Nail Your Regimen Challenge 2014

[snoop]

I realize wearing my hair in a bun for a week then washing loose without thoroughly detangling is a big mistake. My ends were so full of knots and the amount of shed and broken hair just made me sad.

Going to try to install mini twists tonight. If I don't, it'll be another week of bunning.

 

[faithVA]

Lost the pictures from the weekend but I took one this morning after setting my hair on satin rollers. Looks like roller setting will become part of my regimen.

 

[Beany]

We're almost at the end of the 1st quarter and what have I learned/relearned while being in this challenge:

-Honey and oils (EVOO, WGO, Sunflower to name a few) are the best for DCs

-PS/LM styles for 2 weeks at a time are perfect, my new growth isn't busting out of the style and I get less breakage (due to less manipulation)

-Using gloves when I do my hair is awesome (less breakage)

-Using marshmallow tea as my liquid LI (in LCO method) is awesome

-Baggying nightly is so necessary (I stopped b/c I was afraid of moisture overload, but so far so good)

-Styling on damp hair is best (also helps me avoid moisture overload while baggying)


Now if I can get off this style challenged struggle bus...

 

[faithVA]

We're almost at the end of the 1st quarter and what have I learned/relearned while being in this challenge:

-Honey and oils (EVOO, WGO, Sunflower to name a few) are the best for DCs

-PS/LM styles for 2 weeks at a time are perfect, my new growth isn't busting out of the style and I get less breakage (due to less manipulation)

-Using gloves when I do my hair is awesome (less breakage)

-Using marshmallow tea as my liquid LI (in LCO method) is awesome

-Baggying nightly is so necessary (I stopped b/c I was afraid of moisture overload, but so far so good)

-Styling on damp hair is best (also helps me avoid moisture overload while baggying)


Now if I can get off this style challenged struggle bus...

Great update Beany. Glad so many things are working for you.

 

[HanaKuroi]

We're almost at the end of the 1st quarter and what have I learned/relearned while being in this challenge:

-Honey and oils (EVOO, WGO, Sunflower to name a few) are the best for DCs

-PS/LM styles for 2 weeks at a time are perfect, my new growth isn't busting out of the style and I get less breakage (due to less manipulation)

-Using gloves when I do my hair is awesome (less breakage)

-Using marshmallow tea as my liquid LI (in LCO method) is awesome

-Baggying nightly is so necessary (I stopped b/c I was afraid of moisture overload, but so far so good)

-Styling on damp hair is best (also helps me avoid moisture overload while baggying)

Now if I can get off this style challenged struggle bus...

Yay! Using gloves has changed my life.

I'll have to look at using the tea. I have loads of tea just for hair but I am too lazy to actually use them. I am so trifling.

Sent from my iPad using LHCF

 

[alanaturelle]

Lost the pictures from the weekend but I took one this morning after setting my hair on satin rollers. Looks like roller setting will become part of my regimen.

Your curls are very defined and beautiful, !!!

 

[alanaturelle]

We're almost at the end of the 1st quarter and what have I learned/relearned while being in this challenge:

-Honey and oils (EVOO, WGO, Sunflower to name a few) are the best for DCs

-PS/LM styles for 2 weeks at a time are perfect, my new growth isn't busting out of the style and I get less breakage (due to less manipulation)

-Using gloves when I do my hair is awesome (less breakage)

-Using marshmallow tea as my liquid LI (in LCO method) is awesome

-Baggying nightly is so necessary (I stopped b/c I was afraid of moisture overload, but so far so good)

-Styling on damp hair is best (also helps me avoid moisture overload while baggying)

Now if I can get off this style challenged struggle bus...

Giving update is a great idea. I'll definitely copy you and give my own, .

What is the purpose of using gloves? Sorry, I never heard of that before.

 

[faithVA]

Your curls are very defined and beautiful, !!!

Thank You. I appreciate you saying that. :Blush2:

 

[Beany]

alanaturelle, using gloves helps me avoid snagging my hair on my nails.

 

[alanaturelle]

alanaturelle, using gloves helps me avoid snagging my hair on my nails.

Ha! That makes sense. I cut my nails really short so I don't snag it. At times, when it happens, it means it's time to cut them, lol.

 

[alanaturelle]

This is what I learned in the past three months:
*Finger detangle is a MUST - no more combs and no more brushes
*Prepoo overnight
*LCO works better than LOC
*Protein is my hair's best friend
*Steam is a MUST
*Moisturize and seal every single day, lol - no more slacking
*Mid-week cowash is a MUST - I was trying to cheat a little bit at times but when Friday comes, my hair is dry and very unhappy despite the daily moisturizing which still kinda confuse me, erplexed
*Bun is my most reliable hairstyle as of now
*Dust every month
*Shampoo sparingly

I think that's pretty much it,

 

[blackeyes31626]

I finger detangled my hair with oil and the tangles weren't really that bad. But then I washed it and my roots became sooo matted and I had so many knots at the ends. smh I should have detangled thoroughly with the oil and conditioner before adding a drop of water.

 

[faithVA]

Doing my mid-week DC.

 

[curlyTisME]

Taking my sew in out tonight, gonna wash and condition and do a light protein. My ends feel a little dry. Gonna do some Havana twists until after my sisters bridal shower.

 

[LdyKamz]

I think I'll be joining you guys in here. I have been natural for a year. I've had good progress but now I feel like things have slowed down. I will admit that I've gotten a bit comfortable since I was making progress and now I'm noticing some thinning in the back. That doesn't just happen over night.

I've always had trouble with this spot but I used to blame it on the relaxer. Within a few months that spot would thin and in a year it would be completely bald when I was relaxed. It grew out quite nicely when I went natural but now it's thinning again - and at the 1 year mark. I'm frustrated.

But I have to think more about the details of a new regimen.

I'll come back to post details

 

[alanaturelle]

I've applied a cheapie condish with coconut oil this morning. I'll be prepooing all day under my beanie. Tonight, I will wash, do an Aphoghee protein treatment, apply deep conditioner that I will leave in overnight.

 

[faithVA]

I think I'll be joining you guys in here. I have been natural for a year. I've had good progress but now I feel like things have slowed down. I will admit that I've gotten a bit comfortable since I was making progress and now I'm noticing some thinning in the back. That doesn't just happen over night.

I've always had trouble with this spot but I used to blame it on the relaxer. Within a few months that spot would thin and in a year it would be completely bald when I was relaxed. It grew out quite nicely when I went natural but now it's thinning again - and at the 1 year mark. I'm frustrated.

But I have to think more about the details of a new regimen.

I'll come back to post details

Glad to have you. Will be looking forward to your post.

 

[faithVA]

Having a good hair week. Don't think that's ever happened. I want to spend less time on my hair next week though. Need to figure out if I can do a combination of flat twist and curls.

 

[LdyKamz]

Natural - Relaxed – Texturized/Texlaxed - Transitioning: Natural

Current Length: Almost SL

Current Products:
Shampoo: Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo and Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo (trying to use this up and then I'll look for something else)

Conditioners: Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, Nexxus Humectress, Komaza Olive Oil Moisture Mask, Aubrey Organics GPB, Joico K-Pak Reconstructor (I usually use Komaza Protein Strengthener. If I like Joico better I'll drop Komaza)

Moisturizers: Komaza Califia Moisturizing Spray. KCKT moisturizer, Giovanni's Direct Leave In

Oils/Butter: grapeseed, almond, olive and castor oil mix, raw shea butter

Current Techniques: Right now I don't have a technique and that's the problem. I wash my hair whenever I feel like it. I deep condition once a week and I've been slacking on protein. My hair is suffering for it.

What in your regimen are trying to nail: Moisturize more. Get back on a protein schedule.

What's your starting strategy: I have no idea. Deep condition 2x a week to get my moisture levels back up. Maybe start cowashing again. Also, I'm thinking maybe a light protein once a week and a hard protein once a month. That was my schedule before and it worked well for me.

 

[LdyKamz]

I co washed today and wore my hair in a puff. I think I will co wash again tonight and if my hair is still wet in the morning I won't wash again.

 

[uofmpanther]

If I want to wear curly hair, I need to airdry it as a wash and go with gel or in a puff; but, I have to wash, or at least soak, my hair before I can manipulate it again or else it will tangle and I'll lose my ends. If I want to be able to play with my hair during the week, I need to dry it in a stretched style, using either curlformers or banded twists. Then I can french braid, bun or do an updo.

I probably knew these things before at the back of my mind, but I was being stubborn and it finally clicked this month. I also learned that banded twists stretch my hair better than just twisting or just banding. My hair was close to blowout straight the past two weeks.

 

[faithVA]

If I want to wear curly hair, I need to airdry it as a wash and go with gel or in a puff; but, I have to wash, or at least soak, my hair before I can manipulate it again or else it will tangle and I'll lose my ends. If I want to be able to play with my hair during the week, I need to dry it in a stretched style, using either curlformers or banded twists. Then I can french braid, bun or do an updo.

I probably knew these things before at the back of my mind, but I was being stubborn and it finally clicked this month. I also learned that banded twists stretch my hair better than just twisting or just banding. My hair was close to blowout straight the past two weeks.

When you do your puff or WNG play around with scrunching oils or a glycerin based product just on your ends to give them a barrier. It shouldn't destroy your style but should help your ends some.

 

[uofmpanther]

When you do your puff or WNG play around with scrunching oils or a glycerin based product just on your ends to give them a barrier. It shouldn't destroy your style but should help your ends some.

I mainly do puffs and wng in the summer, so I use glycerin. My hair is just really coily (mainly 4a), so the strands start wrapping around each other as they dry. Combined with shrinkage, it makes it really hard to get them apart when my hair is dry. I don't have the same issue with my 3c and 4b areas, but those are small patches.

 

[LdyKamz]

Co washed again this morning, moisturized with the Califia Spray then KCKT then put some shea butter of top of that. My hair is lo porosity so I normally wrap a towel around my head for a few minutes to let all that soak in. Now a few hours later my hair feels soft and I like that because it hasn't felt like this in a while.

In other news, my hair is reacting differently to KCKT alone. I'm not sure why but my hair just doesn't like it the way it used to.

 

[Ogoma]

I think I have created a dupe for the Ouidad Curl CoWash. I think it is even better than the Ouidad on my hair. I am so excited . Only did a little part of my hair, but can't wait to test it out on wash day tomorrow.

 

[alanaturelle]

This morning, I rinsed out the deep conditioner, apply leave-in and sealed with coconut oil. I will bun later tonight.

 

[Beany]

Due to my crazy work schedule and inability to recover as quickly as I used to after a night of heavy drinking, wash day has been postponed until Monday night. I'm rocking a 3 day old twist out and it looks ok, but my roots are DRY.

 

[Ivonnovi]

ETA: @alanaturelle I too an using my fingers to detangle. I only use my combs to creat parts or for sectioning; although once detangled I'll gently brush then comb through small sections.

At the beginning of the year, I unraveled my 4-y/o shoulder length locks. For the first time since the 1970's I'm experience life with natural hair.

Natural - Relaxed – Texturized/Texlaxed - Transitioning:

Newly unlocked natural
​

Current Length:

Just below collar bones. Fine strands, and sparse in the crown area.
​

Current Products:

Shampoo: Castille soap/Coconut milk mixture. Spritz: Basil EO/Lemon EO/Magnesium oil mixed in Distilled water/ Ultra-Sheen Pressing cream. Grapeseed or Olive or Castor oils used as needed
​

Current Techniques:

No real technique but washing at least every 14 days. The entire process is completed with my hair in ponytails/twists to improve managability & lessen tangles. I prefer to air dry. I found my hair does better with less products; best twist performance created with just Grapeseed oil.
​

What in your regimen are trying to nail:

Parting for twist-outs and also pressing.
​

What's your starting strategy:

Wash in twists, stretch after a few days; flatiorn during the last week (or few days); then retwist or section-off before washing again.
​

Anything else you want to share:

Yep, I'm taking notes from the rest of you guys. I'm considering getting a different more professional flat-iron.
​

 

[OhmyKimB]

I'd like to join, I just big chopped three weeks ago ( I still have some relaxed hair in the front, otherwise my hair cut doesn't work)

Trying to figure out what is best for my hair right now.


Natural (85%)/Transitioning (15%)
Current Length:
ear length unstraightened, neck length straightened
Current Products:
Right now the only thing I absolutely love is Cantu coconut curling creme. Everything else I'm still trying out...
Current Techniques:
cowash every 5 days, thinking of moving this up to every three, and then I've been setting my hair on perm rods and flexi rods, will start trying twistouts soon
What in your regimen are trying to nail:
moisture and strength, trying to keep my hair super healthy as it grows out.
What's your starting strategy:
Test and trial

 

[OhmyKimB]

So I washed my hair today and this is what I used and did, it's air drying right now and it feels pretty good so I may have to try this again.


I pre-poo'ed/hot oil treatment:
Split my hair into four sections, finger combed, and sprayed my hair lightly with distilled water and coated in coconut oil. After that I sat under the dryer for 10 minutes on high hot heat.

Co-wash:
I co-washed with Ogx/Organix Argan and Shea conditioner, as well as Ogx/Organix Macademia oil conditioner

Deep condition:
Wanted to get rid of the shea moisture deep conditioner I didn't like so I added argan oil, shea oil, ogx acai berry and avocado conditioner, and Fermadoyl. Sat under high heat for 15 minutes

Detangled:
After rising I used Mixed Chicks leave in and detangled in sections
I let my hair airdry 80% and then I put in twists using Cantu coconut curling creme and I'm letting it dry the rest of the way. I also put coconut oil on my scalp as it drys