Do any naturals wear wash and goes/press 50/50 of the time?

[DreamLife]

Do any naturals wear wash and goes/press 50/50 of the time? PLUS please type my hair!

So once again, I wore my hair pressed for about 1.5 months (got it done twice) for some special events and when I went to wash it back, the curl pattern came back loose, and a small portion at the nape at the root stayed straight. This is what I am wondering...do any naturals alternate between pressing and wash and go's frequently? From these experiences I'm really worried about pressing my hair more often than once a year for fear of losing my texture.

Also, I always thought my hair was 4a/4b but now as it is getting longer it is looking like it has a different curl pattern...I'm really bad at typing hair, but it looks like one texture in the front (maybe 3c?) and another in the back (4a or 4b) with a sharp demarcation that can be seen especially when dry.

Its killing me because when I do a wash and go or comb out afro the front looks totally different from the back...the only time my hair "appears" uniform is when I do twist outs. Not sure if my hair got like this since the pressing or it was like this all along (just started wearing my natural hair)

 

[BriDa5242]

So once again, I wore my hair pressed for about 1.5 months (got it done twice) for some special events and when I went to wash it back, the curl pattern came back loose, and a small portion at the nape at the root stayed straight. This is what I am wondering...do any naturals alternate between pressing and wash and go's frequently? From these experiences I'm really worried about pressing my hair more often than once a year for fear of losing my texture.

Also, I always thought my hair was 4a/4b but now as it is getting longer it is looking like it has a different curl pattern...I'm really bad at typing hair, but it looks like one texture in the front (maybe 3c?) and another in the back (4a or 4b) with a sharp demarcations.

Its killing me because when I do a wash and go or comb out afro the front looks totally different from the back...the only time my hair "appears" uniform is when I do twist outs. Not sure if my hair got like this since the pressing or it was like this all along (just started wearing my natural hair)

This was my first wash since wearing it straight for almost two months. I know it has some heat damage but if someone could type it for me I would be most grateful! Thanks

My hair is like that now as well. I alternated between wash and go and blow outs ( I know its not a press but when I saw what you wrote about the straight hair pieces I had to comment ) almost 50/50 and my results were not that good ...my curl pattern and hair health suffered. I still have pieces that will not revert. Maybe someone else had better results.

 

[DreamLife]

Yeah I feel like I am going down a bad path with the whole heat thing, so I'm going to just try twist outs, bantu knots, rollersets, something else besides pressing...I'm just too scared that one day I'll wash my hair and it won't revert at all (which happened the first time I got it pressed for a good while)...

 

[e.lauren]

I wear wash n gos 95% of the time and twists the other 5% But just by nature of how my hair works, everytime I straighten it , it takes like 2 washes for my curl to come back fully/. I've always been like that.

Was this always the case with you ladies? It may just be the nature of your hair.

Oh and I am 3c and i think your hair is 3c

also my hair in front and at the nape is wavier in texture than the rest

 

[DreamLife]

So I've gotten my hair pressed three times since natural. The first time the lady BURNED my hair, and it was just messed up. I had to cut out a piece of my hair. These last two times (done by someone different!), my curl pattern has come back but it takes SEVERAL washes.

 

[afrikurl]

I thin you may have heat damage. I honestly don't know what is safe for my hair but I know there is a fine line temperature wise between straightening really well( having swang and shine) and heat damage. I have flat ironed my hair on high temps and it reverted and other times I got heat damage. I think it's just the chance we take when we go back and forth between straight and normal.

 

[DreamLife]

Yeah I know for sure there is some heat damage because there is one part of the nape that will not curl back (at the root, and thats where I feel like stylists press the hardest).

 

[DreamLife]

Bumpity bump!

 

[Victorian]

I've never had hair stay straight after washing, even with week after week of straightening for months on end--yet some people can do theirs once and end up with permanently straight pieces. I really think this is just one of those "it depends on your hair" situations.
I straighten about 98% of the time (blow dry and flat iron) and my curl pattern is still in tact. The first time I wash after wearing it straight, it is a little bit looser than normal. Usually I just straighten again, so it doesn't matter. If I decide not to straighten for whatever reason, it's back to normal after a couple days of con washing.

 

[Mdmommy99]

I was getting my hair straightened much more often at one point. Maybe not 50% of the time but close. I didn't end up with damage to the point that my hair was breaking but I definitely ended up with straight pieces that never reverted. Granted this was before I started on LHCF so maybe my other unhealthy hair practices contributed also. I'm not good with the typing thing but I know that I have fine strands and it takes me at least two good washes to get my hair back to normal. I've cut back to straightening only 3 or 4 times per year.

 

[chocolate01]

I agree with BlackCardinal, I really think it depends on each person. I can go months just straighten my hair (I blow dry and then flat iron). The only thing i've noticed is one small section in the front is a little looser but it doesn't bother me because the whole front of my head in general has a looser curl pattern than the back and this has nothing to do with heat-it's been like that since I bc'd. Other than that my hair always snaps back. My hair is straight about 90% of the time. I've been doing twist for the last month because I was in school and it saved me time.

 

[kblc06]

I think the primary keys to pressing one's hair and maintaining it's texture are:

• 1. Make sure to DC using both a protein and moisturizing conditioner both before and after pressing your hair. Using a protein conditioner will help to fortify your hair and the moisturizing DC will help add moisture to your hair in order to prevent reversion
     
  2. Use the minimal amount of heat necessary to get your hair straight. If possible stretch your hair via banding, braids or rollersets prior to straightening or any method that eliminates or reduces the amount of heat your hair is exposed to
     
  3. Use heat protectant. 'Nuff said
     
  4. After initial straightening, do not continuously retouch your hair with the flat-ironing or pressing comb.

I do not straighten my hair as often as in the past, but I've never had an issue with reversion using these tips .

 

[DreamLife]

Thanks for the responses! I did retouch some times, and maybe that is what did it. I also did not use a protein conditioner Maybe I'll try again, but probably not until sometime next year.

 

[Victorian]

Good tips, kblc06. Yeah, I never re-apply heat to straightened hair, and I also use something strengthening every time I wash. I actually prefer to pre-poo with my protein/strengthening con, and use more of my smoothing/moisturizing silicone-laden stuff after shampooing.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

I wear my hair straight about 80% of the time. My curl pattern bounces back as soon as water hits it. I dont even need conditioner. My stylist doesnt fry my hair when blow drying and flat ironing so it hasn't caused my hair to suffer.

 

[e.lauren]

I think the primary keys to pressing one's hair and maintaining it's texture are:

• 1. Make sure to DC using both a protein and moisturizing conditioner both before and after pressing your hair. Using a protein conditioner will help to fortify your hair and the moisturizing DC will help add moisture to your hair in order to prevent reversion
     
  2. Use the minimal amount of heat necessary to get your hair straight. If possible stretch your hair via banding, braids or rollersets prior to straightening or any method that eliminates or reduces the amount of heat your hair is exposed to
     
  3. Use heat protectant. 'Nuff said
     
  4. After initial straightening, do not continuously retouch your hair with the flat-ironing or pressing comb.

I do not straighten my hair as often as in the past, but I've never had an issue with reversion using these tips .

I do all this everytime but my hair is very impressionable lol. And my hair straightens irons really easy so I dont have to use a lot of heat and can usually get away with just one pass and have my hair straight for a little over a week. It doesn't smell burny and i don't get breakage

But it still takes 3 washes for my hair to be at its normal curl. Its so weird lol