Hey everyone, Check out my hair journal! I'm so excited because I'll finally have to be accountable for my new healthy hair regimen!! WHOO!  It is still under construction, but I just couldn't wait to share!!! Here is my link:

http://www.fotki.com/princess121 - www.fotki.com/princess121

Princess1 -

Your hair looks beautiful!  Whatever it is you are doing, keep it up.

Hi, princess1! You're hair is very pretty. It looks healthy too. Your hair lenght is right about where I want to get to! Very pretty!

(You look alot like one of my sisters!!)

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 http://www.growafrohairlong.com - 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.

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! 

You have really nice hair.  I feel you on the hair types, I think I have several different types on my head.  Sometimes I get confused. 

Yeah, I agree with the beautician thing.  I get my mom to trim my hair cuz I don't want the hair dresser to mess me up.  Until I find one i truse I will keep getting her to do it.  The reason why I asked about the razor cut was because it looked like you have really pretty layers in your hair with lots of body but maybe it's just how you have it styled. Someone told me that razor cutting layers was the best way to do it because they fall better and I was thinking of doing it but I'm still too scared.

Thanks for the tip on the alcohol in products.  I would've never known that and I will watch out for it now.  So it sounds like you wear your hair naturally curly sometimes?  What styles do you wear?  I hope I'm not asking you too many questions.

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.

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!!!

Princess, If you are worried about the acohol in infusium 23 you can always dilute it a little, just pour some of it out, and add water. Don't forget to shake well before each use if you dilute it.

Your hair is really wonderful. I'm glad you are on your way to finding a regime that suits you. I am partical follower of the crown and glory techique. I wish you well on your hair journey

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.