OMG... This straight hair thing SUCKS!

[Aria-Selene]

I know how you feel. I'm in my 19th month of transitioning and I wind up straightening every three months. I will admit it's partially laziness on my part lol. I find co washing and just tying it up in a bun or the like is so much easier then the straightening and keeping it straight. Ok maybe it isn't partially laziness, but full blown laziness lol

 

[Bun Mistress]

I live in the south and it is HUMID. Last summer I only straighten twice but no reversion. I have been straightening this year (I did last week all by myself). I think the secret is to make sure you start out with moisturized hair. I do a dry D/C with a The detangler, camellia oil, aloe vera, and honey. This sits for well however long, then rinse. Shampoo, plus or minus a reconstructive con, then Roux. done. I blow dry using the tension method with a liquid leave in and heat protectant. Plus or minus flat iron. I have 4ABZ hair. no joke. It works straight hair. I work out, I sweat in my hair alot. I use coconut oil in the summer/camellia in the winter and that's it.

 

[brittanynic16]

Sabrino is my friend. Poof has not been a problem since I started using it a year ago.

 

[Mad Scientist]

ugh I know. I can't do ANYTHING when my hair is straight. Water is the enemy! I was going to straighten more this past winter, but as soon as it got cooler, it started raining almost everyday, so you know that's a no-go. It's not worth it to spend 2 hours straightening if I'm going to have to either wash it out or straighten it again the next day.

 

[UrbainChic]

I used to get poofy if my hair got wet relaxed too...

My number one piece of advice if you hair is not normally worn straight, is check the forecast before straightening. I have delayed straightening for weeks at a time if its a rainy time of year ( fall and spring) That kind of battle is just not worth it, especially since I do not usually carry an umbrella, and can't stand to be like "omg my hair!!!" and run around as though my flesh falls off in the rain.

I am totally with BMP about rocking the frizz, I feel like the puffy hair is a better look than losing my cool!

That said, as you get better at straightening, and especially if you use a reversion protection thing, like sabino ( which i am dying to try), the no frizz line, john freda weather works etc. It helps you make that transition in and out of humid climates.

Theres a billion people of color with straightened hair rockin' out in Miami and New Orleans, etc so ask around to what their secrets are! I really think part of it is the technique, I have had puffy hair disasters when amatures have straightened my hair, and straight hair success when masters have helped me.

Now that I am on the DIY path, I am noticing a marked improvement in reversion time in humidity. Lets see what the summer holds!

 

[LadyRaider]

Yeah.. I went out today into the MUGGINESS and WIND and it was a massive fail. Ended up pulling my hair back into a quick bun with a scrunchie.

Still, I straightened it on Sunday and it looked nice enough on Monday. Just doesn't last long.

BUT... when I get the professional to do it (which I will next Friday before my graduation) it usually lasts and looks better.

 

[davisbr88]

I sleep with my hair in a bun, and today it's smoothed out again and feeling especially soft.

See... if I could get my hair to do that bun method, or the pineapple thing, this would not be an issue, but my hair is in layers and the ones in the front are really short (like ear length) so if I put my hair up, my ponytail is only like 2 cm wide and most of my hair would not be in it, therefore, would not get curled... I can't WAIT to get rid of these layers!

don't worry, the bottle is really not that big, it's actually quite small.

I think today I'll just throw in the towel, wash it and find other ways to work w/my texture.

Oh, if it's small, I may have to invest!
And this is why I envy you guys because you CAN work with your texture. My hair is half natural, half-relaxed... so I can't do anything with it except sets that will make all of it look curly and shrunken. Not that I don't like shrunken hair because I do, but for graduation, I want it to be longer, and I can't band transitioning hair!

I hate straight hair when it comes to the activities of life. I revealed my hair in February and was so excited that I decided to wear it pressed to New Orleans Super bowl weekend...what I do dat for?

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures!!! Mine was almost looking like this yesterday! I was going to install crochets, but I couldn't get them to stay!

I live in the south and it is HUMID. Last summer I only straighten twice but no reversion. I have been straightening this year (I did last week all by myself). I think the secret is to make sure you start out with moisturized hair. I do a dry D/C with a The detangler, camellia oil, aloe vera, and honey. This sits for well however long, then rinse. Shampoo, plus or minus a reconstructive con, then Roux. done. I blow dry using the tension method with a liquid leave in and heat protectant. Plus or minus flat iron. I have 4ABZ hair. no joke. It works straight hair. I work out, I sweat in my hair alot. I use coconut oil in the summer/camellia in the winter and that's it.

Stealing your reggie! I DC'ed and everything but I forgot to pre-poo, and I used Redken Velvet Whip to blow dry, and Silk Infusion to flat iron. Maybe I will try those heat protectant sprays next time. I know I have some somewhere amidst all these boxes....

I used to get poofy if my hair got wet relaxed too...

My number one piece of advice if you hair is not normally worn straight, is check the forecast before straightening. I have delayed straightening for weeks at a time if its a rainy time of year ( fall and spring) That kind of battle is just not worth it, especially since I do not usually carry an umbrella, and can't stand to be like "omg my hair!!!" and run around as though my flesh falls off in the rain.

I am totally with BMP about rocking the frizz, I feel like the puffy hair is a better look than losing my cool!

That said, as you get better at straightening, and especially if you use a reversion protection thing, like sabino ( which i am dying to try), the no frizz line, john freda weather works etc. It helps you make that transition in and out of humid climates.

See, for me, I never had problems with relaxed hair. Since I have been away at school, I have been a crucial DIY-er (I go to school in Blacksburg, Va... there are virtually no black people, let alone stylists) and I have been flat ironing my hair since I was 13 or 14. I'm really good at it, and have never had a problem, even if it was humid outside.
And again, it's for a special occasion so I didn't really have a choice in terms of the weather, BUT after this I'm done with straightening! I may try the Sabino when I trim in August and if that doesn't work, I'm over it!

 

[keelioness]

I am almost 9 months post, 4b and I get my hair professionaly blow dried and flat ironed weekly. I've been doing this my entire transition. So maybe my hair is "heat trained" now, but I rarely have a problem with reversion unless I break a super serious sweat. The roots and edges may puff up a little, but it stays relatively straight.

Even if I do a super intense cardio exercise session my crown will have no visible reversion. You can touch it and feel little crinkles but just looking at it, its still straight. The back reverts quicker; i just sweat more in the back of my head, i guess and maybe the texture is different.

Since I work out during the week, I only wear my hair styled and out on the weekend. Then during the week when I work out, its pulled back in a phony pony. But if I didn't work out, I could go about my daily activies without any major reversion.

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=325829

I think Ive always had the misconception that my hair type was harder to straighten and stay straight, but I don't think thats the case. Its like bc I don't really have a curl pattern, it may be easier to straighten. I had a co worker who has beautiful 3c hair, and she walked into a gathering with a silky bouncy fresh press. Then the activies moved outdoors where it was dreary, humid, and misting. Her hair swelled up and reverted in a matter of minutes, it was puffy and frizzy and had lost its shine. she ended up pulling it back in a rubberband, you couldnt even tell she'd gotten it done. My hair stays straight, even in humidity, its not going to revert unless its almost soaking wet.

There is a good thread on this same topic:type 4 being harder to straighten but staying straight longer http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=325829