What's Worked for You - Your 2 Best Tips

[wyldcurlz]

Its my 2nd year at LHCF and i'm seeing so many beautiful heads of hair growing longer, healthier and shinier. I think its time (again) to start a simple thread with your best tip(s) listed plain and simply. What has worked for you in your process to grow long, healthy hair? The more details, the mo better. it'd also be great, just for sake of clarification (or to answer the..would it work as well for me?) to list if you're relaxed, texturized, natural or whatever and some may find listing hair type helpful...(though i've noticed that if it works for a 3a, it can work just as well for a 4a.)

I'm wanting Sylver2, Supergirl, Divine, Chicoro, Browndilocks, Adrienne, Camellia, Macherieamour and everyone else to get in this thread!!

 

[locabouthair]

bumping for more responses.

 

[MizaniMami]

Errr only two... Lets see.

Airdrying/bunning!!!

Moisturizing everyday!

 

[breezy]

Protective styling


No Combing

 

[seeminglysweet]

learning the difference between moisuturizers and sealers

no-heat (or significantly less)

 

[MrsQueeny]

Moisture from root to ends daily.
Using the right comb and taking your time detangling. Q

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Fully relaxed:
Deep conditioning
Stretching relaxers

Transitioning/Natural:
Moisture every day
Only combing when wet

There are soooo many more...coming up with only 2 was hard!

 

[bajanplums1]

relaxed, fine textured, 4b

-- air dry through drip dry or rollerset
-- deep condition weekly
-- leave in conditioner 3x week
-- all natural almond oil

 

[MizaniMami]

relaxed, fine textured, 4b

-- air dry through drip dry or rollerset
-- deep condition weekly
-- leave in conditioner 3x week
-- all natural almond oil

You are such a cheater!

 

[Divine Inspiration]

You are such a cheater!

Ok?! Here I am struggling and erasing stuff, and she just hit us with a list.

 

[blackbarbie]

-Moisturizing daily: I used to be so afraid to put creamy moisturizers (or any for that matter) on my hair b/c it is fine and i thought it would weigh it down or make it revert back if i used too much. I know now that moisture is sooooooo important.

-Stretching relaxers: I would go 10 weeks at the most with my old stylist and she would still be reluctant to give me a relaxer, but knowing that I can go 20 weeks or even 24 and learning how to manage the two textures has helped me a lot!

Good thread! (I am very interested in hearing from a lot of natural ladies regarding their transition b/c I am thinking about it again)

 

[camellia]

My hair is natural, I'm not sure of the type. I've given up trying to figure it out.

The best thing I EVER did for my hair was to simply stop using heat. No more curling irons, blow dryers, flat irons,clothes irons


The second best thing is discovering natural butters and oils. Avocado is king! Fresh, ripe avocados mashed up with olive oil and used as a conditioning mask; avocado butter to seal in moisture; avocado oil added to conditoners... The avocado is wonderful! The other butters are all great too, hemp seed, macadamia nut, mango, cocoa,...the list goes on and on...

 

[SpiritJunkie]

Great tips ladies..keeping it coming.



SG

 

[Softresses]

1) Treat the hair gently, like it is fine silk, this means NO harsh or harmful anything!

2) Stay away from scissors unless a trim is really necessary, and done by someone you trust.

 

[Poohbear]

Two best tips for my hair:
1. washing less often
2. using grease

 

[cocowhite]

Moisturizing - I had no clue about moisturizing my hair. I though a light oil or grease was all you needed. Liquid or cream was not apart of my hair vocabulary...Now I know the importance and order of moisturizing of sealing.

Protective styling - buns are my favorite.

 

[BrownSkin2]

Natural -- 3c/4a
1. Take your time detangling only on wet hair.
2. Moisture and seal with oil every day.

 

[Chicoro]

Natural hair (straightened with a hot comb) 1-2x's per year
For retaining healthy length the two that worked for me are:

1. Protective Styling combined with the Baggie method - I wash my hair and spray on conditioner mixed with Infusium, olive oil, castor oil, water, curl activator and essential oils. Slather on vaseline and put a baggie over this. I spray with conditioner mix everyday and put the baggie back on my hair.
2. Gently Detangling by sectioning hair and pre-treating with castor oil/aloe vera/essential oils/olive oil.

 

[Isis]

Relaxed 4b

1. Eliminating all heat made a remarkable difference for me. I threw out all of my heating appliances when I discovered LHCF and learned how to airdry in rollersets. No more breakage, dryness nor split ends.

2. Keeping my hair, especially my ends, moisturized each day helps me to retain my growth. I still wash and deep condition twice each week which keep my hair moisturized.

There's more but we can only do two!

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Dag I can only have two... I wanna cheat!!

Con Wash
Self Relaxer Touch-ups without gloves
Protein conditioner before neturlizer shampoo after relaxing...okay 3!!
Protective styling...okay 3 and a half...
I got 12 more....

Don't get me!

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Your hair is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I used to do press and curls in Los Angeles, it don't work in GA !! Whaaaaaa!

Natural hair (straightened with a hot comb) 1-2x's per year
For retaining healthy length the two that worked for me are:

1. Protective Styling combined with the Baggie method - I wash my hair and spray on conditioner mixed with Infusium, olive oil, castor oil, water, curl activator and essential oils. Slather on vaseline and put a baggie over this. I spray with conditioner mix everyday and put the baggie back on my hair.
2. Gently Detangling by sectioning hair and pre-treating with castor oil/aloe vera/essential oils/olive oil.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

(I am very interested in hearing from a lot of natural ladies regarding their transition b/c I am thinking about it again)

Your hair is so beautiful, why would you mess with success????? I'm just nosey....

 

[so1913]

Natural (texture varies)

-Patience
-Gentle care (handling/products)

 

[carmella25]

moisture and the baggie method

 

[Whimsy]

keep moisturized, drink tons of water

 

[blackbarbie]

Your hair is so beautiful, why would you mess with success????? I'm just nosey....

Girl, I keep looking at all these natural heads and think that I would like the best of both worlds! I can go to the Dominicans and get an occasional blowout to get it straight as heck (I was pleased with what they did a few weeks ago when I was about 15 weeks post).....I thought about it once before when i first came to the board but then got scared at the entire process of transitioning and not being able to handle both the textures.....

I guess I am just fooling myself about transitioning but I would love to know what products naturals use to get the wash n go perfected.....

 

[Plenty]

learning the difference between moisuturizers and sealers

no-heat (or significantly less)

I think i need to learn this. What are the differences?

 

[MonaRae]

Trail and Error are the best teachers! They have taught me that stretching and infrequent washing are Kings with my hair, but wetting my hair with my homemade spray daily is a must with it with this method! Did I just give 3 tips

MonaRae

 

[babyblue]

-moisture,moisture,moisture
-low manipulation

 

[wyldcurlz]

Errr only two... Lets see.

Airdrying/bunning!!!

Moisturizing everyday!

thank you so much for bumping!!! i was thinking no one was going to respond and sadly thinking my LHCFers let me down. I'm SO happy to see some responses...

MizaniMami...you can post as many tips as you want!!! i'm just seeing such long beautiful healthy hair on this board, i wanted to create a simple compliation of best tips and ideas - so that newbies & older members alike can get some new ideas. share thoughts. whatever.

as for me...my hair is natural...my best tips are:

1. Conditioner washing - its worked miracles for me. i used to have very dry scalp and dry hair. Now that I mainly CW - my hair doesn't itch, doesn't flake and its rarely dry.

2. Moisturize like a maniac - for obvious reasons. i'm in love with jojoba oil! i appy about a nickel sized amount every night. even if my hair was feeling dry, it doesn't after jojoba oil. its, by far, my favorite oil.

3. Avoid Scissor Happy Stylists - i stole this one from Supergirl, but its so true. If your hair is healthy and in good condition, you don't need to have 1-3 inches cut off every 4-6 weeks. stylists try to convince us of this, but its not true. and 1-inch to a stylist is 3-inches in regular ruler measurements.
yes, hair does need to be trimmed to keep it in optimal health & looking good. but i throw the rules out the window. i do lots of S&D missions (seek & destroy split ends) with very sharp, hair only scissors. i go to my stylist for a trim as needed. every 6 months usually. by avoiding heat & moisturizing, my hair barely splits anymore. but if you do the math and your hair only grows 1/2 inch per month and you're cutting off 1-3 inches every 2 months...that doesn't add up to lots of quick growth. imho.

4. lay off the heat - the most important tip. i LOVE the way my hair looks sleek and flat-ironed straight. unfortunately, for me, that comes with lots of split ends. also, i'm a dancer so with 4 rehearsals a week and 6 workouts a week - that flat ironed hair ain't lasting. i now, flat iron maybe once a month. usually not even that often. yes, i miss my sleek, straight hair. but i love the health its in...and when i do wear it straight now, it looks even better than before.

more tips...keep 'em coming! they're great!