FINALLY HAVE A JOURNAL!!!

Nice Album! I am natural in the 4's... I can't tell the difference between a b and an A. Anyways...I'm with you on the denman brush it takes out more hair than neccesary. I've tried it with conditioner....and other recommended methods. That brush is not for everyone. I onlly use a very wide tooth comb for my hair and thats only in the shower with conditioner mixed with oil on my hair.

Princess1 wrote: Thanks! ill make a trip to sallys as soon as I get paid cuz Im BROKE!!! I think you are right. I may have gotten a little carried away with the -ol suffixes and forgot that tocopherol and panthenol are ok.. this takes a lot more research then I'd hoped.  I have layers because of a few things.. For one, I had just grown out my bangs,and 2) ever since I got my first layers in 7th grade, it just keeps growing like that!! I think its because beauticians have just followed the pattern of my hair when they trimmed.  So before you decide to layer, make sure you don't mind always having them! I think they're great, but they make your hair look thinner than it would naturally look.  Thats not the end of the world though.  Oh! Dont worry about too many questions at all.. The natural styles I wear are : straw sets, bantu knot sets, two strand twist/coils, twist outs,and braidouts.  For the next two years ill be wearing braids though; I won't have to go through the trouble of doing all those styles.  They are SOOO time consuming.  Especially straw sets!! I could'nt imagine having hair as long as yours, and still doing these natural styles, Pokahontas...I mean WHOA!!!

Yeah Princess, it is like whoa.  It takes a lot of time and patience but I mostly wear it flat ironed straight in winter and naturally curly in summer.  I just try to choose easy styles. I've never done the two strand twists but I did do a braid out and it just didn't work well for me for some reason.  By the second day my hair was a frizzy mess.  I was lookin like Diana Ross, not that her hair is bad, it's just too much hair out for me on a daily basis.  I think I will try it again with bigger braids.  My hair takes like a whole day to air dry when I braid it. 

Ok, I see...my bangs were growing out too and then I cut part of them again so it kinda looks layered in the front also but it's cool.  I don't think I will get the rest layered though.  I have a bad feeling about that.

Thanks! ill make a trip to sallys as soon as I get paid cuz Im BROKE!!!

I think you are right. I may have gotten a little carried away with the -ol suffixes and forgot that tocopherol and panthenol are ok.. this takes a lot more research then I'd hoped. 

I have layers because of a few things.. For one, I had just grown out my bangs,and 2) ever since I got my first layers in 7th grade, it just keeps growing like that!! I think its because beauticians have just followed the pattern of my hair when they trimmed.  So before you decide to layer, make sure you don't mind always having them! I think they're great, but they make your hair look thinner than it would naturally look.  Thats not the end of the world though. 

Oh! Dont worry about too many questions at all.. The natural styles I wear are : straw sets, bantu knot sets, two strand twist/coils, twist outs,and braidouts.  For the next two years ill be wearing braids though; I won't have to go through the trouble of doing all those styles.  They are SOOO time consuming.  Especially straw sets!! I could'nt imagine having hair as long as yours, and still doing these natural styles, Pokahontas...I mean WHOA!!!

All of those different alcohols aren't drying though, right? I think only alcohol and alcohol denat and stuff are drying. The others like Panthenol (Vitamin B5) aren't drying are they?

Because panthenol binds well to hair follicles, and attracts moisture from the air, it is a moisturizing agent used in shampoos and conditioners. It lubricates the hair without feeling greasy. It smoothes roughened hair surfaces, making them shiny and easier to comb.

Panthenol does not "nourish" hair. It coats it to make it slippery.

I got my Denman from Sally's .

Pokahontas, I think I have 4a/4b hair.  Its weird though because in the back left side is closer to 3b, the middle is insane and has 0 uniformity ( fros well tho).   The front is clearly 4a/4b. 

I really appreciate that advice and I think i needed to hear that.  My hair feels extremely dry right now and I don't know if its because I saturated it in curl activator yesterday or because I used infusium 23 which has several kinds of alcohol.  SIDEBAR: if I hadn't taken organic chemistry classes, I would never have known that any chemical with a -OL suffix (i.e. tocopherol, dextrol, sorbitol, copylol, etc) means that it IS an alcohol!!!

ANyway, I am really scared because Ive been trying to restore my natural texture which is not THIS dry, and even shea butter hasn't fixed it.  I think Ill slow down on the infusium and curl activator.  My hair is fine without it.  Trying not to panic about the dryness 

Oh! SimplyAlex, my cousin used a Denman brush on my hair before she flatironed it (as seen in pix) and she pulled out an unnecessary amount of hair, in my opinion.  If i stick to the crown and glory method of brushing, I should be fine, right? Where do you find denman brushes?  Are they hard to find?

Thanks!  Amerie is gorgeous to me! 

Hey princess! Love your hair and I am glad to see another natural girl. Yeah! Have you ever tried a Denman Brush? Because it really works wonders (The D3) it lossens my curls and makes my hair light soft and fluffy. I have ten inches and I can do a bun just fine. (When I use my brush only because my hair shrinks more when I don't use it) But any way I advise you, while it is wise to take advice on products form others that not every product will work the same for you. Go on your own personal quest to find the perfect products that work great in your hair. One more bit of advice The Less Heat the Better. I have been natural for about a year and a half, I only wish my mother didn't put that mess on my head. Your hair looks great so your doing a good job so far so good luck with your journey.

I've never gotten a relaxer because my mother had BAD experiences with chemicals and has steered her four daughters clear of any chemicals.. As far as a regimen is concerned, I don't have one yet exactly but there are things that Ive started to do inspired by this forum and the www.growafrohairlong.com website. 

I am still in search of products that best fit my hairtype,so call me obsessive, but I will spend an hour each visit to a beauty supply store reading each interesting label making sure to avoid the following:

Mineral Oil, Petroleum/Petrolatum, ALCOHOL, and any SULFATES.  There are few products that avoid all of these. 

The picture of my hair in the journal is a result of only putting heat on my hair once a month, and washing weekly with Creme of Nature and conditioning with Afro Detangler Creme and NTM lotion. 

When I shampoo, I keep my hair in plaits for optimum detangling. I also airdry in plaits.  I've started to use Cholesterol each time I shampoo because it is a light protein that will strengthen and not over harden my hair. I also use infusium 23 hair strengthener mixed with hot six oil after I towel dry. INfusium has alcohol, but I only use it because the aforementioned website advises so. 

Most of the time I wear natural styles (two strand twists, straw sets, bantu knot sets).  I would like to do what sistaslick does and protect all of my ends by wearing buns all the time.  Its a little hard to do it without a relaxer, unless I soak my hair in S-curl section by section.  But then, its a big greasy mess! 

For the next two years, I will be using the crown and glory method: braiding my hair in individuals every two months ( two weeks break in between).  I plan to start August 1st.. I want to use vitamins (hairtopia is Great but its hard to take 8 pills a day) and SURGE or MSM, whichever is better.

As you can see, my regimen needs a lot of work, but those are the basics.  Some ladies do hot oil treatments frequently and make their own products.  I will be trying that. Definately check out that website.  With all of its free advice and galleries, it is heaven sent!!

sorry so long. Thanks for the complimentst though ladies; I have felt insecure about my natural hair all my life until i found this forum.

 

WOW, Princess, ur hair looks fabulous! I have a question though, if u don't mind: Is ur hair relaxed? If so, how long did it take for your hair to grow to that length? Thanks a lot!

Pshaw, thanks girls!  Dont let the skin fool you though... I have lots of foundation on!!