Fined haired naturals....

[LoveCraze]

Do you find that you are unable to wear braids with extentions or weaves due to your fine strands not being able to handle the extra weight? If you are able to wear these, do you increase your protein treatments before hand and during? I'm just curious because I feel my fine hair is just too fragile to handle extentions braids or weaves. This is based on what my hair would do when relaxed however, so I don't know if I would have different results now that I am natural. Maybe my hair is stronger now and can actually handle braids better. Chime in with your experiences. Thanks.

 

[Ltown]

I could not wear them because they frizz and slide out very easy.

 

[Duchesse]

Have you tried half wigs instead? I seriously love them.

I've had extensions while natural and while texlaxed and it gets fuzzy very quickly and tends to slip. I've done weaves as well (self installed) but felt like the strings messed up my hair a bit. With both (braid/weave) I never really liked how my hair felt afterword...though I liked the styles.

Personally, for me, HWs are best for fine hair.

 

[LoveCraze]

Have you tried half wigs instead? I seriously love them.

I've had extensions while natural and while texlaxed and it gets fuzzy very quickly and tends to slip. I've done weaves as well (self installed) but felt like the strings messed up my hair a bit. With both (braid/weave) I never really liked how my hair felt afterword...though I liked the styles.

Personally, for me, HWs are best for fine hair.

Funny you should ask because I have actually been giving HW some thought. I have never worn them and I'm not too fond of weaves. Braids with extentions scare me and like Ltown, they start to slip and get fuzzy. I may need to investigate more in half wigs. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

I have never worn a weave and seldom put in braid extensions but I know my hair is very fragile. Once, I tried micros and my hair came out in clumps - not all from one section but I could run my fingers through my hair and have a handful of hair - however; more simple braid styles don't cause any problems. Ex. braids going straight to the back or curved to the side.

 

[lilsparkle825]

Senegalese twists are one of my top PS options when I need to put my hair away for a while. Kinky twists were a bit heavy, but they didn't take out my edges or anything. I just had a sew-in with 14" BoBraz and it was heavy when wet, but I bunned it a lot.

Although my hair is fine, it seems to be a bit tougher now that I am natural.

 

[LoveCraze]

Senegalese twists are one of my top PS options when I need to put my hair away for a while. Kinky twists were a bit heavy, but they didn't take out my edges or anything. I just had a sew-in with 14" BoBraz and it was heavy when wet, but I bunned it a lot.

Although my hair is fine, it seems to be a bit tougher now that I am natural.

I love the way Senegalese twists look and wore them at the end of my transition. Only thing is that they started to slip and then they would twist and wind up at the root to the point where it would be painful and I would have to untwind it to get relief. I don't want to go through that again.

 

[Adonia1987]

I have very fine hair, and regularly get braids/sew ins. Because my hair is fine I use protein every week(AO GPB) I also do a heavy protein treatment every 6 weeks. I am natural and this is working just fine for me.
________
Uggs

 

[Boujoichic]

After years of trying at the expense of my hair I finally figured out I cannot wear braids with extensions. They would seriously thin my hair out and one time took out my edges. I remember finding braids with plugs of hair still attached. I did find that I can wear weaves without losing hair though. But I learned I had to have a good bit of new growth (when I was relaxed) was careful to make sure my base was not braided too tight and was sure to not keep an install in more than 4 mos. Also I like to do a good protein treatment before getting a new install to strengthen my hair but I dont use protein while in an install.

 

[ladyfay]

I tried weaves twice, and it put too much stress on my hair, making my head very sore and painful that caused that whole section to thin out. It also left my hair very spacey.

I can wear micro braids. My braid lady will not braid it tiny. She states that it will break my hair texture. I get my whole head rebraided every 5-6wks. I never had breakage nor hair loss with this method. One time I tried to push 7wks and I notice I had that same pulling and sore feeling like the weaves. So I called immediately to get the braids taken out. I also use human hair.

I don't use protein on my hair, only when it's needed, which is very rare. I wash my natural hair and deep condition and then get my hair rebraided. I did the same thing when I was relaxed over 5 years ago.

 

[femmemuscle]

i learned the hard way. Anything that puts extra weight on my head, and i do mean EXTRA, will cause my hair to break off.

I have tried kinky twists with extensions - they kept sliding off

individuals - sliding and breaking off my sides and crown. My hair started becoming thinner with each install, plus the african braiders just braided too tight.

weaves - way too heavy for my natural hair. I thought weaves were supposed to GROW your hair. I wondered why the whole time i wore them, that every take down, i had thinner hair - especially at the crown and sides.

Finally, 3 months ago, i decided to change up my growth aide, and 5 months ago, i introduced MSM into my smoothies - plus 2 extra capsules every morning.

i put away all of the weave hair, and asked for cornrows. The difference was amazing. My SO noticed it on the first takedown. My beautician kept saying: "Your hair is really growing and coming in thicker."

I put 2 and 2 together and realized. I could have had great growth by having less "high tension" hair styles. The MSM was a huge help as well..

Today, i can wear 2 french braids (goddess braids/slave braids) without a lot of extension hair. I only have that in to hold the style for at least 6 weeks. Otherwise, ladies, i have sides, and crown all grown in.

I had to learn the hard way took me 2 long damn years to realize, weaves/singles/twists with extensions aren't for everyone.

 

[femmemuscle]

oh! and another thing....

i hated to admit that i had fine hair... i didn't want to accept this for the longest time, ladies. I swore to myself when my hair grew out - it would look "Just like my weave".. long, thick and luxurious... because i'm half black indian.. boy, was i wrong - well, not about the damn indian part..

 

[lilsparkle825]

I love the way Senegalese twists look and wore them at the end of my transition. Only thing is that they started to slip and then they would twist and wind up at the root to the point where it would be painful and I would have to untwind it to get relief. I don't want to go through that again.

Did yours start with a braid or a twist? I start mine with a braid and I don't have that problem.

 

[greight]

Fine haired natural... I'm avoiding weave from here on out because of my edges. They're not too bad, but they're bad enough that I noticed the damage and I'm trying to recover. I don't think I can ever go to a relaxer/texlax for this very reason

I'm currently braiding my hair (flat twists, twists, cornrows) without added hair to see if I can go that route (low manipulation + less tension). My hair isn't tight or neat yet since I'm doing this myself (and I haven't mastered parting my hair or braiding ), but I think with regular moisturizing/protein treatments, I'll be okay with this.

Single twists (own hair) can have some issues especially with washing, but I've mastered that style (and know what to do) so I'm trying to incorporate more styling options for me now that I have this free time.

 

[LoveCraze]

i learned the hard way. Anything that puts extra weight on my head, and i do mean EXTRA, will cause my hair to break off.

I have tried kinky twists with extensions - they kept sliding off

individuals - sliding and breaking off my sides and crown. My hair started becoming thinner with each install, plus the african braiders just braided too tight.

weaves - way too heavy for my natural hair. I thought weaves were supposed to GROW your hair. I wondered why the whole time i wore them, that every take down, i had thinner hair - especially at the crown and sides.

Finally, 3 months ago, i decided to change up my growth aide, and 5 months ago, i introduced MSM into my smoothies - plus 2 extra capsules every morning.

i put away all of the weave hair, and asked for cornrows. The difference was amazing. My SO noticed it on the first takedown. My beautician kept saying: "Your hair is really growing and coming in thicker."

I put 2 and 2 together and realized. I could have had great growth by having less "high tension" hair styles. The MSM was a huge help as well..

Today, i can wear 2 french braids (goddess braids/slave braids) without a lot of extension hair. I only have that in to hold the style for at least 6 weeks. Otherwise, ladies, i have sides, and crown all grown in.

I had to learn the hard way took me 2 long damn years to realize, weaves/singles/twists with extensions aren't for everyone.

Wow, this is great advice. I think that cornrows would be the best way to go for my hair as well. I totally didn't even think about those. I can definitely see how this will put less stress on hair. I was trying to come up with a nice protective style for the winter time that wouldn't cause hair loss. I like the idea of wearing cornrows. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[LoveCraze]

Did yours start with a braid or a twist? I start mine with a braid and I don't have that problem.

They (African braiders) started it with a twist. I suppose if it was started with a braid, I can see how that would not cause the winding root action that I got.

 

[s4pphir3]

When I would get braids they slid out easily, especially around my edges. I haven't gotten any since then but at one point I was doing light protein treatments every week and my hair felt much stronger and actually seemed a bit thicker after.

 

[glamazon386]

I could not wear them because they frizz and slide out very easy.

I have this problem with braids too. After a few weeks the front is always fuzzy and they start to slide. It's a waste of $200.00. I haven't had any issues with braids or weaves pulling my hair out though.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

My braids usually stay in and don't frizz until the 2nd-3rd week.... but it's been a VERY long time since I've had extensions. Now I tend to stick with wearing full wigs (weaves are pricey for me right now as I'm in saving mode.)

 

[Vintageglam]

Fine haired natural and like femme i worked out that weaves and extensions do not agee with my edges and actually thin my hair out. I now wear half wigs and my hair is just fine

 

[Nonie]

Fine-haired lady checking in.

I'm a braid lover and extension singles/micros are my norm. I do not get any hair damage from them, and I do wear them for a looooong time. The set I'm wearing now, I put in at the start of April 2009.

I use human hair which is lighter than synthetic. I am also careful to put less hair per braid section than the section contains of my hair, so that there's less weight than I see on other folks. Also because I do them myself, I am careful not to pull hard, and I can be sure that I'm a gentle braider because I used to braid babies and I've had people argue with me when I did hair telling me I need to make them firm because to them I was not pulling enough. It's not necessary to pull hard for the braids to be firm and to stay.

I don't get frizz much, only if I wash, and that's usually on only a few braids, which I redo as soon as I can. When the hair is new, it does unravel up to the point where my hair ends, but the part containing my hair usually stays neat as seen in the pic below:

This is the set I'm wearing now after a wash:

I do redo the hairline as soon as the hair gets loose whether from sliding or growth, so I don't think I give my hair time to look frizzy. I also don't use any leave-in products at all (braid spray, moisturizer, styling products ) for the period I'm in braids. I don't know if that makes a difference.

I do DC with a reconstructor while in braids once a week, but I do that even when not in braids. But I think redoing the braids one at a time during the course of their life on my head helps me move the strain from the original braiding point to a newer stronger portion and therefore helps keep the hair on my head.

BTW, if you found your hair to look a little messy after a wash and didn't have time to redo the messy ones, wearing your hair in cornrows can give you a really nice braid-out that sorta hides the mess. Also wearing your hair in cornrows can help with the "weight" if the swinging weight is too much. Another thing I'd suggest is not to wear hair that is way too long if yours isn't long. Perhaps it takes your head time to get used to bearing longer hair, so baby steps help. I always just go to about shoulder length or about 4-6 inches longer than my own if I am already at SL with my own hair, just so I can have extra hair at the end to play heat games with without touching my own.

 

[nikolite]

Half wigs with cornrows or braids underneath are a good option.

Crochet styles are also great. I just finished putting in crochet kinky twists for the first time. I cornrowed the hair and added kinky twist extensions. I think this is much more delicate on fine hair. I'm sure you can do it with braids or senegalese twists too. I'll be doing this style again and again.

 

[LoveCraze]

Fine-haired lady checking in.

I'm a braid lover and extension singles/micros are my norm. I do not get any hair damage from them, and I do wear them for a looooong time. The set I'm wearing now, I put in at the start of April 2009.

I use human hair which is lighter than synthetic. I am also careful to put less hair per braid section than the section contains of my hair, so that there's less weight than I see on other folks. Also because I do them myself, I am careful not to pull hard, and I can be sure that I'm a gentle braider because I used to braid babies and I've had people argue with me when I did hair telling me I need to make them firm because to them I was not pulling enough. It's not necessary to pull hard for the braids to be firm and to stay.

I don't get frizz much, only if I wash, and that's usually on only a few braids, which I redo as soon as I can. When the hair is new, it does unravel up to the point where my hair ends, but the part containing my hair usually stays neat as seen in the pic below:

This is the set I'm wearing now after a wash:

I do redo the hairline as soon as the hair gets loose whether from sliding or growth, so I don't think I give my hair time to look frizzy. I also don't use any leave-in products at all (braid spray, moisturizer, styling products ) for the period I'm in braids. I don't know if that makes a difference.

I do DC with a reconstructor while in braids once a week, but I do that even when not in braids. But I think redoing the braids one at a time during the course of their life on my head helps me move the strain from the original braiding point to a newer stronger portion and therefore helps keep the hair on my head.

BTW, if you found your hair to look a little messy after a wash and didn't have time to redo the messy ones, wearing your hair in cornrows can give you a really nice braid-out that sorta hides the mess. Also wearing your hair in cornrows can help with the "weight" if the swinging weight is too much. Another thing I'd suggest is not to wear hair that is way too long if yours isn't long. Perhaps it takes your head time to get used to bearing longer hair, so baby steps help. I always just go to about shoulder length or about 4-6 inches longer than my own if I am already at SL with my own hair, just so I can have extra hair at the end to play heat games with without touching my own.

Nonie, those braids are so pretty. Looks like it takes a while to put them in. My braiding skills are not on your level sadly. I guess I need to practice more. I also agree that less braid hair per braid will put less tension on the hair.

 

[divinefavor]

The only time I've gotten damage from braids were with getting mircos. I experienced really bad damage along my edges from them. For that reason I haven't had micros in 9 years. The braids I've had since then have been cornrow extensions (which I've only twice, last year and last month) and since those are frenchbraided I didn't get any damage. I did notice though that they tend to start loosening at about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.

As far as weave, I've only had weave once about 3 years ago. I think there's a thread around here somewhere about my weave. I didn't experience any damage then either. I was afraid of damage to my fine hair so I only kept the weave in for about 5 weeks. I made sure to wash and deep condition while in the weave.

Before putting any weave of any sort in my hair I always do a protein treatment before hand and after I take them out.

 

[steffiejoe]

I have learned the hard way that braids and corn rolls can cause thinning to my fine hair. They did help me with retention, but be careful with braids. My right side is a little thinner then the left. Thank goodness, I noticed it. I still baby this side and do scalp massages.
This happened before I learned about the C&G method and other healthy hair tips. Thinking about it I do not feel the retention I gained was worth my hair thinning out.

I did use kinky twists during my transition without to much of a problem. For a while I had a braider who was very gentle. She was into helping people grow their hair while wearing braids. She has moved to Atlanta , so I am to afraid to try out a new braider.
I wear half wigs , with my hair in plaits as my protective style. I really like being able to come home after work and moisturize my hair. This has cut down on the amount of manipulation I was doing to my hair.
I have to admit sometimes I feel a little self conscious about wearing a half wig( I work with a jerk who makes it a point to comment about my hair. He does admit my half wigs look good ). I am on a mission to grow my hair. When I see my progress and how healthy my hair is I keep pushing forward.
I have never had a sew in weave before, so I cant speak on this.

I always did a heavy protein treatment before getting braids .

When I come home I take my half wig off. If I leave out again I put a head wrap on. I pre poo weekly , and deep condition weekly.

I don't think I will have my hair braided again. The half wigs are really working out for me and Im happy with my progress.
You should try wearing a half wig on the weekend to see if you like them.

 

[RegaLady]

I have had braids and sew ins and they worked out great for me. The thing is that I did not bother them much when I had them in and I treated my hair like silk when I took them out.

I am in "micros" now.( They are not the traditinal micros,they are a little bigger). But I haven't had much problem with them. Now my edges have suffered, so I can't pull these things too tight on them

 

[pookaloo83]

I do crochet braids. This is the only thing my hair seems to tolerate. My fine strands are scared of micros. Crochet braids are light weight and my own hair is cornrowed down. So I never have any damage or pulling. I have a set in now. For about 3 months I've been wearing these. Not the same set though!

 

[Nonie]

Nonie, those braids are so pretty. Looks like it takes a while to put them in. My braiding skills are not on your level sadly. I guess I need to practice more. I also agree that less braid hair per braid will put less tension on the hair.

Thanks. You will get better with practice. I've been braiding for years.

It took about 8 hours to put in the first set (I braid to the ends and those were 10 inches long) and about 10 hours to put in the second set (also braided to the end and the braids are 14 inches long), but I rarely do them all in one sitting anymore. Seems I've gotten lazier in my old age. I braid till I get bored then put on a hat and continue when I feel like it. I usually braid while watching a movie so that helps the time fly by.

 

[LoveCraze]

I have learned the hard way that braids and corn rolls can cause thinning to my fine hair. They did help me with retention, but be careful with braids. My right side is a little thinner then the left. Thank goodness, I noticed it. I still baby this side and do scalp massages.
This happened before I learned about the C&G method and other healthy hair tips. Thinking about it I do not feel the retention I gained was worth my hair thinning out.

I did use kinky twists during my transition without to much of a problem. For a while I had a braider who was very gentle. She was into helping people grow their hair while wearing braids. She has moved to Atlanta , so I am to afraid to try out a new braider.
I wear half wigs , with my hair in plaits as my protective style. I really like being able to come home after work and moisturize my hair. This has cut down on the amount of manipulation I was doing to my hair.
I have to admit sometimes I feel a little self conscious about wearing a half wig( I work with a jerk who makes it a point to comment about my hair. He does admit my half wigs look good ). I am on a mission to grow my hair. When I see my progress and how healthy my hair is I keep pushing forward.
I have never had a sew in weave before, so I cant speak on this.

I always did a heavy protein treatment before getting braids .

When I come home I take my half wig off. If I leave out again I put a head wrap on. I pre poo weekly , and deep condition weekly.

I don't think I will have my hair braided again. The half wigs are really working out for me and Im happy with my progress.
You should try wearing a half wig on the weekend to see if you like them.

I really want to try out some half wigs to see if I like them. But two things concern me.
1. That I might feel too self conscious while wearing it.
And 2. That DH will not be too fond of them and start giving me static.

Surprisingly he likes when I put my hair in two strand twists. But for me to do that style more often, I would like to have more length.
I'll have to stress to him my reason for wanting to wear half wigs the same way I did when I got my Senegalese twists.

 

[bluediamond0829]

That sounds like my hair. It's very fine and I've worn braids and weaves in the past actually I transitioned using weaves and braids. But with braids and even kinky twist they start sliding out after a month-waste of money. Same thing with weaves it just seems to thin my hair out. Also they dry my ends out. I do wear half wigs but I can't wear them alot.