Honestly, when I was relaxed, I was totally oblivious to whether or not my HEAD was leaning a particular way… leaning back in the car, leaning on the side of the couch.
Now that I’m rocking my TWA (4 months in so I have a little length), I am perpetually concerned with my head’s exact angle, so as not to disturb my coif. Even when I’m dog tired after hanging out all day with my hubby and baby girl, I have to remember to stick my fist under my neck as I lean my head to the side, just to catch a quick car nap on the ride home. Because no one want’s a lopsided TWA.
This past week, I’ve noticed that I have to do that neck turning exercise. You know, the one the yoga instructor tells you to do just before the workout starts. Drop your head forward, then rotate it left-center-right. Repeat with your dead dropped to the back. Still, neck pain. Ugh, still in pain.
Is my TWA causing a serious case of chronic neck pain?
Do any other TWA ladies have this problem?
P.S. I used to lean on my hair and then shake it out. I did this all the time. Then, for a whole two days my body felt like I had vertigo… I think I was literally shaking my brain. So, no more shaking.
Lol I have problems with the lop-sided TWA, but I don't stress it very much. I just kinda fluff it out when I get back up from my nap, and in the mornings when I have that weird mohawk thing going on, I wet and fluff and style. I uend to take a nap almost everyday because I'm in college and usually don't get enough sleep at night, so I'm usually waking up with lopsided hair!
Autumn which products do you use?
hey cuz!
autumn
I was looking at the picture and was like, damn that sure looks like my cousin!! Glad to see you did the BC Autumn! I am still transitioning but may do it at 1year anniversary. Anyway, lookin good, Autumn.
lots of love,
C. Lloyd
I'm starting to think that many of you who had issues when you were relaxed have transferred them over to your natural life. It's really not that serious, stop being neurotic and enjoy your natural hair. I agree with Courtney
Wow, ummm, really?!?
The spray bottle is your friend, a little spritz and finger fluff can usually revive flat hair, especially if it short. And I don't like shaking my head hard at ALL. I think that will make you crazy, LOL. I remember when I first went natural seeing all of these women on YouTube head banging in their shower and I tried it. Um, no thanks.
Too funny. I was noticing that I started doing the same thing, not relaxing my neck and head while driving, two solutions I'm considering are 1.) a satin scarf to lay over my head rest and 2.) carry a pick in my purse so I can fluff my hair back out.
Put a small satin pillow in the car. About the vertigo feeling check to make sure you are well hydrated and not anemic. That dizzy feeling shouldn't last that long.
I caught that you were being silly. People really need to relax a little and stop being so serious. I noticed myself doing this at work the other day fist under the chin. And yes, naps are impossible.
I don't have a TWA and will lay my head on my SO shoulder, the couch arm and my car headrest (it's leather though). But, I still have neck pain. I have it right now! I have it from sitting hunched over my laptop for hours on end scouring CurlyNikki.com and FB for articles, posts, photos and videos of interest! LOL!
Shelli
Just fluff it back out, what's the big deal ladies! I too still have short natural hair and when I take a nap, I'm flat on one side. I look in the mirror and fluff and I'm okie-dokie again.
hey ladies, autumn t here: don't take it so seriously!
i wrote this post to simply poke fun at the silly things i've caught myself doing since i became natural. i just wanted to connect with some other twa ladies out there, that's all – and share a laugh!
but come on, haven't we all at one point found ourselves doing something different (or weird) in comparison to when we had our relaxers (styles, styling techniques, hair products, homemade elixers, kitchen cupboard finds, etc.)?
with that said, i do have neck pain from trying to keep my head straight up all day, for fear of messing up my defined curls (hey, kinky-curly products ain't cheap lol!). plus, i'm really busy, so i don't always have the time or water or conditioner to get right, esp. while i'm out and on the go.
so ladies, just have a laugh and have a great hair day!
thanks nikki for posting this, i love your site!
lol I can relate with laying your head down for what seemed a second and your hair is misshaped. ugh….i hate it -__-
I guess it comes with the territory. Happy growing!
LMAO!! I used to have that SAME problem…being so conscious about where to lay my head down because I didn't want to mess up the fro…now that my hair is a little longer, I'm not as anal as before, but it was definitely annoying and I had many a sore neck or two! lol
I would think shaking 2 inches of hair would cause more neck pain than keeping your head upright at all times.
This is silly.
Girl, I hear ya. I love a nap and since I went natural my short hair does not allow them. Can't really relax until it's time for bed and I know for sure that I wont be leaving the house again until the next day.
LOL! I feel your pain! I'm 3 months in and just yesterday I had to interrupt my nap to run to the store. I looked in the mirror, shrugged and went to the store with the right side smooshed and flat. If I'm really getting it in during my nap, I'm gauranteed to wake up with the "Frankenstein," smooshed sides and a perfect top.
I just mist with water and scrunch my fingers through it. My hair is too dense/thick to run my fingers through. I call it my magic carpet. 🙂 The smooshing, re-wetting, scrunching, etc. kill any definition I might have had though. This too shall pass.
What Brittany said.
Chillax and if you're getting up to see someone do a quick mirror check and fluff with fingers.
We don't refrain from eating just b/c we have on lipstick. We reapply. Same goes here.
Your hair is fab!
your hands is your best styling tool. water also. don't shake your head thats insane run your damp finger through it to refresh and your good.
Wow. I'm thinking your doing too much. You shouldn't be experiencing neck pain because of your hair. I'm thinking you should relax a lil bit.
I have a TWA now, about 4 months in and I don't have the neck issues though I do recognize that I sit up completely straight in the car without using my headrest for fear of 1. a flattened back of my head at work and 2. my head rest robbing my moisture. I may have to invest in a neck pillow for the car, that's a good idea. LOL!
I think for the amount of hair that I have shaking it would be insane! I can imagine you would have neck pain. When I get home I usually put on my satin scarf immediately so I don't have to worry about anything.
I don't have a TWA (transitioned for about a year) but I so understand what you are talking about. It's like this new texture is so soft that it just mushes if you aren't careful! I think the neck pillow might be the best idea I hadn't even thought about it. Should be great for travel too (you never know whose head was resting on a headrest – ew)
I have BSL hair and I too have this problem. Not so much at home but out and about or at work (we sit on chairs with rough fabric). I don't want my hair to touch anything and I dont want my curls to flatten. I popped 2 Advil last night at work because I developed a headache that I'm sure was from straining my neck. 🙁
~CurlyBlasian
Get a horseshoe shaped neck pillow. Especially in the car; but at home you can wear it too to keep your head from falling off to the side. I also always keep my hair covered–satin bonnet or scarf–when I'm in the house so I don't have to always watch what I'm doing.
But really, I wouldn't worry about it. Get an afro pick and just pick the roots out a bit if you flatten a side. Wet it so that it curls back up if you're concerned about definition. Your neck is more important than a hairstyle.
um…not to be harsh but its a twa.
all you have to do is wet it, add some condish and keep moving.twas are awesome bec you dont have to worry about tangles and you can wet and refresh your curls all the time.
you shouldnt be having these problems at this hair stage. these are longer hair problems where you dont want to mess up your twist out or something like that.
enjoy the fact that you can run your hands through your twa, rewet easily andkeep moving. as a matter of fact im going BACk to the twa precisely bec of this
wow i thought i was the only one suffering from the neck pains…I'm extra aware of where i lean my head. Everyday in my office I stop to do the neck rolls haha! Hopefully this stage will pass quickly
haha! this is a mess! i used to suffer from the lopsided TWA when my hair was shorter because i'm right handed and was still in a relaxed state of when and hadn't gotten used to not being able to run my hands through my hair. i would take pictures only to lament on Facebook that my TWA was always leaning to the left. but, i didn't care so much. it was just a part of the game, i guess. and my hair grew longer so it was no longer an issue.
and instead of shaking your head, just put in back in place with your hands, gently.