Tag Archives: moisture

Feb28

Perspective

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What a difference a year and a little knowledge can make. So, I’m sitting here with Darcy Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner in my hair after finally washing it. I did a pre-poo with Vatika oil mixed with some EVOO for about an hour (picture above is pre-pooed braids), washed with DevaCare No Poo, applied ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor for a few minutes, rinsed and then applied my DC.

I know what you’re thinking, “So, what’s this about perspective and a year making a difference?”  Well, a year ago I was avoiding protein like the plague. I despised how my hair felt hard and stiff, instead of soft and moisturized, after using protein-based conditioners. I remember how, after my first ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin treatment, I told Rece, “My hair doesn’t feel as soft as normal” and she told me, “It won’t after a protein treatment.” I didn’t know how I felt about that … wasn’t that the reason I didn’t like protein conditioners/treatments in the first place?

But now, four months later, my perspective on that feeling has completely changed! Now, I see that “hardness” as strength, as resilience, as elasticity. I realize that what I previously perceived as soft and moisturized was over-conditioned, fly-away, snag prone and weakened hair. I see and feel the difference in my hair now. After rinsing the ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor, my hair was springy, firm and strong. And I knew, with a little moisturizing DC, it would feel softer and moisturized (but not overly so), yet still strong and firm.


Naked hair, post ApHogee (straighter section in right pic is my normal curl pattern, not heat damage).

I feel like I’m entering 2012 armed with the key to unlocking my hair’s full potential and I can’t wait to see where I am and what else I’ve learned a year from now!

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What changes of perspective have you had in your natural hair journey?

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Nov10

Protein Convert Over Here!

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Yup, it’s true. I am a believer now. My hair feels so much stronger and the shedding has decreased drastically. Literally, I had my hair down a few weeks back when I went to work, and had hair coming out left and right. It was never-ending and I knew it just wasn’t normal as I couldn’t touch my hair without pulling away multiple strands of shed hair (and they were sheds, I inspect for the bulb;).

Now, after two ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor treatments (see my review here), I may lose 2 or 3 strands when I take down my updos at night. I just wish that I had learned how to properly use protein sooner as I might have kept a lot more hair on my head! Hindsight is 20/20, right?

Anywho, I’m doing some research now as I’ve yet to find any scientific evidence to support that OVER-moisturized hair could result in excessive shedding. However, I know my own head of hair, and I know that my shedding decreased after the protein treatments. I also know that my hair was feeling very soft and now it feels stronger and able to withstand manipulation a lot better. I even noticed that my hair isn’t snagging on my brush when I’m smoothing my edges like it was immediately prior to the treatments. So, I’m wondering if there is an ingredient (or ingredients) in ApHogee, other than protein, that could be responsible for this effect? The bottle did indicate that it soothes an irritated scalp. As an irritated scalp can result in excessive shedding and this treatment is touted to have something to combat that, that is where I’ll be directing my “research” and investigative skills. I found this thread on Long Hair Care Forum that poses the question, does OVER moisturized hair cause excessive shedding and does protein help stop shedding? The overwhelming consensus seems to be that there is no scientific evidence to support this premise … and some even call it ludicrous, essentially. Therefore, I think I’ll direct my search more towards how protein or other ingredients in this particular ApHogee treatment may affect the scalp. My logic leads me to hypothesize that something is causing the scalp to tighten around the follicle, whether it is somehow due to clarification of product residue, “hard” water and/or hardening of the hair strand. So, I’ll have to see if I can find anything to prove (or disprove) this theory.

Things that make you go, “Hmmmmmm … .”

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Do you use protein conditioning treatments? If so, which one(s)? Do you notice a decrease in shedding (differentiate from decrease in breakage) after use? 

(I’m hoping to be able to identify some common ingredients in protein treatments that appear to reduce shedding to further focus my research! So, thanks for any and all feedback!)