Guinan
Re-Branding
Hi ladies, i am fairly new to the whole site, and i have never officially introduced myself until now. Been lurking for a while, and i have to admit that this thread has to be the most lively, welcoming, and funny i have been reading. And nikkiQ you are an excellent host. Thank you to all of you ladies for tips, shared stories, and inspirational pictures. And the ninjas have me rolling laughing; congratulations though for making it to apl. Don't want to hold yall back but it feels good to have you guys around hanging out with the shoulder length crew. Anyways a little about me.
I have been relaxed for about 15 years, never grew my hair past maybe neck length. When i got pregnant, my hair grew strong and closed to apl with no help from me. I used to just go to the dominican salon for a wash and set using their product which is what i did before the pregnancy as well. 3 months after my c-section (february 2011) SHEDDING massive SHEDDING. I will post pictures when i learn how to. The shedding and breakage continued until september 2012 when i started looking into healthy hair care. I discovered lhcf, and laughed it off thinking yall were delusional. But i was so desperate i decided to incorporate some of the techniques like pre pooing, no sulfate poo, moisturize and seal with coconut oil. 2 things happened: no more dandruff, and no more tangles while detangling. So i registered without subscribing. Slowly got to become a product junkie, started on hairffinity and my hair was doing great. Then breakage again, by then i was above shoulder length with thin and see through ends. Looking at the products i introduced last, i realized that my hair hates alo vera (weird). I had started using SM moisture retention poo, and jane carter's leave in both with aloe vera high in the ingredient list. I tried everything to help with the breakage Nothing. Then i stopped using everything i had and started using all kerastase product. My breakage stopped, and my hair was good again. Last month, after stucking divachyck whom i love i started using beemine balanced moisturizer daily, Bad idea. I later realized that aloe vera is one of the ingredient. So right now i am trying to manage that breakage and try to make to APL by dec 2013. I forgot to say i stopped perming in february 2012, possibly transitioning if i can manage that breakage. my regimen right now is as followed:
Prepoo with coconut oil and olive oil
Sampoo with kerastase bain de force poo ( sulfate)
DC with Kerastase masquintense for thick hair for 30 mn with heat
Leave in S curl
Seal with Pura dor argan oil 100% organic
Air dry
Clarify once a month with vo5 clarifying poo
Co wash once a week with hair one olive oil followed by kerastase masquintense mixed with ors rp or kerastase oleo relax masque.
Protein every 2 weeks with kerastase masque force architecte no heat followed by masqueintense thick if i am going to airdry or nutrithermique if i am blowdrying my roots. Heat protectant is Argan oil mixed with grapeseed oil and kerastase elixir ultime.
I m&s everyday, with Scurl and castor oil. I take hairfinnity everyday, sleep in my satin cap everynight. I wear my hair in a single braid and tuck the ends inside everyday as my protective style. I only wear my hair down every other weekend when i go out with DH.
Unfortunately for me my hair loves the expensive stuff. I did try the cheap things believe me i did. Right now i have a tons of products that i am afraid to use cause i cant afford another set back: Macademia nut oil deep repair masque, Proclaim intense hydrating masque, bottles of AOGPB, AOHR, AOWC, SM moisture retention poo, Aphogee 2 steps, aphogee balanced conditioner, aphogee 2 mn Bee mine balance moisturizer, Jane carter leave in spray, . While some of these didn't cause set back, but they did nothing for my hair. The only cheap stuff my hair loves is S curl and ORS replenishing pack. My favorite treatment is ORS repleninshing pack mixed with kerastase masqintense under plastic cap no heat for 2 hours or more. Everytime result is strong moisturized hair, no breakage during detangling or styling for at least 3 days. Everytime i rinse it out i ask my self : Why the H**l do i bother with anything else. My hair loves them both alone, but together is like and explosion. Another favorite is SE mega silk DC. Although i don't like how my hair feels while applying or after rinsing, but the next day my hair is so soft i dont even want to m&s.
I recently started massaging JBCO to my scalp daily to help with all that thinning.
State of my hair right now: Shoulder length, healthy scalp and roots with some damaged relaxed ends that i am slowly trimming away. I currently am recovering from the bee mine related breakage. Tomorrow i will wash and dc with my famous mix , and cornrow under a wig for a week. That's gonna be my style for the whole of july.
Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading. And please make any suggestion for ways i can better my regimen. Also help with how to post progress pictures.
I like your protective style. I haven't done a french braid in years! I also use S-Curl as my moisturizer too. I really like that stuff. Your reggie looks good.
Sending BIG e-hugs your way!
just like applying OCO the scent fades throughout the day (yet I apply very little I think if I applied more the scents could be stronger)
It looks exactly like it did relaxed only it's healthier now. When I blowdry it, It gets straighter than most on medium heat. 
I was hoping that it'd be thicker. See the pic of my pony with the kitchen/cafeteria area? I wanted that puppy to be friggen HUUUUUGE.
I use baby bananas, honey, EVOO, and the molasses, and ACV.
