How to start a regimen?

[Miss617]

Hi ladies,

So I'm pretty new here. I signed up about a month ago because my sister (MzLady78) has been RAVING about this forum for awhile now, so I figured I would check it out. I lurked for a while, just reading different posts and all I can say is I understand why she loves it so much.

Well my question for you all, if you don't mind, is how should I go about starting a hair care regimen. I'll give you all some basic information about me.

I'm 22, I go to school in New York, but I'm from Boston. I don't really have a hairdresser here, but I do go to a Dominican salon up the street from my school for wash and sets, or I wash and flat iron it myself. I get touch ups the few times I go home (which can be anywhere from 1 to 3 months between visits.)

I'm your typical broke college student, so I don't really have a lot to spend on hair products. And for those of you who have ever been on a college campus, you know how hard it is to get good nutritional food. I started taking GNC's Hair, Skin & Nails pills for about 3 months, and I got decent results, but not great results (and I know 3 months isn't that long, but I've taken them before for longer and still got just OK results.) Unfortunately, I still have a lot of shedding. Like a ridiculous amount of shedding. My hair is all over our bathroom and my room. And my roommate keeps commenting on how much hair I've been losing

So I've decided to attempt to start a hair care regimen, but I really don't know where to start. I've been researching products, but I don't want to just start buying stuff without knowing what exactly to buy. I know I should avoid mineral oil, parabens, that kind of thing, but I have no idea what else to do from there.

So if you all have any suggestions, that would be wonderful. I know this post is kind of long and it's such a newbie question to ask, but I really would like some advice. Thanks!

 

[shunemite]

Welcome!
My question is, what products do you currently have now? And what is your current daily/ weekly routine?

The simple basic regimen is:
Weekly: do a shampoo, deep condition with heat for 20 min or without heat for about an hour, rinse out, use a leave-in conditioner. Air dry or roller set or blow dry using alcohol free products like a serum/ mousse/ wrap lotion.

The thing to alternate weekly in your regimen if you want to keep it simple is usually the deep conditioner. Since you are shedding I would do a protein treatment this weekend, and then next weekend do a moisturizing conditioner.

Nightly, of-course, always sleep under a satin bonnet or satin scarf.

 

[maxineshaw]

The simplest advice I can give you is this:

1. Determines your needs/wants/goals (I highly recommend making a list)
2. Seek out methods/products that fulfill said needs/wants
3. Examine what it is that you are doing to your hair/product you are using to determine if those methods/products will allow you to achieve your goals

I also highly recommend that you refrain from jumping on bandwagons (the latest product or tool, etc). Slowly introduce one thing at a time into your routine so that you can easily determine what is or is not working for you.

Make sure that you give whatever it is that you are trying a decent amount of time to work. Let's say you are trying a new conditioning routine. How can you know if it's working if you don't give it time? While you are giving it time, I recommend writing down what you like or don't like about it. Make sure you keep a very detailed hair journal to avoid wasting money or repeating the same mistakes.


Here is a really really really basic hair routine (one that I used successfully both as being relaxed and now that I'm natural):

Once a week:
Shampoo
Deep Condition for 30 mins
Moisturize my hair
Protective Style

About moisturizing your hair...

I found the best method for moisturizing my relaxed hair was to apply a water-based spray leave in, then a oily moisturizer. After that I would use a few drops of oil and seal my ends before wrapping. I would only do all of that after my weekly washing. Depending on how my hair felt throughout the week, I would reapply any combination of the three products (maybe one but not the other, etc.).

Here's a few good articles that I highly recommend reading. They were written by a woman who is a member here (I think she might call herself SisterSlick or something like that...I'm probably wrong). They are excellent starting points for taking care of your hair.


Hair Regimen Building for Newbies

Relaxed Hair Care Regimen on a College Budget

How often should I deep condition my hair?

The Fine art of Moisture and Protein Balancing for Black Hair Care

There are a host of other articles on her profile, but I mainly recommend starting with the ones I have posted.

Whatever your starting point, always remember this: you don't have to do anything fancy or spend a ton of money to have healthy hair. Sometimes the simplest cheapest solution is best. It's mainly about trial and error. Everybody is different. Once you get past testing things I believe you'll see results faster because you will know what does and doesn't work for you. God bless. I know starting out can be rough.

 

[Solitude]

If you keep going to the Dominican salon, let them rollerset it and skip the blowdry. Just get it wrapped or pincurled and moisturize your ends between visits. Or tell them to blowdry your roots only. Get your hair deep conditioned as well. If you have any broken/split ends (and you probably do if you're seeing breakage), consider getting a good trim for a fresh start. If you take care of your ends, you won't have to trim frequently and you'll be able to retain.

Dominican salons helped me a lot when I first started my hair journey. Eventually, I learned how to set my hair myself.

Those GNC vitamins are my favorite. I see good results when I take them consistently, but I'm lazy.

 

[maxineshaw]

About the shedding...how do you know that what you are seeing is abnormal? You can take all the pills in the world, but if that's your body's natural chemistry there really isn't any changing it. I write this as a person who sheds a lot of hair. Shedding is a natural function. As long as you aren't balding or suffering from breakage, I don't see an issue.


Some other things I recommend:

Damaged hair repair chapter 1 (great tips for starting out)

The Hairlista ning site also has a really nice list of affordable products for every purpose (moisturizing shampoo, clarifying shampoo, protein conditioner, moisturizing conditioner, etc. etc. etc. ). You have to be a member to view it though.

ETA: to the board. Should have put that in my first post.

 

[naturalTAN]

The ladies above me have given some great advice. I'll just stress to keep an eye on protein and moisture levels.

As far as product suggestions, I say start cheap. I'm also a broke college student and I don't have the funds to be a high class product junkie (I do splurge on cheapies ). I highly recommend the Aussie Moist line. You can get the shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and leave-in for under $15 and they are ALL staples of mine that I actually use every week. They have not done me wrong yet and have helped me get from 1-3 in. after my big chop to almost brastrap length.

 

[shunemite]

I also recommend using sample sizes of products to begin with if available, they are usually only $3- $5, and keep your receipt! Don't be bashful about returning a product if it didn't work. I've done it before where I read serious raves about a particular product, then tried it and it was blah and I took it back.

Another way to save money and not buy a dryer for deep conditioning I got from this board and it works. Is to put a shower cap or grocery bag over your hair, then take a wet wash cloth or towel, nuke it in the microwave for like 30 sec to 1 min, and put it over the plastic cap, and put another plastic cap or grocery bag over the wet hot towel. It'll add some heat for a while.

 

[Miss617]

Welcome!
My question is, what products do you currently have now? And what is your current daily/ weekly routine?

The simple basic regimen is:
Weekly: do a shampoo, deep condition with heat for 20 min or without heat for about an hour, rinse out, use a leave-in conditioner. Air dry or roller set or blow dry using alcohol free products like a serum/ mousse/ wrap lotion.

The thing to alternate weekly in your regimen if you want to keep it simple is usually the deep conditioner. Since you are shedding I would do a protein treatment this weekend, and then next weekend do a moisturizing conditioner.

Nightly, of-course, always sleep under a satin bonnet or satin scarf.

Thank you for the welcome!

I don't have a lot right now. I have olive oil spray and grease (but it has mineral oil. Is it really that bad?), Herbal Essences Hydralicious shampoo and conditioner, and Chi silk infusion for when I flat iron it. I think I have some other stuff at home, but this is all I have with me at school.

I don't have much of a routine. I wash weekly or every week and a half. Since I always wash my hair in the shower, I condition for about ten minutes then rinse it out and let it air dry. (I live with three other girls, so I can't be in there too long!) Depending on how my hair is acting after it dries, I won't flat iron it for a couple of days, but I always use the heat protectant when I do. I try not to have a ponytail in too much. I've gotten bad about wrapping it lately, I know I need to!

I will look into protein treatments. I've been doing a lot of product research lately, so I'm just trying to find one that fits my budget.

Thank you so much!

 

[Miss617]

The simplest advice I can give you is this:

1. Determines your needs/wants/goals (I highly recommend making a list)
2. Seek out methods/products that fulfill said needs/wants
3. Examine what it is that you are doing to your hair/product you are using to determine if those methods/products will allow you to achieve your goals

I also highly recommend that you refrain from jumping on bandwagons (the latest product or tool, etc). Slowly introduce one thing at a time into your routine so that you can easily determine what is or is not working for you.

Make sure that you give whatever it is that you are trying a decent amount of time to work. Let's say you are trying a new conditioning routine. How can you know if it's working if you don't give it time? While you are giving it time, I recommend writing down what you like or don't like about it. Make sure you keep a very detailed hair journal to avoid wasting money or repeating the same mistakes.


Here is a really really really basic hair routine (one that I used successfully both as being relaxed and now that I'm natural):

Once a week:
Shampoo
Deep Condition for 30 mins
Moisturize my hair
Protective Style

About moisturizing your hair...

I found the best method for moisturizing my relaxed hair was to apply a water-based spray leave in, then a oily moisturizer. After that I would use a few drops of oil and seal my ends before wrapping. I would only do all of that after my weekly washing. Depending on how my hair felt throughout the week, I would reapply any combination of the three products (maybe one but not the other, etc.).

Here's a few good articles that I highly recommend reading. They were written by a woman who is a member here (I think she might call herself SisterSlick or something like that...I'm probably wrong). They are excellent starting points for taking care of your hair.


Hair Regimen Building for Newbies

Relaxed Hair Care Regimen on a College Budget

How often should I deep condition my hair?

The Fine art of Moisture and Protein Balancing for Black Hair Care

There are a host of other articles on her profile, but I mainly recommend starting with the ones I have posted.

Whatever your starting point, always remember this: you don't have to do anything fancy or spend a ton of money to have healthy hair. Sometimes the simplest cheapest solution is best. It's mainly about trial and error. Everybody is different. Once you get past testing things I believe you'll see results faster because you will know what does and doesn't work for you. God bless. I know starting out can be rough.

This is excellent advice, thank you so much. I think the journaling thing is a great idea (I've already decided to start doing this for health reasons, so I can just add this as well!)

How long would you say is a decent amount of time to know something is working? I know with the GNC pills I am taking, I saw results in less than a month, but I know I wouldn't see them that quickly with a new product.

I'm not a bandwagoner at all; I will do hours and hours of research before I buy something. I've been researching flat irons on Folica.com since the summer and I've yet to buy a new one yet (after my disappointment with the Sedu, which I returned), so this shouldn't be a problem.

Those links are perfect; I'm bookmarking them. The only thing that will probably be hard for me is rollersetting because my hair is really thick and getting a little longer (it's a little past my shoulders). I would ask my sister for help, but I know how much she hates dealing with my hair .

Thank you!

 

[Miss617]

If you keep going to the Dominican salon, let them rollerset it and skip the blowdry. Just get it wrapped or pincurled and moisturize your ends between visits. Or tell them to blowdry your roots only. Get your hair deep conditioned as well. If you have any broken/split ends (and you probably do if you're seeing breakage), consider getting a good trim for a fresh start. If you take care of your ends, you won't have to trim frequently and you'll be able to retain.

Dominican salons helped me a lot when I first started my hair journey. Eventually, I learned how to set my hair myself.

Those GNC vitamins are my favorite. I see good results when I take them consistently, but I'm lazy.

I've heard that exact same thing about skipping the blowdry from my hairdresser and my brother's girlfriend. I sometimes forget to tell them not to because I like the way it looks, even though I know it's bad. I always get the deep condition though, so I'm at least doing that right!

I'll be getting a trim probably next week, so I'll have a fresh start for my new journey!

The GNC pills are very good. They have another one called GNC WellbeING beWholesome that's like $50 and has everything you can think of, but it works really well. I would highly recommend it if you have the money because it did wonders for my skin, my energy, everything!

 

[Miss617]

About the shedding...how do you know that what you are seeing is abnormal? You can take all the pills in the world, but if that's your body's natural chemistry there really isn't any changing it. I write this as a person who sheds a lot of hair. Shedding is a natural function. As long as you aren't balding or suffering from breakage, I don't see an issue.


Some other things I recommend:

Damaged hair repair chapter 1 (great tips for starting out)

The Hairlista ning site also has a really nice list of affordable products for every purpose (moisturizing shampoo, clarifying shampoo, protein conditioner, moisturizing conditioner, etc. etc. etc. ). You have to be a member to view it though.

ETA: to the board. Should have put that in my first post.

My hair started thinning around the edges because it was shedding so much. Like to the point where I could only part it one way because it looked like it was on its way to becoming a bald spot in some areas. I don't wear braids, weaves, or anything that pulls my hair. I keep my ponytails loose when I do wear them. It's gotten a little better since I started eating a little better and taking the GNC pills, but the left side is still very thin in places

Thank you for the links, I will check them out when it's not 3:30 am!

And thank you for the welcome!

 

[Miss617]

The ladies above me have given some great advice. I'll just stress to keep an eye on protein and moisture levels.

As far as product suggestions, I say start cheap. I'm also a broke college student and I don't have the funds to be a high class product junkie (I do splurge on cheapies ). I highly recommend the Aussie Moist line. You can get the shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and leave-in for under $15 and they are ALL staples of mine that I actually use every week. They have not done me wrong yet and have helped me get from 1-3 in. after my big chop to almost brastrap length.

I'll have to check out Aussie, but I don't really see their products very much when I go to the store. But I can definitely afford under $15, so hopefully I can find them!

And wow, that's impressive. I'll definitely have to find them, then!

 

[Miss617]

I also recommend using sample sizes of products to begin with if available, they are usually only $3- $5, and keep your receipt! Don't be bashful about returning a product if it didn't work. I've done it before where I read serious raves about a particular product, then tried it and it was blah and I took it back.

Another way to save money and not buy a dryer for deep conditioning I got from this board and it works. Is to put a shower cap or grocery bag over your hair, then take a wet wash cloth or towel, nuke it in the microwave for like 30 sec to 1 min, and put it over the plastic cap, and put another plastic cap or grocery bag over the wet hot towel. It'll add some heat for a while.

Ooh, good idea about sample sizes. Don't know why that never occurred to me!

I'll try the shower cap/wet cloth trick. My roommate will probably think I'm nuts (but she loves learning about black hair, so it's OK lol) but if it works, it works!

 

[naturalTAN]

I'll have to check out Aussie, but I don't really see their products very much when I go to the store. But I can definitely afford under $15, so hopefully I can find them!

And wow, that's impressive. I'll definitely have to find them, then!

I see that you use the HE Hydralicious conditioner. I've heard people on here compare it to the Aussie Moist conditioner because they have similar ingredients so you might not even have to get the conditioner if you decide to try them out. I've never used HE shampoos, but the Aussie shampoo is so moisturizing that I can detangle with it. Another plus is that I can get the big 33oz in the jug for $5. Sorry for stanning for Aussie products, but they are my babies.

 

[shunemite]

Thank you for the welcome!

I don't have a lot right now. I have olive oil spray and grease (but it has mineral oil. Is it really that bad?), Herbal Essences Hydralicious shampoo and conditioner, and Chi silk infusion for when I flat iron it. I think I have some other stuff at home, but this is all I have with me at school.

I don't have much of a routine. I wash weekly or every week and a half. Since I always wash my hair in the shower, I condition for about ten minutes then rinse it out and let it air dry. (I live with three other girls, so I can't be in there too long!) Depending on how my hair is acting after it dries, I won't flat iron it for a couple of days, but I always use the heat protectant when I do. I try not to have a ponytail in too much. I've gotten bad about wrapping it lately, I know I need to!

I will look into protein treatments. I've been doing a lot of product research lately, so I'm just trying to find one that fits my budget.

Thank you so much!

I like the Chi Silk Infusion. Good stuff. I'm not too crazy about the mineral oil stuff, but it's not your worst problem really. You NEED to deep conditon, it'll change your life!

Ok, I see your routine, and while I don't like the mineral oil sheen products, that's not the biggest issue to me. I do understand you're on a budget, so to start small, what I suggest for the biggest bang for your buck is a good deep conditioner. If you can spare about $1.75, there's a replenishing pack by ORS, it's a protein conditioner for one time use. It's a small sachet that's in Walgreen's, Target, every grocery store in the "ethnic hair care aisle" lol (Actually where I live now it's called the "multi-cultural aisle"). If you can spare about $15, for a moisturizing deep conditioner I highly recommend Keracare humecto, I've seen it in Walmart and Target recently, also good is Mizani moisturefuse though I've never personally used it. If you're on a super budget, Nexxus humectress is like $5 for a sample size and is practically everywhere (Walgreens, CVS etc) if you're in a pinch. Nexxus humectress can also double up as a leave-in, btw. If you are near a Sally's, they do have generic versions of some of the stuff you read about on the forums, another very affordable option and they have a good return policy.

OK: roommate shower situation, I understand! I've lived with GIRLS before. Do try the deep conditioning overnight on dry hair, then when you get up in the morning, do the whole shampoo, ten minute conditioner thing.

Lastly, if rollersetting is not in your cards for now, that's ok. Start with one change at a time or you'll get overwhelmed. Focus on deep conditioning for now, then when you get used to that, switch to air drying in a ponytail before you flat iron.

If you try to make too many drastic changes all at once, it's just too much and you quit out of frustration. So out of everything to try first, I definitely say deep condition overnight keeping everything else the same. Then gradually make baby steps towards other changes. Happy hair growing!

 

[SuchaLady]

I too am a college student and I understand completely. To be honest unless your hair hates shampoo sulfates or not to me the Wash, DC, Moisturize & Seal, Protective style is foul proof. Also try ebay for hair products. But do be careful and compare I think some of those sellers think we were born last night with those prices. Also when you find something that works I suggest buying the larger size (I stock up when I get my refunds ) For example when I bought my Silk Elements shampoo I bought the biggest bottle on sale with the conditioner for 2 for 12. $6 for an entire school year versus $3 for a small bottle that would have to be replaced in a month. It lasted the entire school year last year. Good luck and I look forward to seeing your results!

 

[nymane]

Here's another helpful link: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=389082&highlight=newbie