Struggling with your natural hair? Come in here.....

JudithO

Well-Known Member
destine2grow Cool... You can put your hair like in 20 - 30 twists yourself and chip off the ends.... will hold you until you can find a good place to trim.... Great that your sister can help you... it will give u a much needed break. Please keep us posted...
 

yardyspice

Well-Known Member
@destine2grow Cool... You can put your hair like in 20 - 30 twists yourself and chip off the ends.... will hold you until you can find a good place to trim.... Great that your sister can help you... it will give u a much needed break. Please keep us posted...

If you can straighten your hair, that's even better.
 

destine2grow

Well-Known Member
I never thought about sraighten my hair. I think after I get tired of wearing my hair in flat twist, I will do two strand twist and trim. I don't see this happening until Sat or Sun.

@ judy4all is it to late to join the twist/braid/bun challenge?
 

destine2grow

Well-Known Member
judy4all I took your advise and I just finish trimming my hair. My ends feel a loy better.

I hated to do it because I already have a twa. I am determine to make sure I keep ends moisturize. I plan on PS until I can find someone to do a full sew in.


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DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
@DarkJoy



You NEED to protective style with your texture.... Join the twists/braids challenge for 3 months and see how much you retain... Your hair profile sounds very similar to my natural texture.. and wearing any "out" styles never did the trick.... Also... After you DC (both protein, then moisture), use a castor oil based creme like Qhemet's AOHC or any castor oil mix to seal. Also look at the ingredient in your DC's.... Your hair may not like that shea moisture stuff.. cos your hair should *not* be coming coming out dry.. Let us know how it goes.
Thanks judy4all. I swear, I am so tired PSing and getting nothing but broke ends. The cornrows for the sew ins =snapsnapsnap. Same for wearing it under wigs. I wore wigs as a PS straight though all of last spring to fall. And had almost lost my edges because the dang combs in the wigs! *sigh* I don't have enough to make a bun. And I am really sick of braids--wore them for 4 years straight and got nothing but splits and breaks and had to BC (again).

Back in the day, the only thing that made my hair retain was a daggone curl! yes, jheri curl! lol. Glycerin my hair really likes. I managed to put it in all my products at home last month and DID retain the length and some moisture (with the help of tea spritzes which really stops the breakage and shedding). When I forget to use it? snapsnapsnap!

If anyone has any ideas for NL updoes to protect ends, I'd be much appreciative.
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
I do plan on trying castor oil, though for heavy sealing. My hair also really likes grapeseed oil.
 

destine2grow

Well-Known Member
DarkJoy I feel your pain. My edges also came out from the combs in ther wig.

My hair does grow when I wear braids, I just have to make sure they are not to tight and keep my hair moisturize.

Maybe your hair was breaking with tge braids because it was dry. Also how long do you let your hair stay braided. When I wear my hair braided I only keep it in for a max of 3 months.

I also washed my hair while iy was braided. I used dry shampoos. Are you still washing and DC'ing when your hair is braided.

I also sprayed my braids with an refresher day and night as well aa used oil on my scalp and edges.

Like your hair my hair also loves grapeseed oil. Also I must trim my hair when it needs it.

Our hair actually sounds a lot a like. I need a buddy to keep me in line so if you want a buddy I am here.
 

lamaria211

Well-Known Member
DarkJoy sorry your having so much trouble o would try braids again but use a glycerine based braid spray daily and a good protein treatment in between installs. Hth
 

Nonie

Well-Known Member
DarkJoy, I do not PS and while my journey is as slow as they come, it's a journey of progress and I think it will work for you.

Since you like glycerin, why not throw away every product you have and get S Curl No Drip Activator and use only that as your moisturizer. When hair is NL, as long as you are starting off with nice healthy ends (which is usually the norm after a BC), your ends are somewhat protected by virtue of being away from your clothes. And if you are OK with styles that involve shrinkage, like puffs, then your ends also kinda tuck into the rest of the hair so get protected. And if you use S Curl and aren't in a dry environment, then you get the same effect of jheri curl days where your hair is smothered in moisture so drying and splitting is less likely to happen.

PSing becomes most important when your hair reaches SL for two reasons:

  • Your hair is hitting shoulders so your ends are now in contact with a surface that can cause friction and file them away ripping them into shreds;
  • Your ends are so much older and therefore more worn.


So first, if your ends are bad then you will have to get rid of them. No ifs or buts about it, or you'll be at NL next year and the year after. You must throw away the damage if you're to retain healthy hair.

Next, after you get rid of the damage, fall in love with S Curl and baggying. Now you will get lots of shrinkage, but trust me, that's a blessing. Not only will you then get used to having short hair, the day you decide to stretch it w/o product, you'll have the best surprise ever. And I can tell you from my own experience, NOTHING beats that surprise in the HHJ. NOTHING!

You see, right now, you're at NL. You could keep flogging a dead horse trying what hasn't been working...trying protective styling and failing and still be at NL months later. Or you could just go out on a limb and try my regimen:

I shampoo, condition, ACV rinse (<---very dilute solution) my hair twice a week. You can do it once a week if you prefer. After the ACV rinse, you towel dry your hair and apply S Curl so it's easy to comb--if you have somewhere to go. Expect to have the shortest TWA if you do this. If you don't have anywhere to be, braid your hair while damp after washing. (BTW, throughout your wash, comb your hair whenever you have something slippery in it like this or when water is running through it to remove shed hair--100 hairs is fine so don't panic if you see a lot of hairs; probably means you hadn't been removing them properly. It'll be a lot less next time--and to ensure fully detangled hair.) So yes, you braid your hair as soon as you towel dry while it's damp and let it airdry so it stretches. It should be completely detangled and easy to part for the braids to stretch. Once dry, undo each braid and spray it well with S Curl, comb through and braid it up while you work on another section so it doesn't curl up too much. Once all sections have been moisturized, undo and style. At night just braid it up and baggy. In the morning, take out baggy and let it dry some then undo and comb. No more application of S Curl...but I can tell you, you hair will be nice and soft and easy to manage. It will not be dry as long as you baggy every night. And you will find yourself retaining.

I know you said you hate braiding but our hair does well with low manipulation. My mom doesn't care for long hair but she is following my regimen and wears wigs all the time, and my sis told me her hair is growing nicely. I suppose she'll chop it off coz she likes short hair...but hope my sis can get me a pic before she does.

You need a wig cap and you need to make sure the wig band isn't rubbing against your hairline. (Do all wigs have combs? Can't you wear one w/o? Better yet, how about phony puffs. You cornrow the front and put on phony puff in the back. It'd not be rubbing on your hairline. I wear hats a lot and find that Saran wrap coming down to my forehead and a satin cap help to keep hats from messing up my hairline.

BTW, I think your hair may be at a length where washing in braids can help. Sounds like a lot of work, but how easy your hair is to deal with afterward is why this attention to keeping tangles at bay is important.
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
Wow, just WOW! I certainly didn't expect such support for my whine-fest a few days ago. lol. It's so great to have all this advice from you ladies. I responded to each one of you below. Thanks so much!
destine2grow:
@DarkJoy ....Also how long do you let your hair stay braided. When I wear my hair braided I only keep it in for a max of 3 months.
I kept mine for about 2 months, but never took them fully down. I would comb out the buildup of each braid then braid it right back. I braid my own hair.

I also washed my hair while iy was braided. I used dry shampoos. Are you still washing and DC'ing when your hair is braided.
I used regular shampoos and just regular conditioned.

I also sprayed my braids with an refresher day and night as well aa used oil on my scalp and edges.
Did this too!

Like your hair my hair also loves grapeseed oil. Also I must trim my hair when it needs it.
I'm bad at trimming. Maybe 2x a year.

Our hair actually sounds a lot a like. I need a buddy to keep me in line so if you want a buddy I am here.
Thank you! I could really use a hair buddy to keep me on track. Sometimes I forget the reggi altogether when things get busy. You could keep me in line too. :drunk:

lamaria211:
@DarkJoy sorry your having so much trouble o would try braids again but use a glycerine based braid spray daily and a good protein treatment in between installs. Hth
Thanks for your advice! I actually am so sick of braids, since I wore them straight for SEVERAL YEARS. I can't even look at them at the moment. lol. However a good glycerin based spray might be a good idea in general for my hair.

Nonie
@DarkJoy, I do not PS and while my journey is as slow as they come, it's a journey of progress and I think it will work for you.
Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't PS. Drives me insane! I'm almost 40 and did all that the last 25 years. I'm done. I will do a half wig rarely, but my stomach turns when I get ready to put it on and that's maybe once every 2 months to go out.

Since you like glycerin, why not throw away every product you have and get S Curl No Drip Activator and use only that as your moisturizer.
Your idea is sound. I have tried a curl activator, but for my natural hair they have too much glycerine and my skin gets broke out. I found a compromise and just buy veg glycerin and put it in a spray bottle and use it with my tea challenge. Started last month and retained all my length (~ half an inch)! :yep:

So first, if your ends are bad then you will have to get rid of them. No ifs or buts about it, or you'll be at NL next year and the year after.
Yep. I plan on doing a trim in the next few days. My crown is terrible because I can't tell what's going on there cuz it's not long enough for me to see! It has a completely diff texture (the 4c I mention) and it's a lot rougher. So I can't decide if that really needs a cut of if its just how it is. It's always been that way. The rest has a few splits but not in real bad shape. They will all get trimmed soon.

Next, after you get rid of the damage, fall in love with S Curl and baggying.
Been eyeing this method for a while now!

You see, right now, you're at NL. You could keep flogging a dead horse trying what hasn't been working...trying protective styling and failing and still be at NL months later. Or you could just go out on a limb and try my regimen:
I like your method and its similar to one I did in the past except the scurl and baggying. Only thing I recently realized is my hair HATES being manipulated when wet. IDK what that means as far as porosity but even finger detangling on wet hair means my hands are FULL OF HAIR way more than shed. Have learned recently to let it dry without touching it, then re-spray to barely moist. Then I could comb thru with a garden rake and it doesnt care. lol. Gotta get on that baggying. TWA look doesn't bother me. I think my TWA is cute!:lol:

You need a wig cap and you need to make sure the wig band isn't rubbing against your hairline. (Do all wigs have combs? Can't you wear one w/o? Better yet, how about phony puffs.
Just saw how to do phoney puffs and buns on YT! I plan to go out and buy some hair for this! Is better than a wig (so SICK of them) and isnt hot, heavy or feel like I'm wearinga giant hat. I find wigs so uncomfortable. BTW, some don't have combs, but not all the ones you like or suit you dont have have them. So you kinda get what you get.

BTW, I think your hair may be at a length where washing in braids can help. Sounds like a lot of work, but how easy your hair is to deal with afterward is why this attention to keeping tangles at bay is important.
that IS a lot of work...but at least now it's at a length where I can actually make a braid in some spots. lol Lots of work indeed.
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
Now attempting my first baggy, GHE, whatever you wanna call it. Tomorrow is wash and DC day so this might be considered an extended pre-poo. Have some glyerin product with teas for my tea challenge with grapeseed oil. Using up the last of my Giovanni Direct Leave in too... might as well.

Let's see how long this bag lasts on my head before it flies off. Nothing stays there for long cuz I sleep so wild. It's why I invested in satin pillow cases. lol.

PS, bought some barber shears today. gonna put the hair in a bunch of twists tomorrow and do a small trim. Less than 1/2".
 
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Qtee

Member
Hair profile: 3B/3C BSL
Reggie: mostly wet buns or modified shingle..
Problems: I'm sick of my hair being all the time..my hair doesnt dry in a bun or if I wear it up..I release it to find my hair is still wet..also I'm tired of neck length hair in its natural state..and I'm bored to death..think I need a wig it's time for a change..
 

SUPER SWEET

Well-Known Member
3c/4a
Two textures and density :nono: the entire right side is see thru.
I think I am going to just start over again.
 

SUPER SWEET

Well-Known Member
I feel you ladies!

@SUPER SWEET:
Whats up with the right side? Is it a diff texture or the side you sleep on? My DD has a thinner side on the side she sleeps on...
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/member.php?u=4035
DarkJoy
It's both thin and my best sleeping side. And to make matters worse the crown is a choppy mess after the stylist took down my weave incorrectly. She used a Maylasian method and the hair grew around the knots in 4 weeks!

It's hot anyway...my excuse to go short again. But I dunno how a pixie will work my natural hair:ohwell: Maybe a short bob?
 

Cruzankink

Well-Known Member
@ Judy4all Great thread!

Hair Profile - 4b keratin treated hair. Hair strand is medium. Hair density is full/thick.

Reggie/Products:
Weekend - I do a hot oil treatment using olive oil. I sit under the Pibbs for 30 mins on med-high heat. I wash w/ a sulfate free poo. I am currently on a cone free diet so I'm using the Body Shop Rain Moisture product line that is silicone, paraben, sulfate and colorant free. I deep cond after my poo w/ the Body Shop Rain Moisture deep con. Sit under the Pibbs for another 30 min on med-high heat. Then detangle w/ my Hercules Sägemann 1975 seamless comb with deep con still in my hair. I think however that I will poo every other weekend and co-wash when needed. To cleanse and maintain moister, I co-wash 2-3x mid week with Garnier Fructice Triple Moisture condish.
Daily - wet hair in the shower put shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie followed by eco-styler olive oil and go.

Hairstyles: Right now since I'm only 7 months post and recently BC, I'm wearing a TWA. However, my hair is growing so much that I'm considering doing twist outs, flat twists etc.

Problems: So far I've only seen minimal breakage due to (what I think is) heat damage from the required flat ironing of the keratin treatments. I am torn. I love the way my natural hair looks after the keratin treatments but hate the exposure to heat. My sister suggested that I put a full weave or braid my hair as protective styling. I'll do my research. I'm just not a big fan of extensions in my hair.
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
Cruzankink: you think that its a bit of heat damage? Besides the kt's you are sitting under med-high heat even tho its moist for quite a long time and quite often! I think the only way to deal with heat damage is a trim. See how it goes and if the breakage doesn't stop trim more.

Add in that there's a lot of exposure to being wet with the cowashes it could def be causing trouble. Some folks hair like being wet more often than others.. I know mine hates it and breaks very easily when soaking wet. Maybe limit water exposure to one full wash a week and another midweek cowash if needed.
 

Cruzankink

Well-Known Member
@Cruzankink: you think that its a bit of heat damage? Besides the kt's you are sitting under med-high heat even tho its moist for quite a long time and quite often! I think the only way to deal with heat damage is a trim. See how it goes and if the breakage doesn't stop trim more.

Add in that there's a lot of exposure to being wet with the cowashes it could def be causing trouble. Some folks hair like being wet more often than others.. I know mine hates it and breaks very easily when soaking wet. Maybe limit water exposure to one full wash a week and another midweek cowash if needed.

DarkJoy

Water/washes - I am newly natural so I'm still trying to get know my kinks. However, I don't think my hair has an aversion to water - any breakage is most likely due to heat damage. I have thought about limiting my poos to every other week simply b/c it tends to wash away my keratin treatment but I LOVE my cowashes especially after a workout. Sooooo, I'll try every other weekend poos but the co-washes stay the same. I'll keep y'all updated as to how its working.

Heat - I was under the impression that hot oil treatments on med-high heat was great for natural hair since it opens up the cuticle to receive the oil better. :ohwell: Nevertheless, I'll try the next couple weekends to use just low-med heat then compare.

Trim - I agree that I need to trim my hair. It makes no sense kicking off my natural hair journey w/ damaged hair. I was reluctant about the trim, since I don't trust anyone in my area w/ my precious TWA and although my hair is growing, it is still short so trying to trim the back would've been a problem.. However, after reading this thread I'll trim myself using the 2-strand twist method this weekend. Of course, I'll keep y'all posted.
 

Cruzankink

Well-Known Member
@Cruzankink have you tried a protein treatment to see if it helps bring your curls/coils back? I would try that before trimming.

destine2grow

When I was relaxed I used the Aphogee Keratin 2 Min Reconstructor and initially my hair loved it. Then, it no longer worked. I believe that my hair had a protein overdose due to my keratin treatments (KT) and using the reconstructor. I have not done a protein treatment since I've gone natural but I'm eager to try. About 3 days ago, I did my most recent KT(that's how I notice the breakage). Once the KT wears off, I'll try a protein treatment.

I will however trim my hair. I did my BC myself and I still have strands of relaxed ends (which actually may be the breakage I'm seeing). If nothing else the trim would finally get rid of the relaxed ends.
 

Cruzankink

Well-Known Member
Question: I notice some of you ladies use some abbreviations in your posts that I'm not familiar with so can any of you define the following:

GBP
HHJ
BTW
Baggy method
CG method
GHE

Thanx!
 

TopShelf

Sewing & Growing Gamma Gal
Cruzankink said:
Question: I notice some of you ladies use some abbreviations in your posts that I'm not familiar with so can any of you define the following:

GBP
HHJ
BTW
Baggy method
CG method
GHE

Thanx!

Healthy hair journey, curly girl method
 

beautyintheyes

New Member
Cruzankink said:
Question: I notice some of you ladies use some abbreviations in your posts that I'm not familiar with so can any of you define the following:

GBP
HHJ
BTW
Baggy method
CG method
GHE

Thanx!

GHE is green house effect were u put a cap over your entire head with oils on your hair or what ever moisture you choice for along period of time to trap moisture there are threads on this
Baggy method is similar to the GHE and there are threads on this as well
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
Cruzankink said:
DarkJoy

Water/washes - I am newly natural....However, after reading this thread I'll trim myself using the 2-strand twist method this weekend. Of course, I'll keep y'all posted.
Welcome to the world of natutal Cruzankink! I am not newly natural but new to my healthy hair journey (hhj). Only started taking care of it a cpl months ago when I found this place in desperation wanting my hair to grow. And it is! Finlly despite this little setback I'm having

You will find that natural hair behaves and likes too be treated much different than processed hair. Relaxed, my hair couldn't get enough protein. Now? Omg it just balls up and feels like straw. Had this happen last weekend with a shampoo I didn't realize had wheat germ. :(. Live and learn.

Have you checked your ends for single strand knots (SSKs)? Some ladies are finding the more they do cowashes or washngos knots that cause breakage appear on individual strands. Me included. :/ just be on the look out!

Just more to think about.

Keep us updated and good luck!
 
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Cruzankink

Well-Known Member
Word to the Wise:
In my research on going natural, I realize that often times hair breakage has nothing to do with the hair shaft itself but deficiencies/abnormalities in the body that result in hair breakage/shedding. For instance, my sister's hair was breaking/shedding uncontrollably. She tried cutting, deep conditioning, etc. but nothing worked. We also started noticing that her throat was getting bigger. A trip to the doctor revealed she had a thyroglossal cyst (thyroid cyst) which had to be surgically removed. After the surgery, the shedding/breaking was significantly reduced. That was over 10 years ago. Up to this day, she still has to do periodical blood/thyroid tests to ensure everything is balanced. This condition not only affected her hair but her skin and nails as well. I also read somewhere on this website that a member went to a doctor regarding shedding hair and discovered she had some form of baldness. She took medication to correct it. There is also a vdo on youtube where a sistah who I believe was natural was suffering from hair breakage, she went to her doctor and discovered that she was anemic. She took the required medication now her hair is thriving.

I give all these examples to say ladies it is worth seeing a doctor just to ensure that whatever challenges you have with your hair is not due to some illness/condition that has gone unchecked. I'm taking my own advice and have already scheduled an appt with my dermatologist. I want to give my recenlty natural kinks the best head start possible.
 
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greenandchic

Well-Known Member
Cruzankink - Thanks for that reminder. I've been experiencing shedding for years and always attributed to my PCOS. Though my weight is down and my cycles are very normal, I didn't see what else could be the issue. It wasn't until early this year that I decided to go to a dermatologist and found out that I have very low ferritin levels. Anything <40 can cause hair shedding and mine was below 40. Low ferritin is very common in women apparently. My iron levels were "normal", but when your ferritin levels are down, it doesn't matter.

You can use all the potions, coffee, tea, garlic, etc in the world and tough that can be helpful, you really need to see what's going on internally too.
 

Cruzankink

Well-Known Member
Have you checked your ends for single strand knots (SSKs)? Some ladies are finding the more they do cowashes or washngos knots that cause breakage appear on individual strands. Me included. :/ just be on the look out!

Just more to think about.

Keep us updated and good luck!


DarkJoy I'll definately be on the look out for SSKs when this weekend. Keep you posted....
 
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Imani

New Member
I think I may have tackled some of my dryness issues. I think I haven't been using aggressive enough shampoos or clarifying enough. I just tried some of Giovanni's tea tree shampoo and I liked it alot, felt clean but not stripped. I also noticed it has a lower ph than my usual shampoo so that may have helped as well. My hair felt like it responded to my conditioners and moisturizers better afterwards and also some of the sections that tend to turn into random loose afro-frizz curled up/held better in my twist out.

Seems like a "duh" moment, but I guess I was just really scared to shampoo my hair too hard/too much since its said all the that shampoos dry out your hair as a natural. Which some definitely do in my experience, guess you just have to find the right one.
 
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