Thinking about Texlaxing

[Nubenap22]

Ok heres my history...I transitioned for over a year then bc'd September 2010. Since then Its been a love hate relationship. I've done braids, twists, and weaves.
Ive tried with products without all kinds of products, techniques and oils and my hair still at me.


My main problem splits, midshaft and regualr and single strand knots. Whats crazy is I dont even have my hour out that much and it will still split! I'm at a lost of words...I've tried henna several times and I like it but I dont think it works that great for my hair. I follow up with a deep condish but not to the point where my hair is mushy. I'm also in nursing school so my time is limited in doing things.

Heres my plans for the next few months....
Get a trim in 3 weeks. Braid it up for a base braid and wear a wig for the next few months while taking hairfinity (ordering it for 6 months, been taking it for 1.5 months now) . Co-wash, oil scalp, massage, and poo and use leave in moisturizers as needed. Then rebraid the base braid every month.

If I still hate my hair come June ish time I believe I'm going to take the plunge and I hope it will greatly reduce my ssk, splits, and time to do hair.

I greatly welcome criticism and suggestions because some days I want to chop it all off!!

Both pics were taken about a month ago

 

[discodumpling]

How will you EVER love your hair if it is constantly braided and covered by a wig?

A good chop to eliminate your midshaft splits and a recomittment/re-evaluation of your HHJ is my only suggestion. Even if you texlax you will have to eliminate the midshaft splits by way of cutting.

 

[greight]

OP, you and I have similar textures. I think you need more protein in your regimen since you seem to have fine strands. I cut off my splits and have been able to maintain the cut when i started my protein-based regimen.

I did moisture for a year and didn't get anywhere... Just more splits. Now my hair is a lot better off with a protein routine. I try my best not to manipulate it, but detangling is a must. I've severely limited breakage in this way.

I don't think you hate your hair per se as much as you are frustrated. I also am considering texlax if my hair doesn't behave the way that I want it to. It takes more time for me to do my hair (and it's not that thick so I have to think about styling) as a natural, TBH. However, I learned a lot.

Also, with fine hair, you have to do more protective styles than average . It sucks and I hate it, but it's not really hiding your hair as much as it is protecting it.

I hope this helps you!

 

[Nubenap22]

I've had my hair out for more than a month at a time...I already know it needs cutting the mid-shaft splits i see are close to the ends...

And your right I am frustrated....Its like I want to wear my hair out more but because its thick/short/semi fragile and I cant just enjoy it.....maybe after these next 6 months ill reevaluate but in the mean time I'll try adding more protein as opposed to just monthly hennas which i admit I've only done 3 times since January and only 3 regular protein treatments ( aphoghee 2 minute)

 

[GoodMernin]

I was considering texturizing no more than a couple months ago.

I was tired of the maintenance of natural 4b hair with the clearing out with combs and brushes. I was fed up with the time taken to shampoo, dc, clear out, blow dry, flat iron and such until one day...

...I decided that there must be an easier way.

I came to the conclusion that if it was taking this long to maintain my hair then it must be because I am trying to make it do something that it wasn't meant to do. I also figured that I was using a method to clear my hair that my hair wasn't meant to be cleared with.

So I looked into wash and go's and happened upon cynthiarf's channel on youtube.

And...no joke...I have been using her methods for the past week and I have never been happier to see my hair do things that I didn't think possible.

Matter of fact I have not used a comb OR brush in that time either.

I have been washing and going with free fro's, fro hawks and such and my hair has the cutest fluff and curl from finger detangling in the shower and co-washing.

I am going with the flow of what my hair does and I am trying to work more with it than against it.

Here's her channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cynthiarf

 

[greight]

I was considering texturizing no more than a couple months ago.

I was tired of the maintenance of natural 4b hair with the clearing out with combs and brushes. I was fed up with the time taken to shampoo, dc, clear out, blow dry, flat iron and such until one day...

...I decided that there must be an easier way.


And...no joke...I have been using her methods for the past week and I have never been happier to see my hair do things that I didn't think possible.

Matter of fact I have not used a comb OR brush in that time either.

http://www.youtube.com/user/cynthiarf

Hey, GoodMernin,

How long is your hair?

You know, the only other time that I did not have as many issues with my hair was when I just did wash and go's daily. I honestly thought it might be too much manipulation so I cut back.

I was thinking about returning to that level again. I've practically tried everything else. I was thinking about doing it with a medium protein since my hair loves it.

Do you have a set regimen or a set of products that you use? Also, have you seen more SSK's? Thanks in advance!

 

[Nubenap22]

GoodMernin thank you sooo much for Cynthias link..I emailed her and asked a few questions!! I hope she responds because my hair looks just like hers did in 2008/2009.

But from what I got she cowashes, DAILY? Then adds nothing for a min, let it air dry a bit then adds a little something and separate and air dry over the night...Morning Fluff and go?

 

[GoodMernin]

Hey, @GoodMernin,

How long is your hair?

You know, the only other time that I did not have as many issues with my hair was when I just did wash and go's daily. I honestly thought it might be too much manipulation so I cut back.

I was thinking about returning to that level again. I've practically tried everything else. I was thinking about doing it with a medium protein since my hair loves it.

Do you have a set regimen or a set of products that you use? Also, have you seen more SSK's? Thanks in advance!

My hair is shoulder length and I find that the wash and go is simple and not much manipulation for me at all.

I wash with Suave Professionals 2 in 1 shampoo plus conditioner once a week. Every once in a while I'll use black soap.

I co-wash daily with Tresemme Optimal Curl Hydration and it is creamy which allows me to pull from root to tip (like pulling spaghetti with finger tips) and clear it through. I don't use any tools like combs brushes cause it does more harm than good. I get the SSK's out pretty well with the conditioner but I don't get very many.

While I am washing, every once in a while I give my head a good shake to loosen the hair.

I said I would use only EVOO and shea butter in another thread but I purchased Mixed Silk Leave in and Mixed Silk Nourishing Deep Conditioner from Sally's and I have to say that they were wonderful...especially the DC. ( I only use the DC after my 1X per week shampoo)

So after I rinse the Tresemme I like to pat about 2 quarter sized pools of cold pressed EVOO on my wet hair then gently pull from root to tip.

Then I rub a few squirts of the leave in in my palms and pat it all over my hair while still wet and then pull from roots to tip.

I put a cotton tee shirt over my head for a quick second and pat gently just to get the drops off of the surface then reshape quickly and give my head a good shake over the tub.

I either wear it fully out and a part, one side pulled up, or a fro hawk.

I absolutely love this regimen. It's working so far for me.

Hope that helps.

 

[Nubenap22]

MAybe I'll try that along with incorporating more protein in my reggie for springish/summerish time

 

[GoodMernin]

@GoodMernin thank you sooo much for Cynthias link..I emailed her and asked a few questions!! I hope she responds because my hair looks just like hers did in 2008/2009.

But from what I got she cowashes, DAILY? Then adds nothing for a min, let it air dry a bit then adds a little something and separate and air dry over the night...Morning Fluff and go?

Keep me posted if she does email back because she has not had a new vid in a min.

It seems that she did the morning fluff and shake.

I will be doing the co wash every other day and rinse thru on the alternate days.

Daily watering seems to adds the moisture that I need and my scalp feels great...plus hubs loves the smell.

I do this at night and my hair is still damp in the roots when I wake in the morning so that all I do is spritz with a combination of aloe vera juice, water, and olive oil and fluff into my fro then I make styles with the large straight hair pins.

And half way through the day if my hair feels a lil thirsty I spritz it a couple times and it seems to wake up and feels soft again.

I need to stop being so lazy and add a few pics so that you can see what styles I have so far for our hair type. I haven't had to incorporate a comb in my routine yet! Just a swipe of a soft boar hair brush on my edges is all!

 

[Nubenap22]

Sounds fun but Its too cold to wash my hair or co-wash every other day....

Since your co-washing at night are you twisting or braiding it to keep it from tangling and undoing in the am?

 

[MzSwift]

I need to stop being so lazy and add a few pics so that you can see what styles I have so far for our hair type.

*sits with head in hands awaiting beautiful hair pix*



OP-
I found that my journey became SO much easier when I started working WITH my hair. I stopped trying to make it do what I wanted and we became good friends.

GL in your journey!

 

[GoodMernin]

Sounds fun but Its too cold to wash my hair or co-wash every other day....

Since your co-washing at night are you twisting or braiding it to keep it from tangling and undoing in the am?

No.

I don't twist or braid. I just wait until my hair is semi dry and wrap it loosely in a big silk scar then a satin bonnet and sleep like that.

When I awake in the morning, the ends are smashed down and dry but the roots are still damp.

All I have to do is spray with my spray bottle of aloe vera juice, water, and oilve oil and fluff the ends a bit then pull gently from the roots to shape then either leave it like that or put my pins in it to make a fro hawk.

I do have to say that this has been an extremely easy way of doing my hair.

I will be doing a gently clearing out this weekend so as to get to the shed hairs. Hopefully it won't be bad. We'll see!

 

[GoodMernin]

*sits with head in hands awaiting beautiful hair pix*



OP-
I found that my journey became SO much easier when I started working WITH my hair. I stopped trying to make it do what I wanted and we became good friends.

GL in your journey!

Im'ma try on those pics today. I am so not tech savvy!

BTW...your fro is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

And your advice on just following your hair's lead is so true!

 

[southerncitygirl]

i know this opinion may not be popular round these parts but maybe co-washing isn't for you, it could be too much manipulation. you may also need lots of protein and moisture my natural hair loves lots of both. maybe a heavier butter from marie dean or qhemet biologics sealed with an oil on top would help. washing in several plaits (5-10 depending on length and density) may prove helpful with detangling and rentention as well.
tiffers
get in here, girlie. i know you used to have issues with dry hurr till you tried products from these lines.

IDareT'sHair
Nonie
your assistance is needed

 

[Nonie]

southerncitygirl, you should know by now that I sing only one song... ♫S to the Curl to the No Drip Drip Drip... I said to the No Drip Drip Drip Activator and MOISTURIZER ♪

OP, I'm not a nurse and my time is not limited yet I can't be doing all o' dat which you be doin'. Why do you henna? Is it coz other naturals told you to or you heard it was good? Why do you like it? You just said you don't think it's good for your hair so how can you like it? You know you don't have to front Lawd knows if something were not working for me, it'd not fall under "I like it". I personally don't care for henna. I have never used it except on my hands to create cute decorations with my Muslim friends when I was young. I don't know if it'd be good for my hair but that's just like I don't know if Denzel would make a good lover. I don't have to know everything. I can't try everything under the sun.

OK, insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. The damage you are seeing in your hair clearly tells you that your regimen is at fault. What is "a base braid"?

How do you wear your hair to bed? Nubenap22 How often do you comb your hair?

It's so hard for me to figure out what to suggest to folks because I only know of lazy simple methods that involve low manipulation. If wearing my hair out, you can bet your bottom dollar it is combed. I don't go without combing my hair if loose. My regimen has worked for a few people and it's all I've got. I break it down in this thread.

 

[Nubenap22]

I henna because of the research i did about the protein properties...

A base braid is like the same braid you get you hair ready for when your about to get a weave put in....the flat braids ( with or without some weave added to lessen the tension on your hair)

I never wear my hair to bed loose or uncovered. An I always use either a satin scarf of my beloved silk scarfs....


I dont comb my hair much mostly finger comb it and thats with something in it to give it slip and detangle

 

[Nonie]

I think the base braid will work because low mani will help. Your attached photos made me feel stressed coz I NEVER let my hair shrink like that and dry like that. If you see my hair like that, it's dripping wet and I will braid it before I let it airdry, or I'll apply loads of S Curl and comb it out. Clumped type 4 coils just look scary to me.

Anyway, I'm lazy so you can't go by what I say. I go to great lengths to ensure I don't have to detangle my hair by ensuring tangle don't get a chance.

I don't know if this helps but rather than use proteins or henna, have you tried using a reconstructor like AO GPB? It's moisture and protein in one so you don't have to worry about an imbalance.

 

[Nubenap22]

I tried it once.....maybe i need to revisit it...but that was on air dried hair for the puff