almond eyes
Well-Known Member
Dear Ladies,
It's been a while since I have posted.
I was in the States a few months ago on leave and now am back in Africa for work.
My hair which was a little below SL was doing quite well until I had a few set backs I have to talk about and my conclusions about my hair and what it can and cannot do.
I have natural hair that is fine textured mostly 4b with very sparse 3c's within my hair densely packed and a lot of it. I used to think it was a mix of 4a/4b but nope it's a 4b.
Anyhow, I came back to the States and started giving my hair all this tender loving care with the products. I wore mostly protective styles and all throughout the winter months my hair was moisturised and covered.
My hair was doing really well but as it got longer it got harder to style those fine light strands.
Then in March, I wanted to do something different so I decided to do a light blow dry. I prepped my hair using BlackMasterPiece's methods so I thought I was on a roll when, the comb attachment for the hair dryer did not fit properly. Okay I thought, I'll just use the tension method. Well, my hair just remained a nice light puffy afro and I lost a lot of strands because my curl is very tight and since I did not have a comb attachment it was hard to get through the hair so the ends were somewhat straight but the roots remained kinky. I didn't like the look I mean it should either be my afro kinky curls or straight but not in between. So, I got a bright idea, I mildly used my pressing comb. Well, the next day it reverted and the only thing I could do was a bun.
The following week, I decided to get my Aveda colour done and I should have detangled my hair before going there and not assume that the half straight look was soft enough for detangling. Anyhow, the hairdresser put a moisture treatment on my hair (mistake my hair loves protein) and told me to wash it out when I got home. I think he saw the tangles and became frightened that I would freak out at the salon when it came time to comb it out. Anyhow, got home and the tangles were outrageous ended up losing 1/4 to 1/2 of hair all over including my weak spots. The front of my hair that was on my chin was up to my eyes and eye brows
I decided to leave my hair alone. Then when I was leaving for Africa, I got a bright idea, put in extension braids so that I would just give my hair a break. So I went to harlem and got my hair done in these nice big plaits.
Get to Africa and the sun is shining so hot on my head that I am glad that I got these braids. However, because I was not used to wearing extension plaits for more than two years and the synthetic hair gives me an allergy, I had to remove my braids. The braids felt tight and I began to immediately itch and I had flakes for the first time in several months.
And the results were stunning when I took my braids out. The synthetic braids chewed up a lot of my hairline and weaker areas of my hair. I decided to take the braids out and just give my hair a break but guess what all my hair products were in my cargo and not set to arrive by ship for another eight weeks.
I luckily had one container of my Qhemet mixture and I tried that and once the sun hit my hair, my hair looked like a dried out sponge with terrible edges due to the slight damage. Nothing I did worked to make my hair look moisturised and I had to start work on Monday. My poor hair was tired. So, my colleague convinced me to weave it up.
What did I learn from this experience a lesson that I keep having to learn over and over again?
1. My fine hair cannot take too much heat and if heat is used I must do a thorough job so that it's not just the ends that get straight but the roots because that can cause breakage when combing
2. My fine hair gets harder to style as it gets longer
3. No no to moisture treatments
4. No to colouring at hair salons because they don't know how to detangle my hair properly and they do not wash my hair in big braids
5. Be flexible and know that fine hair is fragile and be prepared to have a back up plan when hair gets damaged
6. In Africa, protective styles are better for the hair than to leave the hair open with the heat.
7. No more synthetic hair (even though it lasts longer and gives hair more volume) because that weighs too heavily on fine hair and can give some women dermatitus.
8. Leave my hair alone and stop trying to do too many things to it.
9. Always wash my hair in big braids.
10. Accept that my hair will never be thick. It's like a light fluffy cloud.
Not sure if I want to wear a weave long term and anxiously awaiting my cargo with my hair products. Will let you know how it works out.
Best,
Almond Eyes
It's been a while since I have posted.
I was in the States a few months ago on leave and now am back in Africa for work.
My hair which was a little below SL was doing quite well until I had a few set backs I have to talk about and my conclusions about my hair and what it can and cannot do.
I have natural hair that is fine textured mostly 4b with very sparse 3c's within my hair densely packed and a lot of it. I used to think it was a mix of 4a/4b but nope it's a 4b.
Anyhow, I came back to the States and started giving my hair all this tender loving care with the products. I wore mostly protective styles and all throughout the winter months my hair was moisturised and covered.
My hair was doing really well but as it got longer it got harder to style those fine light strands.
Then in March, I wanted to do something different so I decided to do a light blow dry. I prepped my hair using BlackMasterPiece's methods so I thought I was on a roll when, the comb attachment for the hair dryer did not fit properly. Okay I thought, I'll just use the tension method. Well, my hair just remained a nice light puffy afro and I lost a lot of strands because my curl is very tight and since I did not have a comb attachment it was hard to get through the hair so the ends were somewhat straight but the roots remained kinky. I didn't like the look I mean it should either be my afro kinky curls or straight but not in between. So, I got a bright idea, I mildly used my pressing comb. Well, the next day it reverted and the only thing I could do was a bun.
The following week, I decided to get my Aveda colour done and I should have detangled my hair before going there and not assume that the half straight look was soft enough for detangling. Anyhow, the hairdresser put a moisture treatment on my hair (mistake my hair loves protein) and told me to wash it out when I got home. I think he saw the tangles and became frightened that I would freak out at the salon when it came time to comb it out. Anyhow, got home and the tangles were outrageous ended up losing 1/4 to 1/2 of hair all over including my weak spots. The front of my hair that was on my chin was up to my eyes and eye brows
I decided to leave my hair alone. Then when I was leaving for Africa, I got a bright idea, put in extension braids so that I would just give my hair a break. So I went to harlem and got my hair done in these nice big plaits.
Get to Africa and the sun is shining so hot on my head that I am glad that I got these braids. However, because I was not used to wearing extension plaits for more than two years and the synthetic hair gives me an allergy, I had to remove my braids. The braids felt tight and I began to immediately itch and I had flakes for the first time in several months.
And the results were stunning when I took my braids out. The synthetic braids chewed up a lot of my hairline and weaker areas of my hair. I decided to take the braids out and just give my hair a break but guess what all my hair products were in my cargo and not set to arrive by ship for another eight weeks.
I luckily had one container of my Qhemet mixture and I tried that and once the sun hit my hair, my hair looked like a dried out sponge with terrible edges due to the slight damage. Nothing I did worked to make my hair look moisturised and I had to start work on Monday. My poor hair was tired. So, my colleague convinced me to weave it up.
What did I learn from this experience a lesson that I keep having to learn over and over again?
1. My fine hair cannot take too much heat and if heat is used I must do a thorough job so that it's not just the ends that get straight but the roots because that can cause breakage when combing
2. My fine hair gets harder to style as it gets longer
3. No no to moisture treatments
4. No to colouring at hair salons because they don't know how to detangle my hair properly and they do not wash my hair in big braids
5. Be flexible and know that fine hair is fragile and be prepared to have a back up plan when hair gets damaged
6. In Africa, protective styles are better for the hair than to leave the hair open with the heat.
7. No more synthetic hair (even though it lasts longer and gives hair more volume) because that weighs too heavily on fine hair and can give some women dermatitus.
8. Leave my hair alone and stop trying to do too many things to it.
9. Always wash my hair in big braids.
10. Accept that my hair will never be thick. It's like a light fluffy cloud.
Not sure if I want to wear a weave long term and anxiously awaiting my cargo with my hair products. Will let you know how it works out.
Best,
Almond Eyes
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