Now Forming an Army of SUPER-LONG HAIR 4B (or mostly 4b) NATURALS!! Come on in!

[meka72]

DarkJoy, thanks for posting your technique. I usually detangle on wet hair and maybe I need to try it in damp hair? My hair, especially my ends, are extremely coily. I know that my ends need to be trimmed because my hair has been extra tangled. I'm going to trim my hair myself (for the first time) this weekend and will try your technique. Thanks again!

 

[almond eyes]

Found some hair hates. She cant stand:

.braids and corn rows with or without extensions, tight or loose. All this time I thought I had low density. Think the hair was just breaking at the parting points. Density seems almost normal now after no extensions the last 4 or 5 months . Been wearing it rolled up in dry buns and its doing fabulous.

.extensions, weaves. Only because in most cases it means I have to braid it up. Bye bye beloved crochet braids.

.being wet all the time. High porosity means soggy and breaky easily

.being loose unless stretched or straightened.

.not being regularly snipped. Seek and destroys seem to be critical every 2 weeks.

.finger detangling. Doesnt work. Hair is too fine and porous. Found a great seamless comb a great technique that avoids breakage. Shed hairs removed and less ssk.

Ive retained more since November than I have half of last year particularly in my troubled crown area that hadn't really retained since my 2012 BC.

Excellent analysis. My hair is also like what you have described. I also find that as my hair begins to grow it is not that it doesn't like water but it is that I have to be careful with the styling issue on wet hair and not over manipulating my hair in overly wet hair.

What moisturizers do you use and how often do you moisturize? How often do you wash or wet your hair in the shower? how often do you do your DC's.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[almond eyes]

Sure!

Heres the thing, I found that my coils can fold in half on themselves so the shaft is bent like a folded piece of paper. Lots of ends actually point back to and entangled in the roots. Severe breakage if not careful.

What I do is start with either moist (not wet) or dry but oiled hair. Yours might like something different of course.

Take a section and smooth it root to tip. You can use praying hands method or one handed. If there are coil clumps folded and tangled weird, I grab those and loosen with fingers.

Once that section is smooth, grab and pull taught near the ends with non-combing hand. The trick to not losing hair here is to keep it all pulled *firmly* in combing direction.

Begin combing at the very tip to root slow and easy. If you hit a knot, sometimes fingers are best to start then comb again.

Instead of losing half a combs worth of hair , I lose a few whisps. If im rushed and not gentle it can be more. *shrugs* I dont always have time to spend on hair. There will always be shed hair of course.

It doesn't take long. My longest layers are nearly cbl now and it takes maybe 30 min for a full post wash detangle. Obviously super long and super thick will take longer.
meka72

Especially for fine hair, we have to be careful in our detangling technique. I agree exclusive finger combing doesn't work for me my curls wrap around one another too much. And you are right the hair should be moist but not overly damp or wet.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[DarkJoy]

Excellent analysis. My hair is also like what you have described. I also find that as my hair begins to grow it is not that it doesn't like water but it is that I have to be careful with the styling issue on wet hair and not over manipulating my hair in overly wet hair.

What moisturizers do you use and how often do you moisturize? How often do you wash or wet your hair in the shower? how often do you do your DC's.

Best,
Almond Eyes

I used to moisture DC once or twice a week. Now I found I dont need it. My new Reggie is I use a light protein weekly (shescentit okra) then a moisturizer every 2 days. Thats plenty. Its either kinky curly knot today or shescentit coconut cream. She is much stronger with this arrangement than full moisture dc weekly.

If I have build up I will cowash with As I Am coconut cowash midweek (or V05) with a V05 rinse out.

As an aside, ive finally accepted that my hair responds best to "green" protein. This okra is great and there was an algae one that it loved but I wasnt spending the cash. Silk, pantheon, collagen are ok but get toi hard after a while.

 

[CenteredGirl]

almond eyes, DRENCHED is the key here. I spent 20 minutes in the shower yesterday - Hair heaven.

I find that when I slip into using products and just spritzing with water my hair doesn't like it.

My hair likes to be drenched in warm water (every few days) and very little product.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[niknakmac]

How much shrinkage are yall getting?

I feel like I have about 70 -80% shrinkage. My 4 inches easily becomes an inch an stays that way. I don't even bother trying to fro it out b/c I know it's just going to curl on itself back down to an inch.

The last time I was natural I don't remember having this problem but I think that's because my hair was very dry. My twists used to stay one length. Now they draw up and if I pull one out it will spring back into it's shrunken zone.

I'm not complaining i just found it interesting. This does mean i'm going to have to grow 5 times as much hair to look like I have any...smh

 

[DarkJoy]

I get more than 80% shrinkage which is why ssk is a massive problem and probably the major reason why Ive never been able to grow hair unless straightened.

S & d and dusting seems an important ingredient in my retention.

 

[GGsKin]

How much shrinkage are yall getting?

I feel like I have about 70 -80% shrinkage. My 4 inches easily becomes an inch an stays that way. I don't even bother trying to fro it out b/c I know it's just going to curl on itself back down to an inch.

The last time I was natural I don't remember having this problem but I think that's because my hair was very dry. My twists used to stay one length. Now they draw up and if I pull one out it will spring back into it's shrunken zone.

I'm not complaining i just found it interesting. This does mean i'm going to have to grow 5 times as much hair to look like I have any...smh

I think the same thing regarding when my hair will start to look long. With my maximum hydration regimen giving me some hang time, I'd say I have around 50 or 60% shrinkage IDK.

 

[faithVA]

I also have major shrinkage. I have between 4 to 6 inches of hair that will shrink down to 1.5 inches if allowed to dry loose. Although, the more I water rinse and apply oil when its wet, it seems to take longer to shrink all the way down so it may stop at 2 inches.

 

[almond eyes]

almond eyes, DRENCHED is the key here. I spent 20 minutes in the shower yesterday - Hair heaven.

Good to hear all is going well. Once your hair gets the benefit of the hydration from the warm water under a shower, then you don't need to drench on a daily basis unless you are very gentle with your hair to prevent over manipulation or over moisturisation.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[CenteredGirl]

How much shrinkage are yall getting?

I feel like I have about 70 -80% shrinkage. My 4 inches easily becomes an inch an stays that way. I don't even bother trying to fro it out b/c I know it's just going to curl on itself back down to an inch.

The last time I was natural I don't remember having this problem but I think that's because my hair was very dry. My twists used to stay one length. Now they draw up and if I pull one out it will spring back into it's shrunken zone.

I'm not complaining i just found it interesting. This does mean i'm going to have to grow 5 times as much hair to look like I have any...smh

Practically none as I put my hair up after my shower. In the morning, I'd say I have about 10 to 20% shrinkage if that.

 

[CenteredGirl]

Good to hear all is going well. Once your hair gets the benefit of the hydration from the warm water under a shower, then you don't need to drench on a daily basis unless you are very gentle with your hair to prevent over manipulation or over moisturisation.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Yes, I am watching for that. At this juncture, my hair is loving the moisture and my fingers sail through the kinks.

 

[Prettymetty]

Hey beauties. Just checking in. I got a new moisturizer this week and I love everything, but the smell lol. It's called Oleo Relax slim by Kerastase. I love how thick and creamy it is and how it tames frizz and melts tangles.

I'm thinking about adding a weekly cowash to my regimen. I will try it out tomorrow and see how my hair behaves.

 

[snoop]

I've been water washing for about a month now -- I would say ever 1 to 3 days. I think that I've got full sebum coverage or close to. I"m guessing that because of it, I've got less shrinkage. I'm going to clarify soon (most likely a clay wash) and see what happens.

 

[Alta Angel]

4a/b Representing!!!

 

[Honey Bee]

With my maximum hydration regimen giving me some hang time, I'd say I have around 50 or 60% shrinkage IDK.

I fell off, but now that I've bc'd... ssk's are not a game. I've snipped off six knots in as many days. That's it, back to as much MHM as I can muster. *sigh*

@SlimPickinz

 

[SlimPickinz]

@Honey Bee Don't let those SSK's keep you down. Do your super complicated MHM and hopefully that solves your knots issue. It's cold as hell today I did a wash n go and had to bun it up. That cold air would have froze the coconut oil in my hair. I want to punch this weather in the nuts

 

[Honey Bee]

@Honey Bee Don't let those SSK's keep you down. Do your super complicated MHM and hopefully that solves your knots issue. It's cold as hell today I did a wash n go and had to bun it up. That cold air would have froze the coconut oil in my hair. I want to punch this weather in the nuts

 

[almond eyes]

I've been water washing for about a month now -- I would say ever 1 to 3 days. I think that I've got full sebum coverage or close to. I"m guessing that because of it, I've got less shrinkage. I'm going to clarify soon (most likely a clay wash) and see what happens.

Hi Snoop. I love water only as a way to refresh your hair but please remember water can be highly moisturising so if you don't do your mild to medium protein treatments whether once every two weeks or once a month, your hair is going to get limp and you may have breakage. And I would not clarify with clay, use a shampoo bar or a light shampoo. Water only causes your sebum to come in but you get a lot of build up and clay won't remove all of it and can be drying to your strands which is not what you want.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[snoop]

Hi Snoop. I love water only as a way to refresh your hair but please remember water can be highly moisturising so if you don't do your mild to medium protein treatments whether once every two weeks or once a month, your hair is going to get limp and you may have breakage. And I would not clarify with clay, use a shampoo bar or a light shampoo. Water only causes your sebum to come in but you get a lot of build up and clay won't remove all of it and can be drying to your strands which is not what you want.

Best,
Almond Eyes

Thanks @almond eyes

I've been reading up on wateronlyhairwash.com's routine and she clarifies around every 7 weeks and uses something natural like clay, ACV, or oils to do so. I've only watched some of her YouTube vids but her site details her water only washing method.

I'm still waiting to make my moisturizer then I might go back to my old routine but with more water washing in between. Right now my hair feels pliable but not soft. Definitely the coating of sebum is keeping it from falling off without a moisturizer or using oils.

Thanks for the heads up, though. I'll try to add some protein to my wash this weekend.

 

[almond eyes]

Thanks @almond eyes

I've been reading up on wateronlyhairwash.com's routine and she clarifies around every 7 weeks and uses something natural like clay, ACV, or oils to do so. I've only watched some of her YouTube vids but her site details her water only washing method.

I'm still waiting to make my moisturizer then I might go back to my old routine but with more water washing in between. Right now my hair feels pliable but not soft. Definitely the coating of sebum is keeping it from falling off without a moisturizer or using oils.

Thanks for the heads up, though. I'll try to add some protein to my wash this weekend.

Only use protein if your hair feels a bit limp and focus more on the ends since you hair is longer. I think she has a much stronger hair than mine for sure. Like my mother has very strong hair like teflon but now after all these years because of her neglect of protein it is all beginning to catch up with her. She is putting it down to old age but I am telling her she needs a protein treatment!!!!!!

 

[almond eyes]

Having fine hair is a challenge with the moisture and protein thing. I know my fine strands need protein to fortify it but too much can cause major matting and crispy ends. At the same time my hair craves moisture but I need to be careful with moisture overload because fine hair can get that problem quickly. So I have to constantly check my hair when I open it in the morning and I can tell what is going on and even when I wet it I can tell if it is strong or limp.

I am going to soon celebrate in May one year since I shaved. And I feel like I have come a long way. My first three months were the best, I loved my shaved hair. So simple and easy. Then I got into months 4-10 and that was a lot of trying to make my hair bloom and not get stuck at the TWA stage. Usually in the past that is when I would run to the nearest braid shop but this time I was adamant no extension braids. Now that I am at 4-5 inches stretched, I feel like I am on my way and I can actually do a mini pony puff (though I won't be doing that style too much don't want the tension). But I have to keep an eye on protein and moisture overload. I don't use too many products on my hair so if something goes wrong in the chain I can switch it up.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[CenteredGirl]

You are my hair goddess @almond eyes. Congrats on your anniversary.

Having fine hair is a challenge with the moisture and protein thing. I know my fine strands need protein to fortify it but too much can cause major matting and crispy ends. At the same time my hair craves moisture but I need to be careful with moisture overload because fine hair can get that problem quickly. So I have to constantly check my hair when I open it in the morning and I can tell what is going on and even when I wet it I can tell if it is strong or limp.

I am going to soon celebrate in May one year since I shaved. And I feel like I have come a long way. My first three months were the best, I loved my shaved hair. So simple and easy. Then I got into months 4-10 and that was a lot of trying to make my hair bloom and not get stuck at the TWA stage. Usually in the past that is when I would run to the nearest braid shop but this time I was adamant no extension braids. Now that I am at 4-5 inches stretched, I feel like I am on my way and I can actually do a mini pony puff (though I won't be doing that style too much don't want the tension). But I have to keep an eye on protein and moisture overload. I don't use too many products on my hair so if something goes wrong in the chain I can switch it up.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[almond eyes]

You are my hair goddess @almond eyes. Congrats on your anniversary.

Thanks so much. Truly, I really pay attention to my strands each day. If I see it's dry and my ends look good then I may do a water rinse, if they start feeling limp and shed hairs protein. I stay away from protein in my leave ins and that took me a long time to figure out. I love water only but hair needs some moisture from some type of product to seal it in and at the same time one must be careful not to get mushy strands from the expansion of the hair in the water. Though I now do more DC treatments and will throw in a water rinse once or twice a week for good measure. Good luck to you too!!!!!!!

 

[CenteredGirl]

Okay guys, this is weird. couple days ago i was cowashing...Wasn't thinking and used my DH's condish. Didn't realize it until the end...and gasp, it had cones in it. I was mortified. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised that my hair turned even more manageable I' m not hopping on the cone bandwagon, but it's food for thought. My own theory is that now that my hair is sebum covered it's invincible? Discuss.

 

[Prettymetty]

@CenteredGirl cones aren't all that bad. My hair actually behaves better when I have cones in my leave in. For me cones=slip=less hair in my comb. I also shampoo twice a week so I never have an issue with buildup or dryness.

I have learned to just do what my hair likes no matter how unpopular it seems.

 

[CenteredGirl]

@Prettymetty, your words: "I have learned to just do what my hair likes no matter how unpopular it seems." should be the real name of this forum. Lawd, how I have wasted so much time and hair following the popular crowd.

 

[Prettymetty]

Lmao @ the hair pulling!! I love the emoticons

 

[yaya24]

October vs. Yesterday (April).

6 months post Bigchop#3
Team SL 2015.

 

[yaya24]

Im a silicon mix stan for life.

I don't care for silicone serums though.