Random Hair Thoughts/Thinking out loud

I somehow managed to finish detangling and retwisting my hair today without dying. :rolleyes: Thank goodness!! No more letting my hair shrink freely. As a sidenote, I completely understand this above post^^ I'm boutta try a wig too. In my case, I'm tired of this awkward stage length where I really have no options. I wont let anyone install a protective style for me and trying myself always fails, and I cant style my hair for the life of me any other way (I've tried so many ways sooo many different times). I'm just gonna keep it moisturized and detangled and hide it for a while till I can achieve shoulder length mini twists on wet hair.
 
Why is it such a learning curve with hair?
I am natural again for the second time and realizing the first go around I didn't know as much about my hair as I thought I did.
Anyway, I went to the store and the cashier had the cutest little tapered twa. It was so shiny and defined and I asked her what she used and she told me she loves cantu curling cream or was it cantu curl activator. It looks like a gel was used but she said she doesn't really like the hold from gel. I truly don't think we all need a bunch of stuff to work for our hair but it's finding that right combo of products and really knowing what agrees with your hair that is the key. I'd love to find an on the ground/easy accessible set of products.
 
Why is it such a learning curve with hair?
I am natural again for the second time and realizing the first go around I didn't know as much about my hair as I thought I did.
Anyway, I went to the store and the cashier had the cutest little tapered twa. It was so shiny and defined and I asked her what she used and she told me she loves cantu curling cream or was it cantu curl activator. It looks like a gel was used but she said she doesn't really like the hold from gel. I truly don't think we all need a bunch of stuff to work for our hair but it's finding that right combo of products and really knowing what agrees with your hair that is the key. I'd love to find an on the ground/easy accessible set of products.

Unfortunately it is trial and error - I've been natural for 8 years, and this is the first year I've actually BEEN NATURAL - not constantly straightening my hair and actually figuring out what my natural hair looks like (that's my own fault with being so insecure about my hair).

YouTube and unfortunately a lot of hair blogs make it seem harder than it is for the new natural. You need a leave in, a gel, a cowash, an overnight prepoo, a post-poo, a post-post-pre-post-no-poo etc, and put at least 18 products in your hair and spend 2 years to define one strand at a time for your 'wash and go'... etc. I advise new naturals to start with clarifying and get through the grace period. It's like having your hair in braids - what do you do when you first take out your braids? (Hopefully) you clarify and wait for your hair to bounce back to its regular condition, because it'll act different for awhile. Well, being natural is the same, but you don't know what your hair's regular condition even is.

I could not even figure out what my hair texture was until I stopped straightening, clarified, minimized cones and stopped using grease - this released layers and layers of build up I never knew I had until I could finally see my curl pattern that I thought was non-existent. After that, it became a lot more simple. I started with the most simple cheapies I could find (Suave Natural, Mane and Tail and some Etsy buys) and now that I know what my hairs likes, it's easier to buy products and stop wasting money on snake oil. I think if people start their regimen with product minimization, only trying a small amount of products with very simple ingredient sets, they won't get frustrated and end up with cabinets bursting with stuff their hair doesn't even like.

Long story short, I completely agree with you. It takes a bit of patience, but you really only need five basics and the rest is just for fun or styling: Shampoo, Conditioner, DC, Leave in, and Oil. I also include henna to cover greys, but you get the point, it doesn't have to be hard but the beginning phase requires a loooot of patience, and most importantly not wanting your hair to do what someone else's hair does.
 
@sunflora thank u! I totally agree about the basics. I feel like, actually I’ll have to learn my hair all over again when I stop wearing braids. I have an overall better understanding of my hair now and I think it’s more on the higher porosity side and doesn’t need a lot of products. A good moisturizer and styler and more products with protein in them instead and maybe even a few cones or something to help lay the cuticle flat.
I totally see how new naturals are completely utterly overwhelmed. Then all the products out there also, from curl custard, butter, curl cream, gel, moisturizer, leave in, etc —— it’s really a lot. My ultimate goal is to have minimal products - have alternatives to things in case I can’t find/get a product but just a solid few set of products that work.
 
I think after two kids my hair type is changed in some way or i have just gotten older not sure. I used to wear a braid out all day everyday and it was defined. now no matter what afro. Curl cream = afro, gel and no glycerine moistureized = afro nothing = tangled afro, flat iron = hanging afro. Its werid. And my hair when its wet fells really rough and dry. I just conditioned for a day and whe nI when to rinse it out it still felt rough and dry. Ugh and the new hair coming in from the post partum shedding what is this new growth from Satan??
 
I somehow managed to finish detangling and retwisting my hair today without dying. :rolleyes: Thank goodness!! No more letting my hair shrink freely. As a sidenote, I completely understand this above post^^ I'm boutta try a wig too. In my case, I'm tired of this awkward stage length where I really have no options. I wont let anyone install a protective style for me and trying myself always fails, and I cant style my hair for the life of me any other way (I've tried so many ways sooo many different times). I'm just gonna keep it moisturized and detangled and hide it for a while till I can achieve shoulder length mini twists on wet hair.
I almost forgot about my wig days! I used to wear an ugly James Brown wig. It looked almost exactly like his.gettyimages-2909535_wide-4762802e231b747452be27c89762f131bc6addd0.jpg

And I had a crinkley one as well. I enjoyed wearing them. I even did the baggy method under them. I even deep Condioned under them...sitting in class (college) thinking "Oh yeeeahhh baby, and nobody even know I got this Vo5 chillin in my head". I made it to WL too! So go head and get wiggy wit it!
 
I almost forgot about my wig days! I used to wear an ugly James Brown wig. It looked almost exactly like his.View attachment 432817

And I had a crinkley one as well. I enjoyed wearing them. I even did the baggy method under them. I even deep Condioned under them...sitting in class (college) thinking "Oh yeeeahhh baby, and nobody even know I got this Vo5 chillin in my head". I made it to WL too! So go head and get wiggy wit it!

Girl why???? I'm dying at "I used to wear an ugly James Brown wig." :lachen:but I'm thankful for the encouragement. :2inlove: I need a change, for real. I'm gonna make one out of marley hair. No human hair for me, no ma'am, no sir! The cost combined with the suspicious, voodoo origins???

giphy.gif


Uh-uh!
 
Girl why???? I'm dying at "I used to wear an ugly James Brown wig." :lachen:but I'm thankful for the encouragement. :2inlove: I need a change, for real. I'm gonna make one out of marley hair. No human hair for me, no ma'am, no sir! The cost combined with the suspicious, voodoo origins???


Uh-uh!
GIRL WHY?? You put that crazyass face up there. I had to look away from that B... broad LOL.

I couldn't even read your post:eek::lachen: I'm serious! Lol
 
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@FadingDelilah I'm excited for the wig thing now. I don't like human hair either, ITS CREEPY. It's someone else's DNA for crying out loud. like walking around with some else's teeth lol.
Yeah, a Marley hair wig perfect and blends seamlessly and effortlessly.
 
I finally had to face the truth, my ends had become horribly dry and brittle from weekly blowing my hair since January of this year. Not to mention the rice water rinse were great for growth but seem to fry my ends a while ago. I had cut off another 2 inches of hair today. My hair is smooth, my fingers and comb glide through my hair for the first time in a while. I will wash and deep condition weekly for the next two weeks and back to box braids for another 10 to 12 week stretch. 6 weeks braids put with another 4 to 6 week with the only the front redone. No more blow drying until January for my next trim.

What do you think it was about the rice water that fried your ends?
 
Why fotki gotta be like that? *Sucks teeth*

Why 2018 gotta be like this? *chin on palm*

Why does YouTube suck @ss? Mile long intro, filter lights, advertisemen, loud music, sound effects and fake over the top personalities.


How did makeup get so out of hand?..contour this, beat that, highlight this, layer here, layer there and everywhere.

Not a vent. Just wondering why.


YouTube of 2010 was the bomb. Can't even watch a decent Martin episode on there no more. :cry3::lachen:yes I'm crying and laughing at the madness.
 
Guess what I saw at the beauty supply (Mostly white BSS) the other day... At the front counter/checkout they have a clear container of brown TOOTH BRUSHES with black bristles and on the container it said "Edge brush".
Wow we exposing all OUR business and hair secrets aren't we.

Scenario:
White lady paying for her tresemme, looks "Oh..what are these?"

Cashier: they're for those black women's nappy edges so they can lay down like ours.

White lady: Dismayed look "OOOooHhh" *touches chin in amazement*

LOL.
 
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Oh my goodness. I am constantly pulling at the corner of hair in front of my earr. It constantly tangles and ends up with ssks and bigger knots because of this. I've been trying to figure out why I keep doing this, and finally realized that it might be because of a hand/fidget issue I've always had. I've smoked for years and quite in November, which is around the same time I started my hair journey. Now I can't stop picking at my hair. I own a fidget cube for work but I'm gonna need to surround myself with them before I end up bald. Ugh.

*finishes typing and continues pulling at hair*
 
The last 6 inches of my ponytail are so sad up until that point my ponytail is thick and then it just gets thinner and scragglier. I’m not sure if it’s because my hair grows unevenly or if I’m damaging my ends. But I don’t want to just hack off 6 inches. That’s over a year of growth.
 
The last 6 inches of my ponytail are so sad up until that point my ponytail is thick and then it just gets thinner and scragglier. I’m not sure if it’s because my hair grows unevenly or if I’m damaging my ends. But I don’t want to just hack off 6 inches. That’s over a year of growth.

First find out if its damage. Some people's hair just tapers naturally. You might be the only one who notices (we're our own worst critics). If it is damage, I would slowly trim it if it doesn't really show other than when you're wearing a ponytail.
 
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I'm finally back to collarbone length. The first time I big chopped I made it to this length before I relaxed again. I've been wearing my hair in stretched bantu knots all summer, but now it's time to go back to extreme protective styling so I can reach my goal of armpit length. I was gonna trim but I don't see any splits. I haven't had a trim in like 6 months so I'm kinda proud. Just ordered 3 bundles with a 4x4 closure. No leave out means ultra protection.
 
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