How many setbacks have you had since you started your hair journey?

[caribeandiva]

And what valuable lessons did you learn because of them?

I have had 3 setbacks in 7 years.

Lesson: If you want success you gotta pay full price. You can't bargain with the price. Do ALL the required steps. Period.

 

[ms.blue]

So many to count. Some on my own accord and others by letting some else do my hair. Realistically, I have learned some lessons, others I'm more stubborn about like I refuse to accept but just as in life journeys, you will make mistakes along the way in which those mistakes are lessons to be learned.

 

[Lilmama1011]

One, I learned not to put 100% trust in a stylist, watch them like a hawk when doing your hair

 

[yaya24]

One major setback in 6 years.
Lesson learned: SPEAK UP (and if no changes are made) WALK OUT.

I walked out of a salon last week.

 

[divachyk]

3 major ones

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

One so far
lesson learned: choose your chemical, my hair doesn't like to be colored and relaxed

 

[DominicanBrazilian82]

Nothing since starting my HHJ June 2012, but twice before then. Once in college when I got my hair colored professionally and decided to do my own highlights a week later Then again when I did BKT treatments and weekly in shower protein DC's (plus a little added stress - hair was coming out by the masses). It was the Novex brand Keratin DC (BSS). The last setback is what brought me to the Internet and how I found LHCF. I'm shedding a little more than I would like now; however, I've been doing 20+ week relaxer stretches and I'm pretty sure I need to lessen it to 12 weeks because I start shedding more than normal the longer into my stretch I go.

 

[Vintagecoilylocks]

ONE very long (5yrs) of shedding. But it has been a continued learning journey. I look back in my journals and see how many times I have changed a routine or a recipe. Mostly because I was learning my hair and unlearning bad practices. I just figured out how to take out a thick braid again. Because I had been in mini braids for three years and wanted to go to less braids. I can say now I have a good regimen that works but, might could be better, and have good handling practices that minimize breakage, but could be better. Always room for improvement.

 

[havilland]

I've had two. One from a growth aid I applied while in a weave. Caused major tangles and thinning resulted from the detangling session.

Second from pregnancy. Post baby Shedding made my edges bald.

Lesson learned.

Stick with the basics.

Deep condition regularly.

Low manipulation.

Low chemicals. (Stretch as long as you can safely, use lower strength relaxers, choose between color and relaxers, or go natural)

Use products that work for you. Stay off bandwagons.

Take pictures.

Keep a journal.

 

[prospurr4]

I've had two.

First one was from wearing my hair out daily COUPLED WITH infrequent trims. After doing this for months, a deep trim/cut was required to remove my thinned-out hemline. Now, I trim more often if I am wearing my hair out.

Second one was from tying my scarf too tightly around my hairline for bedtime. My edges and nape broke off badly. Now, I don't sleep with my edges tied down at all; I wear a satin bonnet only. To lay down my edges, I moisturize and tie down first thing in the morning. By the time I'm ready to head out the door, I remove the scarf to find smooth edges.

In spite of the setbacks, I am now at full WL, and my edges and nape are recovering nicely.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Probably 3-4 Since Joining:
x1 Playing around with too much Heat and unskilled techniques *FHI Runway*
x1 Trying to Self-Relax & Failing Miserably *countless failed attempts*
x1 Tying the strings around my Durag for my Wig way too tight - had breakage around the periphery *still nursing*
x1 I'm sure there's another one I'm missing/forgetting

 

[MystiqueBabe]

I came to LHCF with damaged SL hair if that counts. But since I joined my BC was the only setback I had( I consider my BC a setback) Since then none.

 

[xu93texas]

IDareT'sHair,

Can you elaborate on your setback with tying Durag too tight? I think that's what I'm going through. I wear wigs daily and my nape is suffering

 

[IDareT'sHair]

@xu93texas

I had the du-rag with the long strings and I was double-tying it and tying it too tight.

When I realized it, the entire periphery where the strings were, had suffered terribly.

I've really been babying that area.

 

[Jas123]

3-4 major ones since hhj... the 1st one caused by a stylist haven't been back to a stylist since... the others by me... the funny thing is the set backs caused by me i seem to be able to recover rather quickly and i don't get so upset... but when i think about the inches lost i know i would've been a tbl by now

eta:
valuable lesson learned
be careful w/stylist
hair grows back
i'm protein sensitive

 

[Ogoma]

None since I started 2 years 3 months ago (fingers firmly crossed).

I attribute my good fortune to people's willingness to share what has worked, what has not, how they fixed it with us forum. I have researched, paid attention, and absorbed information.

Thank you LHCF members.

 

[xu93texas]

@xu93texas

I had the du-rag with the long strings and I was double-tying it and tying it too tight.

When I realized it, the entire periphery where the strings were, had suffered terribly.

I've really been babying that area.

Yes, that's what I've been doing! Uuggh!! I will stop that today. Thanks!

 

[Maracujá]

About 3 in almost 7 years.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

4 since being on my journey....

1- Using Herbal Essences Hello Hydrations to detangle lead me to big chopping to natural (I was transitioning at the time)

2- Heat damage. I had just freshly relaxed after being natural for a year and was still using the same amount of heat that I was using while natural. My poor relaxed strands suffered horribly and I ended up cutting 3-4 inches off.

3- SILCONE BUILD-UP!! I naturally have porous strands and they were even more porous because of the previous heat damage, so silicone on my hair stuck like super glue. I couldn't remove it with sulfates or a clarifying shampoo and had to step my game up to chelating weekly for a month straight just to remove all the cones from my hair and ended up taking off another 2 inches to remove the remainder of the heat damage ends that the cones had dried out to the point of no return *SADNESS*! I have been cone free since then and while I'm tempted to start using them again...I WON'T! I can't relive that horrid month!

4- The latest setback was Mistreating my ends. Those who know me, know that I LOVE to band my hair. Well back in the back, back days I would just pull the bands off without a care in the world....BIGGGGGGGG MISTAKE!

It took me from BSL back to APL! TRAGIC!(this was DEC. 2012)

 

[AnitaTheLengths]

I've had three major setbacks.

1st - when I was flatironing my relaxed/texlaxed almost BSL fine hair two or three times a day. I knew nothing about protein or heat protectant then and it broke off quickly.

2nd - when I cut my hair in the back myself because I had no patience to work through the matted tangled mess I created being lazy while transitioning.

3rd - when I sat there quietly and let my cousin cut my hair when all I wanted was a light trim.

I've learned that patience is a virtue, heat is the devil in hell, a balance of protein and moisture results in healthy hair, research is my friend, I cannot keep my hair in braids or twists longer than 3 weeks and I've learned not to let anyone who doesn't sleep in my bed come near me with a pair of scissors.

 

[Mahsiah]

1 couple of months ago from braid extensions. My hair got tangled and I had to cut. I almost had a nervous breakdown.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

2 since 2008.

Oh, lesson: stick to products I know, and stay the hell away from aloe vera and african black soap.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Yes, that's what I've been doing! Uuggh!! I will stop that today. Thanks!

@xu93texas

Yeah Girl....I paid dearly for that one. Because every where else was thriving/flourishing.erplexed

It kinda snuck up on me and before I knew it I was in Set-Back City.

I got rid of those ASAP and went to the netted wig caps.

I oil the elastic on those.

Sometimes I'll grab one in an emergency, but I don't tie it like I'm getting ready for a fight or something.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Probably 3-4 Since Joining:
x1 Playing around with too much Heat and unskilled techniques *FHI Runway*
x1 Trying to Self-Relax & Failing Miserably *countless failed attempts*
x1 Tying the strings around my Durag for my Wig way too tight - had breakage around the periphery *still nursing*
x1 I'm sure there's another one I'm missing/forgetting

Improper Detangling at the Roots.

My NG would loc around the previously relaxed hair and it was a living nightmare at about 8+ weeks Post.

I resolved that by using a Detangling Product and a Good Detangling Comb.

 

[Rozlewis]

I have been on my HHJ for one year as of August 11th. Since that time I have had 2 setbacks:

1. I tried to self-relax and it failed horribly. I was severely under processed.

2. Detangling was a challenge for me so I never really detangled well. I think I was afraid I would rip my hair out and this resulted in tangles on top of tangles.

Lessons learned -

Find a good stylist who I trust for relaxers only. I will never self-relax again.

Take your time and detangle from the ends to the root. The 3 comb method is very effective.

Purchase good quality tools (i.e. seamless combs, heat controlled flat irons, etc.) and use good hair products.

Low manipulation works best for me.

It is important to learn and understand the needs of your hair which may be very different from someone else's.

 

[apple_natural]

i haven't had a major set back, but i went back and forth with big cutting and texlaxing several times. Dec 2011 was the last time i sort of texlaxed. i didn't big cut at once after that but i cut my hair considerably last year at each trim session so that now I don't have any of the texlaxed hair.

 

[littlegoldmittens]

One major setback in 7/8 years. I got the keratin treatment a while back and the results were great initially, but over time it tore up my hair.

 

[xu93texas]

@xu93texas

Yeah Girl....I paid dearly for that one. Because every where else was thriving/flourishing.erplexed

It kinda snuck up on me and before I knew it I was in Set-Back City.

I got rid of those ASAP and went to the netted wig caps.

I oil the elastic on those.

Sometimes I'll grab one in an emergency, but I don't tie it like I'm getting ready for a fight or something.

Yes, you're right about it sneaking up on you. I have to baby my nape and edges and make changes in my regimen.

 

[Seraphina]

Only two that I can think of that were truly devastating.

The first was getting to small bald spots about 4-5 years ago. I'm almost positive it was stress related as I was going through a serious health issue at the time.

The second, around the same time, I had to do a BC because I'd been using my flat iron too much and lost its texture.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

None since I started 2 years 3 months ago (fingers firmly crossed).

I attribute my good fortune to people's willingness to share what has worked, what has not, how they fixed it with us forum. I have researched, paid attention, and absorbed information.

Thank you LHCF members.

None for me since my HHJ began over 4 years ago!

I listened to the "old-head longhairs" advice to never do anything new if what you're doing is working - if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!