Lets see if it goes through this time?! :grin:

Hello to all! Thanks to 2 lovely ladies (Rosehannah and Cranb214) I have decided to join in the ranks of other long hair officinatos (sp?).

As for myself, I am completely new to this. For the longest time I have had short hair (last cut was pageboy style) and it is still in its growing out phase. Presently it is at shoulder length or just above with a lot of long layers. Because it has been quite sometime since I last cut it, I want to wait alittle longer for me to acquire some more length before I even out the layers. The layers are a bit drastic so to cut them now to even out I will feel as though I am starting again. But my goal is to go to a GM salon and have them even it out the right way.

Anyhoo...thanks to some wonderful friends I am now on the right path to getting my hair back in shape and enventually long. Right now my goal length is to bra length. It is going to be quite some time for that to happen, but like everything else alittle patience will go a long way.

For my birthday, (although it isn't until Wed) Cranb214 (Christina) gave me an awesome gift basket of all sorts of goodies to get me on my way to healthy, beautiful long hair.

The gift basket contained the following:
2 shampoos (Panthene Dandruff control ethnic shampoo and Madora Cream Shampoo)
1 container of Madora Cream Rinse
Redken All Soft Heavy Cream Conditioner
Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey
Vase filled with brown sugar.
A beautiful book, where she filled a few pages with recipes to try.
1 container of hair growth oil.
1 scented candle and soap
She even added her homemade herbal shampoo and conditioner.

It was an incredible gift and perfect for a starter. Some of the stuff she used but didn't work for her. But it is a great way to not waste anything. I highly recommend anyone who has someone who is interested in improving their hair, this is a perfect gift to give them. I absolutely love my basket and I am still trying out new things with the stuff in the basket. and the results are tremendous...I have never felt my hair feel this nice. and thanks to Rosehannah's kind donation of Hair oil, my ends are looking and feeling 100times better.

Presently my program is pretty simple as I am trying out new things and see it results. I also have this nagging problem that is both uncomfortable and embarrasing. Dandruff..sometimes real bad. In the book I was given by my friend she put some dandruff recipes that I can try, I haven't gotten to them recently, but I will be trying them out to see how they do. But right now, thanks to Lance from Enchantress (although I did not get the treatment, I accompanied my friends who did and Lance was kind enough to give me a sample of 12 Minute Conditioning treatment.) Lance told me to massage a finger tip portion of the 12 Min CT in my scalp before shampooing and right now that has done a tremendous job at keeping my flakes at bay.

Right now this is my routine.
1. 12 MCT scalp massage
2. Madora Cream Shampoo, 2x
3. Cream Rinse ( I absolutely love that stuff..it conditions my hair without weighing it down)
4. Air dry.

Overtime I might be changing as I try new things. But that is it for now, and Rosehannah and Cranb214..i I thank you and my hair thanks you. :grin:

Aaah!! :twisted:

I am so tired with my dandruff!!...Everytime I think I finally found something that works, it comes right back. I hate those buggers!!!

Right now I am using a combination of a dab of 12 Minute conditioner on my scalp before I was my hair...which Lance told me balances out the pH levels in my hair. Then I wash with Pantene, Dandruff Control for ethnic women. Followed by Madora Creme Rinse.

It has not done anything for the itchy scalp or flakes. I have a few dandruff control rinses that I want to try...but right now I don't have the cash to get some of the supplies. Once I do, I will be trying them out and see if they might help my situation a little bit more.

I also think that maybe my thyroid might have something to do with it too. It does cause itchy, flaky skin on the legs, so it might do the same on the scalp. I need to get that checked so maybe that will also help it a bit.

I think I might check out the LHC to see whether or not there was something written on this or I just might post something on the discussion boards to see if anyone has any good advice.:rolleyes:

Ihave been checking the boards to see what other members have done to deal with their dandruff and I have gotten some good ideas.

Right now I am attempting to do CO washes for two weeks. I might add in 1 or 2 shampoos. (I need to go over those boards again to make sure).

Last night I gave my scalp an exfoliation scrub...that felt nice. :grin: Then I followed with a deep conditioning treastment.(Redken, heavy creme conditioner for 5-7 mintues). I also went to bed with my hair a bit damp. Result in the morning. Odd feeling in my hair and by the time I got to work my scalp was itching like crazy!!!!!!! I even used H&S soothing lotion on my scalp and that did nothing. So I am not sure if the heavy creme was too much for my hair, or I should not go to bed with my hair still wet.

It was mentioned that it sometimes take at least 2 weeks for the scalp and hair to get use to CO. So I will do it fot a full two weeks and see if it helps with the flakes and itchy scalp.

Tonight I will read over the information I got on the boards and come up with some sort of routine. I also think I am going to have to invest in so better conditioner.

Otherwise I am going to have to advertise for a new scalp :lol:

Went ahead and bought VO5 Herbal Conditioner, Pear Mango for CO washes. So far this is the result of 2 day CO washes.

First I put massage 12 min conditioner onto scalp then CO wash with VO5. Let air dry.

Result: Hair takes longer to dry, but there does seem to be less flakes. When dry, hair seems heavier, but clean. Also noticed some more curl in my hair. Very nice, and very interesting. Will continue to see any furthure changes. So far am happy with results.

This morning I washed my hair with shampoo and then with the cream rinse. (Madora) I was suprised to feel quite difference in my hair. I actually prefer the feeling of my hair after a CO than shampoo. It is quite amazing. Also the shampoo left hair with more flakes than with CO only. So I think I am going to stick with the CO washes. Although I am going to try to see if 2x a week shampoo was for dandruff help...might help my flaky scalp a bit more.

Will update soon.

well after about 2 weeks of CO washes with only 2 days of shampooing in between I came to the conclusion that it might not be for me (or my scalp). Eventually my scalp became very oily, with some nasty build up, and no difference in the amount of flakes. So presently I am back to my original routine, which is:

12 minute conditioner massage
wash with Madora Creme Shampoo (2x - first all over, then just the scalp)
then condition with VO5 Pear Mango Conditioner. (it really seems to condition my hair very nicely)
let air dry.

I do this routine every other day. Presently this routine leaves my hair very full and shiny. I also bought a boars bristle brush yesterday. I couldn't believe the difference in my hair when using it. It left my hair shinier and the ends soft. The only down side is that I have very thick hair, so I have to brush my hair in sections so that I can reach the scalp all over. But with the results that I am getting, this little inconvinience is no problem at all.

I also think that my time of CO washes only has improved my ends quite a bit. With the combination of brushing my hair with boars brush and oiling the ends every other day before bed I have been able to maintain softer ends quite nicely.

As for the dandruff I am still working on it. Something tells me this is going to be a long battle...it will be interesting to see which will win first, getting my hair to goal length or getting rid of dandruff?