Transition depression My hair has lost it's movement

R

Researching

New Member
Hi ladies,

I have been transitioning and have about 6 inches of new growth, 14 inches of texlaxed hair, and 6inches of bone straight ends. I just flat ironed my hair after a three month stretch of no head and was severely disappointed. My hair had NO body to it. It was very stiff and all I used to flat iron was silk elements olive oil heat protectant and chi silk infusion. I didn't use my usual leave in, no shea butter, no oil. I've enjoyed my journey up until now and am having second thoughts. I loved how my hair would flow and swing when relaxed and now that I have so much thick natural hair it just won't move. Is this just a fact of being natural or is there a way for me to still have natural hair that flows. I love my natural hair in braid outs and twist outs, but I also like to treat my hair straight every once and a while to enjoy seeing it fall to my waist. However, I DO NOT like stiff staight hair. I am dedicated to being natural, but still a little disappointed. I hope someone has some straightening advice for me. I want my hair to swing like it did when I was relaxed.
 
Get a feather flat iron or a knock-off marcel flat iron. They are good hair straighteners. But I'd cut off the bone straight ends. You've already got 20 inches. That's a lot of hair and the ends might be holding you back from transitioning easily as you look at those straight compared to the rest.
 
auparavant said:
Get a feather flat iron or a knock-off marcel flat iron. They are good hair straighteners. But I'd cut off the bone straight ends. You've already got 20 inches. That's a lot of hair and the ends might be holding you back from transitioning easily as you look at those straight compared to the rest.
Click to expand...

You think it's the straight ends that is making my hair lack movement? I have been curling my straight ends so my hair falls at about braw stap length and the relaxed hair makes a nice curl and I THOUGHT the curl would give me that swing I love, but NOPE. Maybe you are right. I have been thinking about cutting again. I just cut four inches at the beginning of June.
 
you may have to give up the swang until you have one OR two textures of hair on your head.

natural hair can swang, but you don't have natural hair....you have natural, texlax, AND bonelax....each texture has different needs and "issues".

you may need to find the technique that works best for you.

however, i would suggest giving up straightening your hair for awhile until you are ready to cut some hair off. if you aren't ready to cut, that's cool, just enjoy the styles you can enjoy until you have trimmed away some of the "dead weight".

my stylist keeps telling me how much prettier my hair would be if i just cut off the texlaxed ends. she doesn't realize that the only thing getting me through the transition is the fact that i can fit my hair into a nice ponytail....if i couldn't i would have quit.

(i am 13 months into my own transition, so i feel your pain) HTH
 
I think it had more to do with the fact that you only have 6" of natural hair. That's where your hair is the thickest since its natural and its going to take more length to get that swang you want. Also try to revamp your flat iron technique or maybe its your flat iron itself.
 
Researching said:
You think it's the straight ends that is making my hair lack movement? I have been curling my straight ends so my hair falls at about braw stap length and the relaxed hair makes a nice curl and I THOUGHT the curl would give me that swing I love, but NOPE. Maybe you are right. I have been thinking about cutting again. I just cut four inches at the beginning of June.
Click to expand...



No, I think you are in shock at your real hair texture and are longing for the relaxed type. You hair has more body than you think and not just fly-away hair. Try doing something that will work with your texture now.
 
you might need a higher temperature setting for your roots. also what kind of flat iron do you have?
 
Is this the same flat iron that you have always used? Could it be too much oil used (with the protectant and chi). The reason I say that is because I went to get my hair done a few weeks ago and usually it has a swing and because I put too much oil in my deep conditioner, my hair was heavy when I got it blown out and it wasn't as bouncy as it normally is.
 
No, stiff straightened hair is not just part of being natural. I would guess it's a combination of products, tools and technique. I was in your same boat, natural roots, texlaxed middle and relaxed ends. I transitioned for 104 weeks (2 full years).

What I have found it that I need to deep condition my natural hair with a moisturizing conditioner, blow dry on warm/high speed and then flat iron. One or two passes at about 370 degrees works for my hair which is 4a and fine.

I made a video of my process. Of course you can cut out steps but the deep conditioning is a must for me. Video: http://youtu.be/Nl7YRN475b8
 
You probably need to clarify your hair as well. DC then try flat ironing again and don't go too heavy on the heat protectant. My hair has more 'swang' to it when it's blow dried with a comb attachment. I flat iron with my maxiglide at 4.5 out of 10 temp setting and my hair has a lot of body but it's not bone straight. Natural hair can definitely swing.
 
When I read your post, the first thing that came to my mind was you need to clarify. Then DC. Use one heat protectant, and use it sparingly. Or get a spray. I am natural, and I use Aphogee Green Tea Reconstructor. HTH
 
Researching said:
Hi ladies,

I have been transitioning and have about 6 inches of new growth, 14 inches of texlaxed hair, and 6inches of bone straight ends. I just flat ironed my hair after a three month stretch of no head and was severely disappointed. My hair had NO body to it. It was very stiff and all I used to flat iron was silk elements olive oil heat protectant and chi silk infusion. I didn't use my usual leave in, no shea butter, no oil. I've enjoyed my journey up until now and am having second thoughts. I loved how my hair would flow and swing when relaxed and now that I have so much thick natural hair it just won't move. Is this just a fact of being natural or is there a way for me to still have natural hair that flows. I love my natural hair in braid outs and twist outs, but I also like to treat my hair straight every once and a while to enjoy seeing it fall to my waist. However, I DO NOT like stiff staight hair. I am dedicated to being natural, but still a little disappointed. I hope someone has some straightening advice for me. I want my hair to swing like it did when I was relaxed.
Click to expand...

Well my hair is bouncy and I had about 3 inches of NG and I use only Chi Iron Guard. I think you might've used too much product. That's what it sounds like anyway.
 
Like others have stated, clarify, dc with an uber moisturizing conditioner, add a moisturizing heat protectant, blow dry using a brush or comb attachment and finally flat iron.

Those are the steps I follow and I have swang each time w/o fail. (Ill probably post my thread link)

And I don't think your hair not having body has much to do with your hair being diff textures -- more to do with product and technique.

ETA: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=431336&highlight=one+pass
 
Last edited:
Napp said:
you might need a higher temperature setting for your roots. also what kind of flat iron do you have?
Click to expand...

I cranked my flat iron up to 450 degrees:nono:. This is something I haven't done since starting my hair journey, but I was so frustrated that my hair was not cooperating. I use a ceramic tourlamine H2 pro professional flat iron.
 
naturalmanenyc said:
No, stiff straightened hair is not just part of being natural. I would guess it's a combination of products, tools and technique. I was in your same boat, natural roots, texlaxed middle and relaxed ends. I transitioned for 104 weeks (2 full years).

What I have found it that I need to deep condition my natural hair with a moisturizing conditioner, blow dry on warm/high speed and then flat iron. One or two passes at about 370 degrees works for my hair which is 4a and fine.

I made a video of my process. Of course you can cut out steps but the deep conditioning is a must for me. Video: http://youtu.be/Nl7YRN475b8
Click to expand...


Wow, your hair texture is exactly like mine except my hair is twice as thick, which means it takes a lot of time and energy to straighten. You know I'm thinking that my hair doesn't have swag because I did not blow dry my hair this time. I thought it would be healthier not to use two forms of direct heat, so I partly air dried and then sat under my hooded dryer. Do you think that may have been it?
 
Researching said:
Hi ladies,

I have been transitioning and have about 6 inches of new growth, 14 inches of texlaxed hair, and 6inches of bone straight ends. I just flat ironed my hair after a three month stretch of no head and was severely disappointed. My hair had NO body to it. It was very stiff and all I used to flat iron was silk elements olive oil heat protectant and chi silk infusion. I didn't use my usual leave in, no shea butter, no oil. I've enjoyed my journey up until now and am having second thoughts. I loved how my hair would flow and swing when relaxed and now that I have so much thick natural hair it just won't move. Is this just a fact of being natural or is there a way for me to still have natural hair that flows. I love my natural hair in braid outs and twist outs, but I also like to treat my hair straight every once and a while to enjoy seeing it fall to my waist. However, I DO NOT like stiff staight hair. I am dedicated to being natural, but still a little disappointed. I hope someone has some straightening advice for me. I want my hair to swing like it did when I was relaxed.
Click to expand...
I get plenty of swing (or swang as we like to say here at the LHCF) when my natural hair has been flat ironed. Of the two products you used, I would have only used the chi silk infusion (as that is pretty much a heat protectant as well as a serum). My natural hair doesn't come out stiff straight when it's flat ironed.
 
cutenss said:
When I read your post, the first thing that came to my mind was you need to clarify. Then DC. Use one heat protectant, and use it sparingly. Or get a spray. I am natural, and I use Aphogee Green Tea Reconstructor. HTH
Click to expand...


Clarifying strips my 4 type hair so badly that it's hard to get the moisture by even after DCing my hair. Dry hair = breakage, so clarifying is a no no. I don't even use shampoo much, but I do use it when I straighten my hair.
 
havilland said:
you may have to give up the swang until you have one OR two textures of hair on your head.

natural hair can swang, but you don't have natural hair....you have natural, texlax, AND bonelax....each texture has different needs and "issues".

you may need to find the technique that works best for you.

however, i would suggest giving up straightening your hair for awhile until you are ready to cut some hair off. if you aren't ready to cut, that's cool, just enjoy the styles you can enjoy until you have trimmed away some of the "dead weight".

my stylist keeps telling me how much prettier my hair would be if i just cut off the texlaxed ends. she doesn't realize that the only thing getting me through the transition is the fact that i can fit my hair into a nice ponytail....if i couldn't i would have quit.

(i am 13 months into my own transition, so i feel your pain) HTH
Click to expand...
havilland

Ah ha, so you are transitioning? Cool.
 
westNDNbeauty said:
Like others have stated, clarify, dc with an uber moisturizing conditioner, add a moisturizing heat protectant, blow dry using a brush or comb attachment and finally flat iron.

Those are the steps I follow and I have swang each time w/o fail. (Ill probably post my thread link)

And I don't think your hair not having body has much to do with your hair being diff textures -- more to do with product and technique.

ETA: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=431336&highlight=one+pass
Click to expand...


WoW! Your straightend hair looks like my hair when it's relaxed! Thank you so much your links were so helpful. My hair was also really dry when I straightened it this time too. Even after using two heat protectants my hair was feeling dry. I've been using a lot of protein lately. I'm going to use your method of DCing next time.
 
Blowdrying and flatironing is not the debil like some on the board say. If you did a through blowdry then that would mean less heat when you flatiron or vice versa. My stylist makes my hurr be so shiny and full of swang that i have had folks act have I started relaxing again,lol. You have too many different textures on your head. I would hide my hair and gradually trim if you aren't ready to do a BC yet. Wigs, weaves, braids are just a few options to hide your hair but eventually you will have to cut.
 
southerncitygirl said:
Blowdrying and flatironing is not the debil like some on the board say. If you did a through blowdry then that would mean less heat when you flatiron or vice versa. My stylist makes my hurr be so shiny and full of swang that i have had folks act have I started relaxing again,lol. You have too many different textures on your head. I would hide my hair and gradually trim if you aren't ready to do a BC yet. Wigs, weaves, braids are just a few options to hide your hair but eventually you will have to cut.
Click to expand...


I hide my ends by twisting my hair all the way down until I reach the fully relaxed hair. I then take those bone straight ends and spiral them around a perm rod. When I take out my twist out the relaxed ends are so curly that they really add a nice touch to my twist out and give me a little less shrinkage. I will only cut my ends off if I decide to straighten regularly, which I may have to do because I'm going back to work and twist outs are more time consuming when it comes to daily styling than straight hair. I don't know. It's hard to give up waist length hair, but it's also easier to manage my hair when it's straight.
 
Researching said:
Your hair is so beautiful and thick. Looking at ladies on you tube with hair like yours is what made me want to transition. I have about six inches of natural hair and i love my natural texture. It's thick and has 4a curls. What's your texture?
Click to expand...
Thanks. My hair is mainly 3c, but I have some 4a in the back. Congratulations on your decision to go natural. I hope you love it as much as I do. :)
 
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