Protective styling is a great way to allow your hair time to rest and to grow. It’s also a great way to retain the growth you’ve achieved. Wigs are an awesome accessory but a solid regimen is required to avoid thinning and breakage. Let’s take a look at a good wig regimen to grow your hair!
Wig Cap
Stocking caps rob my hair of moisture. Therefore, I’m wearing a spandex wave cap instead. It protects my edges and doesn’t dry out my hair while protective styling with wigs. Wearing a stocking cap on top of the spandex cap really flattens my hair to keep my wigs from looking too bulky.
I’ve been eyeing a few beanies over at Pretty AnntoiNets but the one I want most is out of stock: black beanie with black cloth elastic. I will definitely order when it’s back in stock.
Securing the Wig
Wig combs hurt my scalp and snag my hair. Therefore, I do not use them. Instead, I secure the wig with hair pins (pictured far right in the below photo). These are much gentler on the edges.
Wig Selection
I like realistic looking wigs for work and stylish wigs for the weekend. Curly or wavy wigs tend to resemble our natural hair texture best. Most, although not all, straight wigs are super silky and scream wiggy, unless you pay good money for them. I started out with synthetic, half-wigs. I then moved on to full cap lace fronts. Next up, human hair wigs! I’m currently in the market and look to hit pay now soon.
Follow me on Instagram to keep up with my wig collection!
Half-Wig Styling
There are texture differences between my hair and my wigs, thus I use a headband to hide the band of the wig rather than blending my hair. Truth be told, I suck at blending. Therefore, I pull the wig closely to my hairline and just wear it like a full cap wig.
Wig Care
I wash them with Dawn dish detergent to remove wig shine if needed. I then let them air dry for 24 hours. If the shine is still too much for my liking, I will lightly spray the wig with dry shampoo or sprinkle it with baby powder.
Products
Dawn Detergent – gentle cleansing and removes wig shine
Tresemme Dry Shampoo – revives the wig {without washing it} and removes wig shine
Comb and a paddle brush – styling
Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Detangler – detangling
Oil – adds natural shine and keeps flyaways tamed
Inexpensive flat iron {used on wigs only} – curling & styling the wigs
My Wig Regimen to Grow Your Hair
The biggest challenge was figuring out what to do with my it. I started out by wearing my hair pinned to the crown with a few bobby pins. This worked well as it gave me access to my hair and scalp and provided flexibility for when I wasn’t in the mood for wearing a wig. I relied on this method at first since I wasn’t quite sold on protective styling with wigs. After my anxieties calmed and I become dedicated to protective styling with wigs, I started wearing plaits (because I can’t cornrow for anything) to minimize manipulation.
Moisturize & Seal
I moisturize twice daily with Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist and seal as needed with an oil of choice in my Misto sprayer.
Wash Day
I wash every 2 weeks {click to read revised regimen}.
Storage
I store my wigs in a plastic bag – either the bag the wig comes in or a freezer bag – to keep them looking fresh and like new.
Also check out: How I Maintain My Hair Under Wigs
Have you worn wigs?
Do you plan to give them a try?
What are your wig tips & tricks?
I just don’t have enough hair to wear the satin caps. I end up having to fold the band up around the edge to make it work. I usually have large flat twists under my wigs. I can still spray my hair and oil my scalp that way.
I provable would have too much bulk with flat twists. Even with plaits, it’s a balancing act. It would be best to have cornrows but I don’t have anyone I trust doing them for me and when I attempt it, the length of my hair snags on itself so I just stop trying.
Even M & S daily, it still doesn’t help. Those wig cap can certainly drain your moisture level. Do you think its because of the material its made from? All of your wigs have been gorgeous so far.
TY, sis. Those stocking capa are horrible no matter what I do. I stopped wearing them quickly. My spandex cap doesn’t give me any issues although I prefer a silk cap when they are back on stock.
I love your wigs, I gave up on wigs since I was burned with my last purchase. I do miss the ease of wearing them though.
TY!! What happened on your last purchase?
These wigs look beautiful on you! Where do you order them from? My favorite site to get wigs is black hair spray. This is my go-to protective style every time. Thank you for the wig maintenance tips as well.
TY! I order from wherever. Usually Sam’s Beauty though. 🙂
Ok I get my hair braided into a circle I don’t use the combs or pins or anything to keep my wigs attached they seem to fit snug enough where I don’t think I need them. I also take my wigs off at night, spray my hair and my entire scalp with my Al-Shaffi herbal hair oil & tie my hair up with my silk scarf & go to bed. I’ve been doing this for a couple months now and I have yet to experience any breakage, thinning, shedding or anything of the sort. Do you think this regimen is Ok?
Oh yes, Nicole that’s an excellent regimen. How often do you wash your hair and does your scalp feel good? Sounds like you have your regimen down to science. Hi 5!!!
Ok now I leave my hair like this for at least 2 months which is where I only have to wash it once & the maximum is 4 months which is where I wash it twice as needed, which is my same process for when I have my hair in box braids now do I suggest this to other people no, neither method causes damage, buildup, or breakage for me. My hair has never thrived from washing it often. Right now I’m currently transitioning I’m 13 weeks post relaxer & for me the less I touch my hair the better
Nicole, you better preach. Excessive washing and manipulation isn’t great for my hair either. There are times when I need to wash and condition it more for increased hydration and I do to get over those dry spells but that’s not the norm. Too much of any good thing is a bad thing, right.
Girl exactly, I tried that new recommendation of weekly washing or cowashing & deep conditioning your hair and that is not for my hair. My hair stays moisturized for days & I never get product buildup so continuously taking the moisture out of my hair simply to put it back in ummm in my mind I could’ve left it in to begin with. There is no need for ME to fix or remove what’s not broken & for me keeping my hair that clean & manipulating my hair that often starts breakage, shedding & creating problems I’ve never had with my hair. It may work for some or most, but not I says Nicole lol! I’ve been occasionally washing, deep conditioning, and protein treating my hair the same way for as long as I can remember & my hair has been thriving for years until I decided to try keeping it too clean. In the event that my hair needs to be moisturized I pull out my spray bottle and moisturize it & when it needs to be cleaned I wash it. Now keep in mind I also don’t do a lot of things to my hair that would warrant frequent washing. I rarely ever heat style my hair i just recently started considering using gel in my hair again & before I started transitioning my relaxers were anywhere from 4-6 months apart. I don’t use silicones, serums, parabens, mineral oil, petroleum or any products that contains any of those. When I’m not protective styling I almost always wear my hair the same way everyday, which is clipped up with 4 silver duck clips 2 on each side. I moisturize my hair with a spray bottle when in braids & an applicator bottle when not in braids which now consists of a mixture of Al- Shaffi herbal hair oil, Sunny isles Jamaican organic pimento oil w/ JBCO, Kreyol essence lavender HBCO, peppermint oil, basil oil, cinnamon oil, clary sage oil, chia seed oil, EMU oil, garlic oil, & onion oil. I know it sounds like a lot to mix together I think I’m an oil junkie lol plus it gives me something to do & no it doesn’t weigh my hair down or cause it to stink.
I can tell you have your act together which is awesomesauce. I need to get my hands on some emu. Someone sent me a sample but it wasn’t in a marked bottle. I cannot remember what bottle it was in at this point so that’s that. I have way too many products. Don’t ask. :0) I don’t believe I’ve heard of Al- Shaffi.
Awwww thank you/can you tell I’m only 23 lol! Yes emu oil is great especially for hair growth oil & Al-Shaafi is a combination of 50+ oils that I purchase from etsy.com for 29.99 & free shipping to the USA & it’s also available on amazon. A lot pricey yes, but once you see the ingredients you’ll understand. Now this is going to sound crazy, but this oil concoction has given me at least 1/2 an inch in 2 weeks, which is great right, the problem is my hair is growing faster than its ever grown to the point where my new growth is causing problems with my box braids. My box braids are becoming heavy which has never ever happened in all the years that I’ve been protective styling until now I’m even considering taking them down 3 months early, which has also never happened lol. I’m also doing the inversion method & I also add in Shapley’s MTG oil twice a week, but I don’t think my braids can handle 4 inches of new growth, which is what I’m estimating it will be at the least at the end of 4 months this is getting out of hand lol! This picture is after 2 weeks now I did not think to stretch out my braids so you could see
Awwww thank you/can you tell I’m only 23 lol! Yes emu oil is great especially for hair growth oil & Al-Shaafi is a combination of 50+ oils that I purchase from etsy.com for 29.99 & free shipping to the USA & it’s also available on amazon. A lot pricey yes, but once you see the ingredients you’ll understand. Now this is going to sound crazy, but this oil concoction has given me at least 1/2 an inch in 2 weeks, which is great right, the problem is my hair is growing faster than its ever grown to the point where my new growth is causing problems with my box braids. My box braids are becoming heavy which has never ever happened in all the years that I’ve been protective styling until now I’m even considering taking them down 3 months early, which has also never happened lol. I’m also doing the inversion method & I also add in Shapley’s MTG oil twice a week, but I don’t think my braids can handle 4 inches of new growth, which is what I’m estimating it will be at the least at the end of 4 months this is getting out of hand lol! This picture is after 2 weeks now I did not think to stretch out my braids so you could see . I’m sorry I do not know how to post a picture here!
Hi Nicole, I cannot tell you’re 23. You are definitely a mature 23 year old. I love that. By 23, I was already married for 3 yrs so I was more mature than what my age would normally be. Hi 5 to maturity and having our acts together.
Thank you for the info on the oils. Good to know and woooooow, that’s an effective oil blend right there. Do you have photo bucket or Google Drive? You can include a link to the photo and I look at it that way.
Now looking at my new growth I think my natural hair is maybe like 3c I’m guessing
I don’t even know mine. I guess it’s in the 4s.
I don’t really know mine either I’m guessing lol but yes you are so right about us being mature & congrats on being married so young that is soooooo good!
I’m 17 yrs married now 🙂 So yeah, I’m old(er). Many say texture changes once the relaxed ends are off. That’s scary. Like what if it changes in a way you rather it not. Yikes.
I meant to tell you too upon reviewing my now extravagant hair regimen I’ve noticed that I really no longer aspire to use most in store or popular products like not for any particular reason they’ve just completely diminished from my regimen strangely lol plus I just purchased 5lbs of unrefined shea butter for $21!!! Now the shipping was high as to be expected, but this investment will last me forever, my oils come in smaller sizes & last me all year, so I know this will too…anyways do you think my non protective styling regimen is too extreme:
Vits: Manetabolism & Keratin 500mg w/ Aloe vera juice, Sip and grow restore hair tea, Bamboo leaf tea
PrePoo: EVCO, EVOO, corn oil, palm kernel oil, organic coconut milk, organic coconut water, GHEE, fenugreek tea, raw honey
Cleanser: Bentonite clay, Rhassoul clay, Organic ACV
PROTEIN: Mega-Tek rebuilder
DC: Kanechom ceramidas hair moisturizing cream, EVCO, EVOO, raw honey, GHEE, fenugreek tea
Whipped LIC: amla, arnica flowers, wormwood, aloe vera, fenugreek seeds, red roses, hibiscus flowers, marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, flax seeds, brahmi, bhringraj, tulsi, neem, henna, bamboo leaf boiled in 8oz. H20, unrefined shea butter, GHEE, flax seed oil, rosemary oil, chia seeds
OILS: Al- Shaffi herbal hair oil, Sunny isles Jamaican organic pimento oil w/ JBCO, KE lavender HBCO, Sunny isles extra dark JBCO, peppermint, basil, cinnamon, clary sage, chia seed, EMU, garlic, onion
1. PrePoo w/ steamer for 30 minutes
2. Mix & apply cleanser, let it sit, w/out letting it dry in hair
3. Protein treat hair minus new growth for 30 minutes w/ heating cap
4. Apply fenugreek tea then DC mix w/ steamer for 30 minutes
5. Apply LIC
6. Ponytail, band, apply silk scarf or satin bonnet & sleep on satin pillowcase
7. Apply oil mixture to scalp only
Headed to a meeting. Be back to read and answer later.
Our regimens are similar in several ways. I’m moving toward on the ground staples because it’s just easier to grab what I need, when I need without breaking the bank. Love my handmades but in store products have done me right as of late.
I’m just now seeing ur comment about texture changing once your relaxed ends come off & ooooh nooooo that is horrible, but I wonder about my hair because from the feel and look of my new growth verses my relaxed ends the relaxers is what made my hair course to begin with. I’ve noticed that once my hair starts needing to be relaxed again my relaxed ends become 4c. Now keep in mind the difference between the types of relaxers also, which I believe is the problem for my hair for instance the store bought no lye relaxers are harsher on your hair whereas lye relaxers like Mizani & the relaxers used in salons are harsher on your scalp. Now the change that I see in my hair that I was telling you about earlier only occurs when I use no lye relaxers and the notion that lye relaxers are harsher on your scalp doesn’t apply to my hair in the sense that I’ve never had any chemical burns or damage, breakage, or thinning due to any type of relaxer plus I make sure to protect my scalp beforehand. Now remind you I’m simply transitioning to see what my natural curl pattern is & just basically to try something new. After all I love my relaxed hair so much that I never plan to big chop and the only time I plan to cut my hair period is while trimming my split ends, which will take forever I know lol. I’ve learned my relaxed hair so much over the years to the point where if it doesn’t work out with being natural back to Mizani I go. I’ve also realized that as I’ve matured and done my research on the herbs & oils that contribute to hair growth & the overall health of my hair along with my likes & dislikes for hair styles & manipulation as well as my strengths as an individual, these are all the things that contributed to the change in my hair products. I went from using what was readily available to being cheap buying products that looked appealing to all natural products and now that I know what ingredients I want to have in my hair & now being able to find a product that harnesses all of them in one I would like to try to see if I can create my own specifically for my own hair. Wow it’s just so mind blowing to look back & see how I’ve evolved really as an all around individual, but especially with my hair.
I’ve evolved too. I use to desire length, now I’m like whatev. I never really suffered from many scalp issues. Had a few times when I had burns or dry scalp but that was not my norm. I would also transition for the same reason if I chose too – see my texture. I’m always and forever in love with relaxed hair so I can see myself ending back up there when it’s all said and done.
Oops that “now” should be the word not all the way at the bottom
NP! 🙂
I’m an ingredient person & instead of just wanting a few I tend to overdo things for instance if I were to be big on store bought products I would buy 4 different shea moisture deep conditioners & mix them together, which is highly expensive lol, but my own combination for my leave in conditioner is now up to more than $100 (the ingredients that I would like to include have gotten out of control plus the cost to ship all of them mountainroseherbs of course smh), so I really need to figure something out. I think I may end up coming up with a low budget store regimen until I can decide/minimize my list. I still have a 12oz jar of some Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie left & then I want to try out some gorilla snot gel the 1 with the orange top & some lustrasilk curl max curl activator moisturizer maybe try some new styles or some old 1s that didn’t work before I’m clearly so undecided there are so many options smh!
Ok Jay I’ve simplified my regimen. This way won’t cost me as much as my other regimen plus the products are healthier & I can still put my inner mistress to work lol. I also bought the products I mentioned I wanted to try and I mixed them with my Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie to give it more hold next I think I’ll try some AuNaturalle products clearly being a product junkie & a mistress doesn’t help me smh.
Vits: Manetabolism & Keratin 500mg w/ Aloe vera juice, Sip & grow restore hair tea, Bamboo leaf tea
PrePoo: EVCO, EVOO, GHEE, corn oil, palm kernel oil, coconut milk, coconut water, fenugreek tea, raw honey
Cleansing: Organic ACV -OR- H20 only
PROTEIN: Godrej nupur mehendi powder & coconut milk
DC: BOE crece pelo treatment conditioner, EVCO, EVOO, GHEE, organic honey, fenugreek tea
Whipped LIC: arnica, wormwood, fenugreek seeds, dong quai, comfrey root, marshmallow root, slippery elm, unrefined shea butter, GHEE, flax seed oil, rosemary oil
OILS: Al- Shaffi herbal hair, Sunny isles Jamaican organic pimento oil w/ JBCO, Sunny isles extra dark JBCO, peppermint, basil, cinnamon, clary sage, chia seed, EMU, garlic, onion
1. PrePoo w/ steamer for 30 minutes
2. Apply cleanser, let it sit for 5 minutes
3. Protein treat hair for 4 hours w/out heat
4. Apply fenugreek tea then DC mix w/ steamer for 30 minutes
5. Towel dry & apply oil mixture to scalp only
6. Massage scalp, apply LIC, & detangle w/ paddle brush
7. Ponytail, band, apply silk scarf or satin bonnet & sleep on satin pillowcase
Lol Mistress. Don’t you have auto text. I knew you meant Mixtress though.
How is your hair feeling each wash day? Seems like it should be super soft from all the goodies you feed it. You’re not the first to mention you let your cleanser sit for 5 minutes. I hate standing in the shower for any longer than I have to. I apply my cleanser and work it in really well with massaging my scalp. I don’t time it though. Does the 5 minutes start after you massage your scalp OR does the 5 minutes factor application and massaging the scalp?
Mixtress not mistress OMG!!!
Yes & auto correct is the mistress that typed that mess twice at that lol…I think the 5 minutes is just that extra written step to remind me not to immediately wash it out, but I don’t actually time it either. I was wondering if you’ve tried any Anita Grant products & if so which ones & ur thoughts on them I’m thinking about incorporating some of her products into my regimen. My hair is so soft after my prepoo that I wish I didn’t have to actually complete the rest of my regimen, but the reason I go the extra mile with my wash day is because I protective style for so long plus I like the softness of wash day. I meant to tell you I’ve actually just this year started working on an actual regimen before I just washed my hair once a month or when it needed it & I never used butters or leave in conditioners I used oils exclusively on my scalp only & my relaxed hair loved it, so I’ll have to learn what my natural hair likes verses my old ways.
Hi Chica!! Hope all is well. I never tried Anita Grant. Please don’t tempt my weak spirit. Softness is my weakness. I love soft hair. How was your hair health & retention washing once monthly without a regimen?
The last inch of my hair was a bit thinner than the rest, but other than that it was thick and healthy I wrapped it everyday and left it alone other than that. I’ve gone 2 months without washing my hair before and believe it or not that was when my hair was healthiest and thriving the most no itching or any scalp problems I also didn’t heat style or use a lot of products other than Wild growth hair oil & Dr. Miracle’s damaged hair medicated treatment, which made my hair feel like I had a fresh relaxer.
Have you trimmed your hair lately? Perhaps they are just old and have met their life span. Cutting your hair in a bob would be really cute. I’m loving my short wigs and a bob is one of them.
Ok Jay I officially got tired of my shoulder length hair and big chopped for the second time. The first time around I didn’t know how to take care of my hair while short as I had never had short hair before (while taking care of it myself) so I went back to relaxers, but now there’s YouTube and I’ll be short wigging it until my hair is long enough to braid. No more box braids or experiments with different colors i have officially learned my lesson lol. As I sat back and thought about what helped my hair the most the first time I big chopped I remembered that was when I first began protective styling and how it was crochet braids that taught me protective styling was best for my hair verses me wrapping my hair or manipulating it everyday. Now don’t get me wrong wrapping my hair everyday had its perks as it kept me from getting split ends or having any breakage, but my hair also never grew past my shoulders although it wasn’t breaking off, whereas with protective styling my hair grows beyond that. In other words I believe my hair grows best when I leave it alone for long periods of time (my new found limit is 6-8 wks with a months break in between my take down and installation of a new set of crochet braids). My new go to styles will be wigs with my hair braided underneath or crochet braids for 6-8 wks. max. I also want to try out a new product that is a lot on the expensive side, so I’ve gone back to the drawing board with my regimen to simplify it and make it less expensive, but still as effective without being so extensive as before. I’m realizing now that I don’t have to the moon and beyond or have 5 different deep conditioners to do what one by itself can do & just because I like the ingredients of all 5 doesn’t mean I actually have to have them. My hair thrives off simplicity as well as good quality ingredients. For instance I’ve learned that sulfate shampoos aren’t in anyway good for my hair they are the closest thing to the devil lol so I’ve switched back to what has never failed me Organic ACV & water and for my prepoo I’ve simplified it to just corn oil because its inexpensive and can actually penetrate the hair shaft. The teas I drink and I take my vitamins with AVJ because its supposed to increase the effectiveness. Now because I plan to incorporate alot of henna into my regimen I’ve selected a deep condition without protein to avoid protein overload, so hopefully this new regimen provides good results. I’ll definitely keep you updated. The new product I would like to try is the GroDrenalin BalmXL simply because i just want to see if it actually works lol. Now I’ve put most of my product junkyism away lol. The rest of my new regimen looks like this:
•VITS: Manetabolism, Keratin 250mg, Kesh king hair growth capsules w/ AVJ
•TEAS: Sip & grow restore hair tea & Bamboo leaf tea
•PrePoo: Corn oil
•CW: 1 CUP Organic ACV, 2 CUPS WATER
•PROTEIN: Godrej nupur mehendi powder
•Color: Indigo powder
•DC: Fenugreek tea & Eden BodyWorks jojoba monoi DC
•LIC: arnica flowers, wormwood, fenugreek seeds
•Moisture: Al-Shaafi herbal hair oil, EMU oil, GroDrenalin BalmXL
1. Apply PrePoo, cover & use steamer for 30 minutes
2. Apply Cleanser & massage it into hair & scalp well, sit 10 mins.
3. Protein treat hair for 6 hrs w/out heat every 2 weeks
4. Apply tea & then deep conditioner w/ steamer for 1 hr.
5. Apply LIC to hair and scalp
6. Apply moisturizer to scalp only & massage scalp
7. Detangle, ponytail, band, apply silk scarf or satin bonnet & sleep on satin pillowcase
CONGRATS girlfriend. Ahem, excuse me…you should be doing a hair feature so we can celebrate with you. Your regimen looks great. Protein treating for 6 hours though? That scares me. Would it not overload your hair? My hair would be on the flo’ — yes flo’! 🙂
I forgot to tell you girlllllllll do you know I found some synthetic wigs on aliexpress.com for $3 and some change I’m not exaggerating here. Clearly I’m on a big big budget lmao (do not judge me)! Now once my hair actually becomes longer I plan to get a full lace wig to protective style with whereas now I don’t really feel the need to go to the long lasting extreme yet ($105 & some change for the one I like), I think that for me waiting for my hair to grow out is a transition in itself on top of having to learn my now natural hair, but remembering my setbacks the 1st time I attempted to go natural has definitely helped, which is why I know something to help me leave my hair alone, such as wigs. Ok I’m starting to think I’m obsessed with my hair smh or perhaps I just over think things idk lol.
$3? Where they do dat at? (lol) Seriously though, drop the link below or email me the link. I am totally interested. Protective styling is the way to go. I have no doubt that you’ll knock this out the park!
Yes 6 hours because its henna now remind you this is my step before the indigo powder! Now how well this will work out I don’t know yet, see I change my regimen first then buy the products simply because I’m always changing my mind or perfecting and simplifying my regimen, so once its finalized then I’ll get the Godrej nupur mehendi powder and do a patch test on 1 of my type 4 sections because these are the sections where I would like the henna to loosen my curl pattern, so that it’ll better blend with the rest of my hair. Now my type 4 sections aren’t more like a medium sized diamond which is why I would like to be able to better blend it with the majority of my hair. I believe I have 3 textures in my hair: the parts closest to my ears in the front of my hair are my 2 small type 4 sections, the majority of the front and the back is somewhere in the 3s and very thick and curly. The back of my hair actually feels like I have a relaxer its very smooth and soft, but I believe it may be wavy or slightly curly and some parts are straight (my hair texture is strange lol). Now the aliexpress app is free and it has cheaper prices than going to aliexpress.com on the actual browser, but here is the link to the specific wig I was telling you about. Now I have the black one the rest of those colors aren’t for me. Now for the hair feature what do I do? http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sexy-Women-BOBO-Head-Style-Straight-Bang-Short-Wigs-Hair-Cap-Hairnet/1904055669.html
Oh ok re: henna. I have no experience with it. Some ladies complain of dryness. That was enough to make me run in the opposite direction. I will just live viacriously through you. Thanks for the aliexpress info!!
You’re welcome/did you like it or any of their other million wigs on there lol…I believe the dryness comes when you mix it with the wrong ingredients or the wrong amounts of an ingredient such as some people experience dryness when they combine henna with water only I personally I mix mine with coconut milk and have never experienced any dryness, also keep in mind that henna is an all natural equivalent to a hard protein treatment, which means you still have to deep condition afterwards in other words I have never came out with dry hair after using henna, but I guess some do
They have some really nice wigs. I seen quite a few I loved. I like the ones you’re considering but don’t know that I can pull those off.
Your hair must love protein because some would have issues with the coconut milk. My hair didn’t like coconut milk that much either.
Honestly I think I love protein lol/now remind you before I BC I had relaxed, bleached, and 2x’s dyed hair, so I needed alllllllll the protein, but now I don’t know how my hair will react to protein. Now I’ve never used coconut milk alone, but coconut milk is the only thing i mix henna with simply because it keeps the henna from drying hard on my hair, it makes it easy to wash out, I don’t have to wait hours for the dye in henna to release I can use it right away because with coconut milk the dye releases instantly, and it NEVER dries my hair out or makes it brittle that only happened when I was listening to all the blogs talking about use water, tea, lemon juice, etc., which alllllllll caused dryness. Now remind you the rest of my hair regimen is all about moisture, which is how I intend to avoid protein overload. Now I won’t actually start doing it weekly until I see my true curl pattern if its too difficult for me to work with I’ll start using henna more often to loosen it up a bit simply to avoid going back to relaxers. I told myself from the beginning if the majority of my hair is in the type 4 category or if being natural becomes too time consuming then my absolute when all else fails resort will be back to Mizani for good this time as in there will be no more attempting to go natural. Now is this my solution or suggestion for everyone no this is just for me as in I mapped out my plan of action before acting. I honestly believe that the trial and error portion is what will be time consuming for me mainly because I’m really trying to stay away from products on the market whether all natural or not, which means it may take me longer to concoct something my hair and money agrees with. I’m a very simple and patient individual, so we’ll see how it goes lol.
I totally understand what you’re saying about type 4 or time consuming. I too agree! I refused to be confined to my bathroom any longer than I am currently. Therefore, if I ever go natural and it’s a lot of work (translation, too much work), I would relax in a heartbeat.
Right I think one day I will make a YouTube channel specifically for my healthy hair journey whether it be relaxed or natural. I personally feel like like a lot of people feel that they need to go out and buy all these products they see on the blogs or on TV, but if we all remember back in the day when parents and grandparents whipped out that grease and water and braided your hair and only washed it once or twice a month your hair was healthy and perfectly fine and it wasthriving. I simply feel like the simpler and low maintenance your hair regimen and styling routine is the better. For instance all this mess about oil not being a moisturizer and you need to use x,y, and z type of products and then apply your oils and butters oh and don’t forget the cookies lol now this may be true for some people, but I personally have used oils exclusively for years and I’ve just recently started trying butters just to see the effect they’d have on my hair and if they’d be better than just using oils alone. Low and behold I need to stop trying stuff lol because this whole new LOC, LCO, ABCDI mess is not for me or my hair and its not the products, so back to my tried and true method of oiling my scalp only which of course is going to also make its way to my actual hair. I don’t mind reading the suggestions on the blogs, but I’m all for doing what works for me and my hair if my hair doesn’t need to be washed once a week or every 3 days then I’m not washing or cowashing my hair, if butters and heavy oils weigh my hair done then I’ll stop using butters and start using lighter oils.
Hi Nicole, I’m from the grease your hair era and my hair thrived back in the day. However, I love me a good moisturizer and I just don’t know if oil moisturizes. I don’t have a scientific background so I can’t quite articulate all the facts about oils but in using logic, we should always do what our hair responds well too, even if that means using oil only. So all that rambling to say, I totally dig what you said and totally agree.
They say oil isn’t a moisturizer and you’re supposed to moisturize and seal. I’m talking about all the going natural 101 & transitioning tips and so on and so forth, but yes I see what you mean. I recently made me a concoction/leave in conditioner with flax seeds and chia seeds, now my mistake was allowing it so cool before straining the flax seeds, so it turned into a gel and separating the 2 was not easy and its also thickened more since I made it a couple of days ago. I’m thinking I really need to invest in a good preservative especially for my leave in conditioner that is for my actual hair regimen. I forgot to tell you I’ve finally gotten used to my haircut at 1st I didn’t like it and missed my long hair, but now I’m loving it plus my waves are on fleek lol. Now notice we’ve totally gotten off the subject of wigs, don’t mind me I completely love talking about hair as I’m sure you’ve seen
Hey Girly!! It’s ok, I love talking it too. You stay experimenting which is good. I don’t have the energy for it. Life has me spread thin so that leaves little time to do much of anything. I love my waves and I love short hair on me. It is just far more attractive and fits my face better.
So now its been over a little over a month since I originally BC & now I have to definitely get used to it I like my curls so far plus I think the front of my hair grows faster than the rest of my hair. I think I’m literally obsessed with my hair like when I first got it cut I brushed my hair like 3 times a day lol. I just can’t wait until its braidable. I’ve also cut down on how often I moisturize my hair instead of every day I’ve cut it down to every other day or every few days & I’ve stopped brushing my hair so often something I’ve recently started using or doing before I cut down caused me to have a bald part shaped area in the front of my hair, so I’m trying to isolate the things I’ve recently started using or doing, which is using the 5 lbs of shea butter I bought awhile back with my oil concotion and my homemade flax seed and chia seeds creation now I’ve been using them in the form of the LOC method trying to give it a real shot at working for me, but that was good when I first applied the products, but in the morning after taking off my silk scarf my hair was dry as in dryer than it was before I put anything in my hair at all, so then I started exploring the LCO method instead, which was great and seemed to work a whole lot better than the LOC method, but then I stopped once I noticed my bald spot. I started wondering if it was because I was brushing my hair so much, but I asked my boyfriend and he said no and that I still should stop brushing my hair 100x’s a day lol. Now I’ve also stopped using my homemade flax & chia seeds creation, but I still use the last batch of my old oils before I switch to my new regimen. My leftover oils consist of emu, cinnamon cassia, clary sage, peppermint, Al-Shaafi herbal hair oil, basil, & JBCO now I can not see in a million years as to why these would make my hair fall out plus I’ve used them before when I was relaxed and never had any problems, so I’m thinking the culprit is either the shea butter, my excessive brushing, or my flax and chia creation or a combination somewhere in there. I’ve already thrown away my creation, so I guess I’ll keep on using my combination of oils that I put in spray bottle and see if perhaps it effects my natural hair differently and in the event it doesn’t I’m going to try my shea butter by itself to see if it is the issue. In other words perhaps I should’ve left this trying to give these new methods a second chance mess alone and trying to create stuff might not be my expertise lol because I’ve created and explored how to go bald lmao literally. I still have some shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie in my closet, so perhaps I can try using that as my leave in conditioner and then my shea butter as my Cream and then my oils as my O/ clearly I am just simply bored and would like to do something with myself lol lord I need to find a hobby other than my hair. What do you recommend I do to figure out my problem
Hey Nicole, over the past months we’ve talked, your regimen has been filled with many different products so with that, it’s hard to pinpoint what might have caused the issue. When I’m faced with a situation like this, I stop everything, go back to the basics and keep it simple. That means, only using a few products that are tried and true and techniques I know to work. I stop experimenting with new products until my situation turns around. So with that, I encourage you to pause on new products or techniques. Keep it real, realy simple. Shampoo, conditioner, leave in and sealant. No mixtures or concotions. Easy on the combing, brushing and manipulation. Massage that area to stimulate blood flow to promote growth. Jbco is a good oil for this. It filled my edges in nicely.
Ok so I’ve stopped using all new concotions, no more shea butter, no more acv washes, no more brushing or combing, no more shampoo. Now the 1 thing I’ve noticed thats different in my oils is the brand and the type of JBCO I’ve switched to using which is Tropic isles lavender JBCO, whereas in my previous oil mixtures I would only use Sunny isles JBCO with no lavender or additions to it. Emu oil which I’ve been using for months now is also a newer addition to my oils, whereas my original oils were only basil, onion, garlic, cinnamon cassia, JBCO, peppermint, clary sage, olive. Now my oils are LJBCO, basil, cinnamon cassia, peppermint, Al-Shaafi herbal hair oil, emu, & clary sage. Now my original oils gave me excellent growth and moisture especially while protective styling, but the onion and garlic went from $9 and some change a piece to $21 and some change a piece which is why I took them out of my regimen, but I’m wondering if I should’ve just changed to a different seller rather than making such a drastic change in my regimen in terms of adding too many new things to my regimen? I’ve also gone back to my tried and true never failing oil only method and of course I never need to apply it directly to my hair because when I apply it on my scalp it also spreads throughout my hair. I’ve incorporated black tea into my regimen sort of taking the place of a leave in conditioner, but only when I wash my hair (hot water only). On the day after my wash day is when I begin the GHE method, which I try to do daily overnight my hair dries in about 20 minutes afterwards, but the moisture stays. I think adding in anything extra moisture wise would be overdoing it. Do you think my new regimen is too simple or lacking?
WASH: Hot water only(I plan to go back to clay washing only, but until I get my funds back right I don’t want to add in too much)
DEEP CONDITION: Queen Helene cholesterol
LIC: Black tea
MOISTURE: oils only
Extremely interesting and useful article.
Here is a wig regimen planner, you can ask for the printable file and tweak it to your personal regimen. That way, you know what to do and when.
http://www.consciousessence.com/hair-planners-printables
scroll down till you see the wig regimen planner
Thank you. I’m not much for planners unless they are digital. Evernote works really well for jotting down things. You can sync the app with multiple devices.