Are you and your curls besties right now? If so, what do you contribute it to (i.e. a specific product, tool, or technique). If not, what do you think the culprit is?
I have definitely had stages where I hated my hair….which began a little after my BC….right after my BC I was ofcourse in love with my hair no matter what the lenght or texture was because I was just glad to be done with the transition and be rid of those relaxed ends…but as my journey progressed I began seeing that I could not do many things with my hair and being anewy natural I was stuck in the place where you have to be constantly trying many different preoducts to see what ur new curls like….after I found what they liked I loved my hair but then I started having dry spells….that was quickly resolved when I relaxed despite many womens raves, shea butter is NOT a moisturizer for my hair…after that I loved it again and was also beginning to find new hairstyles….but then the length started to get to me and I began disliking it again….wanting it to just grow so bad….then i discovered blowing out my hair first then styling the blow dried hair which gave me the length and body I envied on other naturals….9I of course took the necessary precautions to protecting my hair from the heat and I faithfully blew out my hair for a couple of months with no problems….so now I have my length….but I have been have a moisture retention problem lately and my scab hair is starting t really get on my nerves an is taking away from me truly enjoying my hair…(i have not had a relaxer in a little over two yrs yet I still have scab hair and I have trimmed it several times….setting my hair length goals back)so currently I am disliking my hair due to the scab hair still being there and dont think I will begin to LOVE my hair till it goes away….
I'll always love my hair and just realize sometimes I'm gonna have bad hair days! THat's when I throw a headband on and keep it moving! I love my curls and I love having the wash and go options that I've always been jealous of white girls for having. I wanted that freedom so I have it but some days my curls have a mind of thier own and don't wanna listen.
I'm loving my curls I did a bentonight clay treatment and my hair felt so orgasmic…and afterwards when my hair was pieced out and stretched the curls were awesome…I love my curls we spend lots of time together getting to know each other and I'm liking what I'm learning
As of today, i am foreseeing that my curls and I will not be getting along. I'm transitioning and haven't had a perm since last year oct. I've been using Carol's Daughter products (black vanilla shampoo/hair smoothie/leave-in conditioner, hair milk, hair balm, lisa's elixir) and to be honest they've worked on my hair so well, but in the last week or so, some products i no longer see use for. I am in the process of finding more effective, cheaper, more natural ways to moisturize and minimize breakage. For the first 6 months, i'll say that Carol's Daughter products are my godsent, yet as my hair texture is really starting to grow in and the dying straight edges hold on for dear life, i'll have to start experimenting with other products/homemade hair recipes to get me through now and the end of this year.
well as of right now. I'm loving my curls. I use Tresemme Curl Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, following the directions to a "T". Then I towel dry my hair and brush out all the knots and finish it with tresemme's Curl Mousse. and let it air dry, if im in a hurry I'll use a diffuser & finish with hairspray. Also I had a firend of mine who's a hair stylist cut my hair into long layers starting from the base of my skull.
my hubby and my curlies are in love but me and my curlies….we only like eachnother. but I am seeing that if I just co wash, leave in and with a olive oil added to my conditioner for a DT once a week…we are falling in love to. now if i can just get my hubby to stop grabbing them while they are airdrying(I told you their having an affair), I will be absolutely in love with them when they airdry…i just need to love my curls just like he does 🙂
I love my hair, but as it's gotten longer, detangling has become somewhat of an issue. If I get frustrated, I find myself wanting to cut it all off. I've made a pact with my hair that I won't mess with it if I'm not in a good mood. Things are likely to so south otherwise.
Right now I'm not happy with my hair, and if anyone has any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. I've been doing the tightly curly method. The reason I insist upon this method is because I don't like the idea of putting a bunch of products in my hair, for one thing I can't afford them and the other is that I just don't like the idea. While the conditioner is used like a product, it's still just shampoo and conditioner, not gel, mousse and all this other stuff. But what's happening is that here and there I'm still seeing split ends, not enough to cut the length or anything, but the point is something is still damaging my hair, and I've never relaxed it and only dyed it once and haven't done it since then. I don't do heat styling either so you'd think my hair should be really healthy. Also, the refreshing of the tightly curly method is difficult. I can't get the right amount of conditioner. If I do just a little, my hair still looks fuzzy, if I add on because I still see fuzziness, the conditioner begins to flake and then my hair looks like I have too much product in it.
If anyone has any suggestions for me, please e-mail me. charlotteq@live.com I can show you a picture so you can see what my hair type is.
I love my hair but I don't "get" it. I have only had a successful twist n curl once. I did a flat-twist out that came out pretty good a couple of times. It seems like a lot of work for 1-2 day hair, I haven't been able to make it last any longer. My wash-n-gos always look and feel great but the aftermath is single strand knots and splits galore. So I'm going to go back to the tightly-curly method that I tried a while back, even though it made my hair to "tame" in my opinion, it did yield week long results and was easy to put in interesting updos and buns…
oh we're in love and we're besties. Have been for a while. I attribute this to technique, products, proper conditioning level, and proper night time routine. I don't often use a new product. If it ain't broke … and if I do I research the heck out of it first. There are no impulses here. I'm APL and we've got a good thing going on. Hubby thinks it's gorgeous healthy hair. So I keep doing what I'm doing. The best part … it's such a simple relationship to maintain. 😉
Hi! I'm Star & I'm new to this this site! OMG I'm like so excited right now because I never really new about all these wonderful natural hair sites. I actually just discovered this one & other ones from my email message that I got from the auhor of the Nappily Ever After series. She listed some sights that featured natural hair & now here I am! This is all amazing to me & now I find myself hooked because I'm learning so much from all of you guys & I feel like the natural hair sistas are all apart of one lil community! I've been natural since 06 now & I'm loving it! I just got tired of the same boring dull flatness of relaxers, so I decided to cease them. Natural hair suits my personality more because I'm a free spirit whom likes to march to the beat of my own drum & to me that's what natural hair is all about! Well even though I love being natural I must admit that I have alot to learn about some of the terminology. Like I keep hearing on these sites about this co washing, pooing, type 4a, 4b etc, & I have no clue as in what you all are talking about. I would really like to be educated more on all of the natural hair talk on all of these sites. I live in St.Louis Mo. & here not many ppl are natural (and not very friendly either). If anyone would like to email me & inform me on some of this lango, I would most certainly appreciate it! My email is w.chiffon@yahoo.com. Thanks & peace&blessings!
Not at all! She's been breaking off so much whenever I put her in plaits. She refuses to grow past my shoulders. I can't deal with this bitchass-ness anymore. I'm just going to ignore her from now on. No more fuss…just wash/condition/oil – every 2 weeks.
Up until about 2 weeks ago my hair and I were at odds. I thought growth was at a standstill. I had just got a new shipment of oyin's burnt sugar pomade to switch out from what I'd been using for the cooolld winter months in Chicago. I also got samples of their whipped shea and shine & define. I thought THAT would perk it up a bit, now all I needed was my castile soap from Whole Foods. Needless to say, the PJ in me took ahold as soon as I saw HPO's Simply Curly and Earhly Beauty's pomade. After carefully inspecting them both I grabbed both and headed for the check-out! LOL Well for once I'm glad the pjism got to me. I'm 2 weeks into using them but can gladly report that I believe these are my holy grail of moisturing and styling. The Simply Curly naturally elongates & effectively moisturizes my strands whether I'm twisting the 3c/4a or 4b section of my hair. It's a miracle…. And the Earthly Delight pomade is the best I've ever used! BTW these worked perfectly with Aubrey's Island Naturals poo & condish for dry frizzy hair. (of which my hair is the queen). I really can't say enough about the products. My hair and I have been best friends ever since the first application and is growing like mad now.
so i just bought Kinky Curly Custard and I love it for the first 3 hours but as soon as it dries i look like Angela Davis (and not on a good day). So no my hair and I kinda at odd right now. lol i'm think she'd be happy if i walked around with a hat and conditioned braids in. Oy!
My hair and I are in like right now. It's mostly shoulder length stretched, which is the longest it's ever been. This is the second time I've successfully gotten it this length, the last time being while it was texturized, and that was three years ago. Now I'm learning how to wear it this length and rediscovering the styles I loved when it was this length before: pulled back into a puff, French twisted; I haven't yet tried a French braid, but having managed a flat twist down the back, I feel confident I can put the braid in, though the neatness after all this time will be a definite question.
Mistakes I'm trying to learn not to make are the highly manipulative way I'm going about trying to put it up in a little ball on top of my head. It currently involves a lot of my conditioning/detangling mix and a Denman with a few too many pins (but I love my Denman, even with the overabundance of pins). But to insure it's neat and doesn't tangle even worse later, that's what I'm doing. I've tried incorporating a castor oil scalp massage 4-7 times a week, and that seems not to offend, so I think I'll continue it. My scalp certainly seems to feel as though it may be sprouting additional hairs because of the massage. And the up side to the little ball is that, especially if I don't leave the house, it can stay up there a couple days at a time without me needing to manipulate it too much.
The amount of moisture my hair needs seems to be the breakpoint for everything else I try to do, however. My hair needs lots of moisture, and it's not enough for me to spritz something on the surface of it. So at least a few nights a week I oil my scalp with the castor oil, apply my conditioner/detangling mix, and carefully squeeze and brush it through, then put my hair back into its ball, or into twists if I'm planning to wear it out bushed all over.
My current products are not many, and they are the basis for a pretty simple routine. I use Alafia's Everyday Shea vanilla and mint conditioner to clean because of how rich it is and how soft lt leaves my hair when it has been on awhile. Nature's Gate Herbal daily conditioner is my leave-in because the scent is, to me, fantastic and the slip it provides is even better. I make a mix of roughly 2 parts 365 aloe vera gel, 1 1/2 parts Nature's Gate herbal, 1 part vegetable glycerin, and 1/2 part unrefined coconut oil to condition, detangle, soften, and moisturize, plus castor oil applied to the finger tips and massaged into the scalp at least a few times weekly when I want to moisturize and either twist or put up my hair. I also make a finishing/light moisturizing spray mix of 1 cup peppermint tea, 1/4 cup each Nature's Gate herbal, aloe vera gel, and vegetable glycerin, and 1/8 cup coconut oil. Once a month I do a color/conditioner with a homemade henna compound which shortly I will reformulate adding olive oil (which I usually use with henna; this is the only time it goes in my hair), vegatable glycerin, and Nature's Gate herbal (can you tell I really love these products, since I keep using them in various combinations?). I'm looking to investigate the effect of jojoba oil in my hair in the near future, and I'm thinking of trying a shea butter compound containing aloe vera gel, vegetable glycerin, coconut oil, and jojoba oil to see how I like it as a non-liquid moisturizer, since my mom goes nuts every time I do my hair on visits home, because all my products are in bottles. She doesn't get that I think I seriously need that much moisture for my hair. I feel that it has been this attention to moisturizing with a few key products and the regular castor oil scalp massages that have helped my hair over the last couple months. I'm hoping I see good length retention this summer.
I am not at all happy with my hair and I'm thinking about getting a texturizer:O! At the crown of my head i have a chunk of perfectly straight hair and it cant be heat damage because I never put heat on my hair. I just dont know what to do so in the mean time I'm just weaving it up.
I have been natural for over 10 years and I have loved my hair, liked my hair, and not liked it so much. Even after all this time I still learn new things about what my hair likes and dislikes. After 10 year I just learned how to do a twist out and a braid out. Yes I could probably due without the tempermentalness and the morning surprises. But then again that what makes it so great 🙂
I am falling back in love with my hair again…now that my curls/waves are reappearing. My hair did not like and i repeat did not like henna!!!!! it took my hair from being curly/wavy and made it straight like i had a bad case of heat damage from a flat iron or something! LOL! Finally my hair is like yeah im back! OH! I have Target to thank, for their shea moisture organic raw shea butter strengthening elixir….awesome stuff, thats one of the best hair products that i have ever used and i've used many.
I'm in a good place with my hair right now, or maybe I should say for now… My last relaxer was in December of '08 and I BC'ed in October of '09 after about 10 months of getting braids. It took a couple of months for my curls to decide what the wanted to do after I cut off the straight ends and stopped getting braids but sense then we have developed a pretty good relationship. I know that I have to co-wash at least once a week or it will be dry and frizzy beyond belief. And I know that I have to finger detangle in the shower because comb detangeling causes my hair to break and doesn't actually get all the tangles out. It was a long hard winter and my skin and scalp were in constant need of moisture so I tried different protective style like tist and braid outs while sealing with Coconut oil and shea butter. Thus now I'm starting to notice some growth and the sun has come back to the mid-west and I'm looking forward to letting my hair go and learning/loving it all the more!
I'm in love with my hair! 20 months post relaxer and 2 months since my BC. I love standing out from the crowd – which is a first for me. Natural hair is still kinda rare over here in the UK, but since I started to transition and consequently BC – my mum and my sister are both going natural. I love having natural hair! It's like my way of saying to the world "Take me as I am". I love the freedom of no longer conforming to the hip hop honey look. Yes ladies, I can admit it – that it what I was aspiring to in terms of looks. That's what the guys love over here and I was trying to fit into that mould. Admittedly now, I don't think I get as much attention but truth be told – I don't care. I'm just gonna do me! And I'm so grateful my hair story has given me the confidence to do that.
For those ladies out there who are struggling with their hair right now, I urge you to stay strong. You and your hair will work it out! Nothing can replace natural beauty, there really is no substitute.
i feel like its ME!!! i don't how to make my hair behave the way is should …. it confuses me!! i am still new to all this i cant figure out WTH to do!! i wanna cut/i don't wanna cut…so i wear a hat all the time? i hate it… but i do LOVE my hair when its nice to me…..but that has been sometime ago….long time ago!!!!
Does anyone have any reccos for Decreasing the volume of hair? I have a ridiculous amount of really thick hair. It makes my head look enormous and all attempts to contain it just make it angry and puff up in the most unattractive way. I need to reduce the thickness, but I know thinning shears are a no-no. Any suggestions?
My hair and I are definitely in a love/hate relationship right now. A week b4 Easter I took the plunge and colored my hair…I effen loved it! Now I see that the color has made my hair much dryer so I have to condition like every 3 days rather than every week…I love the color but hate this exhausting new regimine I had to adopt to avoid breakage…the juice wasnt worth the squeeze!
Me and my curls are besties. Winter did a number on us and I almost didn't think I would have any hair left to tell about it! But I learned to truly listen to my hair and its needs and what worked and what didn't work for it. Twists and castor oil got me through the winter with all my hair on my head and a surprising amount of growth!
After stalking my natural hair icons regimens, I noticed a trend: they were able to grow their hair fast and keep their length b/c they didn't do a lot to it just: condition, cleanse, moisturize. And that they kept their product line up simple and hairstylings pretty basic. I've realized that this outlook works well for my hair as well and when I just leave it alone outside of taking care of it, it grows like crazy before my very eyes. I'm shoulder length stretched now. Here's to APL by the end of the year!
If you had asked me this question back in February I would have said HELL TO THA NAW! lol I was really beginning to resent the amount of time it was taking me to look decent (never mind good) and was taking it out on my hair in really vicious ways. Of course it responded by knotting and breaking even more.
The solution? I cut the bish! I chopped off between 5 and 9 inches. We couldn't be happier. I can go back to wash-and-gos without lots of stress, she can go back to just being her happy nappy self, and we look good without a whole lot of fuss. I think I may be sticking to short hair for now!
kea::curls and ms. barbara,
I posted a while back about limiting manipulation and just letting your curls be. as a natural for almost two decades, i started to fall out of love with my hair several months back. i was spending so much time and energy twisting out and braiding out and defining. I just burned out on it. knowing i could never , ever go back to a relaxer, i made the big step of big chopping my long natural hair down to 1 inch. i needed a clean slate. i am now growing my hair back out, but this time i am learning to accept my curls as they grow from scalp. I may still tist or braid for better curl definition for a treat now and then, but on the day to day, wash and go fits my life much better. all of those hours i spent on my hair now go to my family and going about the business and joy of life. after twenty years of being natural, i have finally discovered the true freedom of being natural.
Stay Natural
nothing is wrong with my hair at all…but i just saw a pre big chop pic and im serious ladies i wanted to cry and kinda regretted taking it all off…i know this is weird because i love my natural but i loved my perm too…i miss my long weave like locks i really do…
I am so in love with my curls! Although I recently BC'd, it has been a process 20 years in the making for me to love my hair. I do not have much length right now but Im still surprisingly happy. I guess Im excited about whats to come! No more 4 hour visits to the salon just to go home with crappy haircut and bootleg hairstyle! Im FREE!
I'm loving my hair right now! I've recently stopped using products that contain silicones and it has made a difference. Hardly any buildup and my hair is always shiny!
since my BC 5 months ago, i have mostly been in love 🙂
i realize that as i keep things simple &&& just let my curls be, that's when i'm the happiest! for months i've been focused on learning the best curl defining methods for my wash n gos &&& how-in-the-world to get 2nd or 3rd day hair (w/o the frizz). But these past few weeks, i've just been letting my hair get bigger as the week goes on. Though my curls become less defined each day, i've come to see how beautiful my fro is 🙂
It's LOVE! I'm at 2 years post relaxer, 14 mos post BC and I was starting to get a little restless with it because my hair wouldn't "lay" right or at least hang the way I wanted and wasn't as shiny as I would like. Looking for something different I tried henna and WOWZERS! It really made a difference in the softness and the way the curls fall. I suddenly had big, full, fluffy rockstar hair! I got more complements in the week or so after my first henna treatment than I had in months. It's all love over here.
heck yes! I love love love Lola (as i affectionately call my hair) and her Lolitas (her teeny tiny curls)! She has her ups and downs, but we all do, right? And if I do my best to keep her healthy and happy, she definitely behaves!
OMG, same problem here except my right side is stick straight while the left is super curly. I mean the most beautiful curls ever! wash-n-go…..forget about it. I tried everything. I thought it was heat damage so i stopped the heat months ago but i still see no change in the new growth. I've just come to accept it as it is. When i do twist out i have to do small twist on the straight side and larger twist on the curly side. I usually stick with braid-n-curl because the twist on the straight side unravel and the style is warped(straight side ends up longer than the curly side due to shrinkage). If you ask me…it's just plain old RUDE! On the plus side detangling is a breeze.
We are so not friends right now. I am completely lost when it comes to my hair. It just sits there on my head, seemingly laughing at me and my cluelessness. My right side is curly and bouncy while he left side is stick straight. I cut off what was left of my perm a month ago but it seems no matter how much a snip off, it's still bone straight. I've tried twists and rollers and buns and whatever, but nothing seems to work. I'm tempted to just shave off that side completely and rock a half-fro.
My curls and I got a little bit of a love thang going on right now. I've been doing protective styles for almost 3 months, and I'm currently rocking a 5 day old twist-out, that I am loving!!! I think the continuous protective styling of my hair has helped, i think i have a little more length, which is great. Also, I deep conditioned with ORS Replenishing Conditioner the last time I washed and my hair felt and looked great afterwards!!! I love that stuff!! I've also been oiling my scalp with castor oil….i think thats helped too.
my curls and I are friends but we're not in love, LOL She needs to grow a little more then we can take it to the next level. LOL But right now my staple products are light oils like olive & coconut. and co-washing twice a week
I fell back in love with them this very week! It wasn't really the true 'them' I have been against- I had a 3-4 month long protein overload! I've been so depressed and fed up with my hair, and I missed it being the way it was, not this ugly brillo pad. DCing weekly and nightly baggying did nothing- but Nexxus Humectress did! Yay afro!
I love my hair. I'm finally past the awkward length (2.5 years post relaxer, BC and 2 trims later). Winter was really hard on my hair so I'm glad it has finally gotten warm. I also recently discovered that my satin hair scarf from the beauty supply story makes the perfect headband or puff holder cause it holds my hair back without damage. I've also discovered that an ACV rinse before I condition makes the conditioner work better and my hair slippery. I already had them around the house so these were cheap/free styling options.
I am totally in love with my hair right now. I'm one year into transitioning (i'm taking the slow route, just clipping the ends as my hair grows out)and its been an up and down journey. But I've discovered one thing when it comes to my hair…LESS IS MORE. I was stuck in a rut last month. Bad hair days, one after the other, trying all kind of products on my hair (if you think being a product junkie in the States is hard, try having to ship all that stuff to Barbados…I spent $200 just to get some KCCC products…loving them though 🙂 ) Then I realised the problem was actually all of the products I was piling onto my hair. My routine is simple now.. co wash with Hello Hydration and leave a little in and then follow up with either KCCC or Miss Jessies Curly Pudding (I actually got the Curly Pudding shipped to London and then flown in by someone's mother-in-law who was visiting the island …I seriously need help !:) I either let it air dry or do a twist and curl…and its perfect everytime. Simplicity has saved my natural hair love relationship. I'll let you know when we reach our two year anniversary. Oh and I confess, a friend is coming to visit me from Texas in June and I've already ordered and sent Deva One Condition, Deva Set it free, Wen Cleanser and Jessicurl Deep Treatment to her house… I've been studying your routine Nikki 🙂
I love my hair…after 18 months of being natural & 7 1/2 inches of new growth I decided to cut my hair to 1 1/2 inch to have a short summer doo…I love love love my hair…hawaiian silly has become my best friend…I love the curls that it gives me…
Me n my curlies are great friends now, I guess I get lazy and don't bother with doing too much with my hair but I think that movie night I spent twisting up my hair helped it out a lot, got the leave in conditioner and hair oil and got to work and I only did about 10 twists, guess it's what my hair needed 🙂 I haven't been twisting it up really but it does seem to do better in twists as opposed to wash n go's
Me and Chlo "The Fro" Bella (my hair) are TOTALLY in love right now!!! Ever since I started transitioning in December 2008 and saw the curls in my head, I have been head-over-heels!!! And then the BC in December 2009 made it even worse! We are besties for sure and I think it's because before the BC I hadn't seen her since I was about 8 years old. So I LOVE all the unpredictability and learning to work with her and letting her do what she wants. It's the pampering that Chlo loves <3
i know all about this. this is my 9th year natural and i have even loc'd for a year and unloc'd this past august. the winter months were trying. i know longer had a true routine and was determined to cut it all off and start over. but through co-washing and low maintenance styles i am finally achieving the luxurious texture i was have the tangles are disappearing along with the knots. now i have to remain patient for the growth to start back.
Ms. Barbara you have some luck on your side since you BC'd on my bday 🙂
I have a love hate relationship with my hair. I love the thickness and curls but hate the amount of time it takes to air dry in my braids and twist. No "let dry over night" for me….thats just foolishness. It's still soaked in the morning. Midweek restyling/rinse/co-wash/wash is out for me, I'm limited to the weekends. It's a little high maintenance(at least for me) right now but the longer it gets the easier it seems to style. SO that's a good sign of things to come.
Every since I went natural (going on two years now), I have loved my curls. The only thing I don't like now is the tangles. I need a good product for tangles, any suggestions? I try to keep my hair braided or twisted, so it can grow out and don't have to deal with the tangles.
I am absolutely, positively in love with my hair right now. I BC'd on June 26, 2009. My hair is kind of in that in between stage where it's too short to hang, but too long in the front for a nice, neat curly fro.
Over the weekend, because I was strapped for time, I decided to do a puff. I co-washed with Yes To Carrots, then, while still in the shower, I put about a palm full leave-in conditioner, and little bit of Kinky Curly Curling Custard. Then I shook, shook, shook until my curls were defined (plus it gets a lot of the water out). When I got out of the shower, I jelled my front and put it up in a puff and let it air dry. When it was almost dry, I sealed it with Olive Oil. I usually either twist my hair, or coil it, but I was spending too much time on it every night. I remember reading someone's post that said the reason a lot of people feel that wearing and caring for natural hair is so much work is because we don't just wear our natural curl. Well, that's what I decided to do for a while, just to keep for manipulating my hair so much. Also, I noticed that my elbows were starting to hurt from twisting my hair so much. Old age, I guess. 🙂
Everytime I look in a mirror, I fall more and more in love with my hair! I hope everyone enjoys their hair as much as I do!
My hair and I started to rumble when I began adding too many products to my regimen. Once I streamlined the process my hair thanked me by behaving most days. Lesson: Less is always best for me. Also, I have to stay away from or strictly limit the use of cones–water soluable or otherwise. The pj in me get seduced by cones from time to time–especially when I see how well they work for someone else. The shine! The slip! The (initial) softness! Oh my! We'll have a hot fling for several weeks, but things go cold when I least expect it. And when I really need my hair to look good. (Big meeting. Big presentation etc.) My hair gets to acting and feeling crazy. For me, cones are like that charming, good-looking bad boy, who seduces you, then starts acting like a fool after he thinks you're hooked again. I hope I've learned that lesson.
My hair and I are temporarily separated. It was misbehaving so I had my hair twisted up with extensions just to give myself a break. But I miss her! I miss the way the curls wrap about my fingers when I shampoo and their soft texture after I've finished conditioning and detangling. I have about a month to go to get my money's worth out of these twists, but I'm already planning how I'm going to gentle take them out, treat my hair with some deep conditioning and then let her free, wild and unruly as she wants!!
eu estou feliz com o meu cabelo… finalmente ele está crescendo… estou lavando apenas 1x por semana e twist é meu grande aliado na baixa manutenção sem perder meus cachos para quanto eu quero usa-lo solto.. tenho uma boa rotina de tratamento… estou no melhor momento… agora que ele cresceu um pouco mais, apesar de ainda estar curto, fica mais cheio e com melhor caimento…
I'm dangerously in love with my hair. It took me a long time to get to this point, but I couldn't be happier. It might be because I finally mastered the twist & curl 🙂
Right now Im starting to loving them more and more now that I understood what they needed to give me back some of the love Im been giving them relentlessly.
I love my texture/curls… but right now my length is a bit awkward. Its much longer than when I first BC'd… but not quite long enough to create a defined shape. I am happy about being able to wear an afro puff now, however. My goal was to be able to make one by June… and instead I hit in it April. I just think patience is key…. and I hope to try some wash-n-go styles since the summer/warm weather is almost here.
I love my curls, but I'm not loving the way they are behaving right now. I haven't had a "good hair day" in quite awhile and have been flirting with the idea of chopping it. Of course, I know it'll be painstaking to grow out again, so I'm trying to find new products that will manage my gorgeous 3C pattern better than Curlz and Kinky Curl, the latter of which I have been using for sometime. I think I just want a new style for this shoulder-length mane…
i am in love. it picked up speed in growth and i couldn't be happier. plus i found a holy grail style that works for me 🙂 oh yeah and i also found out i'm a 4a and this whole time i thought i was a 4b/c and wasn't caring for it the proper way. i can't wait for warm weather to wear my fro with cute summer outfits.
My curls (MM, as I like to call them/her, hehe) and I are besties. I attribute it to the fact that I learned to just let her do her thing, as opposed to bossing her around. The more I accept her, the happier I am with my hair!
I love my hair period. However there are times when the maintanence that comes with curly hair does get annoying. I just washed my hair last night after having a straight blow out for a week. I hadnt straighted my hair in 4 months so I wanted to see growth and just have something different. Every night I would wrap my hair and in the morning all I had to do was comb it out and go. Soooo easy and fast. I got ready for work so much faster in the morning. This morning however………….. After washing my hair and doing the braid out I realized how unpredictable natural hair can be and how you have to be ready for suprises.
I love my natural curls but the "suprises" in the morning and frizzy mishaps can be tough to deal with. Especially since with a wrap or blow out you know what your hair will look like. My hair looks okay today but it definately took longer and more time in the mirror this morning. Sigh…………. What can you do?
Me & my curls aren't having the best relationship. I don't know if its due to prior damage or I'm doing something wrong, but it seems like I just cant stave off these SSK and split ends. AND I cannot get a decent twist out or TNC to save my life… after my hair is set the curl pattern is fine, but my hair is fine so by the time I separate the curls enough for it to look full, I wind up with very undefined hair. Can't do regular size twists because they look scalpy, so my hair is in some sort of bun or ponytail 100% of the time. VERY lame. I'll be keeping my hair in twists this entire summer to try to retain length and minimize knots and splits.
I've Always Been In Love With My Curls, I Wore It Straight For Most Of 2008 Just Because I Wanted To Do Something Different. There Were Other Periods When I Wore It Straight, But I Could Never Understand Why People Thought Bone Straight Was Something 2 Have All The Time.When I Get Bored Or Lazy Which Can Be Often; I Just Braid, It Twist It Or When I Have Longer Hair Bun It. Curls Always Rocked In My Eyes And I'm So Happy Other People See That Now!
God Didn't Make A Mistake On Your Hair You Got Exactly What Hair You're Meant 2 Have And It's Beautiful!
Last Year I Chopped My Hair Off To See If I Would Embrace The Short Hair And I Loved That 2. I've Chopped About 4 Times Since, (I Think I'm Done Now, LOL) I Never Expect Anything From My Hair Other Then What It Is….It Lives By It's Own Rules Just Like Me And We're Usually On The Same Page :~D
I'm not too happy with my curls now. I used to have a tighter curl pattern, but i think my past use of heat has just straigtened it like crazy. I'm not going to cut my hair for at least another 2 years or so (my goal is wl) but when I do, I'm starting completely over, and will not use ANY direct heat.
I'm so in love with my hair again. It's been years! I give all thanks to twist and curls that I have finally mastered. And the key for me is to twist and curl on dry or damp hair…not on wet hair! My hair holds water forever and I was so frustrated with hair that took days to dry when it's twisted with a ton of product in it. Now I wash/co-wash get out the shower and let my hair air dry. I sprits my hair with water/conditioner mixer as I go and I may add a little eco styler gel (if I want curls that will last for days)… or Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding (for soft and bouncy curls). * Note: If I’m using Curly Pudding I sprits with plain water* These products all work wonders but I must say the moisture I retain that gives my hair super shine is a mixture of 100% Shea butter whipped with lite olive oil. I seal my ends with this mixture and then I use tiny rod rollers on the ends. I duck pin each twist back so I can sleep comfortable on the sides of my head… and its perfection every time. Each night I work a little of the Shea mixture through all of my hair and I only re-twist the pieces that need it and the rest of my hair goes in a loose ponytail.
I was in a standoff with my hair for a few months. But I finally backed down, started listening and we've made up! The solution? Jane Carter Replenishing Conditioner. I LOVE THIS STUFF!! I'm protein sensitive so I can't use much of it. But I just do a quick rinse with it after washing with a Mehandi shampoo bar, and my hair is thick, shiny, silky and best of all, the ends are well moisturized and smooth.
I'm still struggling with length though. My hair grows like weeds and is generally pretty strong. But I had a huge setback in December where I experienced major breakage due to protein treatments. I was hoping for shoulder length (stretched) by August but it looks like that isn't going to happen. Tryin to be patient….
although theres more than when i first BCed there still not much love here!
just when i think ive figured it all out it throws me a curveball and knocks me off balance. im not to good with going with the flow no matter how hard i try. what can i say im a planner. i like to be at least 2 steps ahead but its impossible with my hair!
yup, my curly fro & i are bffs but i wish it was longer. any tips on retaining length?
I have definitely had stages where I hated my hair….which began a little after my BC….right after my BC I was ofcourse in love with my hair no matter what the lenght or texture was because I was just glad to be done with the transition and be rid of those relaxed ends…but as my journey progressed I began seeing that I could not do many things with my hair and being anewy natural I was stuck in the place where you have to be constantly trying many different preoducts to see what ur new curls like….after I found what they liked I loved my hair but then I started having dry spells….that was quickly resolved when I relaxed despite many womens raves, shea butter is NOT a moisturizer for my hair…after that I loved it again and was also beginning to find new hairstyles….but then the length started to get to me and I began disliking it again….wanting it to just grow so bad….then i discovered blowing out my hair first then styling the blow dried hair which gave me the length and body I envied on other naturals….9I of course took the necessary precautions to protecting my hair from the heat and I faithfully blew out my hair for a couple of months with no problems….so now I have my length….but I have been have a moisture retention problem lately and my scab hair is starting t really get on my nerves an is taking away from me truly enjoying my hair…(i have not had a relaxer in a little over two yrs yet I still have scab hair and I have trimmed it several times….setting my hair length goals back)so currently I am disliking my hair due to the scab hair still being there and dont think I will begin to LOVE my hair till it goes away….
I'll always love my hair and just realize sometimes I'm gonna have bad hair days! THat's when I throw a headband on and keep it moving! I love my curls and I love having the wash and go options that I've always been jealous of white girls for having. I wanted that freedom so I have it but some days my curls have a mind of thier own and don't wanna listen.
I'm loving my curls I did a bentonight clay treatment and my hair felt so orgasmic…and afterwards when my hair was pieced out and stretched the curls were awesome…I love my curls we spend lots of time together getting to know each other and I'm liking what I'm learning
As of today, i am foreseeing that my curls and I will not be getting along. I'm transitioning and haven't had a perm since last year oct. I've been using Carol's Daughter products (black vanilla shampoo/hair smoothie/leave-in conditioner, hair milk, hair balm, lisa's elixir) and to be honest they've worked on my hair so well, but in the last week or so, some products i no longer see use for. I am in the process of finding more effective, cheaper, more natural ways to moisturize and minimize breakage. For the first 6 months, i'll say that Carol's Daughter products are my godsent, yet as my hair texture is really starting to grow in and the dying straight edges hold on for dear life, i'll have to start experimenting with other products/homemade hair recipes to get me through now and the end of this year.
well as of right now. I'm loving my curls. I use Tresemme Curl Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, following the directions to a "T". Then I towel dry my hair and brush out all the knots and finish it with tresemme's Curl Mousse. and let it air dry, if im in a hurry I'll use a diffuser & finish with hairspray. Also I had a firend of mine who's a hair stylist cut my hair into long layers starting from the base of my skull.
my hubby and my curlies are in love but me and my curlies….we only like eachnother. but I am seeing that if I just co wash, leave in and with a olive oil added to my conditioner for a DT once a week…we are falling in love to. now if i can just get my hubby to stop grabbing them while they are airdrying(I told you their having an affair), I will be absolutely in love with them when they airdry…i just need to love my curls just like he does 🙂
I love my hair, but as it's gotten longer, detangling has become somewhat of an issue. If I get frustrated, I find myself wanting to cut it all off. I've made a pact with my hair that I won't mess with it if I'm not in a good mood. Things are likely to so south otherwise.
My curls and I have a love hate relationship. It's too long to be short and too short to be long. Plus it's not thick..
In any case, i will be patient and wait for hair growth. I am 2 years and one month natural and it's not growing as fast as i want it to.
No matter what, i will continue to fight on.. LOL
Right now I'm not happy with my hair, and if anyone has any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. I've been doing the tightly curly method. The reason I insist upon this method is because I don't like the idea of putting a bunch of products in my hair, for one thing I can't afford them and the other is that I just don't like the idea. While the conditioner is used like a product, it's still just shampoo and conditioner, not gel, mousse and all this other stuff. But what's happening is that here and there I'm still seeing split ends, not enough to cut the length or anything, but the point is something is still damaging my hair, and I've never relaxed it and only dyed it once and haven't done it since then. I don't do heat styling either so you'd think my hair should be really healthy. Also, the refreshing of the tightly curly method is difficult. I can't get the right amount of conditioner. If I do just a little, my hair still looks fuzzy, if I add on because I still see fuzziness, the conditioner begins to flake and then my hair looks like I have too much product in it.
If anyone has any suggestions for me, please e-mail me. charlotteq@live.com I can show you a picture so you can see what my hair type is.
I love my hair but I don't "get" it. I have only had a successful twist n curl once. I did a flat-twist out that came out pretty good a couple of times. It seems like a lot of work for 1-2 day hair, I haven't been able to make it last any longer. My wash-n-gos always look and feel great but the aftermath is single strand knots and splits galore. So I'm going to go back to the tightly-curly method that I tried a while back, even though it made my hair to "tame" in my opinion, it did yield week long results and was easy to put in interesting updos and buns…
oh we're in love and we're besties. Have been for a while. I attribute this to technique, products, proper conditioning level, and proper night time routine. I don't often use a new product. If it ain't broke … and if I do I research the heck out of it first. There are no impulses here. I'm APL and we've got a good thing going on. Hubby thinks it's gorgeous healthy hair. So I keep doing what I'm doing. The best part … it's such a simple relationship to maintain. 😉
Hi! I'm Star & I'm new to this this site! OMG I'm like so excited right now because I never really new about all these wonderful natural hair sites. I actually just discovered this one & other ones from my email message that I got from the auhor of the Nappily Ever After series. She listed some sights that featured natural hair & now here I am! This is all amazing to me & now I find myself hooked because I'm learning so much from all of you guys & I feel like the natural hair sistas are all apart of one lil community! I've been natural since 06 now & I'm loving it! I just got tired of the same boring dull flatness of relaxers, so I decided to cease them. Natural hair suits my personality more because I'm a free spirit whom likes to march to the beat of my own drum & to me that's what natural hair is all about! Well even though I love being natural I must admit that I have alot to learn about some of the terminology. Like I keep hearing on these sites about this co washing, pooing, type 4a, 4b etc, & I have no clue as in what you all are talking about. I would really like to be educated more on all of the natural hair talk on all of these sites. I live in St.Louis Mo. & here not many ppl are natural (and not very friendly either). If anyone would like to email me & inform me on some of this lango, I would most certainly appreciate it! My email is w.chiffon@yahoo.com. Thanks & peace&blessings!
Not at all! She's been breaking off so much whenever I put her in plaits. She refuses to grow past my shoulders. I can't deal with this bitchass-ness anymore. I'm just going to ignore her from now on. No more fuss…just wash/condition/oil – every 2 weeks.
catcurls said…
Up until about 2 weeks ago my hair and I were at odds. I thought growth was at a standstill. I had just got a new shipment of oyin's burnt sugar pomade to switch out from what I'd been using for the cooolld winter months in Chicago. I also got samples of their whipped shea and shine & define. I thought THAT would perk it up a bit, now all I needed was my castile soap from Whole Foods. Needless to say, the PJ in me took ahold as soon as I saw HPO's Simply Curly and Earhly Beauty's pomade. After carefully inspecting them both I grabbed both and headed for the check-out! LOL Well for once I'm glad the pjism got to me. I'm 2 weeks into using them but can gladly report that I believe these are my holy grail of moisturing and styling. The Simply Curly naturally elongates & effectively moisturizes my strands whether I'm twisting the 3c/4a or 4b section of my hair. It's a miracle…. And the Earthly Delight pomade is the best I've ever used! BTW these worked perfectly with Aubrey's Island Naturals poo & condish for dry frizzy hair. (of which my hair is the queen). I really can't say enough about the products. My hair and I have been best friends ever since the first application and is growing like mad now.
so i just bought Kinky Curly Custard and I love it for the first 3 hours but as soon as it dries i look like Angela Davis (and not on a good day). So no my hair and I kinda at odd right now. lol i'm think she'd be happy if i walked around with a hat and conditioned braids in. Oy!
My hair and I are in like right now. It's mostly shoulder length stretched, which is the longest it's ever been. This is the second time I've successfully gotten it this length, the last time being while it was texturized, and that was three years ago. Now I'm learning how to wear it this length and rediscovering the styles I loved when it was this length before: pulled back into a puff, French twisted; I haven't yet tried a French braid, but having managed a flat twist down the back, I feel confident I can put the braid in, though the neatness after all this time will be a definite question.
Mistakes I'm trying to learn not to make are the highly manipulative way I'm going about trying to put it up in a little ball on top of my head. It currently involves a lot of my conditioning/detangling mix and a Denman with a few too many pins (but I love my Denman, even with the overabundance of pins). But to insure it's neat and doesn't tangle even worse later, that's what I'm doing. I've tried incorporating a castor oil scalp massage 4-7 times a week, and that seems not to offend, so I think I'll continue it. My scalp certainly seems to feel as though it may be sprouting additional hairs because of the massage. And the up side to the little ball is that, especially if I don't leave the house, it can stay up there a couple days at a time without me needing to manipulate it too much.
The amount of moisture my hair needs seems to be the breakpoint for everything else I try to do, however. My hair needs lots of moisture, and it's not enough for me to spritz something on the surface of it. So at least a few nights a week I oil my scalp with the castor oil, apply my conditioner/detangling mix, and carefully squeeze and brush it through, then put my hair back into its ball, or into twists if I'm planning to wear it out bushed all over.
My current products are not many, and they are the basis for a pretty simple routine. I use Alafia's Everyday Shea vanilla and mint conditioner to clean because of how rich it is and how soft lt leaves my hair when it has been on awhile. Nature's Gate Herbal daily conditioner is my leave-in because the scent is, to me, fantastic and the slip it provides is even better. I make a mix of roughly 2 parts 365 aloe vera gel, 1 1/2 parts Nature's Gate herbal, 1 part vegetable glycerin, and 1/2 part unrefined coconut oil to condition, detangle, soften, and moisturize, plus castor oil applied to the finger tips and massaged into the scalp at least a few times weekly when I want to moisturize and either twist or put up my hair. I also make a finishing/light moisturizing spray mix of 1 cup peppermint tea, 1/4 cup each Nature's Gate herbal, aloe vera gel, and vegetable glycerin, and 1/8 cup coconut oil. Once a month I do a color/conditioner with a homemade henna compound which shortly I will reformulate adding olive oil (which I usually use with henna; this is the only time it goes in my hair), vegatable glycerin, and Nature's Gate herbal (can you tell I really love these products, since I keep using them in various combinations?). I'm looking to investigate the effect of jojoba oil in my hair in the near future, and I'm thinking of trying a shea butter compound containing aloe vera gel, vegetable glycerin, coconut oil, and jojoba oil to see how I like it as a non-liquid moisturizer, since my mom goes nuts every time I do my hair on visits home, because all my products are in bottles. She doesn't get that I think I seriously need that much moisture for my hair. I feel that it has been this attention to moisturizing with a few key products and the regular castor oil scalp massages that have helped my hair over the last couple months. I'm hoping I see good length retention this summer.
I am not at all happy with my hair and I'm thinking about getting a texturizer:O! At the crown of my head i have a chunk of perfectly straight hair and it cant be heat damage because I never put heat on my hair. I just dont know what to do so in the mean time I'm just weaving it up.
I have been natural for over 10 years and I have loved my hair, liked my hair, and not liked it so much. Even after all this time I still learn new things about what my hair likes and dislikes. After 10 year I just learned how to do a twist out and a braid out. Yes I could probably due without the tempermentalness and the morning surprises. But then again that what makes it so great 🙂
I am falling back in love with my hair again…now that my curls/waves are reappearing. My hair did not like and i repeat did not like henna!!!!! it took my hair from being curly/wavy and made it straight like i had a bad case of heat damage from a flat iron or something! LOL! Finally my hair is like yeah im back! OH! I have Target to thank, for their shea moisture organic raw shea butter strengthening elixir….awesome stuff, thats one of the best hair products that i have ever used and i've used many.
I'm in a good place with my hair right now, or maybe I should say for now… My last relaxer was in December of '08 and I BC'ed in October of '09 after about 10 months of getting braids. It took a couple of months for my curls to decide what the wanted to do after I cut off the straight ends and stopped getting braids but sense then we have developed a pretty good relationship. I know that I have to co-wash at least once a week or it will be dry and frizzy beyond belief. And I know that I have to finger detangle in the shower because comb detangeling causes my hair to break and doesn't actually get all the tangles out. It was a long hard winter and my skin and scalp were in constant need of moisture so I tried different protective style like tist and braid outs while sealing with Coconut oil and shea butter. Thus now I'm starting to notice some growth and the sun has come back to the mid-west and I'm looking forward to letting my hair go and learning/loving it all the more!
I'm in love with my hair! 20 months post relaxer and 2 months since my BC. I love standing out from the crowd – which is a first for me. Natural hair is still kinda rare over here in the UK, but since I started to transition and consequently BC – my mum and my sister are both going natural. I love having natural hair! It's like my way of saying to the world "Take me as I am". I love the freedom of no longer conforming to the hip hop honey look. Yes ladies, I can admit it – that it what I was aspiring to in terms of looks. That's what the guys love over here and I was trying to fit into that mould. Admittedly now, I don't think I get as much attention but truth be told – I don't care. I'm just gonna do me! And I'm so grateful my hair story has given me the confidence to do that.
For those ladies out there who are struggling with their hair right now, I urge you to stay strong. You and your hair will work it out! Nothing can replace natural beauty, there really is no substitute.
i feel like its ME!!! i don't how to make my hair behave the way is should …. it confuses me!! i am still new to all this i cant figure out WTH to do!! i wanna cut/i don't wanna cut…so i wear a hat all the time? i hate it… but i do LOVE my hair when its nice to me…..but that has been sometime ago….long time ago!!!!
Kinky Curly Curling Custard…. Thank the heavens above for it…
Does anyone have any reccos for Decreasing the volume of hair? I have a ridiculous amount of really thick hair. It makes my head look enormous and all attempts to contain it just make it angry and puff up in the most unattractive way. I need to reduce the thickness, but I know thinning shears are a no-no. Any suggestions?
My hair and I are definitely in a love/hate relationship right now. A week b4 Easter I took the plunge and colored my hair…I effen loved it! Now I see that the color has made my hair much dryer so I have to condition like every 3 days rather than every week…I love the color but hate this exhausting new regimine I had to adopt to avoid breakage…the juice wasnt worth the squeeze!
Me and my curls are besties. Winter did a number on us and I almost didn't think I would have any hair left to tell about it! But I learned to truly listen to my hair and its needs and what worked and what didn't work for it. Twists and castor oil got me through the winter with all my hair on my head and a surprising amount of growth!
After stalking my natural hair icons regimens, I noticed a trend: they were able to grow their hair fast and keep their length b/c they didn't do a lot to it just: condition, cleanse, moisturize. And that they kept their product line up simple and hairstylings pretty basic. I've realized that this outlook works well for my hair as well and when I just leave it alone outside of taking care of it, it grows like crazy before my very eyes. I'm shoulder length stretched now. Here's to APL by the end of the year!
If you had asked me this question back in February I would have said HELL TO THA NAW! lol I was really beginning to resent the amount of time it was taking me to look decent (never mind good) and was taking it out on my hair in really vicious ways. Of course it responded by knotting and breaking even more.
The solution? I cut the bish! I chopped off between 5 and 9 inches. We couldn't be happier. I can go back to wash-and-gos without lots of stress, she can go back to just being her happy nappy self, and we look good without a whole lot of fuss. I think I may be sticking to short hair for now!
kea::curls and ms. barbara,
I posted a while back about limiting manipulation and just letting your curls be. as a natural for almost two decades, i started to fall out of love with my hair several months back. i was spending so much time and energy twisting out and braiding out and defining. I just burned out on it. knowing i could never , ever go back to a relaxer, i made the big step of big chopping my long natural hair down to 1 inch. i needed a clean slate. i am now growing my hair back out, but this time i am learning to accept my curls as they grow from scalp. I may still tist or braid for better curl definition for a treat now and then, but on the day to day, wash and go fits my life much better. all of those hours i spent on my hair now go to my family and going about the business and joy of life. after twenty years of being natural, i have finally discovered the true freedom of being natural.
Stay Natural
nothing is wrong with my hair at all…but i just saw a pre big chop pic and im serious ladies i wanted to cry and kinda regretted taking it all off…i know this is weird because i love my natural but i loved my perm too…i miss my long weave like locks i really do…
I am so in love with my curls! Although I recently BC'd, it has been a process 20 years in the making for me to love my hair. I do not have much length right now but Im still surprisingly happy. I guess Im excited about whats to come! No more 4 hour visits to the salon just to go home with crappy haircut and bootleg hairstyle! Im FREE!
I'm loving my hair right now! I've recently stopped using products that contain silicones and it has made a difference. Hardly any buildup and my hair is always shiny!
since my BC 5 months ago, i have mostly been in love 🙂
i realize that as i keep things simple &&& just let my curls be, that's when i'm the happiest! for months i've been focused on learning the best curl defining methods for my wash n gos &&& how-in-the-world to get 2nd or 3rd day hair (w/o the frizz). But these past few weeks, i've just been letting my hair get bigger as the week goes on. Though my curls become less defined each day, i've come to see how beautiful my fro is 🙂
I am mad at my curls right now. My hair is barely growing. I have put it in time-out – wearing yarn twists for the next three months.
It's LOVE! I'm at 2 years post relaxer, 14 mos post BC and I was starting to get a little restless with it because my hair wouldn't "lay" right or at least hang the way I wanted and wasn't as shiny as I would like. Looking for something different I tried henna and WOWZERS! It really made a difference in the softness and the way the curls fall. I suddenly had big, full, fluffy rockstar hair! I got more complements in the week or so after my first henna treatment than I had in months. It's all love over here.
heck yes! I love love love Lola (as i affectionately call my hair) and her Lolitas (her teeny tiny curls)! She has her ups and downs, but we all do, right? And if I do my best to keep her healthy and happy, she definitely behaves!
@Anonymous April 20, 2010 2:16 PM
OMG, same problem here except my right side is stick straight while the left is super curly. I mean the most beautiful curls ever! wash-n-go…..forget about it. I tried everything. I thought it was heat damage so i stopped the heat months ago but i still see no change in the new growth. I've just come to accept it as it is. When i do twist out i have to do small twist on the straight side and larger twist on the curly side. I usually stick with braid-n-curl because the twist on the straight side unravel and the style is warped(straight side ends up longer than the curly side due to shrinkage). If you ask me…it's just plain old RUDE! On the plus side detangling is a breeze.
We are so not friends right now. I am completely lost when it comes to my hair. It just sits there on my head, seemingly laughing at me and my cluelessness. My right side is curly and bouncy while he left side is stick straight. I cut off what was left of my perm a month ago but it seems no matter how much a snip off, it's still bone straight. I've tried twists and rollers and buns and whatever, but nothing seems to work. I'm tempted to just shave off that side completely and rock a half-fro.
My curls and I got a little bit of a love thang going on right now. I've been doing protective styles for almost 3 months, and I'm currently rocking a 5 day old twist-out, that I am loving!!! I think the continuous protective styling of my hair has helped, i think i have a little more length, which is great. Also, I deep conditioned with ORS Replenishing Conditioner the last time I washed and my hair felt and looked great afterwards!!! I love that stuff!! I've also been oiling my scalp with castor oil….i think thats helped too.
my curls and I are friends but we're not in love, LOL She needs to grow a little more then we can take it to the next level. LOL But right now my staple products are light oils like olive & coconut. and co-washing twice a week
I fell back in love with them this very week! It wasn't really the true 'them' I have been against- I had a 3-4 month long protein overload! I've been so depressed and fed up with my hair, and I missed it being the way it was, not this ugly brillo pad. DCing weekly and nightly baggying did nothing- but Nexxus Humectress did! Yay afro!
I love my hair. I'm finally past the awkward length (2.5 years post relaxer, BC and 2 trims later). Winter was really hard on my hair so I'm glad it has finally gotten warm. I also recently discovered that my satin hair scarf from the beauty supply story makes the perfect headband or puff holder cause it holds my hair back without damage. I've also discovered that an ACV rinse before I condition makes the conditioner work better and my hair slippery. I already had them around the house so these were cheap/free styling options.
I am totally in love with my hair right now. I'm one year into transitioning (i'm taking the slow route, just clipping the ends as my hair grows out)and its been an up and down journey. But I've discovered one thing when it comes to my hair…LESS IS MORE. I was stuck in a rut last month. Bad hair days, one after the other, trying all kind of products on my hair (if you think being a product junkie in the States is hard, try having to ship all that stuff to Barbados…I spent $200 just to get some KCCC products…loving them though 🙂 ) Then I realised the problem was actually all of the products I was piling onto my hair. My routine is simple now.. co wash with Hello Hydration and leave a little in and then follow up with either KCCC or Miss Jessies Curly Pudding (I actually got the Curly Pudding shipped to London and then flown in by someone's mother-in-law who was visiting the island …I seriously need help !:) I either let it air dry or do a twist and curl…and its perfect everytime. Simplicity has saved my natural hair love relationship. I'll let you know when we reach our two year anniversary. Oh and I confess, a friend is coming to visit me from Texas in June and I've already ordered and sent Deva One Condition, Deva Set it free, Wen Cleanser and Jessicurl Deep Treatment to her house… I've been studying your routine Nikki 🙂
I love my hair…after 18 months of being natural & 7 1/2 inches of new growth I decided to cut my hair to 1 1/2 inch to have a short summer doo…I love love love my hair…hawaiian silly has become my best friend…I love the curls that it gives me…
Me n my curlies are great friends now, I guess I get lazy and don't bother with doing too much with my hair but I think that movie night I spent twisting up my hair helped it out a lot, got the leave in conditioner and hair oil and got to work and I only did about 10 twists, guess it's what my hair needed 🙂 I haven't been twisting it up really but it does seem to do better in twists as opposed to wash n go's
Me and Chlo "The Fro" Bella (my hair) are TOTALLY in love right now!!! Ever since I started transitioning in December 2008 and saw the curls in my head, I have been head-over-heels!!! And then the BC in December 2009 made it even worse! We are besties for sure and I think it's because before the BC I hadn't seen her since I was about 8 years old. So I LOVE all the unpredictability and learning to work with her and letting her do what she wants. It's the pampering that Chlo loves <3
i know all about this. this is my 9th year natural and i have even loc'd for a year and unloc'd this past august. the winter months were trying. i know longer had a true routine and was determined to cut it all off and start over. but through co-washing and low maintenance styles i am finally achieving the luxurious texture i was have the tangles are disappearing along with the knots. now i have to remain patient for the growth to start back.
Ms. Barbara you have some luck on your side since you BC'd on my bday 🙂
I have a love hate relationship with my hair. I love the thickness and curls but hate the amount of time it takes to air dry in my braids and twist. No "let dry over night" for me….thats just foolishness. It's still soaked in the morning. Midweek restyling/rinse/co-wash/wash is out for me, I'm limited to the weekends. It's a little high maintenance(at least for me) right now but the longer it gets the easier it seems to style. SO that's a good sign of things to come.
I'm loving my hair right now! I'm learning what it likes and needs. It's a trial & error thing, but I'm enjoying the journey.
Every since I went natural (going on two years now), I have loved my curls. The only thing I don't like now is the tangles. I need a good product for tangles, any suggestions? I try to keep my hair braided or twisted, so it can grow out and don't have to deal with the tangles.
I am absolutely, positively in love with my hair right now. I BC'd on June 26, 2009. My hair is kind of in that in between stage where it's too short to hang, but too long in the front for a nice, neat curly fro.
Over the weekend, because I was strapped for time, I decided to do a puff. I co-washed with Yes To Carrots, then, while still in the shower, I put about a palm full leave-in conditioner, and little bit of Kinky Curly Curling Custard. Then I shook, shook, shook until my curls were defined (plus it gets a lot of the water out). When I got out of the shower, I jelled my front and put it up in a puff and let it air dry. When it was almost dry, I sealed it with Olive Oil. I usually either twist my hair, or coil it, but I was spending too much time on it every night. I remember reading someone's post that said the reason a lot of people feel that wearing and caring for natural hair is so much work is because we don't just wear our natural curl. Well, that's what I decided to do for a while, just to keep for manipulating my hair so much. Also, I noticed that my elbows were starting to hurt from twisting my hair so much. Old age, I guess. 🙂
Everytime I look in a mirror, I fall more and more in love with my hair! I hope everyone enjoys their hair as much as I do!
My hair and I started to rumble when I began adding too many products to my regimen. Once I streamlined the process my hair thanked me by behaving most days. Lesson: Less is always best for me. Also, I have to stay away from or strictly limit the use of cones–water soluable or otherwise. The pj in me get seduced by cones from time to time–especially when I see how well they work for someone else. The shine! The slip! The (initial) softness! Oh my! We'll have a hot fling for several weeks, but things go cold when I least expect it. And when I really need my hair to look good. (Big meeting. Big presentation etc.) My hair gets to acting and feeling crazy. For me, cones are like that charming, good-looking bad boy, who seduces you, then starts acting like a fool after he thinks you're hooked again. I hope I've learned that lesson.
My hair and I are temporarily separated. It was misbehaving so I had my hair twisted up with extensions just to give myself a break. But I miss her! I miss the way the curls wrap about my fingers when I shampoo and their soft texture after I've finished conditioning and detangling. I have about a month to go to get my money's worth out of these twists, but I'm already planning how I'm going to gentle take them out, treat my hair with some deep conditioning and then let her free, wild and unruly as she wants!!
eu estou feliz com o meu cabelo… finalmente ele está crescendo… estou lavando apenas 1x por semana e twist é meu grande aliado na baixa manutenção sem perder meus cachos para quanto eu quero usa-lo solto.. tenho uma boa rotina de tratamento… estou no melhor momento… agora que ele cresceu um pouco mais, apesar de ainda estar curto, fica mais cheio e com melhor caimento…
I'm dangerously in love with my hair. It took me a long time to get to this point, but I couldn't be happier. It might be because I finally mastered the twist & curl 🙂
Right now Im starting to loving them more and more now that I understood what they needed to give me back some of the love Im been giving them relentlessly.
I love my texture/curls… but right now my length is a bit awkward. Its much longer than when I first BC'd… but not quite long enough to create a defined shape. I am happy about being able to wear an afro puff now, however. My goal was to be able to make one by June… and instead I hit in it April. I just think patience is key…. and I hope to try some wash-n-go styles since the summer/warm weather is almost here.
I love my curls, but I'm not loving the way they are behaving right now. I haven't had a "good hair day" in quite awhile and have been flirting with the idea of chopping it. Of course, I know it'll be painstaking to grow out again, so I'm trying to find new products that will manage my gorgeous 3C pattern better than Curlz and Kinky Curl, the latter of which I have been using for sometime. I think I just want a new style for this shoulder-length mane…
We are totally in love!!! I just learned to accept her for what she is.
i am in love. it picked up speed in growth and i couldn't be happier. plus i found a holy grail style that works for me 🙂 oh yeah and i also found out i'm a 4a and this whole time i thought i was a 4b/c and wasn't caring for it the proper way. i can't wait for warm weather to wear my fro with cute summer outfits.
My curls (MM, as I like to call them/her, hehe) and I are besties. I attribute it to the fact that I learned to just let her do her thing, as opposed to bossing her around. The more I accept her, the happier I am with my hair!
I love my hair period. However there are times when the maintanence that comes with curly hair does get annoying. I just washed my hair last night after having a straight blow out for a week. I hadnt straighted my hair in 4 months so I wanted to see growth and just have something different. Every night I would wrap my hair and in the morning all I had to do was comb it out and go. Soooo easy and fast. I got ready for work so much faster in the morning. This morning however………….. After washing my hair and doing the braid out I realized how unpredictable natural hair can be and how you have to be ready for suprises.
I love my natural curls but the "suprises" in the morning and frizzy mishaps can be tough to deal with. Especially since with a wrap or blow out you know what your hair will look like. My hair looks okay today but it definately took longer and more time in the mirror this morning. Sigh…………. What can you do?
Me & my curls aren't having the best relationship. I don't know if its due to prior damage or I'm doing something wrong, but it seems like I just cant stave off these SSK and split ends. AND I cannot get a decent twist out or TNC to save my life… after my hair is set the curl pattern is fine, but my hair is fine so by the time I separate the curls enough for it to look full, I wind up with very undefined hair. Can't do regular size twists because they look scalpy, so my hair is in some sort of bun or ponytail 100% of the time. VERY lame. I'll be keeping my hair in twists this entire summer to try to retain length and minimize knots and splits.
I've Always Been In Love With My Curls, I Wore It Straight For Most Of 2008 Just Because I Wanted To Do Something Different. There Were Other Periods When I Wore It Straight, But I Could Never Understand Why People Thought Bone Straight Was Something 2 Have All The Time.When I Get Bored Or Lazy Which Can Be Often; I Just Braid, It Twist It Or When I Have Longer Hair Bun It. Curls Always Rocked In My Eyes And I'm So Happy Other People See That Now!
God Didn't Make A Mistake On Your Hair You Got Exactly What Hair You're Meant 2 Have And It's Beautiful!
Last Year I Chopped My Hair Off To See If I Would Embrace The Short Hair And I Loved That 2. I've Chopped About 4 Times Since, (I Think I'm Done Now, LOL) I Never Expect Anything From My Hair Other Then What It Is….It Lives By It's Own Rules Just Like Me And We're Usually On The Same Page :~D
I'm not too happy with my curls now. I used to have a tighter curl pattern, but i think my past use of heat has just straigtened it like crazy. I'm not going to cut my hair for at least another 2 years or so (my goal is wl) but when I do, I'm starting completely over, and will not use ANY direct heat.
I'm so in love with my hair again. It's been years! I give all thanks to twist and curls that I have finally mastered. And the key for me is to twist and curl on dry or damp hair…not on wet hair! My hair holds water forever and I was so frustrated with hair that took days to dry when it's twisted with a ton of product in it. Now I wash/co-wash get out the shower and let my hair air dry. I sprits my hair with water/conditioner mixer as I go and I may add a little eco styler gel (if I want curls that will last for days)… or Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding (for soft and bouncy curls). * Note: If I’m using Curly Pudding I sprits with plain water* These products all work wonders but I must say the moisture I retain that gives my hair super shine is a mixture of 100% Shea butter whipped with lite olive oil. I seal my ends with this mixture and then I use tiny rod rollers on the ends. I duck pin each twist back so I can sleep comfortable on the sides of my head… and its perfection every time. Each night I work a little of the Shea mixture through all of my hair and I only re-twist the pieces that need it and the rest of my hair goes in a loose ponytail.
I was in a standoff with my hair for a few months. But I finally backed down, started listening and we've made up! The solution? Jane Carter Replenishing Conditioner. I LOVE THIS STUFF!! I'm protein sensitive so I can't use much of it. But I just do a quick rinse with it after washing with a Mehandi shampoo bar, and my hair is thick, shiny, silky and best of all, the ends are well moisturized and smooth.
I'm still struggling with length though. My hair grows like weeds and is generally pretty strong. But I had a huge setback in December where I experienced major breakage due to protein treatments. I was hoping for shoulder length (stretched) by August but it looks like that isn't going to happen. Tryin to be patient….
although theres more than when i first BCed there still not much love here!
just when i think ive figured it all out it throws me a curveball and knocks me off balance. im not to good with going with the flow no matter how hard i try. what can i say im a planner. i like to be at least 2 steps ahead but its impossible with my hair!
I am definitely not in love w/ my curls right now. The texture, the length…I'm just at a lost for what to do w/ them!