TWA Support Thread

[LdyKamz]

Everything I use on my hair leaves my hair looking either white (if that's what color the product is) or some sort of gray-ish. It's almost like I haven't worked it in enough even though I know I have. Maybe I'm using too much?

Does anyone else's hair just not like styling products?

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

KammyGirl if it makes you feel any better I just now realized I could bun lol

With patience You will get their too. How short did you BC? You may get there a lot faster than I did

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

Everything I use on my hair leaves my hair looking either white (if that's what color the product is) or some sort of gray-ish. It's almost like I haven't worked it in enough even though I know I have. Maybe I'm using too much?

Does anyone else's hair just not like styling products?

What are you using? I know some products just dont mix well with each other and cause that issue so you have to pick one or the other. But if you tell us the prods we might be able to jerry rig it for you (that's how the white folk say it right?)

 

[faithVA]

Everything I use on my hair leaves my hair looking either white (if that's what color the product is) or some sort of gray-ish. It's almost like I haven't worked it in enough even though I know I have. Maybe I'm using too much?

Does anyone else's hair just not like styling products?

Sounds like you may have low porosity hair and products don't absorb into your strands. You can try baggying after you apply and maybe using a heat cap for a few minutes to try to get it to sink in.

 

[LdyKamz]

Mz.MoMo5235 I was about 5 months post when I big chopped so I have probably about 3 inches of hair right now...I think.

I haven't used anything together yet. I'm scared to mix products worried that I'll end up looking like a wet poodle or an oil slick. But so far every curl product from Miss Jessie's, some curl activators, a bunch of different gels, a few other curl creams and such.

I'm thinking faithVA may be right. I don't think I can use anything too thick because my hair is fine and I think I may be low po. I've never tried baggying before. But I think I need to look into it.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

KammyGirl also have you tried to dilute your products? Like I use Shea moisture curling something (comes on a jar, might be some kind of pudding I dunno) but I have to put it in my hand, wet hands, rub hands together, then put it in my hair... Yet the black eco styler can go straight from jar to hair no issue.

And like when I used to use Scurl I had to super dilute that mess OMG like 1/4 Scurl and the rest water lol and then have to add stuff like a glob of glycerin, EO and a blob of HE HH.

Sometimes our hair is bipolar, I think that's what I'm trying to say lol

 

[Divine.]

Hi everyone! I am excited about joining.

1. BC date
My official BC date was 6/10/13 but I cut my hair again 7/26/13 (I love short hair hair)
2. Hair type/ describe your hair
I guess I'm 3c/4a. 4a on the sides, 3c on the top and front
3. Reggie/Products
I don't have a true regimen at the moment. I'm just trying to do what works for my hair!
Products I normally use:
KC Knot Today
KC Curling Custard
Tresemee Naturals conditioner
Jane Carter Nourish Conditioner (cowash or deep conditioner)
Nexxus Emergencee (only when needed)
Eco Styler Gel
4. Goal(s)
My main goal right now is to get out of the twa stage lol I love short hair so it's a challenge to actually make myself grow my hair out. My second goal is to baby my edges back to its previous strength. I got a tiny bald spot from a sew in being too tight! So that has to be taken care of.
5. Current pic or pic of BC
My avi is from my first BC.

My hair is just...weird. The only products that work are KC. My hair responded well to all products when it was longer. Now, not so much!

 

[faithVA]

Welcome Divine. Glad to have you here.

 

[LdyKamz]

Mz.MoMo5235 I never even thought about diluting styling products. I thought maybe they wouldn't work the same. But I am definitely trying that tomorrow with the little bit of scurl gel I have left. I like the way my curls look when I use it, just not the gray-ish coating.

Thanks for the tip! Can't wait to see if it works.

 

[APrayer4Hair]

Hair plans for today:


Shampoo- elucence moisture benefits
Protein treatment- ion reconstructor with heat cap
DC- elucence moisture balancing conditioner under steamer. Coated with some kinda suave before wash out.

Then just my regular moisturizer and seal. I wish I had the patience and skill to 2 stand twist.

 

[hnntrr]

Since my crown wont curl I am going to try shingling the parts of my hair that will curl, and then using curl formers on the crown. Ill post pictures in the morning. Wish me luck.

 

[BayAreaDream]

1 year natural today... It's been tough but I'm hanging in there.

 

[hnntrr]

I apologize in advance for all the posts I have made today haha

So here we go. I shingled and installed curl formers on the top of my head that has trouble forming.

I noticed that I think when the lady cut my hair she didnt cut ALL the heat damage off, so I think the top has a bit of heat damage but I took a picture of the curls there and my curl pattern is way looser on the top than on the back and sides. (go figure). I will post pictures in the morning of how it turns out. Right now I am just waiting for it to dry so I can go to bed.

Regimen tonight:

• Jason Moisturizing 80% Aloe Vera conditioner (new at whole foods, has aloe vera, spirulina maxima and jojoba oil) for detangling
  
• 4Naturals Reconstructor (let set on hair for 10 mins)
• Rinse
  
• A tiny bit more conditioner to soften my hair from the protein treatment.
  
• Giovanni Vito Pro Fusion Protective Moisture
• My mixture of spriz
  
• Eco Styler for curly nd wavy hair (pink container)

Picture 1-3: Curl pattern with Product (crown)
Picture 4 (sorry its sideways): Temple with Product
Picture 5: Nape with Product

 

[hnntrr]

Cont. Picture 6: Back of head

 

[faithVA]

1 year natural today... It's been tough but I'm hanging in there.

The 1st year is tough. Hopefully it will get better each month from here.

 

[LdyKamz]

I apologize in advance for all the posts I have made today haha

So here we go. I shingled and installed curl formers on the top of my head that has trouble forming.

I noticed that I think when the lady cut my hair she didnt cut ALL the heat damage off, so I think the top has a bit of heat damage but I took a picture of the curls there and my curl pattern is way looser on the top than on the back and sides. (go figure). I will post pictures in the morning of how it turns out. Right now I am just waiting for it to dry so I can go to bed.


Regimen tonight:

• Jason Moisturizing 80% Aloe Vera conditioner (new at whole foods, has aloe vera, spirulina maxima and jojoba oil) for detangling
  
• 4Naturals Reconstructor (let set on hair for 10 mins)
• Rinse
  
• A tiny bit more conditioner to soften my hair from the protein treatment.
  
• Giovanni Vito Pro Fusion Protective Moisture
• My mixture of spriz
  
• Eco Styler for curly nd wavy hair (pink container)

Picture 1-3: Curl pattern with Product (crown)
Picture 4 (sorry its sideways): Temple with Product
Picture 5: Nape with Product

The top of your hair looks like it is in the 3's. Maybe you do have a little heat damage left on the ends because the roots look like they are loose spirals. I know you probably don't want another haircut. When was the last time you went to your stylist?

 

[hnntrr]

The top of your hair looks like it is in the 3's. Maybe you do have a little heat damage left on the ends because the roots look like they are loose spirals. I know you probably don't want another haircut. When was the last time you went to your stylist?

Maybe. I went to her in March when I got it cut so its been awhile. Even so the sides of my head that don't have heat damaged parts curl the same way ????? I duno. It is hard to get a picture of my curl pattern period much less specific parts of my head. Maybe when it gets longer but right now I can't tell and I don't really care much at this point because they don't do much.

Like this is a picture I took this morning on the sides WITH the Eco and its still frizzing up a bunch even though the hair is formed together but you can see the curls a bit and its doing that weird loose s spiral (this is the part that all the damage is cut off), the back of my head/nape looks fine and I think it looks pretty but going towards the front of my head...I duno what its doing. My hair gets super frizzy anyway??? It was frizzy even when it was relaxed.. (also here is a pic of my hair this morning after I styled it. I duno if I like it or not )

ETA: curl formers didnt work anywhere except right on my hairline, gave me some nice texture to do my twist with. Otherwise was a crunchy fail.

 

[LdyKamz]

This weekend I mixed stylers together and wha a difference! I usesd the last little bit of scurl gel I had with the curl jelly from curlz and what I thought was too much water. I added some taliah waajid curl cream simply because I like the smell.

Not only was all of this crap absorbed into my hair better -because of the water I think - but the curl definition was perfect! And my hair stayed soft all day long. I was in hair heaven!

@Mz.MoMo5235 Now I know you didn't suggest I use 50-11 products together but I wanted to get rid of some stuff anyway. lol

 

[LdyKamz]

hnntrr I think your hair looks really cute. I'm not sure why your hair isn't curling. Especially now since you said there are parts that didn't have heat damage. What does the straight part feel like? Is it a coarse texture?

 

[hnntrr]

hnntrr I think your hair looks really cute. I'm not sure why your hair isn't curling. Especially now since you said there are parts that didn't have heat damage. What does the straight part feel like? Is it a coarse texture?

Yea, its like really course and feels really rough while the part nearer my scalp feels a tiny bit smoother. I am not really sure to be honest. I know she cut a good bit off the sides and like I said those parts are like loose s/spirals...butt he very top of my head I dont think she cut as much as she could have? I duno...I know from my hairline to about 1 inch in is just completely straight with no curl pattern at all and feels fine. Its just more towards the top middle of my head that...even when I put eco styler on it it just waved and didn't curl at all....just stayed straight. I used to know one girl who's hair did that...her hairline and about an inch back just didn't curl at all and she always had it twisted of in some kind of braid out because it didn't have a pattern of its own. ..Maybe my hair is just like that and I just have to figure out some ways to curl the top of my head until it does what its gonna do. Who knows.

Thanks for your help

I kinda like it now that I put a scarf on it and made it more pin-up style ish. I may start wearing my hair out maybe 2 times a week to give it a break from being under that wig. I have had it this short before when I was relaxed and I do like seeing the curls however unformed they are.

 

[faithVA]

Yea, its like really course and feels really rough while the part nearer my scalp feels a tiny bit smoother. I am not really sure to be honest. I know she cut a good bit off the sides and like I said those parts are like loose s/spirals...butt he very top of my head I dont think she cut as much as she could have? I duno...I know from my hairline to about 1 inch in is just completely straight with no curl pattern at all and feels fine. Its just more towards the top middle of my head that...even when I put eco styler on it it just waved and didn't curl at all....just stayed straight. I used to know one girl who's hair did that...her hairline and about an inch back just didn't curl at all and she always had it twisted of in some kind of braid out because it didn't have a pattern of its own. ..Maybe my hair is just like that and I just have to figure out some ways to curl the top of my head until it does what its gonna do. Who knows.

Thanks for your help

I kinda like it now that I put a scarf on it and made it more pin-up style ish. I may start wearing my hair out maybe 2 times a week to give it a break from being under that wig. I have had it this short before when I was relaxed and I do like seeing the curls however unformed they are.

Your curls are really pretty.

This is my take on the different hair at the top. It is possible by being relaxed over a period of time, that the scalp in certain areas has been more affected in other areas. The crown area tends to be the most sensitive area of the scalp. After stopping the use of relaxers, it can take some time for the scalp in this area to recover. When the scalp recovers the hair recovers. It is not the hair that has an issue. It is the scalp. As your scalp recovers, your hair will feel smoother, healthier and will regain a normal curl pattern (whatever that is for you).

So continue to keep this area moisturized and healthy. It will take some patience but can be done.

 

[LdyKamz]

hnntrr Since the curlformers didn't work, have you thought about using small perm rods? The white ones. That should mimic the curl pattern of the rest of your hair nicely. I used them when I was relaxed and I always got a cute little curly fro. Use smaller sections and roll them all the way to your scalp to get a tighter curl.

 

[faithVA]

Here is my twist out that I wore today. It is getting better. Of course I put it back into twist s soon as I got home. Not trying to deal with my hair being out.

 

[LdyKamz]

faithVA It looks great!

 

[faithVA]

^^Thank you. I don't know why my pictures are so sucky. All of them were blurry like I was taking pictures while I was running

 

[DarkJoy]

That is cute faithVA!! So fluffy and cloudlike nice definition too.

____________
*.~.*Sent from a distant Galaxy in the Unicorn-verse*.~.*

 

[faithVA]

^^Thank You.

Guess I need to make peace with the word fluffy

 

[hnntrr]

Maybe my crown is the only bit of hair I in(hair)ited (hahahahaha) from my babyhood.
Found this tidbit today.

 

[faithVA]

^^aww so cute

 

[SweetSpirit86]

Hi all!!!

So I got antsy and messed with what wasn't broken... In other words, I used a Dr. Bronner's soap bar along with my TUI shampoo to see if it would increase my porosity a bit and make product absorption easier for me.

All it did was dry my poor hair out, lol.

I don't know why I went messing with it. Yes, it's a bit more work, but once the moisture is in, it's IN. It was soft, and my curls were nice and springy. I've spent the last few days nursing it back to being moisturized. Some dc's and an acv rinse later, it's almost back to itself. I don't know if it was just way too alkaline even when mixed, or if it was because of the coconut oil that I didn't read on the bar until afterwards that dried it out, but I'm not touching it again.