Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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348 of 356 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, November 21, 2002
I read the first edition of Ms. Howse's book when I was a young teenager, probably about 10 years ago. This was the first book I had ever read about Black hair care, and the length and health of my hair improved when I followed her guidelines. There were not many books about caring for our hair on the market at that time, and as a hair care beginner, this book helped me tremendously. The book was riddled with spelling errors and editing problems, but this was not a big deal to me, as I was reading the book to gain information and not for entertainment.I saw the newest edition of the book in a bookstore, and decided to reread it. The spelling and editing have been improved, yet are still far from perfect, as many other reviewers have noted. There are two major differences in the two books, both of which disappointed me tremendously: 1. Much of the second edition is dedicated to ranting about her personal disagreements with hair care professionals. This is irrelavant to the purpose of the book, which is to learn to care for and grow your hair. 2. Secondly, and most disturbingly, she now uses the book as a platform for selling her haircare products. Many reviewers have been bothered by this, and so was I. In the first edition, Ms. Howse tells you the formula for making conditioner. This was written before she went into the business of making hair care products. I cannot speak about her products that she sells, as I have never tried them. But, I will tell you that the recipe that she gives in the first edition is the best product I have ever used on my hair, and I have tried everything! So, here is the recipe for conditioner that she reccommends in her first book (please note that this is a variation, as I have long ago lost the book and have been making the recipe for years, so the amounts may not be the same as in the original book): Mix these ingredients together:
1 32 oz. bottle of protein conditioner (I use Mane & Tail)
6 oz coconut oil (you must liquify this in the microwave)
3 oz olive oil
.5-1 oz (personal preference) peppermint oil (must be real essential oil) In my opinion, this was the most valuable information in the book, and it wasn't even in this edition.
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143 of 148 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
MYTHS DISPELLED!!, December 26, 2003
I have read the other reviews with great interest and I have come to the conclusion that you can't please everyone. However, I noticed that there were references to other books about black hair, specifically the Shamboosie book. I don't know Cathy Howse, but as a black scientist and a physician
I do know that there were NO SHAMBOOSIES or Bamboosies 15 years ago who were writing intelligent guidelines to care for the hair of black women. CATHY HOWSE is the FIRST author to seriously address and dispel the myths and the subculture attitudes of black hair grooming and growing. The other epigones are too late as far as I am concerned. I have had professional hairstylists and hairdressers "take care" of my hair all my adolescent and adult life. I was so afraid to wash it by myself. I just scurried off to the hairdresser once or twice a week; had relaxers placed according to THEIR schedules and followed their "advice" to the letter. After all, they were "professionals". Yet, my hair remained less than 3 inches in length. That is, until I happened to stumble on to Cathy's book on Amazon.com this past August. The book literally CHANGED MY LIFE!!! It has become my bible and my daily guide. Her website is also awesome. There are many questions that she answers on her website that do not appear in the book (www.ubhpublications.com). I have ordered her products and the products of others, including Dudley, Motions and Pantene. Believe me, her products are FAR SUPERIOR than those offered by the other hair companies. She really has done her homework!! Some may find them expensive, but, "you get what you pay for". The only question that should be asked is, "Does this product promote the healthy growth of my hair?" If the answer is yes, then buy it! I have always been driven by "evidence-based" science, not by hearsay. That's why I always went to a professional stylist. Well, those days are over. Now, I am confident enought to take care of my own hair now and I dictate to the hairdresser what I want and what I don't want. Cathy is a Godsend and all the naysayers should be aware of the fact that SHE was the first person who put her experiences in writing from which we black women can benefit. For that alone, she should be given a medal. My "exp-hair-iment" is proceeding quite nicely and I owe it all to Cathy Howse.
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
UBHGII has been a lifesaver!, August 3, 2001
I first came across UBHGII while I was on the net trying to get as much information as I could on addressing the needs of my hair. I was having problems following the use of Rio products-yes, I made a grievous mistake, and believe me for the last seven years I have been paying for it-severe breakage, dryness, lack of texture-it didn't feel real; and no visible growth at all. And, yet it was not my hair I was concerned about. I have 4 little girls ages 12, 11 10, and 7-that means I have alot of hair to take care of. I relunctantly made the decision to put a perm in the 3 older children's hair, and shortly after that, breakage. I couldn't believe the amount of breakage we experiended. My girls went from having hair that hung just below their shoulders to hanging just at their ear lobes. My heart was broken. It's one thing for me to mess up my hair, but it's a far more serious situation for me when it comes to my children. With tears in my eyes, I promised them I would learn how to properly care for their hair, and I would do something to help facilitate growth. I frantically got out on the internet, and started reading all the information I could find. One day, I came across UBHGII. Immediately, I was impressed with the before and after pictures of Mrs. Howse. As I browsed her sight, reading all the information, I became increasingly more interested, so I ordered the book. As soon as I got the book in the mail, I practically inhaled it. I must say, I found it to be so refreshing. Many of the questions I had struggled with were answered in the pages of that book. I couldn't believe the wealth of information. Important things, like the need for protein to rebuild your hair following chemicals. I had always, always put conditioner in the girls hair. How was I to know it was just being rinsed down the drain. Everything I had learned, all the myths about our hair were suddenly gone, and I was left with-truth. I now had something I could work with.Well, I have been using the products for six months. I have seen more growth, in the last six months than I have in the last seven years since RIO. My hair feels like hair, again. But, the most exciting thing has been the benefits to my children's hair. It has been in such good condition. And, we are beginning to really see the benefits of using the "Howse Method". I immediately went out and got a heatcap once UBHGII explained the importance of heat when conditioning. My girls now wash their hair and get under the heat cap every week. They are getting to the point where they enjoy, and look forward to washing, and conditioning their hair. It's not just something they have to do-it has become something they want to do. They moisturize everyday, and are really doing well. I am so thankful they have the opportunity to learn how to care for their hair at an early age, and can avoid many of the mistakes I have made. Thank you Mrs. Howse for taking the time to learn how to care for our hair, and then sharing your findings with others. M Patterson
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by Mireille Liong-a-kong
