Are you happy with your hair?

The year is almost over and having stuck with me through it, I want to know if I have actually helped you this year or not!

The last poll of the year is all about you and your hair. I want to know if you are happy with

1. Your texture
2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)
3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)
4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)

Feel free to drop me a line in the comment box whether you are happy or not!!

Comments

  1. Hello JC,

    As I reflect on my 2-year journay into "naturaldom", I am quite happy with my decision to proceed in this direction. Some days my hair and I absolutely don't get along, but overall I love my hair's texture, length and sometimes unpredictable behavior. The research and information you have provided via your site has been such a wonderful resource from which I have benefitted. Thanks so much for all of your hard work and dedication to this site. :0)

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  2. Love my texture! I have no idea what I would do with anything else. I'm satisfied with my products but I find as I get more creative/wear more out styles the more I search for styling products. I use whatever techniques work for that day, lol, so I haven't really evaluated them... Finally I loooooove my hair growth! I'm trimming my hair today and am blown away by how long it is! I had not even noticed that my hair is past shoulder-length! Love my hair <3

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  3. **Edit: That should have been 2 year and 9 month journey as I am approaching year number 3 in March.

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  4. 1. I loved my texture from when I first saw it and love it even more 3 years later.
    2. I love my products (Shea Moisture, products, coconut oil, castor oil, aloe vera gel and flax seed gel).
    3. I have my wash and style routine perfected.
    4. I'm happy with my length but I want more. Haha Needless to say, I'm looking forward to retaining more length as time passes.

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  5. I'm sorta of "meh" about it. I know what products my hair likes, I know the texture and how to work with it, I'm content with the length but I'm just BORED with it.

    Alice
    Alice in Nappyland

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  6. I was actually thinking about this last week as I evaluated my hair journey through 2011. I came to a clear realisation: I love my hair. I really do. Unlike during my first year being natural, in this second year, my hair and I have spent so much time together that I really feel we are coming to an understanding and are drawing closer together. We are still growing, making mistakes and learning from them through trial and error.

    Two of your articles really challenged me this year. The one on not using extensions and the one on the dangers of afros. They are golden oldies, but they worked. I made a decision to get up close and personal with my hair and I have no regrets.

    I look forward to visiting the haven in 2012 and beyond.

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  7. Yes I am happy with my hair.
    1. Your texture
    -Yup! Yes I do have curl envy sometimes but I like my little curlies. I have a 4a/3c hair type.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)
    -It's been trial and error but I wouldn't change it because it is what has helped me find what my hair likes. Sure, I've spent a lot of money but I had to see what worked for me.

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)
    -I've FINALLY figured out how to get 2nd day hair with a wash and go and I have my shampoo, condish, deep condition regimen down pat.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)
    -Looking back from when I BC-ed and now I didn't think my hair was growing until I saw pictures and I was shocked to see how much my hair had grown in just 11 months. Granted I transitioned for 15.5 months but my hair length at the nape of my neck was at collarbone length and now its at arm pit length. CRAZY!

    I wouldn't change going natural for anything in the world. I wanted to see what was underneath the relaxer and I'm glad I made the choice to BC when I did. I can't wait until my wash and go hits my shoulders shrunken since right now its at neck length lol

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  8. The only thing that I am really not happy with is my inability to retain serious length - this was always an issue even as a child my hair never grew more than the 6-8 inches it is now. Also my mother had mid- back length hair all her life and a completely different texture to mine - boy was I pleased at the age of 10 to be responsible for my own hair as all she did was tug at it!. I think that my hair breakage is mostly down to mishandling on my part or as you've said in an earlier post - you broke your hair! Its that coarse tightly coiled very thick extremely fragile hair which is full of texture and appears to never grow past just sitting on my neck. I know I have to stop angsting about it but I figure it should be be 8 inches longer than it now is just based on its growth rate. It grows fast - I just cannot keep the length and I have been growing it back from a 1/4 mmm (for a decade) for 3 years so I am a bit frustrated. Maybe I'll just cut it all off a again.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't do that, have you thought about putting it in single plait extentions or cornrow extensions. This should protect your hair against breakage. Please give it a go before cutting it all off. What will cutting it off achieve?
      Also consider research and making your own hair products I think this has helped me retain length as my products are chemical free and are tailored to my hair needs.

      Delete
  9. I really enjoy this website and the challenging articles(Product Ingredients,Deep Conditioning Myth amongst others) that make you think twice but arms you with information so you can decide for yourself.I big chopped 1 month ago and loving it!

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  10. I'm only seven months into the journey. I'm transitioning and my hair is shoulder length. I feel like I still haven't mastered the wash/detangling routine. I can't get a comb through my hair, unless it's straightened. Ugh! I'm still trying and I'm not giving up.

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    Replies
    1. When you go natural you have to accept you have to give up the comb. I only use it on wash days when my hair has been DCed. I then twist it and leave it to dry and then use the comb to make parts so I can cornrow or flat twist my hair. That is the only time I use a comb. Your fingers work just as well. It is a mental adjustment, you can do it.

      Delete
  11. 1. Your texture - I LOVE let me state again LOVE my curls but not the texure. I have very fine and thin hair and it takes a lot of planning and manipulation for me to wear my hair out curly. Most of the times the backs looks too scalpy (my hair isn't thick and fluffy :( so I just end up putting it up and bun or some other up do.
    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs) Very happy with this. My hair can thrive with most any product as long as it doesn't have a lot of heavy ingredients
    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)
    Yes again. =) I've been natural for mostly my whole life except for one time at a hair salon but I never knew I had curls and that's because I would wash and pile my hair on top of my heads like in commercials and than I would rub and shake the towel all over my hair creating one giant frizzy fro, lol. I also learned that washing my hair in sections results in much less hair loss since my hair is thin when its wet it comes out way tooooooo easy for my liking. I could go on and on with what I learned but I'll end it right here.
    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?) Well my hair has always been around full APL so maintaining it was never a problem but I have been able to grow it longer now that I'm on this hair journey. I'm full BSL now and inching closer & closer to mid back length each day. I suspect I'll be there by either the end of this month or sometime in January. =)

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  12. Anon 17:43 - Noooooooooo don't cut it all off! I was a barely neck length girl for ages and now my hair is the longest in the family. I am glad your read the post about breakage because you will understand that the mechanical part of breakage is really a key part that you have to understand. If your hair breaks more when combed or left open for a long time, then you have to do these things less often and more gently (i.e try a finger comb only routine, wash hair in loose twists, do not use heat on your hair).

    Don't cut your hair out of frustration. Cut it if you want to style it or if it needs a trim. I really suggest that you try a protective style that you can keep in for 4-8 weeks. It can be anything you like whether own hair braids/twists, extension braids or cornrows under a wig or sew in weave.

    You can and will get over that hump.....really it IS possible

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  13. MrsDjRass - I just dropped by your blog, your hair is cute! I think that one of the worst things to do when transitioning is to regularly apply heat to the natural hair. Some hair can handle regular heat but some hair really cannot and you can end up with damaged hair whenever you do decide to cut off the relaxed ends. I think for the combing issue I would say try
    1. finger detangling first on dry hair then sectioning
    2. a wide tooth comb and conditioner combing
    3. follow up with a brush or smaller comb if your would like (the thing is natural hair does not have to be perfectly separated always because it is going to tangle back up, you just need to make sure you are not letting your hair matt up)

    I think you should try more natural styles too like twistouts and braidouts which may be easier to help the natural hair blend with the relaxed hair without heat.

    Here is an example vid although her hair is fully natural

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  14. Oops forgot the link!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vPCIfhgiw0

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  15. Thank you all so much for your comments. It sometimes feels like I am talking to myself even though I know that there are 40,000 views on the blog. It is really nice to get feedback, truly appreciate all your comments :)

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  16. Still master styling my hair, I find be stuck with protective styles without extension is very boring (to the point of depressing some times)
    I like my texture about 66 percent, the soft ness,and medium-thin texture, but not really the curl pattern, or the lack there of. Products still have get a grasp on that, I am not really an experimenter, unless it is for conditioner. But my major grief is still length retention been actively natural for 2 years (inactively 3-4years) and I am starting now to see actual length retention.

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  17. Hi,

    It's my first time posting here. I'm not African American but I find your blog one of the most useful resources for finding information on curly hair care and I have recommended it to fellow curlies. :)


    1. Your texture
    I like my curl pattern and even the volume, but I get a lot of frizz and flyaways even with all the effort and care I put in.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)
    I'm definitely more savy about what products my hair likes. A year ago I was clueless about proteins and now I know that is the one thing I can't live without. Your blog also helped me ditch all this CG nonsense. I'm no longer wasting my time worrying over ingredients that are perfectly harmless.

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)
    More confident now than before, but as I said in question 1, frizz is still there. I can get a nice result with my denman but then I get more shrinkage and I know brushing isn't ideal, so it's a trade off.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)
    I feel like it's been stuck at shoulder lenght since forever. The one good thing though is I've noticed less split ends.

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  18. I've been doing two strand twists as a protective style for six months but single strand knots are still plaguing my fine hair! I starting to think they do more harm than good with my hair.

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  19. My texture is medium to course, but mostly medium with a few fine strands. I've been natural for 2.5 years and I'm very pleased with my hair's progress. I'm now a little past APL and my goal is to reach BSL this time next year. I keep a small product circle: shampoo, conditioner, leave in, oil and styler. I may switch up the styler from time to time. Wash days are therapy for me. I love my "hair dates". I've experimented a lot with different styles this and I'm still trying new things. Great site! Thank you all the useful info!

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  20. 1. I think I may have heat damage from when I was initially stretching my relaxer. Or maybe it's just a difference in texture I'm not sure how I can tell. I'm happier with the back.
    2. I have much better product knowledge than I used to but I think I'm still learning... I haven't settled on any firm favourites as yet.
    3. Techniques are definitely where I fall down. I can wash and dentangle fine in the shower but once dry my hair is a tangled clump once again. I don't really know what to do to tackle this. I'm getting better at flat twists but how two strand twists look on my hair at the moment leaves a lot to be desired.
    4. My hair is a lot longer than I thought combed out but it shrinks easily... I feel I should have a lot more growth than I do but my hair maybe grows slowly?

    Ha ha this sounds a lot more unhappy than I am. I feel I'm on a steep learning curve.

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  21. JC, thanks so much for the tips. I'm about to watch that YouTube video right now.

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  22. I'm in my 7th month of transition. I came into it kicking and screaming when, after 34 years of relaxing every five weeks without a break, I lost about 25% of my hair from the scalp. This happened when I started using perm color on top of the relaxer. When I was lucky enough to have it grow back in a few months later, I had the nerve to abuse it with more relaxer, except I used a mild strength. It fell out again. I swore if my hair was kind enough to give me one more chance, I'd never abuse it with relaxer again.

    I have kept my promise and so glad I did. In month 4 of transition, I cut off nearly a foot of relaxed hair I'd been holding onto even though it looked ridiculous trying to blend it with the areas my hair had fallen out -- it was the scariest mullet ever. Now I'm about 60/40 natural/relaxed. I left a few inches of relaxed hair so the change wouldn't be too radical for me, and trim it monthly. I've been dealing with scab hair in the areas I killed my poor hair twice (I realize I'm lucky I even have scab hair growing!) but now I can finally feel some softer hair coming in underneath. I haven't had short hair in over 30 years, but can't seem to stop cutting off the relaxed ends or playing with my new curls. I planned to transition 12 months but it'll likely be shorter than that, 8 or 9 months at most. I've become confident in my short, natural hair and in my routine. My hair had to give me an ultimatum to make it happen, but now I'm so glad it did.

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  23. 1. Yes
    2. Yes
    3. Yes
    4. Yes
    I still have my days when I just don't feel like being bothered with it but I do love everything about my hair - finally.

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  24. HI JC,
    Merry Christmas!
    Thanks for your blog, looking forward to reading next year.
    I big chopped in jan 2010, so am coming up to my 2 year mark. I have to remember that my hair now is not the same as my hair when I was 18 years old or 21 years old or even 25 years old.
    I like my texture most days, some days I have curl/hang envy and wish I had could wear my hair in more out styles and have it hang like elle from quest for a perfect curl.
    Product wise I don't have a clue. I've tried all natural and now trying good old vaseline and shampoos like hh and seeing how that works.
    I'm ok with my washing technique, combing may need some revision/tuition.
    I thought my hair would have been longer by now and feel I still need advice about trimming and where in the uk there are natural hair salons.
    Have a happy new year

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    Replies
    1. Hi
      The only natural hair salon I have been to is Adornment 365 in Brixton, SW London. I HAD to have a trim and asked for a 1/4" off but of course they took more - up to an 1" but now when I wash my hair I can see it has a proper shape instead of being straggly.

      I quite liked my experience there, the main reason I went natural was because I was tired of the NEGATIVE attitude of hairdressers. It wasn't cheap and they even charge to style your hair after, I went for cheap flat twists. Overall I was happy with my visit, they showed me loads of styles that they offer and I plan to go back once a year for a trim.

      Protective styles allowed me to retain hair length, in Jan 2011 I had eyebrow/top of nose length hair in Oct 2011 before I had it cut it was at my bottom lip. After my Adornment cut my hair was just above my lip by the end of December it was back to my lower lip.
      If you wash, DC and use a leave in conditioner and seal once a week and follow up with a protective style you will see length retention. I am proof of that.

      Delete
  25. Hi Jc,

    You've certainly helped, in the time that I found your blog. I am happy with my hair! Thank you :)

    1. Your texture

    Similar to Anon 18:58, I love my curls, but it's taken more time to get adjusted to my fine/thin texture. I too will end up with "scalpy" styles if I'm not careful. But fine/thin hair also has it's advantages, so I've come to love and appreciate it all!

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)

    EUREKA! Finally! Took a lot of time and iterations, but I am happy with my knowledge of products to pick for my hair. For now, lol.

    But by no means am I married to a particular product or brand. I like trying them all! In the 3 years of wearing my hair curly, I don't think I've repurchased anything just yet (except Eco Styler gel).

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)

    I have pre-pooing, washing, and detangling locked down. I no longer have to "plan" or "prepare" for wash day. I can do an impromptu session and still be successful.

    I'm happy with the styling techniques I've discovered thus far, but I'm constantly trying something new to see how I can improve upon a style.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)

    Yes, retaining length has yet to be a problem while wearing my hair natural.

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  26. I would say that I am happy with my hair. I'm pretty fortunate to never really have had any frustrations with my hair even when first going natural.

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  27. thanks for the comment on not cutting all my hair off -but I do all that protective styling but me and my hair stylist seriously disagree on detangling this thick,coarse gorgeous african hair - she insists on combing it through when totally dry which of course breaks it and is it just me but this actually creates even more knots and tangles. My hair even manages to knot when finger detangling - you can understand my frustration! I leave it in twist for up to 4 weeks and it still won't grow...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. Sack the stylist she is the reason for your lack of hair retention.

      2. Only detangle hair after you have left conditioner in it for 30 minutes then finger detangle then comb if necessary.
      Don't leave twists in for 4 weeks take them out after a week and wash your hair. Consider extension cornrows they can last up to 4 weeks safely providing you spritz your hair with water daily and follow with a very light coating of grapeseed or olive oil.

      3. When you take out the cornrows put a conditioner and olive oil mix in your hair for 30 minutes then detangle put in twists and rinse and then shampoo. Smooth the shampoo into your hair like you were stroking a cat, no rubbing required then rinse and apply a leave in conditioner. I use Giovanni Direct leave in using the Kimmaytube (she is on YouTube) conditioner. When your hair is dry take out the twists and protective style for the week, don't MEDDLE with your hair until the next washday which should be 7-10 days.

      5.I have 4c hair and the only time I see a "stylist" is once a year for a trim.

      Delete
  28. Yes, to all questions! I learned a lot in a year. Henna, castor oil, aloe vera gel, vatika oil and of course WATER are all the products I need. Thank you for all you do!

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  29. 1. happy with my texture, it shrinks alot but now that I know how to style it I was really able to unlock the versatility.
    2. Yep, definitely happy, I've come a long way now that I know what oils work best, how porous my hair is, etc.
    3. Very happy with styling, it's easy as pie now. However, I could use a little more patience.
    4. My hair retains most of it's length. I trim maybe once every 10 months, anywhere from a half-inch to an inch depending on how rough I've been with it. It also just grows quickly, so even if I'm not gentle with my hair I still see more length added.

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  30. Hey Jc! I love this informal poll. Here goes.

    1. Your texture - I am happy with my texture-- now moreso than ever-- which is most likely to do with my answer to the next question.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs) - I finally have begun to feel like I am mastering my hair, and I am little by little chipping away at the more difficult aspects of caring for it through finally finding the best practices and products for it.

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?) - Indeed! I no longer feel like my hair is "a lot to deal with," and I feel good about my routine and how I take care of my hair.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?) - I'm actually a bit shocked at how well I've done in terms of length retention and growth. My hair has really flourished this year, and I couldn't be happier. I'm excited to see what 2012 brings, now that 2011 finally got me to a point where I feel like I know what I'm doing!

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  31. Anon 18:58 here,

    I forgot to tell you, JC -- yes, you've helped me so much. Your blog is my favorite. I love learning the science behind everything and your straightforward, objective approach. Thank you for providing this resource to us. I'm still going through the archives and look forward to learning more next year!

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  32. Oh wow the responses keep coming! Thank you so much. I just approved the last set but I have not read them in detail........I am looking forward to my evening coffee and getting to read them all tonight :)

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  33. Thank you so much for this poll! It made me realize that I LOVE my hair! I am newly natural, I big chopped in October as I lost my resolve to continue with two textures. Your site has been a great help to me during my transition. Your explanations of the science behid our hair helped me a lot too when I was going through a major product junkie phase!
    Now that I know what to use and why to use it my hair and I are just cruising along. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  34. 1. Almost- i have a small patch in the back that i just don't know is wrong with its a fragile and way more kinky than the rest of my hair and it refuses to grow out. weird. Also the top of my head, the hair still seems to be growing out heat damage....-_- its been two years already. ugghh. other than that I have no issues with my texture or curl pattern.

    2. Yes. I have settled on a regimen, with a few products (about 3) that satisfy me. YAY

    3. My techniques are great! I am happy with them. takes a little long, but it usually worth it.

    4. Almost, my hair isn't too short, but it is horribly uneven, especially with the struggling patch in the back (FROM 5INCHES TO 10 INCHES!). Its very frustrating but I'm coming to terms with it by not fiddling with it so much. I expect things to be completely evened out in two years (2014 yikes) so that's not too long to wait.

    ReplyDelete
  35. 1. Your texture - Pretty much. My hair isn't as kinky/cottony as I was expecting. Have people who did my hair when I was a kid tell you and my hair was a monster. But I've found it ranges from 4a in back to 4c in the crown. Takes some getting use to the differences.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)- Absolutely comfortable. I know what works for me shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and oils. I even henna every other month. And even though I have my regimen down pact I'm not closed to trying new things. So next month I'm going to try rhassoul clay.

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?) - Wash days are a breeze. Did I really just say that?? Lol. But it's true. Even though the process takes a few hours, I can do it and do it well. Coming from a place where I never touched my own hair. Always had a hair dresser. I'm amazed at the things I've learned to do in the past 1.5 years. From flat twists to a perm rod set. Never imagined I'd be able to style my own hair and look beautiful/stylish/professional. I plan to continue to experiment and expand my style repertoire.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)- My hair is growing nicely. I did have to trim off the last remaining bit of damaged ends/relaxer but even still it's probably the longest its been in 5 years. Where I struggle is with fullness and a few areas that were negatively impacted by my last hair dresser's quick weave techniques. Thank goodness that with a lot of tlc, I'm seeing hair return to those areas. Hopefully this year I will see a noted difference in fullness.

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  36. I AM HAPPY WITH MY HAIR TEXTURE AND LENGTH BUT NOT WITH MY TECHNIQUES I HAVE TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY TO MAINTAIN A PROPER STYLE. SO I ALWAYS HAVE TO WEAR IT AS A CHIGNON.

    I WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. GOD BLESS.

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  37. 1. Yup, we're cool
    2. I'm very pleased with the knowledge I have accumulated about products, thanks to your site and others. No more money flying out the window and I get good results e.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e.
    3. I look good everyday so what's there to complain about?
    4. I've got length beyond my wildest dreams so that makes 5 "yes's" all around!

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  38. I was so unhappy with my hair and the million single strand knots and split ends I suffered once my natural hair got to neck length. I did manage it until I could cope no more and texlaxed it 2 days ago at armpit length.
    Now I am somewhat at BSL texlaxed.

    I used the non chemical relaxer Phytospecific - Have you heard of it? It costs a whopping $60!!!! My hair still feels dry and I should have realised I'd need more than one kit for the amount of hair I have. Consequently I had only about 2 tablespoons of relaxer left to do the back 1/3 of my hair. :-( How long do you think I ought to wait before I can texlax the back to match the front? Also would love to hear what you think of the Phytoscientific relaxer because you are the best! :) Merry Christmas season!.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks everyone.

    Funkyjustice - I recommend that you visit longhaircareforum (LHCF). It is bound to have the review that you would like and there are many more women there with relaxed hair. Although I discuss a lot of science, I do it specifically for natural hair which is why you will only find a couple of posts for relaxed hair here. Other blogs that you might useful are sunshine's blog - hairlicious and the group hairlista. Tracy of kiss (keep it simple sista) and relaxed hair and health is also another blog.

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  40. I really like this post 'cos it forces me to review my hair journey. Here goes

    1. Your texture - It's alright I guess. I don't think I am in love with it. I have Nigerian hair. It is 4b or a...not sure, fine strands.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)- After 3yrs being natural, I am still struggling with the right products but I feel like I am closer and closer. I am half minded about Henna. I have different products for washing (black soap or curls), styling (afroveda), conditioning (herbal essence, many brands) but my goal has been to consolidate into 1 brand. I just tried keracare natural textures for the first time and think I may have found it! I also tried hot oil treatments for the first time twice and loved it. Now thinking of eliminating henna or doing henna gloss only, because of question 3

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?) - No No No. I still lose a noticeable amount of hair during wash days, and even more so when I henna monthly. I think because my fine, type 4 strands are already prone to tangling and breakage, and to get henna out properly i have to wash the hair loose multiple times. I also wonder if henna is too heavy for my fine strands. Unlike others, I feel like on non-henna wash days when I put the hair in 6 loose twists, and get out of the shower and unravel the hair, there is still conditioner/shampoo within the twist unlike when i do it loose. I don't know what I am doing wrong. The best wash day I have had was last week, when I tried a hot oil tmt for the first time, but I also tried keracare natural textures cleansing cream so i don't know what helped. I still lost a little hair though.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)- AFter 3 yrs of being natural, I feel stuck in a rut. The rut of 6-8 inches, which it takes some people less than a year to achieve. The best thing I feel i have discovered is crotchet braids/weave as a protective style. I hope that helps me retain length.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Great Post Idea!

    1. Your texture

    Yes I really do love my texture! Its thick and highly textured..(coils & Cottony, very springy). It is a job to detangle sometimes and if I could change anything about it, that would be it.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)

    Yes this has gotten a lot better for me this year. I've figured out that my hair loves olive oil! And I have found staple moisturizers and hair butters. I know what may hair likes the most.


    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)

    Wash days..eeh I go back and forth. The detangling is what gets me. I try my best to stick to dry finger detangling prior to adding water..that is time consuming. and typically after I've done a Cassia or Henna it's really bad because I can't put my hair in plaits prior to washing. Styling has been awesome! I'm very happy with that.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)

    Yes I have been retaining good length..It could have been more if I wasn't trimming all year but I think I've gotten that under control so I'm on a good role right now, keeping in a lot of mini twists.

    ReplyDelete
  42. 1. Your texture= N/A from start to now i did not care what i got

    2. Your products= I have what i need but for 2012 I will branch out more.(under $10)

    3. Your techniques=No, Sad to say i have been natural for 5 years and i only know how to 2 strand twist.i need to learn how to style my own hair.(that will be hard cuz i got 5 ppl who do my hair for free) lol

    4. Your length=N/A I keep it cut above shoulder, i think for 2012 i will let it grow to see how much longer it will get

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  43. I'm okay with my texture but I'm relaxed now but I didn'y have any issues with my texture when I was natural.

    I think I'm comfortable with the products that I use but I wish there was something i could use to hel p prevent breakage during transistioning.

    I actually enjoy doing my hair but I will start going to the hairdresser more next year.

    I'm pretty close to APL but I would like to be bsl by next year.

    ReplyDelete
  44. For questions 1-3 my answer would be yes. To #4 no. I'm focusing on gaining length for 2012.

    ReplyDelete
  45. 1. Your texture - I love it.

    2. Your products - I use Cantu leave-in and EcoStyler with Olive oil.

    3. Your techniques - I have mastered the wash n go. Now that my hair is longer the diffuser is my hair's best friend. That's about it. I really don't have the patience to do anything else.

    4. Your length - My hair has always grown pretty fast. In fact I BC'd 3 times in 6 months to keep the close cut I loved. Now, I'm content with the each length stage. I'm just making life easier by letting it grow until it becomes too time consuming.

    ReplyDelete
  46. 1. i love my texture! very very coarse.. like 4c.. the only think i hate is the shrinkage!! no one else has as much !! >.<
    2. im still on the search for the best products but as of right now, olive oil deep conditioning works very well for me, and carols daughter products are great quality ! but too expensive for my budget..
    4.. nOOOO im content since its growing as it should but i just want to hurry up and rock a big fro!! my only issue is the ends of my hair are always rough and break no matter how many times i trim them

    ReplyDelete
  47. It's great that you are all so positive and I'm sorry to be the Debbie Downer but I've pretty much got straight no's.

    1. Your texture - Ugh as much as I try to fall in love with it I can't. Little well defined coils that refuse to dangle.
    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs) Sort of. Aubrey organics is lovely, coconut oil, and shea buttter, and KC Knot today. I fell out of love with the curling custard this morning - probably due to user error.
    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?) - Never learned how to cornrow so as much as I want to do a pretty lil flat twist, I cannot. So, no...although I did have a pretty decent twist out once.
    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?) - No. I've been natural for about 4 years (taking care of it for only about 1 month now) and my hair is only at my chin.

    Sorry to be so negative, I guess I just needed to vent. I should probably stop watching all of the YouTube pretties.

    ReplyDelete
  48. 1. okay i got to be honest i prefer the smooth, thick, curly section to the dense, fine, dry section.
    2. Got it. I'm finally happy with products - giovanni leave-in, any sulphate free shampoo, yes to carrots conditioner - Curl Junkie repair for protein. Plus always in the cupboard: distilled water, henna, glycerine, cider vinegar, aloe vera gel, and some combination of shea butter, coconut, castor, jojoba, olive oil
    3. Nooo! I haven't had the patience or the confidence to change my style much. I wanna master a couple of simple updos and my wash n go this year. I had a puff for 95% of 2011.
    4. aforementioned fragile section is half the length of the rest, which is growing just fine. I keep trimming the lot though, cos i want a nice shape.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Oh wait... constant puff....dry and breaking hair... hmm. Maybe things'll look better when I get those protective styles together.

    ReplyDelete
  50. 1. I like it so much from roots to ends


    2. Yes these past few months I didn't do much to my hair like they say I kept it simple. Using oil, butter, soap, powders aloe vera the only manufactured stuff I've used (and still use) is a conditionner (Garnier extra doux)

    3. I didn't experiment a lot but mostly I'm happy with the results.

    4. I did notice length so everything's fine !! it keeps growing and I plan to do PS to help retaining the most though. Now my hair has 3 layers the longer reach APL then CBL/SL and the shorter "le menton" (don't know how to tell it in english sorry)

    Btw Happy New Year to y'all

    ReplyDelete
  51. 1. Your texture

    Very much so because my being natural (as a mostly-4b with small, tight coils) carries more weight than someone with a looser texture being natural. Just being real...it's been 16 years and I'm STILL waiting for someone to dismiss me as being "able" to wear my hair natural because I have "good" hair.

    2. Your products (or knowledge of what products you should pick to suit your hair's needs)

    I'm happy that I decided during these last two years (growing out from my 5th BC) to really go out of the box in my experiments so I could gain a whole new understanding of how my hair works. For example, using products that let my coils coil helped me to wear WNGs long past my traditional stopping point. Right before the New Year I finally tried KCCC with KCKT and let's just say I'm entering 2012 on a new high.

    3. Your techniques (i.e are you happy and confident with your wash day and styling?)

    Again, stepping way outside my box and letting my texture do what it do has allowed me to save time when styling. I went through a period where I felt I was walking that fine line between "hot" and "hot-ass mess." Doing less has meant a lot more in general.

    4. Your length (are you able to maintain or gain length?)

    Absolutely! The WNG experiment only demonstrated what I've always known: to retain length I have to leave my hair alone as much as possible. Now that I've moved on from the WNG (mostly) I'm doing what I can do to retain length on loose hair since I prefer loose styles to protective styles like twists and braids.

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Am I happy with my hair, ABSOLUTELY.

    I love my texture, when my hair is moisturised it feels spongy, soft and silky. I enjoy detangling and touching my hair - bring on wash day.
    Products, I make my own leave in conditioner, hair sealant, daily spritz and hair rinse. The only thing I buy is conditioner for my DC.
    Techniques, it's been a year since I discovered natural hair and YouTube and I have my routine down. At first I tried every technique going but now I know what works best for my hair.
    My hair length goal is 15" just brushing my shoulders, I'm not there yet. The best thing about discovering natural hair and YouTube was learning how to retain length. My hair was stuck at eyebrow length and is now just past my bottom lip, I'm overjoyed.
    I also plan to experiment with more styles as soon as I take out my plait extensions.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I'm happy now. but had you asked me that about a good month ago, i would have said heck to the nawl. i was on the verge of cutting half of my length off, but my husband stopped me. it would have been a whole year's worth of undertaking to grow it back, and that was a very sobering thought when i thought about it in terms of time spent undoing the cut lol
    i've always loved my hair texture. anything i haven't loved about my hair never had to do directly with its texture, but more so my frustration with its behavior and properties. like how even a little bit of product is enough to saddle it down and have it lookin haggard, or how it looks dry a few hours after i've moisturized it (which led to me forsaking the great debacle that is moisturizing), how my second day hair is usually on point, but my third day and on from there are never anything special etc. those are the times when i would hate my hair, when i would dwell on things of that nature.
    products- i'm actually pretty happy with my products. i've never been one to obsess over products, as they don't make or break hair (no pun intended). i've always cared more about how i used product rather than the products attributes.
    technique- i've refined my technique and, though still tweaking, have found something that has finally been satisfying me consistently for the past month. i'm learning, and my hair is thriving. in the past, i didn't raelly have much of a technique, so i was quite unhappy with the results over time but now i don't have that problem.
    length- i would be lying to say i was satisfied, because i guess that if i was, i wouldn't be actively trying to gain more length lol but on the real, i do want much longer hair- a whole 2 year's worth of longer hair. the last 2 years went by fast, so i don't think these next 2 will take too long either. such is life. i'm in it for the long haul and i can def wait this long hair goal thing out with good hair habits in the interim.
    but if you mean with my ability to get longer hair from a retention standpoint- i think i am well capable and that i've found a method that will allow me to make the most of my length and the retention thereof. i feel confident that in the next few months i'll have length to show for my newfound, easygoing regimen. i've never struggled to maintain, but a few setbacks had compromised my retention in the past. now that i'm going into the upcoming months with very few split ends and very minimal breakage, i have no doubt that my longest layers will definitely be 14-15 inches long by the end of this year.

    ReplyDelete

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