Shea Growth And Retention Regimen 2018

Has Shea Butter 'got you'?

  • Let me look over my investment portfolio and see if I have room for shea related stocks.

    Votes: 21 12.8%
  • I've got 8 pounds in the house, I need to order me some more because I don't want to run out.

    Votes: 29 17.7%
  • 1 Day without sealing my ends is just unthinkable.

    Votes: 12 7.3%
  • It works for me for now.

    Votes: 45 27.4%
  • Nah, I can take it or leave it.

    Votes: 12 7.3%
  • Meh, I'm here for the posts.

    Votes: 28 17.1%
  • That stuff just weighs down my hair. No thanks!

    Votes: 17 10.4%

  • Total voters
    164

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Ok, I’m going to chime in, after lurking on this thread for months.

I attempted to go natural for 6 months, got tired and got a relaxed. In my relaxed and transistioning states, I tried a shea butter mixture that worked. Though I haven’t been consistent in my usage, I can tell when I use it. My ends look totally different when I use it nightly to roll my hair.

Currently, my last mixture, on relaxed ends, consisted of: shea butter, mango butter, crisco and some other stuff (I misplaced my recipe), and I plan on applying it consistently until the end of the year. Shea butter is the TRUTH!!

Are your ends smoother? What's the difference? Congratulations for hoping on the Shea Train!
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I am getting close to HL I think...I always get confused on where the lines are for each length! I'm between WL and HL after trimming twice this year which I contribute to my consistent use of Queen Shea throughout the winter and spring. I didn't use it as heavily during the summer but I am back at it now. User for life!!!!

You are at hip length! Can you post your photo here, too? I think that would encourage others and be quite helpful. How fabulous that you can attribute your length gains to something you did or used consciously: Queen Shea!

I hope you post your pictures for us here! People would love to see the length that you have gained. I enjoyed seeing those photos of yours in the other thread in which you posted.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I fell off the shea train for about two months and I could tell the difference. My hair felt dry and angry.:lachen:So last weekend I finally motivated myself to whip up a batch. I’ve been using it every night on my ends and edges. My hair is so much softer now. I’m going to apply it daily until the end of the year. I also trimmed my ends on 11/29. I was seeing way too many split ends. I hope the shea will help with that.

In general, does your hair tend to split? Or do you think because you stopped using Shea butter it started to split? Shea tends to help keep ends smooth and pretty.

For me, Shea butter is not enough to keep my ends from splitting. I do an Ends Routine. First, I saturate the ends of my hair with water. I put castor oil, or whatever oil I have at my disposal, on the ends of my hair. Then, I saturate with Shea butter if I am wearing a baggie for the day, which I now do daily.

If your style allows for it, I think adding water optimizes Shea butters sealing characteristics. The more moisture you have on your hair, the more moisture it can seal into the hair.
 

lalla

Well-Known Member
I tried stretching my hair ( I am 17 weeks post relaxer) and it's very close to hip length. that's the longest my hair has ever been but I will know for sure when I relax next week.
My routine for the past two months: scurl + shea butter, I wear a upart kinky straight wig.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I tried stretching my hair ( I am 17 weeks post relaxer) and it's very close to hip length. that's the longest my hair has ever been but I will know for sure when I relax next week.
My routine for the past two months: scurl + shea butter, I wear a upart kinky straight wig.


:toocool:
Great job @lalla ! Keep us posted, please. Can we see it? :) Are you relaxing or are you having it done? Even if there is no picture, I KNOW it will be gorgeous. :drunk:
 

LivingInPeace

Well-Known Member
In general, does your hair tend to split? Or do you think because you stopped using Shea butter it started to split? Shea tends to help keep ends smooth and pretty.

For me, Shea butter is not enough to keep my ends from splitting. I do an Ends Routine. First, I saturate the ends of my hair with water. I put castor oil, or whatever oil I have at my disposal, on the ends of my hair. Then, I saturate with Shea butter if I am wearing a baggie for the day, which I now do daily.

If your style allows for it, I think adding water optimizes Shea butters sealing characteristics. The more moisture you have on your hair, the more moisture it can seal into the hair.
My hair tends to split, especially in the front. I was trying not to put water on it this week because I had done a roller set. My intention from here forward is to wet my ends nightly and put on my Shea.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
My hair tends to split, especially in the front. I was trying not to put water on it this week because I had done a roller set. My intention from here forward is to wet my ends nightly and put on my Shea.

Is the front area that you style frequently, ie undergoes a lot of frequent manipulation?
 

Sally.

Well-Known Member
I was experiencing some neck and shoulder pain and didn’t have the ability to do the LCB method (liquid-cream-Butter), so I just used some of my East African Shea Butter. It left my hair really soft, moisturized, and tangle free. I don’t even need to do all of the whipping, mixing, and adding a bunch of products to my hair. I used to make using Shea Butter so complicated but I’ve realized that I can actually apply it straight to wet hair (as long as it’s the East African variety/nilotica).

Now I just need to find a protective style/wig that I can wear while I am moisturizing my hair with Shea Butter. I am going to try this consistently for the next 3 months to see my results. If this really helps change my dry hair and leads to more growth, I will be mind blown. It will also feel so liberating (both in time, money, and space) to not have to be so dependent upon so many freaking hair products.
 

Daina

Well-Known Member
You are at hip length! Can you post your photo here, too? I think that would encourage others and be quite helpful. How fabulous that you can attribute your length gains to something you did or used consciously: Queen Shea!

I hope you post your pictures for us here! People would love to see the length that you have gained. I enjoyed seeing those photos of yours in the other thread in which you posted.

Sure no problem, here you go! I've also started using the shea butter when my hair is straight as well on the last 5 inches of the ends. Hoping to be full HL in 2019.
 

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Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Sure no problem, here you go! I've also started using the shea butter when my hair is straight as well on the last 5 inches of the ends. Hoping to be full HL in 2019.

Thanks for posting. You WILL be full hip length by December 2019, barring no major cuts or set-backs. It is very do-able at your current length! :)

Using the hair underneath your finger, I'd say you have a minimum of three (3) inches to go to get to hip length. In an average growing cycle, you get about 6 inches per 12 months. Even with some trimming and breakage (but we hope not!), you have a very good chance of making your goal by December 2019, or sooner.
 

LivingInPeace

Well-Known Member
Is the front area that you style frequently, ie undergoes a lot of frequent manipulation?
No. Not really. Even when I was relaxed, the front never grew as long as the rest of my hair. I remember back in the day I was at a new stylist and she said “Do you want to grow out your bangs?” I said, “I didn’t have anyone cut my hair into bangs.” She said, “So it just broke off into a style?”:lachen:
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
No. Not really. Even when I was relaxed, the front never grew as long as the rest of my hair. I remember back in the day I was at a new stylist and she said “Do you want to grow out your bangs?” I said, “I didn’t have anyone cut my hair into bangs.” She said, “So it just broke off into a style?”:lachen:

Is the texture different in the front of your hair, in comparison to different areas of your head?
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I have a mix of type 4 textures all over. It curls easily. It’s not any finer than the other areas. I think it just hates me and likes to hurt my feelings.:cry3:

Usually, hair that breaks more than other areas tends to not be finer. It tends to be coarser. It's the coarser hair that needs the extra love and pampering. It doesn't hate you. You have to learn to better understand it. It's trying to communicate with you. So, you have to listen without judgement. Once you understand, it will respond to your love and attention with beauty and health.
 

sarumoki

Epicurean Empress
I tried stretching my hair ( I am 17 weeks post relaxer) and it's very close to hip length. that's the longest my hair has ever been but I will know for sure when I relax next week.
My routine for the past two months: scurl + shea butter, I wear a upart kinky straight wig.
How do you keep that much hair under a wig?
 

LivingInPeace

Well-Known Member
Usually, hair that breaks more than other areas tends to not be finer. It tends to be coarser. It's the coarser hair that needs the extra love and pampering. It doesn't hate you. You have to learn to better understand it. It's trying to communicate with you. So, you have to listen without judgement. Once you understand, it will respond to your love and attention with beauty and health.
So, you’re saying that my bangs and I need to work on our relationship? Maybe counseling would help? Some journaling? Maybe a long weekend together at a bed and breakfast to recapture the romance?
 

sunflora

Flowah Powah
Usually, hair that breaks more than other areas tends to not be finer. It tends to be coarser. It's the coarser hair that needs the extra love and pampering. It doesn't hate you. You have to learn to better understand it. It's trying to communicate with you. So, you have to listen without judgement. Once you understand, it will respond to your love and attention with beauty and health.

Chicoro has a point here. I have an area to the right of my head that is far more coarse than the rest of my hair. I range from 3c - 4a, but this area may be 4b, or is simply just dry. Wash day was yesterday and it took me a significantly longer time to detangle this side. I used to try to detangle it at the same speed of the rest of my hair, but the frazzled ends are evidence that this was not the way to go. It was a lengthy process of very slowly working through the hair, stopping if any tangling happened, using my fingers to prevent knots, etc. Took forever, but the hair has been given what it needs to stop breaking.

Second, my front of hair area suffers and my bangs have trouble growing back due to heat and mechanical damage. Unknowingly, when I would straighten my hair, the frontmost part of my hair would be the part with leftover product (like deep conditioner, and it only takes a tiny bit to start cooking) or that I would go over more times to get the 'look' I wanted. It's been the shortest part of my hair for as long as I can remember, but the things I did to it were so in my subconcious that I didn't pay any attention to it. Mechnical damage was wearing buns - I would use my BBB to sweep that part into the bun every day when I bunned. This can and will cause damage! A lot of people aren't aware that brushing the hair /smoothing it out the same way frequently can cause mechanical damage, especially when it is wet and something like a hard bristle brush is used. I've hence stopped using the BBB on that section, instead I twist it and pin it back with a bobby and it creates a rather elegant looking bun.

All that to say is, it may sound silly, but yes you do have to take a step back, go through your motions and really pay attention to what it is you're doing with your hair to figure out these 'mysteries'.
 

ItsMeLilLucky

Aka Giveme D’Monee
@Chicoro My brain kept reading “behind splits” as “behind the splits” and I was very confused :lachen: I was like behind what splits? My brain’s auto correct is very funny sometimes.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
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Alma Petra

Well-Known Member
I went through this thread from post #1 until post #5035.

I missed several Shea Made Hair Unicorns!

@Coilystep post # 1375
@keranikki post #166
@NappyNelle post # 1366
@Alma Petra post # 2081
@flyygirlll2 post # 2623
@abioni post # 3335
@icsonia22 post # 3377
@LivingInPeace post # 3946
@sarumoki post #4380
@Dominga11 post # TBD

@caribeandiva ,
Can you create an award for all these ladies, please? The date can be today: December 2nd, 2018, please. It's a lot. We can wait until you have time!
Awww Chicoro you are so kind! Do you know that I had to big chop my hair recently?
 
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