I am still working on creating a solid regimen and so the following is not set in stone but for the most part I think it has been working. One thing that I realized is that I have to to fit my regimenaround my schedule and not the other way around. If I have an exam the next day or something important due, I am not go to waste time doing my hair and so when I get really busy , I will still moisturize and seal at nights, wash and condition at least once for the week then pin my ends under and wear hats to cover the mess in the morning. With that said, here is what a typical week looks like:
1. Sundays
Wash twice with a clarifying shampoo
Rinse throughly, then allow it to air dry a little (maybe five/ten minutes) just because I think my dripping wet hair breaks a lot easier than partially dry hair, whenever I try to handle it in any way
I then apply my deep conditioner, cover with a plastic cap and let sit for at least three hours without heat
I then rinse out the deep conditioner in shower (yes two showers within a short time to avoid breaking my hair in the sink), squeeze out excess water and leave it to partially air dry again for about ten minutes
I then apply my leave-in conditioner, followed by a natural oil and detangle
After detangling I will scrunch if I intend on not using heat or allow it to dry straight if I intend to flatiron (I do not flat iron often – twice per month the most and most times even less)
2. Wednesday or Thursday
I do a hot oil treatment by heating up about 5 tbsp of coconut oil with 3 table spoons of olive oil and drenching my ends then pouring the rest all over my head and covering with a plastic cap.
I will either leave this mixture to sit for at least three hours, (if I get home early enough to wash my hair after hot oil treatment and give it enough time to air dry completely before bed) or I will apply the oils at night then wash it out in the morning
To remove the oil I wash my hair twice with a moisturizing sulfate free shampoo (it actually seems to add moisture and does not strip my hair at all).
I then apply my conditioner, allow it to sit for at least three minutes, rinse , detangle and scrunch
2. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
My hair thrives when it is not being handled too much, low manipulation is definitely my friend and so on these days the most I may do is to rewet my hair with a spray bottle in the morning and scrunch again or comb through with a wide tooth comb if it is straight then leave it alone! At nights I apply my moisturizer and oil, without combing through, cover with silk cap and go to bed. I honestly see growth spurts every time I do as little manipulation as possible for a few weeks and then straighten.
4. Everyday
Moisturize using a tiny amount of moisturizer followed by two or three drops of oil to seal every night
If I rinse my hair in the morning then I will blow dry on high for about five minutes just to get rid of the excess water.
When I rewet, I do not soak my hair and so I just do it as soon as I get out of bed and then it is generally dry enough for me to go out into the cold by the time I am ready to leave (about a hour or so of air drying in a warm room)
In general, I like to keep things very simple and time effective. In the past I have wasted too much time doing my hair but I am learning to be very efficient and get the same results
5. Once per month
I am still not sure how much protein my hair likes but I think any more than once every two weeks is too much. I recently did an intense protein treatment (egg plus condoner and olive oil) and then a light one the weekend after and I think I may have experienced mild protein overload because some sections were really hard and brittle. This was, however, not extreme and my hair has since bounced back. I therefore, think I will stick to doing my strong protein once per month and then a light one every other week or maybe even every third week or so. As soon as i have it figured out, I will let you know.
After a strong protein treatment, I always follow up with a wash and deep condition