TWA Support Thread
- Thread starter APrayer4Hair
- Start date
nisemac
Well-Known Member
Mz.MoMo5235 i was there for 3 1/2 years, in Beijing. It's a wild place, mix of modern and ancient. i'm glad i took the leap and went, but i am worn out. the water is so hard there, that it literally becomes solid. and the pollution is no joke.
i'm heading into my 4th month back in the U.S.....so i'm still dealing with reverse culture shock and whole transition.
I would like to go to India, but these jokers are hinting at Moscow as the next place.
Mz.MoMo5235
Well-Known Member
PACK ME IN YOUR SUITCASE!!!! I'd love to hit up old mother Russia. Not for too long though since I'm not a fan of winter in any way.
India has crazy pollution too.Even out in the boony areas where you would think the air is cleaner, that brown cloud follows where ever lol
Luscious850
Well-Known Member
Please provide:
1. BC date
- 09/05/14
2. Hair type/ describe your hair
- I can't tell just yet but I believe 4a
3. Reggie/Products
- Reggie: CoWash as needed. DC 2x/week. No poo
- Products:
As I am: cowash, leave in, double butter cream, curling jelly
Shea moisture: curl enhancing smoothie (trying to use this up), intensive hydrating hair masque
Alikay Naturals: lemongrass leave in
Homemade: shea butter mix
4. Goal(s)
- healthy hair. not worried about length just yet.
Edited to add:
5. Current pic or pic of BC
Taken 9/5/14 Fresh BC
1. BC date
- 09/05/14
2. Hair type/ describe your hair
- I can't tell just yet but I believe 4a
3. Reggie/Products
- Reggie: CoWash as needed. DC 2x/week. No poo
- Products:
As I am: cowash, leave in, double butter cream, curling jelly
Shea moisture: curl enhancing smoothie (trying to use this up), intensive hydrating hair masque
Alikay Naturals: lemongrass leave in
Homemade: shea butter mix
4. Goal(s)
- healthy hair. not worried about length just yet.
Edited to add:
5. Current pic or pic of BC
Taken 9/5/14 Fresh BC
bronzephoenix
Well-Known Member
Sholapie
Well-Known Member
I'm rocking twists underneath headscarves at the moment and loving it. I didn't really plan to use them as a protective style but just out of a very bad hair day I threw a nice one on and yeah i'm gonna ride this scarf thing for a while lol. It will be great for the winter too. And I have an excuse to go and buy lots more pretty scarves!
gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
Can anyone please answer my question? Should I be refrigerating my aloe vera juice/water mixture?
Sholapie
Well-Known Member
gabulldawg I believe aloe vera juice (as apposed to most aloe gels) definitely needs refrigerating, even if it is in a mix. I think the juice, especially food grade, has less preservatives that would usually stop bacteria growing at room temp. Im not speaking from experience though, just from what I've read and heard 
gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
gabulldawg I believe aloe vera juice (as apposed to most aloe gels) definitely needs refrigerating, even if it is in a mix. I think the juice, especially food grade, has less preservatives that would usually stop bacteria growing at room temp. Im not speaking from experience though, just from what I've read and heard
Thank you. I bought a huge jug of it. It wasn't refrigerated when I bought it, so right now it's just sitting in my pantry. I don't know if I need to refrigerate that as well as my mix. :scratchch
gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
Honestly not sure.
When I get home I will put it in the refrigerator. I don't know if I will refrigerate my mixture. That just seems like it wouldn't be convenient. However I don't want to mess up my hair because it goes bad or something. 
Thanks Sholapie.
Sholapie
Well-Known Member
Honestly not sure.
I think you would probably notice your mix turn funky, like it would go from clear to cloudy or smell funny. Im sure other ladies who actually use it will chime in soon
KaramelKutie803
Well-Known Member
Honestly not sure.
Once open you should put the jug/bottle in the fridge. I also refrigerate my mix of aloe vera juice/water. I just add a bit if jot water to my spray bottle to warm the water a little before spraying on my hair but most times the coldness doesn't bother me
gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
Thank you! I will refrigerate it all when I get home. Hopefully it will still be ok.
KaramelKutie803
Well-Known Member
Yeah it'll still be ok. I left my jug out overnight by accident one day and it was find
Guinan
Re-Branding
I am DETERMINED to wear my twa out in public. I did the MHM yesterday and then twisted my hair. Today I'm rocking a twistout. One of my coworker's said I look pretty. IDK why I feel uncomfortable wearing my hair out. I don't want to rely on wigs, b/c I'm becoming too comfortable and not styling my hair & thus becoming insecure when I evenutally wear my hair out. I'm going to make a personal goal to wear my hair out the whole month of October regardless of how it looks.
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PinkSunshine77
New York's Finest
you'll get there! It took me 4 months after my BC to feel comfortable wear it out. Trust me when I tell you it's all mental.
gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
This may sound crazy, but I combed out my twa today with a fine tooth comb while cowashing and applying product. It made a big difference IMO.
Mz.MoMo5235
Well-Known Member
A fine tooth comb?!? Wooooh chile I'd be bald and crying
Be gentle with that comb ok!
Be gentle with that comb ok!
almond eyes
Well-Known Member
I am high porosity, fine, high density and going on four months for my TWA. I find that getting my hair under a shower with warm water daily regardless if I use water only, co wash or shampoo loosens my hair a lot and keeps it from being dry as the desert. In the past as a natural my hair suffered a lot from SSKs especially when I would detangle whether with my comb or used my fingers and it was because I needed to go under the shower more often not just once a week. It was my great ah ha moment to realise that warm water on a regular basis worked wonders for my hair. I even now detangle my hair without having to use conditioner or a detangler but under the shower gently but sometimes I use my conditioner after I am almost washing it out and detangle using that method too and I have no problems. If I feel a little snag I just put my hair under the shower head and then the comb glides through.
I think if you are new to getting your hair used to using warm water on it to soften your high porosity hair, it could take two months. It took me three months before I could actually see the difference. And you can tell that your hair is fully saturated because of the way your hair feels. Water doesn't glide off.
I do not think that you need to use baking soda. Baking soda proponents say it lays down the cuticle better. In any event, I didn't use it and my hair took to my daily washing routine very well.
Now the biggest problems with TWAs are keeping that moisture going once your washing is finished. My hair can dry in my front edges in ten minutes and the rest of my hair in two hours. I think piling on products makes the situation worse. I also found that using oil stopped working for me because my sebaceous glands got used to my daily washing water habit so my natural oils kicked in.
For me, I just use something very light (diluted kinky curly knot today) once my hair is dripping wet and then I don't think about it. I don't comb it or keep touching it again as it has already been detangled in the shower and I don't want frizz. If I want my tiny curlies to pop I may use some gel but to be honest, I am not a fan of gel even the natural varieties.
Many women who are TWA think that their hair should feel greasy or have a jherri curl like feel to know that it is soft. But if your hair is getting adequate moisture from the warm water in the shower an indicator that you are on the right track is that you lose virtually no hairs when you detangle and have virtually no SSKs. And that is important because it means you will retain all your inches. If you comb your hair and see lots of hair in the comb that is like a daily hair cut. We can try and avoid this by combing less but I can assure you that if your hair comes out a lot unless you have a ton of hair it means your moisture game is weak. And by moisture doesn't mean products.
The TWA can be dry for those of us who are 4s because the hair is exposed to air and is not protectively styled. We can get paranoid and put too many products, use too many techniques and get panicked about using the right shampoos and conditioners.
When the hair becomes longer and your hair gets used to being exposed to warm water whether it is daily or every two or three days, you can then incorporate a heavier leave in that will be good for your entire hair and ends. I think in another six months I will be able to braid my hair in big braids which will lock in the moisture more and then I may be able to spritz with warm water daily and then go under the shower every two to three days.
Best,
Almond Eyes
I think if you are new to getting your hair used to using warm water on it to soften your high porosity hair, it could take two months. It took me three months before I could actually see the difference. And you can tell that your hair is fully saturated because of the way your hair feels. Water doesn't glide off.
I do not think that you need to use baking soda. Baking soda proponents say it lays down the cuticle better. In any event, I didn't use it and my hair took to my daily washing routine very well.
Now the biggest problems with TWAs are keeping that moisture going once your washing is finished. My hair can dry in my front edges in ten minutes and the rest of my hair in two hours. I think piling on products makes the situation worse. I also found that using oil stopped working for me because my sebaceous glands got used to my daily washing water habit so my natural oils kicked in.
For me, I just use something very light (diluted kinky curly knot today) once my hair is dripping wet and then I don't think about it. I don't comb it or keep touching it again as it has already been detangled in the shower and I don't want frizz. If I want my tiny curlies to pop I may use some gel but to be honest, I am not a fan of gel even the natural varieties.
Many women who are TWA think that their hair should feel greasy or have a jherri curl like feel to know that it is soft. But if your hair is getting adequate moisture from the warm water in the shower an indicator that you are on the right track is that you lose virtually no hairs when you detangle and have virtually no SSKs. And that is important because it means you will retain all your inches. If you comb your hair and see lots of hair in the comb that is like a daily hair cut. We can try and avoid this by combing less but I can assure you that if your hair comes out a lot unless you have a ton of hair it means your moisture game is weak. And by moisture doesn't mean products.
The TWA can be dry for those of us who are 4s because the hair is exposed to air and is not protectively styled. We can get paranoid and put too many products, use too many techniques and get panicked about using the right shampoos and conditioners.
When the hair becomes longer and your hair gets used to being exposed to warm water whether it is daily or every two or three days, you can then incorporate a heavier leave in that will be good for your entire hair and ends. I think in another six months I will be able to braid my hair in big braids which will lock in the moisture more and then I may be able to spritz with warm water daily and then go under the shower every two to three days.
Best,
Almond Eyes
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gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
A fine tooth comb?!? Wooooh chile I'd be bald and crying
I'm gentle. I don't have much hair right now so I works. I know that once my hair gets decent length I won't be able to use a fine tooth comb. But because it's so short that's the only way I can get product evenly distributed.LunadeMiel
Well-Known Member
I forgot this thread existed. I'm definitely struggling to get through this twa stage. My hair was MBL before the bc so these past 6 months have been an adjustment.
ckisland
Well-Known Member
I'm going through that "every morning I wake up looking like Whodunit" phase. Sigh. It's so not cute LOL!!!!
I use Aussie Moist as my styler but I put way too much, and ended up with flakes. Plus I took a nap and my hair was squished to my head :S So not cool. I need to make a batch of FSG. That way I'll have a styler I can add daily with getting build up.
I use Aussie Moist as my styler but I put way too much, and ended up with flakes. Plus I took a nap and my hair was squished to my head :S So not cool. I need to make a batch of FSG. That way I'll have a styler I can add daily with getting build up.
almond eyes
Well-Known Member
Hi Lundaemiel, I didn't know you BC'ed.
What prompted you to cut your hair? You had beautiful hair.
Best,
Almond Eyes
ladyscorpian14
Well-Known Member
Whats after the twa stage?
Divine.
Well-Known Member
Coilystep
@imperial_acquisitions
I totally agree with this. I have to redo my hair everyday. Maybe when it's longer I will be able to pineapple it.I look like that every morningSecond day hair = lies people tell!
Mz.MoMo5235
Well-Known Member
Ugh how I miss pineapples!!!
I've been able to get 2nd day hair since switching over to the cantu leave in. I do have to wet my hands a bit first and adjust the fro from where I slept the hardest lol
I've been able to get 2nd day hair since switching over to the cantu leave in. I do have to wet my hands a bit first and adjust the fro from where I slept the hardest lol
gabulldawg
Well-Known Member
My twa is looking good today. Nice and moisturized. I dc'ed this morning, making sure to comb it all the way through. Don't know if that helped or what but I love it.
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almond eyes
Well-Known Member
I think the TWA is the most difficult stage if you intend to grow it longer. I can understand now why many women do long transitions. Or some women just give up run back to the relaxers or keep cutting/shaving.
The TWA especially high porosity once it gets to be about an inch is hard to manage because high porosity hair usually does best in protective styles. Once the air hits your afro especially in a non stretched state or non protective styled, the hair becomes dry causing frustration, possible tangles, matting and single stranded knots.
I think the best way to get over the hurdle until your TWA grows up to the point where one can twist, braid and stretch it is to again wash it everyday with very warm water, do the greenhouse effect (shower cap method - which I don't like) or to tie your hair with a satin or silk scarf more often.
Best,
Almond Eyes
The TWA especially high porosity once it gets to be about an inch is hard to manage because high porosity hair usually does best in protective styles. Once the air hits your afro especially in a non stretched state or non protective styled, the hair becomes dry causing frustration, possible tangles, matting and single stranded knots.
I think the best way to get over the hurdle until your TWA grows up to the point where one can twist, braid and stretch it is to again wash it everyday with very warm water, do the greenhouse effect (shower cap method - which I don't like) or to tie your hair with a satin or silk scarf more often.
Best,
Almond Eyes
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