4b/4a Current/Previous Transitioner Question: Stretching New Growth

[newbeginnings2010]

I was going to post this in the transitioner's support thread, but I figured I would get more responses here. For all of you 4a or 4b (or mixed) current and previous transitioners--and even naturals--that stretch your hair, how long does the stretch last before reverting? The only time my stretched new growth stays stretched is when I do a ponytail rollerset with about 15 ponytails, and even then I have to lightly straighten the roots with a flat iron for it to last just 4 days. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get the natural hair to remain stretched for longer than a day without using heat? Maybe it's just the humidity here? It seems that my natural hair with no curl pattern stays stretched longer than the 4a coils. They tend to coil back up after a few hours and make my buns puffy. I think I need my natural hair to stretch more in order to retain my relaxed ends for the maximum amount of time.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

I think because of the humidity, your hair will just shrink back up unless you use sometimes of anti-humidity product like Frizz Ease or Sabino. I think Garnier Fructis makes one as well.

 

[Nonie]

Because I sorta cheated by transitioning in braids, my hair stayed stretched 24/7. I don't know if that helps, but if I were transitioning out of braids, I'd probably do braidouts every morning. If reversion was an issue, I'd probably apply a serum to damp hair so that when I plait it, it is sealed in a stretched position. Why I'd apply the serum to damp hair is because it'd smooth on more easily and it'd seal in the moisture of the water so that I could go a few days w/o needing to moisturize. DCing weekly I think would help.

Otherwise, I'd give up the fight and just use S Curl for softness and bun. If the texture difference looked odd, I'd use a band over the smaller of the two textures in front, so it'd just look like it's a style. *shrug* I don't know if anyone does this, but if you stick around, you'll come to see Nonie dances to a beat of a drum only she hears.