~Jherri Curl Dilemma~

[mz tracy 25]

Okay, so I know a lot of us had a curl growing up. I know I did. I remember I had to get all my hair cut in order to get it because my ends were still processed from a relaxer, and I cried. But I know my hair greeeeew while it was in, or should I say, retained it all. A couple of years ago I went back to the curl. I did it myself. Care Free Curl. It was okay, my hair flourished and grew, quite speedily, but I took it out because I was tired of all that moisture. Yall know what im talking about. The plastic caps and all that drama got on my nerves. But it really helped my hair, and I'm thinking about going back to it. If I do, I won't wear it out, I'll be wearing curly phoney ponies and curly half wigs until the end of this year. The Wave Nouveau is a lil too dry for what im trying to accomplish.

Anybody ever consider this? What ya'll think?

 

[trevprit]

Okay, so I know a lot of us had a curl growing up. I know I did. I remember I had to get all my hair cut in order to get it because my ends were still processed from a relaxer, and I cried. But I know my hair greeeeew while it was in, or should I say, retained it all. A couple of years ago I went back to the curl. I did it myself. Care Free Curl. It was okay, my hair flourished and grew, quite speedily, but I took it out because I was tired of all that moisture. Yall know what im talking about. The plastic caps and all that drama got on my nerves. But it really helped my hair, and I'm thinking about going back to it. If I do, I won't wear it out, I'll be wearing curly phoney ponies and curly half wigs until the end of this year. The Wave Nouveau is a lil too dry for what im trying to accomplish.

Anybody ever consider this? What ya'll think?

Your post made me think of this book, the name evades me, where the author (a black male), I'm sure someone will chime in with it, discussed the phenomen of the Curl.

He stated the reason black hair flourished with the curl was because of the huge amounts of moisture and protein.

I can't really say that I considered getting a process like this, but the book made me try using the Care Free Curl products (way before LHCF). It didn't work out for me, but I know a lot of the ladies on here use Curl products without the Curl.

So I guess what I'm saying is that maybe you can try the products to achieve the same retention you had with the Curl. My understanding is that it's not the Curl itself, but the products that helped it. Because if you think about it, the Curl is a double process (AFAIK) where the hair is first chemically straightened then chemically altered again to maintain a certain curl size or wave texture.

If someone can keep hair on their head after that, it sounds like a miracle to me!

So unless you're really in love with the style itself, maybe the products will help you achieve what you want, without committing to that style.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

I went natural and my hair looks just like a Jherri Curl, my momma could have saved that money back in the day with less hassle lol!! Yes I use S-curl and activator gels, but that doesn't grow my hair, maybe you need a good moisturizer, Hopefully someone will chime in to help you out! Good Luck!

 

[Beaute Noire]

Interesting...I agree with Mz. Tracy because I love the way S-curl products make my hair feel. So soft and moisturized, but I don't have a curl (Transitioning to natural )

 

[Nonie]

Girl, if I wanted a jheri curl, no one would stop me from getting one. I honestly loved having one, and would have no problems getting one if I were in your shoes. The only reason I wouldn't now is I have fallen so in love with my natural hair and the confidence I have managing it and the independence of caring for it, that I'd hate to have to depend on someone for my hair's upkeep. I know I would have to, coz I can't trust myself not to overlap during touch-ups and thus weaken the point of demarcation. Heck, I don't know if I can trust the stylists either. So it'd be too stressful for me.

But trust me, if I were a relaxer, a jheri curl would be a great option.

When my mom had a jheri curl, she hated the "juice" so she use the gel and just very little juice and then combed out the curls so she had an afro that looked Wave Nouveau-ish. It sorta looked like how her natural afro looks when she uses S Curl on it except the that the curls were bigger--from the size of rods used to create them.

I think the idea of having a jheri curl that is worn up is a great idea. You'd have that smooth pony front that everyone tries to achieve brushing, gelling, and tying down scarfs...and you'd be able to change up your phonies (bun, puff, pony)...and easily find hair pieces that blend. I personally think it's a great idea.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

There is only ONE single solitary lady I've ever seen that looks good with a curl and its a poster here called nakialovesshoes hers came out looking like a straw set and its soooo pretty.....everyone else I see with it looks like a greezy outdated mess lol sorry....just being honest. If I were into relaxing I'd just do a texlax instead....resulting in waves or curls....I think thats really pretty

 

[SignatureBeauty]

I agree with BMP! Just Texlax, you will still have curls and waves and it will look better than a Jherri Curl, and you can of course still use care free curl or S-curl spray, I loved my hair texlaxed, and might go back soon. But whatever you want to do Do it! If you don't like it, just grow it out!

 

[Nonie]

.....everyone else I see with it looks like a greezy outdated mess lol sorry....just being honest. If I were into relaxing I'd just do a texlax instead....resulting in waves or curls....I think thats really pretty

I think that's because they are overprocessed so the curls don't show or they put too much gel. The best jheri curl I ever got was from a stylist called Frank Bisson in Manchester, UK. His JC (or curly perm as they called it) was so well done that just like Nakialoveshoes' appears to be, if you stretched it, it'd spring back to to that straw set look.

When he still had some hair, his curly perm was shoulder length but if you stretched it, it was close to his "bra strap" or somewhere down his back. Just awesome! I went to him when my hair had been overprocessed and he made my hair look so much better from DCing... and nipped the breaking in the bud. I used to leave home at 4:00 AM to travel by train to see him for a 9:00 AM appointment coz he really could create a JC like no one else I'd ever seen.

Nakialoveshoes' hair is what a jheri curl is supposed to be. If you can find someone to do it like that, I'd take that over a texlaxing.

I think the moisture in JC just makes me pick that over texlaxing.

 

[Vintageglam]

OP have you considered wet bunning which would effectively achieve the same results as the jherri curl.....

OT: You have just made me realise also that my hair was SUPER LONG & THICK when I had a jherri curl and when I think of it when I was traveling around SE Asia and rinsing daily and bunning . There appears to be a common theme here

Thanks for opening my eyes to it OP ... I am gonna look into that wet bunning thing myself.... :scratchch

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

I think that's because they are overprocessed so the curls don't show or they put too much gel. The best jheri curl I ever got was from a stylist called Frank Bisson in Manchester, UK. His JC (or curly perm as they called it) was so well done that just like Nakialoveshoes' appears to be, if you stretched it, it'd spring back to to that straw set look.

When he still had some hair, his curly perm was shoulder length but if you stretched it, it was close to his "bra strap" or somewhere down his back. Just awesome! I went to him when my hair had been overprocessed and he made my hair look so much better from DCing... and nipped the breaking in the bud. I used to leave home at 4:00 AM to travel by train to see him for a 9:00 AM appointment coz he really could create a JC like no one else I'd ever seen.

Nakialoveshoes' hair is what a jheri curl is supposed to be. If you can find someone to do it like that, I'd take that over a texlaxing.

I think the moisture in JC just makes me pick that over texlaxing.

Do they set your hair in straws for that? If you wash it and let it dry will it form those curls on its own? Thats gorgeous.....if I was OP I'd definitely do that how does it do with heat?

 

[Nonie]

Do they set your hair in straws for that? If you wash it and let it dry will it form those curls on its own? Thats gorgeous.....if I was OP I'd definitely do that how does it do with heat?

No, he used the rods they used for jheri curl. He was all into the science of hair and when I first called him, he was explaining more than my young mind cared to know so he seem to understand just how much processing was required to break bonds without losing all elasticity.

I never used heat on his work, if you mean pressing/straightening it. But he did introduce me to Nexxus Emergencée and used heat to DC...and I think that was the miracle worker in stopping breakage on the damaged hair I took to him. I actually learned about him in a hair magazine. He was the Dr "Hair Solutions" (Can't remember what they called the "Help Page" dude and I called him to ask how to stop finding hair on my pillow and after he explained a lot stuff about hair that my small distracted brain wasn't really keen on knowing, as I had the more pressing issue of broken hair, I was convinced he knew his stuff. And I was not disappointed. As he demonstrated on his hair and a client what a good JC looks like, I was smitten.

IIRC, after shampooing, conditioning and towel-drying, you would just apply the gel and/or juice and the "straw set look" would be back. There was no setting required to maintain the look.

 

[Nonie]

This is my former stylist, Frank Bisson. IIRC, after a member here went to see him with relaxed hair and was impressed by his work and knowledge but the regimen she got didn't work for her (or her hair started to look bad after he worked on her) and so she wasn't too impressed with him. I have never used him for a straight perm but for a JC, I'd not think twice about going to him. Not sure if he still does JCs but if you're in Manchester and considering JCs, give him a call.

 

[mz tracy 25]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to read up more on wet-bunning and texlaxing BUT im still leaning towards the curl because it's so little work required to keep it moisturized and very simple to maintain. Thanx Nonie for all the info. Makes me wish I was in NY, he sounds awesome! I think I will go to the salon and get it done rather than do it myself. Im so weary of salons though, so I dunno.

 

[Nonie]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to read up more on wet-bunning and texlaxing BUT im still leaning towards the curl because it's so little work required to keep it moisturized and very simple to maintain. Thanx Nonie for all the info. Makes me wish I was in NY, he sounds awesome! I think I will go to the salon and get it done rather than do it myself. Im so weary of salons though, so I dunno.

Frank Bisson is in the UK unfortunately, but if IIRC he had clients in the US and I'm not sure if he traveled or if they flew in.

You sound like me. The ease of the jheri curl I think is precisely why I would lean toward it. It moisturizes so easily and you only need to use one product after washing. I wanna live precariously through you so please share your journey regularly if you do get the curl.

​

 

[Rain20]

Try blackhairmedia.com There is a section on curls. There is a thread about curls that is very informative. Stepshe is a member there and on here and has curly perm. Her hair is set on flexi-rods I think. Her hair is very pretty and I would never have guessed she had curly perm.

 

[Bella02]

I was just about to suggest the same. Here's the link to a few pics. http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=134386&PN=75

 

[blackbarbie986]

stephshe's hair is so pretty. wish my hairdresser had thought to use rods like those back in the day.

 

[dyh080]

Girl, if I wanted a jheri curl, no one would stop me from getting one. I honestly loved having one, and would have no problems getting one if I were in your shoes. The only reason I wouldn't now is I have fallen so in love with my natural hair and the confidence I have managing it and the independence of caring for it, that I'd hate to have to depend on someone for my hair's upkeep. I know I would have to, coz I can't trust myself not to overlap during touch-ups and thus weaken the point of demarcation. Heck, I don't know if I can trust the stylists either. So it'd be too stressful for me.

But trust me, if I were a relaxer, a jheri curl would be a great option.

When my mom had a jheri curl, she hated the "juice" so she use the gel and just very little juice and then combed out the curls so she had an afro that looked Wave Nouveau-ish. It sorta looked like how her natural afro looks when she uses S Curl on it except the that the curls were bigger--from the size of rods used to create them.

I think the idea of having a jheri curl that is worn up is a great idea. You'd have that smooth pony front that everyone tries to achieve brushing, gelling, and tying down scarfs...and you'd be able to change up your phonies (bun, puff, pony)...and easily find hair pieces that blend. I personally think it's a great idea.

Nonie, I did the same thing as your mom when I had a curl. It was not greasy or dripping and I STILL retained length.

 

[mz tracy 25]

Thanks yall! Yeah her hair is gorgeous. I have kinky twists in now, got them to try and retain length but it looks like it's thinning my edges.erplexed That's the reason I didn't get micro braids. But they made the same small parts as if I were getting micros and just added the bigger braids to it, which is worse than micros! lol. Oh well. But yea im gonna take this mess out soon. Does anyone know if I should color a few days before I apply the perm or after? My hair is off blackish brownish and I want to maybe put a black rinse in. Any suggestions?

 

[SignatureBeauty]

WOW!! HER CURL IS GAWJESS!!! I have never seen a curl like that before, that looks so good!!

 

[Jaffa]

OP - I've toyed around with the curl option for some time - I had a curly perm back in the day and I loved the look and ease of styling and my hair was thick and healthy and grew like weeds. My DH and close friends/family are not too keen on the idea but the main reason I haven't persued that route (yet....!) is that most stylists today dont know how to process the hair properly. I've seen many older ladies with the curl but it looks tired and limp. If I could find a stylist who could process properly I would definately consider it.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Yeah when you say Jheri Curl, we all think of back in the day juciy curls, sleeping with plastic caps, N.W.A Ice Cube & DJ Quick etc. curls. That is why most frown on it, I never thought it could look so good depending on the rollers, the lady from BHM and a member here have good looking curls.

 

[LiqueXX]

^^Her hair does not look like a curl, it looks really good. If I could get results like that I would do it.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

^^ Ok,lol I would get one to, if it was guarantee that it would look like that.