A question for the naturals...

[Lovelylocs]

Are you guys all natural or are some of you slightly texturized? I ask this b/c some of the pics of 4a hair don't look like what I thought 4a hair would look like. My sister is natural and has 4a hair. If you guys don't have texturizers, then what is it that you are putting in you hair to make it look like that?

 

[Shatani]

im natural...my hair is puffy and curly...my curls are about the size of a chopstick (and sometimes the size of a pen cartridge)....i know that when i started washing my hair in braids, and co washing more frequently, my curl pattern started to relax a bit....but im sure youre not speaking of me cuz i dont have an album

i know what you mean though...ive seen people with 4a (my type) natural hair that just doesnt look like mine at all! the curls are so big and pretty, that i sometimes think im wrong about what my type is....but we all differ even when we're the same, ya know??
~T~

 

[Carefree]

I'm natural except for haircolor. I usually do a conditioner wash, add gel or a styling cream and air dry. Sometimes I use a blow dryer to stretch out my curls a bit when I'm not feeling the shrinkage.

 

[NaturalRox]

Hey Lovelylocs, I'm 100% natural but I'm not really sure what my hair type is. At this time, I only use unrefined shea butter on my hair (along with my Aveda conditioners) and that's it. Like Shatani said, all of us have different hair so I guess that accounts for the differences you see.

 

[Lovelylocs]

Thanks for the responses. I hope no one thought that I was calling them a liar or anything. It is just that some of the hair looks texturized to me. But, I am not the most informed person when it comes to natural hair techniques, etc. My sister really wants for her curls to be more defined, but she wants to remain completely natural. So, if there was smthg that you guys put in your hair that was giving it that texturized look, it would have been useful. She is a daily C/O washer and she does wash in braids. She is not able to get a really smooth ponytail like a lot of the naturals on this board can. If anyone has any styling techniques, etc. to share, we would really appreciate it.

 

[Ipanema]

I'm not sure if my hair looks texturized, but I get a curly look by wet-setting my hair with plastic rods, making sure the ends are smoothed down. Or I braid the hair while wet, leaving a couple of inches towards the end loose & smoothing those ends over a rod. Using a light product like a leave-in conditioner or no products at all (just damp hair after it's been conditioned) helps it have a nice sheen. As for a smooth ponytail, my hair is so thick the only way I can get a smooth ponytail is after the hair has been stretched out by braiding it.

 

[Carefree]

Braid-outs and twist-outs both provide a somewhat texturized look.

When I don't feel like braiding or twisting and still want looser curls sometimes I'll pull sections of my hair and blast with my diffuser.

A smooth ponytail is best done while hair is wet or damp. Apply gel, brush hair back into a ponytail - cover with a scarf for a few minutes. This should do the trick.

HTH!

 

[NGC]

[ QUOTE ]
Carefree said:
I'm natural except for haircolor. I usually do a conditioner wash, add gel or a styling cream and air dry.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto here

 

[Champagne_Wishes]

I'm texturized but in the process of a grow out. I'm thinking of getting a professional texturizer. When I did it my self, I straighten it too much and it's starting to get too frizzy.

 

[Maestradiva77]

I'm 100% natural. Like Carefree said, twistouts and braidouts are a way to create bigger curls. I love to do twistouts (see pics), and the only styling products I use during twisting are Pantene Hydrating Curls Frizz Control Treatment (leave in/detangler) and Hot Six oil. The longer I leave the twists in, the longer the twistout will last.

 

[Victorian]

I just want to add: Hair typing isn't exact. "4a" is something some man made up. It's convenient to talk about hair types here because we aren't seeing each other in person, and we can at least get an idea of what someone's hair is like in general when we use types. Hair softness, curliness, etc. is on a continuum, not "buckets." Two of us could both have hair that, based on the "system" is called 4a, but we could see each other in person and feel each other's hair (with permission of course, so as not to get smacked down with LHCF quickness

) and see that there are vast differences. It's just a matter of finding what YOUR hair needs to achieve the style you want. All of us have hair with its own little idiosyncrasies. Like fingerprints--can appear similar, but never the same

 

[Nay]

I agree with the ladies that said twistouts and braidouts can really make natural hair resemble texturized hair or wavy/curly hair

It's all about finding what products and techniques define your hair's curl or wave pattern.

If I don't put anything in my hair after washing it and I let it dry, I've got a serious afro going on. But with a softening shampoo/conditioner, some twisting and a little creme or a lot of gel, VOILA, wavy hair!

 

[Divastate]

I am 4a and my hair dries to have no real definition unless I use hair gel. I look at hairtype kind of like skin color- there are literally limitless different shades of skin color yet you can categorize people as "brown skinned", "dark skinned", "fair skinned", whatever and their shades could be vastly different. Hair type is a very loose classifaction primarily used to find some shared similarities- I think the actual types and combinations of hair out there are virtually limitless.

Also as my hair has grown out its changed- when I first had my TWA I was told my hair was more 3c/4a but the more it grows the more cottony/sheeny and less curly/shiny it is so I dropped the 3c and consider it to be all 4a.

 

[Innocent_Kiss]

[ QUOTE ]
NaturalRox said:
Hey Lovelylocs, I'm 100% natural but I'm not really sure what my hair type is. At this time, I only use unrefined shea butter on my hair (along with my Aveda conditioners) and that's it. Like Shatani said, all of us have different hair so I guess that accounts for the differences you see.

[/ QUOTE ]

I

my shea butter, but it doesn't have good spreadability (is that word?) on my hair. How do you get it to be more applicable? Do you whip it up or something?

 

[NaturalRox]

OT!

@Innocent Kiss - what I usually do is melt the shea butter before application. I scoop out a small amount and place it in a small heat resistant glass dish. That dish in then placed in a larger dish filled with boiled water and I just let it sit for a few minutes until fully melted. I've heard of others putting it in the microwave but I prefer this method because if I don't keep it in the dish then it eventually hardens (and crystallizes) - and I like to keep it melted all of the time (particularly when I'm doing twists since they take so long). It sounds involved but it just takes a couple of minutes to do.

However, when I apply it to my face and skin, I just rub it in my palm to melt it. HTH!

 

[babyblue]

i have what i consider nappy afro textured hair and the way i and other naturals get a temporary looser wavy or curly look is by braid and twistouts.

also some peoples hair texture appears looser when wet, so applying gels and holding products at that time can help lock in that pattern. frequent conditioner washes over time can also help define your natural curl pattern.

smooth ponytails are best done on wet or damp hair with a gel or pomade and a boar bristle brush.

 

[SVT]

[ QUOTE ]
Lovelylocs said:
Are you guys all natural or are some of you slightly texturized? I ask this b/c some of the pics of 4a hair don't look like what I thought that 4a hair would look like. My sister is natural and has 4a hair and if you guys don't have texturizers than what is it that you are putting in you hair to make it look like that?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm natural but I gave up on typing my hair.

As mentioned earlier, braidouts and twistouts and give hair a more defined look. Gels, creams and mousses can also help.

 

[SVT]

[ QUOTE ]
babyblue said:
also some peoples hair texture appears looser when wet...

[/ QUOTE ]

This is true. Some of the photos you saw may have been of wet or slightly damp hair.

 

[ChildlikeEmpress]

I'm a natural, no texturizer. My hair album is pretty sucky (don't like taking pictures and have the world's cheapest digicam), but I get asked fairly often IRL "Is that a texturizer?" and "What do you put in it?" When I have to, I say my hair is 3b to 4a because I know it's SOMEWHERE in there. *g*

Anyway, the key to getting curls for me seems to change with length. When I first chopped and had about an inch of hair (stretched!), the key was minimal manipulation. A few months later, my hair looked best when I detangled it once in awhile using only my fingers and, once a week, went over it with a paddle brush. Now.... the curls look most defined when I detangle it about twice a week with a wide-toothed comb. It's been a learning experience, and as I gain more length, I'll have to keep adjusting.

The only thing that's never changed is the need to keep my hair moisturized and use a conditioner that works with my hair. My best bets are V05 "cream" conditioners and Herbal Essences. (My hair is very thick and coarse, so depending on the texture, your mileage may vary.)

My current daytime leave-in of choice, used after washing, is Neutrogena Triple Moisture. After that, I put in either Elasta QP Mango Butter or African Essence Crystal (silicone) Drops, whichever is handy, to seal in the moisture. I always use these things while my hair is damp.

At night, I mist my hair with water and put in some Profectiv Long 'N Healthy. I also like to do nightly scalp massages with unrefined coconut oil. So, basically, my hair is always moisturized.

Hope my rambling helps.

~Rochelle.

 

[bettydavis]

There are certain thing you can do to make your hair look texturised, I've tried banding and it works well for stretching out the curls. Profectiv breakfree also helps loosen the curl.

 

[Ayeshia]

[ QUOTE ]
SVT said:
[ QUOTE ]
babyblue said:
also some peoples hair texture appears looser when wet...

[/ QUOTE ]



This is true. Some of the photos you saw may have been of wet or slightly damp hair.

[/ QUOTE ]

yup pics like mines...most of my progress pics will be with wet hair because this is the only way you'll be able to see some length since im not using heat

ive had about 3 or 4 emails of people asking my if my hair is texturized. it depends on the products you use as well

 

[lsubabiedee]

im completely natural and uummm...i forgot if u asked a question...lo siento...im sorry