Discouraged with straw sets/rod sets

[soslychic]

Well I was loving my hair since I wet natural and I wanted to try something different. I really admired the straw sets or tiny roller rod sets of Ini and this girl's professional straw set:
http://www.geocities.com/clstin31/the_natural_me.html

so I have attempted to try it on my own, but I always end up with frizzy, dry, not so defined curls when I take the rollers out. What am I doing wrong? I tried smaller sections to see if large sections was the problem and it turned out a tiny bit better, but the same frizzier and I used REALLY TINY sections. I've used both straws and the litte blue perm rods. I use a diluted version of Suave Milk and HOney condtioner which I really like, some olive oil, and some lottabody setting lotion. I was thinking about cutting out the setting lotion because I think it's drying my hair and I'd like to cut out the olive oil too but I wanted something for sine. I REALLY REALLY want this to work because I'd love to be able to do cornrows in the front and that in the back and be able to leave my
hair alone for a week because I don't think it looks right in twists or cornrows. It's not long enough. I was going for something like this:

http://www.especiallyyours.com/assets/prod...1-w-L-j5-EY.JPG

only not that long because my hair is not that long.

Does anybody have any tips at all or how I can get a simliar look? /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Nyambura]

the pic you posted is a cute hair style.

i wish i had some good advice to share on that, soslychic, but i've never tried a straw set on natural hair. for what it's worth, and i know it's not the same as natural texture, but on my texturized hair, i've found that leaving out the lottabody (i have that one too) has helped alleviate the dryness. the only other thing might be to try a heavier creamy leave-in than the diluted Suave conditioner you currently use; maybe Suave straight, instead of watered down, or Neutrogena Triple Moisture creamy leave-in (my hair loves both). i think the olive oil is good to leave in b/c it's good for the hair and you want something to seal in the underlying moisture.

just two questions:
1. have you tried using distilled water? the water where i live is no joke and d-water makes a difference;

2. have you clarified your hair lately?

 

[jd_bdfly]

It looks good to me. But if you want more definition maybe try using Fantasia IC gel. I used it with my most recent braidout, and was pretty frizz free.

 

[pressncurl]

In the first pics, it looks like the stylist may have used something to straighten the hair a bit before doing the roller set. /images/graemlins/confused.gif That's at least one way to explain the different results.

I've been thinking lately about trying this on my natural hair. I would like to try it with long spiral rods, though. As soon as I get the rods and product list together, I will be ready to go!

 

[soslychic]

[ QUOTE ]
It looks good to me. But if you want more definition maybe try using Fantasia IC gel. I used it with my most recent braidout, and was pretty frizz free.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh that isn't me. Lol!
Yea I was thinking about trying a heavy gel on each section to see what results I got with that. Which of the Fantasia IC gels do you use? The straightening one? The one with sparkalites?...

 

[soslychic]

[ QUOTE ]
In the first pics, it looks like the stylist may have used something to straighten the hair a bit before doing the roller set. /images/graemlins/confused.gif That's at least one way to explain the different results.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well she described what the stylist did and it seems like she would have mentioned that if she knew. And I doubt she would have allowed the stylist to straighten her hair first, though I could be wrong.

 

[soslychic]

[ QUOTE ]

1. have you tried using distilled water? the water where i live is no joke and d-water makes a difference;

2. have you clarified your hair lately?

[/ QUOTE ]

1. I do not use distilled water, although I have in the past and didn't notice a huge difference so I guess my water is not that hard. Plus my hair isn't normally dry. I think it's the combination of setting lotion, olive oil, and the dryer.

2. I clarified the last time I dyed my hair (about 2 weeks ago). And no, I don't think it's the dye job making it dry because like I said, my hair is not normally dry. It's this style making it that way.

 

[jd_bdfly]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It looks good to me. But if you want more definition maybe try using Fantasia IC gel. I used it with my most recent braidout, and was pretty frizz free.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh that isn't me. Lol!
Yea I was thinking about trying a heavy gel on each section to see what results I got with that. Which of the Fantasia IC gels do you use? The straightening one? The one with sparkalites?...

[/ QUOTE ]

The one with the sparklites (sp?)

 

[soslychic]

Thanks jd /images/graemlins/smile.gif
Any more suggesions?

 

[gogo]

I'm new but may have a suggestion you could use: when doing a rod set, after shampooing & conditoining, I gently blow my natural hair dry and as straight as I can (it's thin & only takes a few minutes). I then add a little coco. oil & set it on perm rods (mine are peach color, maybe 1/2 inch diameter?) using TCB foaming wrap/set lotion on the "end half" of each parted section. I then roll only the "lotioned" hair. (the rods sort of hang loosely a few inches as opposed to sitting snugly at the scalp. I hope this makes sense) I dry completely under a hood dryer (takes about 25 mins.) then finger comb & shape each section. I find this gives my style more length (not the usual shrinkage) & fantastic looking & long-lasting curls. Maybe you could use the same technique with whatever setting gel or lotion you find works well for your hair. You may want to check out Ella Joyce's book "Kink Phobia" from your library, I highly reccomend it for any naturals (remember her from Fox TV's "Roc"?

 

[soslychic]

Thanks gogo. Has your hair suffered any damage from the heat? How often do you do this?

 

[gogo]

my daily style is a loosely twisted bun. I've only used the rod set mentioned above a few times this summer (like for a wedding or other special occasion, very pretty) I don't do a lot of tugging when I blow dry (just enuff to "soften" the roots a bit) & the hood dryer after setting is not too hot, in fact on a sunny day I can dry outdoors in under an hour while reading a magazine. The heat isn't really necessary, I just prefer the style has a little more "stretch" or hangs a little longer than with would be with kinkier roots. My hair "morphs" nicely into a curly puff for the next few days (with a little spritzing & finger combing ) and then it's shampooed & back to my bun. I think I've only pressed my hair 3 or 4 times this entire year (with mediocre results each time) and have used rod sets or twists/braid outs with hood dryer just a few times as well. I can't see any damage if there has been any.