EXtreme shrinkage SOS ladies I need your help...

[Lucia]

Well I've taken my hair down from braiding, and the shrinkage is not normal for my hair it's worse and the waves are half showing, it's like my hairs gone wild. It's doesn't seem unhealthy just unruly. I've spent the past months braiding taking down, re-braiding. I'm going to do the coconut milk thing then deep condition w/ Cholesterol under a heat cap. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'll be checking posts/PM's inbetween treatments. MTIA

 

[Irresistible]

Re: EXtreme shrinkage SOS ladies I need your help.

whew i dont know what else to suggest...but some kind of butter if you can fit your hair in a bun , put the butter in and pull it into a bun and let it dry..avacodo butter especially. if not banding might help..where you put the bands all the way down to stretch it out some...if not that then braids again it is..thats all i can think of....the conditioning your doing might help too

 

[NapturalGlory]

Re: EXtreme shrinkage SOS ladies I need your help.

you can also braid in big sections overnight and undo the next day.

 

[Lucia]

Re: EXtreme shrinkage SOS ladies I need your help.

Thanks, Irresistible (BTW love your pics) and NapturalGlory, I put some generic paul mitchell leave in braided my hair into 6 big braids and let it dry overnight with a towel around my head. This morning I rinsed it out w/ light shampoo and then did the coconut milk and lime treatment. Now I'm sitting under the heat cap w/ an obscene amount of choleserol cond in my hair. I do have some African Shea butter and some oils I could use, I was going to blow it out maybe flat iron b/c I'm due for an official measurement but seeing your responses I may wait on that a week or so and leave it alone.
Thanks again ladies I'm so glad that everyone here is always ready to help.

 

[DragonPearl]

1) Well, I don't know that shrinkage is NOT normal. Do you have 4a or 4b or 4a/b? Because if you do, you're going to have shrinkage, girl, that's what black hair does naturally if you don't manipulate it, use relaxers or heat. So, don't think of shrinkage as though there is something wrong with your hair. Ain't nothing wrong with nature.

Now, whether you like it or not is another matter.

2) After you have just removed the braids, your hair usually needs some TLC, so you're doing the right thing right now by deep conditioning. Make sure you follow with a rich moisturizing leave-in/hairdressing product.

3) If you were relaxed before putting the braids, you are dealing with 2 textures, and the new growth is going to feel unruly compared to the relaxed part. I think some of the ladies here who are stretching their relaxers use Sta soft fro on the new growth and seem to be happy with it. I have never tried it myself.

Edited to add: Never mind #3, I just read that you were natural. I'd recommend you add some oil to the shea butter that you're using. I add oil to every product I leave on my hair.

 

[Lucia]

Thanks Jessy, I'm a 3c/4a the deep cond worked well, and my waves and ringlets are coming back. I'm taking your advice going to give my hair alot of TLC and moisture.