What were your hair issues when you first joined LHCF....

[Proudpiscean]

And what did you do to correct them?

My hair was as dry and brittle as the Sahara desert and my ends were splitting like crazy! When I found the forum I began reading and found Sistaslick's thread on protein/moisture balance it was a life saver! I also noticed lots of threads mentioning co-washing.

So, I started with ditching the drying shampoos and began doing co-washes (and deep conditioning) only until my moisture levels got on track, I got a trim to get rid of the splits, and I also started moisturizing and sealing properly. It's been smooth sailing since. I love this place!

So what's your story?

 

[HAIRapy]

I was a crunchy mess! Through DCing, daily moisturizing, and sealing, I'm all good. I also have SistaSlick to thank. Thanks Sista!!

 

[Tamrin]

Thin, dry, crunchy overprocessed hair. ashy looking hair. Stiuck at chin lenght.

 

[nicki6]

Hmmm.....let's see

I was overprocessed..which thinned my hair out. It was cut unevenly...***** tole me my hair grew like that Still sheds more than I think it should but its much healthier and longer than its ever been in my adult life.

 

[Traycee]

Ok I going to have to look up who SistaSlick.....She sounds like she knows her stuff...

Just joined and my current problem is itchy scalp..no flakes just itchy....
still looking to find a regimen...I bought a lot of oils carrot, sweet almond, Castor, olive, and Tea Tree..I just don't know where to start..Do I mix or what? I guess nxt wash I'll start experimenting

 

[Missi]

taking care of my hair outside the salon:

i was using Cathy Howse DC which stop breakage and once my hair past my shoulders: it started breaking cause i didn't know how to care for hair past shoulder length: thats when i found the board and learned so much.

 

[seeminglysweet]

My issue was that I had little hairs on the back of my shirt everyday and I couldn't retain length.
I saw immediate results when I stopped blow drying and flat ironing once a week.

 

[tbaby_8]

Well, I just joined recently and I have started to create a regimen and DC more. I have learned some new things like co-washing and oil rinsing. I am still learning alot of new things and I am enjoying it. I really enjoy being on this site because I have learned alot and the long and healthy hair on here is motivation to stick with what I am doing.

 

[Country gal]

terminal lenght

 

[sareca]

My hair wasn't just breaking it was crumbling... every time I touched it, it crumbled into little pieces. It was so bad a coworker thought I'd had a hair cut at lunch time because my shoulder and neck were covered in hair. I learned the condition is called trichorrhexis nodosa. It's caused by excessive heat, overprocessing, and rough handling of the hair.

I rarely use direct heat (or even rollerset), started texturizing instead of relaxing straight, I threw away all my brushes found the right protein/moisture balance and for the last 4 months I've only been combing my hair once every 2-3 weeks.

 

[Determined22]

I found the board because I was having a breakage issue on one side of my temples. I was doing my own relaxers (badly), flatironing everyday, wrapping in the same direction for YEARS, just horrible stuff.

I started doing co-washes, DCing, protective styling, whole head baggying, and I cut off all my ugly ends. I'm happy that now all my work is starting to pay off.

 

[bbdgirl]

Issues:
dryness, breakage, shedding, overlapping relaxers

Solutions:
1-2x weekly DC
learned the importance of Protein
sealing ends
using essential and carrier oils
Stop obsession with heat!

My hair thanks me for it

thanks LHCF!

 

[wheezy807]

I see we all have shared the dryness issues. My hair was dry and brittle, overprocessed, and thin. Stuck at SL with thin edges. I had tremedous excess dandruff. I used to also get those hair all over my back, too. That was my hair process...grow, grow, break.....grow, break. One day a family member made a comment that my hair was growing. This was before the boards, i replied," yeah, it grows and then it breaks off." I thought that was what it was suppose to do because i was used to it, i didn't know any better. Solution was learning also about the protein/moisture balance and breakage 101 through Sistaslick. Also stretching relaxer, shampoo more often (cured dandruff) w/ dc, moisturizing daily, using leave in conditioner, protective styles, etc... When i came here i didn't even know what a conditioner was, lol. Thank you ladies @LHCF!

 

[freshlikemoi]

My left nape was a hot mess. It's now about in the middle of my neck. My hair was breaking from glue, weaves, perms everything. It was at a terminal length. It was so sad. Makes me wanna cry just thinkin about how much I wanted my hair to grow but I just didnt know how.

 

[fluffylocks]

(Not when i first joined, but when i first started taking care of my hair )

My Issues
----
Dry, overproccesed, balding, and my biggest problem was I didnt know how to style it excpet brushing it with gel into a tight ponytail--it was too short to do anything with, and i didnt understand anything about my hair like what to do with it after it got wet, how to get it straight ect.

The Solution
------
I learned to wash, conditon, moisturize, protien treatments, not to brush, how to properly comb,--- and best of all style and understand how my hair works

 

[Cinnabuns]

Great thread.

Dryness was a big issue for me before I came to LHCF. I was using the wrong products (which contributed to even more dryness), my ends were split and heat was my best-friend.

That's why I'm so glad that I found this forum. My hair will never be the same again.

 

[Proudpiscean]

I was a crunchy mess! Through DCing, daily moisturizing, and sealing, I'm all good. I also have SistaSlick to thank. Thanks Sista!!

LOL @ crunchy mess! That basically summed up what I was trying to say perfectly!

 

[Proudpiscean]

My issue was that I had little hairs on the back of my shirt everyday and I couldn't retain length.
I saw immediate results when I stopped blow drying and flat ironing once a week.

Yes, that drove me crazy!

 

[Proudpiscean]

Ok I going to have to look up who SistaSlick.....She sounds like she knows her stuff...

Just joined and my current problem is itchy scalp..no flakes just itchy....
still looking to find a regimen...I bought a lot of oils carrot, sweet almond, Castor, olive, and Tea Tree..I just don't know where to start..Do I mix or what? I guess nxt wash I'll start experimenting

Yes! She is the hair science guru around these parts! Check out the stickies at the top of this forum, you'll find her thread

 

[KinksnCurlz]

My hair never grew past a certain point & that was APL. Mind you, I loved cutting my hair (LOL) so that could or could not have been the culprit. About a year or so after I joined the forum, I went from a little past shoulder to a little past my BS.

 

[prospurr4]

I was stuck at a few inches past shoulder length, for years, due to constant breakage. I also had an upsidedown "V" in the back. Much of my problem was caused by weekly use of Motions Wrap Foam (extra firm formula, of course ) So my extra-dry ends (from the foam) would constantly rub against my shoulders and break off.

I thank God for this board.

ETA: To correct my problem, I dropped the foam and all direct heat and began regular moisturizing deep conditioning treatments. I also began pinning my hair up so that it wouldn't rub along my shoulders/clothing. In a very short time, my hair began to get healthy and retain length.

 

[kbfluff]

my problem was alot broken bits and staying at above collarbone length.

conditioner washes and oiling with 2 pig tails stopped that issue and protective styling brought the extra length on.
now i'm just trying to gain my maximum growth rate via supplements and healthy eating.

 

[wannabelong]

My hair wasn't just breaking it was crumbling... every time I touched it, it crumbled into little pieces. It was so bad a coworker thought I'd had a hair cut at lunch time because my shoulder and neck were covered in hair. I learned the condition is called trichorrhexis nodosa. It's caused by excessive heat, overprocessing, and rough handling of the hair.

I rarely use direct heat (or even rollerset), started texturizing instead of relaxing straight, I threw away all my brushes found the right protein/moisture balance and for the last 4 months I've only been combing my hair once every 2-3 weeks.

Those images are down right scary!

 

[Proudpiscean]

My hair wasn't just breaking it was crumbling... every time I touched it, it crumbled into little pieces. It was so bad a coworker thought I'd had a hair cut at lunch time because my shoulder and neck were covered in hair. I learned the condition is called trichorrhexis nodosa. It's caused by excessive heat, overprocessing, and rough handling of the hair.

I rarely use direct heat (or even rollerset), started texturizing instead of relaxing straight, I threw away all my brushes found the right protein/moisture balance and for the last 4 months I've only been combing my hair once every 2-3 weeks.

@ that first & middle pic!

Your hair is progressing beautifully now sareca! I'm loving lo-mani too

 

[HoneyA]

My hair kept breaking all the time. I'd see little pieces on the floor, the bed, the back of whatever I was wearing. I wanted my hair to grow long and healthy but I always seemed to be stuck at just past SL. So when I came here,I got a regimen, I stopped brushing altogether, I started washing 2x a week, dcing w/heat, moisturizing and sealing, doing protein treatments and stopped trimming so often. Within a matter of weeks the breakage stopped and my hair looked and felt stronger. For the last few months, I stopped combing so often and now my hair is even thicker.

 

[Proudpiscean]

My hair kept breaking all the time. I'd see little pieces on the floor, the bed, the back of whatever I was wearing. I wanted my hair to grow long and healthy but I always seemed to be stuck at just past SL. So when I came here,I got a regimen, I stopped brushing altogether, I started washing 2x a week, dcing w/heat, moisturizing and sealing, doing protein treatments and stopped trimming so often. Within a matter of weeks the breakage stopped and my hair looked and felt stronger. For the last few months, I stopped combing so often and now my hair is even thicker.

That's great HoneyA! I'm loving these success stories

 

[gymfreak336]

My hair wasn't just breaking it was crumbling... every time I touched it, it crumbled into little pieces. It was so bad a coworker thought I'd had a hair cut at lunch time because my shoulder and neck were covered in hair. I learned the condition is called trichorrhexis nodosa. It's caused by excessive heat, overprocessing, and rough handling of the hair.

I rarely use direct heat (or even rollerset), started texturizing instead of relaxing straight, I threw away all my brushes found the right protein/moisture balance and for the last 4 months I've only been combing my hair once every 2-3 weeks.

I am going through some of this now



My problems when I got here

1) overprocessing- bone straight relaxer and color
2) Dryness
3) breakage

Solutions

I grew out the color and had my stylist at the time use a milder relaxer.
I eventually stopped going to her and started deep conditioning my hair at home. With learning about moisture/protein balance, I fixed most of my breakage issues.

 

[Queen V]

A ridiculous degree of dryness, constant breakage, and a shameful amount of overprocessing! I'm still in the early stages of improving my hair's health (I've been working to improve it since September), but am already seeing dramatic progress thanks to the wealth of information that I've gotten from this board! The most important things that I've changed are daily moisturizing, conditioner washes, and protective styles. I've still got a long way to go, but I'll never treat my hair so horribly again!

 

[sareca]

@ that first & middle pic!

Your hair is progressing beautifully now sareca! I'm loving lo-mani too

The middle picture was what just about every strand on my head looked like. The ends felt and looked like the end of a broom. My cousin joked about using the hair I trimmed off as a brillo pad.

I am going through some of this now

They'll be nothing but a memory soon.

 

[Nola Darling]

Well I recently joined so my problems were dry hair and over flat ironing.

I'm trying to get my fro texture back. I recently cut maybe an inch off my hair so most of my damaged straight texture is gone, yay!

Now I'm just trying to keep the flat ironing down to one per month instead of 4xs a month.