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ErinLeigh
October 30th, 2013, 03:04 AM
Hi, I joined this community due to current hair issues.

About 2 years I got a keratin treatment in my hair. I fell in love with the sleek, shiny new hair and swore I would get these forever.
About 8 months later I got another keratin treatment. I had moved so this was from a new stylist and the results were drastically different. She used a cheap product and flat ironed too high and too hot. My hair fried. Literally. I will learn to post pic and start a journal so you can see.

Anyway, I found a new stylist who gave me a cut to hide the damage and all was great. Over the course of the next year I had 2 more keratin treatments (2 help repair the hair she said) and it seemed to work. My SL hair grew to BSL and I started liking my hair for the first time.

Here comes the issue. I decided to save money and color my own hair one day.
I put a demi darker 7N (I had dark blond dye and bleach hightlights prior) on my hair and it did not cover my dark hair root growth or grays. I decided to use a home bleach kit and add a few highlights to break up the demarcation line. Well I did not know bleach expands and the highlights were way too thick. I dyed one more time with a permanent color 8G (10 vol developer however).
I decided 2 days later I felt uncomfortable with all the dye layers in my hair and I purchased color oops to remove it.
Now up until this point my hair seemed ok still. I went to stylist and after admonishing me she colored and highlighted a little bit and then suggest a keratin mini treatment. She said its a lighter version of the basic treatment.

This is where my hair troubles all begin again..and literally one the one year anniversary from the last keratin disaster.
First off she toned my golden air with an ASH color which turned green and gray. But worst of all, the mini treatment ruined my hair. Its back to the fried , damaged strands. Some have a have a zig zag texture, the rest is now ultra thin. It almost dissolved the strands somehow. Also, the hair snaps at the slightest touch. I have a ton of broken hairs sticking up everywhere. My strands are now so thin each one is almost translucent, and the ends are all bent if that makes sense. Each end of hair shaft kind of bends at a 90 degree angle and cutting doesn't fix it. The new shorter hair will just do it too after a few days.
I cut several inches off of my BSL hair and I plan on keeping my current below CBL but not APL length for a year while cutting an inch every 2 months until the damage is gone.
BUT
What do I do with my hair in the meantime? In the past I always just got rid of the hair (i have actually even shaved my head before over a "chemical cut")

I know due to keratin treatment I have protein, and my hair snaps and breaks right off. I have read this means I do not need protein and need moisture.
Ok, but why then does everyone say protein treatments keep hair FROM snapping? I have an old Redkin product that is actually called anti snap! Well, I'm snapping so do I use it?

I just tried a SMT and will do those for a while to try and help, but in the meantime..should I try occasional protein? Should I not sleep with wet hair? I read that leaving moisture on too long will actually pull protein out of hair and destroy it so I am scared of that as well. I honestly do not know what to do. All of my hair is separated if that makes sense. Each hair is an ultra fine almost clear strand of varying length. They each float around so in the light you see all these hairs sticking up everywhere. If you pull a section of hair and run finger down shaft you will see pieces of breakage (tons, not being dramatic) starting above the ear length. This results in my hair being just mere strands towards the bottom almost. My hair also has been getting little knots on the individual strands as well as the white bumps. IF I run finger down a single strand I can feel the all damage as it is bumpy.

I explain all this in such a long post so you can get an idea. Now, my hair is soft to the touch. The only reason I haven't chopped it all off is
A. I'm sick of short hair and I would have to go very short again to cut this all off. I would need a Pixie. I cant carry it off, strong features and all.
B. it actually hides so well when I use product that I can get away with not cutting it based on visual reasons. With a serum hair looks healthy...but I know its breaking off like mad and I'm freaking out inside.

SO, what can I do? I have been using oils (NOTE: olive oil pulled the green toner out of my hair in a week)
But how much is too much? Is keeping oil in your hair long periods of time going to prevent hair from making is own oil?
*How often should I oil? I have coconut,olive and castor.
*What about Aloe Vera Gel? Should I apply as a leave in to protect hair? Has anyone done that?
*Should I mix honey in daily conditioner or will I get frizz? SMT was great but it did make my flyaways more pronounced/
*Should I avoid protein or reach for it?
*Should I try cassia or will that mimic a protein treatment? Another fear is I have hard water, and bleached hair so what if cassia goes green or something?
*What about a henna/cassia gloss just once or twice to try and strengthen hair? And then keep matching the roots (would need to bleach roots still as hair is naturally dark with grays) I always keep my hair light as the dark looks awful with my features.

Also keep in mind I AM going to continue to color and highlight my roots.
I have had no issue in the past with my stylists color jobs. She only does roots so I had minimal damage. But I am scared now and want to get my hair in best shape so that I can avoid further damage when coloring.

I am worried about future keratin temptation as well. I have fine frizzy hair and live in the south so the humidity is very very high. Some hair waves, some curls, some frizzes and some is stick straight. What can one do in lieu of keratin to keep hair from being frizzy?

Someone please help. Just advice of any kind would be so helpful and appreciated. What does one do for hair that is soft and nice feeling, but breaks at the merest touch? Shedding has also increased rapidly. All my stylist can do is marvel "WOW I cant believe how fragile you hair is"

ErinLeigh
October 30th, 2013, 03:09 AM
I forgot to mention hair type. I do not know it. It has been chemically altered too much. It is thin, breaking, frizzy, some parts like the underside are straight and smooth. The canopy is pretty damaged. Hair is now halfway between CBL and APL and has chin length to nape length layers.

Allychan
October 30th, 2013, 03:20 AM
You had me at Keratin treatment. Coconut oil seems to be my godsend after my overprocessed hair started snapping off, see starting photo in my sigi pic. I use it every night leave it in and conditioner or wash it out the next morning. There's only so much your hair can take and I think you well and truly reached it's limit!

inanna
October 30th, 2013, 03:26 AM
I think this (http://www.justgrowalready.com/2012/02/protein-overload-what-is-it-how-to.html) is a pretty good explanation of what protein overload is, and how to fix it. There's even a few product recommendations. Protein can help with breakage because it reinforces the hair from the inside, but moisture is what makes your hair able to stretch a bit without snapping. It does sound like your hair needs moisture more than it needs protein. :)

Coconut oil might not be a good idea, because you'd only be adding more protein to your hair. Using olive oil as a leave-in would probably help seal in some moisture. I know some people use Aloe Vera Gel as a styling aid, but if your hair is very fine it might look too gloopy. Adding honey to your conditioner sounds like a good way to add moisture in between the SMTs. You might also want to look into CO washing to baby your hair even more.

Above all, be patient and resist the temptation to try everything at once! The only way to figure out how to work with your hair is to avoid drastic measures and add one thing at a time, even when you're desperate to fix all your problems simultaneously. You'll get there, slow and steady wins the race. :)

Firefox7275
October 30th, 2013, 07:20 AM
Keratin straightening is not a 'treatment' in the sense that it improves the condition of your hair, they are always damaging since high heat is always required to 'melt' the keratin. Any hairdresser who tells you different is either lying or has not kept up with her professional knowledge and is just spouting marketing nonsense. AFAIK the straightening is superficial, it does not penetrate or strengthen the internal structure of the hair.

Sounds like you have massively overprocessed your hair between the repeat dying and the repeat straightenings, most people have to choose one chemical service or another, and/ or mainly stick to roots only applications to have acceptably healthy hair. Given your hair is translucent and snapping I honestly don't think there is anything to be done other than a big chop, that is not protein overload that is severe weakening.

For the remaining short hair treat with research proven ingredients: coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. Several are in the Redken Extreme line. SMTs will do nothing other than soften and possibly further weaken your already porous and damaged hair - research 'hygral fatigue' (water damage). Porous hair does not need more moisture (= water) it takes up far too much when washing, it needs a balance of conditioning agents to strengthen restore elasticity and help it hold the right amount of water. Coconut oil DOES NOT add protein to the hair that is an urban myth.

If you have naturally wavy hair I highly recommend the Curly Girl method, that takes many of us from 'straight' frizzy/ pouf to defined and healthy waves over time. Work with your hair do not fight it every step of the way. There are many of us here on LHC that colour our hair including myself so we are not judging but supporting; I'd still never in a million years recommend highlights or persulphate bleach to hair that is as fragile as you describe. Do roots only, peroxide only colour, ideally an acidic product.

meteor
October 30th, 2013, 08:01 AM
First of all, welcome to the LHC! :)
My first recommendation would be to not chemically process that dyed/strengthened hair again, do roots only. You need to treat your hair as "antique lace" - be super gentle with the detangling (maybe fingercombing/wide-tooth combing only and doing it infrequently), coconut oil before every wash, keep it contained and/or up, use satin or silk pillowcases and/or bonnets at night... until you trim off old damage.


You mentioned that in the past you just shaved off old mistakes. If you want significant length, I think the whole philosophy of treating hair should change to gentler, preservation mode treatment.

I really agree with Firefox's product recommendations. Do avoid hydral fatigue: wash hair only as necessary and don't do overnight wet treatments - conditioners work within 20-30 min max). SMT made your hair more flyaway, so that may suggest that strong humectants (aloe, honey, etc) may not be great for you. Instead, use anti-humectants - especially penetrating oils, like coconut, avocado, olive, argan. Use them in conditioners, as leave-ins and definitely pre-wash and even more importantly pre-bleach (since you want to continue doing your roots).

I am growing out bleached highlights and nothing works for me better for sealing and combating increased hair porosity (due to compromised hair cuticle) than coconut oil. Bleached hair also responds very well to hydrolyzed proteins, so use them and follow up with an emollient/anti-humectant/oil treatment, since protein may feel drying.

bunnylake
October 30th, 2013, 10:05 AM
My sister is a professional stylist in an upscale salon where she does keratin treatments all the time, and she told me to never ever ever get one because all they do is destroy hair. The gleaming silkiness is pretty much a facade... there is so much damage hiding underneath and the more you do it, the worse it gets.

It sounds like your hair needs a major break from all the chemicals, so if I were you I would even lay off the dye and just go as natural as possible at least for a few months. Trim the damage off little by little. Use gentle, basic products and wash less.

I used to bleach and dye my hair every color of the rainbow until I had a head full of straw. I chopped it all off, suffered through awkward growing phases, learned to care for and love my natural texture, etc... and now 6 years later I have butt-length hair in amazing condition. So, there's hope!

bunnylake
October 30th, 2013, 10:07 AM
OH! About your frizz and curls... maybe try the "curly girl" method? Google it or find the conditioner-only thread here. It might work really well for you and eventually turn your frizz into well defined curls.

Katrine
October 30th, 2013, 11:41 AM
I'm so sorry to hear about your hair woes. Years ago I went through a horrible experience with a perm over hair that had bleach in it. My hair had some of the traits you describe - very fragile, rough to the touch and many strands were translucent. They were just disintegrating. My hair was fried. It was awful.

I decided I was going to go more natural with my hair and had the blonde dyed back to brown. I didn't process my hair for years after and just kept trimming regularly. I had been double processing my hair for years (perming and coloring) and it had finally had enough.

You've already gotten great feedback but I just wanted to make a comment about the SMT. I have fine hair and the first time I did it I substituted oil for the aloe vera gel (didn't have any) and it worked really well. After reading the comments about honey, I think I will perhaps add less the next time I do it. I have never heated it up in the microwave but I did put it in the sun a few times before I used it.

Just remember with time and gentle care your hair will recover. :)

Liz_park
October 30th, 2013, 11:43 AM
Hello and welcome! The good news is that you are in the right place!

It sounds like you've been through a stressful time with regards to hair! I'm so sorry to hear that.

Firefox7275, Allychan, and meteor have some sound advice! I would follow what they have written.

I think mostly you will want to baby your hair and make the lifestyle changes towards healthy hair. If you are not comfortable with a big chop, I recommend a cut to remove the most damaged parts (as short as you are comfortable with) and then growing and trimming until the damage is gone and your hair is healthy again. A good diet, and a commitment to healthy exercise and sleep schedule can help with the growth.

ErinLeigh
October 30th, 2013, 11:14 PM
Wow. Thank you all. These are fantastic answers and exactly what I was needing to know.
Everything sounds spot on. I am going to try coconut oil only as far as treatments for a while as I have(as all newbies) been trying everything! I will also do root only applications of color and use coconut oil under the dye to prevent some damage.
I may even have my base color darkened eventually so I can let my roots blend better.
I ended up blond all over due to so many processes.

One question about coconut oil...do I apply to dry or wet hair? I haven't figured out which is best for my situation. Can someone advise which option is best?

In the meantime I will follow this advice and send my gratitude for all who took the time and compassion to share their thoughts

ErinLeigh
October 30th, 2013, 11:16 PM
One more question? Should I coconut oil at night and olive oil as a serum on dry hair when I am out and about ?
Would olive oil help prevent the constant opening and closing of the shaft to release and take in water? And the coconut oil at night keep it filled while it heals ? How does one apply the coconut oil? Olive I spritz on but coconut oil seems a bit thicker.

Shibe
October 30th, 2013, 11:26 PM
Be careful when starting with coconut oil if you have sensitive skin. I tried one with Lanolin and I woke up with a massive facial rash! Try to get 100% pure coconut oil.

ErinLeigh
October 30th, 2013, 11:54 PM
I desperately need a cut to remove damage. I actually got it cut last week and stylist hardly removed any damage other than some length. The layer were untouched so they need cut shorter desperately. She loves longer hair I get that, but this is serious. I am resentful I have to pay to go back for another cut but I will do it as my fear of a new stylist is greater than my disappointment in her last service. The whole reason I am loyal to her is she cut it once perfectly after my keratin disaster a year ago. Gosh was it a one time fluke? Services since have always left me not thrilled. I must show her photos of that last cut maybe and hope she remembers how to do it. I just cant take having damaged hair and I actually love the feeling of cutting it off. I can keep the appearance of length with lots of fine layers in a razor type cut (without using a razor of course) I know this as she did it one before. I don't get why this time she keeps trying to "save length." I can keep my hemline but I must remove all this visible canopy damage with shorter layers. I want to cry thinking I have to go back yet again for correction. I always get highly anxious when I get a hair service after all my previous bad experiences.

This whole situation is rather embarrassing. I had been getting a ton of compliments on my hair and now I have to hack it back off. Although in hindsight I think is was more damaged than I realized anyway.

If anyone has an answer on if my hair situation wold do better oiling wet or dry hair please let me know. I would be very thankful. i trust the answer as the responses made more sense than I could have imagined.

Shibe
October 30th, 2013, 11:58 PM
Go to a barber shop. The men tend to be more careful with hair and will not pressure you. There are some wonderful hair dressers out there, and some of our ladies are hairdressers- but the majority I find are 'artistes' who think a trim is 4 inches. I can't tell you how many times I've gone with a friend and I've been pressure to have 6 inches hacked off.

ErinLeigh
October 31st, 2013, 12:00 AM
Allychan, I'm sorry you had a bad keratin experience as well. I am going to use coconut oil. Would you mind sharing how you apply yours?

Shibe, its funny you say that as I have been to a barber before :) This time though it is going to need a complicated style to mask the damage, yet leave me with SOME hair to deal with that looks good. I am just afraid to try again, plus my stylist is expensive. A simple cut is $90. I need to do it but I am worried of it being more messed up. Plus I need to save some $ so it will be 2 weeks before I do it.

I wish I looked good with dark hair so I could henna, although I am not sure I should be doing anything to my hair right now other than the suggested oil. It is very hard not to run around trying everything. I am an Aries and ultra inpatient so this is real hard for me to walk around with a "before" haircut. I need the "after" so I can feel better and start regrowing healthy new hair in a fashionable cut.

again, thank you all for the comments. THe were extremely helpful and really point me in a direction. I was all over the place and now I understand what is happening and why. i always thought I knew about hair but this thread has shown me i really don't/ There are a lot of chemical reactions and balances I did not account for an understand.
I am going to read about protein overload and hydral fatigue right now.

Shibe
October 31st, 2013, 12:31 AM
90 dollars for a simple cut is..insane. Maybe go to a different more affordable stylist?

ErinLeigh
October 31st, 2013, 12:49 AM
Sorry for so many questions... but if I am snapping and hair is very soft....am I overloaded on moisture AND protein? My hair is ultra soft and flyaway, but snaps and breaks. There is zero give when I pull the hair strand on a teat. It snaps instantly. Does this mean the hair is so screwed that it has deteriorated to the point that it cannot be kept and balanced?

Shibe
October 31st, 2013, 12:54 AM
Sounds to me like it is very weak and has no elasticity. I wish I knew more to give you a better answer :-/ Maybe another one of our ladies does?

ErinLeigh
October 31st, 2013, 12:59 AM
Shibe, I agree with you. I always thought taking care of hair and using good stylist was $ well spent. But looking back my hair wasn't fantastic. If it was I wouldn't be going back for more keratin and constantly cutting and coloring. Once does that when they are unhappy with how hair looks.
I have decided to go to this stylist for one last cut to get me in position to get this hair off and start over. Meanwhile I am going to find a more affordable option for getting trims and root touch ups. I have spent as much as $500 before for cut, color and keratin. I am far from rich so this is crazy. What was I thinking? I'm kinda stunned and embarassed. Especially considering my hair looks like :poop::poop: Now that I think about it maybe I should find a new one for the first cut so someone can grow with me. Hindsight is a powerful thing.

I have coconut oil in my hair right now. I chose to apply to dry hair so I do not trap any additional moisture. From what I am understanding trapping additional water into my hair right now is not a good idea.

Allychan
October 31st, 2013, 03:39 AM
Hi Erin. Remember, I am applying at night and no-one is going to see it except hubby and he never notices this stuff anyways. I fingercomb and wide tooth comb only when my hair is nearly completely dry. I haven't brushed my hair since Jan 2011.

Here's what I do:
Shower and rinse hair with Natural conditioner (no parabeans, cones etc)
Air dry 'til it is just damp no need to brush or comb it
Pour coconut oil onto palm and scrunch it into my hair. off topic: I am in the tropics so my coconut oil is usually always liquid. If yours is hard you will have to place the jar in a warm/hot cup of water and use the stuff that goes liquid
Immediately braid hair to protect it (use a sleep cap if your hair is too short)
Get into bed. I sleep on a satin pillow so as to lessen friction
In the morning use a mild shampoo or just conditioner it out. You have pre-oiled your hair from the night before so there should be minimal swelling/fatigue

I look back now and kind of wish I had cut all mine off after it turned to straw. I'd be at the same length now either way because of all the cutting I did over the last 2.5yrs. I have loads of progress photos in my album. When you get to 25posts you will be able to see them

ErinLeigh
October 31st, 2013, 04:06 AM
Thank you for the reply. It was very helpful.
I am a cutter. If hair is damaged I will take it off and start fresh. This time is just a lot more embarrassing as I'm now 40 and should know better. Luckily I work nights so no one really sees me :)
I could bun it for a year and then cut but I just can't stop touching my hair texture I figure my need to feel it just makes me touch it more so its best that it goes.

I am making the situation worse by combing I think. Every since this happened I cannot stop combing the hair (wet,oiled or dry). It has all these knots and my pseudo idc comes out and I just keep combing and combing. Cutting the hair will take me far in keeping my hands off it and help me not feel so desperate.
I can't afford a new cut for 2 weeks and that's prob best to give it some time to soak in coconut and grow. From there I will remove as much of it as I can and start over.

I have been eager to see you hair pictures hence the over posting on this thread. :)

Firefox7275
October 31st, 2013, 04:14 AM
One more question? Should I coconut oil at night and olive oil as a serum on dry hair when I am out and about ?
Would olive oil help prevent the constant opening and closing of the shaft to release and take in water? And the coconut oil at night keep it filled while it heals ? How does one apply the coconut oil? Olive I spritz on but coconut oil seems a bit thicker.

Hair does not heal because it is dead, all you can do is patch repair (temporary) mild to moderate damage. By mild to moderate I mean the damage could be seen under a microscope and would affect the behaviour or manageability of your hair but not seem 'fried' (splits, breaks, translucent). If your cuticle is damaged enough to be either absent or in the lifted position nothing will 'close' that, you can only coat the surface and reduce core porosity to moderate water intake and egress. It is difficult to use enough oil to achieve that without getting incredibly greasy hair, this is where film formers and ingredients that patch repair come in useful.

The published research on coconut oil is overnight to twenty four hours on dry hair then washed out - it can penetrate, reduce porosity, increase elasticity and protect from further structural protein loss. Melt the oil in the microwave or your hand and smooth on, cover your hair with a shower cap or Saran wrap or suchlike to protect your bed linen and to retain the heat of your head.

Applying oil to wet hair likely means the oil will not penetrate (oil and water do not mix) and your hair will stay wet for longer which weakens it. IMO do not overuse oils, they are useful tools but not the be all and end all of haircare. Plus if you overuse them you will be wanting to wash your hair frequently which is damaging (hygral fatigue).

Much better to complement penetrating oils with other ingredients proven to be beneficial for damaged hair such as the ones I mentioned in my earlier post: these each have different properties, substituting for different parts of the hair structure that have been damaged. Also don't forget more simple conditioning agents to give shine, slip, reduce combing friction and so on - the fatty alcohols, cationic surfactants, perhaps silicones which are technically oils - you may be best using a leave in conditioner. You may come across a suitable conditioner that not only contains some of the patch repairing/ penetrating ingredients but also a little silicone or oil to help seal. My colour treated hair seems to like palm oil as a conditioner ingredient but YMMV.

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair/?page=3
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlychemist-the-cuticle-is-the-first-line-of-defense-for-our-hair
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/03/moisture-issue-proteins-and-moisture.html
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/06/size-matters-protein-conditioning-part.html
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/proteins-why-you-should-care
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/mineral-oil-versus-coconut-oil-which-is-better
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/products-ingredients/panthenol-hair-products
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/08/ceramides-patching-up-damaged-hair.html

ErinLeigh
October 31st, 2013, 05:26 AM
Thank you very much. For now I'm going to oil dry hair 24hrs before washing, leave in conditioner and cone sealant. If the cones don't work I will try light olive oil as a sealant but I think it sounds like I need "patching" cones for now. Cutting will help a lot. I googled some nice heavily layered cuts that seem like I can grow out nicely. I have no issue doing the layers right now as long as they are very blended. It will probably give some texture and relief to my flat frizz keratin hair.

As far as the new hair, I guess I will need to see what texture I have. I don't know if my frizz and waves are simply chemical damage or curls. I recall as a child my hair was straight though.
For color, I'm thinking I will slowly darken the base and go for the ombré look. I need root touch ups for sure but do not want any more chemicals on the damaged parts.

I'm getting highly anxious to get my hair cut ASAP. I hate wasting good grow time. If I'm going to start over I'm ready to do it now. I may crack and cut next week if I can. (Hopes)

I guess the hardest thing is from the advice given I have to do the opposite of the fun on the boards. No experiments, no deep treatments , no "no cone" , not too much oil but definitely a pre poo. I'm back to my old routine basically yet I have a shower full of honey, aloe, castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil , mineral oil , Amla oil , deep conditioners etc etc :)

I checked my hair again and it's mostly ok from ears up. So if I get layers starting at ear working down to collarbone I should be back to mostly normal yet exhausted hair. From there I will need to see what is really going on.

The advice has been invaluable and I am grateful people took the time to help me identify what needs to be don't and what needs to stop. This saved me from really going way to far and helped me realize I do need this haircut to get back to basics

Note...I live in Florida so seeing how we high constant high humidity I may have to stay on the cones right? I feel this may prevent daily hydraulic fatigue perhaps. Although cones are more drying I can always SMT once a month on the healthy hair to draw some moisture back (only if needed) The more I think about it, I've always done quite fine with cones in my hair.
I still want to continue pre poo with coconut oil on the new hair. Is there a chance of buildup with cones and coconut?
Will I eventually need chelating shampoo or clarifier once in a while? I guess I better ask now to prevent a distaste later.

Finally, would vinegar rinse help me in closing the shaft or is that damaging?
I hear great AND not great things about vinegar so I'm very confused how to stand on this with my current hair situation.

I can't wait to have 25 post so i can edit. Typing on iPhone with coconut greasey fingers is making a lot of typos :)
Also I am eager to see the albums

Firefox these links are great. Thank you

From reading the links it sounds line ceramides may help my hair. I have had water where I live so I also need to tackle that issue. I moved from Colorado a month ago and just realized the products that worked for me then aren't going to be the same that I need now. This plus my hard may explain why my hair has gradually gotten worse. (Yes the processing was the nail in the coffin but looking back at pictures it was a work in Progress for sure. I don't think my hair was as healthy last month as I thought it was when I decided to try and color my own hair. The keratin ugh. Even when she told me it would help fix the "dry hair from dying at home" my gut told me not to do it, that is was going to be too much. I have a hard time saying no though. This experience has taught me to start understanding what is going Into my hair and to be more aware and take control.
I will never be a natural hair girl but I can at least have nice hair in the best condition I can keep in in. I can't say enough how how invaluable this thread has been to me and how much I learned. Now I need to start slowly and see what works and pay attention.

I meant I moved a year ago. I can't see the post as I type on this phone. Sorry for confusion.

breezefaerie
October 31st, 2013, 07:23 AM
I think you are on your way to having healthy and lovely hair.
GREAT words of advice in this thread too.

Shibe
October 31st, 2013, 02:31 PM
Note...I live in Florida so seeing how we high constant high humidity I may have to stay on the cones right? I feel this may prevent daily hydraulic fatigue perhaps. Although cones are more drying I can always SMT once a month on the healthy hair to draw some moisture back (only if needed) The more I think about it, I've always done quite fine with cones in my hair.
I still want to continue pre poo with coconut oil on the new hair. Is there a chance of buildup with cones and coconut?
Will I eventually need chelating shampoo or clarifier once in a while? I guess I better ask now to prevent a distaste later.

Finally, would vinegar rinse help me in closing the shaft or is that damaging?
I hear great AND not great things about vinegar so I'm very confused how to stand on this with my current hair situation.

I live in Miami! I completely understand about the humidity, my fine hair goes completely limp as soon as I step foot outside. Winter may soon be my favorite season. I use coconut oil on my ends before bed if they need a pick me up. I went from doing it every night to a few times a week, mostly because my ends stopped being so crunchy with care. Take pictures, even if you don't like how it looks. Seeing progress in picture form is a wonderful way to stay motivated!

ErinLeigh
November 1st, 2013, 05:03 AM
I have sooo many hair pictures. No worries there :)
I take hair selfies almost daily. Haha
I'm in ft lauderdale so relate on wintertime joy !

Liz_park
November 1st, 2013, 12:36 PM
Meanwhile I am going to find a more affordable option for getting trims and root touch ups. I have spent as much as $500 before for cut, color and keratin. I am far from rich so this is crazy. What was I thinking? I'm kinda stunned and embarassed. Especially considering my hair looks like :poop::poop: Now that I think about it maybe I should find a new one for the first cut so someone can grow with me. Hindsight is a powerful thing.


ErinLeigh, could I recommend not going to any stylist for a while? Hair stylists are often in the business of making money rather than the business of beautiful hair. And even when you go for "just a trim" they can hack away at your hair, cutting it into a style that doesn't suit you, or making it look more damaged than it is!

I wonder have you tried Feye's Self-Trim Method?

I would recommend buying a pair of sharp hair shears (you can usually get a good pair for $20 online or at a drug store) and trimming yourself. That way you can control how much you cut and you will save a lot more money. Plus you avoid having a bad haircut from a scissor-happy stylist.

I only self-trim now, and my hair is the best it's ever been. At first I was nervous that I wouldn't cut it straight, but after trying it, I realized that I am actually better at cutting my hair than any stylist has ever been.

jacqueline101
November 1st, 2013, 06:01 PM
Im a self trimmer too and a past victim of a bad perm. My hair was frizzy damaged and broken. I was at my wits end and I had my brother jimmy the one I blog about help me find this forum. He found it on yahoo a person needing help asked a question the reply was this site. Jimmy set up my web page here. I did consent to it I needed help. Anyways I checked out the pages on Monistat to grow out the damage after I trimmed it off. As you guessed the other was feyes self trim method. I also found oiling helped the hair argan oil was the best for me on keeping frizz under control. I was eager to try out things but those were the first things I tried. I do agree on the sharp shears. If you use dull ones you will cause damage split ends and white dots.

ErinLeigh
November 6th, 2013, 12:09 AM
I cut it to shoulder length and added more layers. It is still damaged and has at least 6 months to a year growth to get rid of it. I'm going to wait and see how it grows in and decide if I should maintain or grow and micro trim.
I'm thinking one more cut in 6-8 weeks and then begin?

I've been reading the monistat thread and wondering if it works on everyone or just people who maybe have scalp issues?
I may give it a try and see if it works although I am worried about putting anything in my hair right now.

I put coconut oil in last night and had the craziest static. Has anyone had that before? I was saturated in oil and still it was able to lift and fly up. Strange.

I'm still trying to decide if I should alternate oils or stay with just coconut, and I have decided to try cerimade shampoo and conditioner for a month to see if just helps at least hide some damage for a while :/

I regret that keratin treatment so much. I can't believe it did this to myself. Also wondering how in the world I'm gonna grow out all these crazy layers as it appears the are purposely uneven to match the side swept bangs I have.
Off to read the growing out layer thread for ideas

Thanks again everyone for the help. And the scissor recommendation. I fixed a fee of my layers and now worry as I don't think my scissors were as sharp as I thought. I may go get new ones and quickly correct the few pieces I cut myself before they split