Shrinkage Blues

[ckisland]

*sigh*
I've been having the shrinkage blues like something terrible lately. Tonight I gave in and took the blowdryer to my head . In the 2 years and change I've been natural, I've used heat 3 times (this being the third) on my hair. I love love love my curlies and coils and kinks and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. It's just that I'm trying to grow my hair long, really long, and no one will be able to see all the time and hard work I've put into my hair because it shrinks to nothing!! I'm getting the feeling that me and heat are going to be getting more and more aquianted the longer my hair gets . Now I wouldn't go so far as to relax or texturize. I just needed to rant erplexed. I'm also mad that I spent this time blowing my hair out and I still have serious shrinkage !!!!!!

Anyone else going through the shrinkage blues? How do you deal when they hit?

 

[Christelyn]

I feel you on the shrinkage. But I would say just be judicious about heat because too much and you might miss your goal. Kudos to you for being so disciplined and only doing heat three times since you went natural! Have you maybe thought of styles that will stretch your natural hair a bit to show the length?

 

[BostonMaria]

Yeah shrinkage comes with the territory unfortunately. With me I get the mullet blues because my hair has layers and the crown area has a tighter curl, the bottom is looser so I get a nice mullet thing going on.

In the spring I go back and forth between straight and curly so I don't get tired of either one. Of course only do that if you know how to use heat without causing a setback. If not, I guess embracing the shrinkage is inevitable with us curlies.

 

[ckisland]

I feel you on the shrinkage. But I would say just be judicious about heat because too much and you might miss your goal. Kudos to you for being so disciplined and only doing heat three times since you went natural! Have you maybe thought of styles that will stretch your natural hair a bit to show the length?

Thanks for the support! I thought I was over the whole shrinkage thing since I knew that it would come with going natural. I didn't care about showing length at all during my first year. But when I saw how long my hair actually was, I guess I snapped! lol! Right now I feel like my hair's getting stuck at this length and I might need to change things up. But I don't know erplexed.

Yeah shrinkage comes with the territory unfortunately. With me I get the mullet blues because my hair has layers and the crown area has a tighter curl, the bottom is looser so I get a nice mullet thing going on.

In the spring I go back and forth between straight and curly so I don't get tired of either one. Of course only do that if you know how to use heat without causing a setback. If not, I guess embracing the shrinkage is inevitable with us curlies.

LOL at mullet blues!! I have a little of those too. I've avoided heat as a natural, but after reading the thread about using a little heat for increased retention, I'm thinking about possibly toying with heat. How often do you use heat? And what kind do you use (rollersetting, flatironing, blowdrying)?

 

[KrystalClear]

I feel you. I ended up relaxing due to other factors, BUT my natural hair is 4a/4b - coily, coarse, kinky, dense. SO I know what you mean. I was at a length that nobody EVER believed due to that shrinkage.

 

[Nonie]

Do you plait your hair for the night or use non-wet/shrinkage-enhancing products?

I love shrinkage. I hate products and love that when I do apply S Curl, my hair is kept off my clothes and my skin and just compacted way up high in a darling bun-cake shape:

But when I want to wear a big puff, I don't use S Curl. I use something like coconut oil and don't baggy but wear a satin scarf to bed. The next day I get a bigger puff. *shrug*

I dunno, I never worry about what other folks see or think. I know how long my hair is, and that is all that matters to me. I know what I can do with it...and when I feel like it, I do it. I'm glad I have the option to wear it straight but I also like to give the illusion that I have short hair and then bam!

There are other ways to stretch your hair besides using heat, if plaiting isn't your thing. Banding is one. Curlformers are also another way although I'm yet to figure out how to separate the "tubes" that result from them.

 

[Odd One]

^^ Nonie you hair texture looks a lot like mine!

I've always wondered : what length are you when straight?

 

[Nonie]

^^ Nonie you hair texture looks a lot like!

I've always wondered : what length are you when straight?

A little past shoulder length. And until I start protective styling and sealing ends, I'ma go into old age at "a little past shoulder length".

 

[ckisland]

Nonie, I completely know where your coming from because that's exactly how I thought until the past 6 months. I loved surprising people with how long my hair actually was !
I do stretched styles from time to time, but the wash n'go is my staple style. I can't do too many twistouts and braidouts because it takes too much regular manipulation for my hair. I've done banding but give it a few hours and my hair'll be shrinking up again .

Also I feel like my hair's stalled. Like I'm at a crossroads where I can try something different or stick to what I know. Besides the shrinkage issue, I want to get to MBL sooooo badly .

 

[Christelyn]

A little past shoulder length. And until I start protective styling and sealing ends, I'ma go into old age at "a little past shoulder length".

Nonie, for that pic, you look more like APL, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me!

 

[Truth]

awww no blues.. there is nothing wrong with being a straightened natural if thats what you really want to do. There are a few threads with very good tips ...i'm on the other end...I love shrinkage.. it provides mystery and gives people the dumbfounded look when I straighten my hair..talking about "it was just short"..mwahahahahaha the power of shrinkage I say!

 

[Nonie]

Nonie, I completely know where your coming from because that's exactly how I thought until the past 6 months. I loved surprising people with how long my hair actually was !
I do stretched styles from time to time, but the wash n'go is my staple style. I can't do too many twistouts and braidouts because it takes too much regular manipulation for my hair. I've done banding but give it a few hours and my hair'll be shrinking up again .

Also I feel like my hair's stalled. Like I'm at a crossroads where I can try something different or stick to what I know. Besides the shrinkage issue, I want to get to MBL sooooo badly .

How about phony puffs? Or falls? Or even wigs so you can forget your hair for a bit and have fun?

 

[Geminigirl]

I love my shrinkage because like Nonie I like that WOW factor, BUT I hate when I do styles to show length and then my hair shrinks. Even my twists on dry hair shrink up!! I hope when my hair gets longer and thicker it will add some weight so my hair doesn't shrink up as much. This is just what I'm hoping.

 

[ckisland]

Thanks everyone for the support and advice . I know I can't be without my coils for longer than a day before I start to miss them. If I knew I wouldn't feel so uncomfortable, I would definitely give wigs or even a weave a try. But they're just not my thing.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

shrinkage drove me crazy. i feel you op. im so glad i dont have to worry about that anymore. your hair is beautiful!!

 

[firecracker]

I used to have a love hate relationship with my shrinkage. This time around I love it and don't want to lose it for anything in the world. I don't miss straight hair or heat. I do use the blowdryer to dry my curly hair if I don't want to catch a cold from a fresh wash & go. I'm still learning my hair. I love that I can braid it or pull it back into a flattened ponytail now. The options are limitless.

I hope you feel better tommorrow. Hair is so much fun. You have loads of choices.

 

[coupe2]

Feeling you on the shrinkage, I was out with a friend recently, usually I wear my hair up in a bun on this particular day I wore it out and curly, friend says so your hair is'nt that long then , friend has neck length relaxed hair I at her ignorance of our (mine and hers) natural hair and let it rest. My hair is BSL and shrinks to shoulder.

Really not bothered about what others think or say.

 

[ckisland]

shrinkage drove me crazy. i feel you op. im so glad i dont have to worry about that anymore. your hair is beautiful!!

Thank you for the compliment . Your hair is absolutely beautiful but that goes without saying . You're one of the reasons why I'm so stuck on bunning .

 

[Tif392002]

*sigh*
I've been having the shrinkage blues like something terrible lately. Tonight I gave in and took the blowdryer to my head . In the 2 years and change I've been natural, I've used heat 3 times (this being the third) on my hair. I love love love my curlies and coils and kinks and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. It's just that I'm trying to grow my hair long, really long, and no one will be able to see all the time and hard work I've put into my hair because it shrinks to nothing!! I'm getting the feeling that me and heat are going to be getting more and more aquianted the longer my hair gets . Now I wouldn't go so far as to relax or texturize. I just needed to rant erplexed. I'm also mad that I spent this time blowing my hair out and I still have serious shrinkage !!!!!!

Anyone else going through the shrinkage blues? How do you deal when they hit?

i felt like this not too long ago, me being new to the natural world..... but someone gave me a link of some beautiful shrinkage and i was in awe.

last nite dc'd and whn i rinsed out my hair popped into a 2 inch curly fro, but i was relieved when i pulled it down and it was neck length!!!yippie... shrinkage have to just be embraced all the way around. its versitality is amazing.

 

[ckisland]

So my hair and I kissed and made up, which included me giving her a nice cowash . I dug deep and realized that I couldn't bare the thought of my hair becoming heat damaged or train. Nope no can't do it . I'm happy now. My blues are gone

 

[bermudabeauty]

I accept shrinkage and you know why....cuz I buy weave hair that matches my curl pattern and texture, hot glue some wig clips on the weave hair, then snap the weave in my hair for length. No one ever knows the wiser. It really is that simple! snap the weave in...snap the weave out. I get the length I want and keep my hair healthy without any commitment of a sew in weave

 

[MummysGirl]

Good to know you and your hair are happy

I'm still transitioning and I have *mega* shrinkage - this is one of my main reasons for a long term transition. I'm learning ways to airdry my hair stretched and I think that will be very useful when I'm all natural.

Your hair's pretty!

So my hair and I kissed and made up, which included me giving her a nice cowash . I dug deep and realized that I couldn't bare the thought of my hair becoming heat damaged or train. Nope no can't do it . I'm happy now. My blues are gone

 

[SEMO]

I understand how you feel. I have a crazy amount of shrinkage. I just have to think of it kinda like a protective style. It shrinks up so high that not much of it touches my shoulders. So there's less friction and theoretically less breakage.