MY WORST NATURAL HAIR MISTAKE AND BEST HAIR DISCOVERY OF 2017

My Worst Natural Hair Mistake of 2015 — Using Protein on Hair that Needed Moisture
This past summer I decided to rock my hair in a blow out for weeks at a time. It was great. My hair looked fabulous, but I won’t deny the dryness that ensued once I stopped the process.

My mistake was using a protein rich conditioners and adding oils to it as a weekly treatment. Sounds like a great solution for blow dried, potentially heat damaged hair, but in actuality it was a terrible idea.

Because my hair suffered from moisture loss for so long, it was protein dominant. It didn’t need more protein and oil on a weekly basis. It needed an intense session with moisture‐rich products packed with ingredients that penetrate, fortify and smooth down the cuticle.

What I should’ve done in retrospect is:

Stop using conditioners with hydrolyzed proteins. Being moisture deficient means my hair could’ve done without proteins for a long time.
Stop using products laden with oils. I love oils in my hair, but when my hair is that dry it is uber necessary for me to skip them.
Look for products chock full of ingredients like: behentrimonium methosulfate, behentrimonium chloride, polyquaternium 10, polyquaternium 7, polyquats in general, steralkonium chloride, glycerin, propylene glycol, hylaronic acid
My focus in 2016 will be to achieve the right moisture/protein balance for my hair, beginning with using moisture heavy products.

My Best Natural Hair Discovery of 2015 — Box Braids as a Long‐Term Protective Style

Definitely the best decision I made for my hair in 2015 was using box braids as a long‐term protective style.

It was my very first time getting box braids and what I gathered from watching YouTube videos and reading blogs was that while it’s a beautiful style, it can cost more than just the fee you pay your stylist. It can cost you your edges.

The fact that I had a stylist who was very particular about respecting my edges and keeping my hair in great health really helped me to achieve amazing, long lasting results.

During the first week I experienced terrible itching and was able to quickly learn ways to help with that issue, but since then it’s been smooth sailing!

After 3 and a half months of rocking box braids, I’ve noticed a lot of length retention and best of all my waist‐length hair is finally low maintenance. A bi‐weekly scalp cleanse and touch up plus a moisturizing session a couple of times a week sustains my look and kept it impeccable.

Ladies, what were your worst hair mistakes and best hair discoveries of 2015?