Whats your regimen??

[luvovcandy]

Im a newbie and have been addicted to this site for almost 2 weeks now, scrolling through these threads for hours and hours straight trying to find the answer to long healthy hair. There seems to be soo much to do!!!

• Cowash
• Prepoo
• Shampoo
• Clarify
• Deep condition
• Hot oil
• Megatek/ OCT
• Essential Oils
• Baggie
• Buns
• Stretch relaxers
• Go natural
• Less trims
• More trims
• Braids
• Twists
• Weaves
• Wigs

Following the above, my hands seem to be in my hair everyday and I know thats not good!! What really is the solution!!?!

Why cant our hair grow like our pubes and pits? Long, strong and silky? lol Should we just wash and go? This is all too frustrating!

I need a regimen. For those of you whose hair has grown nicely since being apart of the LHCF family, please share your weekly regimen. When do you Prepoo, shampoo, DC, oil, megatek/oct, etc. Thanks!

 

[msa]

1. I see you found the post thread button. Yay!

2. You don't have to do all of that if you don't want to or it doesn't work for you. You've had your hair your whole life so take a look at the past and try to identify some things you feel have worked and go from there.

3. Search the member "sistaslick"...she has links to hair care articles that she's written, including one about figuring out a regimen.

4. Search and read as much as possible on different regimens, techniques and products. That may help you narrow it down some.

The most important things to me are to cleanse, condition, and moisturize. So every week (or 10 days or whenever I feel like it) I wash with a mixture of baking soda and water. I don't really "condition" any more but I used to with oyin honey hemp conditioner or plain coconut milk. I moisturize with coconut oil (a lot) as I twist or plait my hair. Every day I dampen with water and add castor oil, focusing on the ends.

That's what works for me, but it doesn't work for everyone. It's going to take a lot of trial and error and research before you figure it out. Just don't give up.

 

[luvovcandy]

Looks like I have a lot of work to do! Thanks for replying and YES!!! I finally found the NEW POST button. lol.

Oh, Im thinking of getting the coconut oil. I heard a lot of good things about the Vitika Coconut oil.

 

[msa]

Looks like I have a lot of work to do! Thanks for replying and YES!!! I finally found the NEW POST button. lol.

Oh, Im thinking of getting the coconut oil. I heard a lot of good things about the Vitika Coconut oil.

I love coconut oil (unrefined, cold pressed, virgin). I've never used Vatika, though I know that it's coconut oil mixed with some other things. Just know that there is a difference between the regular and the Vatika.

Your hair is already super thick and looks great so something you've been doing works. Just build around that. Also, don't try to do too many new things at one time because then it'll be harder to figure out what's giving you results.

 

[smwrigh3]

1. I see you found the post thread button. Yay!

2. You don't have to do all of that if you don't want to or it doesn't work for you. You've had your hair your whole life so take a look at the past and try to identify some things you feel have worked and go from there.

3. Search the member "sistaslick"...she has links to hair care articles that she's written, including one about figuring out a regimen.

4. Search and read as much as possible on different regimens, techniques and products. That may help you narrow it down some.

The most important things to me are to cleanse, condition, and moisturize. So every week (or 10 days or whenever I feel like it) I wash with a mixture of baking soda and water. I don't really "condition" any more but I used to with oyin honey hemp conditioner or plain coconut milk. I moisturize with coconut oil (a lot) as I twist or plait my hair. Every day I dampen with water and add castor oil, focusing on the ends.

That's what works for me, but it doesn't work for everyone. It's going to take a lot of trial and error and research before you figure it out. Just don't give up.

EVERYTHING SHE SAID!!! start with sistaslick's articles (she saved my hair PLENTY OF TIMES! ) and figure out what works best for u!! only u can figure that out!

 

[oooop2]

Co-washing at least 5x/week w/Pantene condish
Applying a rosemary-sage spritz to my hair 2x/day
Tea spritz daily
Daily moisturizer mix of aloe vera gel/castor oil/glycerin/rosewater/evoo
Applying unrefined shea butter to ends
Wearing hair is versatile styles like twist/twistouts/afro puffs

 

[that_1_grrrl]

Looks like I have a lot of work to do! Thanks for replying and YES!!! I finally found the NEW POST button. lol.

Oh, Im thinking of getting the coconut oil. I heard a lot of good things about the Vitika Coconut oil.

I would suggest getting both. Vatika is enriched with lemon, henna, amla, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

 

[simplyhair]

3. Search the member "sistaslick"...she has links to hair care articles that she's written, including one about figuring out a regimen.

I too have to recommend Sistaslick. However, I am not recommending her based on the articles which I am sure are good.

I found Sistaslick on LHCF when I was a lurker back in Jan or Feb 2006. Her hair looked great so I checked out her fotki. I saw that she had given herself a no-heat & bun challenge. For whatever reason, I jumped on the bandwagon with her. This was my very first challenge that I committed to. She gave me a few tips and I was off and running.

I did no heat and bun for almost 6 months to a year. I can't really remember how long because it has become a "lifestyle regimen" for me...literally. I wore a bun to church to weddings, I mean everywhere. I no longer use a blow dryer and curling irons except when I get a touchup every 8-10 weeks by my stylist.

I tell you, following a no-heat and bun regimen sent my hair from between shoulder blades to BSL in no time. BTW, if you are going to a stylist, make sure that he/she ONLY dusts your ends. At least, that is what my stylist did for three years before she moved away this summer.

So as of today, I am near waist length and I contribute it to Sistaslick's no heat & bun challenge, to Sylver's scarf method AND my stylist dusting my ends. Sylver's scarf method helps keep the new growth to lay flat so I could reach 8 to 10 weeks.

 

[simplyhair]

I almost forgot, during the time that I was on Sistaslick challenge, I was cowashing my hair on Mon, Wed & Fri. Those were days that I did heavy workouts and would sweat a lot. So, I can't confirm if the frequent washings attributed to the amount of growth.

 

[uofmpanther]

One of the big keys is getting to know your hair. As others have said, your regimen must fit your hair. It should also change as your hair changes.

For example, I usually
- Shampoo with KC Dry and Itchy
- Deep Condition under heat cap with Aphogee 2 Min Reconstructer
- Deep Condition under heat cap with KC Dry and Itchy
- Add my leave-ins and either Roller Set or Wet Wrap and sit under the hood dryer until it is dry

However, if I have a lot of product buildup, I do KC First Lather to clarify before my Shampoo. If my hair feels mushy, I skip the second deep conditioner.

It is the same with my daily moisturizer. Usually, I use Design Essentials Nutriment Rx. However, if I'm close to relaxer time in the summer, I use NTM leave-in. If I'm close to relaxer time in the winter, I use ORS Oil Moisturizer.

It is also trial and error. My hair hates airdrying, whereas that works well for a lot of people. This board is great because it gives you lots of things to try on your journey.

 

[blessedandlucky]

i'm new too and i did a lot of research (lurking here and other sites) as i developed my reggie. i took into account what i know to be true about my hair. although i haven't been taking the best care of it, it has been growing but i always let my stylist "trim" my ends. i will continue to do this, but *not* every 6-8 weeks. that's too much i think for me.

this is the reggie that i developed that i will be using for the next 3-6 months. i am confident that it will work. so far, so good i am not using a lot of products because i don't think it has to be that complicated for me and i don't have that kind of time. plus, i usually like to keep it (super) simple.

my hair is generally very dry and sometimes my scalp too. i've selected a shampoo and conditioner based on this. i decided to go sulfate free because i believe that my previous shampoos exacerbated my dry scalp problem.

products:
*abba pure moisture shampoo
*abba pure moisture conditioner
(i wash every 10 days or so, or when when my hair feels dirty. i sleep with almond oil in my hair overnight before washing)

*ntm deep recovery hair mask (used every other wash)
* chi silk infusion
*ntm silk touch leave-in moisturizer (i use it every day or other day as needed at night on my ends and wrap my hair before bed)
* jane carter nourish and shine (i put this on my ends after the ntm leave-in)
* caruso curlers (b/c i'm not doing heat besides blowdrying - airdrying doesn't work for me; this i know)
* no direct heat beyond the blow dry
* relaxer every 12-16 weeks (i'm stretching for the first time, so we'll see how long i can go)
* protein treatments at aveda salon every few months

this is what is working for me but do your research and don't feel pressured to do or try everything at once. use what has been working and go from there. and, give things time to work before jumping to the next thing. i also found it really useful to check out member's pages who have a similar hair type to mine and look at their reggies.

good luck on your journey and welcome to lhcf. there is a wealth of information here and everyone is really nice and very helpful

 

[luvovcandy]

Thank you ladies. I will surely cowash every other night but I still have to figure out the other things I will do as far as moisturizing and stuff. I guess time will tell what works for me. In the meantime, I will check out sistaslick's articles.

 

[Barbara]

Several of you have asked for my regimen even though it’s very similar to the one listed in my hair care products website. Anyway, here it goes . . .

My regimen is simple--in my opinion. I follow the regimen that’s featured in the Verifen Complex website www.hairoil.com. Except I don’t get my hair washed every week nor do I oil my hair every day. Salon visits are twice a month.

My stylist washes my hair twice with the Beneficial Phase Shampoo.

Deep condition with the Advance Conditioning Treatment by saturating my hair then pins it up. He puts on a plastic conditioning cap then he puts me under the dryer for at least 30 minutes or longer if he’s working on other customers’ hair.

He rinses out the conditioner, and he saturates my hair with the detangler; but after 10 years, he recommended another detangler that works better on my type 4a/b hair--Infusium 23 (original formula aka Repairology now). This is definitely a permanent staple. It has more slip than the Verifen Complex detangler, plus it costs a lot less and does the job. After he puts in Infusium 23, he pours oil in his hand and rubs it on my hair.

He parts the hair in four sections and pins up three. Then he rubs Constant Care for Ends throughout my hair. He gradually detangles one section at a time while blow drying it. Then he takes down another section and repeats the process.

He puts me under the dryer to dry my scalp which normally takes no more than five minutes. Hairline Essential Crème is applied to my edges.

He presses my hair gently. (I get my hair done the old fashion way, but it works.) Then he hot curls my hair by making the curls small and tight to keep then in longer. After pressing, he combs out the front and side curls gently, but he really doesn’t touch the curls in the back, just a little, because they will fall out eventually. The curls don’t stay in longer than 1-1/2 hours because of the weight of my hair. He sprays his own rosemary oil and that’s it.

I don’t oil my hair daily; just once a week thoroughly by parting it in sections. I wear my hair in protective styles 95 percent of the time, because I’m lazy with my hair. I put pomade and oil on my ends about twice a week. I put a satin wrap around my edges then I place a satin bonnet over my head and that’s how I sleep. I don’t brush my hair. I use a K-cutter. I wear my hair in a protective bun, and that’s it.

My stylist doesn’t believe in trimming my hair often. He normally does it about once every 1-1/2 years. He says: “If I trim it regularly, I will be cutting the new growth.” Well, I don’t debate with him because his other customers have longer hair than me, so he must be doing something right.

I have secondary products which my stylist recommended three years ago. They are effective and inexpensive, and I rotate them with my Verifen Complex products.

Shampoo: Cream of Nature (ultra moisturizing/detangling formula). I buy the liter size for $5 whenever Sally has a sale—which is every other month in Los Angeles.

Conditioner: Motions Moisture Plus

Detangler: Infusium 23

Protein Conditioner: Affirm 5 in 1 Reconstructor works fine alone, but Motions CPR will not be a keeper. It has to be mixed with Motions Moisture Plus; otherwise, my hair will be too hard. I’m not going to buy this one anymore.


I found some pomades and oil blends that cost a lot less than my Verifen Complex hair oil/pomades such as: WonderGro Shea Butter, Africa’s Best Super Gro pomade, TCB Naturals, and Hairobics Hair and Scalp Booster. Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Hemp shampoo is another staple.

Oil Blends: Wonder 8 (which I haven’t used yet); African Royal Hot 6, Africa’s Best Herbal Oil Complex, and Hairobics Hair oil and Detangler Oil.

Additional conditioners are as follows: Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose and their GPB, plus Lekair Cholesterol Plus--these are definitely keepers on my list. EVOO is added to all of my conditioners except the Verifen Complex Advance Conditioning Treatment. I have other conditioners and shampoos that I would like to test later, but I believe in using my secondary products up first before they go bad.

 

[Soul♥Flower]

-Wash 2x a week (every 3 days)
First wash: Co-wash and instant condition
Second wash: Shampoo and deep condition

-Clarify once a month

-Moisturize and oil every day

That's pretty much it.

The products I'm using right now are:
Optimum Care Triple Protection (Shampoo)
Hello Hydration (CoWash Conditioner)
Sedal Negros (instant conditioner and deep conditioner)
Taliah Waajid Black Earth Bodifying Mist (leave-in and sometimes moisturizer)
S-Curl (moisturizer and sometimes leave-in)
Carol's Daughter hair oil - I really like this oil, but it's expensive and it's mostly corn oil so I'll probably be buying from the cooking isle of the grocery store from now on.


The products will definitely change, but my regimen will always stay the same. It works and has worked on my processed and unprocessed hair for the past 5 years.