Wash And Go, To Grow And To Dazzle 2020 Challenge

colorful_coils

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have this issue with the Earthtones Naturals gel?

On the first few days, I have no flakes. However, as the cast continues to soften/break, I get an insane amount of flakes. I've tried different techniques and using different amounts of the gel, but I keep getting the same results. Not too sure what I'm doing wrong. I love the hold I get from this gel and don't want to stop using it though.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have this issue with the Earthtones Naturals gel?

On the first few days, I have no flakes. However, as the cast continues to soften/break, I get an insane amount of flakes. I've tried different techniques and using different amounts of the gel, but I keep getting the same results. Not too sure what I'm doing wrong. I love the hold I get from this gel and don't want to stop using it though.
Are you using over another gel? over a leave-in? or directly after the conditioner?

If after a gel or leave-in, what products are you using?
 

toaster

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have this issue with the Earthtones Naturals gel?

On the first few days, I have no flakes. However, as the cast continues to soften/break, I get an insane amount of flakes. I've tried different techniques and using different amounts of the gel, but I keep getting the same results. Not too sure what I'm doing wrong. I love the hold I get from this gel and don't want to stop using it though.
I haven’t noticed any flakes when I use it, but I might not be paying attention. I know with pretty much any gel with a cast, when it breaks on my hair I see tiny flakes in the air but never anything on my clothes or on my scalp.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
My hair is still so dehydrated ..I still have to ccs 2x-3x a week even after doing 4 months of the detox with a twa. :cry3:

My curly stylist told me my hair is very low porosity so I'm assuming that's the reason it won't accept water.

Hope my hair gets hydrated soon.
Maybe your expectations just need an adjustment. If you have a twa, you will need to CCS at least 2x a week. That doesn't mean it is dehydrated. It just means that very short hair can only hold onto moisture for a short period of time.

My hair is low porosity as well but for me that meant going from my needing to refresh every day to eventually getting to 3 days. But I don't have an expectation of my hair being able to hold onto water for a week at this short length.

If you can get to 3rd day hair then I would say your hair is fine. You can try some of the super toppers some of the ladies are using to get your set to last longer.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I know I said I wasn't going to post about my hair until the end of April. But if I don't write it down, I might not remember :lol: So, I am going to at least write down what I am doing. I won't take any pictures though and I won't be commenting on my hair just what I did. I think the mental break is doing me good.

Did a mid-week condition and style before work.
I rinsed and saturated my hair with water.
Poured highly diluted conditioner over my hair and squeezed this in.
Added regular conditioner on top and smoothed it in.
Detangled with the Denman
Rinsed and saturated my hair with water
Put on a plastic cap and let my hair sit while showering.
Saturated my hair with water
Applied UFD to outside
Took small amounts and smoothed through in small sections.
I went back through with very small amounts of UFD, added water to my hand and smoothed through the section.

What I'm thinking.
Like you have to prime certain surfaces before you paint them, I'm thinking I may need to prime my hair before applying product.
Applying the diluted conditioner first and then regular conditioner worked well and my hair was much smoother. I am going to try this with the gel. I have used diluted gel before when my hair was longer and it worked nicely and was faster. I'm going to try a very diluted gel mixture just a a primer before I start adding gel.

I also think I may be onto something with adding water. Instead of trying to add water and squeeze it in, I will try to add water section by section, adding the water and smoothing in the gel at the same time.
 

bubbles12345

Well-Known Member
Maybe your expectations just need an adjustment. If you have a twa, you will need to CCS at least 2x a week. That doesn't mean it is dehydrated. It just means that very short hair can only hold onto moisture for a short period of time.

My hair is low porosity as well but for me that meant going from my needing to refresh every day to eventually getting to 3 days. But I don't have an expectation of my hair being able to hold onto water for a week at this short length.

If you can get to 3rd day hair then I would say your hair is fine. You can try some of the super toppers some of the ladies are using to get your set to last longer.
Just wondering, why don't twa hold water for more than 3 days? I've seen ladies with my length (2-4inches) be able to have their wash n gos defined and last for a week.

My stylist told me that my hair was dry.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Just wondering, why don't twa hold water for more than 3 days? I've seen ladies with my length (2-4inches) be able to have their wash n gos defined and last for a week.

My stylist told me that my hair was dry.
I can't speak for the ladies you mention. I don't know what products they are using. Can you keep a twa for a week if you use ecostyler? Probably. Are they low porosity? What type of curl pattern do they have? Is their hair fine, medium, coarse? All of those things come into play.

I know my stylist and the ladies that do the digital curl thingee, do share that the shorter the hair the more often you may need to refresh.

Imagine you have a 2 inch straw and a 10 inch straw. Which one can hold more water? With 2 to 4 inches of hair your hair can only absorb so much water. And if you are low porosity, you absorb even less.

If you are using more botanical gels with more natural toppers, your hair may not hold up as well as something that is more synthetic like ecostyler.

How long ago did your stylist say your hair is dry? Did the give you recommendations to fix that?

I know my hair was very dry when I started last January. I detoxed for 30 days my hair was much better. Then I switched my shampoos over to what was recommended and started resetting every 2 to 4 days. I have low porosity hair, with parts being between 4 and 6 inches. I can force my hair to make it to 5 days but my hair really likes 3 days if I want it to look like something and on day 4 it is moving towards brittleness.

If I dry my hair with a dryer or blow dryer I usually max out around 3 days. If I want to try to extend my hair, I spritz it with a light glycerin spray before I shower which seems to help me with another day or 2.

But if you notice the ladies in here even with longer hair, using mostly botanical products don't always get a week.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Great post @faithVA

Very helpful and informative as I haven’t been doing this process for as long as you.
I know you meant this in the kindest way. But what I heard was girl you have been doing this forever and your hair is raggedy. But I've been doing this just for a little while and my hair turns out perfectly every time. :sad: :rofl: :rofl:

OK. Trust that I know what you meant. But understand that my mind went straight down into a hole cuz that is how I roll. :lol:
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
:eek::( @faithVA

You know what I meant but I am *screaming* at you and your negative thoughts.

Your hair is far from raggedy! But we’re not talking about your hair this month so :bighug:until next month.
I hope you are screaming like laughing really hard, right? Because I was laughing really hard.

Yeah, we aren't talking about my hair. And I will take a hug. I take all hugs.

I'm just joking around. I feel like being mischievous today and have to mess with someone.
 

Bette Davis Eyes

The "OG" Product Junkie
I always thought my hair was going to look like Corinne Bailey Rae’s hair. And honestly in a twist out when my hair was longer it was similar texture, but nowhere near the volume.

I love volume on other people but I’m lazy, I want gelled hair that lasts a week. And that doesn’t have volume.

I never imagined shrinkage would look like this. I just knew my curls would be big and boing. Tuh. My hair will never hang up my shoulders unless I’m past waist length if that. I honestly don’t have it in me to grow my hair that long.
One day I’ll wake up and cut it off and keep it short.

I used to cut my hair all the time. Now I just love the ability to throw it in a tucked textured ponytail. I’d miss that.
 

toaster

Well-Known Member
I never imagined shrinkage would look like this. I just knew my curls would be big and boing. Tuh. My hair will never hang up my shoulders unless I’m past waist length if that. I honestly don’t have it in me to grow my hair that long.
One day I’ll wake up and cut it off and keep it short.

I used to cut my hair all the time. Now I just love the ability to throw it in a tucked textured ponytail. I’d miss that.
Yes! I can’t see not being able to pull my hair up and out of my face. But if my hair was short... it wouldn’t be in my face.

Cutting my hair down is definitely on my list of future hairstyles. I think it’s so chic and effortless looking (although I know it’s not actually effortless).
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
I never imagined shrinkage would look like this. I just knew my curls would be big and boing. Tuh. My hair will never hang up my shoulders unless I’m past waist length if that. I honestly don’t have it in me to grow my hair that long.
One day I’ll wake up and cut it off and keep it short.

I used to cut my hair all the time. Now I just love the ability to throw it in a tucked textured ponytail. I’d miss that.
I keep thinking about getting a cut with a great shape, but I also like having the ability to just put my hair in a puff or a ponytail.
I totally feel you about your shrinkage keeping your hair from reaching your shoulders.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I have short hair, so I wouldn't recommend it. It sounds good but the reality of it (meh) For me unless I keep it cut really close, it is more work than long hair. And keeping it cut close takes a lot because you have to keep getting it cut. Whenever, I get pass this stage, I plan to never get my hair cut to a point where I can not wear a nice puff or bun.

Just needed to get that off my chest :lol:
 

Bette Davis Eyes

The "OG" Product Junkie
You hair isn’t completely clean and there’s other product on top of your hair strands

Your hair doesn’t have enough water to distribute the gel evenly

the gel is aloe based/FSG. I have to have tons of water to make sure it’s emulsified into my hair and I don’t shake my hair. Then to break the cast I run a little leave in/oil down the strands after it’s dry.

When my gel flakes on me , it’s one of these three reasons. @colorful_coils
 
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