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View Full Version : Hair Story, routine, and a couple questions, any suggestions?



cat11
January 21st, 2014, 05:03 PM
I absolutely love that everyone here is not embarrassed to talk about their hair so much. Its a nice hobby.

For years and years and years I absolutely hated my "frizzy afro puffball" hair and straightened and cut it to death out of boredom and probably unconscious self loathing (haha can you relate?) I wanted jet black stick straight hair for some reason. I wore my hair in a ponytail for atleast 3 solid years because I thought it was a ratsnest. After ponytailing it away for all of middle school for fear of being made fun of (I was quite self conscious then) I cut it very short and wore it straight for awhile, until the end of my freshman year/beginning of sophomore year where I had a total epiphone and stopped caring what people thought about me and did what I wanted (in every aspect of my life, not just hair.)

Then, I started wearing it curly. And I started liking it more and more and more!! However, I was still a short hair person. Up until now (3rd year of college, 21) I never had it longer than ALMOST to my shoulders. I loved just being able to shake it out like a puppy and go. I still dyed it bLack though. About a year and a half ago I went nuts with bleach and blue dye and then ended up getting bored since I couldnt really do what I wanted due to my job so I decided to dye it to a brown shade to cover everything and I chopped it off to to short layered bob that didnt even reach my chin. I decided that would be the last time I dyed my hair for a long time and that I was going to make it as healthy as possible.

Now I want it healthy and also extremely long!! I'm aiming for somewhere between hip and tailbone although I am growing an appreciation for classic the more photos I see on here of people with wonderful thick, long curly hair. I've decided for the time being to give up on dying my hair as to not damage it. My hair always faded very quickly when I dyed it black before and it wasn't as satisfying as it was damaging, eventually. I have considered that once the length of my hair grows out using hendigo methods that I see on LHC to acheive a soft black , but I'm not sure Ill feel like chancing it once Ive taken the time to grow out healthy long hair.

This is what I want it to look like, although my hair is curlier and I like that:
http://www.hairxstatic.com/styles/images/l_loose/g1/longbru13.jpg

I'm fairly certain that because my hair is a golden light brown there are herbal rinses that over time, added to conditioner to form gloss or applied more directly could gently deepen my hair shade. I just don't know what those herbs are, if you do, please please share!! I would probably start right now.

Anyway, this is my hair routine (type 2c/3a):
1. Pre poo using hair oil, either Palmer's olive oil mix or tea tree oil. Massage tea tree oil into scalp to promote healthy hair growth and follicles.
2. Co-wash using salon grafix cleansing conditioner. Massage at roots. I love co wash. It makes my hair perfectly clean but leaves it soft and there are no sulfates, parabens, or other harmful detergents. Put shower cap on and leave for 3-5 mins.
3. Condition using Palmer's olive oil formula conditioner. I love this stuff!! It's great and smells phenomenal. Don't put any on roots, only length, put extra on ends. Carefully detangle from roots to top using wide tooth comb. Put on shower cap. leave. Quickly rinse with cold water, not getting all of it out.
4. Apply cantu shea butter leave in onto middle to end of hair, concentrating more at ends. Only have to use a little bit.
5. Put my hair in soft t shirt by hanging it down thru the neckhole and twisting it up loosely. I have a hard time "plopping," not my thing. Put turbie twist microfiber hair tuban thing loosel on top to keep it in place. Sometimes I just use the turbie twist, or switch halfway to using just the turbie twist. It makes my hair volumnous. Love the turbie twist. Got one for my mom.
6. To style it I just spray it with detangler (home made, little bit of olive oil, ittle bit of palmers conditioner, lots of water.) and then use a wide tooth comb (a conair one with two rows spaced far apart made for curly hair) to detangle. Then once it's safe I go over it with a smoothing paddle brush for texture. I skip this step if my curls look good enough to just detangle with the comb. If they frizzy I use the brush. I Like my curls brushed out and then settle down to look very nice once they separate again,
7. I put oil on the second half. This oil differs. Sometimes it's palmers olive oil formula (can you tell I love it) and sometimes it's this hawaiin flower oil starting with a C I cant remember, sometimes it's tea tree oil. I mix it up. If I put too much on one area on accident I fix it with dry shampoo ( I want to start making my own of this too)
8. Seal ends with cantu shea butter. Stuff smells like coconut heaven.
9. Sleep in a satin bonnet, usually with hair loose, or in a pineapple, Sometimes braids. I Just ordered one from silky coccoon to wear at my house only since ive noticed such an awesome difference since wearing the cheap ones. Cheapies elsewhere so it doesnt get lost. Also have a silk pillowcase.

Generally I try to wear protective hairstyles and don't wear alot of ponies. Always I use a soft scrunchy. No heat at all ever. 1/2 inch trims twice a year by my mother who used to manage a hair salon. Also im trying to always get in my 8 glasses of water a day now. I'ma vegetarian so I will not eat red meat like alot of websites have suggested. Hows it sound, guys? Anny suggestions? Questions? Sorry for the text wall. Here's a couple questions I have:

1.) Conditiing Herbal rinses or glosses I can use to gradually darken my hair to deep, dark brown, or even just herbal dyes (my mother had hair that was almost black, I wish everyday that I had this deep rich hair color)
2. Why do most people here keep their hair in buns as opposed to braids, twin braids, twin buns, braided headband (one of my favorite, ect, maiden braids. Is it to avoid tensile stress?
3. Is there anything you would say about my hair routine or add? Anything you think I should be doing to get optimal growth? I feel like it grows slowly but then again so does everybody else.

By the way, this was my hair yesterday (bad hairday, for length ref!):
http://i43.tinypic.com/ak9zl0.jpg

Weewah
January 21st, 2014, 05:10 PM
Have you thought about using indigo to darken your hair?:)

ErinLeigh
January 21st, 2014, 05:30 PM
that is a gorgeous head of hair you posted as a goal, but I think your own hair is quite beautiful!!
I know I personally get a lot of good information from the Curly Nikki website. They cover a lot of issues and bases so that would be good to peruse.

As far as natural darkening there is henna with indigo over it. Alma or buxus for some brown tones.
For the detangler you use...I do something very similar with great results! love it. I bought an emulsifier on amazon to help the oil and water mix better in the bottle. Something to consider if you notice it separating a lot. Mine is polysorbate 80. Got it for $5 but I think there are better ones. Will have to search to remember the name of the one I read that was more "conditioning"

Good luck with your hair growth, I find growing out and watching hair evolve to be quite fun :)

cat11
January 21st, 2014, 06:03 PM
Weewah & ErinLeigh I have definately thought about using indigo! I'm just a little scared it will end up greenish even though Ive seen it come out beautifully on some of the members here. I would want to be very confident in the technique I was using and that it wou'dnt fade in an ugly way. Im also scared for now because I couldnt go back, haha. Then I would have two tone hair all over again after growing out the color for so long.

Thanks so much for the compliment :) Im just going to keep being patient with the growth. I know I can do that. The emulsifier sounds like a good idea, since it does separate. I just shake it before each spray, currently. I also have a mix of organix keratin oil and water that I use to lightly refresh my hair and add shine and that separates really quickly, worse than the detangler.

As for curly nikki I love that website!! And I love naturallycurly, too. Most of the people there have african hair which means they have great suggestions for adding moisture! I started buying alot of products marketed for ethnic hair a while ago starting with palmers olive oil conditioner and spray and I love them! Way better for curly hair than most generic products. Once you go black you never go back, ha.

Do you guys think my hair is long enough to use with hairsticks yet? I find them very pretty and ive been considering wearing my hair up more for protection

duchess67
January 21st, 2014, 06:48 PM
You have beautiful hair! From the photo it looks your hair is long enough to use hair sticks. Since your hair is pretty thick, I don't know how easy would it be to put it in a bun.

Madora
January 21st, 2014, 08:10 PM
2. Why do most people here keep their hair in buns as opposed to braids, twin braids, twin buns, braided headband (one of my favorite, ect, maiden braids. Is it to avoid tensile stress?
3. Is there anything you would say about my hair routine or add? Anything you think I should be doing to get optimal growth? I feel like it grows slowly but then again so does everybody else.

By the way, this was my hair yesterday (bad hairday, for length ref!):
http://i43.tinypic.com/ak9zl0.jpg

A lot of folks prefer buns because they are faster to create.

For the sake of your hair, always detangle from the bottom, in small sections, a little bit at a time, and go up the strands until you reach the scalp. Never work from the top down. Your hair has a nice texture.

cat11
January 21st, 2014, 08:23 PM
A lot of folks prefer buns because they are faster to create.

For the sake of your hair, always detangle from the bottom, in small sections, a little bit at a time, and go up the strands until you reach the scalp. Never work from the top down. Your hair has a nice texture.

Ah, that sounds like a very practical reason, I can relate because I rarely have time to do my hair how I would like to. They look good too. Plus you cant let all those hairsticks go to waste!! I really want to get myself some hairsticks/ hairforks. Ive heard forks hold better so I might want to try those because I have thick hair and it busts out or breaks alot of hair things I try... thinking of getting a green ktylo fork if they make em in green (I think they do from when I was looking at the site) I'm also dreaming about a jade hairfork or pair of hairsticks.. more expensive and I cant find them on etsy but I LOVE jade I would save up haha

Also, thanks for the compliment. And I actually already detangle my hair that way! I found it out myself thru trial and error and it didnt surprise me at all that people on the internet did it too. I Lose so much less hair this way and before my hair used to make me SO ANGRY when i tried to detangle it I ended up feeling like i was smacking myself in the head with the paddle brush....