What's the best advice you've gotten . . .

[velvet]

that is not from LHCF? or rather, What's the best advice that you learned before you joined this site and who was it from?

Me:

My childhood stylist taught me to gently detangle from the bottom up.

My college dorm mate told me to leave my conditioner in if I wanted to reduce breakage.

 

[MrsWatson]

Keeping my hair moisturized and sealing on a daily...I remember back in high school my hair used to be soooo dry and every time i combed through it, it would snap, crackle and pop (literally)!!! Also, stretching my perms 10-12 weeks. I used to perm once a month and my hair was soooo thin and fragile as a result. Changing just these two things has changed the shape and health of my hair!

 

[discodumpling]

Shout out to CRYSTAL my transvestite hairdresser who taught me to "treat my hair like a white girl" Moisture, moisture, moisture. She taught me that well conditioned hair does not require grease.

Shout out to Betty who kept my ends blunt and thick with Dominican styling practices! ...until my hair started saying NOOOOOOO to relaxers

I owe much of my hair philosphy to these two ladies.

 

[Ivy_Butter]

I got a lot of good information from Cathy Howse's book. Thanks to her i stopped blow drying years ago, i started doing DC under the dryer, I avoided spritz and other products with alcohol, I actually read product ingredients now, I started taking iron and zinc (the two vitamins she says help with hair growth the most) and I stopped using petroleum and mineral based products and switched to water based products and moisturizers.

 

[Miss*Tress]

My high school BFF's mother was a former hairdresser who taught me about roller setting. My current stylist was the first to mention protective styling to me.

 

[locabouthair]

Check if you have hard water.

I have been having really dry hair especially after I wash my hair, even though i always DC. And I just found out my water is hard. Now I know that I need a chelating poo and distilled water my hair will be softer and moist. Hopefully dry hair will be a thing of the past.

 

[ladylibra]

my mother taught me not to be afraid to try products not necessarily geared towards black hair, and to always comb from the ends to the roots. and that you don't need to use heat on your hair everyday... rollersets and wraps can be your friends!

my auntie is a stylist and she taught me to NEVER put a relaxer on previously processed hair, ONLY the new growth. and that you should wash your hair as often as it needs it, but be sure to use a gentle shampoo, a good moisturizing conditioner and moisturizing products. and lastly, if a stylist is not doing something right, don't be afraid to tell them how you want it done... and if they don't/won't cooperate, WALK OUT ON THEM! best advice ever Auntie!

 

[drasgrl]

Don't know where I learned it from I know it was some hair board. Stop greasing my scalp. I used to have dandruff but since I stopped greasing it I no longer have dandruff or greasy hair yuck!

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

to stop blow drying from Cathy Howse. At the time I had no clue how to dry my hair without it! Now I hate blow dryers and I don't even own one

I keep figuring out diff. ways to style my hair with airdrying/sitting under the dryer. Direct heat never touches the length of my hair and it has made all the difference in the world!!!

 

[Energist]

The best advice I've gotten was from Robin's "Grow Afro Hair Long" site. She demonstrates the proper way to comb hair, especially as it's growing longer.

I also think the advice to keep ends sealed/protected is priceless and has encouraged my own hair growth! I learned that here on the board

 

[gymfreak336]

Lisa Akbari's book ROCKS! She solved my scalp problem that I have had for YEARS.

 

[Barbara]

I was totally ignorant about hair care; even though I was doing some things right, but I wasn't aware of it. Then I saw this ad in Essence magazine about Wanakee Verifen Complex hair care line. The brochure is what sold me. I ordered the kit first.

Years before using these products, strangers would ask me questions about my hair, so I would give them my hair stylist’s business card . . . because I just didn't know. So by the time I came to this board, I already had bra clasp length hair. I get more questions and compliments even when I wear my hair up in a bun, because people can tell that there’s quite a bit of healthy hair up there.

What I did learn from this board is that there are less costly, good alternatives/substitutes that can be modified to mimic Verifen Complex product line and get the same results. Then there are other techniques that are beneficial for my hair.

 

[caramelcutieinva]

Don't put such heavy products on my hair - Stylists
Use No Snag Hair Ties - Style Channel
Put My Hair up w/ pencil or chinese sticks - Friends in High School
General Facts about hair - Cosmetology School

 

[BrownSkin2]

Try stretching your relaxer as long as you can. 6 weeks is too often --JC Penny Stylist

 

[naturalmanenyc]

stretching relaxers - out of necessity since my stylist retired but on purpose now

not overlapping relaxer cream (my sister)

sealing in moisture with oil - LHCF

 

[JLove74]

a good conditioner and a Denman brush is all you need for hassle free detangling

 

[phyl73]

I wanted to reply to this thread at work, but we have a filter on our system, so I had to wait until now. The best advice I got was from someone on the forum who said to take my weave out and take care of my hair. Once I did, through trial and error, I was able to improve the overall health of my hair. Then there was MN, and Indian Oils (which I love).

 

[Luvmylife]

Best Hair Advice I've ever recieved outside of LHCF:

Many moons ago when I was relaxed, my mother was the first one to tell me about "stretching" relaxers and "texturizing" but there were no words for it back then. She never allowed my sister and I to have more than 3-4 relaxers a year and never relaxed us completely straight.

My mother was also the first to tell me that I had to lay off the heat.

My beloved stylist was the first person in my life to tell me that I didn't "need" a relaxer and she actually encourage me to go natural...I her!

I asked my BFF's granny (...who has beautiful tailbone length hair!) what her secret was....it turned out to be wigs she wears them religiously and rarely wears her hair out...if she does it's in a bun or a ponytail.

 

[Hair Iam]

many moons ago a hair dresser told me not to use grease in or on my hair.

 

[anon123]

The best advice I ever got I just got a few weeks ago, and that's no wet and loose hair at the same time. Now I wash my hair in sections and leave it until it's almost dry, take down the sections, apply moisturizer, and style. No detangling. 4 washes so far, no need to detangle before or after any of them. It used to take me 1-2 hours before. It's awesome.

 

[MJ]

The best advice I received outside LHCF was from the Crown & Glory website:

1. To wash hair in plaits - This changed my life
2. To comb hair from ends to root - This dramatically minimized breakage and wash-day frustrations.
3. To wear protective styles and satin caps

I'd found the C&G website before learning about LHCF.

 

[Evazhair]

from No Lye and Good Hair: I still do these eventhough now relaxed:

*detangling with fingers, before detangling with a comb/brush

*separate hair into workable sections (individually determined)

*washing hair in braids/twists/sections-

*never to use hard protein/too much protein if your hair isn't damaged....

*being gentle with the hair

*conditioner washing- didn't have a term for it then, but I sure as heck did it about every 3 days.

from childhood& wherever (I don't remember):
* chemically processed hair should be deep conditioned everytime it is washed

*mineral oil/petroleum are bad on the scalp

*isopropyl alcohol(and any other drying alcohols) and black hair doesn't mix

*from my mom's stylist/family friend: never use a cholesterol conditioner (my hair hates them)

*"people with long hair aren't always messing with it"

*the only cure for split ends/overprocessed ends is to cut them off


From my past stylist:
*wash, dc once a week

 

[dinaaike]

Nice thread, Velvet.

The best non-LCHF advice I got was actually from another site. I think it was LongHairLovers.

First was start with healthy hair; damage doesn't go away, it travels upward.

Then get a good pair of cutting shears and don't use them to cut anything else.

Next, treat your hair like delicate lace.

And when it comes to hair accessories, if it pulls, snags, tears, or tangles, toss it!

Then another site mentioned oiling for sealing moisture. It was the first look I had at minimal product usage as it pertains to hair care.

My mother always told me to cover my hair when before I go to sleep. Most of the rest I learned by trial and error. But LCHF has been hands-down instrumental in changing how I care for my hair.

 

[glamazon386]

I learned to detangle from the bottom up from BET'S old show Heart and Soul when I was younger.

My old stylist taught me about low manipulation and protecting your ends. She recommended up styles when you were trying to grow your hair out. She also recommended sew ins when I wanted to grow my short hair cut out. That was the way she grew hers out.

 

[TaurusAngel]

I get a lot of hair advice from my best friend. While back in high school she told me to always DC, something i never did. And she also gave me the heads up about MN a year ago, something i didn't believe until i saw others doing it

 

[Isis]

The Caruso steam system was a valuable tool for me several years ago (although I didn't really know just how valuable until later) and I still use them once in a while especially when traveling. I'm on my 3rd Caruso steam roller system.

Before LHCF, Wanakee's hair guide was very helpful although at the time I didn't use the tips (like protective styling) except for Constant Care for Ends, which I still use and love.

Cathy Howse, whom I discovered at the same time as LHCF, had great advice in her first book which still helps me. I took her advice about not using the blow dryer anymore and I personally decided not to use any heat. I still wash 2 x each week and keep my hair and ends well moisturized.

 

[Isis]

Best Hair Advice I've ever recieved outside of LHCF:

Many moons ago when I was relaxed, my mother was the first one to tell me about "stretching" relaxers and "texturizing" but there were no words for it back then. She never allowed my sister and I to have more than 3-4 relaxers a year and never relaxed us completely straight.

My mother was also the first to tell me that I had to lay off the heat.

My beloved stylist was the first person in my life to tell me that I didn't "need" a relaxer and she actually encourage me to go natural...I her!

I asked my BFF's granny (...who has beautiful tailbone length hair!) what her secret was....it turned out to be wigs she wears them religiously and rarely wears her hair out...if she does it's in a bun or a ponytail.

You are so fortunate. Your mother was/is a very wise woman!

 

[JerriBlank]

The best advice I received outside LHCF was from the Crown & Glory website:

1. To wash hair in plaits - This changed my life
2. To comb hair from ends to root - This dramatically minimized breakage and wash-day frustrations.
3. To wear protective styles and satin caps

I'd found the C&G website before learning about LHCF.

Me too
That's where i learned to install my braids in a way less destructive way.
How to properly moisturize my braids,and how to do co-washes with them in(I had learned about regular co-washes from a book by Brenda Sliker).

This changed everything for me because I was used to wearing braids,just never took care of them.

 

[sareca]

Using salon products (which I promptly dismissed when I had to pay for them myself) and stretching relaxers.

 

[wheezy807]

To airdry.....all i knew as a child. My big momma used to wash her hair and put plaits in it and let it airdry. That's how she did my hair as a child and that's how i did my hair up into adulthood.