discouraged natural

[locabouthair]

I recently began wearing my hair natural because I was inspired by alot of you ladies here. Unfortunately for the past 3 weeks that I have been natural most of the time I have been wearing a hat because I cannot maintain a style. I tried a braidout,a twistout and a rod set and they only lasted for only a day. I would like to try flat twist but I can't seem to master it. My hair is constantly dry and i have tried using honey and oil to my conditioners,Dove Instense Moisture conditioner, Pantene R&N,Suave milk and Honey, Motions Silk Protein but they did not do much. I did use carrot creme and it helped a little but it left little things in my hair. I am getting very frustrated and am tired of wearing a hat every day. I am considering getting a phony pony and doing the baggie technique. I really don't want to go back to pressing my hair every 2 weeks because I feel doing that prevented me from retaining any length. Any advice for a hopeless sista?

 

[TrustMeLove]

Well, I don't have any advice on a applied hair method, because im still transitioning, but I hope other people reply..so I can have a thread to revert back to if I face this problem, when I B.C. But, on a spiritual level..

Be encourage, no matter whats going on, no matter whatcha goin' through..because God will work it out for you...

-Trust.

 

[moda]

Normally when I do a braidout or twistout, I re-braid/twist every night to keep my style fresh. Are you doing the styles on wet or dry hair? I too had so many problems with my braidout when I initially tried it but I think I figured it out. I also love spiral roller sets for my hair, how long is your hair, I am sure there is something you can do to solve your problem.

 

[Enchantmt]

I'm style challenged myself so I cant help you in that department as all I've been doing is wearing fro's and wash n go's. Dove conditioner didnt work for me. It went in feeling great but later my hair was dry. I dont know if it was the ingredients or just that it wasnt heavy enough. Try paul mitchell daily moisturizer. Also make sure you dont have build up of oils or conditioners, try and ACV rinse to clarify and then condtion. Qhemet, our new sponser, has a great line of products also- my hair hasnt been dry since using them. I thought I was going to have to cut off my heat damaged hair but using them I think I am going to be able to keep my length for a while. Their banner is at the top of the forum. Depending on how you style your hair, you may try adding a light oil to your hair while it is still damp to help seal in the moisture. Good luck.

 

[JaneBond]

My hair is constantly dry and i have tried using honey and oil to my conditioners,Dove Instense Moisture conditioner, Pantene R&N,Suave milk and Honey, Motions Silk Protein but they did not do much. I did use carrot creme and it helped a little but it left little things in my hair?

maybe you have scab hair it does not absorb any type of moisturizer for long or sometimes not at all.

 

[Poohbear]

whatever u do, do not go back to pressing your hair to avoid damage.

how often do you wash your hair? have u ever tried a wash-n-go?

wearing a hat everyday will dry your hair out.

if you decide to wear a braidout/twistout, it may be a good idea to re-braid/re-twist every night. also use a soft gel to help keep the style.

hth!

 

[deedabug]

pitch the pantene and the carrot creme....

maybe u could try the milk and honey or dove conditioner as a leave in....if ur hair needs moisture feel free to be liberal with the conditioner as a leave in...saturating every part...u may want to do this at nite on the regular....

as for styles...keep practicing....its that time of the year for the hair not to act right....take off the hat...slap in a puff or a french braid on each side...i cant do braids too well..but i still walk out the house with my raggedy french braids and even got so bold one day as to stick a flower on one side lol...

 

[FeelinIt]

One style that helped me was a two strand twist out. I would wash and condition then I would use a light gel, just something to hold the style for a while and two strand twist my hair in cornrows going back. They are like regular cornrows but you are just using two strands to twist each section down like regular cornrows. I would braid down about eight rows. For the ends, use rollers so that you don't have wild looking ends. Dry hair under the dryer or air dry. I would do mine at night and most of the time they would be dry by morning. But if you want to be sure they will be dry, use a dryer. I always got compliments on this style. You can also two strand twist them individually and untwist for a nice fro. Pull back with a head band. There's a website of a young lady who has natural hair who has a multitude of photos and styles. I'll try and find if for you or maybe one of the ladies here will.

 

[PhonyBaloney500]

Are you washing with shampoo with sulfates or just doing con washes (more moisturizing)?

 

[FeelinIt]

Have you tried the shingling method? www.curve-salon.com, shingling 101. Hope that helps.

 

[jainygirl]

I sent ya a PM . -- jainygirl

 

[hopeful]

Hang in there girl. Be encouraged and be patient. You have to keep playing around with different products, styles and tehniques and eventually you'll figure it out. Please don't resort to pressing all the time again. Don't give up on your natural hair just yet. Everything will turn out fine.

 

[Belle Du Jour]

I recently began wearing my hair natural because I was inspired by alot of you ladies here. Unfortunately for the past 3 weeks that I have been natural most of the time I have been wearing a hat because I cannot maintain a style. I tried a braidout,a twistout and a rod set and they only lasted for only a day. I would like to try flat twist but I can't seem to master it. My hair is constantly dry and i have tried using honey and oil to my conditioners,Dove Instense Moisture conditioner, Pantene R&N,Suave milk and Honey, Motions Silk Protein but they did not do much. I did use carrot creme and it helped a little but it left little things in my hair. I am getting very frustrated and am tired of wearing a hat every day. I am considering getting a phony pony and doing the baggie technique. I really don't want to go back to pressing my hair every 2 weeks because I feel doing that prevented me from retaining any length. Any advice for a hopeless sista?

I'm also trying to figure out something that works for me too. I've been conditioner washing daily to help with moisture. I'm also experimenting with hot oil treatments to prevent my strands from splitting.

I get bored with my hair sometimes, in terms of styling, but I usually just wear a twist out/chunky fro. I wash my hair every night, and put about 20 twists in my hair. In the morning, I untwist, finger fluss, and wear either a brasteap headband or scarf for some variety. Add some earring, makeup and you're good to go!

Good luck. And stay away from things that will hinder your progress (ie heat).

 

[Netta1]

The best thing for you to do is give your hair time to do its own thing, you haven't been natural long at all...remember its a process. What works for "me" when my hair is dry is shea butter mixed lekairs conditioner used as a deep conditioner. But really like I said earlier in a nutshell its all about patience and trial and error. I wouldn't suggest pressing your hair I don't think thats going to help you rid yourself of dry hair. Just let your hair be, wear it in a twa, get you some "Sta Sof Fro", and gon' about your business.

 

[tropicexotic]

you got alot of great advice. it takes time to figure out what works for your hair, but experimenting can be fun. i hope something works out for you ::hug::

 

[locabouthair]

thanx for the suggestions everyone. I did feel kinda worse when my ex told me today thatmy hair makes me look like a slave. But I will keep working with my natural hair and I will remember the advice and kind words you have given me. Thanx a lot

 

[DDTexlaxed]

thanx for the suggestions everyone. I did feel kinda worse when my ex told me today thatmy hair makes me look like a slave. But I will keep working with my natural hair and I will remember the advice and kind words you have given me. Thanx a lot

Oh,no, he didn't! Men can be so stupid some times!

 

[Belladonna]

Hey Locabout,
Bad hair days can really make a sista feel....well bad. Keep working with your crown. I might suggest some deep conditioning with heat or steam. Then have fun with it. And if that don't get it a phony pony is always in order.
As for the comment from the Ex....They are an Ex for a reason....They will LEARN!
Anyways, good luck and be encouraged.There is a lot of support here.

 

[Almondjoy]

It kind of sounds like you're trying to do too much. Remember transitioning is not only about growing out the perm but also about transitioning the mind. You need to find the right conditioner and hair product regimen that's best for you and stop using those hats!!! You need to get adjusted to seeing yourself in curly hair. Right now you still are used to having straight hair. I suggest trying Kenra moisturizing conditoner. Right now the liter bottles are buy one get one free at Trade Secret. That stuff is like liquid gold.

 

[sspc]

Don't be Discouraged, I have some suggestions for you.

first I need a list of the products that you use. At the least you should be getting 4-5 days out of your set.

also, tell me how long your hair is

 

[locabouthair]

my hair is at the end of my neck when stretched. The products I use are:

Pantene R&N poo and con
Motions Silk protein conditoner
Suave Milk and Honey Conditioner
Dove Intense Moisture conditioner
Aphogee leave in
Fantasia IC gel
Hollywood beauty carrot creme
ORS jojoba oil

 

[kristina]

you already have been given some great advice but I just wanted to encourage you to be patient with your natural hair. in fact, this might not be encouraging but I'd give yourself at least a year to really figure out your natural hair (not to say you'll look bad the wholetime). When I first started trying to style my hair, I looked pretty crazy myself. But if you stick practice enough you will get better. I'd also encourage you to develop a taste for buns and updos- they always can save what would otherwise be a hair disaster. as far as moisture, I'm trying to figure that out myself but my current favorite is Donnie's Curl Activator Softening Lotion. It works well and doesn't smell like my grandma (like scurl).

 

[caligirl]

It kind of sounds like you're trying to do too much. Remember transitioning is not only about growing out the perm but also about transitioning the mind. You need to find the right conditioner and hair product regimen that's best for you and stop using those hats!!! You need to get adjusted to seeing yourself in curly hair. Right now you still are used to having straight hair. I suggest trying Kenra moisturizing conditoner. Right now the liter bottles are buy one get one free at Trade Secret. That stuff is like liquid gold.

Ditto to "liquid gold."

 

[jainygirl]

thanx for the suggestions everyone. I did feel kinda worse when my ex told me today thatmy hair makes me look like a slave.

Tell him to remove the shackels from his mind and to stop projecting his issues about himself onto you and your hair. -- jainygirl