In Dire Need of Help w/Afro on MBL/WL Hair

[ChristmasCarol]

Soooo, I finally BC'd after 3 1/2 years, but am somewhat annoyed with my all-natural hair. It has about 6 different curl patterns and that isn't exactly what I had in mind, lol.

Anywho, I've been trying to get a BAA - and had no success until I remembered how my Mom used to get me one. She would make a huge puff with a headband and "fake" it because my hair couldn't stand up well along the hairline or in the crown on it's own and just looked weird. I put a skinny elastic hairband about 5" in from the edges (all the way around) and let the hair fall down over it. I added a few strategic hairpins to the mix to get it to lay right.

If I could figure out how to make it the normal way, it would be much bigger and better because I wouldn't be losing 5" My crown is nearly 20" - do you guys think it's just too long to stand up or am I doing something wrong?

Here's my "cheat fro/puff" and a peek at how I made it:

If anyone with 3cish/WL or longer hair knows a better way, help a sistah out!

 

[havilland]

I think your hair is too long for what you are trying to achieve. But your hair is beautiful.

 

[faithVA]

I'm not sure I will be of much help. I'm 4b.

Is your hair freshly washed with little to no product? Because it is the shrinkage and coil combination that helps with the fro.

Considering that you are a 3 with WL+ hair, I think it looks pretty good.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I think your hair is too long for what you are trying to achieve. But your hair is beautiful.

havilland
NOOOO! That's not what I wanted to hear

 

[virtuenow]

Way too long for your loose texture. Now I have 85-90% shrinkage -- so I could probably do a fro at floor length. What about doing fro type style for your length...like parting down the middle and letting your fully shrunken hair fall naturally. I think that is so pretty. I'll try and find a picture of an example.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

@faithVA

It was washed less than 24 hours ago and has grapeseed oil in it.

The reason it looks so janky is because I had to brush and comb out the curls to make the fro. Here's a pic of my curls in a side ponytail if left to dry without brushing (see all the random textures?):

Thanks for the compliment - my family members haven't stopped laughing yet.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA

It was washed less than 24 hours ago and has grapeseed oil in it.

The reason it looks so janky is because I had to brush and comb out the curls to make the fro. Here's a pic of my curls if left to dry without brushing (see all the random textures?):



Thanks for the compliment - my family members haven't stopped laughing yet.

I don't know that its possible but I'm going to roll with you the best I can. But you don't want to put oil on if you want it to curl up. Oil straightens the hair out more.

And you might want to use a bad shampoo Ok just kidding, sort of.

I can't think of anything else to help. If something comes to mind I will let you know.

 

[Napp]

if you want the textures to blend, just do a braid out and call it a day

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Way too long for your loose texture. Now I have 85-90% shrinkage -- so I could probably do a fro at floor length. What about doing fro type style for your length...like parting down the middle and letting your fully shrunken hair fall naturally. I think that is so pretty. I'll try and find a picture of an example.

virtuenow

That's really how I wear my hair every day - kinda tired of that look. Wanted something like Beyonce's wig in Goldmember.

 

[ManeStreet]

How long ago did you big chop? I'm in 3s. It took a lil while for my curls to find their way. My hair became curlier in the first few months following the cut.

 

[Daeuiel]

I'm sorry, I wish I could help! But I don't really have to do anything to get my hair to look like an afro besides blow it out.

 

[ManeStreet]

Which one?.. Is it one of these?

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I don't know that its possible but I'm going to roll with you the best I can. But you don't want to put oil on if you want it to curl up. Oil straightens the hair out more.

And you might want to use a bad shampoo Ok just kidding, sort of.

I can't think of anything else to help. If something comes to mind I will let you know.

You may be on to something, faithVA

My mom used to wash my hair 2 or 3 times with Breck or Prell back in the 70's when I was going to wear a fro. She didn't even know what conditioner was, SMH. I guess the combination of stripping it and leaving it dry and bare helped.

Don't think I wanna go there, though

I'll wash again tomorrow and try it without the oil. Thanks faith!

 

[faithVA]

Which one?.. Is it one of these?

View attachment 193595



View attachment 193597

Maybe she could do a straw set and get something close to the second one?

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Which one?.. Is it one of these?

@ManeStreet

YASSS! The 2nd one

 

[faithVA]

You may be on to something, @faithVA

My mom used to wash my hair 2 or 3 times with Breck or Prell back in the 70's when I was going to wear a fro. She didn't even know what conditioner was, SMH. I guess the combination of stripping it and leaving it dry and bare helped.

Don't think I wanna go there, though

I'll wash again tomorrow and try it without the oil. Thanks faith!

I don't think you want to go there either.

 

[LynnieB]

Soooo, I finally BC'd after 3 1/2 years, but am somewhat annoyed with my all-natural hair. It has about 6 different curl patterns and that isn't exactly what I had in mind, lol.

Anywho, I've been trying to get a BAA - and had no success until I remembered how my Mom used to get me one. She would make a huge puff with a headband and "fake" it because my hair couldn't stand up well along the hairline or in the crown on it's own and just looked weird. I put a skinny elastic hairband about 5" in from the edges (all the way around) and let the hair fall down over it. I added a few strategic hairpins to the mix to get it to lay right.

If I could figure out how to make it the normal way, it would be much bigger and better because I wouldn't be losing 5" My crown is nearly 20" - do you guys think it's just too long to stand up or am I doing something wrong?

Here's my "cheat fro/puff" and a peek at how I made it:


If anyone with 3cish/WL or longer hair knows a better way, help a sistah out!

Sorry Sipp but my ish flops, droops, dives for the floor, and all kind of foolery if I tried to do a BAA. Can't even do a decent puff anymore so I don't even try. Gave all that up around APL/Brastrap.

Besides the matts, knots, tangles and SSKs and broken pieces of hair everywhere I think we're fighting our texture too much. Now if you're just going for a kinky 3c/4a-ish afroflop, than that's entirely doable.

You could always plait it up and go the wig route if you must have a true BAA.

 

[southerncitygirl]

sipp100


I have nothing to offer except cutting your hair to apl or shorter and sending it me (so i can make some wigs and clip-in's) and it will be a real afro, your hurr is booty-fulllllll j/k

My curls are tighter than yours at 3c/4a so I could probably leave mine shrunken and pick-it out though it would be a tangled mess

 

[ManeStreet]

You may be on to something, faithVA

My mom used to wash my hair 2 or 3 times with Breck or Prell back in the 70's when I was going to wear a fro. She didn't even know what conditioner was, SMH. I guess the combination of stripping it and leaving it dry and bare helped.

Don't think I wanna go there, though

I'll wash again tomorrow and try it without the oil. Thanks faith!

I think you will have to do a braidout with curlers on the end. Then brush it out. Curling the ends will help shorten the length of your hair since it's so long.

Im a waist length 3c with 3b in the crown. Theres no way I could get my hair to look like the 2nd picture. I dont have that much shrinkage. If my hair was shoulder length or shorter I could get a fro. But you need Alot of shrinkage to get waist length hair into a fro like that. You need 4b hair to get that exact same style.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

How long ago did you big chop? I'm in 3s. It took a lil while for my curls to find their way. My hair became curlier in the first few months following the cut.

ManeStreet

It's only been about 5 weeks. Maybe it will curl up better by the summer. But, it'll also be another 3 inches longer - so that might make the situation worse...

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I'm sorry, I wish I could help! But I don't really have to do anything to get my hair to look like an afro besides blow it out.

Daeuiel

Okay, you can stop bragging now

 

[ManeStreet]

Me with an afro this summer. Wig! Thats the only way I can get an afro. Lol.



It was for a costume party. I loved having a fro for the day

 

[ravenhairedcharm]

I'm not 100% sure this would work, but it would take some time. How about doing a perm rod set? This will draw your hair up closer to your scalp. As the days go by, the bushier it will get giving you more of the afro look you want

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Sorry Sipp but my ish flops, droops, dives for the floor, and all kind of foolery if I tried to do a BAA. Can't even do a decent puff anymore so I don't even try. Gave all that up around APL/Brastrap.

Besides the matts, knots, tangles and SSKs and broken pieces of hair everywhere I think we're fighting our texture too much. Now if you're just going for a kinky 3c/4a-ish afroflop, than that's entirely doable.

You could always plait it up and go the wig route if you must have a true BAA.

Jesus Be a Detangler! I hope that's not what I have to look forward to tomorrow. I may just go ahead and co-wash/detangle tonight instead of sleeping on it. I did alot of teasing and backcombing, too.

Yeah, I may just get a cute curlyfro wig.

LynnieB

Thanks for the advice. And you know I just luuurve your hair - I'm trying to get to that level.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

@sipp100


I have nothing to offer except cutting your hair to apl or shorter and sending it me (so i can make some wigs and clip-in's) and it will be a real afro, your hurr is booty-fulllllll j/k

My curls are tighter than yours at 3c/4a so I could probably leave mine shrunken and pick-it out though it would be a tangled mess

southerncitygirl

1st bolded: Nah, that's aight. Thanks for responding, though.

To the 2nd bolded: I wonder how people were wearing huge fros in the 70's without massive damage? Or was their hair jacked-up looking when it wasn't in a fro? Hmmm

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I think you will have to do a braidout with curlers on the end. Then brush it out. Curling the ends will help shorten the length of your hair since it's so long.

Im a waist length 3c with 3b in the crown. Theres no way I could get my hair to look like the 2nd picture. I dont have that much shrinkage. If my hair was shoulder length or shorter I could get a fro. But you need Alot of shrinkage to get waist length hair into a fro like that. You need 4b hair to get that exact same style.

ManeStreet

I'll try the braid n curl. Do you think I should use big braids or lots of small ones? Sorry for all the questions.

 

[faithVA]

@southerncitygirl

1st bolded: Nah, that's aight. Thanks for responding, though.

To the 2nd bolded: I wonder how people were wearing huge fros in the 70's without massive damage? Or was their hair jacked-up looking when it wasn't in a fro? Hmmm

Most of the people that wore fros in the 70s have type 4 hair. Some had blow out kits, which I guess would be similar to a light texturizer. But mostly we just braided it at night and wore a fro the next day.

You really didn't see a lot of people with big fros. It was a lot to take care of. But a medium size fro, it was just a matter of some Afro Sheen and the right pik.

 

[virtuenow]

Here's some examples: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=17820913&postcount=308
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=17842753&postcount=320
I've never seen you post any hair pictures like this--- if this is how you wear it...and you've posted a lot of pictures, girl. When the hair becomes to long for an afro, you just have to "let it do what it do". Otherwise, you will have to go buy the Beyonce afro wig-- which is what she was wearing.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Me with an afro this summer. Wig! Thats the only way I can get an afro. Lol.

View attachment 193599

It was for a costume party. I loved having a fro for the day

ManeStreet

That's EXACTLY what I wanted.

Now I kinda wish I'd BC'd at SL/APL...Nah!

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I'm not 100% sure this would work, but it would take some time. How about doing a perm rod set? This will draw your hair up closer to your scalp. As the days go by, the bushier it will get giving you more of the afro look you want

ravenhairedcharm

Sounds good! I wonder how long it would take to dry???? A regular rollerset on grey rollers takes forever and a day...

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a pic of the result and let you see it. Might do it on Sunday.