April 2004 Feature of the Month - HairLove

What is your hair care regimen?

Since I am transitioning, my hair care regimen tends to change from time to time on average every 4-5 months. I am at a year of transitioning and my current regimen is to wash my hair twice a week but sometimes more if I feel the need.

Generally, one day of the week, I will wash my hair with shampoo and the other day I will only wash with conditioner. My two shampoo staples are Nature's Gate Chamomile and Lemon Verbena or Kenra Moisturizing Shampoo. Both of these shampoos are extremely gentle on my hair and do not contain any of the harsh ingredients that are found in most drugstore shampoos.

Sometimes I feel the need to clarify my hair if I worry that I have product build- up. I am looking for a clarifying shampoo that is gentler than the Pantene I used previously.

After shampooing my hair, I will condition with Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner which is my absolute favorite conditioner! It's so moisturizing and gives really good slip without the use of silicones which I find can dry my hair out after time. Usually, I just apply the conditioner and let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing. If I am just doing a conditioner wash, I typically use Suave Professionals Humectant.

Every other week, I may do a deep conditioning treatment with a Skala conditioner (Milk Bath or Aloe Vera) or LUST (L'Oreal Unfrizz Smoothing Treatment) by sitting under a dryer for about 30 minutes.

Once a month, I do a light protein treatment using Fantasia IC Deep Penetrating Crème Moisturizing Conditioner though I am really interested in some of the Ion Conditioning products for deep conditioning and protein treatments.

Once I've finishing shampooing and conditioning, I spray my hair thoroughly with leave-in conditioner. I use Pantene Leave-In (usually the Conditioning Spray or the Relaxed and Natural Spray) mixed with Africa's Best Herbal Oil in a spray bottle. I also use a little bit of Aveda Elixir Leave-On Conditioner for the natural portion of hair because it makes it very soft and pliable. I then spread a small amount of Carol's Daughter Hair Milk throughout my hair.

Since I am transitioning with long hair, detangling is a HUGE issue for me so I shampoo/condition my hair in two sections to minimize the tangles. I have learned to detangle my hair by using a wide tooth comb while my head is under the showerhead OR while my hair is saturated with conditioner.

Lately, I have been using a thin conditioner (like V05) to detangle my hair under the showerhead BEFORE shampooing. I've recently learned not to manipulate my hair too much while shampooing and conditioning to further minimize tangles.

I usually put my hair in two ponytails to air-dry after I apply a little bit of Fantasia Frizz Buster Straightening Gel and my scarf. My staple style is the braidout because it helps to blend my two textures nicely. After my hair has air dried somewhat, I take the ponytails down and braid it in about four sections. I use perm rods on the ends for curl. The next day, I usually do an updo with my hair in a satin scrunchy, barrette, or ficcare clip. My new favorite product is using Volumax Pomade to add shine to my hair daily.

Do you take any supplements, if so what are they?

Currently, my supplements consist of:
* GNC
* Hair Skin Nails Formula,
* GNC Silica,
* GNC Flaxseed Oil,
* GNC B-50 Complex and
* GNC MSM 1000.

I have been extremely consistent in the past with supplements but I have been slacking off lately. I do think they assist in growing healthy, strong hair and I plan to continue taking them at least throughout my transition.

What are the things that you feel have helped you the most in achieving and maintaining your hair length?

Moisture, moisture, moisture! I make sure to keep my hair moisturized with regular conditioners, leave-in conditioners, oil, cream moisturizers and most importantly WATER. I love creating distilled water mixtures with essential oils for lovely smelling hair!

Minimal usage of heat has also contributed to retaining length. I go for long periods of time with no heat but I think my hair can handle the occasional usage of heat. Sometimes I go three months without heat and sometimes two. When I use heat, I'll typically wear my hair down. Otherwise, I wear my hair in updos and ponytails 99% of the time. I use only seamless combs on my hair. I do not use brushes on my hair at all.

Last but not least is being gentle with my hair which means being patient while washing, detangling, and styling.

Currently how long is your hair, and what is your hair type?

My hair currently reaches the bottom of my bra strap and sometimes seems a little bit longer than that. I am happy with my length and thickness at the moment. I got a 4-5 inch cut in December to get rid of some thin ends. I'm happily growing it back but hopefully with thick, full ends. My best guess on my hair type according to Andre's system is 3b/c.