Thursday, May 8, 2014

My Hair Regimen

Hey Kurl Friends,

I get so many questions regarding my hair products and practices. Soooo.... I decided to share my hair regimen.

The Background: When I first went natural, I have to admit that I was consumed with the techniques everyone else was doing on their hair and what products I should be using to achieve the same results. Now, three years later, through trial and error, I finally realized I had to do what was best for me, my schedule, and my 4a/4b tresses.

The Breakdown: I like to break my hair regimen down into two different perspective: internal and external. My internal regimen consist of things that I currently do internally to enhance my hair growth through a healthy living. My external regimen are the external things I do to enhance my hair growth through hair products and practices.




Internal Hair Regimen
  • I take one prenatal vitamin, biotin, and fish oil per day.
  • I drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. 
  • My diet is mainly pollo-pescetarian, which means my meals consist of fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruit.
  • I work out at least 3 to 4 times per week. 
External Hair Regimen
  • Daily, I moisturize my hair with aloe vera gel, unrefined shea butter, and olive oil. I mix these three items in one container to use as my "hair cream". 
  • At night, I section my hair and create plaits all over my head. Yes, the same plaits Celie wore on The Color Purple!  On average, I have about 10-12 plaits. I then cover my head with a satin cap.
Don't you dare judge me or my
plaits...Lol!?!
  • Bi weekly, I wash my hair. I currently wash my hair with a mixture: 4/5 water and 1/5 baking soda. Rinse with warm water. Next, I condition with Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise for 15 minutes. Rinse again, and then deep condition with a plastic cap for 45 minutes (way over the time limit it says on the products's directions) using Elasta QP DPR 11. Then I apply my hair cream listed above. 
  • Monthly, I was (notice I said was) using Jamila henna purchased from my local Indian market, but I have gotten lazy over the course of this semester. Plus, henna can be quite time consuming and messy. In spite of these little setbacks and lazy moments, I have big plans to resume my henna regimen at least quarterly (once every three months).
That is my hair regimen in a nut shell! It is continuously changing as I figure out things that work better for me. If there are any questions regarding my hair regimen, please feel free to ask in the comment's section. 

Also, feel free to share your hair regimen or some products/practices that work great for you!  

6 comments:

  1. Super helpful! My second time going natural, hope it sticks this time

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  2. Thank you so much Brittney! You know I went natural twice so I understand. Twice is just as nice lol!

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  3. Here is my problems: I have very long and thick hair when it's combed out and dry but when i just want to wash/wet and go i have a lot of shrinkage and it looks short and matted which is not the look i want, so what do i do about shrinkage because i want that long shinny beautiful look like yours but it's not working for me....also when i go to beauty supply stores it's very overwhelming and frustrating. I feel dumb and lost...I don't even have a satin cap because i don't know which one to get it's so many and so confusing and the products is whole nother problem i just need someone to tell me the exact name of the cap and products and the brand a picture will even help...i have never been good with beauty and hair i just get up and go but i really want to wear my natural hair down more and i want it to grow better and healthier...any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

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    1. Quita, hair stores can be overwhelming. I like to research products online before I go. In the future, I'll create a blog post showing you pictures of the exact products I use.

      As far as shrinkage with a wash and go, shrinkage comes with the territory of being natural and styling your hair in a wet state. When I wear a wash and go, my hair shrinks and looks like a teeny weenie afro, which is cool. This past time, I used Eco styler gel and shea butter to add a little elongation to my wash and go. This helped a little but not much. My advice would be to embrace your shrinkage. Try to view shrinkage as a way to add diversity to your natural hair! As your hair grows longer, your shrinkage will be less apparent anyways.

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  4. Yay for your hair blog! Hope you can keep it up. I have been natural for close to 20 years, and I have worn my hair many different ways. For the last 2 - 3 years I've worn it 'boy' short, but I'm letting it grow out. I like the 'wild' look. I'm working on different regimens right now, trying to find the right one. I have fine hair, but I'm confused on what my curl pattern is because the curl changes depending on the length.

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    1. Yeah, I remember my curl pattern changed as it grew out too! Just like you, my hair regimen changed, and it will likely continue to change as my hair, hormones, etc. continues to change. Just continue to look for products that work for you. I'm trying to create a hair regimen that is all natural and high on moisture! I'll keep you posted on my newest developments:-)

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