NON CURL PATTERNERS????????

Wow I've never heard of no curl pattern for any type of AA hair. I'd be interested to see up close pics.

I don;t believe i have a curl pattern either. Its more of a zig zag with a mind of its own. Only when i started pressing did i have what appeared to look like in curls or coils and they frizzed up when my hair was dry. But i just don't worry about it so its not a big deal. I just don't invest in products that promise "curl definition" because I don't think they would work.

my daughters hair is like that. to make her tiny corkscrews visible, her hair MUST be moisturized throroughly and after that there can be very little manipulation. I've been using QP Elasta feels like silk and when i use it, my babies straight kinks become actual curls. amazing, curly hair is moisurized hair it seems.

Throw the kitchen sink at popping/'sheening' your coils!

Hi Ladies,

Sorry, this is a long post...But hopefully it'll be worth it to someone.

In terms of CHEAPLY maximizing coil popping (and/or softness/sheen), this method has worked WONDERS for me! I don't have pics (I'm just learning all this/my digital camera) but I SWEAR to you all that since I've been doing this method (~2 weeks), I've been getting an unusual number of compliments on my (~ 2 inch) TWA/wash n go. Interestingly, they've come from folks who, upon seeing my hair before I started this approach, know that their natural is ~ my texture (i.e. basically 4b-ish, 'fro-ish', C-napp-ish as I understand the definition...although I do have coils with no product in SOME places with I finish washing). I know that many of you still haven't cut off your chemically straightened ends (and hence might not get these results). But I'm hoping that this thread/post provides me with a chance to (hopefully) help someone on a website/online community that has given me so much! ...

The ingredients are fairly simple/cheap! Give it a try! ... Let me know how it works out!...

**Some of this is BASIC to LHCF veterans. I basically copied and pasted this from an email message that I sent to those who liked my hair***

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Here is my basic ~ daily regimen for my hair that I gleaned from attending to YouTube and LHCF. The whole thing takes ~ 10 minutes (up to 15 to 20 MAX if you add patting/shaping the hair to get it exactly how you want it).

Needed:
1) Conditioner (for 'conditioner-wash/co-wash' instead of shampoo-wash)
2) Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) - ~$2 (MAX) at grocery
3) Cup with the 1 cup liquid equivalent level clearly marked (or an actual 1 cup large measuring cup--of course!) - for the ACV dilution (I mix mine daily in the shower. Alternatively, you could make several cups all at once--dilution = 1-2 tblspns ACV to 1 cup Water)
4) Container of Faucet-Cold Water (you can make it colder with ice etc. if you want)
5) Leave-in conditioner
6) Hair Oil (Mine is homemade. In an empty plastic water bottle (ex. deer park spring water etc), I mix: ~60-70% Olive Oil, ~15-20% Coconut Oil (melted), ~15-20% Shea Butter (melted), and 1 small bottle of scented body oil (with out the scent, the mix smells kinda bad...I get it from the hair store - the brand with jojoba oil high up in the ingredients list)--The Shea and/or Coconut oil will eventually re-solidify and fall to the bottom. Just remember to shake the bottle with each use, and rub the mixture in your hands to dissolve the solid specks b4 rubbing it through your hair.
7) Eco Styler Gel WITH Olive Oil (there are other types of Eco but this one is ~ best according 2 many YouTubers--I like it!--A large tub of it is sold at Sally's for ~ $5).

The steps are pretty straight forward. The regimen is basically a variant of an approach known online as the "Curly Girl" and/or "Wash and Go" method. *Note: Combing is NOT advised/beneficial for this method (try finger combing in the shower--while washing with the conditioner--as much as possible for detangling)...

Steps:
1) Wash your hair using the conditioner (no shampoo). This is called "Co-washing" online (function: scalp/hair cleansing that does not strip/dry hair -> can be done daily if so desired with no ill effects).
2) Mix your ACV concoction and pour through hair, rubbing it around as you go. (Warning: it stings eyes a bit - lean forward) (function: to seal cuticle coating of hair for sheen/"shine"/softness)
3) Thoroughly rinse ACV concoction out of hair.
4) Pour cold water through your hair (function: to further seal cuticle coating of hair for maximum sheen/"shine").

**Remember: if you want to maximize your coil-clumping pattern do NOT at any time comb hair (at least not past the co-washing point--many folks online say that combing while co-washing--with the conditioner in your hair--is the best in terms of painlessness etc.). Hair should also be/remain as wet as possible**

5) Squeeze dime to nickel sized amount of leave-in conditioner into your hand.
6) Rub the conditioner into your hair (not too roughly so as not to disturb the coil-clumping pattern) (function: maximal conditioning/softness/non-tangling)
7) Pour oil into hand (~ slightly larger than a quarter sized amount 4 my length--again, all this varies by amt of hair of course!--fiddle with it!)
8) Rub oil between hands to dissolve solid bits.
9) Rub oil onto hair (again, not too roughly so as not to disturb the coil-clumping pattern) (function: maximal moisture/sheen/"shine")

**Note: if you want to rock a 'fro (and/or "'fro puff"), stop at this point. You can use a towel to dry it and pick/comb it out as desired. If this technique works for you, you hair will at least be noticeably softer/'sheenier'. Remember, do NOT comb if you want the total look...**

8) Rub a modest to medium amount ((?) - I haven't mastered amount yet) of Eco Styler gel into hair. (function: maximal hold/definition of coil-clumping pattern + additional moisture)...some may see this step as optional...I haven't yet tried the regimen without it...The good thing about this product is that the gel doesn't harden much when dry so it suits my needs just fine...
9) BLOT (do not rub - will disturb coil-clump pattern) hair with an old T-shirt (OR a paper towel--NOT a regular towel) to ~ dry hair (it doesn't have to be all the way dry of course!--just eliminate any annoying dripping--the rest can air dry! Don't worry about a bit of whiteness in the hair. It'll ~ go away as the hair dries...you can blot more to help it along if you want).
10)Hand pat into desired shape.

**(note: shrinkage is MAXIMIZED in this look...you cant have it all folks! LOL)**

Best of Luck Ladies! Again, tell us how/if it worked!

I've got no curl pattern. I've never tried to cultivate one either.


This is what my fro looks like

This is growth from January 2008-2009 with no texture change or curl pattern:



I achieve different textures by braiding, twisting, roller setting etc.

freshlikemoi said:

Wow I've never heard of no curl pattern for any type of AA hair. I'd be interested to see up close pics.

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There are many people of African descent who have straight hair, too, e.g. no curl pattern, yet again. I am one of those people, in the sense that parts of my hair just don't curl at all and hang completely straight.

Also, my girlfriend's hair doesn't curl either...even if she curls her hair complete with setting lotion. When you release the roller, her hair simply hangs straight.

African American hair comes in ALL shapes, forums, colors, and textures. The common stereotype is that we all have curly hair, but it's just untrue. The sad thing is that this stereotype is usually held by Black folks... We often have a limited view of what being African-American (or even African) is.

Bosinse said:

I have no curl pattern. I know when this topic comes up a lot of people just think non-curl patterner's are lying or just don't know what we are talking about. I truly have what is described as c-napp hair. I used to think every full black person had this texture. But the more I'm on LHCF, I realize we are in the minority, especially natural heads.

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You know what, I don't think that the black people with true 4b/cnapp are in the minority. I think that we might actually be the majority. My reasoning is that it is rare to see BW with real (not chemically enhanced) wave pattern. Most people with cnapp hair do not wear their hair naturally, wear fake hair or wear it cropped really low since this hair texture is not held in high regard by anyone.

If you want to know what kind of hair most black people have, look at BM and you will see that most lack any wave pattern and wear their hair in a fade so as not to let their naps show. BW with "bad" cnapp hair are the major reason why straightening hair and fake hair is a near art form in our community. There is no difference in all of these "natural" 4b/cnapp women pressing and flat ironing their hair to death and the 4b/cnapp women like myself who relax their hair. The problem is that all of these straightened heads and fake hair wearing women prevent the obvious over abundance of cnapp hair texture from being known.

The reason why on this board you see an overwhelming amount of type 3-4a textures (natural and relaxed) is because they tend to have an easier job at growing their hair to long lengths and this website celebrates long hair, so they get to post pics with wild abandon while the 4b/cnapp women are less likely to have great progress/lengths and therefore you see fewer pics from them and this adds to the appearance of fewer BW with 4b/cnapp hair texture.

The fact is that 4b/cnapp is everywhere, we just hide it too much.

Since I have gone back to relaxing my hair I totally understand why we see so few BW with 4b/cnapp hair in its natural state-- it's not as appealing to most people, regardless of race or gender. A black or brown cloud of hair is not sexy to most and when it's not pressed/straightened properly, it looks dull, damaged, dry as sin and lifeless.

^^ ooh oh - interesting point. **bumping**

My mom has ZERO curl pattern! She has braids right now but when they come down I'll post pics of her cottony puff. No amount of gel or leave in will make that woman's hair curl...it's sad and funny at the same time because she has very fine stands and most people guess she's in the c's but no coils to be discovered.

nomoweavesfome said:

Taina, look at my picture and you will see:

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This is what my hair looks like in the front. It looks frizzy when wet. I have to put gel on it to get the slightest definition. Check out my fokti. I really noticed it when I started to use Ovation. It looks like the front has perm in it when I put gel on it. The back has a pattern, but the front doesn't. I don't know, but when I did my big chop, I cut off more in the front because it wouldn't curl like the rest of my hair.

When I had a fro hawk, I had to do bantu knots to get it ti curl or two strand twists if I wanted any type of curl or crinkle.

Xerxes said:

You know what, I don't think that the black people with true 4b/cnapp are in the minority. I think that we might actually be the majority. My reasoning is that it is rare to see BW with real (not chemically enhanced) wave pattern. Most people with cnapp hair do not wear their hair naturally, wear fake hair or wear it cropped really low since this hair texture is not held in high regard by anyone.

If you want to know what kind of hair most black people have, look at BM and you will see that most lack any wave pattern and wear their hair in a fade so as not to let their naps show. BW with "bad" cnapp hair are the major reason why straightening hair and fake hair is a near art form in our community. There is no difference in all of these "natural" 4b/cnapp women pressing and flat ironing their hair to death and the 4b/cnapp women like myself who relax their hair. The problem is that all of these straightened heads and fake hair wearing women prevent the obvious over abundance of cnapp hair texture from being known.

The reason why on this board you see an overwhelming amount of type 3-4a textures (natural and relaxed) is because they tend to have an easier job at growing their hair to long lengths and this website celebrates long hair, so they get to post pics with wild abandon while the 4b/cnapp women are less likely to have great progress/lengths and therefore you see fewer pics from them and this adds to the appearance of fewer BW with 4b/cnapp hair texture.

The fact is that 4b/cnapp is everywhere, we just hide it too much.

Since I have gone back to relaxing my hair I totally understand why we see so few BW with 4b/cnapp hair in its natural state-- it's not as appealing to most people, regardless of race or gender. A black or brown cloud of hair is not sexy to most and when it's not pressed/straightened properly, it looks dull, damaged, dry as sin and lifeless.

Click to expand...

That's a great point!

phyl wow - my front looks nothing like yours.

Most of my hair has no defined curl pattern. I have a few 4a curls here and there but the 4b hair strangles and overpowers them so they are not too visible. Here is a pic of my hair in January when it was wet.

My hair doesn't coil or curl or do anything close to a circle shape. It makes tiny little zzzzzz's, like zig zags. No amt of gel or leave in will give me curls. I agree with Xerxes that this is probably the most common texture among AA's, but probably most women with this texture relax or are naturals who straighten.