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Mandy4610

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Mandy4610

**********THIS IS WHAT I CURRENTLY DO**********

Wash with Shampoo once a week (Castile soap...I am looking for a new poo)
*Detangle (Suave tropical coconut)
*Always use a leave-in after each wash(Qhemet/giovannir direct leave-in or a home made mixture)
*Deep Condition at least once a week ( I do a light protein treatment on dry hair before doing my actual DC (ORS hair mayo, Aubrey organics GPB) For DCing I use Aubrey organics honey suckle rose, Banana Brulee/Sitrinillah hair mask)
*Do a hot oil treatment whenever I feel like (oil blend by Naturel, castor and olive oils)
*Use a moisturizer once or twice a day and seal with oil(Qhemet Burdock root, Qhemet Olive and Amla heavy cream, Qhemet olive and honey hydrating balm and coconut oil or oyin burnt sugar for sealing)
*Every week I try to rollerset my hair , I use a bit of leave-in, moisturizer and Sabino Moisture block. Sometimes I straighten with my Maxiglide (My hair is predetangled and I do this in very small sections which makes it easier and safer on my hair).

This is basically all I do for now. I am trying to keep it simple. It looks like a lot, but it really isn't and I alternate the use of products depending on what I am in the mood for.

I have way more products that I use but these are my staples.

My Fotki is mainly for sharing information about hair growing with my hair growing buddies. It is also for tracking my hair growth progress and posting my hair care products.

*************************My hair Journey*************************

In march 2008, I did a big chop. I cut my hair from collarbone length to a Tiny Weeny Afro. I had had relaxed hair for 8yrs.

When I was in high school, I had very healthy collarbone length natural hair. Back then I did not know much about hair care. I was only natural because I went to a girls only, catholic school and we were not allowed to have relaxed hair (this was put in place in order to make sure that all the girls had similar hair from those who were rich to those who could not afford to have relaxed hair). My natural hair did very well. I mostly washed it once a week and rollerset it. It used to turn out so well that people would think it was relaxed. A few times I had to wash my hair at school to prove that I had not relaxed it.
I never had any fancy products for washing or conditioning my hair, infact I don't even remember ever deep conditioning my hair because I never thought natural hair needed it. If I did not have Shampoo, I would wash my hair with laundry detergent or dish soap. I would then rollerset my hair and I would apply vaseline to my scalp and hair after wards. Now that I know more about hair care I really wonder how my hair survived this.

I relaxed my hair the day after I wrote my last high school exam and never ever thought about being natural again. During the relaxed hair years, I had several setbacks. My hair never grew past collarbone length, even though it was fairly healthy (considering I new very little about hair care). I had and still have a passion for hair which was the reason why I searched the internet to find as much info about black hair as I could. I loved my relaxed hair, I never ever thought about cutting it. Towards the end of 2006, I started experiencing severe hair breakage at the back of my head. I tried to solve that problems in so many different ways that I don't even remember now. At this time I learned from a friend that relaxing my hair every 4 weeks was not a good idea so I started to stretch it to 6 weeks, which was not helpful either. I tried to trim my hair more often in the hope of stopping breakage. I tried buying high end products and caring for my hair the best way I knew at that time.
In August 2007, I found Long Hair Care Forum, a site dedicated to growing healthy black hair no matter its state. I stumbled upon it accidentally as I was researching about black hair care. I used a lot of the advice I got from the ladies there, to try and save my hair. I tried protein treatments, growth aids, deep conditioning, trimming, protective styling, you name it, but the breakage at the back of my head just would not stop.
One day I went to see a stylist (this was probably 2nd or 3rd time I ever saw a stylist in my life). She examined my hair and she said I had severe damage at the back of my head. She gave me a protein treatment a trim and a very nice hair style. About a week after that I cut all my hair off and started my natural hair journey..........
I have also found nappturality...a site dedicated to nappy hair. I have learned a lot from the ladies on that site also.

It is now 8 months after my big chop, my hair is thriving and growing beautifully. I have since discovered that my head has two different hair textures. The back is very soft and thin and grows slower (which explains why it broke when I was relaxed) and the rest of my head is very thick and course and grows faster.

I hope to make it to at least one year of natural hair.

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