After being natural for 5+ years, what else turned your hair around?

southerncitygirl

southerncitygirl

Well-Known Member
washing in sections

doing hardcore protein treatments

moisturizing-sealing 3-5 times per week

heavy sealing my ends

using a shower comb with slippy leave-in to detangle

trimming every 3 months

pre-pooing and deep condtioning
 
L

LimitedEdition

Well-Known Member
Spraying my hair with pure aloe vera juice. 4 years in and after using a it for a month my hair is making major strides. It has sheen and isn't shedding.
 
JulietWhiskey

JulietWhiskey

Darkside of the moon
blondemane said:
@JulietWhiskey how do you incorporate the APHOGEE GREEN TEA AND KERATIN RESTRUCTERIZER into your regimen? Do you use it with heat? I wanted to try this product out.
Click to expand...

blondemane


I love this stuff! It is a very easy and cheap way to give your hair the protein it needs without worrying about protein overload. Keratin is the second ingredient and hydrolyzed silk is the third so I think the silk helps "soften" the effects of the keratin without diminishing the strengthening properties...

After I rinse my DC, I allow my hair to airdry for a few hours then spray each section with the AG&KR before applying KCC, sealing with grease and twisting. On the bottle, it says it can also work with body heat.

Once while experimenting, I sprayed my hair with the Aphogee until it was damp, applied my DC and sat under the dryer for 30 minutes. My hair felt awesome after this so I will probably do this about a few times a year when I feel my extra-fine strands need some additional strengthening.

I have resolved to blowdry my hair once a month for length checks and I will use the Aphogee as my heat protectant after intensely moisturizing my hair. I will report my results...

HTH!
 
Maracujá

Maracujá

November 2020 --> 14 years natural!!!
JulietWhiskey said:
Yes.

When I decided to get back on my weekly DC game, I sat down and thought about all the products I used when my hair was at its healthiest (Giovanni, Nature's Gate, Dominican Conditioners to be precise).

Not nam one of them contained BTMS and my hair was THRIVING.



Apparently, BTMS acts very similarly to silicones in the sense that it's not water soluable so after time, it leaves buildup and its hard to wash off with shampoo. And since I'm a strict co-washer, the buildup on my hair was causing dryness and breakage.

Since I've stopped using products that contain BTMS, my hair is returning to its former glory and beginning to thrive again. I liked the detangling properties of BTMS but I can't hang with the buildup and my current products still provide a ton of slip (which is why we love and look for products containing Cetyl Alcohol at the top and citric acid which is a ph balancer/adjuster and helps close the cuticles for detangling).
Click to expand...


Hmmm, I'll pay attention to this, thank you.

**SaSSy** said:
After 6 yrs you should have nice length. You got pictures?
Click to expand...



This was in june 2011, when I straighten it, it kinda masks what's really going on with my hair. But once it's dry and in its kinky state it's just :nono:.

Shadiyah said:
I think you need to clarify, dust your ends and deep condition 1 til 2x a week. once you clarify maybe a protein treatment and then deep moisturizing conditioner and you should see a great difference.
Click to expand...

I'm out of clarifying shampoos, I haven't updated my hair staple in four years or so:look:.

southerncitygirl said:
washing in sections

doing hardcore protein treatments

moisturizing-sealing 3-5 times per week

heavy sealing my ends

using a shower comb with slippy leave-in to detangle

trimming every 3 months

pre-pooing and deep condtioning
Click to expand...

I just got so lazy with my hair, in the beginning stages, this is what I used to do. Time to get back in there instead of thinking about relaxing it. Thank you so much to all your ladies who chimed in! Keep the tips coming:grin:
 
D

dyh080

Well-Known Member
I've been natural since 1987 and nothing has made as much difference in my hair as regular dusting ala Nonie.

My retention is much better, my hair appears thicker, it is more moisturized and summer humidity induced shrinkage reduced. I also use less products. Usually only shampoo and conditioner or at times, shampoo alone.
 
tocktick

tocktick

Well-Known Member
Low maintenance is the key for me. If my hair is not in a bun, it's in a braid-out that I've achieved from 4 braids (as opposed to the many I used to do).

I think it's easy sometimes to go from being gung-ho in the first few years to settling into a routine, taking your hair for granted and getting a bit lazy. You have to be consistent in your hair care and imo, having a simple routine, sticking to the products/practices that work and having a repertoire of nice easy to do styles helps.
 
Last edited:
Maracujá

Maracujá

November 2020 --> 14 years natural!!!
So here's an update: I've decided to pay more attention to my hair, I'm dcing as I'm writing this. I now wash and dc every two weeks as oppose to once a month. I'm also in desperate need of some new products as most I have are from back in 2008 *shame*.

Keep the posts coming ladies!
 
L

lana

Well-Known Member
I was natural for over 5+ years before I texlaxed...so I hope my answer counts...I'm transitioning back to natural now...anyways ignore my post if I'm disqualified.

Mane & Tail conditioner - the one for $3.99 at Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid...that's what changed the game for my hair. Seriously. I know it's cheap, but a friend of mine once complained that she kept outgrowing her short cropped haircut (she wanted it short) but the Mane & Tail conditioner was forcing it to grow too fast. I use Keracare, Nexxus and Mizani conditioners in general.

But M&T Conditioner as a prepoo got me to a few inches above mid-back length.

This is coming from a woman that went natural after remaining at ear length for years with a relaxer. No matter what, I use M&T Conditioner as my prepoo, I deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner and heat or overnight, I have a shower filter and I keep my ends trimmed. I always moisturize and seal.

Oh I forgot, B&B Oil Moisturizer - I know it's a cheapie too, but I have used it for years until my hair started to look JUST LIKE the girl on the bottle. (lol) So that Castor Oil Moisturizer works for me. I'm just saying.

I'm a 4a/b with about 5 inches of natural roots and the length of my hair is texlaxed with Mizani. I think I'm going natural again...but first I need to get through the spring and summer heat...and still look salon styled with this twist out.
 
Last edited:
virtuenow

virtuenow

Well-Known Member
This topic is very much relevant to me. After being natural for 6 yrs, I had to change my habits and techniques. I'll come back to fill this in. ETA: Low poo (diluted shampoo in applicator bottle on scalp), pre-poo, oil rinses (w/castor oil), and weekly DC's w/light protein reconstructor (AO GPB).
 
Last edited:
NessaNessa

NessaNessa

Well-Known Member
wekkly or bi-weekly washes and deep conditioning. proper moisture and protective styles. my sis does my hair and it allows me to keep my hands outtta my hair.

twists up dos are a life saver. my hair has been prospering ever since i went 100% natural.
 
Priss Pot

Priss Pot

Makeup + Bench Pressing
I'm very much in a funk now with my hair. I'll be 6 years natural come April. I'm tempted to just chop it all off.

For a while, I thought I had reached my "terminal length." My hair has been MBL (with the shortest layers being BSL) for many months. I only realized that this *may* not be true since my shortest layer wasn't always BSL. But geez, I feel like I cannot get passed the MBL mark. I'm doing the same stuff I've always been doing to my hair back when it was actively growing. Lately I've been not wearing my hair out as often since it tends to get drier when I leave it out.

I'm in such a rut. I'm DC'ing my hair now, and I'm gonna rollerset it today. I typically wear buns all week and co-wash mid-week. I've stopped using the typical boar bristle brush because my edges started to break. I now use the denman to smooth my hair back into a ponytail only.
 
Maracujá

Maracujá

November 2020 --> 14 years natural!!!
Priss Pot said:
I'm very much in a funk now with my hair. I'll be 6 years natural come April. I'm tempted to just chop it all off.

For a while, I thought I had reached my "terminal length." My hair has been MBL (with the shortest layers being BSL) for many months. I only realized that this *may* not be true since my shortest layer wasn't always BSL. But geez, I feel like I cannot get passed the MBL mark. I'm doing the same stuff I've always been doing to my hair back when it was actively growing. Lately I've been not wearing my hair out as often since it tends to get drier when I leave it out.

I'm in such a rut. I'm DC'ing my hair now, and I'm gonna rollerset it today. I typically wear buns all week and co-wash mid-week. I've stopped using the typical boar bristle brush because my edges started to break. I now use the denman to smooth my hair back into a ponytail only.
Click to expand...

I'm also dealing with thinning edges, it just crept up on me *sigh*.
 
hothair

hothair

Well-Known Member
I relaxed. After 7 years I relaxed my best decision for me at the time I may go natural again, or not I'm just enjoying my hair.
 
havilland

havilland

Magical Mythical Princess
For me, quitting chemicals like relaxers, deep conditioning at least once a week if not twice, protective styling, moisturizing nightly, satin pillow cases and scarves, no heat, being gentle with my hair, drinking more water, eating more veggies and exercising.

That's my list in order of importance.
 
Maracujá

Maracujá

November 2020 --> 14 years natural!!!
hothair said:
I relaxed. After 7 years I relaxed my best decision for me at the time I may go natural again, or not I'm just enjoying my hair.
Click to expand...

My plan was to relax around spring. But now I'm not so sure anymore, after reading this thread I realized that my hair is failing because I'm failing my hair, I need to get back on track.
 
Lita

Lita

Well-Known Member
Using leave-ins after every wash/dc..Using a rinse after wash & using another rinse after my dc..This has cut down Detangling drastically..Using water based cream moisturizers,sealing ends with Ceramides..Just leaving my hair alone.

*Healthy eating & Better products.

Happy Hair Growing!
 
chebaby

chebaby

Well-Known Member
i hope i can post:look: as ive only been natural 4 years come april.
anyway my hair kinda became blah too. its long(full WL) but it just didnt look good anymore.
i decided to give a full regimen of ayurveda a chance and in one treatment my hair turned around. i swear i aint trollin lol, check my date i been here a while. but ONE TREATMENT and i saw a change. so much so that i decided to start doing amla treatments every week.

yesterday i was all out of amla and i could feel the difference. for MY hair amla turned my hair around. i dont think you understand how long its been since i could wear a full w&g and have my hair look the way i know its supposed to look. shooooot you cant tell me nothing come sundays when im sporting my w&g styles.
but what i have also been doing is bunning and only doing my hair once a week to cut down on manipulation.
but ill have to start doing my hair 2x a week now since i started back at the gym.
 
Valerie

Valerie

Well-Known Member
I've natural for natural 11 years. There was a lot of growth, in the first three months as I would rinse my hair daily. Afterwards it took a long time to get to collar length. When I starrted deep conditioning and using Mega Tek, I was able to attain my length.

What has really helped my hair, that I use apart from Mega Tek, coconut cream/oil and yogurt treatment, which I have replaced by using coconut milk, I wash my hair, then put on the coconut milk for 20 -30 minutes, then moisturising treatment for 30 minutes. Once a month, do a henna treatment.

As I colour my hair, I try to use colour my hair every two to three months or even longer, use darker colours like reds, also I use Dark and Lovely Reviving colors Ravishing red. That really helps to keep the colour vibrant. Also rinse with cold filtered water. I was able to get a water filterer and what a big difference it made to my hair. It is so much a lot softer. Also to my rinsing water, I add 1 tablespoon of aloe vera juice.
I spray my hair with that throughout the day.

Massaging daily and on youtuber xoDVF recommendation, using Luster S curl styin spray, which is really good.
 
theNaturalWonders

theNaturalWonders

Well-Known Member
lana soo i have been using the M&T super moisturizing conditioner as a prepoo and I must say my shedding and breakage has reduced tremendously--thanks again!
 
AFashionSlave

AFashionSlave

Well-Known Member
The thing that changed my hair for the better was upgrading to a higher quality shampoo and conditioner. I used to use very inexpensive conditioners that you buy from a drugstore. Now I use better quality salon brands.

I also use a leave in conditioner now.

These two things have improved the quality of my hair dramatically.
 
A

abioni

Well-Known Member
chebaby
How are you using Amla? I used to use it but it was too much work washing the powder off my hair. I think I will make a gylceride tincture (exctract with 50/50 water/glycerin) with it and my other ayurveda powers and use them as leave-in conditioner or rinse out.

chebaby said:
i hope i can post:look: as ive only been natural 4 years come april.
anyway my hair kinda became blah too. its long(full WL) but it just didnt look good anymore.
i decided to give a full regimen of ayurveda a chance and in one treatment my hair turned around. i swear i aint trollin lol, check my date i been here a while. but ONE TREATMENT and i saw a change. so much so that i decided to start doing amla treatments every week.

yesterday i was all out of amla and i could feel the difference. for MY hair amla turned my hair around. i dont think you understand how long its been since i could wear a full w&g and have my hair look the way i know its supposed to look. shooooot you cant tell me nothing come sundays when im sporting my w&g styles.
but what i have also been doing is bunning and only doing my hair once a week to cut down on manipulation.
but ill have to start doing my hair 2x a week now since i started back at the gym.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Smiley79
Products That Turned Your Hair Around
Replies
27
Views
4K
JerriBlank
JerriBlank
Poohbear
Celebrating 5 YEARS with Natural Hair!!!
2
Replies
47
Views
4K
TrendySocialite
T
C@ssandr@
What else does hair need?
Replies
6
Views
1K
*Muffin*
*Muffin*
Starronda
Relaxed Or Natural Hair In The Summer
Replies
8
Views
1K
Starronda
Starronda
chebaby
naturals, what would you do if...
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
BlackMasterPiece
BlackMasterPiece
Top