Struggling with your natural hair? Come in here.....

Nonie - Thanks for posting that! I have been dusting. I take off about 1/4" every 3-5 months. I was getting it mixed up with S & D which is a bit different. I wonder if I should do it more often...

greenandchic said:

@Nonie - Thanks for posting that! I have been dusting. I take off about 1/4" every 3-5 months. I was getting it mixed up with S & D which is a bit different. I wonder if I should do it more often...

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greenandchic, if you have fine strands, I believe you should do it sooner. Did you see how badly my ends became after I waited just 4 months to dust? I had been having very good ends and it took just 4 months for them to get so bad that I had to chop of 2 whole inches. If I had been dusting regularly, all I'd have taken out in that time would have been 0.5 of an inch and I'd have retained 1.5 inches gained. So instead of being stuck at 9-11 inches needing 2 inches chopped off leaving me at 7 inches or so, I might have been at 10.5-12.5 inches!!!

If you're waiting till you have damage that has gone so far and then only chopping off a 1/4 inch, then you're just leaving the hair to break off on its own. Strands that are already torn will not stick around. No wonder you feel your retention sucks.

You may have to make a big cut like I did to get your hair to where your strands have the same thickness to the ends, and THEN start doing your regular dusting. Because even if you dust sooner but are still leaving split or thinned ends, you are still allowing breakage to keep costing you length.

If you PS religiously, you might be able to spread the cut over a longer period but IMO the longer you take to fix the problem the longer it'll take to see your hair turn around.

Nonie said:

@greenandchic, if you have fine strands, I believe you should do it sooner. Did you see how badly my ends became after I waited just 4 months to dust? I had been having very good ends and it took just 4 months for them to get so bad that I had to chop of 2 whole inches. If I had been dusting regularly, all I'd have taken out in that time would have been 0.5 of an inch and I'd have retained 1.5 inches gained. So instead of being stuck at 9-11 inches needing 2 inches chopped off leaving me at 7 inches or so, I might have been at 10.5-12.5 inches!!!

If you're waiting till you have damage that has gone so far and then only chopping off a 1/4 inch, then you're just leaving the hair to break off on its own. Strands that are already torn will not stick around. No wonder you feel your retention sucks.

You may have to make a big cut like I did to get your hair to where your strands have the same thickness to the ends, and THEN start doing your regular dusting. Because even if you dust sooner but are still leaving split or thinned ends, you are still allowing breakage to keep costing you length.

If you PS religiously, you might be able to spread the cut over a longer period but IMO the longer you take to fix the problem the longer it'll take to see your hair turn around.

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I think I will do a blowout (the first in almost 10 years), then trim my hair. I think it really needs to be done - even up to 1/2". Thanks for the advice of dusting more; my strands are fine to medium. I PS almost all the time so that's not an issue.

Thanks for the advice, Nonie! I love this thread!

I can't find who asked, but I wash, dc, condition, protein, baggy, steam, oil rinse, etc etc in my extensions.

My natural hair (w/o extensions) likes shea moisture sealed with castor oil on and off. Sometimes it works very well, other times it doesn't. I can't figure out why it does this.

Nonie,

So what do you to your hair during the week in between washes?

How long do you all baggy for?

From the advice, it seems that I should just shampoo, condition, protein, and deep condition and moisture and seal on the same day once a week... and maybe seal a couple of times a week if needed.

I'm confused on how to handle my hair in between wash/condition days as it gets dry during the week which is why I baggy my dc and/or cowash in between wash days.

I'm scared of this new routine, but I'm going to try.


darlingdiva,

Thanks for the alternatives. I may give them a try. I've been using protein for the past several months. I didn't use them when I originally bc 2 years ago. My hair seems to do better with it, but maybe I should limit my use to weekly or a couple times a week.

judy4all,

I have to wear extensions because at my length I would look like a boy, and I'm not trying to waste my prime years. Plus, whenever I do twists, they end up looking like locs. I haven't mastered making them looked defined yet. They also shrink too much and end up all over the place after I sleep. ugh. Before my bc 2 years ago, I wore my natural hair w/o extensions for 2 years and it got me no where. So I don't think it's the extensions. My hair is actually the longest it has been in a long time.

I'm not sure if it matters, but I usually just baggy my dc. Is that causing too much moisture? I'm going to cut down to only dcing once a week or maybe once every 4 days depending on my hair feels.

NappyNelle,

what do you to your hair during the week in between washes?

All this time, I thought my regimen was simple. I used to use more product than this.

I usually cowashed about 1-3x a week, depending on how my hair felt.
Hmm, maybe I'll cut back my protein to once or twice a week only.

"so be sure to use AOHSR mixed with your castor oil and steam it in afterwards. Then, air dry in twists or braids and protective style. For daily maintenance, make a spritz of AOHSR, AVJ, a tiny bit of oil, and lots of water." Doing this now. Sleeping in my baggy, will see how my hair feels tomorrow.

Thanks ladies!

bluehatter said:

How long have you been using the Tangle Teaser? There have been other members who were happy with it at first, but after a bit of time they noticed that it was causing breakage and splits. When Mwedzi (who is a hair twin of mine) reported that it damaged her hair, I knew to stay far away from it.

Are you saying that you have been CBL since 2009? When did you stop relaxing?

Click to expand...

I've been using the Tangle Teaser for a almost a year. It has been a life saver to me because I have very tangle prone and major shrinkage prone hair on top of being tender headed. I am so.embarrassed to admit stopped relaxing at 15 ( 12 years ago ). The longest my hair has ever been is about 3-4 inches past shoulder length which is CBL and that's only the bottom layer. I've tried a lot of methods can't seem to get any longer than that.

Nonie said:

What PSing and resting of your hair do you do? softblackcotton?

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Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.

@softblackcotton Girl...No... 12 yrs and CBL is absolutely unacceptable... *Going back to find your original post* .... I'll be back....

Whew... Ok.. I thot CBL was "Chin" bone length.... lol... but still your reggie needs a major revamp...

softblackcotton said:

Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.

Click to expand...

softblackcotton
May I suggest cornrows and a wig for a while to give your scalp/hair a chance to heal up and those patches to grow back. Your folicles may not beable to handle the weight of the extentions.

softblackcotton said:

Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.

Click to expand...

Do you need to trim so often? It also sounds like you're trimming off all your progress

For my daughter.

Hair profile: 4b, fine strands, very thick.

Reggie and products: Wash once a week in loosely braided sections with diluted Dr. Bronners castile soap mixed with oil followed by diluted white vinegar. Condition with Baba de Caracol under steamer.
CO wash with Baba De Caracol.
Oil rinses

How do you style your hair: I apply a mixture of unrefined coconut oil, soybean oil and olive oil to each section before braiding or putting into ponytails. Tie it down. Airdry only. Still looking for a really good leave-in that works consistently.

What problems do you have with your hair: Knots...little ones. I have to make sure I feel through each section and carefully remove them before braiding her hair and this takes up alot of time. Some can be found closer to the scalp, others middle of the section.

Dryness. I still struggle to find the perfect spray moisturizer without glycerin so the search is still ongoing.

softblackcotton said:

Psing to me has been wearing my hair in micro twist extensions for extended periods of time past 3.5 months. I also had medium braids for 2.5 months prior . So I wore my hair in some kind of braid or twist extensions for the past 6 months. I have trimmed each time I removed the extensions. I think I trim about an 1/2 inch,but it could be more since my hair has 80-90% shrinkage. When my hair is not in extensions I do not PS because nothing looks good due to the bald patches which are growing in so painfully slow. Last time I braided my hair in December the patch on the left side of my head had enough hair to grip, but when the braids fell out it ripped out my hair with it. I guess the hair wasn't long or,strong enough to hold a braid extension for a long period of time. I'm so embarrassed. I had to get extensions again to cover that patch until it has grows out again. There are no styles I could wear on my natural hair without the patch being seen.

Click to expand...

Softblackcotten, You need to give your hair and scalp a rest from the extensions. Some people can handle wearing extensions back to back and for long periods. But it can still be taxing on the scalp.

I feel you on the bald patches. You may want to put in braids with your own hair and wig it for a while. Your scalp needs a rest. And you need to get to your scalp on a regular basis to give it some much needed TLC.

dicapr said:

I just started wearing a wig but I read that you should use a headband to protect your edges from the wig cap. I lay the headband on my edges and then place the wig cap over it. That way any rubbing is on the headband and not on my edges.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that useful tip on using the headband on my edges, i will try that the next time i wear my wig, right now i'm in a messed up weave i got installed on my birthday on friday last.....smh.

Honi said:

For my daughter.

Hair profile: 4b, fine strands, very thick.

Reggie and products: Wash once a week in loosely braided sections with diluted Dr. Bronners castile soap mixed with oil followed by diluted white vinegar. Condition with Baba de Caracol under steamer.
CO wash with Baba De Caracol.
Oil rinses

How do you style your hair: I apply a mixture of unrefined coconut oil, soybean oil and olive oil to each section before braiding or putting into ponytails. Tie it down. Airdry only. Still looking for a really good leave-in that works consistently.

What problems do you have with your hair: Knots...little ones. I have to make sure I feel through each section and carefully remove them before braiding her hair and this takes up alot of time. Some can be found closer to the scalp, others middle of the section.

Dryness. I still struggle to find the perfect spray moisturizer without glycerin so the search is still ongoing.

Click to expand...

Honi I never had a problem with knots.... Even if I did, I didnt notice.. Nonie NappyNelle Allandra Any insight? Why do you need a spray moisturizer? A cream won't work?

WyrdWay said:

@softblackcotton
May I suggest cornrows and a wig for a while to give your scalp/hair a chance to heal up and those patches to grow back. Your folicles may not beable to handle the weight of the extentions.

Click to expand...

I believe you are on to something here. I wore my hair in braid extensions for most of the 12 years since I've been natural and I have seen little progress in terms of length. My only seems to get thicker instead of longer. However, after I found out about EcoStyler with Olive Oil and it's ability to define 4b curs, I fell in love in my wash and go fros for a year. I wore my hair in wash and go fros for all of 2010 and half of 2011. I saw a little progress, but not anything to write home about. Especially since I lost all of the process due to not trimming regularly and whenever I stretched my hair I had tons of mid strand splits. TONS! So I went a year without extensions wearing my hair in wash and go fros with ecostyler gel to define my curl pattern and profusely deep condtioning and moisturizing with SCURL and I still saw little to no progress.

Foxglove said:

Do you need to trim so often? It also sounds like you're trimming off all your progress

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I just started to trim my hair. Last October 2011 was the first trim I've ever had as a natural. I trimmed out at least 3.5 to 4 inches intentionally to get rid of the mid strand splits. My hair was stretched by a heat-less rollerset. I noticed a moderate decrease in breakage after I trimmed off the splits. I just trimmed for the 2nd time this past Saturday. I believe I trimmed only 1 inch off, but it may be more since my hair was shrunken. I'm thinking maybe I should BC and start over. My last BC was 2007 even though I had been natural for 7 years at that time, my hair was just not cooperating so I got frustrated and chopped it all off. I am on the verge of chopping it off again. It's a shame I am going through this and I've been natural so long and tried so many things.

faithVA said:

@softblackcotten, You need to give your hair and scalp a rest from the extensions. Some people can handle wearing extensions back to back and for long periods. But it can still be taxing on the scalp.

I feel you on the bald patches. You may want to put in braids with your own hair and wig it for a while. Your scalp needs a rest. And you need to get to your scalp on a regular basis to give it some much needed TLC.

Click to expand...

I wish a could find a wig that I thought was attractive on me. I like half wigs that look like curly natural hair. I wore a wig that looked like micro braid extesions for the entire year of 2008 until my hair grew long enough for braids again (after my BC of natural hair in 2007) and I was extremely self conscious most of the time, (people staring at my hairline and scalp wondering if my hair was real ) Maybe a curly natural looking full enclosure weave could be an option but it have to be extemely convincing. I've never had a sew in before. I honestly want to BC again because I feel a bit hopeless at this point.

judy4all said:

Honi I never had a problem with knots.... Even if I did, I didnt notice.. Nonie NappyNelle Allandra Any insight? Why do you need a spray moisturizer? A cream won't work?

Click to expand...

judy4all. I prefer a spray/mist over a cream due to the amount of product used over time. I'm just looking for a softening effect to detangle before using my oil mix.

The knots/matting I think is from the shed hair that gets wrapped around the strands. When I take the time to remove it it's just one strand that comes out. I guess I should work with smaller sections but I don't have that much time in the world. I have to work quickly while her hair is still damp and her hair seems to expand.

softblackcotton I just feel like you need to start this journey all over again... So sorry you have been going through this... If I were you, I will trim it really short... and wear it out for at least 6 months... staying on a strict reggie.... What is your hair type again? 4B? Fine/medium/course?

Honi Try Giovanni SAS conditioner mixed with water... 1 part conditioner to 5 or 6 parts water... that worked really well for me in the past.

judy4all said:

Honi Try Giovanni SAS conditioner mixed with water... 1 part conditioner to 5 or 6 parts water... that worked really well for me in the past.

Click to expand...

judy4all. Will do thanks! How long did it work for you as far as moisture retention?

judy4all said:

@softblackcotton I just feel like you need to start this journey all over again... So sorry you have been going through this... If I were you, I will trim it really short... and wear it out for at least 6 months... staying on a strict reggie.... What is your hair type again? 4B? Fine/medium/course?

Click to expand...

@judy4all, That's what I am thinking too. All signs are pointing towards BC again. It would be my 2nd BC as a natural. My hair type is mostly 4B with fine and medium strands with high density or thickness. I'm not looking forward to being bald again.

Honi I used it mostly cos it detangles like a dream... as long as I seal with a castor oil based product, my hair retains moisture... but keep up with your DC's... that's where the majority of the moisture comes from...

softblackcotton Sweetie... i'm so sorry... I know you are feeling down.. but it sounds like a BC is the best thing you can do for yourself now... Hanging on to your hair may cost you progress and may weigh you down mentally... just think about it this way... this is your chance to get it right... save money on those extension braids... etc... We can help you build a reggie easily and you can grow from there...

softblackcotton said:

I wish a could find a wig that I thought was attractive on me. I like half wigs that look like curly natural hair. I wore a wig that looked like micro braid extesions for the entire year of 2008 until my hair grew long enough for braids again (after my BC of natural hair in 2007) and I was extremely self conscious most of the time, (people staring at my hairline and scalp wondering if my hair was real ) Maybe a curly natural looking full enclosure weave could be an option but it have to be extemely convincing. I've never had a sew in before. I honestly want to BC again because I feel a bit hopeless at this point.

Click to expand...

If you feel you need to BC then do so. Just use what you have learned this time to grow your hair out. After you BC perhaps you can get some comb coils.

Trust me I know how tough it is to grow hair out. I shaved mine bald and started all over. And there are the in between stages where it doesn't look good. But I had to focus on what is important, 1. Healthy Scalp, 2. Healthy Hair 3. Length Retention 4. Having cute hair

Hopefully doing 1, 2 and 3 will lead to 4 for a long period of time :yep

softblackcotton said:

@judy4all, That's what I am thinking too. All signs are pointing towards BC again. It would be my 2nd BC as a natural. My hair type is mostly 4B with fine and medium strands with high density or thickness. I'm not looking forward to being bald again.

Click to expand...

softblackcotton

I have the same exact hair type. I've been on this HHJ for about 10 years now and have had to BC at least 4 times..maybe more. I've lost count at this point. I love my hair texture, but what's the point if it's so fragile and picky.

Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?

lushcoils The struggle is finding a way to remain moisturized while avoiding over manipulation. If you DC properly every week, I dont think you need to moisturize daily.. but you can't slack on your DC's.

If you feel you are too dry during the week, spray lightly with water and fluff with some oil on your hands.

You can cowash more than once a week, but I would only do it if im in braids or twists...

I find that a safe reggie with relaxed/natural is

cowash/wash once a week, protein, and moisture DC... protective style till next wash.

You can modify that reggie based on how your hair reacts... Castor oil based products do a great job sealing in moisture...

lushcoils said:

Nonie,

So what do you to your hair during the week in between washes?

How long do you all baggy for?

From the advice, it seems that I should just shampoo, condition, protein, and deep condition and moisture and seal on the same day once a week... and maybe seal a couple of times a week if needed.

I'm confused on how to handle my hair in between wash/condition days as it gets dry during the week which is why I baggy my dc and/or cowash in between wash days.

I'm scared of this new routine, but I'm going to try.

Click to expand...

lushcoils, while I'm wearing my hair out, I'll wash it in braids, apply S Curl and comb it out into a puff while damp. It shrinks into a compact hard 'fro by the end of the day.



I then take off the friendly elastic, grab a section and spray it again with S Curl to soften. I comb through because once it's wet again with just S Curl it's soft as if it's wet with conditioner. I then braid that section and keep doing that till all my hair is in "Celie braids":



I then baggy for the night.

In the morning, when I take the cap off my hair is soft like butter. I style it...and this time it stays soft all day:



(My hair only gets hard with S Curl if I apply when it's damp. If I apply S Curl to dry hair, it becomes soft and stays soft. If I baggy, then that softness will last for days!) At night, all I do is braid my hair (I don't apply S Curl again) and baggy. In the morning, my hair is still soft and easy to comb and it stays moist all day. This continues every day until I wash it about every 3-4 days.

Seriously my hair stays as fluffy and soft as it looks in this photo. It feels cool and moist without being sticky. I can't say enough good things about S Curl.



When I'm in twists as I am now and have been since August 2009, I don't use anything at all. I just shampoo, condition, and either dunk head in ACV solution as last step of wash or towel dry then spritz with ACV rinse solution. I let my hair drip-dry loose, or I will style it and let it airdry in a style. At night I just put on a baggy. In the morning I take off the baggy. If my hair is already in a style that I plan on wearing the next day, usually I use Saran wrap which preserves the style...

so I don't have to style every morning. Easy peasy!


And even with this no product regimen, my hair is so soft.

Honi said:

The knots/matting I think is from the shed hair that gets wrapped around the strands. When I take the time to remove it it's just one strand that comes out. I guess I should work with smaller sections but I don't have that much time in the world. I have to work quickly while her hair is still damp and her hair seems to expand.

Click to expand...

Can you keep a spray bottle of water on hand to dampen her hair as you work through it?

lushcoils said:

Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?

Click to expand...

Lush, moisturizing and sealing on a daily basis is not necessarily bad. It's just that in conjuction with everything else you mentioned, it sounds like you are doing a lot to your hair. Take one day a week to do your entire shampoo/deep condition/ moisturize routine. Then during the week you can use a moisturizer if needed. Judy gave some good tips in her response.

softblackcotton said:

I honestly want to BC again because I feel a bit hopeless at this point.

Click to expand...

If you really feel that another BC is in order, then go for it. Ideally, you want to reach a point where you are comfortable wearing your own hair out without extensions, just to give it a break. Does it seem like your bald patches are growing back? If you did a BC again, would you be okay wearing your hair that way or would you want to use wigs?

judy4all said:

Honi I never had a problem with knots.... Even if I did, I didnt notice.. Nonie NappyNelle Allandra Any insight? Why do you need a spray moisturizer? A cream won't work?

Click to expand...

judy4all, I don't have problems with knots either. It could be because I don't use products (I once shared that when I tried to do my twists w/ S Curl on them, it felt like my hair was going to knot up. I do know that my hair is easiest to work with after it's been washed. Strands slide past each other with ease. I participated in a discussion that questioned whether there was a link between products and SSKs. You can see that discussion here). I also know that some people say that their hair starts to have SSKs when they wait too long to dust, and so use that as a sign that dusting is in order. I never wait too long to dust, so maybe that's another reason I never have this issue. Practicing a low mani regimen may also help. Many people who get them tend to love WNGs and so are always wearing hair shrunken and letting it do its thang. I am careful to keep my strands stretched all the time and locked in a style that doesn't allow them to do whatever they want. Honi

lushcoils said:

@softblackcotton

I have the same exact hair type. I've been on this HHJ for about 10 years now and have had to BC at least 4 times..maybe more. I've lost count at this point. I love my hair texture, but what's the point if it's so fragile and picky.

Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?

Click to expand...

I feel my hair is very fragile also. I've been very low to low manipulation for most of my 12 year hair journey. I started out with growafrohair long.com "crown and glory method", nappurality.com, and now a mixture of LHCF and youtube bloggers. I just can't get it right. All we can do is pray now. After such a long time struggling for inches, it may be out our hands. I while ago, I promised God that I will cut off all my hair on my head now, if He will help me to grow my hair long and strong to my desire of waist length. Guess it's time to fulfill the promise.

bluehatter said:

If you really feel that another BC is in order, then go for it. Ideally, you want to reach a point where you are comfortable wearing your own hair out without extensions, just to give it a break. Does it seem like your bald patches are growing back? If you did a BC again, would you be okay wearing your hair that way or would you want to use wigs?

Click to expand...

I am not to confident with how I look bald although I few people told me they liked it on me. I still felt very self conscious. I think I look like straight man. I would have to invest in lots of makeup and large earrings. I will have to wig it. But I want a wig that looks like curly natural hair. I do not like straight wigs.

Nice thread! May I join?

Hair profile? 4B (probably C which I never hear anyone mention!), very fine, NL Stretched, TWA unstretched

Reggie and products? In the coffee/tea challenge so using tea spritzes to soften daily and sealing with my own mix of cocoa butter, shea, mango.

Products: Shea Moisture line
DC and amla 1x a week
2x a month henna

How do you style your hair? Wash and Gos, dry twist outs, plain old 'fro. Have Curlformers but no time to try them yet! Plus I didn't get the dern hook tool. Will order soon.

What problems do you have with your hair? drydrydry. The shrinkage is annoying but after this wash n go that has me at a cute lookin TWA with all the shrinkage, I'm better with it.

Also, my sides and crown like to break and stay short. The back and bangs don't really break much. Lots of SSKs but I think that goes with the territory. They are in the BACK which doesn't really break, so that's odd...

lushcoils said:

@softblackcotton
Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?

Click to expand...

lushcoils: I hear your frustration and feel it all the time my dern self.

You've gotten great advice from the ladies here.

Sounds like our hair is similar too. I think as we go into the less dry months, things may improve for us. I've already noticed that I don't have to co-wash as often.

I protective styled all last spring, summer and fall and am kind of done with it for now--and didnt retain much length from it. I DO manipulate mine everyday now and my hair seems to enjoy being down more than PSs. But having it down means I HAVE to moisturize and seal religiously.

The satin pillowcases are a real hairsaver too since bonnets and scarves don't last five minutes before it's lost under the covers here.

Try the advice these ladies have given. It depends on what your hair likes and what fits your lifestyle. What works for some might not work for you. It's a bunch of trial and error.

lushcoils said:

Can someone answer my question of how to keep hair moisturized throughout the week if I'm not supposed to moisture and seal daily, nor cowash more than once a week, or deep condition more than once a week?

Click to expand...

For me I rebraid into 6-12 braids nightly before tying my scarf. If I need extra moisture I use a spritz or cream moisturizer and seal each section before braiding. I've been able to go longer between washes this way.

ETA if I don't rebraid nightly I get more breakage from sleeping on loose hair. The only way I can get away with not braiding nightly is if I put twists in with my own hair, and again I can spritz and DC as needed