Do you take care of your own hair?

[Innocent_Kiss]

That is so hard for me to picture

I can't imagine ME taking care of my own hair. Not because of the work or anything, but because I can't see

If only I can screw my head on and off, sit it between my legs, and treat every strand

..but that's impossible

Moisturizing is hard, styling is hard, applying treatments is hard..ugh everything is hard when it comes to taking care of my own hair. ESPECIALLY in the B-A-C-K! I just rub the product in my palms and SLAP it back there

Gosh, and my mom? Don't ask her to do do ish for your hair. She's gonna grab every harmful product, all the wrong tools (cheap rat tail combs WITH seams, cheap $1 RAKE brushes), and use all the wrong techniques (excessive tension on edges..you name it) to try to do your hair. Bottom line, I'd rather take care of my own, anyway. I'll be in college soon (one more year of H/S

) and I really need to get this thing together. I know this might seem silly, but this is REALLY a problem for me

How did you manage to become the master of your head?

 

[LEOLADYSW]

Practice, time, and patience are the keys here. Do it right, and keep doing it until it is second nature to you.

 

[NaturalRox]

Yes, it definitely takes practice and patience! I depend on my mirrors so much for the back! lol

 

[Innocent_Kiss]

[ QUOTE ]
LEOLADYSW said:
Practice, time, and patience are the keys here. Do it right, and keep doing it until it is second nature to you.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was afraid you were going to say that

I don't wanna practice

I'll only get discouraged. Are you sure there's no other techniques? Like umm special mirrors that'll allow you to see your entire head UP CLOSE? Or machines with human like arms that help you style? You know, technology can do lots of stuff

 

[ccd]

experience and practice. When I was in highschool and college I didn't know how and I didn't have the money to go to the salon every week so I did the best I could...I wish I had this site and the info I've learned here and by going to the Dominican salons back then I would have been far along but I'm happy with where I am

I would say try to keep it simple, find what works for your hair and stick with that. Roller setting take practice but you can do it if ou want to

also......AND MAYbe MORE important! Patience, patience, patience
even now I can get frustrated setting my hair...its hard in the back but you'll get the hang of it! Good luck with this AND COLLEGE!!! be kind to your hair in college

 

[Innocent_Kiss]

I need to come out of these braided styles you keep in for weeks at a time. My hair is always covered up

 

[ccd]

ALSO I BIG spray bottle with water and Pantene Leavein con. mixed together.....Pantene detangles like a miracle for me...I use to just use water which was fine(because your hair will dry out while you are rollersetting so you need that close by)....the Pantene leavein is extra helpful to me

 

[Innocent_Kiss]

Thanks for the tip ccd

 

[webby]

I learned to take care of my own hair, reluctantly, but now I feel confident that I'll take the extra time that NO ONE else will.

I have a full-length mirror in my closet door and a full-length standing mirror that I position in a way that allows me to see the back of my head. After a few years of "practice" I'm able to do almost everything to my hair, without needing to see the back. I'm even able to blowdry my hair w/o having to see everything.

However, make no bones about it...doing your own hair is a lot of work

 

[Nay]

I have always taken care of my own hair since I was 13 and attempted my first press. That was a LONG time ago. Like the other ladies said, doing your hair doesn't have to be hard. It's just a matter of doing it and getting better and better at it.

My philosophy has always been, "If anybody is going to mess it up, I'd rather it be me!" I just don't trust anybody else with my hair.

 

[ccd]

[ QUOTE ]
Innocent_Kiss said:
Thanks for the tip ccd

[/ QUOTE ]

your welcome

any time

 

[YOTEGRA]

It takes experimenting and practice.

 

[SoAnxious12]

practice and patience. I usually section my hair in four parts. That makes it easier for me.

 

[honey_jammz82]

[ QUOTE ]
Nay said:

My philosophy has always been, "If anybody is going to mess it up, I'd rather it be me!" I just don't trust anybody else with my hair.

[/ QUOTE ]

I totally agree! Just practice,practice, practice!

 

[PittGirl06]

My mother stopped doing my hair when I was 11 years old. She said that I was old enough to start doing it myself....um....SHE FORGOT TO TEACH ME!! During that time, I was not interested in hair so I just would put it back into a sloppy ponytail...I used curling irons a lot in middle school an dhighschool, but my styles never lasted more than...oh, 15 minutes!! So I have reverting backk to the ponytail if I wear my real hair....otherwise, its extensions, wigs, and professional stylists for this head o' mine.

 

[Chichi]

Yes, with my self-relaxer in the middle of this month, my hair will be 100% in my hands, and I like it that way. I have made too much progress to have someone mess it up in one day. One bad cut or one bad relaxer and that's it, all those months worth of work down the drain...

I'll only go to the salon for a Dominican blowout.

Chichi

 

[KaiT]

I pretty much take care of everything myself. If I need assistance, I will enlist my mom's help..because she is into hair like I am.

 

[Ayeshia]

Im not going to a stylist for the next 3-4 years. I may only go just to get a trim if my self trimming method doesnt work out.

 

[Maestradiva77]

I do my own hair as well. I agree that with practice, it is definitely possible.

 

[VinDieselsWifey]

I agree with everything everyone has said.
I have been doing my own cornrows since I was 10 years old. I used to practice on my hair every day until I got it right. My mom would wash and press my hair, but I don't think she knew much about taking care of my type of hair. She is more like a 2b/c/3a. I am more like a 4a. When I was 11 I got my first relaxer. I also started washing my own hair. I kept the relaxer for two years, then I wore braids for a few months and started getting it pressed out.

I got tired of that and went back to the relaxer until Nov. 1999. I wore braids for about six months and then did the big chop. I wore braids after that for about two years straight until my hair was shoulder length. I have always done my own hair as far as braids, styling are concerned, even when I had a relaxer. I did get wash and sets at the salon, but I also could do alot of stuff myself. I just had to practice, practice, practice, sometimes at the expense of my hair.

What also helped me was that I have a mirror in the bathroom that has three sections to it. You can open up the two outer mirrors and you can see all around your head. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowes.

Now, I am too scared to let anyone touch my hair.I have gone through too much to let someone mess my hair up. So I do everything myself. I even make some of my hair products, that way I know exactly what's going in my hair. When I did the big chop four years ago, I wish I would have known about this site and others. I probably would have been waist length by now.

 

[BrEE]

i love being able to do my hair on my own and now that i'll be self relaxing i can't wait.before finding this site i hated going to the salon for relaxers and washes.every time i made alot of progress from extending relaxers my stylists would ALWAYS mess up my hard work. it was like a no win situation. i grow hair, they cut it off. i didnt do harmful things to my hair to avoid breakage and they would use small tooth combs(the ones you use for smoothing your relaxer)to rip/detangle my hair while it was wet.it was jsut too frustrating. this site has been such a blessing.i love being self reliant.

 

[Enchantmt]

I've been taking care of my hair myself since I was in highschool, actually since I was about 12 but I ended up with a Jehri curl during jr high so it was somewhat care free then. The only thing I dont do for myself is cutting/trimming. I would do my own relaxers, mostly because of finances. I became good enough at it and ended up being the person do do relaxers for my friends and co workers. As I could afford to go to the salon I would but I was able to get better results myself. Most stylists would over process my hair and make it bone straight or want to blowdry it instead of wrapping/rollersetting and that makes my texture look horrible and dry it out over time. If I want to treat myself I will go but as far as day to day care its easier and less time consuming to do it myself.

I recommend gathering as much knowledge as you can. In additon to LHCF, buy and read hair mags, if you cant afford to buy mags each month, read them at the library. There are also lots of books online you can order. Read the reviews on amazon and then purchase locally or obtain them from the library.

You may not want to hear it, but you will have to practice on your hair. You need to know how it will respond to things such as humidity, certain styling products, and styling techniques. You want to practice in advance so if a special occasion comes up you have something that works for you and you can be confident you wont leave the house looking good and come back looking like Krusty the clown.
Dont think you have to look like you stepped off of a magazine cover every day. Heavy handed styling using all that heat to look perfectly coiffed comes at a price. That doesnt mean to be sloppy but protective styling techniques for everyday so when special occasions come up you have a healthy hair base to start from.

I know folx that cant do anything with out a hair stylist. If they dont go you see them walking around with a jacked up ponytail or a hat until they get there. Don't put yourself at the mercy of someone where you are helpless to do for yourself. Good luck!

 

[kandyland]

Ditto to what everyone has said. I started doing my own hair in high school...I only went to the salon for a touch up or if a special occasion was coming up....other than that, I learned to braid my own hair, roller wrap it, spiral curl it, etc etc....If you would have seen my finished styles when I first started doing my own hair....it would not be pretty....but practice makes perfect and over time people would comment.."oh I like your hair, who did it"?

Doing your hair should go more smoothly because now you have this board to help you.

Like alot of people have mentioned, the reward of doing you own hair speaks for itself...you can change up your hair style as many times as you want and you won't be a slave to the salon.

Good Luck

 

[auntybe]

I go back and forth. For the last three yrs. I had some one weave or braid my hair for me. I prefer to do my own when it comes to relaxers. I can't trust anybody else because they don't listen to me. Since I've been a member here I have learn to trim, roll and press my hair(when it was natural) better than I ever thought I could. So as long as I have this place to come to I will be doing my own hair.

 

[ladybug]

Since the age of 5 yrs old I have been getting my hair done at my aunts salon...so up until about 6 months ago I never did anything to my hair ..like wash...or anythign even remotely to my hair..all i did was wrap it at night and maybe bump the ends...

if i wanted a style..cut..perm..or wash i would go to the salon...

i just always thought my hair was imaginable..because it was so thick and long...and 4a/b...

after joining LHCF..i was like well now i have so much more knowledge about hair...and i am physically capable of doing my hair why not?....so it dawned on me that i can do my hair myself...so the first couple trial and errors i messed up but i have finally gotten the hang of things..

and now my aunt complains how she doesnt see me anymore..but she is happy about my progress..overall for anything major like a texturizer i go to her but i havent even had that done like in 4 months so...

i am just happy i can wash...set( minor things)...and maintain a healthy head of hair without having to rely on anyone else but my own two hands...

 

[lovelymissyoli]

I just started doing my own hair about 3 weeks ago. To be honest my father always paid for me to have my hair done at the shop (for about 8 years straight). It was there that my old hair stylist did anything she wanted to my hair (over processing, excessive trimming, gluing in weaves, etc) and I didn’t know better or know what she was doing to my hair wasn’t healthy. Now that I have some knowledge and some great products to work with I stopped wearing braids (just for a while) and decided I’m going to grow my own hair, my own way.

I’ve become reliant on a lot of things (weaves, braids, etc) so I wouldn’t have to handle my real hair because I just didn’t like it. Yeah I said it, I didn’t like my hair. Now I have grown to love it and enjoy messing around with new styles. I’m no expert when it comes to my hair, but I’m getting there. At the moment I’m not going to say I’ll never go to a stylist again, because I have found a great one, but for now, it’s just going to be my hair and me!

I was just like you Innocent_Kiss, and believe me I didn’t want to do my hair or even had the time for it, but now I MAKE time to do my hair. Those times that I am watching TV., I just turn it up and do my hair (killing two birds with one stone

). As far as applying products I separate my hair into about 6-10 ponytails all around my head. Since you said it’s hard for you to apply products to the back of your hair, this method is better because you’re able to apply products a selection at a time. It takes a lot of practice and patience, even when your arms feel like they are going to fall off! If you don’t think about how hard it is then it won’t be. Stay positive and when your hair starts looking radiant you can attribute that to You!

 

[Cinnabuns]

LEOLADYSW you took the words right out of my mouth. This advice is the best yet for you Innocent Kiss. Have you tried to take care of your hair recently ie, perming, styling, etc. Heck you may even like it or look forward to doing it and how knows you may be even better than the professionals at the shop

 

[carletta]

I had to learn how to be patient and how not to be so heavy handed when it came to doing my hair. & like the ladies say..." practice make perfect " and my hair has actually grown and I'm keeping my lenght for once in my life. THE ONLY THING I HAVE DONE PROFESSIONALLY IS MY RELAXER. I've tried doing that several times myself and the only thing that has gotten me is JACKED UP SHORT HAIR!