Struggling with your natural hair? Come in here.....

[blackeyes31626]

I am gonna try the baggy/s-curl thing again, next time I was my hair.
I wonder if this would work w/ oyin juices...

 

[Cruzankink]

I probably am just venting. It's still my first 30 days and its a Monday It's probably more that its Monday.

My hair is 2" stretched. I know I'm a bit hard to help. I hate wigs. I hate anything on my head. When my scalp is wet, it itches. Has nothing to do with product. It just hates being wet.

I'm probably just going to vent. I'm just not willing to do all that I did the first time around. It was tiring and unsuccessful.

Vent all you want @faithVA that's why we are all here "struggling w/ natural hair." When I first BC I loved being natural but hated the length of my hair 3 in. hair. Like you I don't enjoy wigs, weaves, braides or anything else on my head. I prefer my natural hair with some product and a fantastic twist out/WnG/Bantu Knot out. Although I'm longer than 3 ins. I'm still not happy w/ my length. I love long hair that I've enjoyed for most of my life. I don't think I'll be satisfied w/ my lenght until I'm APL. So this all goes to say it's perfectly OK to feel the way you do. Most, if not all, of us have gone or is going through it.

 

[faithVA]

Cruzankink[/USER];16723035]Vent all you want @faithVA that's why we are all here "struggling w/ natural hair." When I first BC I loved being natural but hated the length of my hair 3 in. hair. Like you I don't enjoy wigs, weaves, braides or anything else on my head. I prefer my natural hair with some product and a fantastic twist out/WnG/Bantu Knot out. Although I'm longer than 3 ins. I'm still not happy w/ my length. I love long hair that I've enjoyed for most of my life. I don't think I'll be satisfied w/ my lenght until I'm APL. So this all goes to say it's perfectly OK to feel the way you do. Most, if not all, of us have gone or is going through it.

Thank You! I'm going to deal with it the best I can but I know I'm only going to do so much I learned that my first 2 years in. I tried lots of things but many of them I wouldn't do twice. Getting ready to donate my wigs to the cancer society. Now if I ever find one I love, I will buy it. But I want something that looks like my hair and those are hard to find.

Well yesterday my hair was soft but it dried up during the day and shrank to my head. So I misted it with just a little water and baggied. This morning my hair was damp but I could tell it was just surface water. I could tell my hair underneath was dry and it dried out within 15 minutes. So I reapplied the S-Curl. It will last for the day but it's not going to make it pass 24 hours. If I have the time I will wash tonight to try to get more moisture in my hair. Washing/cowashing seems to be the only thing that gets enough moisture in my hair.

What I am going to try though is to mist, moisturize and seal my hair at night. Then I will do my texturizing method and GHE. Then perhaps I can then just loosen the texturized areas a bit in the morning. It's worth a try.

 

[Nonie]

I am gonna try the baggy/s-curl thing again, next time I was my hair.
I wonder if this would work w/ oyin juices...

@blackeyes31626, my suggestion would be to try the baggy/s-curl thing again without anything else first. Then you can compare that with how your hair feels if you add oyin juices (whatever they are...)

*pictures blackeyes31626 juice dripping all over the place after using jheri juice then slathering on something called oyin juices *

 

[Nonie]

Thank You! I'm going to deal with it the best I can but I know I'm only going to do so much I learned that my first 2 years in. I tried lots of things but many of them I wouldn't do twice. Getting ready to donate my wigs to the cancer society. Now if I ever find one I love, I will buy it. But I want something that looks like my hair and those are hard to find.

Well yesterday my hair was soft but it dried up during the day and shrank to my head. So I misted it with just a little water and baggied. This morning my hair was damp but I could tell it was just surface water. I could tell my hair underneath was dry and it dried out within 15 minutes. So I reapplied the S-Curl. It will last for the day but it's not going to make it pass 24 hours. If I have the time I will wash tonight to try to get more moisture in my hair. Washing/cowashing seems to be the only thing that gets enough moisture in my hair.

What I am going to try though is to mist, moisturize and seal my hair at night. Then I will do my texturizing method and GHE. Then perhaps I can then just loosen the texturized areas a bit in the morning. It's worth a try.

@faithVA, if S Curl is applied WITH water (like if your hair is damp) then it will dry up hard. The trick is to reapply to your hair after it's dry and make sure you don't wet your hair again. If you then twist and baggy, you will wake up with damp hair from the S Curl. Don't undo the twists immediately if you don't want overly shrunken hair. Let some of that moisture dry while you have breakfast or get ready. When you undo, the hair should feel soft...and it WILL stay soft if you don't add anything else. If you baggy again that night (no re-application this time), you'll find your hair will be still soft in the morning, yet not sticky and not dry feeling at all.

ETA: and yes, it will dry up very compact. That's why after you reapply in the evening, you stretch your hair somehow. You can do twists if you like and fluff them out like Poohbear did when her hair was short. If you take your baggy off first thing after waking up and let some of that moisture dry before fluffing your hair, it'll be a bit more stretched.

If I apply S Curl to my hair while damp, it feels soft and is easy to comb but it dries up hard and shrinks to a compact tight mass:

But if I reapply that night and braid my hair for the night, then I will have fluffier hair that is soft and stays soft for days:

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA, if S Curl is applied WITH water (like if your hair is damp) then it will dry up hard. The trick is to reapply and make sure you don't wet your hair again. If you then twist and baggy, you will wake up with damp hair from the S Curl. Don't undo the twists immediately if you don't want overly shrunken hair. Let some of that moisture dry while you have breakfast or get ready. When you undo, the hair should feel soft...and it WILL stay soft if you don't add anything else. If you baggy again that night (no re-application this time), you'll find your hair will be still soft in the morning, yet not sticky and not dry feeling at all.

The trick is to reapply and make sure you don't wet your hair again. If you then twist and baggy, you will wake up with damp hair from the S Curl. Don't undo the twists immediately if you don't want overly shrunken hair. Let some of that moisture dry while you have breakfast or get ready. When you undo, the hair should feel soft...

I did all this. I followed your instructions Monday night and Turesday Morning. But by 4 pm my hair was dry. It got drier and drier. It was no longer soft by 6 pm. And it shrunk like it usual does. By the time I got home my hair was dry, shrunken and no longer soft. I just wasn't willing to risk that it would resoften in the morning because I can't sleep with the plastic bag against my head. So I misted it before putting on my cap.

Unfortunately I can't rely on the baggying completely because it just causes too much of an issue with my scalp. I can do it for 1 or 2 hours after that I have to take it off.

I am just going to have to fine another way. I will continue to try some other things.

 

[Syrah]

Im not struggling any more

Hair profile? 4b medium strands medium density

Reggie and products?
wash weekly with Dr bronners (various scents) or terressentials mud wash/rhassoul clay, sometimes cowash mid week (Hair Veda moist PRO or moist 24.7)

finger detangle with tresseme naturals

Moisture DC with each wash, protein DC when needed

after rinsing out DC spritz with aloevera juice (my godsend and why I no longer am struggling)


How do you style your hair? twists, twist outs, buns, puffs

What problems do you have with your hair?
my issue was dry bushy ends which were prone to breakage and always had SSKs - no matter what I did they were always there.

aloevera juice was the answer - it closes my cuticles, reduces SSKs and eliminates the dry bushy ends

now Im finally able to retain my ends and see some length

What kind of Aloe Vera Juice are you using? And how are you applying it?!

I'm looking for something to moisturize my hair 2-3 days after a cowash. And shea butter is waaaay to thick for my hair.

 

[Nonie]

The trick is to reapply and make sure you don't wet your hair again. If you then twist and baggy, you will wake up with damp hair from the S Curl. Don't undo the twists immediately if you don't want overly shrunken hair. Let some of that moisture dry while you have breakfast or get ready. When you undo, the hair should feel soft...

I did all this. I followed your instructions Monday night and Turesday Morning. But by 4 pm my hair was dry. It got drier and drier. It was no longer soft by 6 pm. And it shrunk like it usual does. By the time I got home my hair was dry, shrunken and no longer soft. I just wasn't willing to risk that it would resoften in the morning because I can't sleep with the plastic bag against my head. So I misted it before putting on my cap.

Unfortunately I can't rely on the baggying completely because it just causes too much of an issue with my scalp. I can do it for 1 or 2 hours after that I have to take it off.

I am just going to have to fine another way. I will continue to try some other things.

@faithVA, do you have porous hair? Or maybe your hair just doesn't like glycerin? I'm sorry it didn't work for you.

BTW you said you misted the S Curl before putting on the cap because you were not sure it'd resoften by morning. Why did you think the water would not be a risk? Just yesterday I read a post where someone said she doesn't baggy but she uses S Curl. By misting your hair before baggying weren't you just getting it wet the way you say you hate to have your hair?

 

[faithVA]

Nonie[/USER];16726409]@faithVA, do you have porous hair?

I have low porosity hair. Very little gets into it.

 

[Nonie]

I have low porosity hair. Very little gets into it.

faithVA then this is precisely why baggying would so work for you. It's like a moisture infusion treatment that forces moisture into your strands.

This explains then why your hair got dry and hard. You do not have internal moisture in your strands. And maybe the glycerin just drew out whatever moisture you had leaving them dry.

Do you normally have good experience with glycerin?

Maybe divachyk can help. I have normal porosity so perhaps that's why this simple regimen works for me.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA then this is precisely why baggying would so work for you. It's like a moisture infusion treatment that forces moisture into your strands.

This explains then why your hair got dry and hard. You do not have internal moisture in your strands. And maybe the glycerin just drew out whatever moisture you had leaving them dry.

Do you normally have good experience with glycerin?

Maybe @divachyk can help. I have normal porosity so perhaps that's why this simple regimen works for me.

Thanks Nonie. I did try to tell you that in the first post

I understand about the baggying but I just can't baggy. It's no use ruining my scalp so my hair can be moisturized I am just getting to the point where my scalp is starting to feel healthy.

Divachyk knows all about my struggles. We are both in the Low Porosity Support Group. It's just something I am going to have to keep working on and trying different things with. I just haven't tried the right combination for my hair yet.

 

[divachyk]

faithVA, are you still struggling with porosity even after you've chopped? I have found that my porosity improved after chopping off those aging ends. I'm not claiming normal porosity just yet but I don't feel that it's not as low of porosity as it use to be.

The best product combo for me has been -- spritzing hair with marshmallow root tea, applying AOWC conditioner and sealing with avocado butter or avocado oil. This is my daily moisturize/seal regi. I know AOWC is more for deep conditioning but my hair soaks this up and feels very hydrated. Marshmallow root tea is lovely also. Very hydrating.

I baggy my hair for 2 hours in the evening if I want a moisture boost. Finding a product combo that my hair loves has been the answer to my porosity struggle.

 

[faithVA]

divachyk[/USER];16726643]@faithVA, are you still struggling with porosity even after you've chopped? I have found that my porosity improved after chopping off those aging ends. I'm not claiming normal porosity just yet but I don't feel that it's not as low of porosity as it use to be.

The best product combo for me has been -- spritzing hair with marshmallow root tea, applying AOWC conditioner and sealing with avocado butter or avocado oil. This is my daily moisturize/seal regi. I know AOWC is more for deep conditioning but my hair soaks this up and feels very hydrated. Marshmallow root tea is lovely also. Very hydrating.

I baggy my hair for 2 hours in the evening if I want a moisture boost. Finding a product combo that my hair loves has been the answer to my porosity struggle.

Yes, I'm still over here struggling I already thought it was low porosity. Then I had the analysis and she confirmed that my cuticles lie flat. So it had nothing to do with my bad ends.

I agree about finding the right product combination as well as the right technique for my hair. It's hit or miss at the moment.

I like the AO Blue Chamomile but haven't tried it for a leave-in. Maybe I will try the Blue Chamomile shampoo. I will look into the Marshamallow root tea.

It's still just trial and error. Hopefully I will get all the pieces together.

 

[divachyk]

Yes, I'm still over here struggling I already thought it was low porosity. Then I had the analysis and she confirmed that my cuticles lie flat. So it had nothing to do with my bad ends.

I agree about finding the right product combination as well as the right technique for my hair. It's hit or miss at the moment.

I like the AO Blue Chamomile but haven't tried it for a leave-in. Maybe I will try the Blue Chamomile shampoo. I will look into the Marshamallow root tea.

It's still just trial and error. Hopefully I will get all the pieces together.

faithVA, ok so that's good to know that you're low porosity no matter what. I'm unsure if I'm low porosity with healthy hair or is the low porosity a result of my pre-LHCF hair. I've not yet brought myself to sending my hair off for analysis. I'm just not there yet. I haven't tried any AO shampoos. Have you? All my research suggests they suck.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA, ok so that's good to know that you're low porosity no matter what. I'm unsure if I'm low porosity with healthy hair or is the low porosity a result of my pre-LHCF hair. I've not yet brought myself to sending my hair off for analysis. I'm just not there yet. I haven't tried any AO shampoos. Have you? All my research suggests they suck.

Well let's hope you are normal porosity with just a passing experience of low porosity I wouldn't send off an analysis unless you just couldn't figure out you hair. I don't think most people need one. But there are a few of us that have tried all of the suggestions, techniques and products and getting nowwhere.

I also heard that the AO shampoos suck. But since my hair doesn't follow a standard pattern of hair, it might just work My hair doesn't like the AO conditioners other's rave.

It can't hurt. It's not like I have a long list of shampoos that I know will work.

 

[ceecy29]

Thanks Nonie. I did try to tell you that in the first post

I understand about the baggying but I just can't baggy. It's no use ruining my scalp so my hair can be moisturized I am just getting to the point where my scalp is starting to feel healthy.

Divachyk knows all about my struggles. We are both in the Low Porosity Support Group. It's just something I am going to have to keep working on and trying different things with. I just haven't tried the right combination for my hair yet.

Lol @ this dialogue and the number of times you had to say that baggying causes your scalp to itch.

I can relate to everything you've said faithVA from baggying not working for you (my scalp itches like crazy too and forces me to have to re-wash which = unnecessary manipulation, plus as soon as I take off the baggy, all the "moisture" seems to somehow evaporate--waste of effort) to scurl not providing moisture.

I just re-big chopped too but I think I have more length as I am able to twist my hair to prevent the packed to the head look. I'd say we're in this together, but I'm not very active. I'll try to pop in and provide support and tips I've found to work.

So far, I'm washing with TE mud wash, conditioning with tresseme naturals and shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie is managing to keep my hair moisturized for a few days but I have to apply very generously, in fact it works best when I slather each twist with a good amount before twisting up (i know that doesn't help you much since you said you can't twist for now); the only method of moisturizing that's ever worked for my hair.

 

[faithVA]

Lol @ this dialogue and the number of times you had to say that baggying causes your scalp to itch.

I can relate to everything you've said @faithVA from baggying not working for you (my scalp itches like crazy too and forces me to have to re-wash which = unnecessary manipulation, plus as soon as I take off the baggy, all the "moisture" seems to somehow evaporate--waste of effort) to scurl not providing moisture.

I just re-big chopped too but I think I have more length as I am able to twist my hair to prevent the packed to the head look. I'd say we're in this together, but I'm not very active. I'll try to pop in and provide support and tips I've found to work.

So far, I'm washing with TE mud wash, conditioning with tresseme naturals and shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie is managing to keep my hair moisturized for a few days but I have to apply very generously, in fact it works best when I slather each twist with a good amount before twisting up (i know that doesn't help you much since you said you can't twist for now); the only method of moisturizing that's ever worked for my hair.

It is funny. I think when something works so well for a person, it's hard to relate to the opposite

I do like the TE, and I have a good conditioner. I'm still working on the third piece. I'm getting there a little bit at a time. It's just aggravating sometimes

I just have to hold out another month or two. I can twist now but it takes forever. So I have to save that for the weekends.

Thanks ceecy29

oh, When my hair grows out, I will probably still be venting

 

[greenandchic]

@faithVA, ok so that's good to know that you're low porosity no matter what. I'm unsure if I'm low porosity with healthy hair or is the low porosity a result of my pre-LHCF hair. I've not yet brought myself to sending my hair off for analysis. I'm just not there yet. I haven't tried any AO shampoos. Have you? All my research suggests they suck.

divachyk- My hair loved AO shampoos back in the day (90s - early 00) especially their now discontinued dandruff shampoo, but for some reason they stopped working for me all of a sudden.

If you must try them I suggest buying it from a place where you can do an easy return/exchange (ie. Whole Foods).

 

[faithVA]

@divachyk- My hair loved AO shampoos back in the day (90s - early 00) especially their now discontinued dandruff shampoo, but for some reason they stopped working for me all of a sudden.

If you must try them I suggest buying it from a place where you can do an easy return/exchange (ie. Whole Foods).

Thanks. I think I will pick some up this weekend.

 

[greenandchic]

Thanks. I think I will pick some up this weekend.

Let us know how it goes! AO Island Naturals Shampoo was the bomb dot com back in 2002!

 

[divachyk]

Thank you greenandchic, I picked up the AOWC shampoo last weekend. After researching, no one had anything good to say so I'm considering returning it for something that I know I can use -- AOWC conditioner.

 

[DarkJoy]

Been reading your struggle @faithVA. Hope the new product helps...

Also, I know you've tried many many things. But have you given baking soda a try? It is alkaline and forces the cuticle open. That would be a great time to slap on some moisture DC. Then, of course would be closing your cuticles again (maybe a cool water rinse).

Was just a thought... Here's an article on the chemistry of baking soda and hair cuticles

Hope things are getting better.

 

[faithVA]

Been reading your struggle @faithVA. Hope the new product helps...

Also, I know you've tried many many things. But have you given baking soda a try? It is alkaline and forces the cuticle open. That would be a great time to slap on some moisture DC. Then, of course would be closing your cuticles again (maybe a cool water rinse).

Was just a thought... Here's an article on the chemistry of baking soda and hair cuticles

Hope things are getting better.

Thanks DarkJoy. Yes I am trying various versions of the baking soda over the next few weeks.

 

[Cruzankink]

UPDATE: I've returned from a well deserve mini vacation. I did tons of beach time w/ no care to the potential havoc the salt would do to my hair. I rocked WnG since I didn't want to focus on hair while on holiday. My vacation reggie was rinse out the salt, CW and add leave in - that's it. I was pleasantly surprise that my hair did not feel dry. However, when I DC yesterday, the SSK and tangles made their presence known. The tangles were so bad, finger detangling did not work; I had to use my seamless comb.

OBSERVATIONS: It's been a week since I cut my hair. I've noticed that the defined coils I've gotten used to are not as pronounced. I'm not quite sure but I beleive that since I cut the heat damage (i.e. heat texturized) ends my undamaged hair is too kinky to coil/curl. I'll continue observing this phenomenon to confrim whether its because of the lack of coiling/curling ability in my undamaged kinky hair, lack of hair hydration, or the products I'm using. As always I'll keep you ladies updated.

 

[faithVA]

Cruzankink[/USER];16760791]

OBSERVATIONS: It's been a week since I cut my hair. I've noticed that the defined coils I've gotten used to are not as pronounced. I'm not quite sure but I beleive that since I cut the heat damage (i.e. heat texturized) ends my undamaged hair is too kinky to coil/curl. I'll continue observing this phenomenon to confrim whether its because of the lack of coiling/curling ability in my undamaged kinky hair, lack of hair hydration, or the products I'm using. As always I'll keep you ladies updated.

Glad you had a good time.

Let us know about the coiling/curling. I noticed the same thing. I didn't have amazing curls but I had some. When I chopped I had 0 .

But I'm also wondering if they start to reappear with length.

 

[faithVA]

I gave up the baking soda. I bough the Blue Chamomile shampoo and will stick with this and the mudwash. And then use the AO Blue Chamomile and AO White Camellia for my instant and DC conditioners. So I'm moving on to finding the right products and techniques for leave-in.

 

[DarkJoy]

Thanks for the update Cruzankink! What you using to seal? Perhaps another oil will help avoid those ssk.

faithVA sorry the soda didn't work for you...still left you dry? Ah well...the blue camo kicks butt, tho, for real. Thanks for mentioning it. My hair is in LOVE.

 

[lovegymnasts]

Been reading your struggle @faithVA. Hope the new product helps...

Also, I know you've tried many many things. But have you given baking soda a try? It is alkaline and forces the cuticle open. That would be a great time to slap on some moisture DC. Then, of course would be closing your cuticles again (maybe a cool water rinse).

Was just a thought... Here's an article on the chemistry of baking soda and hair cuticles

Hope things are getting better.

If people are using the recipe (1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup water) provided in that article, I can see why so many people do not like it. That is waaaaaaay too much baking soda. It is not suppose to be a paste or gritty. I use 3 tablespoons baking soda mixed in 10 cups warmish water. I pour it through my hair and on my scalp while scrubbing my scalp with the balls of my fingers. It makes my hair clean and soft. It wonderfully clarifies my hair.

 

[faithVA]

Thanks for the update @Cruzankink! What you using to seal? Perhaps another oil will help avoid those ssk.

@faithVA sorry the soda didn't work for you...still left you dry? Ah well...the blue camo kicks butt, tho, for real. Thanks for mentioning it. My hair is in LOVE.

Thanks DarkJoy. I think I need to work with my leave-ins and sealing methods a bit more. My hair feels good after I rinse and even a few hours after. I guess I am losing all of my moisture though after a few hours.

 

[faithVA]

If people are using the recipe (1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup water) provided in that article, I can see why so many people do not like it. That is waaaaaaay too much baking soda. It is not suppose to be a paste or gritty. I use 3 tablespoons baking soda mixed in 10 cups warmish water. I pour it through my hair and on my scalp while scrubbing my scalp with the balls of my fingers. It makes my hair clean and soft. It wonderfully clarifies my hair.

I didn't read the article. I think most people were using the recommendations mentioned by the original posters. I agree that is too much baking soda. With only 1 cup of water, it wouldn't even really be a paste