Nail Your Regimen Challenge 2014

[faithVA]

I watched a youtube video last week where the lady put her hair in two strand twists...well actually, she braided first then twisted the remaining hair. It looked good, especially since she was using a comb to part. I decided to try that last night but couldn't part my hair with a comb. It kept knoting up.
I got about 3/4 done. I'm wearing my hair in a bun today and plan on finishing tomorrow. I'm hoping that I can keep these in for at least a month since they're small. I'll probably redo sections after each wash just to make sure that it's not matting and also to make sure that they don't look too ragged.

Let us know how it goes. Would love to see a pic when you finish.

 

[faithVA]

Still fiddling with my regi. For now I am doing the following

1. Rinse & Cowash with conditioner mixed with BS for 5 minutes
Or Rinse and wash with color in shampoo
2. Rinse
3. Apply heated conditioner to hair
4. Either steam or baggy under a plastic cap while I work out
5. Rinse, baggy for 10 minutes
6. Apply leave-in, baggy for 10 minutes
7. Apply oil (optional)
8. Apply styler and twist

In the past my hair would start to dry out after 3 days. I want to see if I can extend the moisture to 5 days so I can wash and retwist every 5 to 6 days.

 

[snoop]

So my weakness is styling (and taking selfies). I finished the middle of my hair last night. I like that my hair hangs in twists now. The back is neck length when they're first done, it's nice to see that progress. This morning I just twisted them and put them into a bun. It's hard to tell from the pictures.

Another thing I like about twists is that that I think it's easier to m&s a majority of my hair since it's essentially pre-sectioned.

 

[faithVA]

So my weakness is styling (and taking selfies). I finished the middle of my hair last night. I like that my hair hangs in twists now. The back is neck length when they're first done, it's nice to see that progress. This morning I just twisted them and put them into a bun. It's hard to tell from the pictures.

Another thing I like about twists is that that I think it's easier to m&s a majority of my hair since it's essentially pre-sectioned.

You have nice hang time. They will really be on your shoulders at the end of the year.

Looking forward to getting here. My twist are just sticking up in the air right now

 

[faithVA]

Trying to see if my twist will stay moisturized for at least 4 days. Usually they start to dry out around day 2. This is day 2. So far so good

 

[snoop]

Trying to see if my twist will stay moisturized for at least 4 days. Usually they start to dry out around day 2. This is day 2. So far so good

I think that my hair dries out in the same amount of time. Sometimes day 3? One thing that I noticed is that when my hair is "smoother" it's easier for it to feel moisturized. If I twist and ends start sticking out of the length of the twist, I tend to mistaken that for dry hair and I step up the moisturizing only to find out when I take the twists down, that my hair was far from being dry.

I think that once your hair gets longer, you'll find it not as dry as you think.

 

[faithVA]

I think that my hair dries out in the same amount of time. Sometimes day 3? One thing that I noticed is that when my hair is "smoother" it's easier for it to feel moisturized. If I twist and ends start sticking out of the length of the twist, I tend to mistaken that for dry hair and I step up the moisturizing only to find out when I take the twists down, that my hair was far from being dry.

I think that once your hair gets longer, you'll find it not as dry as you think.

I have a few telltale signs. My hair changes color as it dries out. It is a darker brown when it is moisturized and it starts to change to an ashy brown as it dries. Also the more moisture it looses the more it frizzes. And when it is moisturized when you squeeze a section of twist they push back. But when it is dry there is no sponginess to the twist. As my hair dries out I get more SSKs even when I am in twist so I am really hoping to extend the time. Otherwise I have to wash again on day 4 and retwist which is very time consuming.

Hopefully as it gets longer it will hold moisture longer.

 

[sissimpson]

FaithVA, as someone who's tried it, I'd like your take on the Maximum Hydration Method.

 

[snoop]

I have a few telltale signs. My hair changes color as it dries out. It is a darker brown when it is moisturized and it starts to change to an ashy brown as it dries. Also the more moisture it looses the more it frizzes. And when it is moisturized when you squeeze a section of twist they push back. But when it is dry there is no sponginess to the twist. As my hair dries out I get more SSKs even when I am in twist so I am really hoping to extend the time. Otherwise I have to wash again on day 4 and retwist which is very time consuming.

Hopefully as it gets longer it will hold moisture longer.

OK, so it's really drying out instead of just feeling dried out. My ends used to change colours too. Do you m&s twice daily? Between dc'ing (weekly) and m&s'ing you might be able to turn it around. (A temporary adjustment to your routine.) I just gave up and accepted that I don't have the type of hair that could go days without moisturizing.

 

[faithVA]

sissimpson[/USER];20438215]FaithVA, as someone who's tried it, I'd like your take on the Maximum Hydration Method.

First let me say that I have tried almost everything else, every other regimen people said I should do that would work. And they didn't work at all. The only thing that even remotely worked for me was letting go of shampoo and using ACV. It was the first time my hair wasn't dry and brittle within a day.

Yes I tried DCing weekly, 2x a week, overnight, LOC, LOCO, LCO, baggying, GHE, protein treatments, m&S 2x a day, cowashing every 2 days for 3 months, protective styling, blah, blah, blah.

Yes I'm tired.

I was reluctant to try this but tashboog talked me into it.

I didn't have amazing results with the instant curl definition to wng, nor was I expecting to. However, I did achieve what I wanted most which is more moisture in my hair. Everything else I tried did not give me that. Doing this method for 2 weeks gave me the increased moisture in my hair that it promised. Not only is my hair staying moisturized longer, I can also remoisturize my hair mid-week which I was not able to do before.

I did not do this method long enough to really give a full recommendation. Because the back of my hair is so short I stopped my trial after 2 months. I have kept 95% of the regimen though and I have something I am going to try for the next 2 months.

I am going to keep the conditioner/BS mix, heating my conditioner, skipping the mud for now, applying the diluted leave in and sealing with a gel or twisting cream.

I do plan on trying the method again in full when the back of my hair gets long enough to put up into a banana clip or that I can flat twist my hair in the back a bit easier. Right now twisting my hair mid-week is a bit too time consuming.

I would recommend this to low porosity type 4s who have really tried everything else and it doesn't work. This regimen is not for everyone but there are people who really need this regimen because other things don't work. There are also a lot of people trying it right now who are trying alternative combinations and time frames to make it easier for people coming behind them.

No one has done this regimen for more than 6 months so I recommend people who are nervous about things to wait it out to see. However, my hair wasn't going to get any better with what I was doing so I had nothing to lose.

 

[faithVA]

OK, so it's really drying out instead of just feeling dried out. My ends used to change colours too. Do you m&s twice daily? Between dc'ing (weekly) and m&s'ing you might be able to turn it around. (A temporary adjustment to your routine.) I just gave up and accepted that I don't have the type of hair that could go days without moisturizing.

Yeah I'm still working on it. My hair has never been partial to mid-week m&s to re-hydrate it which is why I am trying some new things. This really is the biggest problem. Not holding moisture is one thing but my hair not accepting moisture mid-week requires a complete wash which is what I'm trying to work around.

My hair is very finicky and so many people have tried to help but most suggestions just haven't worked on my hair. It is just a trial and error thing I'm going to have to tough through.

 

[spellinto]

I'm going back to using a cleansing conditioner (hair one) regularly. could I still prepoo with my jbco mix and finger detangle beforehand... would the cleansing con be able to wash that out?

 

[faithVA]

spellinto[/USER];20477605]I'm going back to using a cleansing conditioner (hair one) regularly. could I still prepoo with my jbco mix and finger detangle beforehand... would the cleansing con be able to wash that out?

It worked for me. I think you should try it. You may have to wash twice.

 

[uofmpanther]

Yeah I'm still working on it. My hair has never been partial to mid-week m&s to re-hydrate it which is why I am trying some new things. This really is the biggest problem. Not holding moisture is one thing but my hair not accepting moisture mid-week requires a complete wash which is what I'm trying to work around.

My hair is very finicky and so many people have tried to help but most suggestions just haven't worked on my hair. It is just a trial and error thing I'm going to have to tough through.

I can't remember. . Have you tried overnight baggying?

 

[snoop]

Last weekend I dusted my hair. I don't think that it was necessary, but I'm sure my ends aren't suffering for it.

This weekend I pre-poo'd with regular castor oil, then I did a mud wash and I decided to put some sukesh ayurveda powder into the mix. It was my first time trying it. My hair is still in two strand twists, so I'm not sure what the results were really like. I plan on adding it to my hair washes each week to see if I see any improvements.

The truth is that I think that my regimen right now is pretty good. I don't always follow it to the letter, but I follow it enough to maintain the health of my hair. Now I have to find a way to improve the health of my hair. I think that I need to start focusing on technique as I'm starting to realize that that is just as important as the product that you use.http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[faithVA]

I can't remember. . Have you tried overnight baggying?

Yes. My scalp can't take being wet for periods longer than 3 hours. It just gets inflamed. And my hair is super wet in the morning but even with sealing with oil it just dries hard in about an hour.

I've also tried overnight DCing and it doesn't seem to come out as well as when I just use heat for 30 minutes. It also irritates my scalp.

 

[sissimpson]

Daily co-washing and bunning was such an easy way to manage my hair through the summer. I might have retained about an inch of growth. Unfortunately, I'm noticing breakage at my temples and around my hairline. Oh well.....

 

[snoop]

Daily co-washing and bunning was such an easy way to manage my hair through the summer. I might have retained about an inch of growth. Unfortunately, I'm noticing breakage at my temples and around my hairline. Oh well.....

Buns and ponies are tricky. They look great but the damage they can cause... I wouldn't even have known to look for breakage around the edges if it weren't for LHCF. At least you're ahead of the game by noticing before it's too late.

 

[Fine 4s]

Tell us About You

Natural - Relaxed – Texturized/Texlaxed - Transitioning:
Natural

Current Length:
MBL?

Current Products:
Using up my stash but mostly using CrecePelo for DC (I try new DCs every month or so but Queen Helene Cholesterol never fails me. My hair seems to remain moist longer when I use QH), EVOO, Grapeseed oil, Jojoba oil or coconut oil and Camille Rose for moisturizer. I follow the LOC (and sometimes B) method.

Current Techniques:
DC on dry hair only if no styling prods have been used on hair during the week. I DC under a steamer for 45-60 mins. I wash my hair in sections only.

What in your regimen are trying to nail:
-Avoiding Single Strand Knots (SSKs). This might require more trimming but I will not do so until I'm at WL.) I will trim at the end of the year though. My one good trim of the year. Once I hit WL (full or not) I will blow dry on cool/warm (never on high heat) more often to avoid the SSKs and continue to trim.
-Parting my hair before washing and DC'ing. That way, I avoid snapping strands by grabbing other sections.

What's your starting strategy:
Keep my hair in PS styles and keep hair as separated as I can.
Keep my moisture level up and DC as needed but at minimum 1X week as I used at the beginning of my journey.
Have patience before I start washing and DC'ing. If I rush it's SSK city!
Remove twists from the bottom up. I neeeever follow this. I'm always starting in the mddle. WHYYY???? laziness!

Anything else you want to share:
I might try removing shedded hairs before washing.

I'm also not afraid of Shampoo anymore. I can say I use it. I noticed that tons of women with beautiful long natural hair use shampoo so I figure NOT using shampoo is not going to advance my hair growth any more or any less. I will still dilute the 'poo.

I want to try the Komazaa hair analysis to help determine if I need to do more protein treatments.

 

[faithVA]

Welcome to the thread @Fine_4s. Looks like you have a sound strategy.

 

[faithVA]

I wore my hair in flat twist extensions for the past two weeks. My hair doesn't last any longer with extensions than it does with my natural hair But the extensions do allow me to do easier styles until I get the extra length.

I washed last night and decided to skip the extensions. I'm doing a modified MHM this week and next to see if I can increase my moisture levels.

I spritzed on my Silk Elements scalp treatment and let it sit while I took out my extensions. I rinsed and then spritzed with the conditioner baking soda mix. I only let that sit for 15 minutes.

I rinsed and used heated NG Intense Deep Conditioner and sat under the dryer for 20 minutes. I rinsed and then did a quick clay rinse with watery clay.

I then did another conditioning treatment with NG Herbal Blends and let that sit for 30 minutes but only 15 minutes under the dryer. I didn't heat this conditioner enough. Need to do better with that. Then I did a final clay rinse and let it sit while I showered.

I heated up the KKNT and applied that full strength. I worked hot water into my hair and finger combed and cut splits.

Then I twisted with CR Jai Almond.

For now using diluted mud and not leaving it on as long is working well. The heated conditioner works well. Not sure if the repeated conditioning step is working but will try it for a while. Doing repeated conditioning steps versus overnight DCing since it bothers my scalp.

My hair is more moisturized. Just want to build the moisture up to last longer.

 

[faithVA]

So far so good. With the slight changes in my regi, my hair still feels moisturized since my wash on Tuesday. I did spritz it Wednesday morning but not since. I probably should have baggied but I didn't do anything with my hair.

Tonight plan on repeating the wash from Tuesday with the multiple conditioning steps. I'm going to be more diligent in heating my conditioners and leave-ins. I'm also going to stick with the watery mud-wash and leave it in for 5 minutes.

I'm going to do this tonight and tomorrow. Sunday or Monday I will color my hair.

 

[myfaithrising]

I haven't posted in a while, I had struggled for months to get a decent regimen and was doing a "everything but the kitchen sink" wash day, using a dozen steps but not sticking with anything long enough to see results. That all changed when I started doing the Maximum Hydration Method. I've been following the method since July and I am seeing really great results. Thankfully, I've finally nailed my regimen.

 

[snoop]

Tried something a bit different for today's wash day. I detangled with some conditioner, water, a little sukesh powder, and a couple of drops of tea tree oil. I didn't rinse it out and went straight to doing a DC/pre-poo which included gelatin and sukesh powder (mayo, greek yogurt, oils, and honey also.) I let that sit on my hair for about an hour. After I did my usual mud wash, but I made it a bit thicker than I usually do and let that sit on my hair as I showered. After I rinsed with conditioner as usual, then LOC'd.

I still have to style it but my hair is about 80% dry and feels really good. I'll have to see how it fairs tomorrow.

 

[spellinto]

I'm also not afraid of Shampoo anymore. I can say I use it. I noticed that tons of women with beautiful long natural hair use shampoo so I figure NOT using shampoo is not going to advance my hair growth any more or any less. I will still dilute the 'poo.

Fine 4s: Have you tried a cleansing conditioner or sulfate-free shampoo?

 

[spellinto]

Had a really nice experience with Hair One today. I knew it was great as a cleanser and conditioner, but I was really impressed using it as a leave in. I applied it thoroughly to damp hair, then clipped my ends up and wrapped them under a satin scarf tied just across my hairline. Hair dried super soft and fluffy...my strands also looked shiny, but I'm hesitant to say that just because my air dried hair rarely looks shiny...could have been hallucinating

I'm not completely sure if it was the Hair One, or just because it was only my first wash since my touch up, so I'll keep experimenting with it. Still, it was very nice

Detangling wasn't too bad today either. I want to learn how to detangle without so much volume, but if that's not the way my hair works, I'll accept it

 

[uofmpanther]

I'm also not afraid of Shampoo anymore. I can say I use it. I noticed that tons of women with beautiful long natural hair use shampoo so I figure NOT using shampoo is not going to advance my hair growth any more or any less. I will still dilute the 'poo.

Fine 4s: Have you tried a cleansing conditioner or sulfate-free shampoo?

Im a fine 4. I find tbat my hair likes certain cleansing conditioners and sulfate free shampoos with non-harsh cleansers. It loves SSI bluberry cowash, As I Am coconut co-wash, and Aubrey Organics white camellia shampoo. I currently use diluted african black soap.

My hair hates harsh cleansers, including sulfates and harsh sulfate free. I can't use Ouidad's co-wash, Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle or Kinky Curly Come Clean. Trader Joe's and Kinky Curly have Sodium olefin sulfonate, which can be just as harsh as sulfates.

When I was figuring out cleansing agents, I did two fairly long blog posts that might help you - - http://silkendove.blogspot.com/2014/02/cleansing-agents-part-2.html?m=1

 

[sissimpson]

Now summer is definitely over in Connecticut. Daily cowash and bunning did get me good results. I was having a very hard time with my crown.... now I can actually say hair is growing there. Now to formulate some plans for fall and winter.

 

[spellinto]

Im a fine 4. I find tbat my hair likes certain cleansing conditioners and sulfate free shampoos with non-harsh cleansers. It loves SSI bluberry cowash, As I Am coconut co-wash, and Aubrey Organics white camellia shampoo. I currently use diluted african black soap.

My hair hates harsh cleansers, including sulfates and harsh sulfate free. I can't use Ouidad's co-wash, Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle or Kinky Curly Come Clean. Trader Joe's and Kinky Curly have Sodium olefin sulfonate, which can be just as harsh as sulfates.

When I was figuring out cleansing agents, I did two fairly long blog posts that might help you - - http://silkendove.blogspot.com/2014/02/cleansing-agents-part-2.html?m=1

Fine 4s: see ufompanther 's post

 

[snoop]

Tried something a bit different with yesterday's wash. I used my pink clay mix and added 2 tbsp sukesh powder, and 2 tbsp rhassoul clay. The mix was too thick so in addition to my coconut milk I had to add some hot water. After reading the MHM thread, I've been playing with adding a slightly thicker mix to my hair. I ended up letting it sit for about 4 hours (not intentional). My hair was very soft afterwards. I'll have to test again next week with a shorter time period, but the rhassoul/pink clay mix might be my best use of clay for my hair.

I'm also going to experiment with cleansing with rye wheat. I'm going to aim for two washes this week and see what happens. If it works, I'll try it on the kids' hair on wash day.