QUESTIONS TO MY 4 a/b HAIR TYPES

[meek&quietspirit]

Any of you ever transition from relaxed to natural hair and grow your hair to waist length?

My hair grows like so long with a perm, but, it stays short when natural.

Why????

 

[sunnyjohn]

Does is break off when you comb your natural hair?

Are you confused by the length becasue of shrinkage? Remember if you gently pull at you natural hair and stretch out the full length of the coil, it is often longer than you think.


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[meek&quietspirit]

Does is break off when you comb your natural hair?

Are you confused by the length becasue of shrinkage? Remember if you gently pull at you natural hair and stretch out the full length of the coil, it is often longer than you think.


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Yes, my natural hair does break off very easily. Is there anything I can do to strenthen it? Cause if it is, I'd probably give up the relaxer.

ACV strengthens my permed hair, but, it doesn't seem to do it for my natural hair.

When I went to Mr. John's to transition from permed to natural, my hair grew & got really thick. I stopped going because I got tired of the long waiting while there.

I just wish I knew what was in those products that were used!

Though my hair has gotten so long, I just don't think I can keep perming it forever.

Thanks for you help.

 

[dimpalz]

I've only just done my BC but I have high hopes for the growth of my natural hair. It's growing good and I haven't needed to trim it since the BC 2 months ago (guess I should soon tho) but I thought I'd mention a few things about natural hair care.

With me it seems it's all opposite to relaxed hair care. I can't comb it dry only wet. I can only put product on wet hair and not dry otherwise it looks dull. Blowdrying not airdrying makes my hair crispy, even if it is just aiming a blowdrying at it to speed things up.

As I only have a TWA which I don't really comb - I detangle with a brush every other/third day in the shower - and which I rinse or cowash everyday I'm not experiencing much breakage at all. I think it's the manipulation and dry styling that causes it, because I've noticed alot more hair coming out when I've played around in it and done some twists or tried canerowing a bit. I think you can have success if you're going for low manipulation styles like shake and goes after detangling and canerows for a few weeks. I don't really use anything to strengthen my hair I just try to moisturise it really well with water, shea butter and some essential oils and use a UV protectant leave in now it's sunny outside.

I know I'm not long haired or anything but I thought u might be helped by the info =) I've just visited roshini.net and her hair is growing like wildfire but she's been doing low/no manip so maybe it is the key.

 

[firecracker]

Any of you ever transition from relaxed to natural hair and grow your hair to waist length?

My hair grows like so long with a perm, but, it stays short when natural.

Why????

I am hoping the bolded is not the case in my natural hair journey. I am going to remain patient and hopeful that I my hair will be shoulder length by my 2nd year anniversary w/shrinkage.
I am going to try only washing once a week to see if I see more growth.

 

[hopeful]

How do you wear your natural hair? What was Mr. John's doing to your hair? I don't understand from your post if you wear it in protective styles or not, if you are getting it pressed or not, if you are using heat or not. What products are you using on your natural hair? What efforts do you take to keep it moisturized? How often are you combing and manipulating your hair? Sorry for all of the questions, but knowing these things will help us help you.

 

[meek&quietspirit]

How do you wear your natural hair? What was Mr. John's doing to your hair? I don't understand from your post if you wear it in protective styles or not, if you are getting it pressed or not, if you are using heat or not. What products are you using on your natural hair? What efforts do you take to keep it moisturized? How often are you combing and manipulating your hair? Sorry for all of the questions, but knowing these things will help us help you.

When I was transitioning while going to Mr. John's, he had us using the pink, plastic snap on rollers that we had to roll the hair under, with about 6 rollers placed around the head, sort of like a mushroom. We were to use a soft bristle natural brush and never brush the undersides of our hair. He also spoke against wearing pony tails because the friction of the holder would cause breakage. We also had to use a tiny bit of oil to put on the ends. His salon sold the oil.

I know they used some type of hair wax to press our hair while using a very hot straightening comb. It was amazing cause even in heat/humidity, it did not REVERT. My hair, including the new growth, stayed straight for two weeks.

I use NTM to moisturize, wear my hair in a phony pony (baggie method) about 95%, do co-washes, use a blow dryer on the new growth (I have to do this or I won't be able to get a comb through iterplexed).

If I could just get the new growth to do what Mr. John's salon did, I'd have hair down to my ankles. But, of course, they were always so secretive. I didn't take it personal.

Thanks again guys.

 

[hopeful]

When I was transitioning while going to Mr. John's, he had us using the pink, plastic snap on rollers that we had to roll the hair under, with about 6 rollers placed around the head, sort of like a mushroom. We were to use a soft bristle natural brush and never brush the undersides of our hair. He also spoke against wearing pony tails because the friction of the holder would cause breakage. We also had to use a tiny bit of oil to put on the ends. His salon sold the oil.

I know they used some type of hair wax to press our hair while using a very hot straightening comb. It was amazing cause even in heat/humidity, it did not REVERT. My hair, including the new growth, stayed straight for two weeks.

I use NTM to moisturize, wear my hair in a phony pony (baggie method) about 95%, do co-washes, use a blow dryer on the new growth (I have to do this or I won't be able to get a comb through iterplexed).

If I could just get the new growth to do what Mr. John's salon did, I'd have hair down to my ankles. But, of course, they were always so secretive. I didn't take it personal.

Thanks again guys.

Sounds like he rollerset and then pressed your hair? Sounds divine and like your hair looked really pretty. Well, I can't really press hair very well and my 4a/b hair is resistant. I'm just 4 months post bc and when I look at my hair and try to imagine it with relaxed ends I just laugh. I personally could not have transitioned for months. It would have been a major headache without the assistance of someone like Mr. John. Some of us have a very difficult time transitioning. I'm assuming you don't want to bc because you don't want to lose your length, which of course is understandable.

If I were you I think I would:

1. try wearing braids to grow it out until I had enough length.

2. Or I'd bc, braid or twist it up and wear a wig until it grew out. That way you could conditioner wash often and keep it really moist and not have to worry about manipulating your natural hair much.

3. Or I'd just keep relaxing until I thought I was ready to grow out a twa and deal with short natural hair. Within a year the twa is pretty much gone and you'll have a thick head of natural hair to wear in twists, braids, afro and puffs.

4. If you want to wear it straight most of the time, you may have no choice but to go back to Mr. John, maybe go back a few more times and try to do some detective work. Or go to him until you are completely natural. If you want to wear your natural hair straight though you may to continue going to him.

Have you ever worn your hair completely natural for a long period of time? Or are you judging your natural hair based on how it looks when you are transitioning? Without the relaxed ends, the natural hair is much easier to deal with.

I wish you the best.

 

[hopeful]

I just realized I didn't really answer your question as far as growing waist-length hair. Please do a search on long-haired naturals, etc. and I think you will find some. I will tell you that I have noticed that some people who could grow really long hair as a relaxed person seem to have a harder time growing it at or past that length as a natural. Not sure why that is the case. But it does seem that 4a/b hair really thrives and grows long when natural and kept in protective styles, ie. braids and twists, like 90% of the time. Jessy and Iris have wonderful and inspiring albums.

I think you can do it with time and patience. Just keep going over lots of albums of long-haired naturals and use their tips.

HTH.

 

[meek&quietspirit]

I joined the waist length challenge recently.

Wouldn't it be lovely if I could reach that goal as a natural?

If I do, I will post pictures.

Thanks for your info.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Well you know that Natural Hair Shrinks Alot! My hair is longer than in my Avatar but I have major shrinkage, and the Relaxer stretches your hair and you can see better growth by having it straight than curly. HTH!!

 

[meek&quietspirit]

I am hoping the bolded is not the case in my natural hair journey. I am going to remain patient and hopeful that I my hair will be shoulder length by my 2nd year anniversary w/shrinkage.
I am going to try only washing once a week to see if I see more growth.

How often were you washing your hair before?

 

[Cheleigh]

I don't know if my genetics will allow me to get to waist length (nor do I know if I'd want it anyway), but I feel pretty confident that my natural hair will at least match my relaxed hair's length, which was arm pit length. That does NOT account for shrinkage, which is very significant with my curl pattern. My hair seems to be growing at a normal rate, with little breakage. I use no growth aids, and my hair grows about .5" a month. I CR/CW often, wear shake and gos 90% of the time, use no heat and little manipulation (except for HIF disease).

 

[meek&quietspirit]

I don't know if my genetics will allow me to get to waist length (nor do I know if I'd want it anyway), but I feel pretty confident that my natural hair will at least match my relaxed hair's length, which was arm pit length. That does NOT account for shrinkage, which is very significant with my curl pattern. My hair seems to be growing at a normal rate, with little breakage. I use no growth aids, and my hair grows about .5" a month. I CR/CW often, wear shake and gos 90% of the time, use no heat and little manipulation (except for HIF disease).

Please instruct a hair dummy, (me), how to do a shake and go.

Thanks for your help.

 

[caligirl]

My hair has been growing like crazy since I did the big chop in April. In two years my hair has grown almost as long as it has been for the past 8 years! That was back when I was getting it washed and pressed every 3-4 weeks and doing nothing in between. Now, I wash and deep condition once a week and airdry in braids for a braidout. This is what I would recommend to anyone wanting to transition.

 

[meek&quietspirit]

My hair has been growing like crazy since I did the big chop in April. In two years my hair has grown almost as long as it has been for the past 8 years! That was back when I was getting it washed and pressed every 3-4 weeks and doing nothing in between. Now, I wash and deep condition once a week and airdry in braids for a braidout. This is what I would recommend to anyone wanting to transition.

What were you doing to your hair to maintain it in between washing & pressing it? And what products do you use to make your hair smooth?

Whenever I try to transition, the new growth is SOOOO rough, hard and dry.

Thanks.

 

[caligirl]

What were you doing to your hair to maintain it in between washing & pressing it? And what products do you use to make your hair smooth?

Whenever I try to transition, the new growth is SOOOO rough, hard and dry.

Thanks.

In between washing and pressing all I would do is put oil on the ends. That's it! I would sweat at the gym almost every day and only wash my hair once a month =(
Now, to make my hair smooth, I wet it, put conditioner on, get out of the shower and put oil on. Then I put it into a big puff and tie the front down with a scarf.
When I was transitioning, Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner (pink bottle) saved my life! It makes my natural hair very smooth, shiny and easy to comb. I would rub a little on each section and braid it up--about 9 braids on each side of my head. Then undo the braids in the morning. HTH.

 

[Cheleigh]

Please instruct a hair dummy, (me), how to do a shake and go.

Thanks for your help.

Wash hair. Rinse all condish out or leave a small portion in. Add a leave-in. Apply styling products (if you use them) in an upside down accordian fashion to very wet hair. Squeeze out excess water with hands. Bend slightly at the waist, and shake head vigorously from side to side (like a dog does after a bath). That's it.

 

[mahogany66]

Yes, my natural hair does break off very easily. Is there anything I can do to strenthen it? Cause if it is, I'd probably give up the relaxer.

ACV strengthens my permed hair, but, it doesn't seem to do it for my natural hair.

When I went to Mr. John's to transition from permed to natural, my hair grew & got really thick. I stopped going because I got tired of the long waiting while there.

I just wish I knew what was in those products that were used!

Though my hair has gotten so long, I just don't think I can keep perming it forever.

Thanks for you help.

Is Mr. John located in the NYC area?

 

[meek&quietspirit]

Mr. John's is located in Northwest Detroit.


O.k. my hair sisters, this weekend, I'm gonna try the shake & go.

I hope I don't end up looking like .