Naturals, Please Share Your Wisdom About Stretching and Shrinkage!!

[Sianna]

Hello ladies! Yes, I'm starting yet another thread!!

Anyway, as of late, I've been noticing that my hair tends to do a lot better when I stretch it. I do this without heat and plan to employ even more non-heat stretching methods as my hair grows out. This way I hope to see less SSKs, tangles and shedding due to slightly... aggressive combing techniques.

Because of my current length, (and unapologetic laziness) my stretching techniques have been limited and some options have very likely gone unexplored. I haven't braided my hair, and have only twisted it a handful of times. My flat twists don't look great and I can't bring myself to wear my tiny twists out at the moment, so I don't bother with putting all that work into it only to take it right back out the next morning.

At any rate, because I have such limited experience with natural hair and it's shrinky-ness, I want to ask you ladies who have longer hair than I, what your experience has been with shrinkage after you've stretched your hair? When I stretch mine, it does seem to shrink a little throughout the day and when it's time to get ready for bed again, I've normally lost about a third of my length to shrinkage!

The reason why I ask this question is because I plan to continue keeping my hair stretched most of the time and I guess I was just wondering if I will continue loosing length to shrinkage? Can the amount of shrinkage be altered by products used in the hair? Will the amount of shrinkage increase with the length of my hair? I mean, whatever the case, I'll just work with it, I'm just curious.

Oh, and my hair type is 4a, for the most part... I think.

ETA: Also, if you blow your hair out, how much shrinkage do you expect to get during the course of the day? Do you tend to get less at times when there is less humidity?

 

[HairFanatics24]

BUMPING. Great question! I need to know this info for the furture. Transitioning.

 

[Sianna]

 

[Nonie]

OK, for me a 4B with fine hair, shrinkage doesn't change with hair growth. If you saw my hair shrunken, you'd not think it ever grew since my BC. But for you a 4A, I think something like WNGs with gel will show more length as your hair grows, because the weight of the gel will stretch the coils a bit.

Now while I say my shrinkage is the same, the reason for this is I use S Curl on my hair--a wet product, so even though I braid my hair for the night (to stretch it, keep it detangled and prepare it for easy combing in the morning), once I style my hair, it shrinks back to its shrunken length, due to S Curl. The only time it would not do that is if I stretched it with a non-wet product like coconut oil (Shea butter could work too but I hate it). You can see the difference below:

First, a puff on hair that has just been washed and not stretched in braids (very compact) but S Curled:

A stretched S Curl Puff (S Curl was applied before hair was braided and baggied):

A stretched puff but instead of S Curl, coconut oil and a conditioner were applied before braiding. Also if instead of a baggy you used a satin/silk scarf, then I think that'd make a difference too. I don't remember which I used:

I do not blow out, and if I did, I would use a heat protectant and the line I use is frizz resistant. John Frieda Frizz Ease heat protectants keep moisture away from my hair when it's pressed so it stays smooth, and I'd expect the same if I blow dried. Humidity would not bother me coz if I am going to use heat in my hair, you can bet your bottom dollar, I'm going to use a serum to seal it from moisture. If I didn't, yes, the more humid the day, the more poof-y my hair would get.

 

[SimJam]

OK, though Im just abt in the same boat LOL

Im actually on a "perfect my twist out" personal challenge.
basically I want to be able to do my twistout and have it last for atleast 3 days before I have to put it up in a puff.

which means I have to combat shrinkage, compaction at night, poofing and moisturrizing w/o "poofage"

so this is what I have learned so far

1. I dont need to blow out my hair ... why? b/c I HAVE to use some sort of product like gel, which is waterbased and which will shrink my hair back up. Last night I tried a twistout on dry hair with cantu shea butter leave in, which came out pretty good, we will see how long it lasts .... there are sections which have already poofed though

2. moisturizing without losing definition is an issue ... even if I use CFCG, somehow my hair poofs. I have no remedy for this yet erplexed

3. technique technique technique .... I found that I cant be lazy with my twists (at this length) to get a defined twist out with a TWA my twists HAVE to be atleast medium sized. trying to grab big chunks will result in a big ole semi defined fro ... or what my hair looks like by day 2 or 3 presently. Right now it takes me abt 1.5 hours too do my whole head , I usually do this whil;e watching TV and doing other stuff so maybe if I were to dedicate myself it may take less time.

if Im just wearing a puff, I find that my hairstyle will have to go through phases - in terms of shrinkage or lack of it.

on freshly washed hair, for me, there is no sense fighting the shrink ... I just shingle my hair and go with a fro. on the next days I use my pick to lift the roots - which combats compaction when I sleep on it.

I find that inevitably, even if my hair was streched, its gonna shrink up some, it just depends on the technique of streching that I use, for now twistouts are working

 

[Cheleigh]

Generally, it's best for me to band my hair at night to stretch it. I don't wear my hair out daily, but after banding (and on second or third day hair) it's usually just above shoulder length and will stay about that length for the day.

 

[lovelyone80]

I have nothing to add but Nonie is my hair twin!!! i love the puff. MInes looks EXACTLY like that. but bigger...my hair is growing outrageously.

 

[ajargon02]

I am a natural 4a/4b. I stretch after applying my "kimmaytube leave-in condish" and then braiding up my hair in about 10-12 braids, and letting it air dry overnight to a day. I just went through a series of cuts, but when I was closer to bsl, my hair still shrunk up a good amount. The only thing that cut down on the shrinkage amount was wng's with kinky curly products. It wouldn't show all my length, but it showed a good amount of it. With that being said, I don't know if that will be the same for everyone........ I have been natural for a while now, and really don't mind the shrinkage or frizzy/nappyness. I like it. It allows me to switch up my style and helps with protecting the ends on certain sytles

 

[danigurl18]

I stretch my hair out by doing 6 braids and creating a style in the morning that will last at least 2 days

 

[notlookingback06]

I am a natural 4a/4b. I stretch after applying my "kimmaytube leave-in condish" and then braiding up my hair in about 10-12 braids, and letting it air dry overnight to a day. I just went through a series of cuts, but when I was closer to bsl, my hair still shrunk up a good amount. The only thing that cut down on the shrinkage amount was wng's with kinky curly products. It wouldn't show all my length, but it showed a good amount of it. With that being said, I don't know if that will be the same for everyone........ I have been natural for a while now, and really don't mind the shrinkage or frizzy/nappyness. I like it. It allows me to switch up my style and helps with protecting the ends on certain sytles

I absolutely love your siggy! That's on point!

 

[Missjae09]

My hair does shrinks throughout the day and over night but to combat over night strinkage before I got to bed I will moisturize and retwist sections (chunky sections) and then secure it with a scarf or bonnet. that works best for me.

 

[Avaya]

I've been stretching my hair through banding and plaiting. The last couple of times, as soon as I took down the plaits or take off the scrunchies, my ends start curling up on me. I used a concoction that has my hair feeling pretty darn soft and smooth so we will see what happens this time around when I take off the scrunchies.

I'm hoping my hair stays stretched long enough so that I can braid it. I'm also hoping the braids stay braided without anything tied to the ends.

I'm 3c/4a, 4 inches.