Ahem... I BC'd!!!!

[NJoy]

...ok. My bad. I LC'd.


I washed my hair tonight and was so frustrated with the amount of shrinkage, the two textures and how skimpy these relaxed ends look when wet. I'm kicking around the idea of BC'g the bonelaxed ends off at the end of the year anyway.

I'm 33 wks post today. What if I chopped down to the natural? What would it look like? Just wanted to see what my natural texture looks like without relaxed or texlaxed ends. Here's what I got...



Is that 4a or 4b?


Also, that little piece is 7" of hair. How do you naturals live with that kind of shrinkage?


I'm running around saying how cute it looks and hubby is looking at how short it looks and looking at me like .

I'm gonna have to cut at some point. AND, I'm going to have to decide whether to continue texlaxing or just go ahead and transition to natural now. The spiral does look cute.

(oh, and don't be mad at me for the sike. I am running around here saying that I BC'd. And technically, I did...a small section. Just help a sistah out and give me some feedback. Mmmwah! Thanks.)

 

[Nonie]

I don't know what type you are but you're 4-something.

How we 4's live with that shrinkage, I personally love it. I love that I can walk out the house with a TWA one day and then have SL twists the next day and then have APL straight hair the next day. It's like in addition to being able to sport an afro, waves (twist-outs/braid-outs), straight hair, clumped coils from shingling, I also can go from long to short just like that! *snaps fingers*. And because I hate product on me, shrinkage keeps product off my face and neck and clothes. I love the surprises in everyone's faces when my hair looks different from one day to the next. (Did I mention that this mane can hold a style like no other?) My name is Nonie and I'm madly in love with my 4B hair!

 

[Southern Belle]

It's hard to tell since the section is so small, but my guess would be 3c/4a (assuming you haven't manipulated the coil).

Whatever it is - it's very, very pretty!

 

[NJoy]

Thanks, Nonie

I'm worried about my head and face being too round for a short look. What can I do until I can rock a big, juicy puff?

 

[PinkPeony]

Did you put product in your hair to define the curl?
Just with one curl it's kinda hard to guess.This one looks 4a maybe 4a/3c mix to ME.
Very cute!

 

[flowinlocks]

Thanks, @Nonie

I'm worried about my head and face being too round for a short look. What can I do until I can rock a big, juicy puff?

Phony puff! I have a nice big one.

 

[Nubenap22]

Looks good! You can Bun or twist ( wet or dry) You can stretch then style and so much more!

 

[EbonyCPrincess]

lol @ the fake out. my heart literally dropped and I was all prepared to put on a brave face and mourn your beautiful hair (at least until it grew back)! but anyway, maybe I'm not that great with typing but that looks to be 3c to me, not 4. You've been playing with the idea of transitioning for like a year now...I say go ahead and do it! Someone recently posted their 30-something month transition progress, which was nothing short of amazing. The way your hair grows, you wouldn't even have to transition much longer than 12 months to get to BSL/MBL at least.

 

[NJoy]

Did you put product in your hair to define the curl?
Just with one curl it's kinda hard to guess.This one looks 4a maybe 4a/3c mix to ME.
Very cute!

Thanks ella. I'm fresh out of the shower so it's wet. No leave ins or oils yet.

 

[Nonie]

Thanks, @Nonie

I'm worried about my head and face being too round for a short look. What can I do until I can rock a big, juicy puff?

@NJoy, 7 inches is long enough to sport a good sized afro puff. Just wash in braids (long process but well worth it and it gets easier with practice) and finish in very FIRM braids. I find airdrying bare hair gives me the most stretch...but you may prefer to have product. This is how stretched my hair is after airdrying in braids:

If you then braid it again for the night, you'll find it will stretch some more.

This is a puff I made on fully shrunken hair that airdried loose with a wet product like S Curl applied:

This is the puff I got same week on stretched hair (stretched bare) then I used coconut oil and conditioner (the conditioner was a mistake ; I thought it was a leave-in cream)--my hair was SL from nape in this photo:

I had under 3-inches of hair when I made this puff below so you have a lot to work with:

 

[NJoy]

Phony puff! I have a nice big one.

flowinlocks

Girl, I've been looking for a phony puff. What did you get (or where)? Thanks.

 

[Nonie]

Oh, and if you don't mine cornrows you can rock this:

Or twists and wear a phony pony as someone else suggested:

 

[choctaw]

You might want to do another LC on another section. The nape does not always match the rest of your head.

 

[NJoy]

You might want to do another LC on another section. The nape does not always match the rest of your head.

Good point!

 

[flowinlocks]

@flowinlocks

Girl, I've been looking for a phony puff. What did you get (or where)? Thanks.

I got mine at the local bbs but it's like this.

 

[NJoy]

I got mine at the local bbs but it's like this.

Oh cute!!!! Thanks!

 

[flowinlocks]

Oh cute!!!! Thanks!

I don't fluff mine out as big, and you can cut it down if you like.

 

[NJoy]

I don't fluff mine out as big, and you can cut it down if you like.

flowinlocks

Hello? Do you know me? The bigger the better!

 

[Meemee6223]

OP, your little curl is so pretty. I hope we'll get to see when you actually BC all your hair.

Nonie what's TWA mean? I keep seeing that thrown around.


Sent from my T-Mobile G2

 

[Nonie]

OP, your little curl is so pretty. I hope we'll get to see when you actually BC all your hair.

@Nonie what's TWA mean? I keep seeing that thrown around.


Sent from my T-Mobile G2

Meemee6223 Teeny Weeny Afro

More acronyms here: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=20774

 

[NJoy]

OP, your little curl is so pretty. I hope we'll get to see when you actually BC all your hair.

@Nonie what's TWA mean? I keep seeing that thrown around.


Sent from my T-Mobile G2

Thanks Meemee6223

btw, TWA= Teeny Weeny Afro

 

[JeterCrazed]

...ok. My bad. I LC'd.


(oh, and don't be mad at me for the sike. I am running around here saying that I BC'd. And technically, I did...a small section. Just help a sistah out and give me some feedback. Mmmwah! Thanks.)

*catches breath* That was not funny, NJoy, NOT

 

[Bluetopia]

i BC'd my texturizer at 20 months (80 weeks) and that was the perfect length for me cause I still had enough hair to do my own puff.

if i was you, id wait till after the winter is over and BC in the warmer months. this time of year is dry and folks tend to have their hair tucked away anyways due to the cold.

your hair texture looks very similar to mine and im a 4a/b with those exact same 4a coils that you showed in your picture at my nape.

 

[Bluetopia]

p.s - isolated strands often don't tell the full story. many of us have different textures at different spots on our scalps. and while one curl may give the illusion of a certain hair type.....after you BC your head (as a whole) could tell a different story.

best of luck no matter what you decide to do

 

[WantNatural]

I almost had a heart attack! I was so excited to see your BC! Not sure of your curl pattern. My nape is a loose 3C and the rest of my hair is a tight 4A curl pattern, so it's hard to tell just from the nape. You could wear your own puff, a phony puff, use weave hair for a phony bun, continue to wear wigs while you grow your hair back out, wear a chunky twistout - lots of options! Can't wait to see this part of your journey if you decide to transition to natural or BC!

 

[NikkiQ]

Your title is false advertising lmao. Totally disappointed, but I kinda knew you would never really chop. Especially this early in your "transition". Are you really transitioning or are you just stretching and not sure what you're gonna do yet?

As far as your texture, I wouldn't base it off of your nape or around your ears. I'm 4a all over and 3b around my ears with 3c around my nape. So it can be very tricky trying to figure it out from there. Snip a little piece more towards the center of your head and that'll tell you the true texture.

 

[ms-gg]

3 something, maybe 3c?

 

[Southernbella.]

I agree that it's hard to tell from the nape.

Your curl definitely looks type 4. Shrinkage doesn't bother me at all, but then again I keep my hair stretched 90% of the time. I even stretch my wash and gos.

 

[NikkiGirl]

I almost choked when I saw who started this thread NJoy. You hair is beautiful relaxed or natural. I am sure you are going to look great whatever decision you make. I love your hair. It is so pretty!

 

[Janet']

NJoy