WnGo wearers with 3c/4a, coarse, super dense hair

[BlaqKitty]

How do you wash and go?

I'm trying to do more wash and goes, and it looks alright but it shrinks up a lot(which is fine, but it looks small). I bought a diffuser hoping to stretch my hair a bit, because I have a lot of hair and wanted it to look like a big curly fro.

Another issue I'm having is pineapple, It doesn't work for me. Once I stretch my hair out of my curls become significantly flattened and hardened from pineappling and sleeping on it. It becomes so packed that I guess that happens.

Any curl type can wear wash n goes, but the majority of people I see doing it have hair like mine... Maybe it's a fine haired thing and I just have too much hair, or should I lower my expectations? Idc about curl definition or anything like that, I just wanted a giant curly fro.

Any tips, tricks, advice from people with hair like mine?

 

[uofmpanther]

The key is trial and error to find the best product and method that works for you. The only product I've found so far that works on my wash and go is Kinky Curly Knot Today. My hair shrinks a little, but not as much as with other products. I've tried Eco Styler gel and a Curls product, but neither gave me hangtime.

To apply the product, I've found that I can't shingle or my hair looks funny. I have to rake it through with my fingers.

I haven't figured out how to pineapple yet.

 

[ckisland]

I'm a 3c/4a/4b, cottony, super kinky-haired natural and I've been doing wash n'gos forever . It's funny that you say you want a curly fro, because that's the look that takes the least effort and product. I usually want my hair to become a curly fro 4-5 days later, not on day one, but that rarely happens . Anywho.. .

A diffuser will not kill the curly fro look even if you use a concentrator to stretch your roots. I diffuse by grabbing sections of hair and pressing the diffuser against them. Once your hair is dry, grab sections of your hair and use the concentrator nozzle rapidly from your roots to half way down your length. Leave your ends alone.

With products, if you want more fro-curl, less curl-coil, use a curl creme, conditioner only, or be light handed with gel. Fro is the default setting of most naturals, so the challenge usually comes in getting our hair to do that less . If I want my hair to not fro, and to shrink less, I've got to go with a heavy gel and be heavy handed.

With pineappling, my favorite method is to do 2 of them, one with the front and top layer of my hair and one for the bottom layer and back. This way works best for me because the top of my hair is 3cish, shrinks less, and over-stretches easily while the bottom and back are 4b and 4a, shrink to the heavens, is quick to frizz up and likes to not lay right . So the top is a loose ponytail coming forward and the back/bottom is a low ponytail. Also I found that sleeping without my hair covered (on a satin pillowcase) gives me less flattened curls, but fluffing in the morning tends to take care of that.

When you mean curly fro do you mean like a 4a type curly fro, or a type 3 Taren Guy type curly fro ? If you have the former and want the later (or vice verse), a wash n'go isn't going to get you there .

 

[BlaqKitty]

I have a 4a type curly fro, so I guess I didn't explain well when I said it. I want a BIGGER curly fro lol, I like my hair but I just wish it was bigger when I do my wash n goes. My hair is huge but it shrinks up and then looks more compact. I like Tarens hair, and I wouldn't mind it coming out like that because it's so big. I'm used to wearing my fluffy twist outs and braid outs.

I'm going to try your pineappling method that sounds really effective.

So, I need to diffuse my roots?

 

[hnntrr]

I diffuse my roots with the regular nozzle and it helps pull length so my TWA is bigger not to shrinked. I agree with ckisland. I have type 4a as well *I think* and its def coarse although I don't have heavily dense hair. One thing that helped too I just experimented with because I can't pineapple is doing super loose flat twists at night (spritzing with water to help make it more flexible and pliable) lost flat twisting and pinning with bobby pins, and then (LIGHT) spritz and take down in the morning (plus if you use a lot of gel it helps to soften the curls, plus the flat twisting helps to keep the hair stretched.

I also just recently tried bantu knotting on a semi dried shingle (shingle the hair and then let it dry half way and twist the section, not a two strand twist though just like twirling the whole section) this helps to stretch the roots too without heat and the ends are still coily/curly afro-y.

 

[A856]

Taking notes....thank you ladies!

 

[BlaqKitty]

I diffuse my roots with the regular nozzle and it helps pull length so my TWA is bigger not to shrinked. I agree with @ckisland. I have type 4a as well *I think* and its def coarse although I don't have heavily dense hair. One thing that helped too I just experimented with because I can't pineapple is doing super loose flat twists at night (spritzing with water to help make it more flexible and pliable) lost flat twisting and pinning with bobby pins, and then (LIGHT) spritz and take down in the morning (plus if you use a lot of gel it helps to soften the curls, plus the flat twisting helps to keep the hair stretched.

I also just recently tried bantu knotting on a semi dried shingle (shingle the hair and then let it dry half way and twist the section, not a two strand twist though just like twirling the whole section) this helps to stretch the roots too without heat and the ends are still coily/curly afro-y.

I'm really interested in trying bantu knots, but i'm getting hair lazy lol as my hair gets longer I want to do less to it.

 

[SouthernScienceNerd]

I use what I call a "fake wash n go" method when I want a curly fro look. I air dry my hair in 4 big twists or plaits. Then, I apply a leave in and a light gel on dry hair and allow to dry loose. If I'm feeling fancy, I use the blowdryer concentrator nozzle on my roots while pulling my hair taut.

 

[pearcey]

How do you wash and go?

I'm trying to do more wash and goes, and it looks alright but it shrinks up a lot(which is fine, but it looks small). I bought a diffuser hoping to stretch my hair a bit, because I have a lot of hair and wanted it to look like a big curly fro.

Another issue I'm having is pineapple, It doesn't work for me. Once I stretch my hair out of my curls become significantly flattened and hardened from pineappling and sleeping on it. It becomes so packed that I guess that happens.

Any curl type can wear wash n goes, but the majority of people I see doing it have hair like mine... Maybe it's a fine haired thing and I just have too much hair, or should I lower my expectations? Idc about curl definition or anything like that, I just wanted a giant curly fro.

Any tips, tricks, advice from people with hair like mine?

Thanks for posting this. I don't consider my hair super thick nor dense but pineappling affects my hair similarly.

The only way I can do a shake and go these days is to saturate with copious amounts of conditioner, clip/ section, comb each clump individually, complete whole head, rinse, shake, and go...

That may be an offshoot of shingling...

 

[BlaqKitty]

I use what I call a "fake wash n go" method when I want a curly fro look. I air dry my hair in 4 big twists or plaits. Then, I apply a leave in and a light gel on dry hair and allow to dry loose. If I'm feeling fancy, I use the blowdryer concentrator nozzle on my roots while pulling my hair taut.

I was trying to cut down on manipulation but maybe the wash n go isn't for me in the way that I want it to be. I can't even twist all of my hair into 4 -6 giant twists or braids.

I used to do a fake wng on old twists outs lol.

 

[tatiana]

Have you tried multiple pineapples (ponytails) when you go to sleep?

 

[ckisland]

I have a 4a type curly fro, so I guess I didn't explain well when I said it. I want a BIGGER curly fro lol, I like my hair but I just wish it was bigger when I do my wash n goes. My hair is huge but it shrinks up and then looks more compact. I like Tarens hair, and I wouldn't mind it coming out like that because it's so big. I'm used to wearing my fluffy twist outs and braid outs.

I'm going to try your pineappling method that sounds really effective.

So, I need to diffuse my roots?

Wash n'gos usually get bigger each day that passes, but Taren wash n'gos start out big because of her big 3b, barely shrinking curls. My hair looks longer and bigger with a braidout, and smaller yet fuller with a wash n'go. It's a shrinkage issue . For bigger hair, I wouldn't suggest a traditional wash n'go unless you have lower shrinkage. For me wash n'gos have a very particular look that's more dense than big . You should definitely try the methods other posters have suggested for kinda-sorta wash n'gos lol. I'm a bit envious of those who can do bantu knotouts. They create big fat curls on other people's heads and a scraggily, knotty mess on mine .

I diffuse all of my hair starting with the roots, and go back and use the concentrator nozzle on the roots only.

 

[PinkyPromise]

Pineapples don't work for me either. My hair is smashed in the morning due to sleeping on it so I refresh in the shower by standing under the water once. I just revisited these because my hair is longer now and they look decent. Maybe when my hair grows more my curls will elongate and clump more.

I did this wash and go by applying conditioner, using the denman brush to detangle, and then smoothing my product on. I shingled a little in the front for looser curls.



I always thought I was 4A/B