What Are You Doing Differently Now?

[keelioness]

For those of you who have experienced damage.. (heat, overprocessing, color damage, split ends , breakage , etc..) during your healthy hair journey and have presently recovered..what changes have you made in your routine/ regimen? What did you do then that you know better than to do now? Please share!!

 

[SkySurfer]

I experienced colour damage:

What I changed:

i am never colouring chemically again, not soon anyway.
I use henna for a subtle red tint, with low-lights from indigo
I PS in braids, with loads of cowashing.

I cut off a LOT of damage a year ago, so most of the chemically treated hair is gone, but I still have a bit left to trim off, so it will all go eventually

But LHCF has been a big factor in helping me to learn what's best for my hair, even when I was lurking lol.

I am now very close to APL

 

[pre_medicalrulz]

I experienced major heat damage. I was always getting Dominican blowouts in the past. I stopped the heat completely a year and a half ago and afterwards decided to only straighten my hair around 8 months post relaxer to help with stretching my relaxer and I rarely do that. I took off the heat damaged ends and now I air dry 100% now and my hair has flourished. Look soooo plump and delicious when I air dry. LOL

 

[Nonie]

For those of you who have experienced damage.. (heat, overprocessing, color damage, split ends , breakage , etc..) during your healthy hair journey and have presently recovered..what changes have you made in your routine/ regimen? What did you do then that you know better than to do now? Please share!!

The setbacks that come to mind are:

• Excessive heat use: like daily along the perimeter at least and coz my hair'd get wet when I took a steam shower (Duh ) so it'd shrink and mess up my do--I stopped the madness. I don't straighten daily and when I do flatiron my hair (once in a blue moon), I use heat protectant and DC well in advance;
  
• Not dusting every 8 weeks so that I ended up with skinny strands that were bound to break off and cost me the length I was trying so hard to hold onto--I went back to dusting on a regular schedule and my strands have looked better even with my not PSing or sealing;
  
• Trusting a SHS (or anyone for that matter) with my hair took me from SL to TWA--I don't let anyone touch my hair and so I haven't lost 5+ inches in the span of a few minutes ever since I stopped letting strangers in my hair

 

[westNDNbeauty]

I've experience heat damage

1. Moisturize my hair overnight before straightening
2. Sold my steamer. It provided a false sense of moisture.

 

[SkySurfer]

The setbacks that come to mind are:

• Excessive heat use: like daily along the perimeter at least and coz my hair'd get wet when I took a steam shower (Duh ) so it'd shrink and mess up my do--I stopped the madness. I don't straighten daily and when I do flatiron my hair (once in a blue moon), I use heat protectant and DC well in advance;
• Not dusting every 8 weeks so that I ended up with skinny strands that were bound to break off and cost me the length I was trying so hard to hold onto--I went back to dusting on a regular schedule and my strands have looked better even with my not PSing or sealing;
• Trusting a SHS (or anyone for that matter) with my hair took me from SL to TWA--I don't let anyone touch my hair and so I haven't lost 5+ inches in the span of a few minutes ever since I stopped letting strangers in my hair

Co-sign on the not letting anyone touch my hair other than me. If I want the job done right I have to do it myself...of course that also means that any setbacks are my fault loool, you win some you lose some.

 

[kupenda]

I have dry hair naturally. And it doesn't help that I get Dominican blowouts every month. But I have started DCing a lot more often. I also learned what a moisturizer was and what to look for when buying one. I seriously didn't know that people moisturized their hair lol. I don't use heat unless I'm at the salon. I also dust my ends and use protein products to strengthen my hair


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[lilyofthenile]

Avoiding heat completely helped Also upping protein DCs (which my hair doesn't mind much at all btw) and also trimming that area bit by bit to avoid/cut off split ends.

I still trim the heat damage and pamper it well, I don't however, use heat again. Well, not for now.

 

[Kn0ttyByNatur3]

I remember when I was SL a while back, I would still wash my hair all like it was still relaxed and I was in a HE commercial.

My hair would be tangled so bad and I would loose so much hair. I felt like booboo-da-foo.

Now my dumb butt washes hair in big braids or twist.

 

[yodie]

I've experience heat damage

1. Moisturize my hair overnight before straightening
2. Sold my steamer. It provided a false sense of moisture.

I have a steamer that I never use.
Why do you think it provided a false sense of moisture? Just curious.

 

[Anonymous1]

I never wrap my hair anymore because it caused my edges to thin out completely. They were already thin and wrapping took them away

 

[Nonie]

Co-sign on the not letting anyone touch my hair other than me. If I want the job done right I have to do it myself...of course that also means that any setbacks are my fault loool, you win some you lose some.

SkySurfer, but yeah, it's easier to get over your own setbacks than to end up doing time for a crime that came to be due to your reaction to what another person did to your hair.

 

[candy626]

I've changed several things since beginning my HHJ.

For one I'm avoiding heat. I realized weekly flat ironing was preventing me from breaking past BSL. I'm trying to only flat ironly once a month and just wear wigs and wash n' go's in between.

Also, I've tried to keep coloring to a minimum (though I never have had breakage from color that I know of) Now I only color every few months with a very gentle color by Revlon Colorsilk.

I also learned that protein/moisture balance and dusting/trimming the ends is very important for fine hair.

Last thing I broke myself out of, was falling asleep with hair accessories in my hair. I used to fall asleep with butterfly clips, claw clips, etc. in my hair. Definitely not good.

 

[prospurr4]

Great thread, OP!

I have spent the last 2 years at 2 inches from WL, *hangs head* and now I know why. I have not been diligent with my haircare like I was when I first started my HHJ, so my length progress just stalled....due to breakage...I mean, basically NO LENGTH RETENTION!

So beginning October 1st, I have committed to do the following, at least until I reach my final goal of W-HIP length in 2012:

1) Go back to low-manipulation hairstyles. I've been wearing too many spiral set styles, which really causes my hair to tangle badly.

2) Do a protein treatment once a month. I had really slacked on this.

3) Regular trims. No more waiting "forever" between trims. Now,I commit to trim every three months. I trimmed 5 weeks ago, and my ends feel so thick and healthy now, so I know I am already retaining better.

I am confident of reaching WL by year-end.

 

[LifeafterLHCF]

I have been natural for 4 years as of Nov 29th and the thing Im focusing on is moisture.My hair normally is something terrible dry and it draws up so horrid.So now I'm rocking phony buns,taking it down nightly misting it both night and before I reset it in the morning and making sure to prepoo with oils only the night before my weekly wash.

 

[koolkittychick]

1. Moisture! Moisturizing my ends at least every other day, and DCing at least once a week. I really slacked off on this.
   
2. Not wearing tight ponytails, buns and braids, especially to bed
   
3. Being consistent about wearing a silk or satin scarf at night when I sleep.
   
4. Not using metal hair accessories or the jaw clips on a regular basis
   
5. Getting and using a proper detangling comb and combing from tip to root.
   
6. Taking the proper supplements and drinking lots of water.
   
7. Keeping my protein intake high and exercising regularly.
   
8. Keeping my scalp clean and moisturized by washing my hair twice a week.

 

[Dposh167]

My damage:
not caring for my demarcation line when i had 4"+ of ng and underprocessed hair. A huge patch of hair eventually just broke off at the demarcation line. So i ended up with that 4" of ng.

What im doing now:
Doing my own relaxers to control my underprocessing
keeping up my protein to keep my ng & relaxed hair strong
keeping my hair wrapped up at night when i go to bed

 

[cheryl26]

During my last flat iron I noticed my ends were getting a little crunchy so I cut off an inch. I told myself I wouldn't flat iron as much just like last time but it's hard b/c they are only so many styles you can do with my big ol forehead, curly down or straight down lol

 

[Aggie]

I decided to really cut the heat from a few times a month to wayyyyyyyy down to maybe once or twice a year. I also rarely touch my hair anymore except to wash and treat it once every 2 weeks.

I keep it in large braids under a wig daily and moisturize by standing under the shower with some watered down conditioner and use the GHE method (green house effect) to keep it soft. My hair just does NOT like to be bothered anymore and as a result, is thickening up again.

Oh, also I am far more consistent at taking my vitamins on time along with taking green smoothies with chlorella, spirulina, wheat grass, maca and barley grass daily. These are loaded in protein, vitamins and minerals which my hair needs.