What am I doing wrong? (with my hair) HELP!?

Okay, so recently i took out my braids and just let my hair grow because i was getting tired of braids. my hair is about neck-length. When my hair was in braids it was very dry and unhealthy, so i tstarted looking around for what to do to make it healthier and grow faster. I have EXTREMELY curly hair so i put a relaxer in it. I was also told that i should use the Pantene Relaxed and Natural Shampoo/Conditioner so i started doing that. I dont wash my hair but once a week. I straighten it like 1-2 times a week. and when i wear it curly i condition it everyday. Ive tried brushing my hair 50 times every night and i dont wear elastic hair bands on my hair. AND NOTHING HAS WORKED! i just dont know what else to do. Im gonna start trying to do a realxer every three months and getting a trim every month but i dont wanna start doing something and then have that not work either. so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me what to do to make my hair grow faster and become more healthy.

What am I doing wrong? (with my hair) HELP!?

you might want to try hair vitamins. a lot of people swear by them.

brushing your hair 50 times a night is not going to help. brushing hair is actually mildly damaging, so it really doesn't need to be brushed except when needed.

make sure that when you straighten your hair, you are using something to protect the hair from the heat (such as Iron Guard by CHI)

you need to get protein back in your hair. try some treaments, such as Redken Deep Fuel and Redken CAT treament. I have had a lot of success with these.

there really isn't much you can do to make your hair grow faster. hair grows 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch a month. this varies with the condition of your hair, genetics, and diet.

to sum up: proper diet is vital for healthy hair. take care of your hair and give it what it needs and be patient.

What am I doing wrong? (with my hair) HELP!?

There are many things you can do to make your hair more healthy. Braids are actually not a bad way to give your hair a rest so maybe the reason you were having so much trouble is you may not have been washing your braids enough and keeping it moistrized. Also using heat on black hair too much makes it weak and causes it to break off so you might want to limit the flat iron to once a month. there are many other hairstyles that you can do! my advice to you would be to shampoo and DEEP CONDITION every week and to wash with just conditioner in between. also stop combing it so many times. After about 4 weeks post relaxer you should only comb from root to tip when the hair is wet and has a leave-in conditioner in it. Remember our hair is fragile and excessive combing will make it snap off. and i don't think you should condition every day but you should moisturize daily esp since you have a relaxer. I use S-curl on my hair and it makes it soft. and lastly there are ways that you can make your hair grow faster. you can take vitamins like biotin which makes your new growth healthier and grow faster. there is also flax seed oil tablets that are good. but women's one a day pills have vitamins for hair and for your general health. also washing hair regularly and not using grease unclog pores. drink LOTS of water as well. i wish you luck on your hair journey. message me if you have more questions :)

What am I doing wrong? (with my hair) HELP!?

Lets me first say that Pantene Relaxed and Natural Shampoo/Conditioner is horrible for your hair...don't ever use it again is your life. Please, please I beg you not to brush your hair 50 times every night, that is destroying your hair. Use a wide toothed comb and only comb your hair when necessary. You do not need to trim every month no matter what the stylist says. Here are some basics tips that could really help..

With relaxers retaining moisture is key.

1. The shampoo, unfortunately many black women are using shampoos with alcohol , petroleum jelly, and sulfates. step away from them..Use Aveda's shampoo.. specifically the name is Sap Moss...go to the website. I use it, i love it, it mouisterizes my hair and the products are natural. i have also heard that KeraCare's shampoo is great for relaxed hair.

2. Okay, step two condition it and then it is time to comb it out, Do not use a brush on you hair when it is wet,,it will hate you for it then break off in revenge. Put your your sections use a big tooth comb, to untangle it.

3. Do a hot oil treatment atleast once a month with extra virgin olive oil...repeat..EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil..not the regular stuff. unfortunately i have yet to take this step however my hair is doing great. Protein treatment are also good for you.

4. Okay on the daily basis you need to pay close attention to your hair...i recommend conditioning your scalp(3-4 times a week) and your ends(everyday) so that they will not get dry and unhealthy Petroleum jellly and mineral oil are weapons of mass destruction ( in other words do not use grease) it does so much harm to your hair it cannot be all explained here. So you ask what do I use...well natural essential oils such as grapeseed oil ( use it for hair it deflects heat so it is good for flat iron users like us) jojoba oil(i use this for my scalp), extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, emu oil, coconut oil...all these natural oils and more love you..i promise. Also consider putting two drop of essential oil such as rosemary, basil, peppermint, and myrrh in 3 tablespoons of carrier oil ( the ones i mentioned before)

5. Next,,if you want your hair straight but still be natural it is time to get a freakin good flat iron.,i have the Chi..it does the job but I recommend getting the Sedu because of the good reviews. make sure to protect your hair..i have so thermal protector from Aveda. When flat ironing your hair do not let the iron stay on your hair for too long, just 1-2 quick swipes.

I strongly advise against flat iron use for those with relaxers.

6. If you have a relaxer ( i have heard and definitely see that Affirm is the best relaxer go to avlon.com) don't continue to relaxe all your hair everytime you go to the salon..just the new growth and try to stretch relaxers 10-14 weeks as long as possible. It is best for relaxers hair to do roller sets under a hooded dryer,with the lowest temperature possible.

7. You do not need to trim your hair everytime you go to the salon maybe every 3 to 6 months.

8. Wrap your hair in a satin or silk scarf to prevent damage before you go to bed.

9. Eat healthy, drink lots of water,

10 take multivitamins, and fish oil pills you can get from GNC.

Follow these steps and life will be good..the best part about flat iron (which i do once a week or every two weeks not everday since it will kill your hair) is that it is not stringy but thick and healthy, yet straight and light enough to blow in the wind.

If you have any problems you can email me

What am I doing wrong? (with my hair) HELP!?

1) there is no need to brush your hair that much, it can cause breakage

2) your hair is neck length so it's time for you to start wearing protective styles (styles that keep your ends, which are the oldest part of your hair, from rubbing against clothing causing breakage)

your hair is probably growing just fine, you just aren't able to retain length because of breakage