TWA Support Thread

[bigbrowneyez]

faithVA

My WnG routine is simple. I cowash in the morning, the while wet I apply my double butter creme, coconut oil (sometimes I skip this if I'm in a hurry), and a SMALL (pea size) amount of nourish and shine. If you use too much N&S, you won't be able to rub in the white. Then I apply my KCCC if I want hold or Pure Pudding if I want more moisture and softness. I apply the stylers in a circular fashion using the palms of my hands. I used to circle with my fingertips but my hair is getting longer and it tangles/gets caught. When applying my cremes, I don't apply in any particular method. HTH!

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[faithVA]

bigbrowneyez[/USER];18638999]@faithVA

My WnG routine is simple. I cowash in the morning, the while wet I apply my double butter creme, coconut oil (sometimes I skip this if I'm in a hurry), and a SMALL (pea size) amount of nourish and shine. If you use too much N&S, you won't be able to rub in the white. Then I apply my KCCC if I want hold or Pure Pudding if I want more moisture and softness. I apply the stylers in a circular fashion using the palms of my hands. I used to circle with my fingertips but my hair is getting longer and it tangles/gets caught. When applying my cremes, I don't apply in any particular method. HTH!

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Can you tell me why you use double butter and coconut oil and then Nourish and Shine? I understand the gel step but wondering why you have 3 products prior to the gel? What does each one do for you? And what happens if you don't do them?

 

[bigbrowneyez]

faithVA

I use the double butter as my water based moisturizer in the LOC method. It's thick but I like the consistency. The coconut oil doesn't make much of a noticeable difference, which is why I don't always use it. The nourish and shine is my Creme in the LOC. That really helps keep my hair moisturized throughout the day. I noticed if I don't use it, then my hair starts to feel dry much quicker as the day goes on. If I don't use the coconut oil in the day, then if I re moisturize at night(sprints with water) then ill seal with the coconut oil. So, as staples, it's really the DBC and the N&S, then my styler. Does that make sense?

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[faithVA]

@faithVA

I use the double butter as my water based moisturizer in the LOC method. It's thick but I like the consistency. The coconut oil doesn't make much of a noticeable difference, which is why I don't always use it. The nourish and shine is my Creme in the LOC. That really helps keep my hair moisturized throughout the day. I noticed if I don't use it, then my hair starts to feel dry much quicker as the day goes on. If I don't use the coconut oil in the day, then if I re moisturize at night(sprints with water) then ill seal with the coconut oil. So, as staples, it's really the DBC and the N&S, then my styler. Does that make sense?

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Yes it does. Thanks for the explanation. I am thinking of doing a WNG next week and your sharing is very helpful.

 

[noegirl05]

I had bsl length then cut to a Halle berry cut. Let it grow out a bit had a weave out in and then Senegalese. I big chopped all relaxer out yesterday and I hate my twa. I don't look put together thinking of making an appointment for kinky twists

My ultimate goal is to be mid back length curly
I would say I'm a 3b/c

 

[faithVA]

I had bsl length then cut to a Halle berry cut. Let it grow out a bit had a weave out in and then Senegalese. I big chopped all relaxer out yesterday and I hate my twa. I don't look put together thinking of making an appointment for kinky twists

My ultimate goal is to be mid back length curly
I would say I'm a 3b/c

I know a twa is tough. Definitely get the twists if it will help you out. But maybe try to give yourself at least a week to see if you get used to your look. Sometimes it just takes a little bit to get used to seeing ourselves differently. And yeah, sometimes we never get used to it.

If you do get kinky twists though, I would recommend that somewhere between now and NL you spend some time with your hair so you can learn what it likes and doesn't like and start practicing for the way you want to wear it long term.

I am familiar with where you are. I have toughed out many bad phases.

 

[bigbrowneyez]

I had bsl length then cut to a Halle berry cut. Let it grow out a bit had a weave out in and then Senegalese. I big chopped all relaxer out yesterday and I hate my twa. I don't look put together thinking of making an appointment for kinky twists

My ultimate goal is to be mid back length curly
I would say I'm a 3b/c

Welcome . What is it about the twa don't you like? You said it doesn't look "put together." Can you explain? Ie, is it uneven, are there still some relaxed ends of there, etc. How long did you "transition" for before you BC'ed. Don't be discouraged. It takes getting used to. I had WL hair and BC'ed all the relaxer at once. I had only "transitioned" for 4.5months. At first I was in shock but I got used to it. I found products that worked and techniques and I really like it. My ultimate goal is to get back to WL as a natural. Also, if you decide to wear ur hair out, or after u remove ur kinky twists, just know that it will take patience to get your routine down. I went thru a crazy dry spell and I was like WTF lol. Natural hair is much different from relaxed and battling dryness in "out" states (ie wash n gos) takes time to learn to manage. At least for me. We are all here to encourage and these ladies on this thread are great. I'm only almost 2moths post and I've learned a lot. HTHs

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[Rocky91]

I braided my hair a few days ago. They are lowkey a little bit rough but I am enjoying the convenience of not having to cowash every morning.
i plan to keep them in for 3 weeks then probably get a weave.

 

[noegirl05]

I know a twa is tough. Definitely get the twists if it will help you out. But maybe try to give yourself at least a week to see if you get used to your look. Sometimes it just takes a little bit to get used to seeing ourselves differently. And yeah, sometimes we never get used to it.

If you do get kinky twists though, I would recommend that somewhere between now and NL you spend some time with your hair so you can learn what it likes and doesn't like and start practicing for the way you want to wear it long term.

I am familiar with where you are. I have toughed out many bad phases.

faithVA thanks for the support. I think it was so shocking to see. I know I'm going to love my hair once it's loner and can weigh itself down a bit

Welcome . What is it about the twa don't you like? You said it doesn't look "put together." Can you explain? Ie, is it uneven, are there still some relaxed ends of there, etc. How long did you "transition" for before you BC'ed. Don't be discouraged. It takes getting used to. I had WL hair and BC'ed all the relaxer at once. I had only "transitioned" for 4.5months. At first I was in shock but I got used to it. I found products that worked and techniques and I really like it. My ultimate goal is to get back to WL as a natural. Also, if you decide to wear ur hair out, or after u remove ur kinky twists, just know that it will take patience to get your routine down. I went thru a crazy dry spell and I was like WTF lol. Natural hair is much different from relaxed and battling dryness in "out" states (ie wash n gos) takes time to learn to manage. At least for me. We are all here to encourage and these ladies on this thread are great. I'm only almost 2moths post and I've learned a lot. HTHs

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I just don't like how it looks when I'm in work clothes. I have to wear a suit everyday and gosh it just doesn't look like I ad a plan. I love love love my texture. I'm a true 3c and it soooo soft so I think once I'm longer and hair hangs a bit. I wore wash n gos before and relaxed 4x a year but at least it was longer and could be styled more. My hair right now is about 3 inches long in most areas. The sides and back are about 2

 

[hnntrr]

I think BC'ing was a good decision. Even though I've been in wigs for almost two months, all that breakage I had when I was relaxed is gone. I havn't done a tea rinse since I BC'ed. Having a bit of trouble holding on to moisture but my curls are forming well especially in the crown where I thought there was no pattern...

So at the moment I am co-washing about twice a week, sealing with avacado and castor oil and wigging. Not a lot of breakage when I do wash, shed hair isnt bad either. I need to shampoo soon and do a DC and Protein treatment possibly. I've resorted to combing my hair with a bide tooth once a month and finger detangling as much as possible the rest of the time to avoid disrupting any newly forming curl patterns. My hair is doing some weird things, I think I may have a mix of a few different patterns on my head, small/medium coils near the back and small/medium "U" curls on portions that don't have heat damage and more toward the front. Hopefully they will start forming better as they get longer right now its just a big fuzzy mess.

I havn't done a length check but I think I have about an inch of new growth maybe more, the fro'ey ness is bigger than when I cut it. I think once I get to neck length curly I will start wearing it out every so often, at the moment its still to short to do anything and I don't mind wearing wigs in the mean time.

Pictures later.

 

[APrayer4Hair]

faithVA

-cowash
- apply Oyin Hair Dew on soaking wet hair
-rake in Long Aid Curl Activator gel
-Airdry

If parts of my hair dry before I can apply the products I spritz them with water

Yesterday's results:





Just finished and still very wet. I forgot to take a dry pic

This is the one day old WnG. It's flat from sleeping on it (with a bonnet) but u get the idea






How I revive a WnG the next day: wet it down (without touching. This I very important to maintain the curls. I haven't touched my hair since I applied products yesterday). Shake my head periodically while it dries (idk y this works but it does).

Pic:

 

[faithVA]

^^Thanks ladies.

My hesistation with doing a WNG is that by the time it dries and I know it is a fail, I may not have enough time to do something with it before I have to walk out the door. My shrinkage is major. I'm not even sure I can pull it back once it dries.

Maybe I will try KCKT and the long-aid to see if I can get that to work. I also have some As I Am which worked well the 1st day but I don't think I got 2nd day hair. And there is no way I'm going to manage doing a WNG 2 days in a row. It takes forever to rake product through my hair

 

[APrayer4Hair]

faithVA I haven't applied products since Saturday, only water.

 

[faithVA]

^^I will try it Thursday. I'm washing tonight but I'm afraid of a fail and then having to wear a dried up afro to work tomorrow

 

[faithVA]

My twa has grown from a short twa to a medium twa I can not wash in 6 sections and it is not so painful to twist my hair for a twist out. I didn't have a lot of growth over the past 5 weeks but it was enough to make a difference. So hopefully the summer will leave me in an even better place.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

Do you still have a twa? Or are you on your way to SL?

Girl I can't even pretend its a twa any more lol

I look like the guy on the soul glo commercial Lmfao

I'm not illiterate. It's my phones auto correct

 

[faithVA]

APrayer4Hair[/USER];18661989]@faithVA I haven't applied products since Saturday, only water.

So I did my WNG today. I have no technique so I wasn't expecting anything amazing. I cowashed with Deva Curl which worked out well. I didn't know what to put in it afterwards, so I put water downed Deva Curl in it and then applied the gel. It took FOREVER. I assume that is because I don't have a technique I separated into very small sections and had to do a lot of smoothing to get the gel to cover my hair. And in some places the conditioner beaded up which was weird.

while doing it I realized my ends need dusting sooner than I thought. Some of my ends wouldn't take product at all which is a clear sign.

And I tried to shake but because my hair grows out and not down there wasn't anything to shake

Maybe next time I will use the KCKT as my leave-in and then the gel. I'm not sure the gel is heavy enough to hold my hair down though. I do think it will leave it soft. And maybe next time I will apply the gel all at once but then work in through in sections. Not sure when next time will be though. I really need more length for this to work for me. Otherwise I just have a afro which I can get without so much product or time.

I will take a pic when it dries. I am hoping it doesn't dry fuzzy. And I will post the pic some time this week.

 

[faithVA]

I can't get a good picture of my twa. It is just too short to really show much definition. Add too that I don't have a great camera and I am a lousy picture taker

 

[LdyKamz]

Hi everyone. I'll be joining you all for a while. I was over in the Transitioning without BC thread but I couldn't take it anymore. My hair just looked a mess. I big chopped yesterday and after 1 day I have given up on styling it. Mainly because I think I still have some straight pieces and this doesn't help the look I am going for. I feel like I'll be finding these straight pieces forever but refuse to go to a stylist afraid they will give me a fade. For the most part I like it but I am nervous about wearing it out. My SO thinks I look cute and I said I was getting a wig. But he says no way. I'm nervous to wear it out.

 

[faithVA]

KammyGirl[/USER];18680865]Hi everyone. I'll be joining you all for a while. I was over in the Transitioning without BC thread but I couldn't take it anymore. My hair just looked a mess. I big chopped yesterday and after 1 day I have given up on styling it. Mainly because I think I still have some straight pieces and this doesn't help the look I am going for. I feel like I'll be finding these straight pieces forever but refuse to go to a stylist afraid they will give me a fade. For the most part I like it but I am nervous about wearing it out. My SO thinks I look cute and I said I was getting a wig. But he says no way. I'm nervous to wear it out.

Welcome to the TWA thread and congratulations on your big chop. It is wonderful that your SO thinks it looks nice. It is great to have someone so close to you in your corner from the start. I agree with your SO about wearing it out. It will be tough at first but it will build your confidence and help you to become more comfortable with yourself and all of your looks. It allows you to separate yourself from your hair. There will be many stages between now and longer hair that are tough but if you can go through this one it just helps you deal with the others better. But in the end you have to make the decision that is best for you.

 

[january noir]

I'm sitting with henna in my hair (will do a color with indigo after) and trying to decide which method to use to style my hair and what products (I have a ton). Will it be a dry twist out, a finger coil/curl with gel? Will it be a plain wash & go or what?

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

 

[january noir]

I can't get a good picture of my twa. It is just too short to really show much definition. Add too that I don't have a great camera and I am a lousy picture taker

View attachment 216035

Actually, you don't have a TWA to me. I think TWAs are much shorter than your length and my length.

 

[faithVA]

Actually, you don't have a TWA to me. I think TWAs are much shorter than your length and my length.

Technically, yeah you are right. But if I can't bun it or put it in a puff, I just call it a twa. When the hair below my crown reaches my neck then I will say I am neck length but until then twa it is

 

[january noir]

There is a new salon and spa in my area and they have a few natural hair stylists (salon caters to all races and ethnicities). I'm thinking of trying it out one day soon. I want to see what they can do that I can't do myself so far.

 

[hnntrr]

So I did my BC....AGAIN. I finally went to my old stylist and had her cut whatever relaxed/heat damaged ends were off....which made me feel good minus the fact that she shampoo'd my hair (I brought my own supplies) like 3 times ...and I only shampoo once....combed through my hair with my wide tooth...which is fine but she pulled from the root and not the ends....then to cut it she combed through my hair with a fine tooth comb and lord jesus I could hear my hair just cussing at me. It didnt feel or sound good. I kept tellin myself she needed to so she could cut it properly but the 2 months of curl forming work I have done are gone and now all my hair is undefined and bushy (moisturized though for sure!).

Turns out we still duno why my hair isnt curling, and it seems like the very front of my hair just grows straight out of my head and doesnt form curls at all. Now I am scared all my curls have been combed to smitherines and wont come back .

The good part about it was that she was liberal on the leave in and heavy on the oils (avacado and castor oil) and she cornrowed it down for me. So hopefully I am going to leave my cornrows in for at least a week and wash them in between...if I can get two weeks out of them that will be great but 1 week is fine. Hopefully all the cut off heat and relaxed ends my hair will finally start forming properly...at least I hope so. I wanted curls and my hair is just being stubborn and saying no every step of the way. I really hope it was a good decision to go natural cause its def been 7 months and there is no coins on the other side of this rainbow.

 

[faithVA]

So I did my BC....AGAIN. I finally went to my old stylist and had her cut whatever relaxed/heat damaged ends were off....which made me feel good minus the fact that she shampoo'd my hair (I brought my own supplies) like 3 times ...and I only shampoo once....combed through my hair with my wide tooth...which is fine but she pulled from the root and not the ends....then to cut it she combed through my hair with a fine tooth comb and lord jesus I could hear my hair just cussing at me. It didnt feel or sound good. I kept tellin myself she needed to so she could cut it properly but the 2 months of curl forming work I have done are gone and now all my hair is undefined and bushy (moisturized though for sure!).

Turns out we still duno why my hair isnt curling, and it seems like the very front of my hair just grows straight out of my head and doesnt form curls at all. Now I am scared all my curls have been combed to smitherines and wont come back .

The good part about it was that she was liberal on the leave in and heavy on the oils (avacado and castor oil) and she cornrowed it down for me. So hopefully I am going to leave my cornrows in for at least a week and wash them in between...if I can get two weeks out of them that will be great but 1 week is fine. Hopefully all the cut off heat and relaxed ends my hair will finally start forming properly...at least I hope so. I wanted curls and my hair is just being stubborn and saying no every step of the way. I really hope it was a good decision to go natural cause its def been 7 months and there is no coins on the other side of this rainbow.

Perhaps instead of washing it during the week, just let your hair be. Maybe it just needs a rest. Then if you decide to take your cornrows down then you can wash it and put it back up.

As far as your curls when just keep up your moisture/protein balance and there should be no ill effects from the salon visit.

Your hair looks pretty fine and you have nice gentle waves. Keep your products light to not weigh down your curls when you do style it.

 

[january noir]

I really like CurlyNikki's site.

 

[bigbrowneyez]

KammyGirl

Welcome! You'll get more comfortable with the look. I think it looks nice! As for the straight pieces, you ca cut them progressively. I didn't go to a stylist either. It took another week or two to finally get every straight piece of. It's easier to see the when the hair is wet; they stick out. U can also twist ur hair and just go around and cut the tips that don't curl up at the end of the twist. HTHs!

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[hnntrr]

Is it easy to wash under cornrows? Or should I take them out and wash/rebraid them. I think even under wigs moisture leaves my hair in about 3 days....been using my fine soft nape hairs to determine the dryness of my over all hair and it def feels dryer than it did two days ago even though its been under a wig.

If I can condition and seal in braids I will do that since she did such a nice job. Otherwise I will go back to flat twisting twice a week under this wig.

Also, has anyone tried crochet braids? I was thinking about trying that for before I move since I will still have access to my scalp to wash it and I don't want to put in a sew in.

 

[Shinka]

I like my hair when it's twisted (which takes about 5 hours to do) and I can braid it down at night and go in the am.

But wearing a Fro/WNG is a no no... It leads to tangles and shedding. The shrinkage. I have to wet it to prevent fluff up the overnight matting.

Its been 6 month and my 10th tine BCing. I miss my roller sets and pin curls. I could unpin and go about my day. Sigh! I'm still not sure if my natural hair fits my lifestyle- that makes me sad since I want to chemical free. ( no, braids, weaves, wigs are not an option)

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