Naturals with Dense hair....

[LunadeMiel]

Has it taken you longer to do a ponytail than someone with less hair? I think it has been a year since my last relaxer and I still can't put my hair into a ponytail. I have about 5 1/2 - 6 inches of hair which puts me right at the average (I should have more but my little snip snip after the BC really put me back).

What are you using to put your hair into a ponytail?
How do you get the hair to lay flat?
How do you stop it from curling up?

TIA

 

[Ms Lala]

Your hair is much more loosely textured than mine. I couldn't get my hair into a ponytail at that length. I used headbands to make puffs instead. When I did start wearing ponytails my hair was past probably almost APL. My hair is just very thick and it looked funny trying to wear it in a ponytail when it was shorter. I detangle my hair well and use alittle gel or grease (yes grease) and water to slick myhair down then tie it up w/ a scarf. That is the only way I can get my hair into a decent ponytail. I can only do ponytails on damp hair, when my hair is soaking wet or dry it doesn't work too well.

 

[LunadeMiel]

Your hair is much more loosely textured than mine. I couldn't get my hair into a ponytail at that length. I used headbands to make puffs instead. When I did start wearing ponytails my hair was past probably almost APL. My hair is just very thick and it looked funny trying to wear it in a ponytail when it was shorter. I detangle my hair well and use alittle gel or grease (yes grease) and water to slick myhair down then tie it up w/ a scarf. That is the only way I can get my hair into a decent ponytail. I can only do ponytails on damp hair, when my hair is soaking wet or dry it doesn't work too well.

Thanks for the Reply Ms Lala

That puff of your is FIYAH...FIERCE!

I tried using gel once and my hair would not cooperate..

 

[Mook's hair]

Grandma (who just turned 81 yesterday) says...Vaseline & Water is the BEST way to slick that hair down.

I know...I know...the whole petroleum discussion...but sometimes you just gotta go old school. those old ladies had the longest most beautifullest hair when they were in their 20's & 30's. Some still do.

Don't sleep on old school methods. Sometimes you just have to listen to Grandma.

 

[JustKiya]

I'm 25 months past bald, and STILL can't do a ponytail. *sigh*

Mind, my hair does grow slow, but I don't see me being able to do a proper ponytail until I'm at least APL, stretched.

 

[LunadeMiel]

Grandma (who just turned 81 yesterday) says...Vaseline & Water is the BEST way to slick that hair down.

I know...I know...the whole petroleum discussion...but sometimes you just gotta go old school. those old ladies had the longest most beautifullest hair when they were in their 20's & 30's. Some still do.

Don't sleep on old school methods. Sometimes you just have to listen to Grandma.

I may have to try that

I'm 25 months past bald, and STILL can't do a ponytail. *sigh*

Mind, my hair does grow slow, but I don't see me being able to do a proper ponytail until I'm at least APL, stretched.

Hopefully when my longest layer is APL (hopefully by December) this will be a non-issue

 

[LynnieB]

Has it taken you longer to do a ponytail than someone with less hair? I think it has been a year since my last relaxer and I still can't put my hair into a ponytail. I have about 5 1/2 - 6 inches of hair which puts me right at the average (I should have more but my little snip snip after the BC really put me back).

What are you using to put your hair into a ponytail?

When i first bc'd, it was about 6-7 inches and bobby pins were my friends. the front part where my bangs used to be would always pop up and out .

i used and still use the big elastic ponytail holders (non metal i think scuncii or goodie makes them) and just grab all the hair and stuff it in there. I use them just as they come off the cardboard and do not wrap them around at all to tighten then take my hands and just sorta smooth down the hair a little.



How do you get the hair to lay flat?

It never lays flat - like pancake flat, it's just too thick. I gave up trying.


How do you stop it from curling up?


i basically stopped fighting it and just go with the flow. I might use a little Fantasia IC gel (the green one), water and a boar bristle brush to calm down the shorties aka frizz a little but i can't smooth it perfectly. There's always a little hump or bump at the front middle so i just stopped pulling the hair so tightly and stopped stressing about getting that perfectly flattened look.

It actually looks better when it's the hair doesn't have as much tension on it and the lumps just sorta blend in with the rest .

TIA

Sorry, probably not much help. i'm sure some more ladies will chime in with their methods.

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

Hmmm, I can't do a "real" ponytail just yet. Only the back HALF of my head will go into one ponytail(a turtletail if you will) without much coaxing. But all of my hair? Ummm nah Not even ready for that yet, will be quite awhile.

BUT, I will say this much though, there is one fotki, I was in but for the life of me, I cannot recall WHOSE fotki it was. But they stated when they do puffs and ponytails, they used the product below(I even got it too LOL):

It was using this product and a denman or boar brush to do it. Hope this helps some. If I find that fotki, I will get back to you on it.

 

[Southernbella.]

LynnieB, wow. My mouth is open. Your hair is amazing!

To answer the question...yes, it took a LOT of elbow grease. I'm 18 months post relaxer. I had to start at the nape and Denman my way to the top, using plenty of gel and water.

Everything laid pretty flat, but I know it will look much better when my hair gets longer.

 

[mscocoface]

I can just barely get this stuff in a hair band as is.

Unless or until I blow dry then use hair bands all the way down that is the only way I may possibly see one.

I have convinced myself that I won't be seeing a ponytail until some time near the end of 2010.

I am going to do protective styles until I can't stand them no more, which means for now no ponytail. It sure would be nice to see one though. But oh well.

 

[Country gal]

I can't do a ponytail without it making my hair look very short like a toddler's ponytail.

 

[anon123]

I still can't do a ponytail. I mean, dang, I know my front is shorter than my back, but you'd think by now I'd be able to do a high pony or something. If I leave a little bangs out I can do a totally unimpressive pony on somewhat stretched hair like a twist out. I was able to do a pony on my flat ironed hair on hair in siggy (photo in fotki). But I'm getting pretty tired of not having a ponytail because it's useful to have one when your hair doesn't look great. Oh well, we always have the afro puff. What's a pony tail for us other than an afro puff that we were able to make smaller?

Lynnie, so you disappeared for a while and then come up on LHCF with another pound of hair weaved up into your head. Everybody knows that can't be your real hair, we got you figured out . . . Your hair is gorgeous, man, unreal!

 

[LynnieB]

oh gawd stop embarrassing me yall. .......thank ladies .

It's so nice when folks notice your stuff is growing but when you're on the dl like me, you get all flustered and stuff and don't know what to say, how to accept a compliment without going all OT in threads hehe

i've been lurking more than posting - been spending too much time in the various political forum here and on the net but the hairboards....ahh, the hairboards have really set me straight and i appreciate every thing shared here, really .

folks are watching all of you ladies and for good reasons :Flahsssss, keep it up!!

 

[hopeful]

I'm glad you started this thread, now I don't feel so bad. I'm almost 2 1/2 years natural, some sections are 13 inches long and I still cannot do a decent pony tail because of the density of my hair. I think I have medium strands but I have a lot of it. No matter what I do I have a hump in the crown area so I always have to cover it up with a scarf.

 

[ricochet]

I used scarves to pull my hair back in my shorter days...these days I have to do a Chicoro bun.

 

[PaperClip]

Hmmm, I can't do a "real" ponytail just yet. Only the back HALF of my head will go into one ponytail(a turtletail if you will) without much coaxing. But all of my hair? Ummm nah Not even ready for that yet, will be quite awhile.

BUT, I will say this much though, there is one fotki, I was in but for the life of me, I cannot recall WHOSE fotki it was. But they stated when they do puffs and ponytails, they used the product below(I even got it too LOL):

It was using this product and a denman or boar brush to do it. Hope this helps some. If I find that fotki, I will get back to you on it.

^^^^ that's the gel I use to lay down my hair for a ponytail. I do have a mini-puff. The density of my hair helps to form the mini-puff. The thinness/fineness of my hair strands does not contribute to the mini-puff.

You ladies have some AMAZINGLY BIIGGGGG hair!:Flahsssss

 

[bludaydreamr]

I still can't do a ponytail. I mean, dang, I know my front is shorter than my back, but you'd think by now I'd be able to do a high pony or something. If I leave a little bangs out I can do a totally unimpressive pony on somewhat stretched hair like a twist out. I was able to do a pony on my flat ironed hair on hair in siggy (photo in fotki). But I'm getting pretty tired of not having a ponytail because it's useful to have one when your hair doesn't look great. Oh well, we always have the afro puff. What's a pony tail for us other than an afro puff that we were able to make smaller?

Lynnie, so you disappeared for a while and then come up on LHCF with another pound of hair weaved up into your head. Everybody knows that can't be your real hair, we got you figured out . . . Your hair is gorgeous, man, unreal![/quote]
Lynnie your hair is beautiful and it has grown!

Lauren we started our transitions about the same time, and I can not get my hair in a ponytail without it looking just ridiculous. I guess I will have to arm myself with my denman and the gel.

Mook that was my dad's answer to everything some water and grease, but it works!

 

[Hairsofab]

I'm 14 months in and still can't put my hair in a ponytail. My hair is Dense! I could forsee going another year or so before I could even think about a ponytail.

 

[glam-]

Lynnie, so you disappeared for a while and then come up on LHCF with another pound of hair weaved up into your head. Everybody knows that can't be your real hair, we got you figured out . . . Your hair is gorgeous, man, unreal!

Her hair is amazing, isn't it. Just gorgeous!

 

[misschee]

i have never in my life had a ponytail that didnt have a small hump in the front middle section. that is where i have the most hair and even with bone straight relaxed hair it was too much to lay completely flat. i know that doesnt help you but hey what can you do except accept it.



OT--lynnieb i was on your fotki yesterday. you and your hair are amazing

 

[ladylibra]

i could do a pony at 8-9 months (i know cuz i BC'd right around the time i got preggers, and it was near the end of my pregnancy when i could do a high pony puff). but it was a puff that needed a lot of help to stay put if you know what i mean... it stayed better in 2 afro puffs. and i still had to stretch my hair out first to be able to do those 2 pony puffs.

i could do a ponytail without stretching my hair out first after 1.5 years.

 

[donewit-it]

I basically gave up. At this length anyway. Sometimes I can't even get through my head of hair.

I did just detangle tonight with a DC. I may put big twists in to see the results tomorrow morning.

It sounds so arrogant and boastful, but damn, it's just so much hair

 

[jkamiel]

i'm glad i saw this. my hair is almost apl and i cant get it in a ponytail AND, for the life of me, i cant figure out a low pony or low puff! i have so much hair but it all seems to disappear when i even THINK about a low puff or ponytail... seriously. i get a lil jealous when i see ppl with less dense hair w/ their fluffy ponytails.... but mine is a lil tiny kiddie puff ball hahaha. but the puff is an awesome replacement

 

[santwon]

I can't do one either. And I thank you guys for stepping up to let us know some timelines. I'm almost scared to ask...does anyone have any pictures?

 

[anon123]

I can't do one either. And I thank you guys for stepping up to let us know some timelines. I'm almost scared to ask...does anyone have any pictures?

Pony with bangs out in the front with my flexi8 extra large:

Tilted back to show off flexi 8, but it's still covered up a bit.




Flat ironed pony:

 

[LynnieB]

This is a ponytail (or ponypuff for us naturals) in July, 07 so that's about 1.5 months after my bc. lots of bobbypins to hold the front end stragglers

November, 07 - twist-out ponytail (puff). i used a headband as a ponytail holder.

May, 08 - wash n puff lol! - with single elastic.

 

[anherica]

Phew! I'm glad I saw this. I was beginning to think it was just my big head self that can't do ponytails and I've been natural for almost two years. I comfort myself with the thought that I can do a mean puff though.

LynnieB, lovely hair!!

 

[BillsBackerz67]

It took me exactly 1 year after I bc'd. I had roughly less than an inch of hair when I bc'd and it was approximately 8 inches by the time I was able to do a low pony puff. It took another 3 months to do a super low pony puff (at the back of my neck). I used eqp mango butter and a few bobby pins for the strays

 

[frankie]

I created a ponytail once in the same manner I would a puff, except it was at the back of my head where a ponytail would go. I needed a ponytail, not puff ecause I needed to put on a baseball cap!
Go Nationals Had I not had that hat on (I put a scarf on to protect my hair from the hat/and vice versa) that ponytail would have looked pretty pitiful at the top.

I'm still in puff stage, unless my hair is straightened, it does not look good in a regular ponytail.

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

Goooooodness some beautiful heads up in here!!!! Looking at mwedzi's and LynnieB's tails and puffs, is already making me But by being in this thread, at least I know I'll make it to the point of all of my hair going into a puff one day! Keep on staying beautiful and Rawkin ladies with ya'll Afro Puffs! Oh Yeah!

:whispers to hair: "You seen them puffs chile? It's time to grow up baby!"

ETA: I haven't found that fotki yet...