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Ladies, If you have been looking for some of the harder to find products in the book such as Revlon's Perm Strengthener, look no more! After over 6 months of not being able to find the Perm Strengthener product, I have decided that we can do without it -- if you can find it great; otherwise, don't worry about. I have gotten great results just from using the Infusium and the other leave-in conditioning products on my relaxed hair. So, feel free to omit this product as I have done, if you cannot find it. If anyone has any questions, contact me by e-mail at LifeChgPub@aol.com. Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ On another note, don't feel the need to buy ALL the products mentioned in the book, only the ones that you really need for the type of hair you have and the results you are trying to achieve. Speaking of which, I rarely use the Vigorol Hair Mousse and the Ampro Curling Wax, but it is mentioned in the book. So only purchase the products you actually need. Speaking of products, I have started using a new product I saw at Sally's (5/20/00) called Fantasia IC Hair Strengthener Treatment, which is a daily spray that claims to repair breakage on chemically treated and heat damaged hair, as well as strengthens and shines hair. It is too early to tell how good it is, but the bottle says it is enriched with aloe, keratin, B vitamins and silk protein so I am excited to see if the results support these claims. Either way, I will keep you posted. UPDATE: As of 10/2000, I stopped using this product because I could not detect any noticeable benefit, and I found the large amount of spray that comes out annoying. Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ Also, as you may pick up from the book, or from this site's Sample Tips section, I discourage the use of hot curlers and curling irons. However, I still realize that many women will find it hard to quit cold turkey. So as some of you wean yourselves from the dry heat styling appliances, I heard from a person who still hotcurls her hair that there is a product that minimizes the damage from heat styling tools. The product is called Vitapointe, and I have heard (not tested or used!) that a number of people have used it without much of the usual damage that comes from curling irons. So, although I am very skeptical and would recommend you stop using curling irons/hot curlers as soon as possible, it is worth a shot if you still use these appliances on a regular basis. I saw Vitapointe (maybe "Vitapoint") sold in a grocery store (namely Giant Foods in the Washington, DC area). You may also try beauty supply stores. Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 1/24/2000 I just completed Week 3 of my regimen, but I could not find my usual Jheri Redding Professional Prescription Super Protein PAC or the Keragenics Protein PAC, so I was forced to try something different. I saw a product in Sally's called "Nutress Hair Moisturizing Protein Pack for Extremely Damaged Hair", and I felt adventurous so I bought it. I was a little nervous because it is green, but I used it with the Motions products mentioned in the book, performing all of the normal steps, and it worked beautifully! So I think we may have found another winner. Let me know any feedback you may have. Thanks, Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 11/17/00 I have tried two new products: 1) Ion's Miracle Conditioning Treatment (it's in a one-use pack) and 2) Proclaim's Carrot Oil Creme. I was very pleased with both -- #1 can be fit into the 6-week conditioning regimen in place of one of the deep conditioners, and #2 is good for a daily or weekly moisturizer. Let me know if you try them and what you think. UPDATE: As of 5/2001, I no longer use the Carrot Oil creme -- I thought it was fine, but I see no overwhelming benefit. Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 2/26/01 I have stopped using the Dark & Lovely daily haircare products mentioned in the book. Instead, I have started using a new product, Softsheen's Breakthru Anti-Breakage (Patented Ceramide Technology)Everday Moisturizing Strength Lotion. I bought it from Sally's, and it claims to help reduce breakage, keeping it healthy and allowing it to grow longer. I have been using it for only about 6 weeks, but it seems to be working very well. I will keep you posted! (As of 5/21/01, I still like it, and my ends look good!) Update (11/26/01): As of last week, I have stopped using the Softsheen Breakthru product. I no longer like the smell -- it is kind of loud. It's still good, but I decided to try some new products: Strength of Nature's Profectiv HealthyEnds Daily End Strengther & Deep Repair (what a long name!) and their MegaGrowth Anti-Breakage Strengthener. I really like these products because they seem to work well (my ends look great), they smell good, and they are very light, almost lotion-like. You can try them as a part of your daily hair care routine. Another thing that I have also started using is Extra Virgin Olive Oil (First Cold Pressing Pompeian-- whatever this means?). It is light, easily absorbed by the hair, and it is working very well during the winter. I still use Wild Growth once a week, which has olive oil in it, but I think plain olive oil is a good product that can be used sparingly every couple of days. On another note, after a couple of visits to my hair stylist for a touch-up, the stylist noticed how dry my hair seemed, and asked me if I had been using gel because of the brittleness. So I started trying to think what I could be doing wrong seeing as how my hair was well-conditioned. I realized that I might have been overusing the Perm Repair and Black n' Sassy Super Conditioning Hair Dress & Shine. As a result, I dramatically reduced my use of these products -- no more than once a week for the Black n' Sassy product and only after I deep-condition my hair and dry it naturally for the Perm Repair. So between the Profectiv products mentioned above and the Olive Oil, as well as some of the other products mentioned in the book, you should be covered during the week. ------------------------------------------------ 3/17/01 If you are really taking care of your hair and ends and you are trying to grow your hair longer, I think you may want to ask your hair stylist about how your ends are looking before you get a trim, and make sure you keep an eye on whether they are trimming or taking away length (this only applies if you are trying to grow your hair longer). I say this because I started to notice that even though I don't use curling irons/blow dryers and my hair stylist said my ends looked "good" each time I went in for a touch-up, and I had major new growth, but yet my hair stayed the same length for a number of months! It did not add up, so I switched stylists for a time to see if the same thing happened, and it did. I went back to my old stylist, and I had a talk with her about whether or not my ends need to be trimmed every time I get a touch-up. The answer is different for every woman, but all I am saying is, keep your eyes open, especially while the scissors are clipping. UPDATE: As of 5/19/01, I just had my second touch-up where I did not have my ends trimmed, and my stylist said I did not have any shedding in the bowl, nor did I have any split ends. I briefly scanned a book by Cathy Howse on growing longer hair, and the one item I really found helpful for me was her idea that trimming ends to cause your hair to grow longer does not make sense. Given my recent experiences it was not adding up, so I discussed her concept with my stylist, who I wound up giving Cathy's book to, and we decided to give it a try as long as my ends looked healthy. So far, so good! In an updated version of the book, I hope to write about this experience, and give some guidelines/scenarios of where such an approach might be adviseable -- as with everything, no one thing works for everyone. UPDATE: As of 1/19/02, we are trimming on average every other touch up. Get the opinion of a trusted stylist to determine what is right for you. Regardless, I say still keep your eye on how much is being cut and why. Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 4/6/01 In case you have used the Jheri Redding Protein Pak, don't be surprised if you don't see a product by this name anymore -- it is now called Rx Professional Prescription pH balanced formula. It is still made by Jheri Redding, and it still works. Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 5/21/01 When oiling your scalp with Wild Growth Hair Oil, if you are going out, make sure you wipe your hairline with a papertowel, or take one with you. The oil is so rich that, you could wind up like me going to Church with oil running down the sides of your face (my husband had to point this out a couple of times)! So I recommend users of this product do a spot check before leaving the house! Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 6/23/01 I went to the pool twice this week, and as a result, I have been sporting crimped hair courtesy of the plait set (I slept with my hair parted down the middle, a plait on each side). I wear this style ever so often to the office, and for those of you who wonder how this look is perceived in Corporate environments, I wanted to let you know that a more natural look can be very well-received as long as the rest of the package is professional. Not only is my hair getting a great break, but I have been spending about 2 minutes on my hair each morning, and I must admit that I have been getting a lot of unexpected attention from members of the opposite sex -- especially my husband! ------------------------------------------------ 8/20/01 For those of you that are into swimming, especially those of you with relaxed hair, Ion's Anti-Chlorine Swimmer's Shampoo and Swimmer's Conditioner is your best bet! Use the conditioner on your hair before swimming, and use the shampoo and conditioner after swimmming. When I was on vacation, naturally, I would wash my hair everyday after swimming, and I use these products each time, allowing my hair to dry naturally, as described in the book. I combed through the leave-in treatments mentioned in the book, but only deep-conditioned once during the week (beginning or end). Also, to allow for easy maintenance, I would plait/braid my hair (one on each side or in a pony-tail), allowing it to air dry. By the time we were ready to go out for dinner, my hair was almost dry, so I would lightly oil it with Wild Growth Hair Oil, finger-comb and go. The wavy look gave me an easy-to-care for, perfect beach look. So I say start swimming, and stop worrying about your hair by using these products and try air drying! ------------------------------------------------ 1/02/02 Happy New Year All! Some of you have asked me about substitute shampoos and conditioners when you cannot find the ION products mentioned in week six of the regimen. I now have two shampoos that you can try that I have used and like: Doo Gro Moisturizing Growth Shampoo or Fantasia Frizz Buster Shampoo. As for additional conditioners to try, I have been using the Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise Treatment for Damaged Hair (works great towards the end of a relaxer). Regarding new leave-in treatments, you can also try Fantasia’s Frizz Buster Serum (great for helping you make it till the next touch-up) and ApHOGEE's Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer. As mentioned in an update above, two maintenance products you might want to try or substitute in your daily maintenance routine are: Strength of Nature Profectiv Mega Growth Daily Anti-Breakage Strengthener and Strength of Nature Profectiv Healthy Ends Daily End Strengthener & Deep Repair. ------------------------------------------------ 1/19/02 Note: As of 1/21/02, certain products from the regimen may be purchased from our Online Store for those of you not able to find them in your area. ------------------------------------------------ 1/20/02 Reminder: Although I mentioned this earlier, there are some products mentioned in the book that I used to use and love, but I can no longer find: Revlon Realistic Perm Strengthener Corrective Treatment; Pantene Pro-V Hair Strengthening Complex; and Infusium 23 Split End Repair. So don't worry about them. You can just use one or more of the remaining treatments mentioned in the book and/or you can try some of treatments listed above. Take Care, Carolyn ------------------------------------------------ 2/08/02 A reader just emailed me asking about workout haircare tips, which is funny because I just started to workout after Christmas, and I try to go to the gym at least 4 times a week. So this is something that I have had to experiment with as well. For those of you with similar questions, I will tell you some of the things I told her regarding what I have tried and do. First, before I start my work out, I make sure my hair is pulled back in a ponytail far enough up on my head so that the hair does not touch my back. Getting the ends wet from sweat is a no-no if you are not going to wash it afterwards. This means that sometimes I wrap the hair around the base of the ponytail, securing it with bobby pins or pushing it into the hair bow. You can also leave the hair from the ponytail hanging if it is curled and does not touch skin while you workout (in cases where the hair is curled and you don't want to lose the curls). Regardless, you should make sure the hair going into the ponytail is relatively flat -- it does not have to be super-tight or anything like that, but it should lay down. After you finish working out, dry the sweat from your face and your hairline with a towel, but leave your hair pulled back until after you shower, dress and do your makeup (if applicable). Try to let the roots dry if possible; otherwise, go as long as you can before taking it down (e.g., maybe until you get to the bathroom at work?). When the roots are damp, you will get a little bushiness at the roots, but you can minimize this by smoothing a little Wild Growth Hair Oil on the hair going into the ponytail and on the ends of the ponytail before and after your workout (after the workout, you can work some through the roots if necessary). When you take the ponytail down be sure to detangle, using your fingers or a very wide tooth comb, especially if the roots are damp. If the hair is dry, you can put a few curls in it with the Richard Caruso curls if you need to. Another thing you could do if you know your hair is usually damp when you take the ponytail down, depending on length, is plait/twist the hair of the ponytail before you work out to give it a little curl/crimp after you are done. You would undo the ponytail after you shower and get dressed, and detangle with your fingers. For either scenario, the goal would be to save the undoing of the hair until the last possible moment. After you are done, to add a little sheen, use the RX Professional Prescription Replenishing Mica Spray Polish by Jheri Redding. It works on damp and dry hair. Now the worse case scenario would be if your hair still looked "through-dealing" (in your opinion) would be to wash it more than once a week (naturally, you would only deep-condition once for the week, but you would use the leave-in treatments each time). Depending on your hair length, you might be able to get away with letting it dry with one or more ponytails overnight or by doing a twist set -- where you would have 4 or more sections of hair, twist each to the end and then wrap it around the base, securing it with a bobby pin. I really like to do stuff like this, especially when I get a few swims in during the week. I have tried this style in a number of different corporate environments and got many compliments from people of different ethnic backgrounds/colors. The only other thing I can mention if you are not happy with how it looks after taking it down and you don't want to wash it more than once during the week, you could try oiling the scalp with Wild Growth that night to help keep it from being bushy the next day so you can curl as normal in the morning -- this product is pretty good at offsetting kinks and frizziness. You can also use the Fantasia Night-Time Oil Treatment with a silk cap overnight. Hopefully this is a helpful starting point for you to come up with your own workout haircare regimen. For so long, black women with relaxed hair worried that working out and swimming during the week was out of the question, but I say this is the 21st century, and with a little creativity, we can do all of these things, AND still look good! Carolyn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5/31/02 I have been told that Dark & Lovely no longer makes their Ultra Cholesterol Conditioning Cream, which I recommended in the regimen. That is okay because for a number of months, I have been using the Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise Treatment for Damaged Hair conditioner in the place of the cholesterol. You can do this too with even better results, or you can find another cholesterol product on the market. I am going to Sally's today, maybe I will try to scope one out. Until then... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7/8/02 Someone wrote me a mail regarding the Hair Mayonnaise product mentioned above. Unfortunately, her mail and address was accidentally lost before I could respond. The lady wanted to know if I added egg to the Hair Mayonnaise conditioner. To answer the question, I do not -- it works wonderfully without it. However, while we are talking about eggs, I was in Georgia over the July 4th holiday, and I forgot to bring my protein treatment for Week 2 of the regimen. So I thought I would just beat an egg, and put it on in place of the protein treatment. Why did I do a dumb thing like that???? Not only are eggs unsanitary (we live in a day of Salmonella and other germs), but they also stink, feel slimy, are hard to apply and make a huge mess! In addition to that, my hair felt very rough and tangled after many rinsings to the point where I had to re-wash it. So I will NEVER use any raw eggs (or cooked) on my hair ever again! To make you laugh even more. Since I was experimenting and providing valuable research for my readers, AND I was trying to make sure my hair still looked decent after all this hard work, I decided to try another "home" hair remedy. I read this book where a white lady with beautiful hair was talking about making a banana-honey mixture for her hair to make it smooth and shiny. I was intrigued when she mentioned that banana is great for detangling. So to try to counteract the egg-effects, I mashed a little banana and smoothed it onto my hair. After rinsing for over ten minutes, I still had banana pieces in my hair!!! I had to wash it all over again, and I was still picking out banana pieces, and my hair did not feel any smoother or less tangled. Lesson Learned: Leave the egg and banana alone when shampooing/conditioning! Now I may try banana oil if I ever find some -- I will keep you posted. :-) Take Care, Carolyn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7/19/02 Ladies, Ladies, Ladies, I just tried a new shampoo and conditioner for Week 4 of my 6-week regimen, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!!! The shampoo is KeraCare's Hydrating Detangling Shampoo and the conditioner is KeraCare's Humecto Crème Conditioner. Although the shampoo is a tad pricey (approx. $12 compared to the normal $3-7 of other shampoos), it smells wonderful and lathers well with very little shampoo. Even though I had just been swimming, and I was 4 weeks into my relaxer, I was able to air dry my hair straight, with a lot of shine and major swing and bounce (which is hard to come by for most sisters). The products are incredible, and I think you can substitute them for any week you want, but I would save the heavy duty, expensive stuff for when you really need them -- like when you are close to touch-up time or your hair just seems unusually dry, coarse or just in need of some special treatment. Peace, Carolyn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8/25/02 Hello My Hair Care-Conscious Sisters, Just wanted to throw out a few pieces of updates/information while I have a chance. One thing I had been meaning to share for many months has been the fact that even though I recommended All Ways Natural Super Gro Conditioning Hair Dress for natural haired sisters who press/straighten their hair or for all of us to oil our scalp (mostly for those who don't like Wild Growth), but I forgot to mention that my husband got a hold of it about a year ago, and he has been using it on his hair and my son's hair ever since! It keeps their scalps moisturized, and helps their hair wave very nicely, especially after shampooing. We had been looking for the right moisturizer for all of them for some time, and we have finally found it. Maybe it is right for the men/boys in your house too. Next item... While I was at Myrtle beach about a week ago I forgot to bring my favorite wide-tooth comb, which was a major ordeal because I knew I would swim at least 4-5 times, shampooing each time. Speaking of that, I plan to put some swim tips in a little pamphlet for those of you who want to swim more and keep the hair looking good. Surprisingly my hair looked better after being washed 4/5 times in week than it did with the normal once a week routine. I"ll give details later, but back to the comb point. I went to a local store like a Wal-Mart or a Walgreen trying to find something to hold me over, and I found a comb by Goody called the Exquisite Versa-Comb 3-in-1!. It had a pretty black woman on the package, and the teeth were sort of wide so I thought it would be okay. I tried to use the comb part, but they had little balls on the end that looked harmless, but were very rough and snagged my hair every time I combed it. It was terrible. I finally resorted to just using the pick side of it. The next day I raced to Sally's to pick up one of their huge wide tooth combs. I just wanted to say that ladies using this 3-in-1 comb might want to think twice about using it even if just for teasing/lifting the hair. I think the little balls on the comb sides can cause breakage, and who needs any more damage? One final thing. As I get older, I notice more and more pain-in-butt things about myself (e.g., premature graying, harder to lose weight, etc.). The latest one is an itchy scalp. No flakes or build-up, but some really itchy spots. Even when I tried different shampoos and with no leave-ins, I still experienced itching. As a result, over the last few months, I have tried a number of different products with no luck: 1) Strength of Nature's Profective Growth N Repair Anti-Itch Strengthening Oil Free Serum (did not help, and made my hair feel weird/dry); 2) Strength of Nature's Profective Root Health Daily Anti-Dryness Strengthener (was okay, but I still had itching); and 3) Organic Root Stimulator Anti-Itch Scalp Oil (it was kind of thick, and my scalp still itched. I got so desperate, I took a cotton ball with some astringent/toner that I used on my face and rubbed my scalp. It was actually kind of soothing, but I read the ingredients on the bottle and realized the product contains alcohol. So I decided to try one more product, which was frustrating because these products are not cheap! I bought the Organic Root Stimulator Dry Scalp Relief "Turn-Over Oil", which I think worked the best out of all the products I have tried. It is a lighter oil with a nozzle which makes it easier to apply to problem areas, and although I won't say it has completely cured my itchy scalp problem, I will say it has made a major difference, and I plan to continue using it. The bottle says it exfoliates dead skin cells to promote a healthy scalp, and I have only been using it a couple of weeks -- I think I bought it at the beach. :-) So I will keep you posted. I think that is enough for now. Talk to you soon, Carolyn 7-13-03 UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I don't have itchy scalp problems any more. I don't know if it is the Healthier Hair in a Bottle! Oil Spray or if it just went away, but I am happy to report that I do not have this problem any more, and all of the "itch" oils are under the sink. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/26/02 In my book I mention taking a multi-vitamin supplement, but as a reader pointed out I never said which one. Back in July, after noticing some thinning around my edges, in addition to moving my satin cap band off that area at night, and using Doo Gro's Mega Thick Anti-Thinning Formula, I started taking GNC Women's NourishHair Dietary supplement. The combination of these items has caused a noticeable improvement in my hair, and the reader I mentioned above said she was pleased with the vitamin as well. She also mentioned Kal Hair Force and Vitamin Shoppe Elements for Hair (from vitaminshoppe.com) -- I have never tried them so I have no idea how well they work, but she seems to like them. However, I think I am hooked on the GNC product. Talk to you soon, Carolyn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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