What Mistakes Did You Make in 2009?

[frizzy]

First mistake was not buying a steamer last year, this may have stopped me from making mistake #2.

Mistake #2 was cutting 4-5 inches off right before I went to super humid Central America! stoopid I couldn't even bun or wear a pony anymore :crazy: I think I only looked cute twice out of 4 months.

 

[LiberianGirl]

Being a product junkie and not sticking to my staple products
Not moisturizing my ends consistently

 

[lusciousladie07]

i HATE to say this... but...

henna was my biggest mistake.

I agree...I henna'd my hair the day after my bc and you can see a marked difference now in my hair.. the henna'd ends are much drier and can't hold moisture....when I straighten its hard to straighten..

There are some parts that I was able to cut off the henna ends completely and you can tell the difference. They straighten easier and are much more moisturized.

Wont do it again...

My other mistake was not using enough protein....will be doing a hardcore treatment this weekend.

 

[toyagurl]

Using Joico Kpak. My hair just can't take it.

 

[ebonimama]

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!

Tried to wear a wash n go got horrible dreads and knots when I tried to detangle. Ended up breaking off 3 inches of hair off of the lower half of my head. Now I'm stuck with above apl hair on the bottom and mbl hair on the top. It looks so thin and stoopid (yes stoopid not stupid)!

Trying to stretch relaxer to 12 weeks did not work for me. 8-10 week stretches only.

 

[miss Congeniality]

I was terrible with detangling my hair, I was constantly running my fingers through my hair and snapping my ends.

 

[jamaica68]

Being a product junkie and not sticking to my staple products
Not moisturizing my ends consistently

This was my big mistake as well. I jumped on the darcy botanicals bandwagon and my hair was like

and my mom who usually loves my natural hair is giving me the side eye. I told her I tried a new product but I've learned my lesson, I'm going back to my faithful hair lines: Qhemet, Blended Beauty, Oyin and Karen's Body Beautiful!!!!

 

[PrincessLinzz]

1. Not joining this site earlier and learning about my hair.
2. Buying every product EVERY person mentioned.

 

[PaleoChick]

Too many products...

 

[Lucie]

I think using Aphoghee 2 Min Reconstructor for hours while I ran errands was NOT the move. I guess more time is not always BETTER.

 

[BrownEyez22]

-Too much Dusting.

-Not realizing what being Anemic entailed. Just because I get my iron levels up does NOT mean I can stop taking my iron. Now I am back to square one, hopefully I will figure out how to maintain in 2010.

 

[Auburn]

Ulta Liquid Keratin

 

[MoniintheMiddle]

I'm transitioning (will be one year post tomorrow) and starting cutting away at my relaxed ends because I thought they were "unhealthy" because they looked thinner.

 

[Amerie123]

going to a salon

 

[Platinum]

Relaxing after a 6 month stretch back in April. I felt like I made a mistake almost immediately after relaxing. I would have been 14 months post by now.

 

[shae101s]

1. Wearing puffs too often
2. Leaving my hair uncombed and for the worst one too many times (I got really tired and even lazy)
3. Not following up on a good moisture DC
4. Not exercising and taking vitamins

 

[fattyfatfat]

being a salon ho. I went to the salon weekly and I always left the salon frustrated. No more of that in 2010.

 

[30something]

Taking to long to use Aphogee 2 step.

Using too many products with mineral oil as second ingredient (just because they come they have a good reputation) all at once, like SE cholesterol, Silicon Mix and Aphogee 2 two mins all in a week's time regimen.

 

[itismehmmkay]

Cutting it too often and trying to switch up my regimen

 

[ycj1]

Buying too many products just because of the rave reviews about them!

Putting in a s curl for only 5 min. because I got tired of my single stranded knots and could'nt deal with it any longer! Dah!!!! After my bc Dec 08 and became impatient and used the scurl in Feb 09 only once!!! Thank God!

Not incorporating the C&G routine sooner!

Having all of these products fm recommendations that I probably will never use!

Not following my 1st instincts. It's always good to follow your first mind.

Not massaging my scalp every day!

 

[poookie]

I'm transitioning (will be one year post tomorrow) and starting cutting away at my relaxed ends because I thought they were "unhealthy" because they looked thinner.

excellent point to bring up. thin does not necessarily always mean unhealthy.

 

[joytimes10]

Relaxing after a 6 month stretch back in April. I felt like I made a mistake almost immediately after relaxing. I would have been 14 months post by now.

We are in the same boat, Platinum erplexed!
This was my mistake exactly. I was impatient concerning the breakage I was experiencing. Had I hung in just a couple weeks longer, I would have hit the sweet spot of moisture/protein balance.

 

[Jetblackhair]

- A certain conditioner was thinning out my hair, but I didn't notice it at first. Now I'm trying to get my thickness back.

- Letting a hairdresser (who is actually natural herself), blow-dry and flat iron my hair. The next day my hair smelled like hot heat and when I washed and air-dried I still had a few straight pieces left in my hair.

May I ask what conditioner was thinning your hair out?

 

[BostonMaria]

Buying too many products. In the first 6 months of 2009 I would have 16 conditioners lined up LOL that doesn't include the other stuff I had. I probably wasted like $600. One day I just realized enough is enough. Now I have my oils, Suave conditioner, AOHR and my butters. My cupboards are bare and guess what... My hair is just fine.

In 2010 my goal is to keep it simple

 

[Adaoba2012]

Wearing braids and not moisturizing them at all...also not covering them with any type of scarf...I suffered very bad breakage on the left side of my head that I am still trying to grow out...smh here is the thread http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=372885&highlight=
No more braids in 2010...actually forever. I'm still a newbie and I've learned alot about haircare since then...2010 is my year

 

[Adaoba2012]

@BostonMaria kinda random but...I was looking at your avi and my avi and I realized that the way my hair is growing out of these layers looks like it might look like yours someday..tail and everything

 

[schipperchow1]

Ulta Liquid Keratin

What happened?

I got carried away with the WnGs in the warmer months. Stopped doing my protective styling & did a lot of manipulating.

 

[lollyoo]

For me Wash and gos. From april -october 2009 . Why I love wash and gos, my tight type 4a hair isnt happy. I mean I ended up with loads of shrinkage each time and knots. The result lots of splits from trying to undo the knots and loads of trims as a result.
This year its all about protective styling

 

[jahzyira]

I found out protein was my "frienemy"..... I started using the Lanza trauma treatment/Manuka Mud mixed together and it fixed my borderline moisture overload back in Feb. Unfortunately I got a little overzealous and used it every time I deep conditioned. Its good every once in a while but constant use gave me the worst setback ever. Also, along with not finding a good moisturizer till recently, I lost almost 4 inches this year. Now that Ive been doing the C&G method, I finally listened to my hair and learned that my fine fragile strands need nothing but lots of moisture and tons of ceramides. Ill be under a wig indefinitely till I can get my hair back even, stronger, and super healthy...

 

[prettyw/pink]

My mistake was yesterday. I use Roux porosity control wrong. I pre-pooed w/ Carol's Daugther Tui oil, shampooed w/ Keracare's Sulfate-free hydrating shampoo, Roux pc about 5 mins, then Miss Jessie's Rapid Recovery under dryer 25 mins. My hair was tangled after I rinsed out dc. You would not have believed I got a relaxer last week.

I think it was th pc. If I use again it will be after the dc for only 1 min. Or should I remove it from the regimen completely? Will my hair go back to normal after my next wash? Any other suggestions or comments?