Texlaxers and naturals: How do you smooth your ends without heat?

[hillytmj]

Is this an unrealistic goal? With proper care, are texlaxed/natural ends STRONGER than relaxed ends (less prone to breakage)?

I am a devout rollersetter and I use Chi StraightGaurd to set my hair. It comes out smooth, but the texlaxed ends are still somewhat frizzy. Normally, after my hair fully dries and I take the rollers out, I will add a little moisturizer on the ends and put the ends in a few magnetic rollers for a few more minutes, and this helps smooth the ends without heat. This technique works, however, this starts to weigh the hair down after a few days.


Note: My ends are not damaged or split. Before I realized that I was working with two textures (I'm relaxed bone straight everywhere else), I didn't realize the texlaxed areas needed extra moisture and took the frizz as "damage" and unneccessarily trimmed 1.5 inches. I've also seen natural or curly ladies who don't have perfectly smooth ends and it's still healthy and looks good. I'm wondering what they do to their ends.

 

[hillytmj]

One tip that I recently incorporated from Teri at TightlyCurly.com is to never "wishbone" your hair, meaning if your ends (or in her case, her "curls") tangle together, don't pull them apart. She recommends smoothing condish or moisturizer to the area to smooth the ends in place. I tried it and it worked and prevented the single strand knots that are common with tangled ends.

 

[Loveygram]

Hi,
I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but....
I ususally wind the lower section of hair around the curler to make sure the ends are smooth then roll the curler the rest of the way up. This is opposed to starting at the end and rolling the curler all the way up.
HTH

 

[Kneechay]

when you figure it out, let me know. Im natural, i've never found a way to straighten or smooth my ends without heat. i tried roller setting, and that doesnt work for me. it just frizzes more.

man, remember back in the day we used to wrap our hair wet wrapped around our heads and sit under the dryer to do a wrap? i dont know why i just thought of that

 

[Neith]

The denman brush really helps to smooth out hair

 

[dlewis]

Oiling my ends and wrapping my hair helps.

 

[loolalooh]

Rollersetting or doing big twists (not too big though) helps me to smooth my ends. Oh, and shea butter.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

After I shampoo, I use a conditioner or some kind of cream on my ends and twist my hair, then twists the twists around my hair.

Basically you have to produce body heat. That's what's smoothing the ends without the heat so the end have to be compressed to produce the heat. Like with twists, or bunned, or just tucked under. Anything that will hold together the hair.

 

[Poohbear]

Make sure your ends are THOROUGHLY detangled after washing and conditioning. Apply your product. Twist your hair in sections. Roll your ends on a perm rod or flexirod. Let it dry. Once your hair is dry, take it down and style. Hope that helps!

 

[hillytmj]

After I shampoo, I use a conditioner or some kind of cream on my ends and twist my hair, then twists the twists around my hair.

Basically you have to produce body heat. That's what's smoothing the ends without the heat so the end have to be compressed to produce the heat. Like with twists, or bunned, or just tucked under. Anything that will hold together the hair.

Okay, I think I understand this concept. I tried baggying once and my hair was nearly wet because I sweat in my head/hair at night. I'm baggying again tonight with a new moisturizer to see how it turns out.

 

[hillytmj]

Make sure your ends are THOROUGHLY detangled after washing and conditioning. Apply your product. Twist your hair in sections. Roll your ends on a perm rod or flexirod. Let it dry. Once your hair is dry, take it down and style. Hope that helps!

Just for clarification, do you mean that your hair is still twisted when you roll the ends? Thanks!

 

[hillytmj]

The denman brush really helps to smooth out hair

This brings up a good point. Since the ends are kinda frizzy and tangle easily, I have this fear that they (the ends) are more fragile than if they were bone straight. If so, would the denman rip my ends apart? I'm really paranoid here because I don't want to keep trimming unneccessarily, but I'm babying my ends so much that I'm rarely combing and I want to comb without fear of damage or split ends.

Thanks again for any additional input that you have.

 

[isawstars]

This is a great thread. I've always wondered if it was possible to have smooth/non-frizzy ends when airdrying.

BUMP

 

[Poohbear]

Just for clarification, do you mean that your hair is still twisted when you roll the ends? Thanks!

Yes, roll the ends while your hair is still twisted.

 

[mzsophisticated26]

I have recently switched to texlaxing about 7mths ago and I always have this problem especially when airdrying that's why I usually put on wig or phony pony bun.

 

[hillytmj]

I have recently switched to texlaxing about 7mths ago and I always have this problem especially when airdrying that's why I usually put on wig or phony pony bun.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking - I'll just have to wear protective styles, buns or other updos. If I specifically want to wear straight hair for a while, I will have to flat iron.

 

[PerplexingComplex]

What do you mean by smooth ends?

Do you mean when you're wearing your hair straight or just in general?

 

[hillytmj]

What do you mean by smooth ends?

Do you mean when you're wearing your hair straight or just in general?

Yes, when wearing it down. Right now, it's frizzy and gets really tangly by the 2nd or 3rd day. I'm also in a high humidity environment, so that doesn't help.

I've been on a no heat reggie for three years now, so I don't want to commit to regular flat ironing again.

 

[PerplexingComplex]

Yes, when wearing it down. Right now, it's frizzy and gets really tangly by the 2nd or 3rd day. I'm also in a high humidity environment, so that doesn't help.

I've been on a no heat reggie for three years now, so I don't want to commit to regular flat ironing again.

I flat twist my hair back to let it stretch and rollerset the ends. Once straightened I just wrap it up at night.

 

[prospurr4]

I'm texlaxed and straighten my hair with rollersets on 2" and 1-3/4" magnetic rollers. I apply some Giovanni Direct Leave-in and set with plain water. The pony in my siggy is the result of a rollerset. After removing the rollers, I just smoothed out the curls, with my hands, and secured my hair with a banana clip.

 

[hillytmj]

I'm texlaxed and straighten my hair with rollersets on 2" and 1-3/4" magnetic rollers. I apply some Giovanni Direct Leave-in and set with plain water. The pony in my siggy is the result of a rollerset. After removing the rollers, I just smoothed out the curls, with my hands, and secured my hair with a banana clip.

Its interesting that you use plain water. I've found that setting lotion dries my ends too much so thats why I started using the Chi Straight Gaurd. I'm going to try setting with leave in and water to see if this gives me smoother results.