How long did it take you???

[shetara20]

To get to APL????? I believe I am SL and have been that way for a while but i need to stop mistaking frizzy end for split ones.(if that makes any sense..lol) I am in the healthy ends challenge and i really want my hair to grow!!!! I guess my questiion is besides taking care of your ends and protective styling how can i get to APL ASAP!!!!

My reggie:
*Wash once a week with Pantene relaxed and Natural shampoo
*Still in search for a deep conditioner
*Mositurize with tea tree oil and olive oil amd palmers conditioning Vitaman E oil
*I am only 4 days post my relaxer

What do you think I should do???
How long do you think it would take me to get to APL???
How long did it take you????

 

[cutiepiebabygirl]

bump..i'm in this rat race with you...

 

[MAMATO]

It took me 4 months but it depends on your growth rate and how you baby your ends... I trim twice a year at the most, so you may need to put the scissors down for faster results. Other than that, I never used your shampoo so I can't tell much about it, but for the moisturizer try something with a bit of moisturizing ingredients instead of just oils. Save the oil to seal the moisturizer. HTH


PS: What do you use the Tea tree oil for... I normally use it on my scalp to keep it clean. I did not know there was a benefit to use it on the hair itself.

 

[msa]

How many inches do you need to get to APL? If you need 8 inches, then you may not get there for at least another year (depending on your growth rate).

Growth is going to happen regardless, but make sure you're taking care of yourself internally (diet, exercise, etc). As far as retention, it seems like you're moisturizing with oils, which may not be enough. Water is the only true moisturizer so make sure your moisturizers include it.

What kind of DC are you looking for? Since you're relaxed you may want to pay attention to what other relaxed heads are using. Oh and check the DC challenge thread because there's all kinds of DC's mentioned in there.

 

[Maracujá]

APL is my first goal and I've been natural for a little over two years, I'm still not APL yet, not even when I straighten my hair.

 

[MAMATO]

My DCs of choice are

Moisture: Joico Moisture Recovery, LeKair Cholesterol (+oils)
Protein: Joici K-Pak Reconstructor (Medium), Keracare reconstructor(Hard) Aphogee 2 min reconstructor (Light)

You are also missing a Leave-in, btw. Do you use any???

 

[FemmeCreole]

I'm also on the APL journey.... It's taking a long time to get there IMO...

 

[TheQueenBeeMaya]

I started the journey in November at a barely shoulder length cut and I believe I will be full APL by May since I only have one more inch to go, so that equals six months for me !

 

[Adaoba2012]

Oils do not moisturize...they only seal. So I would suggest finding a good water-based moisturizer and when you apply it to your hair focus alot on the ends..then add your oils to the ends only after you have moisturized. I've heard some not so good things about the pantene relaxed and natural line...except for their deep conditioning mask. So you may want to look into some other shampoos and conditioners...do you pre poo? How long do you normally stretch your relaxers? Do you not condition at all or do you just use a quick wash out one? I'm not at APL yet but going from SL to APL is one of the hardest hurdles to jump so you really have to baby those ends!

 

[topnotch1010]

1. Back away from the scissors, NOW! You won't EVER get there if you keep wacking it off!

2. Find a moisturizer. The oil is just coating the shaft and not moisturizing it.

3. Get one of those growth tee's or find an old white tee and mark it yourself and take pics. It will help you see your progress better. I have 2 3/4 inches before APL and I can just about guess I will be there in July because I know how much growth I get per month.

HHG!

 

[shetara20]

It took me 4 months but it depends on your growth rate and how you baby your ends... I trim twice a year at the most, so you may need to put the scissors down for faster results. Other than that, I never used your shampoo so I can't tell much about it, but for the moisturizer try something with a bit of moisturizing ingredients instead of just oils. Save the oil to seal the moisturizer. HTH


PS: What do you use the Tea tree oil for... I normally use it on my scalp to keep it clean. I did not know there was a benefit to use it on the hair itself.

thanks for the advice... i use tea tree oil to seal my ends at night but im not sure if im using it right.

 

[Soliel185]

I did it in about 4 months one summer. I don't remember which DC I was using at the time, but it was probably Silk Elements Moisturizing Treatment. I like to mix alot of things into my DC though.

I did low manipulation, wore protective styles the entire time, and stopped relaxing. My staple products were a water/glycerine/aloe juice mix, Lacio Lacio, and Castor Oil.

I washed between once per week and once every 2 weeks depending on when I had time.

 

[Soliel185]

thanks for the advice... i use tea tree oil to seal my ends at night but im not sure if im using it right.

I don't think you should be using tea tree oil on your ends. It benefits skin, not hair. It may even be helping to dry them out.

Coconut, Jojoba, or Castor Oil would be much better.

 

[shetara20]

How many inches do you need to get to APL? If you need 8 inches, then you may not get there for at least another year (depending on your growth rate).

Growth is going to happen regardless, but make sure you're taking care of yourself internally (diet, exercise, etc). As far as retention, it seems like you're moisturizing with oils, which may not be enough. Water is the only true moisturizer so make sure your moisturizers include it.

What kind of DC are you looking for? Since you're relaxed you may want to pay attention to what other relaxed heads are using. Oh and check the DC challenge thread because there's all kinds of DC's mentioned in there.

Hpmestly i dont know how many inches i need to APL. As far as the DC, whatever gets the job done!lol!

 

[shetara20]

My DCs of choice are

Moisture: Joico Moisture Recovery, LeKair Cholesterol (+oils)
Protein: Joici K-Pak Reconstructor (Medium), Keracare reconstructor(Hard) Aphogee 2 min reconstructor (Light)

You are also missing a Leave-in, btw. Do you use any???

thnaks for the suggestions. i dont use a leave in.... any suggestions for that??? or would that be the palmers leave in condiotioning oil???

 

[shetara20]

Oils do not moisturize...they only seal. So I would suggest finding a good water-based moisturizer and when you apply it to your hair focus alot on the ends..then add your oils to the ends only after you have moisturized. I've heard some not so good things about the pantene relaxed and natural line...except for their deep conditioning mask. So you may want to look into some other shampoos and conditioners...do you pre poo? How long do you normally stretch your relaxers? Do you not condition at all or do you just use a quick wash out one? I'm not at APL yet but going from SL to APL is one of the hardest hurdles to jump so you really have to baby those ends!

what would you suggest is a good water based moisturizer??? I do not pre poo. My last relaxer stretch was 4.5 months. I do use the relaxed and natural conditioner but im tryn to find the mask.(heard it was discontiued)

 

[shetara20]

I don't think you should be using tea tree oil on your ends. It benefits skin, not hair. It may even be helping to dry them out.

Coconut, Jojoba, or Castor Oil would be much better.

OHHH thanks it makes sense!!!!!

 

[Soliel185]

if you're natural you could probably use diluted cheapie conditioner, or even straight condition depending on your hair thickness.

IMO most "oil moisturizers" are crap. Look for something creamy, with water as the first ingredient. It may take some experimentation to find the one that works best for you.

Another option would be a natural butter, like Shea. I like the water/glycerine/aloe mix because it REALLY moisturizes my hair instead of just giving the appearance of moisture - sealing it with a leave in and oil helps keep the moisture there longer. Water is the best moisturizer available, the trick is keeping it in your hair once it's there. If you don't like mixing, another option could be Care Free Curl or Scurl (in the bottle) they're both sprayable and contain glycerine.


ETA: in my experience - it's best to "seal" damp hair. It seems like damp hair accepts the moisture better vs soaking wet hair (which is too full of water to absorb much else) or dry hair. That's why I prefer things that I can spray or spritz my hair with and then seal.

 

[msa]

Oils do not moisturize...they only seal.

2. Find a moisturizer. The oil is just coating the shaft and not moisturizing it.

Oils don't moisturize but they do nourish the strands. And olive oil (which OP is using) has been proven to penetrate the hair. Coconut oil does as well. Here's some information about it: http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/05/14/two-natural-oils-that-make-your-hair-shiny-and-strong/

Oils have their place in a regimen. But I agree you do need to make sure you are moisturizing as well. I use water as my moisturizer and "seal" with castor oil. You just have to find what works for you.

And you definitely shouldn't be using tea tree oil on your hair. Olive is good though.

 

[msa]

Hpmestly i dont know how many inches i need to APL. As far as the DC, whatever gets the job done!lol!

Well in order to figure out how long it's going to take, you need to measure how many inches you need. It's not really a guessing game. If you need 6 inches, and you have the average growth rate of .5in a month, then it'll take a year. The amount of inches depends on your body so you definitely need to measure.