Not Seeing Results!! Help!

by Miki 16th January 2010, 2:58 pm

So Ive been transitioning for about 3 1/2 months so far and today when i went to the salon for a small trim and flat iron my hair didnt show much progress and maybe even thinned out a bit from my last relaxer.

Heres what I've been doing:

*Co-washing 2 to 3 times a week (Herbal Essence HH or Giovanni Deeper Moisture)
*Detangling in the shower and then combing back into a bun (moisturizing with shea butter and coconut oil)
*Moisturizing and sealing every night with either Shea butter and EVCO or Mane and Tail moisturizing conditioner
*Oiling my scalp every other day with Jamaican Black Castor Oil

I admit I havent been DC'ing as much a I should but I still dont think I should be losing as much hair as I am?

This is so disheartening im thinking about just relaxing again Sad

by ashollan 16th January 2010, 4:30 pm

Don't give up! Breakage and shedding is to be expected when u transition but u can minimize it with low manipulaton. You are using great products but maybe you should cut down cowashing to once a week a shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo once a week. Definitely up the DC to 2x a week and incorporate a light protien into your regimen at least bi- weekly. I do this and I and 4.5 months post and I have no issues with my hair. I HTH!

by FrizzyWaves(formerly 3c) 17th January 2010, 1:22 am

U want to stop breakage?! Here's the answer:
Indian Ayuveric Powders: Amla, Brahmi, Shikakai. I had postpartum shedding + perm breakage=a alot of hair breakage in the crown area. The ONLY thing that completely stopped breakage and stregnthend my hair is The Brahmi/Amla treatments. Saw results IMMEDIATELY!!! U can purchase them at ur local indian store or indianstore.com. Google their names for info and youtube videos. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] HTH!!

by Intelligentbeauty 17th January 2010, 2:54 am

ashollan wrote:Don't give up! Breakage and shedding is to be expected when u transition but u can minimize it with low manipulaton. You are using great products but maybe you should cut down cowashing to once a week a shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo once a week. Definitely up the DC to 2x a week and incorporate a light protien into your regimen at least bi- weekly. I do this and I and 4.5 months post and I have no issues with my hair. I HTH!

I totally agree with ASHOLLAN. I am a 10 month transitioner and there is breakage when you first start maninly because you are still trying to figure out what to do with your hair. Also remember the hair shedding is part of the normal process of hair growth. It's a cycle of growth and shedding that many women tend to forget. When transitioning, you must remember handle your hair like silk. The hair growing in is very fragile and so is your line of demarcation (where the permed and relaxed hair meet). It takes a long time to really grasp this fragile hair concept but with low manipulation combined with regular DCs you will find that breakage will eventually decrease. If you want to use shampoo, choose one that detangles and if it has sulfates, dilute the poo with water and use it only once per wash. Get into more protective styles like the ones in Curly Nikki's initial post above in the transitioners thread. Good luck and keep us posted. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by NoPhonyPony 17th January 2010, 4:36 pm

i had tons of breakage when i first started transitioning but i started doing a strong protein treatment once every other month and that did a ton for decreasing the amount of breakage i had. i've recently decided to do henna every month instead of the strong protein just b/c i want to try something different but i may go back to the strong protein.

by herlucidsKy 17th January 2010, 5:41 pm

shedding is normal with transitioning, to limit the amount of shedding; indian powders/henna as mentioned above seem to work for many, it makes your hair very strong and thickens over time. You can also try strong protein treatments like aphogee every 6 weeks, or light protein like the aubrey orgaincs gpb conditioner its so light yet effective you can use it once a week before or/and after shampoo. Also, good ole kitchen ingredients work wonders, try it; mayonnaise, olive oil and eggs. Some people also just use any of their favorite conditioners along with an egg or 2 depending on the thickness of your hair as another form of protein.

Also, be careful not to over-moisturizer, it can cause breakage since the hair can get too soft/mushy. I had that problem. In my opinion, you should only moisturize when your hair needs it, but i am aware that some people need to do it everyday which is fine but if its not needed I don't recommend you do that. Cowashing frequently can also cause over-moisturizing for some people.

I also read that some people have problems with coconut oil when used frequently especially when used in conjunction with protein products. The main purpose of coconut oil for the hair is to prevent the loss of protein and with some people that can possibly cause protein over-load when used with other protein treatments causing dry, brittle hair which automatically leads to breakage. I say this because i see that you are using main n tail every night which has protein. So it is possible you maybe protein sensitive or just simply using too much of it. I'm not sure these are just my suggestions. What you can do is, use the mane n tail and/or coconut oil maybe 1-2x a week (use your discretion)just to experiment, that way you can see if there is any difference.

And always finger comb before using a comb or paddle/denman brush to detangle, it helps a GREAT deal. I like to detangle my hair with conditioner on soaking wet hair before i shampoo. Products alone wont make your hair strive, its a combination of your health, proper hair care and techniques used... oh and especially PATIENCE I had to really learn that that hard way lol.
Keep trying different things but always be mindful, that's the only way you'll figure it out...
Good luck.

by Miki 17th January 2010, 7:11 pm

THANK YOU GUYS SOOO MUCH!

@Ashollan and @Intelligentbeauty- I think you guys are absolutely right about increasing DCs and decreasing manipulation!

@3c I have also heard great things about the indian powders and henna so i might give that a try in the very near future

@Sky-I really appreciate all of your suggestions and i agree I have been using a lot of moisture because i assumed my hair needed that but i didnt think about the protein.

YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY INSPIRED ME TO KEEP GOING IN MY TRANSITION. IM GOING TO TAKE ALL OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND HOPEFULLY HAVE BETTER RESULTS NEXT TIME!

by neethair 19th January 2010, 1:14 am

Hey Miki-

Health hair usually grows about 1/2 inches a month so if this is the case you should have about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of growth. It seems like you are doing the right things and have a good solid regimen but maybe you are doing it too often. Many of the completely natural sistas co-wash their hair everyday or every other day. I truly don't think that is necessary for transitioning. I co-wash my hair once a week as well as do a DC. I have been transitioning since June and my hair grows when I don't mess with it that's why I do styles like straw sets or roller sets. These style allow me to keep it style, all I have to do it moisturize it daily and seal my ends. This journey is about learning what works for you. So there will be some trail and error. Be patient your hair will continue to grow.

Blessings

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