4a/b natural able to cornrow without blowdrying first?

[FtrDrO]

Everytime I attempt to cornrow my hair, I get so much breakage! It's a series of snap, crackle, and pop because it tangles so easily (even after it's been detangled). For that reason, I usually opt for single braids.

I've been using the braids under my wigs (ps for the winter), but I would like to try cornrows again because they lie flatter and stretch the hair more. I'm thinking of blowdrying my hair once a month but since I'm generally not a big heat user, I figure I'd see if anyone has had a similar experience with cornrows and if anyone has any tips on how you were/are able to overcome it without the use of heat to pre-stretch. Thanks in advance!

 

[Anakinsmomma]

I haven't tried cornrowing yet, but maybe try banding to air dry. That should stretch the hair with no heat. I know a lot of ladies here use it.

 

[manter26]

You should cornrow on dry stretched hair. Put your hair in large twists or braids overnight (or band as suggested^^) then cornrow the next day. Blowdrying isn't necessary.

 

[SkySurfer]

Yeah i flat twist and cornrow my hair with no problem..my hair has to be SUPER detangled though (and stretched if i am doing it on dry hair).

 

[Lucky's Mom]

I blow dry... I don't want to wrestle with it... =)

 

[Nonie]

You do not need to blowdry. As I keep telling people if you wash in braids and airdry in braids WITHOUT product, your hair will stretch and have the loose texture close to it being blowdried. And then you can apply product and easily part and braid.

This is my hair after a wash:

This is what my hair looks like after being stretched in braids:

And these are the cornrows I get from braiding hair that hasn't been blowdried:

 

[Lucky's Mom]

You do not need to blowdry. As I keep telling people if you wash in braids and airdry in braids WITHOUT product, your hair will stretch and have the loose texture close to it being blowdried. And then you can apply product and easily part and braid.

This is my hair after a wash:

This is what my hair looks like after being stretched in braids:

And these are the cornrows I get from braiding hair that hasn't been blowdried:

so pretty Nonie!
I would have one GIANT KNOT. I guess it depends on the person....

 

[Nonie]

so pretty Nonie!
I would have one GIANT KNOT. I guess it depends on the person....

LOL Lucky's Mom Why would you have one giant knot? Where would it come from?

 

[Kookookiwi]

I haven't tried cornrowing yet, but maybe try banding to air dry. That should stretch the hair with no heat. I know a lot of ladies here use it.

This! I wash, condition, and detangle and then stretch my hair with banded ponytails. I let it air dry like that all night. When it's time to cornrow in the morning it's good to go!

 

[LadyRaider]

Nonie is so cute. You can tell from the bits and pieces she shows. Now I want a Goddessmaker doll AND a Nonie doll!

 

[Lucky's Mom]

LOL @Lucky's Mom Why would you have one giant knot? Where would it come from?

Because! girl...... my hair likes to detangle... then BLAM!!!!! hug itself all over the place. I can never.... NEVAH EVAH wash my hair loose. I would shave my head.

LOL Hence - the ONE GIANT KNOT.

PS.... Have you joined my FB page?

 

[Nonie]

Because! girl...... my hair likes to detangle... then BLAM!!!!! hug itself all over the place. I can never.... NEVAH EVAH wash my hair loose. I would shave my head.

LOL Hence - the ONE GIANT KNOT.

PS.... Have you joined my FB page?

Lucky's Mom Erhmm...who talked about washing hair loose? You obviously missed the part where I said wash in braids and airdry in braids. In other words, hair remains in braids until it is fully dry. You can see how seriously I take this when you see my thread on it. The image of my loose hair was just taken while my hair was still wet. I was getting ready to put in Curlformers so that's why it's loose. And for that I use at least 80 of them so I work on very narrow sections that I can stretch out and comb with ease.

Girl, Facebook? What that? You haven't heard I'm allergic to social networks? I don't even do LinkedIn which most people with jobs do. Yeah, LHCF is about as social as I get, and then I turn into a nut who goes about twitching and staring at folks with wide open eyes mumbling incoherent things tryna look crazy so folks leave me alone. I figure email works well in keeping me in touch with those I WANT to be in touch with so why would I need FB?

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

How I stretch my kinks without heat:

Always Wash/Condition/DC in 10 or so braids (avoids excessive tangles)

Once hair is thoroughly conditioned take one braid down, detangle gently with the aid of slippery conditioner (don't rinse out the conditioner)

Part off smaller sections (if necessary, detangle again quickly just for good measure) and braid super duper tight (so that your hair can stretch to its maximum potential)

Once you're done you should have 20 or so braids, that are well moisturized with the conditioner you left in, if you have coarse hair like me with roots that like to stay frizzy and you want them to dry smooth, at this point you can put a hair elastic at the base of each braid tightly to give you that effect.

At this point you can seal with your favorite oil or butter and allow to airdry, this will give you a similar detangled stretch to what you'd get with a blowdryer without all that harmful heat. At this point you can cornrow your hair much more easily without having to worry about shrinkage, constantly spritzing your hair to keep it wet etc.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

OP, I would band beforehand. That seems to stretch the hair better for me than braiding or twisting, though that works pretty well too.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

@Lucky's Mom Erhmm...who talked about washing hair loose? You obviously missed the part where I said wash in braids and airdry in braids. In other words, hair remains in braids until it is fully dry. You can see how seriously I take this when you see my thread on it. The image of my loose hair was just taken while my hair was still wet. I was getting ready to put in Curlformers so that's why it's loose. And for that I use at least 80 of them so I work on very narrow sections that I can stretch out and comb with ease.

Girl, Facebook? What that? You haven't heard I'm allergic to social networks? I don't even do LinkedIn which most people with jobs do. Yeah, LHCF is about as social as I get, and then I turn into a nut who goes about twitching and staring at folks with wide open eyes mumbling incoherent things tryna look crazy so folks leave me alone. I figure email works well in keeping me in touch with those I WANT to be in touch with so why would I need FB?

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


LOL

 

[LadyRaider]

Facebook rules, Nonie doll!

 

[Jetblackhair]

Cornrows always result in some type of breakage for me even on stretched hair. My hair is so webby. erplexed

 

[Kurlee]

I canerow my hair wet. Can't imagine doing it dry. I just slap in a leave in and some type of cream (Donna Marie Super buttercreme) or something with hold like KCCC or Curls Geless C' and part with a fine tooth comb and canerow away. I don't lose hair and my hair doesn't tangle. I hate blowdrying unless it's absolutely necessary. It makes my hair dry and angry.

 

[FtrDrO]

Thanks everyone!! I've tried stretching in the past before, but still with the same results.
As Jetblackhair and Lucky's Mom mentioned, my hair is webby and tends to play with each other as soon as it's loose no matter how detangled or stretched it is. It's like velcro. smh. Banding is always a fail for me unfortunately. But I'll try to stretch with braids again, maybe trying with no product initially as Nonie mentioned. Maybe that will decrease the desire for my strands to party with each other.

BlackMasterPiece, do you not rinse the conditioner out ever? Or do you rinse it out one it's in the 20ish braids and then use a non-water based product when you moisturize? Thanks!

 

[SkySurfer]

Nonie is so cute. You can tell from the bits and pieces she shows. Now I want a Goddessmaker doll AND a Nonie doll!

Nah Nonie would want you to get a 'My Therapy Friend' Doll!

 

[Nonie]

SkySurfer, you ain't never lied. I love me Coco! I even learned his name is Coco! If you ever see a 4B head on the photo album on the website, you will know that is me!

LadyRaider, you ain't right. LOL

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

Thanks everyone!! I've tried stretching in the past before, but still with the same results.

BlackMasterPiece, do you not rinse the conditioner out ever? Or do you rinse it out one it's in the 20ish braids and then use a non-water based product when you moisturize? Thanks!

FtrDrO I wash, DC, rinse out the DC, then apply regular condish as I'm detangling/tightly re-braiding and leave it in, sometimes I'll seal with an oil afterward. I do not rinse this out and allow it to function as my moisturizer for airdrying.

 

[indarican]

this is my exact problem. Im actually thinking about cornrowing in the shower. I only want like 5 to wear under my wigs for the week.

 

[SummerSolstice]

I usually do it when its wet and then throw my wig on. I apply a leave in all over and then put a shower cap over the hair that is not being braided so that it doesn't tangle or dry. Then i apply some butter to the section I'm braiding and go for it. My hair is so soft when I take the braids down at the end of the week.

 

[nisemac]

I'm mostly 4a and cornrow my hair while wet/damp. i sprits my hair with Aphogee leave in and i use Shea Moisture DT as my moisturizer. as I cornrow i seal with shea butter. the trick for me is using a slightly heavy hand with the shea butter--hair glides thru my fingers with hardly any tangles. i have to keep diluted leave in to keep hair moist while cornrowing--if it dries, then i have issues. I can go 2-3 days before spriting with the diluted leave in and resealng with shea butter.

 

[ceecy29]

FtrDrO, let me know if any of the suggestions work. Thanks!!!