I permed my hair

[rabs77]

Girl I feel you on the knots. No matter what I do...I fee like almost each hair of mine has a knot or 2 somewhere on it. I was just thinking about pressing more often today too. I'm torn because I currently press about 6 times a year, and I am afraid that if I do it any more often my hair may not revert back when I want it to.
On a good note..I think I have the pressing technique down pat so holla if you need any info. Oh just noticed you in SoCal too...holla!
P.S. have you tried flexi rod sets...You can achieve a great looking style with this without having to use direct heat.

 

[Bint Yusef]

Girl I feel you on the knots. No matter what I do...I fee like almost each hair of mine has a knot or 2 somewhere on it. I was just thinking about pressing more often today too. I'm torn because I currently press about 6 times a year, and I am afraid that if I do it any more often my hair may not revert back when I want it to.
On a good note..I think I have the pressing technique down pat so holla if you need any info. Oh just noticed you in SoCal too...holla!
P.S. have you tried flexi rod sets...You can achieve a great looking style with this without having to use direct heat.

Is your current sig pic a press you did?

 

[Crackers Phinn]

Girl I feel you on the knots. No matter what I do...I fee like almost each hair of mine has a knot or 2 somewhere on it. I was just thinking about pressing more often today too. I'm torn because I currently press about 6 times a year, and I am afraid that if I do it any more often my hair may not revert back when I want it to.
On a good note..I think I have the pressing technique down pat so holla if you need any info. Oh just noticed you in SoCal too...holla!
P.S. have you tried flexi rod sets...You can achieve a great looking style with this without having to use direct heat.

erruh, who is doing your hair? I gots no problem driving through the orange curtain to get my 'do did'.

 

[Cheleigh]

Hey J...

You have a similar hair texture as I do, and about the same length. I fought tangles at the start of the year, but not too much any more. I will always have tangles, and knots because my strands are thin and very curly. But I don't have a lot of breakage from the single strand knots, so I don't trim them.

Currently, what's working for me are pomades, stretched/bunned hair, and two-step detangling.

Pomades: My hair needs heavier waxes/butters to keep the strands separated. I use a water-based spritz for moisture, and one of my pomades I mixed together afterward. This means that I wash my hair more often (once a week) and clarify ever other week. I don't do many CWs anymore, but probably will start again now that it's summer.

Stretched hair: I can wear my hair in a S&G occasionally, but it doesn't work to wear it in a S&G or puff all the time. I wear my hair in a bun most of the time, because I'm lazy and style challenged. I'm your age, but a bun/ponytail is how I wore my hair as a relaxed head most of the time (unless I had a fresh relaxer) so I'm realistic about how I'm usually going to wear my hair as a natural. (Although I love twists/twistouts too). As soon as I get home, I usually twist or plait my hair to relieve the stress from my hairline (although I don't bun tightly) and because my hair has fewer tangles when it's plaited/twisted. These stretch my hair and form the basis of my buns or ponypuffs.

Detangling: Since my hair has been stretched most of the week, there aren't nearly as many tangles. The pomade butter has minimized my knots (although I still get both). I shed a lot and MUST detangle with an instrument that captures my shed hair. So on wash day, I usually DT on dry hair, twist into 6 twists, shampoo in twists, and then condition with my favorite conditioner mixture (AO Honeysuckle Rose, Island Naturals and TJ Nourish). I undo the twist and finger detangle first. Then I rinse my brush and the section with warm/lukewarm water, and CAREFULLY use my D4 to finish each section, and retwist. It takes about 20 minutes to do my entire head.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[rabs77]

Is your current sig pic a press you did?

Yes I did this press by myself

 

[rabs77]

erruh, who is doing your hair? I gots no problem driving through the orange curtain to get my 'do did'.

Girl I quit going to get my hair did last summer...One too many cuts...instead of TRIMS!!! My hair dresser was good...but damn she could cut of about 2 inches each time
I watched her closely and practiced at home until I felt comfortable enough to dump her
Ill post how I press in here for you

 

[EMJazzy]

One GREAT thing about natural hair is that it is VERSATILE....there is nothing wrong with pulling out the flatiron every now and again.

 

[rabs77]

My Press:
Time excluding hair wash: Approx 3 hrs
Tools: Blowdryer with comb, pressing comb, MAXIGLIDE, BIOSILK silk serum,



Before washing my hair I part it into about 8 sections, and my hair stays in eight sections until I complete my hair washing steps. My hair is in sections because my hair is extremely thick, and I get overwhelmed if I do not section the hair. After completely rinsing out conditioner I towel dry my hair, keeping it in the 8 sections.

Step 1. Blow dry each section on medium heat with ONE DROP of BIOSILK serum.(no more than one drop or your hair will appear greasy, and wont swang) After this your hair should be straight...but probably not flat.

Step 2. Next I take very small sections of hair(Ill say 1 inch long and less than 1/4 inch thick), and

a. first pass comb through with a pressing comb(I first pass the comb over a towel to reduce the heat), then

b.with my MAXIGLIDE( Setting 5).

Each section of hair gets the once or twice over with the comb then the MAXIGLIDE.The hair going through the maxiglide should at this point be straight...from the blowdrying and pressing comb. If its not already straight the teeth from the maxiglide will pull out your hair!

+ You have to remember to press very small sections at a time, otherwise it wont last.
+ You can add bursts of steam to the hair from the MAXIGLIDE which gives it this amazing sheen and softness
+Great thing about the maxiglide is you can start pressing right from your scalp and wont feel a thing. Just make sure you dont press the steam button when you are near your scalp cos that hurts a lot!

Thanks to Cali's dry weather...my presses may last about 2 weeks. Girl just make sure you put it in a high ponytail and wrap your ish tight befor you get in the shower!

Now I havent tried the SEDU or CHI irons...they may or may not give the same results as MAXIGLIDE...you will have to get info from someone who has used all 3

Hope this helps

 

[SparklingFlame]

My Press:
Time excluding hair wash: Approx 3 hrs
Tools: Blowdryer with comb, pressing comb, MAXIGLIDE, BIOSILK silk serum,



Before washing my hair I part it into about 8 sections, and my hair stays in eight sections until I complete my hair washing steps. My hair is in sections because my hair is extremely thick, and I get overwhelmed if I do not section the hair. After completely rinsing out conditioner I towel dry my hair, keeping it in the 8 sections.

Step 1. Blow dry each section on medium heat with ONE DROP of BIOSILK serum.(no more than one drop or your hair will appear greasy, and wont swang) After this your hair should be straight...but probably not flat.

Step 2. Next I take very small sections of hair(Ill say 1 inch long and less than 1/4 inch thick), and

a. first pass comb through with a pressing comb(I first pass the comb over a towel to reduce the heat), then

b.with my MAXIGLIDE( Setting 5).

Each section of hair gets the once or twice over with the comb then the MAXIGLIDE.The hair going through the maxiglide should at this point be straight...from the blowdrying and pressing comb. If its not already straight the teeth from the maxiglide will pull out your hair!

+ You have to remember to press very small sections at a time, otherwise it wont last.
+ You can add bursts of steam to the hair from the MAXIGLIDE which gives it this amazing sheen and softness
+Great thing about the maxiglide is you can start pressing right from your scalp and wont feel a thing. Just make sure you dont press the steam button when you are near your scalp cos that hurts a lot!

Thanks to Cali's dry weather...my presses may last about 2 weeks. Girl just make sure you put it in a high ponytail and wrap your ish tight befor you get in the shower!

Now I havent tried the SEDU or CHI irons...they may or may not give the same results as MAXIGLIDE...you will have to get info from someone who has used all 3

Hope this helps

Thankx a bunch!
Do you tihnk I can get mine to look as good as yours without using a comb? ETA: I also have a Maxiglide.

 

[rabs77]

Thankx a bunch!
Do you tihnk I can get mine to look as good as yours without using a comb? ETA: I also have a Maxiglide.

Hi....
Im not sure about skipping the hot comb with MY hair. I dont like to pass my air through MAXIGLIDE when the hair isnt already pretty straight. The little teeth/comb in the maxiglide pull it out. You can try though and let me know

 

[SparklingFlame]

Hi....
Im not sure about skipping the hot comb with MY hair. I dont like to pass my air through MAXIGLIDE when the hair isnt already pretty straight. The little teeth/comb in the maxiglide pull it out. You can try though and let me know

I Maxiglided my hair one time b4 w/o the comb or blowdrying it first and the teeth didnt pull my hair out. I'm sure blowdrying it first will make the whole process easier though.

 

[sareca]

Don't play...

Be careful with that heat JCoily! I'd hate to see you starting a thread talkin' about you have a scrait patch.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[pattycake0701]

Wow, I'm totally feelin' you. I have no clue of what to do to my hair so I lean on my crutch (my phonie ponies and headband or scarf). I'm thinking that I will have more options once I'm bra strap length. I thought about straightening too but I'm thinking I would end up regretting my decision.

 

[esoterica]

There must be a website with some sophisticated looking natural styles. i had a look for you just now, didnt see much apart from dreads.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

Wow, I'm totally feelin' you. I have no clue of what to do to my hair so I lean on my crutch (my phonie ponies and headband or scarf). I'm thinking that I will have more options once I'm bra strap length. I thought about straightening too but I'm thinking I would end up regretting my decision.

I'm almost waist length, and I'm sorry to tell you that it seems to be getting worse for me instead of better. I wear my hair flat ironed most of the time by default because that's the look that I have mastered and that's the one that looks good. The longer it gets, the bigger it gets. I have too many textures for a wash and go, and my braidouts/twistouts only last like 2 days. A flat ironed look lasts at least a week. The longer your hair gets, the less you really worry about shrinkage (at least that's the case for me). Your hair still shrinks a lot, but it just doesn't seem to be a big deal anymore. It's funny that I've been thinking about permanently straightening my hair too, but I think I'm just getting bored with myself. I've also been thinking about color. I can't wear scarves or braids so I am very limited.

 

[CurlyGirly327]

Ok, not really, but I've made a decision.

If I cannot get some type of control over these knots and tangles by May of next year (2 yr anniversary of BC, 3 years worth of natural hair growth), then I'm incorporating heat into my regimen and wearing my hair straight (or as straight as I can get it).

I can't be 35 wearing a puff all the damn time.

I have no idea why I thought that after I went natural I was going to morph into some master braider/twister and hook myself up with a variety of natural styles. Naw son, that ish didn't happen.

I dig my texture, but I also wanna get my grown woman on and pufftacular ain't doing it for me.

I just thought I'd share.

JCoily, why are you reading my mind? Get outta my head!

I too have decided that I want to go back to relaxing for the reasons you mentioned. The knots, tangles, shrinkage, and frizzies are making maintenance a nightmare, and my seemingly permanent TWA that only turns into twists or coils is not the mature, professional look that I'm trying to develop.

I too am NOT a master braider, and I don't find pleasure in spending 4+ hours putting in twists that shrink and frizz after one wash, and look a hot mess after the second wash. Don't even get me started on coils--they get mashed all to hell after one night of sleep and have to be rinsed out in the shower in the morning. I have not had good experiences with braid extensions either, so I'm reluctant to try that for a change-up.

With all the good quality advice I've found on LHCF, I know that I could grow and maintain a healthy, good-looking relaxed hair. I know so much more now than I did when I stopped relaxing over 5 years ago, and I'm actually kind of eager to see how my hair responds to my newer, better care regimen!

 

[patient1]

So whatcha do, JCoily?

p1

 

[yourleoqueen]

And if/when you perm, I'm sure it will look great!

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I don't blame you. My aunt does presses in the winter/spring and coils or twists in the summer. Let us know if you try pressing and post pics I'm sure it will be lovely, especially for a change.

 

[mkstar826]

I had a major knot issue last winter and I could not figure out for the life of me what the problem was. Now I know that I must detangle my hair very well, like wide tooth comb then denman or fine tooth comb. I have to get the sheds out because I am a very heavy shedder.

you read my mind. I HAVE to use a wide tooth comb and then follow with a finer tooth comb to make sure all the shed hair is out or my hair knots up horribly.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

JCoily What did you decide? We all want to know!! LOL!!! I am sure whatever you decided your hair looks good!!!

 

[SignatureBeauty]

*BUMP BUMP BUMP* For JCoily!

 

[chocolate01]

I knew you were kidding!

Try wearing it straight for a while. I keep telling you ladies that the flat iron is not all that bad. Someone has put a lot of fear into you concerning heat, but it's really not so bad. My hair actually seems stronger when it's straight than when it's in a braidout or twistout.

I agree with this post. As long as it's not extreme heat and you don't overdo it I don't see there being a problem. Ever since I've gained length I flat iron my hair in the winter and wear my coils during the spring/summer. I have not had any problems. I say try wearing it straight.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

Ha - Ha!!!!

I'm waiting until May 08 before I make any drastic changes.

I've trimmed about 1.5 to 2 inches off to get rid of the existing knots. I'm going to do a modified version of C&G (no extensions) and baggy my ends nightly. If May 08 comes around and I still got knot issues, straight hair here I come.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Whew!!! Thanks for the Update!!! I am glad you decided to give it some time!! LOL!!!!!

 

[MissJ]

Ok, not really, but I've made a decision.

Pheww. I hardly even come to the hair board, but I had to come see what was up. Didn't know you were having problems. Talking about hair styling...Heck, I wish my puff could look like yours! I'm dealing with knots and tangles, too, but I hope they will work themselves out. Maybe it gets better as the hair gets longer.

Oh yeah, I try to rollerset when I have time. That cuts down on knots and stuff, since it turns out kind of straight.

 

[patient1]

Ha - Ha!!!!

I'm waiting until May 08 before I make any drastic changes.

I've trimmed about 1.5 to 2 inches off to get rid of the existing knots. I'm going to do a modified version of C&G (no extensions) and baggy my ends nightly. If May 08 comes around and I still got knot issues, straight hair here I come.

Huh??? You making hair plans a year from now? I push the 7 day rule...you're taking this to a new level JCoil!!!

p1

 

[CurleeDST]

I don't want to perm my hair but I do want more mature styles in general and the puff does get tiring! I plan to straighten when the weather gets cold but will continue w/ the wash and go's thi ssummer. I am also growing out my bc from last September so I feel a bit limited. When I do straighten I do not want a granny look.

 

[cocoberry10]

Ok, not really, but I've made a decision.

If I cannot get some type of control over these knots and tangles by May of next year (2 yr anniversary of BC, 3 years worth of natural hair growth), then I'm incorporating heat into my regimen and wearing my hair straight (or as straight as I can get it).

I can't be 35 wearing a puff all the damn time.

I have no idea why I thought that after I went natural I was going to morph into some master braider/twister and hook myself up with a variety of natural styles. Naw son, that ish didn't happen.

I dig my texture, but I also wanna get my grown woman on and pufftacular ain't doing it for me.

I just thought I'd share.

This is what caused me to relax, so I understand what you are saying, but I say think twice. Maybe you can get a texturizer or some other style. Don’t run and slap that creamy crack on your hair just yet…just don’t.

 

[cocoberry10]

I agree with you! I prefer to wear my hair straight.

Have you been wearing your hair straight often? How is the heat affecting your hair (since you are natural)? It looks good in your siggy . I also love wearing straight styles, and feel like if I go natural, it will take forever to do my hair (and I don’t have all day).