Looking for a Big Sister(s)

Hello, I have been natural for about 2 1/2 years now. I stopped perming my hair after I had my son and my hair was shedding and breaking off badly. I stopped perming my hair and braided it on and off for about a year. I would flat iron my hair when did not have it in braids...needless to say my hair suffered from heat damage. I was ready to transition fully and no longer straighten my hair so back to braids and now since the beginning of the year I have not had any braids, nor flat ironed my hair.....ok enough with the background... currently my biggest complaint is coming up with a regiment that works for me. I have tried KCCC and it made my hair a crunchy dry mess, i tried it 3 times!! I have tried numerous other products but the dry crunchiness is my hair is killing me. I even put EVOO, and EVOC in my hair. I am not sure if I'm even doing it correctly....and I cant get a style to last more than a day?? so any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.....also if anyone familiar with henna and proper application I am willing to try it.

oh yeah I don't work I am in school working on my Dr, so I have free time to play in my hair, so please send suggestions my way.....thanks (hugs and kisses in advance, lol)

I felt your frustration reading this. Heat damage cannot be repaired but your can do things to help it not become further damaged. For instance, ensure you have a good balance of moisture and protein. I hear you thinking or saying out loud, huh? what? In order for your hair to retain length, it needs both. Moisture can be found in products like conditioners and other products labeled as such. Protein can be found in conditioners also. I typically suggest using a mix of a protein and moisturizing conditioner at least once a week. If you can barely feel the strands, when felt individually, leaving moisturizers/conditioners on your hair is probably okay. If your hair feels coarse, once again one hair, not all of your hair, you want to limit the amount of products with protein. Protein helps your hair's cuticle from what I understand.

As for a regimen, here is a simple one.

Cowash hair (cleanse scalp with sulfate and mineral oil-free conditioner)
Condition and detangle (apply until hair is slippery; detangle starting from ends up)
Moisturize (apply product from root to almost root, can avoid build up if you avoid your scalp)
Seal (most seal the last 1/3 end of the hair)
Style (may need styling product for hold/longevity)

Weekly
Deep condition (DC)

Hope you the best on your doctoral studies.

Thanks, ChrsLvsBks.....

Today i co washed with some garnier fructis, them applied a deep conditioner of Aubrey HSR, sat under dryer for 15 min, left cond in for 30 min total, when it was in my hair it felt smooth, then i washed it out and it was hard?? i then applied a leave in cond of giovanni, my hair is still hard, and then i put some coconut oil on it and that made it better ( a little softer) combed through, but once it dries it will be crunchy again.....can you think of any steps im missing?

Hello,

i have been trying to set up a routine, i tried the giovanni tea tree shampoo and i like that, i have tried the HSR conditioner not to sure if it does anything for me, love the giovanni leave in conditioner, and then this is where i get confused, when people say they seal after moisturizing what does that really mean?

Also tried my curly butter-creme like the results from my twist but the smell is nauseating, any suggestions on a product similar?

I use henna. A great place for information is hennaforhair.com. They also have a forum. You do not have to join the forum to read the posts. I suggest mixing it with water your first application. You want it to be the consistency of thick yogurt or pudding.

If you want color, let the mix for at least 12 hours. Apply it thickly on your head from root to tip--pack it onto scalp too. If you do not want color, you can mix and apply. Let it sit on your head at least four hours (for color--won't be deep and rich if hair is dark brown or darker) and at least two hours (if you do not want color). I wrap my head in plastic and put a towel around my neck to avoid staining my skin and clothing.

When rinsing, I fill my sink and dunk my head in to remove as much as the henna. I do this at least two times. I then cleanse in the shower with conditioner until the water runs clear (have had to do it up to five times) and DC then style.

Thanks ChrsLvsBks,

the curly butter creme is ms jessies, sorry, lol...i thought only silicones ended in cones so i will check into that. Also i clarified last month cause i thought that was an issue, and sucks up water i think i need to stay away from protein and use moisturizing products......

I really want to stick with natural products i saw a recipe with shea butter and oils in it, i am gonna try that also, shea and evco work good on my skin.

i brought some henna that im gonna try its the jamila triple sifted 2009....i am gonna try it on the weekend. My concern is i died my hair last month so its dark red will the henna lighten it more of just cover it?

For replacement products to the Curly Buttercreme, I suggest the following.

Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter
Ingredients: Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Jojoba Butter, Aloe Butter, Essential and/or Fragrance Oils, Grapefruit Seed Oil & Vitamin E

Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Cream
Ingredients: Shea Butter, Rosehip Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Essential and/or Fragrance Oils, Vitamin E & Carrot Seed Oil

SheaMoisture Shea Leave In
Ingredients: Shea Butter, Deionized Water, Herbal Complex, Panthenol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cocoa Butter, Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E

Koils by Nature Nourishing Hair and Body Butter
Ingredients: Shea butter, kokum butter, mango butter, avocado butter, aloe butter, olive butter, illipe butter, sweet almond butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, rosehip oil, kosher vegetable glycerin, honey , grapefruit seed extract, Vitamin E & Pro-Vitamin B5, essential oils.

I would suggest going to hennaforhair.com to ensure I am correct but I do not think you want to henna over dye. I personally would not do it until my color was gone. An alternative may be cassia but even then I don't think you can do it since you have dye. Err on the side of caution is my advice.

hello ladies its been a while, but i have discovered that my hair does not like protein but it loves Aloe vera .....so im know on a quest to find a shampoo. any suggestions??

Hello ladies, long time no chat, but i tried Benoite clay and loved the results, my hair actually had curls all over, i was throughly impressed. I also used it on my face great smooth result, i did break out but that is expected since it draws out the impurities in the skin!! i like it much better than henna cause no staining, setting, long wait time and no mess...im still gonna henna for the color of my grays

Hello chslvsbks, nothing to exciting i tried the Benoite clay and been doing some henna, im still working on the henna have not go it down pack yet, lol......i dont know if i am not leaving it in long enough or what, but when i wash it out the color on my gray only last a little while.

I have also been trying to take staple products like Aussie moist cond and add other ingredients to see what happens

Hello ladies,

I tried the cherry lola treatment, and it was a no go for me. It was way to messy and i was a little upset by the lack of results. I like the benotie clay treatment way better!!