This is a very interesting topic. I have enjoyed reading all the responses. I used to have my hair in a curly perm and it grew quite fast, until it was past my shoulders and I decided to blow dry it and it break off very badly. I had my hair is braids and it grew back and I had it relaxed, which grew to my shoulders, then it break off again. I was natural for nearly 18 months, again it grew very thick and decided to relax again, it looked very nice, but after two years, it would broke, I changed to different relaxers again the same problem, I went to a hairdresser to have treatments, yes my hair would grow, however when I could not afford the treatments again my hair would break. I got fed up of the breaking growing problem. I used Wanakee hair products and again my hair grow, however when I could not afford to upkeep of the products again my hair would break and at one time, my hair was so dry it was like straw. So I kept my hair very low and used a texturiser, that was fine and again, I would grow out the texturiser. I started reading books, particularly Kathy Howse's book and at the time, I was swimming twice a week, and I noticed that my hair was getting thicker, also I had a mild texturiser. I had just joined the longhairlovers forum and I tried the hair tablets HF37 and I got significant growth. I let my hair grow out of the texturiser, then I went to a barber and he cut off my relaxed ends. Then I started washing my hair twice a week. I got good growth, but when I rinsed my hair every day for three months. Then I got a growth sprunt. When I was relaxed, I suffered from thin see-through ends, the sides of my hair never grow properly and it was only the front and the middle grew. Since I have been rinsing every day, my sides have grow significantly and for my back hair now that is another story. I put my hair in buntu knots, flat twist etc and I rinse every day, and that is the easier when to look after my hair. After 3-4 days I comb and style and back to rinsing. I use tap water, I add a teaspoon of conditioner, shake up to dissolve, I add glycerine and rosewater and 10p (dime size) of bicarbonate of soda, (tap water is very hard). When I add my hair in the kinky twists, I continued to rinse the same way, I rinse throughout the year and my hair has responded very well. I also like to colour my hair every Autumn (Fall) red. Although I do take supplements, the funny thing is that my hair is longer, than it ever was when I was small. The shampoos and conditioners I used are from the local supermarket, I don't visit any stylist and my hair is flourishing. Although I look at the women who have their hair texturised (silkened) and it looks very nice, but again I am not able to go to the hairdresser every 6-8 weeks or whatever. Again you have to rely on a particular stylist. Woman travel miles to get their hair done, I'm not able. I am very happy leaving my hair alone in its natural state, I love to colour, but hope and pray that I won't go back to texturising and I hope that I still have the enthusiasm of looking after my natural hair.
