Chime In Vets!! Tips and Advice for the Newly Natural Ladies :-)

[BrockStar]

Sooo since many ladies seem to be BC-ing and venturing on over to the Natural World...

What are the top 3 tips you have for the newly natural ladies?!

Mine would be:

1. Be careful of too much heat, but don't be afraid of it to the point where you become crazy

2. Try regular conditioner as a leave in(my fave is Suave Humectant), this and then using some fantasia ic gel with sparklites really does the trick for me...it's my daily routine

3. For 2nd day hair, take a shower without a cap on, let the water kind of spritz your hair (without direct contact) and when you get out, rub a little gel in your hands and smooth it onto the hair and style a usual (maybe clip it away from your face with bobby pins or do a big side twist in the front and leave the rest as it is)...I have never gotten so many compliments in my life..it makes you look forward to 2nd day hair!

So if you think you've gotten your stuff pretty down pat, CHIME IN and help out the new naturals!!!

PS You don't have to be a VET, I'm kinda not myself, but if you feel you can give advice, share share share!!

 

[zzirvingj]

Hhhmmm..top 3?

These may not be my "top 3"...but here are 3 tips from "off the top of my head" :

1. If your goal is growing out your hair, remember that retaining the length is just as important as growing it. Thus, try not to trim or cut if it is not necessary. I used to think that my ends always needed to be cut cuz after my BC, the ends looked kinda "scraggly" and dry. Turns out they just needed lots and lots of moisture. So I lost the chance to retain alot of hair cuz I was constantly trimming my ends off when all they needed was moisture.

2. Do not comb your hair when dry. Unless your natural hair is pretty straight, combing it while dry will only cause breakage and frustration. Comb (detangle) your hair in the shower while wet with conditioner on it. And make sure you find a happy balance as to how often this should be done. I found that for myself, it was not good to wait more than a week to detangle my hair, because it would knot up and lock up on me. And every day/every other day was too much combing/manipulation to the hair. So my happy balance is to detangle once a week. (I may rinse or conditioner wash more often than that, but I generally will only actually detangle it once a week.)

3. Sleep with a satin (or silk) scarf on your hair at night.

 

[lilsparkle825]

3. For 2nd day hair, take a shower without a cap on, let the water kind of spritz your hair (without direct contact) and when you get out, rub a little gel in your hands and smooth it onto the hair and style a usual (maybe clip it away from your face with bobby pins or do a big side twist in the front and leave the rest as it is)...I have never gotten so many compliments in my life..it makes you look forward to 2nd day hair!

i wish i had this tip today! lol i hate second day hair.

i'm not a vet...but i second the leaving the conditioner in. does the fantasia ic gel make your hair hard?

on top of that, cowashing is your friend.

oh, and detangle with a shower comb more than you detangle with the denman. i was using the denman like 3-4x a week and then i switched to using the comb every day or every 2 days and usign the denman 1x a week. much easier on my hair.

brings me to another point...GET A DENMAN!!!

 

[Millahdoowop]

Sooo since many ladies seem to be BC-ing and venturing on over to the Natural World...

What are the top 3 tips you have for the newly natural ladies?!

Mine would be:

1. Be careful of too much heat, but don't be afraid of it to the point where you become crazy

2. Try regular conditioner as a leave in(my fave is Suave Humectant), this and then using some fantasia ic gel with sparklites really does the trick for me...it's my daily routine

3. For 2nd day hair, take a shower without a cap on, let the water kind of spritz your hair (without direct contact) and when you get out, rub a little gel in your hands and smooth it onto the hair and style a usual (maybe clip it away from your face with bobby pins or do a big side twist in the front and leave the rest as it is)...I have never gotten so many compliments in my life..it makes you look forward to 2nd day hair!

So if you think you've gotten your stuff pretty down pat, CHIME IN and help out the new naturals!!!

PS You don't have to be a VET, I'm kinda not myself, but if you feel you can give advice, share share share!!

I think I'm there and I have been natural for a minute. I effed up my hair back in february. I don't have anything else to add

 

[Mom23]

Thanks for starting this thread!! I'm a new natural and I'm taking notes.

 

[vlucious]

i am far from being a vet, but i seriously urge the newly natural ladies to try putting on your products in the shower, it has greatly improved my wash and goes and the curl definition!! i just apply the products after cowashing while in the shower, and splash a little water, shake it like a dog and go!!

another would be satin caps! to protect hair

and also to spice up your twa, ta with accessories, flowers, headbands, scarves, etc!

 

[bigdeelight]

Hello...Lifer here!

1. Never ever attempt to comb your hair dry. You will literally be ripping hair out your head, leaving you with a headache and a sore scalp.

2. Don't fight your natural hair texture. Realize what your texture can and cannot do. Accept and embrace your hair for what it is. If you find you cannot do that, then take the necessary steps to do what makes you feel good. Remember, it's your hair and at the end of the day, you're the one who has to wake up and style it.

3. Do as MUCH as you can in the shower, including adding products and detangling. I find that when I do everything in the shower versus wetting my hair with a spray bottle, shrinkage tends to decrease quite a bit and (if I didn't co-wash everyday anyway) I can generally get at least another day or two out of the same curls.

HTH.

 

[babydollhair]

1. Be patient w/ your hair and give it time to grow.
2. Keep hair moisturized, conditioned and ends protected.
3. Find out what works for u, and do it! Did i mention be Patient..


funny i was just talking with another natural at my job, and i think we might be the only naturals in our building but it just so happens we work in the same department. Anywhoo , she stated to me, She did her time, (as in going natural) and she not going bk, if you are looking for length and/or thickness, sometime it takes a yr or two, or so to see it, but it seems we are helping alot ppl see black ppl have nice hair too! :0

 

[ladylibra]

1) plopping is your friend! it's not just for curl definition, it really will help your hair dry faster and with less mess than drip-drying.

2) don't be afraid to experiment every now and then... products, appliances, styles, whatever! i know we're trying to grow LONG hair, but have some fun along the way.

3) stop being afraid of what other people will think/say about your hair. to be honest i forget about my hair 5 minutes after i finish styling it. so what if it's really big or a little frizzy, nobody else knows i didn't style it that way on purpose!

 

[Ms Lala]

1) Don't be afraid of water, it's your friend!
2) Stay away from poos w/sulfates unless you have alot of gunk in your hair and really need to clarify, I rarely use any poo full strength I usually dilute it
3) Having the right moisture balance is critical for curl definition, if the hair is too dry it just looks like puff and frizz
4) Be gentle w/your hair, it looks strong but curly hair tends to break easier, don't yank the comb through your hair (I lost a lot of length this way)
5) DC,DC, DC and your hair will be softer and not eat up as much product, I DC after every wash and I notice the difference
6) Your hair probably will NOT like most of the products you liked when relaxed. Don't be afraid to try out different products, every head of natural hair is so different so what works for one person may not work for you.
7) Style your hair while dry to reduce shrinkage.
8) Your hair may have different needs as it gets longer, I have learned this the hard way and have lost length.
9) I have thick and fairly long type 4 hair and preparing my hair at night is critical, trying to get up in the morning and figure out a quick styles= frustration for me.
10) Don't be disappointed if you hair doesn't look like Tracee Elllis Ross or somebody else w/a loose curl texture, learn to work w/what you've got, I see many people who get frustrated because they try and make their natural hair do things it just wasn't meant to do. No amt of gel or even a texturizer will give curls where there aren't any to begin with.

 

[Irresistible]

1) plopping is your friend! it's not just for curl definition, it really will help your hair dry faster and with less mess than drip-drying.

2) don't be afraid to experiment every now and then... products, appliances, styles, whatever! i know we're trying to grow LONG hair, but have some fun along the way.

3) stop being afraid of what other people will think/say about your hair. to be honest i forget about my hair 5 minutes after i finish styling it. so what if it's really big or a little frizzy, nobody else knows i didn't style it that way on purpose!

erm whats plopping?

I would add something here but it looks all covered

 

[Priss Pot]

erm whats plopping?

I would add something here but it looks all covered

Girl, I love plopping! No more drip-drying here!

Plopping is when you take a t-shirt and wrap it around your hair (like you would a towel) to dry it. It minimizes frizz and gets out the excess moisture. Yes, your hair may be slightly damp when removing the t-shirt, but it'll dry soon.

 

[LadyEuphoria007]

1. Don't focus so much on curl deff. but on getting the balance of moisture and protein down for your hair. (I wasted lots of money only to find that leaving in that damn $.89 V05 condish is what did the trick for me)

2. DO NOT contiue cutting b/c you think there is relaxer on the ends. Give your hair a chace to grow out a few inches first. (My curl pattern goes from OOs to SS mid strand so as it grows there are times that I have half S that would look straight when wet. I lost 2 inches by not letting my hair just grow.)

3. Keep things simple and also try making a few of your own products. If a product doesn't work how you would like...try applying different or adding to it.

4. Listen to your hair...if it's mid week and your hair is screaming wash me...wash it.

5. Enjoy your hair at all the stages...don't let anyone try and crush your self esteem. You are beautiful no matter how you style your hair. Stalk fotkis and youtubes. (shout out to LadyKPNyc her videos are great)

6. SMILE often. IT WILL GROW.

I'm not a vet but these are some of the things I've learned along the way.





Happy 4th of July.

 

[CandacyEliz]

Great thread

 

[LunadeMiel]

I'm not vet by any stretch of the word, but here are the few thins that I've learned

1. Be patient. Your hair will not go from twa to bsl in one month. Also, with shrinkage your hair will 'appear' to be much shorter than it actually is.
2. Conditioner is your friend. Learn to use it and your hair will be very happy.
3. Listen to your hair. While other may be able to do whatever they want to their hair, your hair may not accept that. Also, your hair may not need everything that everyone recommends. For example, protein cannot come within 10 feet of my hair without my hair acting a fool.
4. Be weary of styling products. While gel may work for some, it may not work for you..

 

[BrockStar]

Girl, I love plopping! No more drip-drying here!

Plopping is when you take a t-shirt and wrap it around your hair (like you would a towel) to dry it. It minimizes frizz and gets out the excess moisture. Yes, your hair may be slightly damp when removing the t-shirt, but it'll dry soon.

OOOOh
I'll plop tomorrow!

 

[Priss Pot]

OOOOh
I'll plop tomorrow!

Your hair will thank you for it! If you need visuals, LadyLibra has a youtube video on how to do it.

I love plopping.

 

[LadyEuphoria007]

Your hair will thank you for it! If you need visuals, LadyLibra has a youtube video on how to do it.

I love plopping.

WHAT!?!? LadyLibra has videos?? Yay!

*Kicks self for not paying attention*

Great thread.

 

[glam-]

Girl, I love plopping! No more drip-drying here!

Plopping is when you take a t-shirt and wrap it around your hair (like you would a towel) to dry it. It minimizes frizz and gets out the excess moisture. Yes, your hair may be slightly damp when removing the t-shirt, but it'll dry soon.

Hmm, sounds good. I'll have to give it a try.

As far as tips, I think you all have covered everything I know.
This is a good thread.

 

[spacetygrss]

1. NEVER comb your hair dry. It doesn't have to be dripping wet, but it should at least be moist so that it's pliable.

2. Conditioner is your friend. You can leave a little regular conditioner in. It works fine.

3. Styling is fun, BUT for many of us it can lead to breakage and tangles. Comb your hair while moist, starting from the ENDS of your hair and work your way to the roots. It'll really help with retention.

 

[conskeeted]

This is an AWESOME THREAD!!! Keep 'em coming!!!

*taking notes*

 

[JustKiya]

1) Moisture is your FRIEND. Your hair will most likely love being just a tiny bit damp, almost all of the time. Whether it's spritzing, humectants, or really moist leave-ins, your hair will appreciate it.

2) Gentle. Gentle, gentle, gentle, gentle. I know it tangles. I know it shrinks. I know it does things to and with other hairs that seems like it should be x-rated. But you have to be gentle and slow with your hair - treat it like antique lace.

3) Try to leave it be. Even if you can't fine the perfect products right off, try to establish a routine, so that you aren't twiddling with it every time you turn around. Give yourself time to style when you are styling - don't try experimenting with something new when you have 20 minutes to be up out the house.

Good luck ya'll - it's an interesting journey, and it's worth it.

 

[glamazon386]

Don't comb dry hair.

Leave in conditioner is your friend.

Try DCing overnight.

You don't have to cowash.

Heat is not the devil when used in moderation.

Don't be afraid to try new things.

Always cover your hair at night.

Don't plaster your edges to your head.

 

[msa]

1) Moisture is your FRIEND. Your hair will most likely love being just a tiny bit damp, almost all of the time. Whether it's spritzing, humectants, or really moist leave-ins, your hair will appreciate it.

2) Gentle. Gentle, gentle, gentle, gentle. I know it tangles. I know it shrinks. I know it does things to and with other hairs that seems like it should be x-rated. But you have to be gentle and slow with your hair - treat it like antique lace.

3) Try to leave it be. Even if you can't fine the perfect products right off, try to establish a routine, so that you aren't twiddling with it every time you turn around. Give yourself time to style when you are styling - don't try experimenting with something new when you have 20 minutes to be up out the house.

Good luck ya'll - it's an interesting journey, and it's worth it.

So true!!! My strands love each other and never want to be separated!!

 

[Qt girl]

LOVE this thread. Thanks for the tips ladies!

 

[anon123]

I'm not vet by any stretch of the word, but here are the few thins that I've learned

1. Be patient. Your hair will not go from twa to bsl in one month. Also, with shrinkage your hair will 'appear' to be much shorter than it actually is.
2. Conditioner is your friend. Learn to use it and your hair will be very happy.
3. Listen to your hair. While other may be able to do whatever they want to their hair, your hair may not accept that. Also, your hair may not need everything that everyone recommends. For example, protein cannot come within 10 feet of my hair without my hair acting a fool.
4. Be weary of styling products. While gel may work for some, it may not work for you..

The bold is the only thing I wanted to add because I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about hair. If only it were that easy! Just because other people are doing it, even if a lot of other people are doing it, doesn't necessarily make it the best thing for your hair. Try it a few times, if it's not for you, let it go.

 

[Southernbella.]

Not a vet yet, but here are my tips!

1) Water is your friend! If you wake up with one side of your hair completely flat, don't get upset...spritz it, fluff it out, and go!

2) If you're like me, and don't like to redo your hair all the time, try to use your old styles to create a new one. For example...do twists. At the end of the week, undo them and wear a twistout. After a few days, wet and gel the front and pull it back into a puff.

Another example...if you straighten, wear it down until it starts to revert. Then, wear a bun for a few days. Then, braid it up overnight and wear a braidout the next few days.

This way, you're not always starting from scratch (unless your hair is really dirty and NEEDS to be washed.)

3) Never forget that your hair is ALWAYS growing. You may not see it as easily as you did when you were relaxedl, but it really is growing.

 

[lilsparkle825]

bumping! i love this thread.

 

[danigurl18]

thanks for all the great information ladies.. subscribing

 

[OnceUponAtime]

For me it's been...

1 - Don't get too heavy handed with products.
2 - Find a good detangling spray even if you use it only on the worst day (I use mine after every wash or before braiding).
3 - Wrap your hair or use a satin pillowcase at night.