself.

Going to the hair salon every 2 weeks was the golden rule. When I was in college, after my mom passed, my grandmother started paying for my hair salon visits every two weeks. But I couldn't understand why after either doing my hair myself, or going to the salon so frequently, my hair wasn't down to my waist? But kept on going and paying that $45 every two weeks.

Then, I went away and was forced to do my hair myself. I'd wash, wear either four buns (like when I was a little girl) or two buns, apply Dax pomade on my scalp, put some gel on the top and tied it down. I was really experimenting and really didn't care how I looked since I didn't know anyone.

By the time I came back to the US my hair was between SL and APL despite the bob I have a few months prior. I knew I was onto something but it didn't register. DUH!!!!

It's coming ladies....

I noticed that my hair was never curly curly or kinky as I remembered it as a little girl. I went to several consultations to understand why my hair wa so stringy. EVERY SPECIALIST told me that that was just the texture of my hair. I was NEVER satisfied so I kept searching.

I wanted to grow long hair and considered sisterlocks. I hesitated though (I mean YEARS). I thought that this was the only way for me to have long hair.

The last straw...

My rude stylist, my burnt hair, my brokeness and just plane old instincts led me to do a search on growing long healthy hair and voila!

LHCF....

 

[MACgirl2k2]

Hello everyone. What made me take my hair into my own care was a salon visit that left me scalped halfway bald. I wore a wig for two years and grew my own hair back chin lenght. So I can only imagine what I can do over the next year or two.

 

[SUPER SWEET]

The 4000.00 a year I was spending at the salon erplexed and still stayed above shoulder length! I just didnt get the results I was seeking.

 

[discodumpling]

After trusting "stylists" with my relaxed hair care and getting blatant lies (Of course you're not going bald on top) and 1/2 truths (I can get it healthy but i'll have to keep it REALLY short 'cause it will NEVER grow) it was easy for me as a nappy to make the decision to take MY haircare into MY hands.

A hair dresser could never be as intimately familiar with my hair as I am. A hair dresser could never LOVE & resepect my hair as much as I do.

I have family members that want to braid my hair, but after loving and tending my hair these past (almost) 18 months i'm like ...they think i'm bourgie... but only about my hair.

 

[lexi84]

My hair looked like this:

Even after paying 70 dollars every 2 weeks at the salon.

I don't care if I never grow long hair in my life. AT LEAST I don't have to walk around not able to do anything at all with my HORRIBLY damaged hair.

Me too!! LOL!!

No seriously I was in college back in '04 and I noticed that my hair was getting shorter and shorter and shorter...I just couldnt figure it out. I was also noticing that the other girls in my dorm were having the same problem. The black girls with healthy APL hair in the beginning were shoulder length and above by the end of the year, while none of the white girls were affected. I didnt get it. I did some research and I found out that the building was heated during the winter by dry heat....no humidity setting like most of the modern buildings have on Chicago. Because of this I suffered from severe nose bleeds in the morning, dry eyes, and dry skin.

I had to do something So I did my research and BAM! I found hair boards. I've been hooked ever since.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

horrible and unprofessional braiders/stylists.
I have no choice............

 

[envybeauty]

shs. scissor happy stylist. (convenient location, great hours, not all that competent)

bas. bad attitude stylist (good with hair but bad attitude)

money. i figured i could get better at DIY haircare if i practiced with good products. sure enough..... i have practically everything you could find in a dominican salon...but better products.

 

[gonatural]

I took haircare into my own hands because I was going 2 the salon every two weeks, sitting for hours. And it seem like my hair got shorter and shorter. (and thinner) Why was I paying someone to damage my hair. Whom knew nothing about healthy haircare.

 

[SEMO]

The last relaxer I got. The girl was carelessly relaxing me root to tip until I told her to stop. It made me realize I was tired of being dependent on others when it came to haircare. Plus, I had been wanting to try out being natural.

 

[Transformer]

horrible and unprofessional braiders/stylists.
I have no choice............

DITTO! Plus the $4000.00 a year going to unprofessional stylist that treated their business like a hobby and had the attitude that they were doing me a favor!

I guess hair stylist make more than I think or all are just wealty on their own!

 

[natstar]

My hair looked like this:

Even after paying 70 dollars every 2 weeks at the salon.

I don't care if I never grow long hair in my life. AT LEAST I don't have to walk around not able to do anything at all with my HORRIBLY damaged hair.

Same here. I felt like I needed to take be in the know at least of how to do my hair instead of being dependent on others. Also, i was/am broke (but not for long).

 

[sound]

My hair wouldn't get past SL. in 2006, it seem to be getting shorter and shorter. I was too through.

 

[snowbal2200]

I never really cared about length before but now for some reason I want long hair, mid-back length to be exact and I am going to do everything possible to get it.

I was also challenged by a stylist in my beautician's salon. She said and I quote, "you see that, your hair will NEVER be that long because it's all about genetics." That was all I needed to hair. I did not respond to her because I believe actions speak louder than words. I will show her with my long hair. However, I wont let her shampoo me or rollerset my hair because she may try to cut off all my progress.

And finally, I would like to fling my luxuriously long, thick hair over my shoulders.

 

[Platinum]

I was tired of paying lots of money to have incompetent stylist damage my hair with excessive heat and harsh chemical. Then call themselves chopping all of my hair off, then weaving it up.erplexed I wanted my own hair to grow, not wear someone else's.

 

[PinkPeony]

Seeing my wedding hair on pictures and being absolutely horrified.

 

[merieds]

I decided to make some financial cutbacks because my family decided to relocate to another state. On top of that my hubby and I found out we were expecting baby #3. Why not do my hair myself and make it healthier while saving some money? Prior to my hair journey my hair got really thin (probaly due to overprocessing) and it was so limp and lifeless within hours of leaving the salon. I had been going to the same stylist for 5 years and my hair never grew beyond shoulder length. I actually let her do a major cut on me about a year ago in the attempt to get rid of the damage and grow it out healthier. I'm really glad I found this board because my hair is noticeably thicker already.

 

[longhairdreamzz]

I decided to take my haircare into my own hands cause I was getting so tired of relying on weaves as a neccessity. I wanted my hair to look decent enough w/o the weave. Lately, I prefer my hair over the weave.

 

[santwon]

Man, looking at pictures (of myself) and just not knowing what to do. Wearing the same hairstyle my whole life. Also lots of internet researching, and being tired of the things I've heard from various stylists about what I "had" to do to "make my hair grow". Too much hogwash for me...

And seeing people with healthy looking hair and wondering why there were so many of them, but none were sharing "the secret".

 

[Ivonnovi]

• Stylist Attitudes.
• Stylist Hours vs My Hours.
• Doing hair on my time (Early Mornings) vs. Spending hours waiting at a Salon (4hrs on Sat.)
• Inoticed that I can damage my hair just as well as the School trained folks could, and can do it for less.
  

 

[Chromia]

• Stylist Attitudes.
• Stylist Hours vs My Hours.
• Doing hair on my time (Early Mornings) vs. Spending hours waiting at a Salon (4hrs on Sat.)
• Inoticed that I can damage my hair just as well as the School trained folks could, and can do it for less.

Same here.

I got tired of my former stylist's attitude and I was tired of spending half my Saturday or an entire weekday evening at the salon.

 

[KLomax]

1. I was too busy to waste a Friday or Saturday.....sitting and waiting(for hours) for an overbooked stylist who did not have respect for my time and money.

2. I want my hair styled the way I want it.

3. I'm tired of stylist cutting my hair because it's faster and easier for them.erplexed
4. I wanted to grow my own hair.

 

[oooop2]

I moved to Japan and didn't want a jacked up BC, so after 8yrs of wearing a BC, I decided to grow my hair out....

Not sure if once I am back in USA if I will continue on this journey, or pay my beloved barber a visit