Poll: Naturals, how did you get through the awkward stage?

[DarkVictory]

I wore Wash 'n Gos at that time b/c I didn't know the first thing about doing my hair.

I think that it is best to learn how to work with natural hair through all its phases than it is to avoid dealing with it until it is longer (by covering it up with weaves and extensions) and then find that you don't know how to style, detangle or handle it.

Never thought of this before, but it does ring true. Maybe natural hair takes more practice to get the hang of styling (says the woman who never could manage to do roller sets on ironed/relaxed hair).

Detangling was more difficult when my hair was shorter. By the time my hair grew a bit, I had more practice.

 

[chocolate01]

I wore twists for basically a whole year after my BC.

 

[hrtbndr21]

I wore individual braids to transition and then grew my hair out w/ them until it was long enough for decent sized puff or bun.

 

[Poohbear]

I've been alternating among these 3 hair styles:

1. different variations of a big fluffy blowdried afro
2. one big afro puff
3. two shurnken puffs on each side with a part down the middle of my head

I don't wear wash-n-go's nor two-strand twists anymore because of the awkward length.

 

[Crown]

Actually, I'm still there
I can't wait 4 the day when I can pull it all back into a ponytail puff but for now, the best I can do is what is in my pic.
I know that it will grow out someday and that I will have more options then.
It's just a part of being a nappy natural

It was my style: a big afro puff with an headband. As my hair grew, the style became more puff than afro - (regimen changed from daily wash and go to wash 1x per week, roller set and air dry, out, afro puff with headband for 2 days and after: moisture and braids at bedtime for braids out afro puff with different headbands). It was not bad at all.

 

[ToyToy]

I mostly did wash & gos until my hair grew long enough to pull back into a puff. Now I just wear puffs. I wouldn't say I'm 100% comfortable yet, even after almost 2 years of being natural. Maybe I'll feel much better this time next year.

 

[sonce]

Maybe natural hair takes more practice to get the hang of styling (says the woman who never could manage to do roller sets on ironed/relaxed hair).

I think that any kind of hair takes practice. Natural hair is not more difficult to manage but perhaps managing it is not second nature because most of the hair care techniques we pick up from general society and even within the black community are meant to work for straight hair--whether chemically straightened or naturally straightened.

Detangling was more difficult when my hair was shorter. By the time my hair grew a bit, I had more practice.

Right, you learned over time. Longer hair is harder to work with than shorter hair if one does not know how to work with natural hair. Now that my hair is pretty long, taking care of it rather easy. But to get to this point, I had to practice with my hair and learn it through its phases. My hair behaved very differently at 4 inches than it did at 8 inches, than it did at 12 inches. It was different at 12 inches than it was at 16, 18, 20 inches. If I had just jumped in at 8 inches, after avoiding dealing with it, I would have been very frustrated. Forget 10 inches or longer. I might have relaxed or become dependent on stylists to help me (eventually relaxing if my money ran out).

This post isn't necessarily for the OP--it's for anyone who is considering just not dealing with their newly revealed napps. I think that not dealing with your hair when you already know how and just want a break is different from not dealing with it when you don't know how. The latter is a problem merely being postponed to a later date at which it will be even more difficult to learn because you will probably have more hair.

OP, I would recommend that you avoid extensions and practice protective styles on your own hair. Your skills will get better.

 

[Bubblingbrownshuga]

Braidouts with own hair.

 

[gradygirl]

Half wigs, half wigs, and more half wigs .

 

[Country gal]

Many ladies find the hard part of going natural is the stage where hair is too long to be a TWA, too short to put in a bun or puff.

How did you get through the awkward stage of being natural? Did you change your regime as well as the style? What motivated you to "hang in there"?

You can vote for more than one choice in the poll.

I did twists, braids and wash and gos. My hair is getting longer so now I have been doing twists outs and Press and curl.

 

[Valerie]

I did mostly plaits (braids) and twists, rinsed daily, which I still do now.

 

[ajargon02]

Many ladies find the hard part of going natural is the stage where hair is too long to be a TWA, too short to put in a bun or puff.

How did you get through the awkward stage of being natural? Did you change your regime as well as the style? What motivated you to "hang in there"?

You can vote for more than one choice in the poll.

as another natural, I can certainly understand what you're going through. You know, for me for the first couple of years I did do braid extensions. I still felt sexy, beautiful ect., and it was giving my hair a break from being messed with.

 

[DarkVictory]

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences!

I may have been unclear in my original post. I've been natural for years and have been through the BC-grow out cycle twice.

Based on what I've read here, most people who give up on going natural do it at the "in-between" stage. I thought it would be good to have a thread on getting past that point.

 

[tocktick]

i braided up for three months. my hair isn't quite at that baa stage, i'd say it was maa right now. i haven't tried to get a puff yet because i've just taken down the braids. but now my style options are better and my hair just looks nicer in general. i will probably braid up again in the next 1-2 months for another three months or so. for me, i find it means i'm not constantly obsessing about my hair and it allows me to retain length.

 

[FemmeCreole]

I am at that stage....I was braided the last 2 months.....my hair is out now and I can do tiny puff (see my thread) but generally I still can't comb my own hair (besides wash and go's) I plan to rebraid next week for another month.

 

[LongHairDreams]

bumping......

 

[oooop2]

When I was in the awkward stage, I used to twist my hair then add a silk scarf as a headband. I wore this religiously. However, I didn't realize that all of the friction from the headband was damaging/breaking my hairline

So now I am left with the FUN challenge of growing my hairline back out

 

[Chemetria]

I am in that stage right now but I am wearing braids and etc to get past this stage sometimes it makes me upset but I know at the end of the day it's all wroth it

 

[felicia]

I'm going through the awkward stage now. I've been wearing wigs and hats, but I'm going to give up the wigs because I think they are damaging my hair. Also, my hair has gotten to be for my hats. I'm going to wear wraps until I decide what I want to do with it(press it or wear a fro).

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

I voted other...braid outs saved me....I don't what I would have done w/o my braidouts,

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

As a natural I went through that stage twice because the first time I couldn't deal with it and BC'd. The last time I went through that stage, I finger curled my hair for almost 3 years straight to get past that stage. I didn't wear any other hairstyle, because other styles didn't look good during that in-between stage.

 

[InnerSoul]

I got through this awkward stage:

-by doing twistouts w/my own hair as well as extensions.

-I did bantu knots at night

-I also wore many headbands and scarves...

finally, when I had enough of my overprocessed damaged hair.. I cut the chemical out!!

 

[LunadeMiel]

I'm washing and go'ing my way thru this awkward stage. erplexed So far so good.

ditto.....

 

[moni_kerr]

I did twist until I could no longer stand twisting ! I lovvveedd it ! Growing out my hair after my big chop was a fun experience =]..I actually miss having the shorterhaircantfitinponytailyet length! I think about cutting it again alllllll the time..it's just so much more carefreeee

 

[MzLady78]

I had braids but didn't feel like spending the money or the time to get them done again so right now I'm wearing a wig.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Can someone please tell me how long it took for the awkward BC stage to being able to do twists on their own hair? I'm so bored with wash n gos.

 

[Mystic]

Thank you for this thread! I am going to read through it hoping something will help me get over this hump. I am at this stage now, and very frustrated, and literally hate my hair. The back has some length but the front and sides are very short - it seems to take forever to grow! I am a very positive person but I am so in the dumps with my hair, I am wondering if I will ever get it to APL. I hate braids because my hair does not thrive with braids yet of late, I've began to force myself to wear it because I hate dealing with my hair everyday. I am at a crossroads - I don't want to relax, don't want to deal with my short natural hair, tired of the braids, and clip ons, and now wondering what's next. I wish I could swap my hair right now with someone else (like HONEYCOMB), lol!

Sorry...., I have no one else to vent to so I am doing it here.

Many ladies find the hard part of going natural is the stage where hair is too long to be a TWA, too short to put in a bun or puff.

How did you get through the awkward stage of being natural? Did you change your regime as well as the style? What motivated you to "hang in there"?

You can vote for more than one choice in the poll.

 

[Nefertiti0906]

I did "wash and go's" religiously. My hair was so easy to style then, and cute!

When it got too big for wash and go's, I started wearing pony "puffs" and I ocassionaly straightened my hair.

 

[JustKiya]

I think that any kind of hair takes practice. Natural hair is not more difficult to manage but perhaps managing it is not second nature because most of the hair care techniques we pick up from general society and even within the black community are meant to work for straight hair--whether chemically straightened or naturally straightened.

Right, you learned over time. Longer hair is harder to work with than shorter hair if one does not know how to work with natural hair. Now that my hair is pretty long, taking care of it rather easy. But to get to this point, I had to practice with my hair and learn it through its phases. My hair behaved very differently at 4 inches than it did at 8 inches, than it did at 12 inches. It was different at 12 inches than it was at 16, 18, 20 inches. If I had just jumped in at 8 inches, after avoiding dealing with it, I would have been very frustrated. Forget 10 inches or longer. I might have relaxed or become dependent on stylists to help me (eventually relaxing if my money ran out).

This post isn't necessarily for the OP--it's for anyone who is considering just not dealing with their newly revealed napps. I think that not dealing with your hair when you already know how and just want a break is different from not dealing with it when you don't know how. The latter is a problem merely being postponed to a later date at which it will be even more difficult to learn because you will probably have more hair.

OP, I would recommend that you avoid extensions and practice protective styles on your own hair. Your skills will get better.

This is something really good to hear and be reminded of.... I've definitely noticed that I've 'grown' with my hair - learning it as it grows longer.

Can I ask, what changed at 10 inches or longer that makes you think it would have been unmanageable if you hadn't grown with it?

 

[ladylibra]

i just walked around looking crazy until i grew out of the akwards stage...