Findin' my groove

In my last blog I was soooo pissed about the breakage and shedding I was having, I did a little research. Well I did a hell of a lot of research. I tried a couple things and I didn't experience any difference in the feel of my hair. It still felt kinda stringy and dry. I felt like, WHY is this working for everyone else and not for me???? But alas.. it is a process.

One of the things in Cathy Howse's book that stood out to me was her notion that its best to "Keep it Simple".. I decided to go back to that to.

There was one thread that really stood out to me in the Long Hair Care Forum.. so I decided to try it out to see if it could curb my breakage. It was called, "You Feel Like You're Doing Everything Right, But It's Still Breaking--CLICK NOW!" Click HERE to read it. Totally informative.

What I've been doing since I read this article was to start with V05 clarifying shampoo to wash away all the residue from the products I use. Then, I washed with Aphogee Moisturizing Shampoo, because the clarifying shampoo can be drying. Then I applied my Alter Ego Garlic Conditioner, left that in for a few minutes, then applied my DPR 11 conditioner with Coconut Oil for my deep conditioner. My hair felt a MILLION times better instantly. It felt clean and strong. Now after that initial use of shampoo, I have been cowashing every two days for the past week. That seems to work well for me because my hair just LOVES the water. I'll be clarifying again next week.

Current Products I Own

Shampoos:

Aphogee Moisturizing Shampoo
v05 Clarifying Shampoo
Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead Shampoo
Elasta QP Shampoo for Relaxed Hair

Conditioners:
Africa's Best Hair Mayo
Cathy Howse's UBH Deep Conditioner
Alter Ego Garlic Conditioner
Elasta QP DPR-11 Conditioner
Dove Conditioner
Silk Elements Conditioner
Keracare Humecto
Coconut Oil

Moisturizers:
Profective MegaGrowth Daily Moisturizer
Elasta QP Mango Butter
UBH Mist

Oils:
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Peppermint Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Rosemary Oil
Jojoba Oil
DooGro Growth Oil

Other:
Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Reconstructurizer
S-Curl
Proclaim Tea Tree Leave-In Conditioner


I feel like I could open up a beauty supply lol...


STAPLES (aka the sh*t I really use)

Shampoo: Anything but I like the Clarifying Shampoo for every 2 weeks or so
Conditioner: Love the DPR-11 mixed with coconut oil, then for that "slick" feeling I use Dove Daily Moisturizing Conditioner (I think it's called) and then detangle while I rinse it out
Leave-Ins: Proclaim Tea Tree Leave-In
Moisturizers: S Curl be holding these roots DOWN! lol, Love the Profectiv MegaGrowth
Oil: I got an empty spray bottle and mixed Olive, Jojoba, Coconut, a few drops of Peppermint, and Rosemary, and Grapeseed Oils. I love this mix
Methods: t-shirt drying, scarf drying, washing my hair in the shower as opposed to the sink, detangling under running water


STATS AS OF 9/30/09:

Last Relaxer: August 19, 2009
Currently 6 weeks post relaxer
Next Relaxer: November 5, 2009 (I am trying to stretch my relaxer to 12 wks. WISH ME LUCK!)
Last time heat was used: September 5, 2009
Protective Style: weave ponytail/bun. loose as possible, taken out every night, and position of ponytail changes every 2 days.


FINAL THOUGHT:
I've come to the conclusion that I just need to "listen" to my hair. Do what it needs. Read the signs, etc, etc, etc. My hair feel stronger without the heat. My edges look fuller. Since I started that last regimen that I got off that LHCF thread, my hair has really responded positively to it. I think I'll keep this one up for a while. I should probably put up a pic or something right?? lol We'll see. Oh, and as for the breakage, I have to research "Seasonal Breakage".... but it's definitely been reduced. I think it was also the way I was handling my hair. K. That's it for now.. DUECES!