I'm really upset with my hair right now *pics*

[RockCreak]

I'm just so fustrated right now. (sorry about the long post)

Ok! So I go to poo my hair and con my hair. Now usually when I do this, my hair detangles very easily......NOT! So I'm like what the freak is going on... As far as my NG, well that was fine with slip, but the relaxed ends felt like a matted dog's butt! or sheep wool arse! So I applied Silicon Mix which usually helps me to detangle very easily and gives great slip... NOT! and my hair was like stiff as a board. I've done nothing new to it.. still using the same products as I have for the last couple of months. Anyhoo....I just let that crap (con) settle in for a while and slooooooly start detangling... took me all of an hour to do.

I am transitioning and I have found that what works on my NG is not working for my relaxed ends.. and vice versa but something has to give! Actually this is the second time that this has happenedto me... At this point I'm not sure as to what I should do. So after I detangled.. this is how much hair I lost.....

And this is what it looked like....

So I decided to take some hair and cut to check out the NG.....

I still have con in my hair...

And I used a comb to stretch to show the length...

I was trying to avoid the BC and just trim as it grows... however I don't think I'm going to make it. I can't keep going through this detangling situation I have on my hand. I'm considering cutting about 3-4 inches and then going into braids for a while.... until at least June....

Now, before some start to judge and criticise and assume I should know better because I am a licensed cosmetologist.... let me just say.... I am not nor have I ever thought I was a "know it all" stylist. Cosmetology only teaches you the "basics," eveything else, you learn on your own and through trial and failure. I am no longer a "practicing" stylist so I'm a little out of tune! (Haven't done any clients since 1998 outside of a few family members, myself and dd).

With all that being said... I want to continue on my way to being natural but just need some advice...being natural and being relaxed/texlaxed are two different worlds....As you can see, my hair is fine and thin....... I'm just trying to weigh in on would it be beneficial for me to just go ahead and bc or to continue to try and transition..... Please chime in...

BTW: sorry I didn't take a pic of my hair lookin like a sheep wool arse!

 

[sharifeh]

awww why was your hair so tangled? what style was it in before you washed??
in how long haven't you clarified?

 

[HealthyHair2007]

so what are your goals? Are you planning on going natural or eventually relaxing?

 

[RockCreak]

awww why was your hair so tangled? what style was it in before you washed??
in how long haven't you clarified?

I have no idea why it was so tangled.... I had my hair back in a simple bun...nothing extra to it... I actually clarified my hair about 2 wks ago...

Thanks for the hug!

 

[RockCreak]

so what are your goals? Are you planning on going natural or eventually relaxing?

I'm going to continue to move forward in going natural. I'm just tired of the see through hair when relaxed or texlaxed... not only that.. but my hair truly don't hold a style either... I can set my hair on small to medium rollers and by the end of the day... my hair just have that "S" pattern to it.. you can forget a second day of wear with that...

 

[sharifeh]

Maybe your hair was reacting badly to the protein in silicon mix? And sorry I at matted dog's butt!
That is funny right there!

 

[Fhrizzball]

I know some people have used coconut oil with success to detangle harsh tangles. Your hair still looks nice. I can't imagine transitioning so even getting this far, kudos to you.

 

[RockCreak]

Maybe your hair was reacting badly to the protein in silicon mix?And sorry I at matted dog's butt!
That is funny right there!

I was thinkin of that to.. but my hair used to like that stuff.....

oh... matted dogg's butt were the only words I can think of to desribe my hair!

 

[imaccami]

Awww. Feel better. Maybe the BC is in your future.

 

[RockCreak]

Awww. Feel better. Maybe the BC is in your future.

Thanks... I'm thinking so to

 

[Qualitee]

I think your curls are so pretty

 

[~NanCeBoTwin~]

I think you should decide on what look you want at this time. Do you want to BC and rock the short fro or do you want to continue to transition so you can rock the bun, braid/twist outs etc....
Those would be the questions I'd ask myself if I were in this situation.

I'm sorry your hair was so tangled, Good Luck on your decision.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I am sorry this is happening to you.

It may be time to re-evaluate your choice in products the deeper you get into your transition.

You may have to switch out several things that worked for you in the past as a relaxed head. And Start thinking more about products for naturals.

I would also suggest visiting that thread: Transitioners that Decided Not to BC. There is a thread out there. They may have some helpful advice for you until you decide what you want to do.

The thing not to do is: Get 'Frustrated' and BC. Put a little more research into it first. With product selection(s) etc.....

We have a Transitioner in our Use 1 Buy 1 Challenge (that has decided not to BC) and she has switched over to more 'natural' products and products specifically for Curly hair than what she was using when she was Relaxed.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Do you pre poo? I have really fine hair too and at 17 weeks post I HAVE to try some condish/oil mixes on my grass before I wash.

Certain products make my hair mat too. For instance Fantasia IC Aloe leave in makes my hair mat like sheep wool that hasn't been groomed in 15 years. BUT it stops my breakage in its tracks. So what I've learned to do is go back to the Wanakee method.

1. I section my hair and twist it up,
2. Section by section I apply my leave ins then gently detangle that section THEN apply the IC Aloe leave in
3. Blow dry
4. Apply oil to the ends (castor, coconut, evoo mix. Depending on how much you add, it can be heavy for fine hair but it helps with keeping my hair under control)
5. Put it back up (by twisting or bantu knot)

When I had more breakage than normal, I mixed a raw egg into some slippy condish (nothing expensive because I am kinda broke right now and for some reason my Nexxus Emergencee kinda stopped working. I think I needed something stronger lol) and I DC'ed again with SE in the green tub. It curbed it ALOT and my hair felts much stronger while being soft.

Your texture is beautiful! I understand your frustration because I have a section in the back like that.... just 2-3 inches of new growth. All because I wanted to be lazy and rush through my hair care regimen. I hope everything works out ok.

 

[locabouthair]

I'm sorry. you lost so much hair. Last week I went through the same thing. Try using the mane n tail detangler. That helped me.

 

[RockCreak]

I think you should decide on what look you want at this time. Do you want to BC and rock the short fro or do you want to continue to transition so you can rock the bun, braid/twist outs etc....
Those would be the questions I'd ask myself if I were in this situation.

I'm sorry your hair was so tangled, Good Luck on your decision.

Thanks.... I hear you! That's what I've just started to think about... I'm not sure if I can "transition." I don't think my hair is diggin the process and accepting the two textures. On top of that my hair is fine and thin... I have to be extra careful about that line of demarcation.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

Your PH was probably off.

 

[RockCreak]

Your PH was probably off.

That came to mind as well... way off.. like somewhere on another planet. erplexed

 

[MummysGirl]

Do you use Porosity Control? Sometimes when my hair is acting weird, I wash, DC and use porosity control conditioner and everything's alright again!

I'd also suggest:
1. Washing in sections... maybe 6 braids? KiSseS03 explains it perfectly here: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...56&postcount=2
2. Adding oils to your DC especially EVOO. I get a lot of slip from oils in my DC.

I'm all about long term transitioning (for ME)...
It's your decision... but don't BC out of frustration with your hair... I hope you figure out what the issue is.

BTW, your natural hair's pretty!

 

[BlkOnyx488]

can you try washing your hair in box braids
that way it doesn't tangle?

 

[Grand Prix]

Hey now, it'll be alright.

Remember that month 6-9 are hardest for most transitioners. My transition has been ridiculously easy from about month 10/11 on (save for styling.. but that's another story). Your natural hair starts taking over quite a bit during this period and you can't take care of your hair like you used to. Products, technique, style, it all has to change. When you find out what works for you it will all go so much better. I so often read about transitioners being on "automatic pilot" when they've been at it for a while.

These things helped me, maybe you could try some of them?
-Limiting and changing shampoos. I poo maybe once every 2-3 weeks and I have so many different bottles of shampoo I've only ever tried once.. But I stuck to it and I find sulfate free to work best for me (especially Afroveda's shampoo bar).
-Cowashes! Very important to me. Moist ng is the best. Removing shed hair is soo important to avoid tangles or even matting, and this goes so well under a stream of water.
-Bantu knot out ponytails. Only style besides flatironing that works for me. I've tried it ALL. Stretches out the ng to avoid tangles again and allows my relaxed hair to curl and look fuller. They're fast and easy to redo before bed. I do have to gather it up into a ponytail though so you won't see the texture difference. Plus they're not as boring to me somehow. They're bouncy.

I never did any of this when I was fully relaxed. My hair loved shampoos, hated cowashes and was too fragile for ponytails. Try some stuff you haven't before, you might just like it.

If you don't want to chop, you shouldn't have to. I'm so happy I've gone through with my transition, even when there were some rough patches. Braids aren't a bad idea at all if it'll get you there.

 

[prettyw/pink]

I'm sorry for your frustration. I can't give you any advice b/c I am relaxed. But you natural hair is very pretty.

 

[Bella_Atl]

I'm just so fustrated right now. (sorry about the long post)

Ok! So I go to poo my hair and con my hair. Now usually when I do this, my hair detangles very easily......NOT! So I'm like what the freak is going on... As far as my NG, well that was fine with slip, but the relaxed ends felt like a matted dog's butt! or sheep wool arse! So I applied Silicon Mix which usually helps me to detangle very easily and gives great slip... NOT! and my hair was like stiff as a board. I've done nothing new to it.. still using the same products as I have for the last couple of months. Anyhoo....I just let that crap (con) settle in for a while and slooooooly start detangling... took me all of an hour to do.

I am transitioning and I have found that what works on my NG is not working for my relaxed ends.. and vice versa but something has to give! Actually this is the second time that this has happenedto me... At this point I'm not sure as to what I should do. So after I detangled.. this is how much hair I lost.....

And this is what it looked like....

So I decided to take some hair and cut to check out the NG.....

I still have con in my hair...

And I used a comb to stretch to show the length...

I was trying to avoid the BC and just trim as it grows... however I don't think I'm going to make it. I can't keep going through this detangling situation I have on my hand. I'm considering cutting about 3-4 inches and then going into braids for a while.... until at least June....

Now, before some start to judge and criticise and assume I should know better because I am a licensed cosmetologist.... let me just say.... I am not nor have I ever thought I was a "know it all" stylist. Cosmetology only teaches you the "basics," eveything else, you learn on your own and through trial and failure. I am no longer a "practicing" stylist so I'm a little out of tune! (Haven't done any clients since 1998 outside of a few family members, myself and dd).

With all that being said... I want to continue on my way to being natural but just need some advice...being natural and being relaxed/texlaxed are two different worlds....As you can see, my hair is fine and thin....... I'm just trying to weigh in on would it be beneficial for me to just go ahead and bc or to continue to try and transition..... Please chime in...

BTW: sorry I didn't take a pic of my hair lookin like a sheep wool arse!

I am soo sorry this is happening to you. Where do you live? Do you think it might be your water? I know when my hair was bleached/relaxed and I visited my grandma in Newark, NJ my hair tangled horribly and I was told it was because of the hard water. Same thing happened to me in Jacksonville, Fl. The hard water caused my hair to mat. Maybe you should try a filter on your shower. Or before buying a filter buy a gallon of water from the grocery store and rinse your hair and see if it tangles.

 

[RockCreak]

Thanks ladies...y'all are the best....I've been researching different products from ph balance to natural. I'm also considering looking at products that works for my ng....I'm still searching and I sure do appreciate all the advice and tips......

 

[Demi27]

Maybe your hair was reacting badly to the protein in silicon mix? And sorry I at matted dog's butt!
That is funny right there!

This is something to think about, OP. For a long time, I used to use Silicon Mix and it worked for me until one day, it made my hair horribly stiff. It was over after that. I realized that (along with cowashing with light protein and other things that I did not know had protein in them) caused me to have SERIOUS protein overload. I had to do nothing buy moisturizing DC's from then on. Do you think this might be the cause?

What had been working for my hair all along just stopped working.

I feel your frustration, though.

ETA: I also went through that phase (before I BC'd) where my relaxed ends needed totally different products than my NG. Don't you hate it?