TWA Support Thread

fluffyforever

Well-Known Member
I'm BSL but I'm about to BC back to a TWA! Tonight!

Why: my hair is damaged from neglect. All I do is wear it in an ugly bun. It's tangled underneath the surface. It's breaking. It's dull.

I just want my hair to look fresh again. I have more time to dedicate to my hair now, so I'm sure I'll get it back to health in no time.

I'm just afraid of that awkward stage because it was hard.
 

fluffyforever

Well-Known Member
I just finished chopping off all my hair for the second time. It was fun. I did the same method as the first time, grabbed a fist full at the root and cut off any excess. Then I mini twisted all around and cut off the ends so that my hair is now full from root to tip. No more see through ends.
 

Rocky91

NYE side boob.
I'm BSL but I'm about to BC back to a TWA! Tonight!

Why: my hair is damaged from neglect. All I do is wear it in an ugly bun. It's tangled underneath the surface. It's breaking. It's dull.

I just want my hair to look fresh again. I have more time to dedicate to my hair now, so I'm sure I'll get it back to health in no time.

I'm just afraid of that awkward stage because it was hard.
Skip the awkward stage if you hate it :look: my last grow out, I just wore weaves/braids through that time period.
 

fluffyforever

Well-Known Member
Skip the awkward stage if you hate it :look: my last grow out, I just wore weaves/braids through that time period.
I was in college last time during that awkward length strange and I just threw on a head wrap everyday I wasn't feeling my hair- which was a 7 days a week. :look:

I may get a wig or weave it up later. I know right now I just need to let my scalp breathe and focus on protein DCs and locking the moisture in.
 

Rocky91

NYE side boob.
Product combo winner: Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and ecostyler. Soft, defined coils all day! I could probably take it a second day, but my hair is smushed to my head when I wake up since it's so short.
 

Rocky91

NYE side boob.
Bumping! How are you guys doing?
I feel like I'm in hair purgatory right now. I need like an inch more to get some braids and then I'm hiding my hair this whole winter. It's right about hitting that awkward TWA stage.
 

Sharpened

A fleck on His Sword
I am fine. My hair hate extensions, real or synthetic, so I have to wait until I have at least 14" to get decent-looking braids.
 

Rocky91

NYE side boob.
Welp tonight I managed a messy flat twists while DC'ing so that definitely shows some growth is going down. I am getting some cornrows tomorrow.
 

RossBoss

Well-Known Member
I Big chopped yesterday and this is not for me at all, lol. I look so silly that I can't stop laughing at myself because I don't look like myself. I can't wait til it grows out longer, I can't stand it now..it's only about 3 inches of hair on head..Ugh!
 

Coilystep

@imperial_acquisitions
M
I Big chopped yesterday and this is not for me at all, lol. I look so silly that I can't stop laughing at myself because I don't look like myself. I can't wait til it grows out longer, I can't stand it now..it's only about 3 inches of hair on head..Ugh!
Meh it gets better and it will be back before you know it. I cut after 19 months of transition. I had 3-5 inches of hair all over. It has grown back and I love being natural and I love my hair. Use this time to learn what your hair likes if you haven't been natural in a long time. I hope you grow more comfortable with it and learn to love it.
 

Sharpened

A fleck on His Sword
I Big chopped yesterday and this is not for me at all, lol. I look so silly that I can't stop laughing at myself because I don't look like myself. I can't wait til it grows out longer, I can't stand it now..it's only about 3 inches of hair on head..Ugh!
You do not look silly! It is a shock, seeing yourself in a different light, but think of the freedom you will have for the next few months. I agree with @Coilystep that it is time to really get to know your hair. Take pics of your progress as well. We are here for you. :)
 

RossBoss

Well-Known Member
M
Meh it gets better and it will be back before you know it. I cut after 19 months of transition. I had 3-5 inches of hair all over. It has grown back and I love being natural and I love my hair. Use this time to learn what your hair likes if you haven't been natural in a long time. I hope you grow more comfortable with it and learn to love it.
You do not look silly! It is a shock, seeing yourself in a different light, but think of the freedom you will have for the next few months. I agree with @Coilystep that it is time to really get to know your hair. Take pics of your progress as well. We are here for you. :)

Thanks guys. I can't wait til it gets to something like this Minnie Riperton picture. In the meantime I will be doing daily co-washing to promote growth. My diet and exercise is on point so hopefully all of that will help. I might even run a hot comb through it and wear it spiked.
 

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Alma Petra

Well-Known Member
I have a twa me too on the left anterior quadrant. A part of it is very coily and the other part has no I pattern o_O It doesn't even look like a proper twa because the coils seem to prefer to grow to the side rather than upwards but I plan to try to manipulate them. We will see.

It will take too many years for it to grow to a tolerable length :cry:

@Sharpened the coils remind me so much of your hair. They are the same diameter but mine are more frizzy and very tightly packed that they look more like a tube than a spirally coil

View media item 129309
 

Coilystep

@imperial_acquisitions
I have a twa me too on the left anterior quadrant. A part of it is very coily and the other part has no I pattern o_O It doesn't even look like a proper twa because the coils seem to prefer to grow to the side rather than upwards but I plan to try to manipulate them. We will see.

It will take too many years for it to grow to a tolerable length :cry:

@Sharpened the coils remind me so much of your hair. They are the same diameter but mine are more frizzy and very tightly packed that they look more like a tube than a spirally coil

View media item 129309
Congratulations on your bc. I thought you were going to transition. Your coilys look cute. I know for me it took a while for my hair to settle once I cut the perm off. I think the hair goes through a period of shock. I think what helped me out immensely was wetting and cowashing every single day for like the first 9 months. That helped with moisture and got me use to handling my hair.
 

RossBoss

Well-Known Member
Has anyone noticed that their twa's are like really really dry? I do have dry scalp but I noticed that it was easy keeping the actual length of my hair moisturized when it was long. I am wondering if it is because the hair is now so close to my scalp so all the moisture is being "sucked up" by my scalp.
 

fifi134

Well-Known Member
Has anyone noticed that their twa's are like really really dry? I do have dry scalp but I noticed that it was easy keeping the actual length of my hair moisturized when it was long. I am wondering if it is because the hair is now so close to my scalp so all the moisture is being "sucked up" by my scalp.

Yeah, I feel the same. Idk if it was because I got lazy when my hair was longer, but I have to be more intentional about moisturizing several times a week with a TWA. It's annoying :look: :lol:
 

RossBoss

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I feel the same. Idk if it was because I got lazy when my hair was longer, but I have to be more intentional about moisturizing several times a week with a TWA. It's annoying :look: :lol:

Okay glad to know it aint just me. I put leave in conditioner and a little oil on in the morning and by mid-day it is like the Sahara.
 

Alma Petra

Well-Known Member
Congratulations on your bc. I thought you were going to transition. Your coilys look cute. I know for me it took a while for my hair to settle once I cut the perm off. I think the hair goes through a period of shock. I think what helped me out immensely was wetting and cowashing every single day for like the first 9 months. That helped with moisture and got me use to handling my hair.
@Alma Petra did you cut your hair? Aww, look at the little coilies! They should stretch out a bit as you gain some length.

Hey beautiful ladies! Thank you! In fact I only big chopped this quadrant of my hair that I was talking about. It's a real twa and I like it but I don't like the fact that I can't use it to cover my edges now lol.

So advantages of having a twa is that it dries more quickly and it can be washed as often as I like over the sink without having to untie or wash the rest of the hair. This means that I can actually experiment more with my hair. It's good because I'm just starting to learn my natural hair. In the past while natural I never knew I had curls. My hair was always combed out and stretched. I discovered my curls after I texlaxed. So all of this is new to me.

The rest is still the same length. I am definitely going to transition. I won't cut it all. The length is not growing but it's maintaining. Or it might be growing but not showing it because the roots are now more coily and shrunken. And I don't exactly measure. I just watch my hair when I do a wash and go. I understand that I shouldn't have any hopes of gaining apparent length quickly anymore. I hope it doesn't start looking shorter and shorter though (it's very possible I'm afraid as it continues to transition to natural)

@Coilystep, I'm going to wet and cowash about every other day and oil rinse as often as well. My natural hair is definitely much drier than my relaxed/texlaxed hair and I will have to learn to moisturize it a new.

@Sharpened, I really hope that my curls will stretch a bit with time. By this rate it will take forever to be able to cover the edges again. I think I have about 2 inches of length now but it looks like one quarter of an inch. Shrinkage is definitely real!
BTW my guava leaves have arrived at last. They have been touring the continent. I can't wait to go back home and try them tomorrow. Yay!
 

RossBoss

Well-Known Member
You may want to try other combinations. What leave in and oil are you using?


Same as before. Different brands of leave ins and either castor oil or evoo. Here is a video I found of a woman complaining of the same issue:


I use honey for everything else may as well use honey for my hair.
 
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