Damn! My hair will not stay straight for long.

[Edie]

Well ladies, I thought I would treat my self after almost three years of being natural and growing out my hair by going to the hairdresser and having my hair professionally pressed. The last time I went was in Oct I think 2002 to get a weave taken out. I said no more going to the hairdressers and having them braid up my hair (and I have to tell you braiding was not good for my hair. It took at lot of it out around the perimeter leaving it thin in the areas around the ears). I decided to leave my hair alone except for washing, conditioning and of course taking all my vitamins. I had 6 inches of hair at the time. Well I have grown it out to 14-18 inches depending what area you are measuring. It fell below bra strap once the hair dresser straightened it. And I have got to tell you ladies I felt so good when I left. My hair was healthy and shiny and swinging like you would not believe. The hair dresser was amazed at how my hair had grown so much. My husband took me out to dinner and I must admit I got a lot of looks from various sisters out there. I heard one woman who was sitting at a table not far from us make a comment that I had a good looking weave to one of the other ladies at her table. Well ladies I got up and went over to her table and told her that this was not a weave and then wrote the website address to longhairforum on a napkin and gave it go her. At this point she wanted to touch my hair and of course she ran her hands right down the middle (looking for tracks). She then had a surprised look on her face. I told her to go to this website to learn how to grow healthy hair.

Well I was flying high, but I quickly came back down to earth, because by the time I went to bed last night (10pm) my hair began to look like a bush. I tried putting oil on the ends and it's like my hair said to me "what the hell you do you think you're doing. I like being natural and I am going to stay that way."

Well I did have swinging, bouncy hair for about 8 hours anyway!

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

Well, Edie I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that place. I bet that woman also fell out when she realized that was your real hair!

Kudos to you and all of your wonderful growth!

I know about the hair pressing thing. I did that for a while and my hair would never stay straight longer than a day!

 

[Nacai23]

Wow, your hair grows fast. You gained 10-12" in less than a year? Awesome. I might get my hair pressed next year. I should be close to bra-strap then. What products did your stylist use?

 

[Edie]

i took my own shampoo and conditioner. But I know she uses Dudleys products.

 

[ms_kenesha]

That's great Edie, even if your hair didn't stay straight for long. I can't wait until people are whispering that can't be all her hair!

I'll be handing out business cards with LHCF on it!

 

[soslychic]

I'm sorry about your straight hair problem Edie. But congrats on all that growth. Nice experience

 

[Crysdon]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, your hair grows fast. You gained 10-12" in less than a year

[/ QUOTE ]


That's awesome...I'd like to know your secret.

 

[Isis]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It almost sounds like being Cinderella for a few hours before the clock struck 12!
I wish I could have seen her face too.

 

[ineedmoney]

oh honeyi know how that it. when i was little i told my mom she could never press my hair again because it just hurted my feelings when it frizzed up at the end of the day. maybe you might want to try pressin your hiar in colder weather. my hair always sweats out in the summer, or maybe if there was to much fog or rain and that is what did it. but ^5 on the growth you got!!!!

 

[WaterMoccasin]

I have the same problem! I thought it was just my incompetent straightening (which it probably is anyway) because even right after I straighten it it puffs up- the only way i get it to stay longer is when i oil the hell out of it and put it in a ponytail, tie it down at night etc. But god forbid i sweat even a little...no chance then!

 

[TigerOrange]

That is soo funny. I went to the hair salon and the lady insisted that I not use my regular hair products when I came in b/c she wanted to try Kera Care and Dudley's pressing cream on my hair. Well, my hair looked awesome and then by 12 a.m. my curls dropped and my hair went poofy again.

I've found the best thing to do is to use products that do not cause the hair to retain moisture if you want to maintain a straight style. Use olive, rosemary, peppermint. Stay away from cocunut and jojoba. I use the D. Low system which is a little pricy but my hair will stay straight for a few days sans exercising. I wish someone could give me the secret to keeping pressed hair with the humidity and all that isn't expensive. Please, let me KNOW!!!!!!

 

[Brownie]

Hello Edie

Next time, take pictures before the day is over

. My hair came out really great one time, and I didn't take pictures, and now, I wish I did. Now, I take pictures every time my hair comes out nice or okay

. Well, this helps with showing growth as well

.

 

[Nova]

Edie:

Congrats on your sucessful hair growth!

 

[Faith]

I feel ya on this on Edie. I was just complaining to Legs about this. I "pressed" my hair on Thursday and it was poofy in less than 2 hours later. It actually started poofing up while I was still presing.

If anyone has some inexpensive ways of maintaining a press I would also love to know. As it stands I will not try pressing again till May 2004. By that time it will be less than 2" to waist so I really want to show it off.

I'm happy for you though. You must have looked great. Next time take pics. What hair type are you btw?

 

[melodee]

Edie,
It makes me wonder, how did Aalyiah give concerts(with sweat and all)without her pressed hair turning into a giant puffball. Was it weaved for her performances, I wonder. Cause pressed hair will revert and her hair was not exempt to it. It was georgeous though, as I'm sure yours is.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Pressed hair in the summertime is an impossibility (or at least that's what I've decided). my hair only stays pressed for a couple of days in the summer (if it hasn't been raining or it hasn't been so hot that I sweat). Otherwise, it falls immediately. However, in the winter I can press my hair and it lasts a week. Maybe longer, but I don't go longer than a week without washing my hair. Try it again in the winter!

 

[Estee]

Yes, if you find out the secret, do tell. I gave up pressing my hair. I did it once this year to see my length during the Spring and that bad boy reverted quicker than you can blink your eyes.

The only time my hair lasted through rain was when my aunt pressed it with Apex once during the summer when I was in HS yrs ago... it must of lasted for the whole week! I have never been able to get it to repeat that performance ever since. 20+ yrs later. shucks.

 

[inthestars]

I think that after years of perming, even if you take a break, your hair will not hold a perm as well. Mine would not stay straight after 15 years of perming, it would revert after a week or so.

 

[inthepink]

I wonder if there's a difference if you were to blowdry and curl instead of pressing. My sister and mother are both naturals. My mom with shoulderlenghth hair and my sister with below bra strap length hair. All they do is go to the Egyptian salons every two week and have their hair washed and blowdried. It comes out ultra straight and lasts two weeks.
I am transitioning and got my hair done at the Egyptian salon about 3 weeks ago and my hair also stayed straight. Don't know if I will have the same effect once I'm all natural. I do remember being a kid and having the poofiness after 'sweating out' my pressed hair.

 

[Edie]

Sorry I took so long to get back to you. We just went through a hurricane in our area and I could not use my computer due to power outages. Well one of the reasons my hair is growing so fast I think is because I am taking a huge amount of biotin (12mg) to be exact. I am taking this because of diabetes. Biotin helps with blood sugar control. My doctor put me on this in November of last year to be exact. He started off at 7mg I think and slowly raised it to 12mg. I take it three weeks on and 1 week off. He says that way my body will not grow accustomed to the amount of biotin and stop working as well. It seems our bodies will adjust to vitamins and others substances if taken over a long period and will not work as well as they did when you first start taking them. The break seems to trick it into thinking that you have a shortage of the vitamin so that when you start taking it again, it just keeps on working as before. Any way it seems to work for me. My vitamin regimen is as follows:

Biotin 12mg per day
B-100 (2 times a day)
L Cysteine - 1000mg
B5 -2000 mg
Vitamin C - 3000mg
MSM -3000mg
Ultra Hair Plus Vitamins
Gentle Iron (Solgars) 25 mg
Hydrolized Collagen (Great for nails, makes them strong, strong, also helps hair elasticity)
Zinc 50 mg
Multi vitamin (wholefoods)
Calcium - 1000mg
Magnesium - 700mg
Inositol - 500mg


I use the follow shampoos:
Marie Long Hairs (good shampoo designed for everyday use)
Aubrey JAY shampoo (great shampoo for moisture)
F.A.S.T. Shampoo (I think this along with spearmint oil has helped the damaged areas of my hair finally start filling back in, but I can't guarantee this)
Natural Shampoo mix (shikakai, amla, neem and tulsi - I only use this once a week following my scalp massage with spearmint oil. I let it sit on my scalp for 15 minutes and then add the F.A.S.T shampoo for another fifteen minutes, covering with a hot towel. My scalp tingles like crazy).

I usually condition with the following conditioners.
Aubrey Joboba and Aloe conditioner (Soft, soft, soft)
Marie Long Hair's Trees conditioner (yummy smell, like conditoner, light conditioning)
F.A.S.T conditioner (really make leaves the hair soft, soft, soft)


I then put a mixture of olive and castor oil and shea butter on my hair. Plait it up and tuck the ends under and cover with a plastic cap.

I am slowly recovering my hair and am very careful with it. You see I lost a lot of my hair due to anemia about 5 years ago. I tried wearing weaves, that was a mistake. So last year I decided to stop giving my money to the hair dresser and take matters into my own hands. I went to another hair dresser one who listened to me when I said I did not want another relaxer in my hair and that I was content with my natural hair. I have been wearing a wig for about year now. When I started I was at six inches in the back. That's the measurement I go by. The hair in the middle is always a bit longer.


Well today My hair has grown so much, 14 inches at the neck to 18 inches in middle (thank you Jesus)and a lot of people look at me funny because I choose to wear a wig most of the time (I will leave my hair out on weekends).
But I find that wearing a wig helps me look after my hair. I have 3 of them and change when the mood suits me.

A lot of women feel that if you have a wig on that you don't have any hair under there or you are ashamed of what you have. That is not always the case. Sometimes it another way of protecting your hair.

I will still occasionally press my hair just for a change, but most of the time I will wear it natural, tucked under in some kind of protective style, be it the bun, a wig or whatever. My hair is my crowning glory and I have to decide do I care about it enough to protect its health and well being. Sorry to get on a soap box, but I have been through it with my hair. I still want my hair to fill in a bit more to it's former thickness. I don't know if it will (I had a lot of damage due to braids around the perimeter of my hair) But like I said it's finally filling in. I just hope it continues to do so.


And on the matter of pressing, I recall as a young girl having my hair pressed with this red hair grease or maybe it was a pressing creme (I can't remember). Well I remember going out that day and playing and sweating like a pig and my hair did not revert. What's with that? Do you think as little girls our hair was somehow more sweat resistent?

 

[Edie]

My hair type is 3a-3b aroung the perimeter of hair hair (very loose wave) to 4a to 4b in the mid section) that's the part that looks like a bush when my hair reverted. Talk about funny looking. Bushy in the middle and hanging waves around the perimeter. I nearly scared myself silly.

 

[pressncurl]

Well . . . once upon time my hair would stay straight forever (3 weeks was the longest I ever went before washing), and I attribute this to two things -- getting it pressed religiously every two/three weeks so my hair got 'used' to being straight and using TCB hair and scalp conditioner grease every other day after a press. My mom was also the one pressing it at this time.

Now, I've done away with the grease for the sake of my skin and my clothes, and I work out a few times a week, so now my hair will stay straight through one workout if I'm not drenched in sweat. It never lasts through two.

 

[skegeesmb]

Aalliyah not only had her hair pressed, but she would have it flatironed after that. I think that her hair has been done like this for so long that it thermally altered her hair. If you press alone your hair will, after years of doing pressings, thermally straighten or be trained. So I imagine that doing both every time you wash thermally relaxes it even faster.

I've learned that in order to keep a press for a while you have to use products that will not hold in moisture. I still use a heat protectant, but it's leaves my hair soft but not moist. Your hair has to also be completely dry! If it is not, as soon as you sweat or hit moisture any hair that was not completely dry and has moisture locked in will be the first to revert.

This is where the deep conditioning treatments come in handy, you have to use not only conditioner that you rinse out, but a deep conditioner right after that and sit under the dryer. This should sufficiently condition your hair so you won't have to use humectant based moisturizers which will lock in moisture.

This is why I only straighten my hair for pictures or very special events. It is a big hassle to do this all the time. Your hair will definately thank you if you wear it in it's natural state. But if you want to "train" your hair, if you do this every week, you hair will start to stay straight longer, but you will lose your texture.

So it's really a matter of do you want to have straight hair that will swell when left down but retain your natural hair, or do you want to straighten your hair to the point where you can wear it straight. Me, personally, I choose the first option.

 

[Allandra]

Re: Damn! My hair will not stay straight for long.

Wow. Great growth.

 

[Crysdon]

Thanks for answering. No wonder you've gotten such fast results.