QuoteReplyTopic: Cathy Howse products Posted: September 06 2002 at 9:25pm
Have any of you ever heard of Cathy Howse? She has a book called Ultra Black Hair. IN it she says that in order to grow hair long we must not trim our hair. She said she never trims her hair and her hair is 15 inches long. This flies in the face of wisdom. If you don`t trim split ends they continue to split up the middle and eventually break off. She also says that Bigen is a must for coloring hair but Phithair tried it and it tore her hair off. Ms. Howse sells a conditioner she said she developed called "Dew". I have never heard of it nor do I know anyone who has tried it. She also criticizes Barry Fletcher`s book about African American hair care. She says that Barry is wrong to say that pregnant women`s hair grows faster because of hormones. She attributes faster hair grwoth for pregnant women to the extra supplements that pregnant woman take. I know this to be false becuase when I was pregnant I ate extra healthy so to avoid taking those supplements (the pills were so big) and my hair was growing so fast. I know it was because of the extra hormones. I am not sure if Ms. Howse even has a cosmetology license but I dont think so with the disregard she shows for beauticians and stylists. She also holds Affirm in high regard and I have hard that it is a strong relaxer that pulls many women`s hair out. Does anyone know anything or have heard anything about Ms. Howse?
Your responses are greatly appreciated.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our life.
Hi dragooney, I have heard of her. I`ve been to her site many times and like you, I`ve read that she doesn`t promote trimming ends. I thought that that was odd because the ends of hair gets dry and split ends will cause breakage along the hairshaft. However, I have heard of some who never trim their ends and yet their hair is growing and feels soft. So, I guess trimming your ends is a personal decision. Also, if what you are saying is true reguarding her statement that pregnant women`s hair don`t grow faster because of hormones, then that is not totally true. Every pregnant woman goes through hormonal changes. Some will see an increase in hair length much faster than when they arent pregnant. So, I dont know about that.
Dear Dragooney I have read Cathy Howse book `Ultra Black Growth II` basically she does not believe in trimming every six weeks or so, her arguement is that if the ends do not need trimming, then leave your ends alone, also she promotes washing every three days, which works out twice a week. I must admit I was very sceptically at what she said. I tried her method for a month and I found that my hair is a lot softer and as for the split ends, I have not had much trouble. The key to our hair growth is to keep our hair moist with water. I have been washing my hair twice a week and I have been rinsing every day, I have found that my hair has grown tremendously. My hair is natural, I put it in either chinese bumps or twists, and I take one teaspoon of conditioner in a small bottle of distilled water and shake until the conditioner has dissolved and the night before I prepare a herbal rinse, I put in a cup one teaspoon of Rosemary herb or Nettle or Horsetail, then pour boiling water, allow to infuse overnight, by then it would have cooled strain, and squeeze half a lemon or lime. Before you step into your shower, pour the dissolved conditoner, making sure that your hair is properly wet, then take a towel and wrap your hair, then most of the excess water will be absorbed in the towel. Then have your shower afterwards rinse off with the herbal rinse making sure again that your hair is completely wet, again wrap your hair with a towel to absorb the excess rinse and keep the towel on while putting on your clothes, your hair will be damp, moist not dripping wet. If you do use some oil, maybe apply on the ends of your hair or your roots. If you try the method for at least a month, you will find that your hair has more moisture. I tried this method on my 14 year old daughter and she was very impressed and she was pleased to see her growth. Hair book is very helpful.
I haven`t used her products, but I have read her book and it`s been really helpful. I noticed increased length in my hair when I followed her method for about a month. :)
1. Make sure you moisturize your hair everyday.
2. Wash hair twice a week.
3. Always deep condition with heat for about 15 to 20 mins each time you wash your hair.
4. Make sure your deep conditioner is a protein one. (e.g Keretin, collagen etc)
5. Use a moisturizing condioner immediately afterwards to soften the hair.
6. Air dry your hair and stay away from blow dryers and brushes.
7. If you feel that you must blow dry, then only blow dry once per week at a medium or low heat setting.
I have read Cathy Howse book and the part about the pregnancy vitamines growing the hair, not the body`s hormones, seemed a little false because I did not not take my vitamines either. Both times I was pregnant my hair grew like a weed! Although through most of my pregnancy I was sick to my stomach and craved/ate fruit, fish and water and ate no ground beef, I`ve tried the same diet other times (when not pregnant) and didn`t have the same results, so what does that say? But I do belive in her saying of not having to trim ends for hair growth. I wash my hair twice a week and only roller set and curl once per week, I oil my ends every night. I might (lightly) trim my ends every 3-4 months not because of split ends but only to even my hair because every strand is not going to grow exactly at the same speed. But anyway that just my experience, I`ve never tried Ms.Howse products, I have read her book and she does provide good information but I do see some contradictory statements in there also.
Isnt Dew the name of her moisturizing spray not the conditioner as you stated?
Personally I have the book and have been following it to the letter for about 5 months now. My hair has never grown so fast and has never felt and looked so healthy. Cathy has a nice length of hair so obviously she is on to something. I am in between on the not trimming theory so I dont trim often,maybe about every 16 weeks. I dont believe you need to trim every 6 weeks. I was doing this before and it took me forever to obtain length and my ends werent even split. I only trim every 16 weeks and only about 1/8 of an inch. Since following Cathys advice I dont have many split ends so trimming is not really needed.
Overall her information is VERY helpful and I give her book a thumbs up.
Thanks, Tee
karonica
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I think that I should give this book a try. Though everyone doesn`t agree with her, it does seem that some people are having results with it. Sounds interesting. I am now baffled on the trimming theory. I like how my hair looks after a trim, although I hate seeing any length go. But I remember when I was about 11 years old, my hair reached the middle of my back, and I had only had a trim when I was 9 years old and that was it. I was getting touch-ups about every two months, and not once did that lady cut my hair. My hair just grew and grew (until a tragic accident that involved my mother putting activator in it). So, I`m starting to think that trimming may not be necessary some every 6-8 weeks if I keep my hair well moisturized and I take good care of it. Because I was getting these trims so often, I haven`t seen any significant growth from last year, when I began going to this lady. But then again, she chops off an inch or more per trim.
I think you all will be happy to know that I am not going to her anymore. I broke off my last appoinment with her, telling her that I couldn`t make it in because of school work that needed to be done. She had the nerve to ask me if everything was alright. She must have smelt it coming. She`s been treating me like crap anyway (always scheduling my appointments last, even though I make them four weeks ahead when there is nobody else down for the earlier hours. Her "two-week" people came first, even if they hadn`t scheduled an appointment yet), so who cares!
Ladies, don`t put up with these hairdressers that don`t respect you. I`ve learned that we don`t really need them, it is them that need us, so they should treat us with respect. I tell you the truth.... The person on the Yahoo hair board was right when they said that a lot of these hairdressers need to take some business courses.
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