TWA Support Thread

[Sharpened]

I can get a puff but lawd knows it's far from being decent!

OOO, pretty! I mean like a regular ponytail. I need another 2" I think.

 

[fluffyforever]

I'm BSL but I'm about to BC back to a TWA! Tonight!

Why: my hair is damaged from neglect. All I do is wear it in an ugly bun. It's tangled underneath the surface. It's breaking. It's dull.

I just want my hair to look fresh again. I have more time to dedicate to my hair now, so I'm sure I'll get it back to health in no time.

I'm just afraid of that awkward stage because it was hard.

 

[Sharpened]

Welcome to the TWA-light Zone! I am the opposite: I am fine with the TWA; this short-medium length is annoying.

 

[Evolving78]

Got my hair in some ugly twists right now. I should have blown my hair out. Gotta minimize the knots.

 

[fluffyforever]

I just finished chopping off all my hair for the second time. It was fun. I did the same method as the first time, grabbed a fist full at the root and cut off any excess. Then I mini twisted all around and cut off the ends so that my hair is now full from root to tip. No more see through ends.

 

[Rocky91]

I'm BSL but I'm about to BC back to a TWA! Tonight!

Why: my hair is damaged from neglect. All I do is wear it in an ugly bun. It's tangled underneath the surface. It's breaking. It's dull.

I just want my hair to look fresh again. I have more time to dedicate to my hair now, so I'm sure I'll get it back to health in no time.

I'm just afraid of that awkward stage because it was hard.

Skip the awkward stage if you hate it my last grow out, I just wore weaves/braids through that time period.

 

[fluffyforever]

Skip the awkward stage if you hate it my last grow out, I just wore weaves/braids through that time period.

I was in college last time during that awkward length strange and I just threw on a head wrap everyday I wasn't feeling my hair- which was a 7 days a week.

I may get a wig or weave it up later. I know right now I just need to let my scalp breathe and focus on protein DCs and locking the moisture in.

 

[Rocky91]

I honestly get soooooo many compliments on my TWA. I went to a day party yesterday and just waking around got like 10 compliments. Idk maybe it was styled extra cute?

 

[Rocky91]

Product combo winner: Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and ecostyler. Soft, defined coils all day! I could probably take it a second day, but my hair is smushed to my head when I wake up since it's so short.

 

[Sharpened]

I honestly get soooooo many compliments on my TWA. I went to a day party yesterday and just waking around got like 10 compliments. Idk maybe it was styled extra cute?

Pics, we wana see too!

 

[Rocky91]

Pics, we wana see too!

@Sharpened here's one i also posted in the everyday hair thread.

 

[Sharpened]

My TWA never looked that good. You look marvelous, dah-link.

 

[Rocky91]

Bumping! How are you guys doing?
I feel like I'm in hair purgatory right now. I need like an inch more to get some braids and then I'm hiding my hair this whole winter. It's right about hitting that awkward TWA stage.

 

[Sharpened]

I am fine. My hair hate extensions, real or synthetic, so I have to wait until I have at least 14" to get decent-looking braids.

 

[Rocky91]

Welp tonight I managed a messy flat twists while DC'ing so that definitely shows some growth is going down. I am getting some cornrows tomorrow.

 

[guyaneseyankee]

 

[RossBoss]

I Big chopped yesterday and this is not for me at all, lol. I look so silly that I can't stop laughing at myself because I don't look like myself. I can't wait til it grows out longer, I can't stand it now..it's only about 3 inches of hair on head..Ugh!

 

[Coilystep]

M

I Big chopped yesterday and this is not for me at all, lol. I look so silly that I can't stop laughing at myself because I don't look like myself. I can't wait til it grows out longer, I can't stand it now..it's only about 3 inches of hair on head..Ugh!

Meh it gets better and it will be back before you know it. I cut after 19 months of transition. I had 3-5 inches of hair all over. It has grown back and I love being natural and I love my hair. Use this time to learn what your hair likes if you haven't been natural in a long time. I hope you grow more comfortable with it and learn to love it.

 

[Sharpened]

I Big chopped yesterday and this is not for me at all, lol. I look so silly that I can't stop laughing at myself because I don't look like myself. I can't wait til it grows out longer, I can't stand it now..it's only about 3 inches of hair on head..Ugh!

You do not look silly! It is a shock, seeing yourself in a different light, but think of the freedom you will have for the next few months. I agree with @Coilystep that it is time to really get to know your hair. Take pics of your progress as well. We are here for you.

 

[CurliDiva]

My big chop was not planned - just woke up on morning and started cutting. I still wear my wigs in public but rock my TWA around the house. It feels so lush - I just keep rubbing my head.

 

[RossBoss]

M
Meh it gets better and it will be back before you know it. I cut after 19 months of transition. I had 3-5 inches of hair all over. It has grown back and I love being natural and I love my hair. Use this time to learn what your hair likes if you haven't been natural in a long time. I hope you grow more comfortable with it and learn to love it.

You do not look silly! It is a shock, seeing yourself in a different light, but think of the freedom you will have for the next few months. I agree with @Coilystep that it is time to really get to know your hair. Take pics of your progress as well. We are here for you.

Thanks guys. I can't wait til it gets to something like this Minnie Riperton picture. In the meantime I will be doing daily co-washing to promote growth. My diet and exercise is on point so hopefully all of that will help. I might even run a hot comb through it and wear it spiked.

 

[Alma Petra]

I have a twa me too on the left anterior quadrant. A part of it is very coily and the other part has no I pattern It doesn't even look like a proper twa because the coils seem to prefer to grow to the side rather than upwards but I plan to try to manipulate them. We will see.

It will take too many years for it to grow to a tolerable length

@Sharpened the coils remind me so much of your hair. They are the same diameter but mine are more frizzy and very tightly packed that they look more like a tube than a spirally coil

View media item 129309

 

[Coilystep]

I have a twa me too on the left anterior quadrant. A part of it is very coily and the other part has no I pattern It doesn't even look like a proper twa because the coils seem to prefer to grow to the side rather than upwards but I plan to try to manipulate them. We will see.

It will take too many years for it to grow to a tolerable length

@Sharpened the coils remind me so much of your hair. They are the same diameter but mine are more frizzy and very tightly packed that they look more like a tube than a spirally coil

View media item 129309

Congratulations on your bc. I thought you were going to transition. Your coilys look cute. I know for me it took a while for my hair to settle once I cut the perm off. I think the hair goes through a period of shock. I think what helped me out immensely was wetting and cowashing every single day for like the first 9 months. That helped with moisture and got me use to handling my hair.

 

[Sharpened]

@Alma Petra did you cut your hair? Aww, look at the little coilies! They should stretch out a bit as you gain some length.

 

[RossBoss]

Has anyone noticed that their twa's are like really really dry? I do have dry scalp but I noticed that it was easy keeping the actual length of my hair moisturized when it was long. I am wondering if it is because the hair is now so close to my scalp so all the moisture is being "sucked up" by my scalp.

 

[fifi134]

Has anyone noticed that their twa's are like really really dry? I do have dry scalp but I noticed that it was easy keeping the actual length of my hair moisturized when it was long. I am wondering if it is because the hair is now so close to my scalp so all the moisture is being "sucked up" by my scalp.

Yeah, I feel the same. Idk if it was because I got lazy when my hair was longer, but I have to be more intentional about moisturizing several times a week with a TWA. It's annoying

 

[RossBoss]

Yeah, I feel the same. Idk if it was because I got lazy when my hair was longer, but I have to be more intentional about moisturizing several times a week with a TWA. It's annoying

Okay glad to know it aint just me. I put leave in conditioner and a little oil on in the morning and by mid-day it is like the Sahara.

 

[Coilystep]

Okay glad to know it aint just me. I put leave in conditioner and a little oil on in the morning and by mid-day it is like the Sahara.

You may want to try other combinations. What leave in and oil are you using?

 

[Alma Petra]

Congratulations on your bc. I thought you were going to transition. Your coilys look cute. I know for me it took a while for my hair to settle once I cut the perm off. I think the hair goes through a period of shock. I think what helped me out immensely was wetting and cowashing every single day for like the first 9 months. That helped with moisture and got me use to handling my hair.

@Alma Petra did you cut your hair? Aww, look at the little coilies! They should stretch out a bit as you gain some length.

Hey beautiful ladies! Thank you! In fact I only big chopped this quadrant of my hair that I was talking about. It's a real twa and I like it but I don't like the fact that I can't use it to cover my edges now lol.

So advantages of having a twa is that it dries more quickly and it can be washed as often as I like over the sink without having to untie or wash the rest of the hair. This means that I can actually experiment more with my hair. It's good because I'm just starting to learn my natural hair. In the past while natural I never knew I had curls. My hair was always combed out and stretched. I discovered my curls after I texlaxed. So all of this is new to me.

The rest is still the same length. I am definitely going to transition. I won't cut it all. The length is not growing but it's maintaining. Or it might be growing but not showing it because the roots are now more coily and shrunken. And I don't exactly measure. I just watch my hair when I do a wash and go. I understand that I shouldn't have any hopes of gaining apparent length quickly anymore. I hope it doesn't start looking shorter and shorter though (it's very possible I'm afraid as it continues to transition to natural)

@Coilystep, I'm going to wet and cowash about every other day and oil rinse as often as well. My natural hair is definitely much drier than my relaxed/texlaxed hair and I will have to learn to moisturize it a new.

@Sharpened, I really hope that my curls will stretch a bit with time. By this rate it will take forever to be able to cover the edges again. I think I have about 2 inches of length now but it looks like one quarter of an inch. Shrinkage is definitely real!
BTW my guava leaves have arrived at last. They have been touring the continent. I can't wait to go back home and try them tomorrow. Yay!

 

[RossBoss]

You may want to try other combinations. What leave in and oil are you using?

Same as before. Different brands of leave ins and either castor oil or evoo. Here is a video I found of a woman complaining of the same issue:



I use honey for everything else may as well use honey for my hair.