Caring for a curly weave *tips needed*

[Your Cheeziness]

Ladies, I'm thinking of getting a sew in curly weave something like what is pictured. I don't want the wavy hair, but the coily hair. I will be leaving hair out at the crown around a part by doing twist outs.

Anywho, I'm a weave noob, so I'd like tips on how to maintain the actual weave hair. I plan on keeping the weave up to 3 months.

I want to know your tips, tricks, and experiences. Feel free to suggest hair brands as well! That way I can make a decision and not be on here talking about asking for help after the fact.

TIA!

 

[lettieg27]

Bumping for you, cause I want to know too.

 

[Napp]

i had a weave that looked exactly like that. it was a human blend though so all i had to do was fluff and go. when it got fuzzy i spritzed it with a little water and it looked fine. everyone thought it was mine. i just left a little bit upfront out and covered the track with it. it was very easy to blend. i had it for a month and ruined it from my experimentation. so i took it out early. i could have easily went 2 months with it.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

i had a weave that looked exactly like that. it was a human blend though so all i had to do was fluff and go. when it got fuzzy i spritzed it with a little water and it looked fine. everyone thought it was mine. i just left a little bit upfront out and covered the track with it. it was very easy to blend. i had it for a month and ruined it from my experimentation. so i took it out early. i could have easily went 2 months with it.

Thanks! What kind of experimenting did you do (so I know not to do that!)

 

[justicefighter1913]

good question. I'm about to get the BoBaz installed in 2 weeks and I want to know too!!!

 

[Napp]

Thanks! What kind of experimenting did you do (so I know not to do that!)

i boiled it like eleventy times

if you dont understand what boiling is you probably dont need to be doing it on your first weave lol.....


and since this is semi synthetic the care was very different from human hair. i actually preffered it to human hair because human hair get flat when you sleep on it and you have to keep refreshing the curl every ,morning. i dont have time fo dat with my real hair so i dont want to bother with that with some weave!

if you really want to know about weave i suggest bhm

 

[NikkiQ]

When I was using curly weave for my installs, I tweaked my reggie a bit to make it last longer. I used spray bottles with diluted conditioner and shampoo in them so I could spray my braids directly without having to tangle the hair up trying to wash. Plus on cowash and poo days, I would part the weave down the middle and put each section into a big braid. Once the hair was dry, I just unravelled(sp?) the braids and it was as good as new. Any frizziness I had was cured with a little bit of Care Free Curl or BRX Braid spray. Just a few squirts and run your hand over the hair to smooth it and voila! HTH

 

[yardyspice]

I've had Halley's Curl in Natural and AAMH kinky curly. The HCN tangled easily so I had to braid it when I was co-washing. The AAMH didn't get tangled easily but it shed like a dying dog. I've decided that I am not going to weave my hair anymore and instead I am going to make wigs and take them off at night. I need to be able to get to my hair and a wig gives me that flexibility. Right now I am wearing a home-made Senghori Shells Natural Waves wig and I am liking it over my kinky curlies. If only it weren't raining cuz my leave out reverts.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

When I was using curly weave for my installs, I tweaked my reggie a bit to make it last longer. I used spray bottles with diluted conditioner and shampoo in them so I could spray my braids directly without having to tangle the hair up trying to wash. Plus on cowash and poo days, I would part the weave down the middle and put each section into a big braid. Once the hair was dry, I just unravelled(sp?) the braids and it was as good as new. Any frizziness I had was cured with a little bit of Care Free Curl or BRX Braid spray. Just a few squirts and run your hand over the hair to smooth it and voila! HTH

How often did you wash the weave hair? And how long did your installs last?

 

[Your Cheeziness]

i boiled it like eleventy times

if you dont understand what boiling is you probably dont need to be doing it on your first weave lol.....


and since this is semi synthetic the care was very different from human hair. i actually preffered it to human hair because human hair get flat when you sleep on it and you have to keep refreshing the curl every ,morning. i dont have time fo dat with my real hair so i dont want to bother with that with some weave!

if you really want to know about weave i suggest bhm

Never heard of semi-synthetic (told you I'm a noob!) How long did your install last?

 

[Napp]

Never heard of semi-synthetic (told you I'm a noob!) How long did your install last?

it lasted a month. its technically called "human hair blend". i did it myself so i was doing all types of crazy things to it...

 

[NikkiQ]

How often did you wash the weave hair? And how long did your installs last?

I washed every 2 weeks or so. I never left mine in for longer than 10 weeks at a time. I started to miss my hair too much

 

[Your Cheeziness]

Thanks! One more question: With proper maintenance, is it possible for a curly weave to last up to 3 months?

 

[glamazon386]

If you're buying human, make sure it's at least Cuticle Remy. Anything else will tangle and matt on you after a few washes.

Be prepared to detangle like you would your own natural hair. It may actually be worse since the weave is going to be longer than your own hair. If the hair sheds, it will make the tangling worse because the shed hair will get caught in the bulk of the hair and cause tangles.

Be prepared to cowash or rewet the hair on a regular basis because it will get flat when you sleep on it. You'll need to refresh the curl some type of way. You could also do braid or twist outs to cut down on the need for this.

Be prepared to keep the hair moisturized. Depending on the type of hair you buy, it may get dry. Keep it wrapped up at night so your pillowcase doesn't zap it dry. You may have to DC the weave hair on a regular basis to keep it soft.

Yes, a curly weave can last up to 3 months with proper maintenance. I've done it before several times with no problems.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

If you're buying human, make sure it's at least Remy. Anything else will tangle and matt on you after a few washes.

Be prepared to detangle like you would your own natural hair. It may actually be worse since the weave is going to be longer than your own hair. If the hair sheds, it will make the tangling worse because the shed hair will get caught in the bulk of the hair and cause tangles.

Be prepared to cowash or rewet the hair on a regular basis because it will get flat when you sleep on it. You'll need to refresh the curl some type of way. You could also do braid or twist outs to cut down on the need for this.

Be prepared to keep the hair moisturized. Depending on the type of hair you buy, it may get dry. Keep it wrapped up at night so your pillowcase doesn't zap it dry. You may have to DC the weave hair on a regular basis to keep it soft.

Yes, a curly weave can last up to 3 months with proper maintenance. I've done it before several times with no problems.

Thank you!! But dad-gum, seems like dealing with my own hair that I wanted a break from lol.

 

[glamazon386]

Thank you!! But dad-gum, seems like dealing with my own hair that I wanted a break from lol.

Yeah I've found that with kinky curly hair sometimes it's more work. I usually spend more time detangling weave than I do my own hair. Half the time it ends up in a bun or ponytail because I don't feel like being bothered. And you can't keep rewetting it without detangling because after a few days you'll end up with a mess on your hands.

If you get a shorter length, it might not be as bad. The last weave I had was 12" but it shed and the shed hair got mixed in and started tangling. The tangles were the worst at the nape of the neck. I ended up taking it out after a month because it was getting on my nerves. I've never had that issue with 12" hair before so I think it had to do with the processing. The hair might have been over processed.

BoBraz is pretty but sheds like cat hair. At the end of 3 months my install was pretty thin because so much of the hair had fallen out. I would suggest you seal the wefts if you use it. I also had issues with it getting buildup and then going mushy due to over moisturizing. It behaved the best without any product on it.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

Okay, ladies I appreciate all of the input. To say this will be my first weave (that I keep longer than 24 hours), I may just go with straight hair to get used to having it and caring for my hair underneath. If that goes well, I'll venture off into curly hair.

Feel free to keep posting tips as a reference for others!

 

[glamazon386]

Okay, ladies I appreciate all of the input. To say this will be my first weave (that I keep longer than 24 hours), I may just go with straight hair to get used to having it and caring for my hair underneath. If that goes well, I'll venture off into curly hair.

Feel free to keep posting tips as a reference for others!

The only thing with straight hair is that you're going to either have to get a full weave (which can look wiggy if not done properly) or straighten your leave out. With straight hair, I have to constantly curl, flat iron, etc. I can't be bothered. Maybe I'm just styling challenged. Curly is easier for me.

I would suggest you venture over to BHM and do some research. A lot of people think weaves are carefree but they're not. You still have to put in some work. I mean they can give you a break from dealing with your own hair but there's still some maintenance involved. And this is why I go back and forth between my hair, weaves and wigs. I can only deal with each one for a few months at a time. They all have their pros and cons.

I remember posting here about being frustrated with BoBraz with my first install. I had to come up with a regimen to keep it looking halfway decent. I know some people over at BHM were using Crisco on the ends of it to keep it under control.

With curly weaves, I find that I can get out of the house quicker because I'm wetting the hair, combing through it and rolling out. There isn't much styling involved. It's the detangling that takes up the time. If I'm being lazy I won't comb it. I always end up paying for it later down the line though.

So if I compare the time spent with the weave, to the time spent on my own hair, I guess it evens out. If I have to style my own hair I'm almost always late though. It never wants to act right. That's why it ends up in a bun most of the time.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

The only thing with straight hair is that you're going to either have to get a full weave (which can look wiggy if not done properly) or straighten your leave out. With straight hair, I have to constantly curl, flat iron, etc. I can't be bothered. Maybe I'm just styling challenged. Curly is easier for me.

I would suggest you venture over to BHM and do some research. A lot of people think weaves are carefree but they're not. You still have to put in some work. I mean they can give you a break from dealing with your own hair but there's still some maintenance involved. And this is why I go back and forth between my hair, weaves and wigs. I can only deal with each one for a few months at a time. They all have their pros and cons.

I remember posting here about being frustrated with BoBraz with my first install. I had to come up with a regimen to keep it looking halfway decent. I know some people over at BHM were using Crisco on the ends of it to keep it under control.

With curly weaves, I find that I can get out of the house quicker because I'm wetting the hair, combing through it and rolling out. There isn't much styling involved. It's the detangling that takes up the time. If I'm being lazy I won't comb it. I always end up paying for it later down the line though.

So if I compare the time spent with the weave, to the time spent on my own hair, I guess it evens out. If I have to style my own hair I'm almost always late though. It never wants to act right. That's why it ends up in a bun most of the time.

Ok, I'll lurk on BHM for more info. Yeah, I thought a weave would basically be 5-10 minute styling. And the whole reason I picked a curly weave is because I don't want the wiggy look. I'll do more research. Thanks for such a detailed pro and con!

 

[Aviah]

I never knew they were so much work either... I really wanted one too :/
Guess I'll stick to my crochet braids.

 

[Napp]

Yeah I've found that with kinky curly hair sometimes it's more work. I usually spend more time detangling weave than I do my own hair. Half the time it ends up in a bun or ponytail because I don't feel like being bothered. And you can't keep rewetting it without detangling because after a few days you'll end up with a mess on your hands.

If you get a shorter length, it might not be as bad. The last weave I had was 12" but it shed and the shed hair got mixed in and started tangling. The tangles were the worst at the nape of the neck. I ended up taking it out after a month because it was getting on my nerves. I've never had that issue with 12" hair before so I think it had to do with the processing. The hair might have been over processed.

BoBraz is pretty but sheds like cat hair. At the end of 3 months my install was pretty thin because so much of the hair had fallen out. I would suggest you seal the wefts if you use it. I also had issues with it getting buildup and then going mushy due to over moisturizing. It behaved the best without any product on it.

this is why i do not deal with curly hair past 10 inches!(i prefer shorter!) i had a 12 inch curly that i only kept in for 4 days because i hated having to wet and detangle it everyday or else i looked like a mad woman. i didnt lay the tracks well enough to cut it short.i liked the fact that human hair blend hair kept its shape when i slept. (it didnt get flat) and if it got frizzy a little water would revive it like new,unlike regular synthetic which when it frizzed is pretty much crap.

 

[loulou82]

I'm weaving AAMH KC and have used the same batch of hair since December 2009 (4 installs in a row). I do very little to the hair because I wear it in a bun during the week and down on the weekends (co washing to refresh the curls). The hair is 20 inches and at my waist when stretched so it's a lot of hair. I have pictures in my fotki of how I wear I wear the hair and my take-downs (link in profile). I flat twist my leave out and it blends well with the weave when I wear it in a bun or braid. I wet my leave out with a spritz mix of water, conditioner, and oil and smooth and/or brush back my own hair for blending when when I wear the weave "wet and curly". Many times I throw on a headband and leave my flat twist in and bun my install.

I really like the hair and sealed it before installing so the shedding, while still there, doesn't bother me. I'm wearing the hair until I reach MBL this summer.

ETA: At night I do 3 jumbo twists on the hair and sleep with a bonnet. I refresh with my spritz mix.

 

[levone]

Great topic, thanks for posting.

I just got a weave put in (last week) and I used the Janet King Yaky hair. I love this hair (although it is h#@! to work with). I love it because of the blending...it blends PERFECTLY with my blow dried hair or if I put curlformers in my small amount of leave out hair at night. The curlformers (or any magnetic type roller) straighten my hair enough where it blends. I've actually since bought some Hair Esthetics? kinky straight hair (cuticle remy) and that hair is beautiful. I plan to try it in the future after I remove this. I go through phases though (wanting to try out weave) so not sure when I'll put that in.

With this said, try the kinky straight hair (or a course yaky). It will blend with your hair WITHOUT you having to try to get curls to form daily. My plan was to do twistouts or rollersets with the hair(styles such as these puff up on me after working out with my own hair), but to be honest I've been lazy and have just been rocking a doughnut bun. Anyway, I've used the bobraz and kinky curly hair before, but this has been a lot less maintenance for me. You can even flatiron your hair if you want ( I did initially) but I've found I don't need to anymore since the curlformers get my hair smooth, just put them in my small amount of leaveout hair at night if I sweat my hair out.