Paging Adrienne

[scorpio]

Alright Adrienne,
I just gotta know for myself-I am struggling to make the 6 week time point b/t relaxers. This past time, I had so much breakage that I had to get a relaxer at week 5 although for the past 3 or 4 I made it to week 6 by wearing cornrows during week 4 and twists at week 5. Anyway, Iknow you swear by the curl activator softening new growth. What is your hair type and how do you get this to work so well? What brand do you use and do you mind the smell? I need all the details. Help a sista out!!! My hair type is 4a/4b-that is why I wanted to know yours because if you had a curlier type than me, then that would explain why it would work good for you.

 

[adrienne0914]

scorpio, my hair is 4A. i normally go 4 months (16 weeks in between retouches). how long is your hair? are you able to wear it in a ponytail? that makes it alot easier to keep your hair from breaking. once i have it moisturized and in the ponytail, i leave it alone for days at a time. i only resmooth by brushing the edges down. sometimes i will struggle to get my hair to cooperate. when it's like that, i put my hair in a ponytail in the shower after i wash and condition. then i'll just put the activator on top of the outside hair.

i use S-curl and World of Curls activators. S-curl is a light spray with a very light smell. World of Curls is a gel in a tub. it also has a light smell. when i use that one, i put some in a separate container along with some alcohol free gel. this really helps to keep my hair under control.

hope this helps! let me know if you have anymore questions.

adrienne

 

[scorpio]

Adrienne,
16 weeks!! WOW!!! I know if you can make that long and we have basically the same hair type that I should be doing at least 8 weeks then. I am almost at BS length-actually i was until yesterday-got a nice trim to keep those ends from thinning out too much. So yes, I can wear a ponytail with no problems. But do you mean wearing your own hair in a ponytail or is this an extension and you hide your own hair in the add-on? I've seen your hair album, so I know your hair grows fast-which would mean you definitely are an expert with dealing with the new growth. I think I am going to try one of the brands you recommended, but i am at a loss as to how this works. Do you do add the activator to your roots only while your hair is dry or is this something you do right after you shampoo and condition? And how about your nape area? Does the activator keep that soft too or do you simply use gel to tame the new growth at the nape? Any additional information you are willing to share with me is appreciated, but thanks so much for responding to my original q.

 

[adrienne0914]

scorpio, yes i wear my hair in a ponytail that i braid and put in a baggie under the add-on ponytail. here are all the steps:

- wash and condition hair in shower
- towel dry and comb
- apply leave-in conditioner
- apply activator/gel mix and smooth hair
- tie hair in ponytail and comb loose hair
- apply Vaseline to loose hair and braid
- cover with baggie and cutoff stocking
- attach drawstring ponytail and scrunchie

when i apply the activator/gel mix, i only focus on the hair that i want to lay down and especially the ends. i don't really spread it throughout. it normally works its way throughout because of body heat. for the nape area, you can apply extra to get it under control. most of my nape hair is as long as the rest and is pulled into the ponytail.

the thing that you want to do is make sure to use a good alcohol free gel with the activator for more staying power (i use Let's Jam or Smooth 'n Shine). in addition, for the stubborn areas, i use this product to smooth hair down:

i get it at sally's. it works like a charm!

adrienne

 

[caress]

I know this thread wasn't posted by or directed toward me but I thought I'd post this here anyway.

Adrienne, when you use the Beyond the Zone Stiff Head is your hair greasy to the touch? What do you think of the smell? I have been using that too for a while now. Maybe I use too much but I wish my hair was still touchable after using it.

 

[adrienne0914]

caress, i remember seeing that you use this on the old board. when i use it, i don't apply it all over, just to the stray hairs that may be sticking up. because of this, my hair is still pretty touchable, but also keep in mind that i use quite a bit of activator/gel. until it dries, i try not to touch my hair too much. girl, i've been using this for at least a year, and i can't even think of what it smells like. how does it smell to you? /images/graemlins/ooo.gif

adrienne

 

[caress]

I do the same thing but I don't use activator because my hair is pressed. That may make the difference. To me it smells a little like apples. It's not a bad smell at all. I just worry about how the people around me perceive the smell.

 

[adrienne0914]

WHEW! i was worried that i was walking around smelling bad and didn't know it. lol!

do you have to use alot of it for it to work? it does have a greasy feel, but with such a small amount, i haven't had that problem. do you normally wear your hair in a bun?

 

[caress]

I wouldn't say I have to use too much but it just seems a bit greasy. I wear my hair in a bun the majority of the time.