Curly hair, puffy roots. Whaaat?

[yuhlovevybz]

Basically my roots are puffy and my ends are curly/wavy. So the body of my hair looks great but at my roots the texture is more coarse. I don't think it's heat damage, because its a pretty large portion of my roots. I also notice that my roots are lighter than the body of my hair, and when I color my hair the roots color but the rest of my hair does not. Did it die? What happened? My wash and goes look kinda cute but the front of my hair puts a damper on it. Also, i have a super cute curly bun and then the front of my head is a puffball. Not a good look. No amount of gel willsolve this. A bit of mousse will but I'm weaning off the stuff. And I' curious as the why this is happening. TIA

 

[Lilmama1011]

I'm pretty sure most agree we have different textures through out of hair

 

[yuhlovevybz]

I know this; the top of my hair forms waves while the back forms spirals. But I mean in the exact same lock of hair, the bottom will be frizzy and the end will form a perfect curly. Do different textures work like that as w ell?

 

[Theresamonet]

I have just accepted frizz and pooffiness as part of the nature of kinky cottony hair. Even when I shingle with gel, I get a perfect coil on the end and poof at the root. I'm *assuming* the ends coil because they have nothing weighting them down, while your roots have you ends pulling and disturbing the curl pattern, resulting in frizz.

When I wear ponies or puffs and I want a sleek wavy look, I gel down the front and tie it tightly with a scarf for 10-15 minutes. That always does the trick. For wash and go etc., I have no advice.

Your roots are dying faster because your body heat is causing the color to process faster at the roots. Apply color at the ends, allow it to process a bit first, and then apply to the roots. Also, were your ends previously dyed a darker color and your roots not.

 

[AltheaGarden]

My hair does this as well. In some areas, the further a lock of hair grows from my scalp, the more uniform the curl pattern becomes. I don't use direct heat or harsh chemicals on my hair nor am I heavy on styling, so I now the hair isn't damaged.
As for why, I can only think that maybe as the hair strands mature, they begin to clump/curl together. What causes it, I have no clue.
I don't know about the lighter roots issue that you described.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

I was actually wondering this earlier. lol I just thought what in the world???? Why does it look like I have new growth and I'm natural???

 

[LunaGorgeous]

Lol, I know all too well what you mean. It's not damage (or at least for me it isn't). There's typically lots of newer shorter hairs at the scalp/roots. They don't conform as easy as your longer hairs because there isn't much tension to hold them down or clump them together, so they're just free as can be. I notice that when my hair is moistened, they'll conform, but as the hair dries, the individual strands just form their own curls without clumping with other hairs.

It's just easier to see from the front but the shorter/new hairs are all over, unless there are patches of the scalp that are no longer producing hair.

 

[curlicarib]

I have this too. My roots are 3A/B and after about 4-5 inches my curls loosen up significantly to somewhere around 2b. It sucks, but you just have to deal. I always "set" my hair with flat twists. This tends to give me uniform curls through the length of my strands.

 

[Marino]

I Love your hair !!

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

I have this problem too. 3a/b/c hair, and it was driving me nuts. The rest of my head curls nicely, but the front and temple area are frizz, and poof city. I just did a mild Texturizer in the front, and that took care of much of the problem, but I still have poofy roots in the front. I wear headbands, so you can't really tell I'm having a poofy root situation. I don't think it's damage either. For me, my hair was just resistant to clumping...the individual hairs just want to curl or Not curl by themselves, forming a big frizzy poof. I use curl creams to keep my curls clumped for WnG's.

 

[JBunnie]

THIS!!!!!
I figured it was probably damage on my end from all the heat I used to use and poor products I used to buy. I look at some of the YouTubers and all their hair seems to be so uniformed and have no frizz when they do WnGs I just KNEW there was something wrong with my hair. Since not using heat and making better products and care choices I was still having the issue, good to know I'm not the only girl in the world as I once thought I did.

 

[Lylddlebit]

My hair does this. I attribute it to heat, product and manipulation. Since the roots get the least of it(heat product manipulation) it shows it's true texture when natural while my length can be manipulated to be whatever I want it to be.

 

[Nonie]

Are you all newly natural? I ask coz this isn't a mystery or even news to me. We're talking about hair that is made of kinks: very tiny coils. These coils happen to grow next to each other and are so close together that they sorta are fighting for space, not to mention that unless you're into having knots, we manipulate the hair to keep it stretched thus opening up the coils. For people with larger coils, the coils cup each other and form defined clumped coils easily. For those of us with kinky aka VERY TINY COILS, the cupping doesn't happen easily and so we may only see it at the ends. It's the reason that for people with tiny coils to get the definition they have to shingle: ie stretch out the coils a few at a time from base to ends and keep smoothing them out so in the process you open up the coils and allow them to line up with each other in a way that they can cup each other as they contract. (Demo of shingling)

Look at every person with tiny coils who does a WNG, you'll see clumping at the ends and none at the base. It's the nature of our hair. This is what it does:

When hair is short, you can see it form nice circular coils of definition:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=13195349&postcount=261

But as the hair grows longer, and we manipulate it opening up the coils and as they fight for space, a blending occurs at the base so that the only place where the coils are visible is at the ends:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=15161739&postcount=281

If I finger comb my hair with conditioner in it, the ends may form coils but the base just looks like a cloud:

If I were to separate the strands, you'd see the coils are all the way to the base, but they don't clump when en masse coz they are too small to spoon each other when all are bunched up together:

If you want to see coils, you need to shingle, and work on narrow sections at a time. It's a lot of work. I think the reason your hair looks like it has a "problem" is coz instead of getting to know your hair, you're looking at someone else's hair and trying to get yours to do the same.

I think if you guys view your hair as unique, you can find cool things it can do that other hair you are trying to emulate can't. One of the people who really enjoys her hair and takes chances with it even risking tangles that WNGs can cause (something chicken ol' me would not dare) is @Foxglove:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=11246758&postcount=36

 

[liteskinshowdy]

I want to bump this thread to see if anyone else deals with this issue and have come up with a solution.

I am newly natural, about 9 months and I have a hard time trying to do a wash and go. The bottom of my hair coils up like the original poster said and mine are around 2b - without any manipulation- but my roots are wavy 4a, from scalp to about 3/4 inches down and then does the loose curls on the end. I know someone posted about space on the scalp but I don't know if that's it.

The bottom of my hair is like the bottom of this woman in the video


My roots look like this woman's roots in this video



I washed my hair last night and tried the wash and go again using True Hydrating Hair Butter and Eco styler gel with the red cap. Before using those products I deep conditioned for 30 minutes with One and Only Argon Oil mask- when I took the plastic cap off my hair is "big" wavy when it's all brushed back- after rinsing product out and applying the stylers , I had the small wavy poof at the roots and I tried to shingle from root to tip but only the bottom curled with manipulation.

Any thoughts or suggestion would be great.
Thanks

 

[GGsKin]

My pen spring coils aren't as big as the ladies is the vids (I'm 4c/b) but I get my coils to clump from root to tip by shingling my diluted gel (applied heavily). Repeatedly smoothing and stretching until the clumps form and separate themselves. I only use my hands when doing my hair. And if I am wearing loose, I try (sometimes not so hard) to not touch until dry.

My roots, particulary at the very front of my hair still look relatively undefined after this, but I don't mind.

In a case where the roots aren't dry ir damaged, I think I agree with the idea of curly hairs of differing shorter lengths just being more stubborn when it comes to clumping with or without manipulation. This in turn makes the hair look fuller/ frizzier/ bushier at the roots. I'm experiencing this bushy roots look at the minute but I'm also noticing new hairs.

ETA: maybe there is an ingredient involved that your hair doesn't like?

 

[liteskinshowdy]

thanks for your response

I've decided to wash my hair 2x a week and deep condition 1 of those times to make sure the hair stays hydrated and try to get a closer look and see if the shorter strands are indeed stubborn.
I stalked your photo album, very nice hair. I was thinking of trying a maximum hydration method to see if it will help. I want to figure this was and go thing out soon because it's getting warmer and I want to were my hair in its natural state.

 

[Ajna]

@liteskinshowdy I would totally recommend the MHM while I am not strictly adherent to it anymore the changes I have seen in my hair has been really great.

My hair used to do the same thing but I found after about 90 days of wash and go's my hair coils to the root. For a long time I used to manipulate my roots to make my hair look different - fuller or laid back into a puff or pulled back off my face. So I think my roots never were trained to coil.

The irony is the less I do to my hair the better it looks.

 

[GGsKin]

thanks for your response

I've decided to wash my hair 2x a week and deep condition 1 of those times to make sure the hair stays hydrated and try to get a closer look and see if the shorter strands are indeed stubborn.
I stalked your photo album, very nice hair. I was thinking of trying a maximum hydration method to see if it will help. I want to figure this was and go thing out soon because it's getting warmer and I want to were my hair in its natural state.

Thank you
Max Hydration Method (and modifications) is the reason I am able to wear my hair out with relative ease without tangles and dryness and product gambles. It's also enabled me to master my wash and go. That is literally all I do lol.

Even if you just take regular wetting, doing everything in smaller sections, clay washing and shingling / or exclusive finger detangling (not for everyone-I get it), it is bound to help.

 

[nothidden]

@liteskinshowdy, you are sooooo not alone.

I think 'puffy root syndrome' is a moisture thing, and for some reason roots take longer to get and stay moisturized. ALSO, it is a styling issue as I would never have been on my way to combating this, not even a little bit, if I had not begun washing/conditioning/styling in sections. This made a major difference in my hair...MAJOR. Product has to hit every strand, and if you're working w/one big poof, that's what you'll get (or at least that's what I got).

My hair from ear to ear will clump from the roots, also areas around the perimeter of my face, but the denser areas are slow to conform with root-to-tip curl clumps here and there. I recently decided I like this mix because I like the fullness of my hair, but I'm not so sure I'll like this as my hair continues to grow, as I would like it to fall all over. I do plan to restyle my hair more often now that it's warm to see if I can speed up my root-to-tip clumping.

I used to do the original max hydration method. It worked well. It's definitely an awesome resource for non-drying conditioners. I think I tried most of them. My one suggestion would be to use a sodium bentonite clay as opposed to the calcium. The sodium clay is much more conditioning than the calcium.

 

[liteskinshowdy]

thanks for your response

I am going to wash my hair more often and see if I can train the roots- I have some acv and some red bentonite clay powder. I tried it once and it dried my hair out but I think i'll try it again.
I want to get to the point of less is more myself.

 

[liteskinshowdy]

yes, I was thinking smaller sections also, lol-
I want to work my way up to finger detangling -

thank you!

 

[liteskinshowdy]

thank you for your response

last night I washed and used the hair mask in sections- I saw a big difference in my hair
I put product on in small sections and this wash and go was better than any that I've already attempted and that's when I saw the puffy roots and the curls on the end- usually I don't make it as far as what I did last night and I end up putting my hair in two braids. I am so glad I checked the board and have this new information in mind for next time.

 

[nothidden]

yes, I was thinking smaller sections also, lol-
I want to work my way up to finger detangling -

thank you!

What helps me w/finger detangling is dry conditioning first. Before I wash my hair I apply conditioner (something cheap), let my hair soften, then make my sections. My hair is so soft and manageable that finger detangling is much more effective. I start at the ends then work my way up the strands.

 

[liteskinshowdy]

I will try this out on a section and see how it works - I'm scared of matting because of not going through my hair properly
I know patience is key

 

[GGsKin]

I will try this out on a section and see how it works - I'm scared of matting because of not going through my hair properly
I know patience is key

My first time took forever but now, it's not so bad. And I get to really check out the condition of my hair.

Just take your time and work through your small sections with your slip. Pulling taut, and working from the ends up, aligns the hair in that section and helps the shed hairs to slide out. Pulling your sections taut (but not hard) when shingling with your gel also stops your roots matting, as your hair naturally separates into smaller clumps and the gel will seal them, for as long as your hair is hydrated.

ETA: I can't rake through my hair when I detangle, as I'd more than likely rip more strands than save. When I pull taut, I gently tease the ends and then smooth and separate the length. For me, this gets the individual hairs out, without breakage.

 

[liteskinshowdy]

thank you-
I plan on washing my hair again tomorrow and I'll try it out.

 

[nothidden]

@liteskinshowdy, I had really good results w/my re-styling last night. This morning I'm feeling waves if not curls from the roots and very little, if any, puffiness.

This is definitely something you can overcome.

 

[liteskinshowdy]

It's been a VERY long time since I have uploaded images, so I don't know why they are sideways. Anyway, this is after deep conditioning.
I was able to finger detangle with the conditioner in my hair. Not sure how often I will do it though. I will be doing different treatments on my hair and also cutting so I can have truly health hair and be able to rock wash and go's.
Thanks for all of your help.