Newbie Looking for Long, Natural 4b's

[HairPhoenix]

Hi Everyone!

Wow, I finally made it in here! (I don't have a cool username. I didn't think about it and now I can't seem to change it. ) I have been scouring this website for a few months while I was trying to decide what to do with my hair (nearly 17 hours straight, last weekend). I think LHCF is great and it is wonderful to see such Sisterhood on the net.

I have known that black women can grow long hair from when I was very young. My hair had always been at shoulder length or just below when I was young, and before I started relaxing. Other women in my family also tend to have long hair. Unfortunately, I faced a lot of hair prejudice when I was growing up. Being dark-skinned with long hair, I had a lot of animosity thrown my way. That caused me a lot of emotional damage in my younger years. But I am older now and I am over what other people think. And I just say "Down with Haters!"

Anyway, I am in the process of transitioning several aspects of my life and the main one is my hair. I am at 19 weeks post relaxer and I have nearly 2 inches of new growth. I was trying to decide if I wanted to relax again or if I wanted to go natural. I envy my mother's locks, but I don't think I am ready for such a commitment. I saw that some of you have decided to go natural without a BC and that interested me. I'm not afraid of having short hair. I have had short hair (boy short) several times. It just won't look good on me right now since I am overweight and have a round face. If I cut it short now, I will look like a pumpkin head.

I have periodically suffered from stress-related alopecia which caused me to have large bald spots on my head. Luckily, my hair is thick enough that no one could tell. I made major changes in my life and my bald spots are filled back in with thick hair. But I am still experiencing breakage. Once you experience alopecia, any breakage can make you freak out! So my number 1 goal is to get my hair back to being as healthy as it was when I was a little girl.

Once I get all the relaxed ends trimmed out, I want to see how long I can get my hair to grow. I want it to be outrageous!! I am looking for members who have long (beyond shoulders), natural, 4b type hair. I know you're out there!

Please share some pics. I need some hair style ideas. What are your regimens? Help a sista out.

Sorry, no pics of me yet.

 

[morehairplease]

wow, Toni A. this is a GREAT thread! I am getting the BC on the 29th of this month & would love to see natural 4b's w/long hair. I need all the inspiration I can get.

 

[blueabyss333]

I'm not a natural but I just wanted to say I like your positive energy. I wish you the best of HHG. Sounds like you know what you're doing, you just need some reference. Big ups to all our naturals out there! lol.

 

[kristina]

Welcome! I'm not quite sure my hair type (it's pretty confused) but I've got some pictures of my hair in my album. babyblue is a member here who also has a fotki album and I believe her hair is 4a/4b.

 

[HairPhoenix]

Thanks everyone. I know it's possible. I just want to see someone else's styles.

 

[Maestradiva77]

Hi there and welcome! I am a 4a/4b natural. My routine is very basic. I don't use any type of heat and most of the time I wear my hair in twists or twistouts.
Shampoo: Dove Intense Moisture
Conditioner: Kenra MC
Deep conditioner: Kenra Intensive Emollient

I style my hair while wet with EVOO and Pantene Frizz Control Treatment.

 

[babyblue]

you can check out my album. I have styles for long natural hair.

i mostly shampoo 2-3 times a week, deep condition 1-2x a month, clarify 1x a month. I use products by elucence, Aura, nexxus, and queen helene. I use castor oil, kemi shea butter pomade and fantasia ic gel to style. A more in depth routine is located in my products section.

 

[HairPhoenix]

you can check out my album. I have styles for long natural hair.

i mostly shampoo 2-3 times a week, deep condition 1-2x a month, clarify 1x a month. I use products by elucence, Aura, nexxus, and queen helene. I use castor oil, kemi shea butter pomade and fantasia ic gel to style. A more in depth routine is located in my products section.

hey, babyblue I looked at your pics... girlfriend, you have got A LOT of hair!!! But that's what I needed to see. I just couldn't picture it in my cluttered mind for some reason. Do you wash your hair in the mornings and let it dry during the day? Or do you wash it at night and let it dry overnite? I am just wondering about the drying time. I washed my hair two days ago, pulled it back into a bun, and it was still damp last night.

BTW, love the spray on highlights. I will have to try that. I'm a color junkie, but it has not been a healthy habit for me.

Toni A.

 

[Jaelin]

Great thread.

Some other albums to check out:

http://public.fotki.com/N4U2LM/

http://public.fotki.com/2twisted/hair/

 

[babyblue]

hey, babyblue I looked at your pics... girlfriend, you have got A LOT of hair!!! But that's what I needed to see. I just couldn't picture it in my cluttered mind for some reason. Do you wash your hair in the mornings and let it dry during the day? Or do you wash it at night and let it dry overnite? I am just wondering about the drying time. I washed my hair two days ago, pulled it back into a bun, and it was still damp last night.

BTW, love the spray on highlights. I will have to try that. I'm a color junkie, but it has not been a healthy habit for me.

Toni A.

depending on my schedule i either wash it in the morning or at night. Either way my hair takes FOREVER to dry. Its not uncommon for me to wash and bun up my hair and then still have the center still wet when i take it down 3 days later. but its all good...

oh yeah the spray on highlights come in handy because i love to play with color but i'm too chicken to do anything permanent. i call it color without the commitment....and damage.