Natural ladies...How do you keep your hair from looking dry?

[glamazon386]

I took my braids out the other day. I'm 22 weeks post relaxer. I've been wearing it slicked back with a phony pony afro puff. My hair lays down fine and it looks nice and moisturized when I first brush it back but as the day goes on it begins to look dry. It doesnt feel dry and I can still see my curl pattern it just looks dry and dull . I've been using the Kids Shea Organics Lotion with Fantasia Gel on top and a little EQP Glaze for shine. I've tried this on both wet and dry hair with similar results. It stays put for the most part I just don't like how it starts to look dry. I'm thinking I might need a good leave in before I put the products in. I have the NTM leave in but I'm not crazy about that. Do you think that would make a difference? Any other products you ladies can recommend that wont leave my hair looking dry and dull by the end of the day?

Here's a picture of it when I redid the ponytail yesterday afternoon:

 

[Poohbear]

Don't you have mostly relaxed hair right now???

I also think you used too many products on your hair... a lotion and two gels, that's too much... using too many products can make your hair look dry and dull.

 

[glamazon386]

Don't you have mostly relaxed hair right now???

I also think you used too many products on your hair... a lotion and two gels, that's too much... using too many products can make your hair look dry and dull.

Yeah, I have 22 weeks of new growth and 22 weeks of underprocessed hair (which looks like the new growth). The rest is relaxed. By the time I pull it back most of the relaxed hair ends up in the phony pony. Hmm... I never thought about those 3 things being too much. Idk what else do to. If I use the Fantasia gel without that Kids shea stuff it leaves flakies all in my hair. I put the glaze around the edges to try and keep them down. The fact that it puffs up by the end of the day is annoying me. I'm trying to wait until it grows out a few more inches (til i can pull it back) before I cut the rest of the relaxed ends. I've gotten good growth these past 5.5 months so I'm hoping I can cut around Christmas time. I might just cornrow it real quick and sew some weave in or go back to my wigs for a few days until I figure it out.

 

[Cichelle]

Don't you have mostly relaxed hair right now???

I also think you used too many products on your hair... a lotion and two gels, that's too much... using too many products can make your hair look dry and dull.

Poohbear speaks the truth here.

It's been a long and hard road for me to learn the truth of the bolded part. It's amazing how much moisturizer I used to put on my hair only to find that it was drier than EVER. Sometimes less is better. Since I've started keeping it very simple, (I cowash and use a leave in conditioner) things have gotten much better for me in the moisture department. Sometimes I will use a touch of a natural butter. But that is all.

Perhaps you could clarify. That will get rid of product build up and you can start "from scratch".

 

[Cooyah]

Don't you have mostly relaxed hair right now???

I also think you used too many products on your hair... a lotion and two gels, that's too much... using too many products can make your hair look dry and dull.

must agree with this statement wholeheartedly. Try just using a water based moisturiser.and also important to note is natural 4a/b/c doesn't always shine. We can get sheen, but not the bling shine you are looking for. Also, natural hair won't always lay down the way you want, it frizzes, that's its nature, spritz your hair with some water throughout the day to keep moisture in. But I would also stop with using so many products.

 

[firecracker]

Cooyah and Poohbear said it best. I grease my hair is sections with Du Sharme which gives great shine on relaxed or natural hair. Chile my mom has been using this in our hair for over 30plus years. My hair would probably die w/o it.

 

[glamazon386]

Thanks ladies! I clarified yesterday morning... is it okay to do it again so soon? I won't like dry my hair out will it? I mean it feels really soft it just looks dry and fuzzy by the evening time. Could the humidity be adding to this too? I'll try it again tonight. I just blowdried it and put a half wig on so I'll leave it alone for now. Cooyah, what kind of water based moisturizer do you use?

 

[Poohbear]

must agree with this statement wholeheartedly. Try just using a water based moisturiser.and also important to note is natural 4a/b/c doesn't always shine. We can get sheen, but not the bling shine you are looking for. Also, natural hair won't always lay down the way you want, it frizzes, that's its nature, spritz your hair with some water throughout the day to keep moisture in. But I would also stop with using so many products.

This is soooo true too! And other thing I wanted to bring up, some of the pictures you see in ladie's albums can be deceiving. The flash from the camera can make hair look so much shinier than it really is. Also, people normally take pictures the split second after styling their hair rather than hours after styling when it starts to look all frizzy and not as shiny/sheeny.

Cooyah and Poohbear said it best. I grease my hair is sections with Desharme which gives great shine on relaxed or natural hair. Chile my mom has been using this in our hair for over 30plus years. My hair would probably die w/o it.

I also agree with this. I know grease is very thick but it gives me the most shine out of any thing I've used. When I use grease, that's the only product I use, nothing else.
Now grease isn't the secret potion for everyone's hair. It makes some people have dull hair, so keep that in mind as well.

 

[firecracker]

This is soooo true too! And other thing I wanted to bring up, some of the pictures you see in ladie's albums can be deceiving. The flash from the camera can make hair look so much shinier than it really is. Also, people normally take pictures the split second after styling their hair rather than hours after styling when it starts to look all frizzy and not as shiny/sheeny.
Your so right.

I also agree with this. I know grease is very thick but it gives me the most shine out of any thing I've used. When I use grease, that's the only product I use, nothing else.

Dusharme isn't a grease. Its a very light weight conditioner creme/hairdress. It doesn't cause build up either.

You can use it on wet or dry hair after shampoo and before using hair spray.

 

[Cooyah]

Thanks ladies! I clarified yesterday morning... is it okay to do it again so soon? I won't like dry my hair out will it? I mean it feels really soft it just looks dry and fuzzy by the evening time. Could the humidity be adding to this too? I'll try it again tonight. I just blowdried it and put a half wig on so I'll leave it alone for now. Cooyah, what kind of water based moisturizer do you use?

I was using Scurl diluted with water because of the water/glycerine content and how soft it made my hair, so I decided to cut the middle man out all together and bought some vegetable glycerine off ebay, mixed it with distelled water and voila, soft well moisturised hair.

water is the BEST moisturiser, cremes, oils, butters and lotions help seal, but water is the actual moisturiser, so find something with a high water content. some people's hair does not like glycerine, and it may not work for you, but i've had great success with it. HTH

 

[firecracker]

Cooyah I like the way Glycerine makes my hair feel and it stops alot of shrinkage. It makes my hair dry and nasty after two days though if I don't wash it out daily.

Do you wash daily when your not in braids or a protective style? Maybe I'm using the wrong kind. I have Donnies 99.5% glycerin.

 

[Peachtree]

I like to stick to the basics...mid-day water spritz's, when my hair is looking a lil dull.

 

[Cheleigh]

My hair also has no shine, but lots of sheen.

I cowash, apply a leave in (Giovanni Direct mixed with CD Black cherry & vanilla leave-in) and sometimes I add finger's worth of Fantasia with a glob of honey. My hair stays moisturized and no producty feeling. My kinky hair texture may look a little dull compared to silky hair types though.

 

[Poohbear]

[Dusharme isn't a grease. Its a very light weight conditioner creme/hairdress. It doesn't cause build up either.

You can use it on wet or dry hair after shampoo and before using hair spray.

Oh okay. I guess when you said that you "grease" your hair with this stuff, I assumed it was a grease.
But hey! The Blue Magic grease I use is technically a Hair Conditioner! It says Blue Magic Coconut Oil Hair Conditioner.

 

[silvergirl]

i agree less is more

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I put the glaze around the edges to try and keep them down. The fact that it puffs up by the end of the day is annoying me.

Use a toothbrush to apply the glaze/gel to your edges then tie your hair down with a scarf.


Toothbrush

 

[Bublnbrnsuga]

Also keep in mind that since our hair is not straight but coily, our hair might not show shine since it absorbs light rather than reflect (unlike straight-haired women).

 

[Cooyah]

Cooyah I like the way Glycerine makes my hair feel and it stops alot of shrinkage. It makes my hair dry and nasty after two days though if I don't wash it out daily.

Do you wash daily when your not in braids or a protective style? Maybe I'm using the wrong kind. I have Donnies 99.5% glycerin.

i never use the glycerine straight, always a mixture of 1/4 glycrine 3/4 water, wash once a week, but that and MTG are the only products i put in my hair on a daily basis and my hair loves me for it. on wash day i use diluted CON or Castile soap, then put a little amla oil on my scalp, but that's it. I maybe a PJ but I don't use 99% of the products I buy, so sad.

 

[diamoness]

I mix any ole conditioner with water and a lil bit of olive oil, shake it up in a spray bottle and thur u go.

 

[firecracker]

Oh okay. I guess when you said that you "grease" your hair with this stuff, I assumed it was a grease.
But hey! The Blue Magic grease I use is technically a Hair Conditioner! It says Blue Magic Coconut Oil Hair Conditioner.

I gotcha heck you know us black folk thought we had to grease our scalp to stay moisturized. No this stuff actually is a white creme like Humectress.

 

[tropicexotic]

mimosa hair honey leaves my hair with high shine, i can't think of much else (but I don't wear my hair slicked back much at all).

 

[JustKiya]

My hair is AMAZINGLY shiny - and I totally credit using henna for that - if you have dark hair (which it looks like you do) you might want to try henna to get some shine. It'll give you reddish highlights that you can see in the sun, but since henna doesn't lift your original color, you'll still have dark hair - and it's GLEAM - SHINE - GLOW. My hair looks like highly polished copper wire after I seak it with some Oyin Whipped Pudding - it's amazing.

 

[caligirl]

I have to wet my hair every day to keep it from looking dry.

 

[glamazon386]

I finally found the solution to my problem!! Mango Butter with Fantasia Gel on top! It stays soft, doesn't look dry, defines my curlies and it stays put for a few days before I have to reslick it down!

 

[lsubabiedee]

The fewer products I use, the more sheen my hair has.

 

[natstar]

Pomades work best. I like CD Mimosa hair honey, Asha's Sun Kissed, & Oyin braid pomade