Yes KeraKare is terribly expensive, but you get your money's worth. About 10 months I suffered some major breakage, so I decided to limit the number of relaxers I would normally get, I would just wash my hair weekly, wrapped it very tightly (I have thick hair) and let dry. It takes about 15 hours for my hair to dry completely. So I usually do it on a Friday night and it's dry and straight and needs virtually no curling on Saturday just in time for most HBCU football or basketball games. Also to combat the breakage I did alot of textured things,(so I wouldn't have terrible looking hair from not relaxing it http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif) I would cornrow my hair for about two weeks then take them down and have the wavy look, or double straid twist my hair (a good starting place locs)I was just careful to take them down and redo them every week so they wouldn't begin to LOC. Now my hair is healthier and shinier, and growing back, and I love it!!!

[This message has been edited by reddnhott2020 (edited June 25, 2001).]

It is NOT safe to overlap chemicals in your hair. Let the chemical grow out and trim/cut to the new growth before applying different chemicals to your hair.



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MCCOYRED
Mu Psi '86
BaltCo Alumnae

Dynamic...Salient...Temperate...Since 1913

ttt

Nubian, what are you eating and drinking? I know for a fact that diet can affect your hair.

I am natural, have been since 2001. I do wear braids so my hair is exposed to any chemical in the braiding hair.

I have had up and downs with my hair during the growing stages. I exposed it to color twice, which is now all cut off. I also became a product junkie. Its fine to try different things but a good daily moisturizer, mild shampoo and a rich conditioner is all you really need. Do not comb your hair with fine toothed combs, brush your hair and scalp softly a few times a week for stimulation and to remove shedded hair. Wear a silk/satin scarf religously when you sleep. Even do these things if you remain relaxed. But consider going natural. Give this time, it will take a while for you to see change.

I had a friend who wore wigs for like two years, she experieced a complete change. Her hair was falling a part, bald patches, it was a mess. She cut the damaged parts, started to wear cornrows beneath the wig and washed, conditioned and re-braided it weekly. She began a supplemental vitamin and changed her eating habits. I mean her hair grew like a weed. Its past shoulder length now. It was about 3-4 inches with broken patches everywhere at first...

Oh yes, cannot forget this. Don't know if it helps, but at night she would use wildgrowth oil between the rows and put on her satin scarf. I put her on the wildgrowth oil because it works wonders on my hair, esp when I wear braids.

Hope this helps, PM me if you have any other questions about her regimine!!

Wildgrowth Oil
 

That is some good stuff right there. :) Worth every bit of the $8.

Ok, so I've decided that people who said that if I just wrap my hair before my workout and tie a scarf on that my hair will be fine - they lied.

Ok, how come those people probably don't sweat in their head?

I am having to come to grips with the fact that I am just throwing money away by getting my hair done once a week given that I am exercising now three times a week. It's a complete waste of money.

I swear, once I get my bikini body I am never going back into the gym again! LOL...but for real. How else is a sister supposed to maintain a respectable hairstyle the rest of the week?

I have to also add that I recently (about a month ago) got my hair cut really short, kinda like a cross between that old Halle Berry thing and more up to date short styles. I've had this before - of course, I wasn't working out then. Now sometimes it seems like a G-D send b/c I'm working out so often and when I have to wash it myself it takes only a good 20 minutes for it to dry. Other times, it seems like a mess to have such a short hair style and work out b/c when I sweat in my head, it wets my head and reunions my curls. The agony!!! LOL.

Are there any amateur hairdressers who sweat in their heads who can tell me how to *truly* keep a hairstyle while working out? I swear b/c as soon as I get my bikini body, I'm out at this point! LOL.

It's just not fair!! Is anyone else out there having to choose between their body (and eventually their health) and their hair??

ETA: I have never had braids and I don't really want to go through that. Shoot, I can barely stand my 2.5 hour apptmt as it is. Also, I have the kind of job that is already stressful enough w/out me showing up with my braids and people looking at me like I'm crazy. I love micros though. I think that they are pretty.

SC

I feel you on the head-sweating issue. I am a license cosmetologist (since 1992), and I have not found any solution to saving your hairstyle during a workout. I have the same problem, but fortunately, I'm able to do my own hair. However, it is a hassle because I have to wash my hair frequently. I've been wearing ponytails for a while, so I don't have to worry about my hairstyle sweating out. When I'm not sporting a ponytail, I usually have my hair in micro braids.

I think the scarf trick only works for people who don't sweat a lot. For those of us who do, we're just out of luck.:( I don't know if anyone else has found a solution, but if someone has, please post.

What is the correct way to wrap hair? When I do it myself, I end up with helmet head or parts of it just not laying right?

Where can I get Wildgrowth oil?

Soror SC: When you find out the answer to this $100 question, please let me know. I sweat a lot in my head when I do yoga (probably because it's 90 degrees in there). I also wrap my hair with a silk scarf beforehand. The next day, it's looking like I need a touchup for real.

Okay so I'm not an amateur hairdresser in the least...but I know that back when I was in school I worked out 3-4x a week ...with a relaxer, and I SWEAT. (Ask my Sands Proverbs31 - she could TELL you better than me, lol)

The thing that worked for me was, immediately following my workout, to re-wrap my hair and adjust any ends that came undone. I also would take a few pieces from the top and roller set them for a bit of 'height' (just a little bit b/c I have thin hair). The next day when I unwrapped, it didn't look like I was fresh from the salon - but it didn't look like a H.A.M. either.

But I will say that when I got into the 5th & 6th week of the relaxer...this technique didn't work so well so the 'messy ponytail' became my best friend. :D

(in my arkansas accent) Ain't it tho!?!

NIKKI1920, Wildgrowth oil can be found at any beauty supply store, its usually near the cash counters, it is a white bottle with green letters and a little nozzle with a red cap. A little goes a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNG way, but its some good stuff!