calling all 3b's & 3c's

[MrsBKJ]

Hey!
I just wanted to know who on the board was a 3a/b/c and what your regime is are you natural or relaxed...you know the usual questions.
I know I'm not the only one here...cmon where are ya?
lol

Uzz

 

[RainbowCurls]

I had to reply to this as there's never a thread calling out type 3s!

I'm a 3b/c and currently transitioning (6.5" natural at last check). I conditioner wash on most days (no silicone, or water soluble silicone conditioners only). When my hair is wet I add almond or coconut oil, a bit of Fantasia IC gel, then let my hair semi-dry using the 'plopping' technique.
When I leave the house, I usually wear my hair in a high ponytail/puff, or a hat if it's too cold, as left free, my hair looks a bit of a mess as the curls are much looser on the ends (relaxed ends).
I occasionly straighten (I've been cutting down to avoid frying my curls). To do this I will dry my hair in a towel after adding coconut oil, then air dry til totally dry. Then straighten with a flat iron and heat protecting spray, finishing with Fantasia Frizz Buster hair serum (although, I'm looking for a new serum now as this contains some of the worse silicones).

If I need to shampoo I use Nexxus Botanoil or Trevor Sorbie Balance clarifying shampoo. When I can be bothered to deep condition, I use Nexxus Humectress, Nexxus Keraphix or Dark & Lovely Ultra Cholesterol.

 

[atl_mulattamami]

I am a 100% natural (with the exception of color) 3b/c. Because my hair is colored I try to take really good care of it and moisturize as much as possible. I usually wash and condition my hair every 3 days with the John Frieda Radiant Red Shampoo and the John Frieda Radiant Red Conditioner; I use the formula for darker, plum/pomegranate/auburn shades of red because my hair is dyed a deep burgundy brown color. After I have rinsed my hair out I apply the Elasta QP Mango Butter throughout the length of my hair and slick my hair back into a bun/ponytail with the Elasta QP Glaze. The only thing I do wrong is probably that I don't deep condition as much as I used to. It's a habit I need to get back into!

 

[MrsBKJ]

Phew i knew i wasn't alone on here.
Thanks for responding
Im 100% natural but totally itching to get a relaxer...can't decide between phyto and profectiv...how much is it going to cost me with the phyto??? aarrgghh

Anyway i basically c/o wash three to four times a week with pantene black long hair, air dry and then use pantene oil replacement therapy all over except my scalp and put up in a bun.
Thats all i do i keep it simple because i have just got my crazy pj under control (i have already started buying products for when i relax my hair...i know i know i cant help it!!)

Im hoping to get near waist length (relaxed) hair and then maybe go back to being natural...im past bsl now so im joping to get there by August (cousins wedding)

thanks again....

Uzz

 

[Candy_C]

Hey!
I just wanted to know who on the board was a 3a/b/c and what your regime is are you natural or relaxed...you know the usual questions.
I know I'm not the only one here...cmon where are ya?
lol

Uzz

wow i dont think 3b or 3c's have been called out 4 true!

i think this texture is vulnerable as the balance between moisture and protein is so hard to determine as its a looser texture. i wash every 4-6 days with either keracare hydrading or mnt shampoo (original) then i do a keracare humecto deep treatment or, i just use mnt conditioner as a leave in. usually doin MNT-MNT-KERACARE-MNT-MNT works but now its like MNT-KERACARE-KERACARE-MNT . its hard finding a balance with my hair as its always platted up and when its down i dont really touch it, i only find out on day 5 (combout day). my full regime is in my fotki!

 

[KittenLongPaw]

I'm 3b/c natural. I don't use any heat or chemicals on my hair, conditioner wash most days of the week with Elucence Moisture Balancing conditioner, and shampoo once a week with Elucence Moisture Benefits shampoo. After I shampoo, I deep condition usually with Elucence mixed with Apricot Kernel oil, aloe vera gel and honey, left on for about an hour with a heat cap.

I've been keeping my hair in two braids most of the time lately, because I think it looks cute and I get to still feel how long my hair is when I wear it that way. I sleep on a satin pillowcase and wear my hair down maybe once a week at this time.

My hair is ALMOST waist length when stretched out, and I can't wait til I get there officially! My long term goal is 1 inch past hip length (35 inches stretched).

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I think most of my hair is 3C but I'm not sure. My sides are a mix of spiral and loopy C curls, while my nape is small spirals and coffee stir size curls. Does anyone know if that is 3c or something else?

 

[FlowerHair]

I'm a 3 something.
My regimen is simple.
I wash once or twice a week plus condition or deep condition. I moisturize my hair with leave-in conditioner every morning and evening, especially the ends. I only comb my hair in the shower, with conditioner.
At night I braid it in a single braid that I undo in the morning. That way I can wear a pony-tail or a bun or whatever with the curls still intact.

I only use products for dry hair, but my hair is never dry anymore. My main goal is to keep it soft and moisturized at all times to prevent split ends and breakage. And touchable!

I don't use any heat or relaxers, but I do color every once in a while to cover grey hair.

My goal is the same as KittenLongPaw's
Let's hope we get there in 2006!

 

[MrsBKJ]

Hey DD
That sounds like 3c to me but i cant be sure
have a look at this link and see if it helps...

http://naturallycurly2.com/curl411/types.php

Uzz

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Yeah, according to that, I'm a 3C. I just daily CW. I wash n go most of the time anyway. Once my hair gets longer, I will try to do twists and braid styles. My favorite product is my MTG,Surge, and IC gel w. sparkelites.

 

[meia]

Hey!
I just wanted to know who on the board was a 3a/b/c and what your
HI RACHI QUE!
I was reading you wanted a relaxer- im sure you've probably already gotten this warning, but please be careful! i have 3c hair and it took me practically from 16 years old to 20 years old that relaxers are trouble...unless youre ENTIRELY sure you can do it/find a place that can process it without over or under processing i DONT recommend getting a relaxer...im just now growing out the years of bad relaxed hair and its going to take me another 2-3 years to get to mid back natural...its crazy...but if someone told me or my grandma that when i was younger i might've not had to grow out all this mess now..

anyways (pardon the above warning!) but im a 3C! I currently trying to accelerate my growth up until june to maybe cap out with 3-4 extra inches! i'm about maybe 20% natural and 80% relaxed even though i havent gotten one since last april!...

so far as my regime, i try to keep it simple and use ALL-NATURAL/ALL-ORGANIC products because ive found out that im allergic to a lot of the surfactants, detergents, lauryl sulfates, and ALCOHOL (at least when it comes to hair and my scalp!)- heres what my regime looks like:

SUNDAY- wash my hair with castile soap and use an all natural conditioner, comb, moisturize with oil, braid, and wrap

MONDAY- undo braids and add a bit of oil to my hair and massage- do some type of semi-elaborate style that is quick- braid at night adding more oil

TUESDAY- DURING THE DAY REPEAT MONDAY/AT NIGHT REPEAT SUNDAY AND ADD MTG- WRAP

WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY- ADD MTG AGAIN- WRAP

i try to keep it as simple as possible for now and i do mostly protective styles...i also dye my hair monthly and do trims monthly...im doing pretty good right now but theres always room for improvement!

 

[SilkyandSmooth]

I'm a natural itching to texturize. I'm almost sure I'm a 3b/c. I adore my curl pattern but I'm not feeling the bulkiness and shrinkage that accompanies natural hair. I condition wash twice a week and wash with shampoo once a month. Every time I wash, I'll put some Salerm 21 and coconut oil on my hair. The days I don't wash, I'll spray my hair with a conditioner and water mixture at night. My every day hairstyle is a ponytail or bun.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I don't want to tell u what to do w/ your hair, but a texturizer will not cure shrinkage. In the case of my shrinkage, it only lessened it a little. I wish u success in your journey.

 

[balisi]

I'm not sure what type(s) of 3 my hair is, and I don't have a regimen per se, but I'd still like to share.

I use all manner of shampoos and conditioners, even those with SLS, SLES or ALS. However, I shampoo only when I know that my scalp needs it, which is typically once a week. I also use shampoos that don't contain harsh detergents.

When I wear wash-n-goes, buns or pony puffs, I co-wash 3-6 times for the week. When my hair is in twists or other protective styles, or when I rollerset or flatiron, I skip the co-washes and shampoo once for the week, when I take the style down. I clarify occasionally with either ACV rinses or whatever clarifier I have on hand. I usually follow these with a moisturizing deep con. I rarely use a protein treatment.

I oil my scalp with Sulfur-8 once or twice a week when it's extra itchy (usually in the wintertime). I usually apply oils to my hair when it's wet and sometimes add oil to my conditioner for the final rinse.

I try to deep condition twice a month, but it's usually once every 5-6 weeks. I tend to use a steamer at those times.

I massage my scalp when I think about it, but it's nothing I do regularly.

I rarely brush my hair, and heat straighten it about every three months. I blow dry with a comb attachment only when I plan to flat iron.

I don't take vitamins, protein shakes or eat a certain way for my hair's growth, nor do I exercise for my hair.

I basically give my hair what I believe it needs at the time, and that can vary greatly from one day or week to the next.

 

[beyondcute]

Well I think Im somewhere along those lines. Im transitioing and I use the Crown and Glory method as far as a regimine. Thast about it. I try to keep it simple. Hair should not be complicated and my hair in particular liek to be left alone.

 

[SilkyandSmooth]

I don't want to tell u what to do w/ your hair, but a texturizer will not cure shrinkage. In the case of my shrinkage, it only lessened it a little. I wish u success in your journey.

Really? Wow. I was hoping that texturizing would somewhat help with the shrinkage. I would love to wear my hair out but I'm not a fan of the big look. The 3b parts of my hair would behave. It's the 3c parts I'm worried about. I keep going back and forth with my decision. I'm not 100% sold on putting chemicals back in my hair again. I'm scared to death of losing my hair. I don't want to lose my curls either. No one in my immediate circle wants me to texturize either. I keep getting the "why do you want to put that stuff in your hair again" questions.

 

[MrsBKJ]

Really? Wow. I was hoping that texturizing would somewhat help with the shrinkage. I would love to wear my hair out but I'm not a fan of the big look. The 3b parts of my hair would behave. It's the 3c parts I'm worried about. I keep going back and forth with my decision. I'm not 100% sold on putting chemicals back in my hair again. I'm scared to death of losing my hair. I don't want to lose my curls either. No one in my immediate circle wants me to texturize either. I keep getting the "why do you want to put that stuff in your hair again" questions.

see this is my problem too.
I think one day right im getting it relaxed then i remember all the stress i had with my relaxed hair when somebody left it on for four hours...we wont go there but i think nooooo...then i have a friend who is a hairdresser and ive seen the stuff she has worked and shes amazing! and i think yes i'll do it!
i love my curls but all the faffing around and putting in buns is bugging me and im no fan of heated styling
im confused!!!
lol

 

[MrsBKJ]

Hey!
I just wanted to know who on the board was a 3a/b/c and what your
HI RACHI QUE!
I was reading you wanted a relaxer- im sure you've probably already gotten this warning, but please be careful! i have 3c hair and it took me practically from 16 years old to 20 years old that relaxers are trouble...unless youre ENTIRELY sure you can do it/find a place that can process it without over or under processing i DONT recommend getting a relaxer...im just now growing out the years of bad relaxed hair and its going to take me another 2-3 years to get to mid back natural...its crazy...but if someone told me or my grandma that when i was younger i might've not had to grow out all this mess now..

Hey MEIA
thanks for sharing that info and i know what you mean and thats the reason ive waited ..well in fact become natural cuz i thought no way to all the chemicals in my hair...then i see phyto!
i had a really bad relaxer the salon i used togo to well i white girl did my hair and it was great i didnt have many problems till one day i booked in with her and this other girl was working there and id had a huge amount of growth (six months) so this new girl proceeded to relax my hair she left it on in bits for almost four hours!!! i didnt know any better...she used no lye so i though ih well it aint burning...i know stupid....when she washed it she was rough and she had combed it thru several times too!!

any way about a couple of weeks later my hir started falling out and breaking big time i went back only to find they had fired the girl because she had messed up so many ppls hair.
i got an aplogy and free intensive repair treatment etc but i thought nope never again!

but now im itching to have straight hair again especiallys ince its my cousings wedding in august and i want to leave it out without all the heat etc

thanks girls

Uzz

 

[RainbowCurls]

I will NEVER relax again!
If I want to wear my hair straight, my hair actually looks better heat straightened now it's nearly natural, and takes only slightly longer to do than when I was relaxed! And lasts just as long, my relaxed hair reverted with humidity and rain too. So having relaxed hair just gave me frizzy, dry, broken, split ended, damaged hair with NO benefits at all! I could never 'wash and go' when my hair was relaxed.

About the shrinkage, well, it's a fact of life for wavy/curly/coily haired people! Bear in mind the longer your hair gets, the more the weight will pull down the hair.

 

[sharee]

I think I am a 3 something. When I first joined this board, I had relaxed/texturized for the first time in almost 2 years then I transitioned for a year and relaxed again in November this year. I relaxed because I was scared I was putting too much heat in my hair to get rid of the wierd curly/waves and shrinkage. Now I am sad about the relaxer because my hair is dry, brittle and falling out....I don't know if I will relax again or transition (I am already at 12 wks post). Anyway, relaxer or not I always have shrinkage an frizzies maybe its the products I am using.

 

[Cichelle]

3b, here. I did the b/c last July after a 14 month transition. I relaxed my hair for years before that and will not go back. It's natural all the way for me. As far as my regimen, I keep it real simple. Now that I am chemical free and have healthy hair, my goal is growing it long. I co-wash daily, shampoo maybe once a week or whenever I feel like it. I use a natural butter on my hair, like hemp butter or shealoe and I put it up loosely in a ponytail or bun. That's it.

 

[vevster]

I'm a 3bc and I love Dudleys Lye relaxer in MILD.

Phew i knew i wasn't alone on here.
Thanks for responding
Im 100% natural but totally itching to get a relaxer...can't decide between phyto and profectiv...how much is it going to cost me with the phyto??? aarrgghh

Anyway i basically c/o wash three to four times a week with pantene black long hair, air dry and then use pantene oil replacement therapy all over except my scalp and put up in a bun.
Thats all i do i keep it simple because i have just got my crazy pj under control (i have already started buying products for when i relax my hair...i know i know i cant help it!!)

Im hoping to get near waist length (relaxed) hair and then maybe go back to being natural...im past bsl now so im joping to get there by August (cousins wedding)

thanks again....

Uzz

 

[Lucia]

Hey MEIA
thanks for sharing that info and i know what you mean and thats the reason ive waited ..well in fact become natural cuz i thought no way to all the chemicals in my hair...then i see phyto!
i had a really bad relaxer the salon i used togo to well i white girl did my hair and it was great i didnt have many problems till one day i booked in with her and this other girl was working there and id had a huge amount of growth (six months) so this new girl proceeded to relax my hair she left it on in bits for almost four hours!!! i didnt know any better...she used no lye so i though ih well it aint burning...i know stupid....when she washed it she was rough and she had combed it thru several times too!!

any way about a couple of weeks later my hir started falling out and breaking big time i went back only to find they had fired the girl because she had messed up so many ppls hair.
i got an aplogy and free intensive repair treatment etc but i thought nope never again!

but now im itching to have straight hair again especiallys ince its my cousings wedding in august and i want to leave it out without all the heat etc

thanks girls

Uzz

If you just want straight hair for special occasions then I don't reccomend a relaxer, for that you have to want straight hair 24/7 all the time, you can use the right products and irons like a maxiglide or CHI ceramic and get really good stylist fooling results. I'm all natural 3c/4a and when my hair is flat ironed everybody believes it's relaxed but it's better for me b/c my hair looks thicker and has more body than it ever did relaxed-I won't go back to creamy crack.

 

[Ayeshia]

3c Present Some 4a too though

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Hey, since we've got alot of 3cs here, can u guys also give tips on what flat irons you use or products you use for maintaining your style?

 

[Lucia]

3c Present Some 4a too though

Love your siggy pic, love the curls.

 

[Cheleigh]

3c Present Some 4a too though

In that signature picture (and many other photos I've seen of you), you look more like a 3b (curl diameter alone--not talking texture, which Andre doesn't address at all). You might have some 4a coils, but just not visible from that photo.

 

[SilkyandSmooth]

Love your siggy pic, love the curls.

Ditto

@DDtexlaxd

I have the Maxiglide which I've only used once (I don't like using a lot of heat on my hair). It does a very good job of straightening the hair.

I'm still learning how to style my natural hair, so I wouldn't be much help in that department. I think I'm going to experiment more once the weather gets a little warmer.

 

[KittenLongPaw]

In that signature picture (and many other photos I've seen of you), you look more like a 3b (curl diameter alone--not talking texture, which Andre doesn't address at all). You might have some 4a coils, but just not visible from that photo.

Those look like 3c curls to me, the size of a straw. Doesn't Andre actually lump what we would call 3b and 3c together in one big "3b" category anyways? I think 3c is a category that was created by curlyheads, not Andre.

 

[Mahalialee4]

3b here with one small patch of 2 in the front bang area. It is just straight for no particular reason. I am natural. Use color occasionally.
Regime: which I am always tweaking. Since I live in a very cold cold climate most of the year, I am currently, shampooing about 1 in 6 days. ( am MTGing regularly). I do a deep condition at that time and also just started using Mane and Tail Detangler and the Conditioner as a leave in. I oil the ends every other night and keep up in a ponytail wrap or ponytail (2-4 rollers), if I am going under the dryer. I will be leaving the airdry for warmer days for obvious reasons and another reason is since my hair is naturally wavy curly, it likes to cling one strand to another which requires frequent separation. I think it will be easier to maintain a hassle free regime if I do the dryer thing which leaves my hair straight without tangles. bonjour