Black people meeting: Hair Halp

[montereybride]

I'm legit lol @ black people meeting

/whispers
can I still play if I'm white? I just have a lot of feelings about hair


Your lineup looks good but I will reiterate the following - no lather, no silicones, no parabens, no pthalates, no towels, no combs, and no brushes.

I unfortunately only know about Deva products because that's what my bestie uses. I will say that her hair is gorgeous. Also, go to someone who is specifically Deva-trained. They know curls. Like, whoa.

[montereybride]

Also, tag Jermys and bab

[thejackpot]

I just did the BC so I am not much help. I will be watching this thread to see the wisdom

[Jermys]

I'm legitimately honored to be included. Also, I had no idea you were so pretty!!

I wash once a month and I make a moisturizing spritz concoction that 05Heel came up with for every day spraying. Her recipe is 4 oz distilled water, 4 oz aloe vera gel, 1 tsp jojoba or castor oil and 1 oz glycerin. She sometimes adds conditioner to that. Mine is pretty much that, but I always add a squirt of conditioner. I comb with the giantest comb I can find and only when it's soaking wet and fully conditioned. Otherwise we finger comb.

I use nothing with parabens or silicones, etc., and I go as natural as possible. E has JUST started being able to keep a scarf on her head all night long and her hair looks a million times better than it did. She was getting a lot of breakage at night.

[meshaliuknits]

You're so cute!

Its all trial & error. My product experience is limited to Kinky Curly, Shea Moisture & Mixed Chicks, but I hear awesome things about Aveda. And for $1 I would have bought ALL of the things, so I don't blame you.

I will ditto the finger combing suggestion. Loosing the comb did wonders for me & BabyLiu. Also, we both cry less now.

Sent from my EVO

[orangeblossom]

I wet my hair everyday, but only wash it once/week and every now and again two weeks.  It seems counterintuitive, but washing it too much can be damaging to your hair, especially if it's not the right kind of shampoo.

Many people will say sulfate free, sulfate free, but for some people it doesn't bother their hair.  It's trial and error. Sulfate doesn't really work well for me, but for others it's no problem/

Some people find pre-pooing beneficial. Pre-pooing can just be doing a hot oil treatment (olive and/or coconut and/or castor), prior to shampoo. Conversely, some people do it after shampooing and call it oil cleansing.

To really get the curls popping, my hair has to be soaking wet. I've used the eco-styler gels, but lately I've made my own flax seed gel and that works well.

www.curlynikki.com is a good resource for natural hair
www.naturallycurly.com is also a good one.

Like others have said, less is more when it comes to manipulating your hair.

I like the following products: Oyin, Qhemet Biologics, Keracare Natural Textures

[iammalcolmx]

Why wasn't I tagged!!!

Anywho I a fan of the following products for daily use. The conditioner is because my hair is dry as hell and the curl cream defines well. However please dilute the curl cream as you see fit. I once forgot to close the top of the cream and left it in my shower, I was oh so pleased at the cream when it wasn't as thick.

  

In a super dry climate? Add a little or any of these:



Deep conditioning? This is my shit. Seal with the first, then deep condition with second:

[NitaX]

Aug 5, 2013 19:00:55 GMT -5 pennypenny said:

I don't think hair typing is very beneficial. Also, if you are newly natural there is a big chance your hair texture will change. It is more how your hair responds to products. Do you know if you are protein sensitive? I see a lot of protein in your routine and my hair would be straw. Is your hair porous? Do products seem to work better on soaking wet hair or damp hair?

I definitely believe less is more. How is your daily routine working for your hair? Do you have a TWA? How long is your hair? I don't think it is necessary to put all those products on your hair daily. Usually spritzing with water will reactivate the products and you will be good to go. That seems like product overload. But if you like the results keep doing it.

Yes ALL of this. Hair Typing is not very helpful at all. It tells you want the curl pattern is, but after that throw it out the window. It means nothing.

It really takes a while to figure out what your hair likes. The key is to not get discouraged. When I was at the TWA stage, I would wet my hair a little in the shower, and throw on the Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk and a little of the Curl Smoothie. And I was good. I didn't need a bunch of products for the TWA at all. 

Now that it is longer, I wear twist outs more often, so the routine changes a bit. I will co-wash with Cantu Leave In, twist with an oil mix (Shea, Olive Oil, and Argan mix), and my Shea Moisture Smoothie. For Dry twist-outs, I use a water/oil mix and the Curl Souffle. My other runner up is the Taliah Waajid Curl Cream. Shout of to iammalcolmx for that recommendation. It works very, very well. In fact, I have been replacing my SM Curl Souffle with it for dry twists. SM fucked up the formula, so now the souffle is some runny ass gel consistency that I hate.

[BNL2]

I agree with meshaliuknits about it all being trial and error. I've gone through a ton of products over the years but I've realized my hair likes simplicity. I'm also lazy as hell so keeping it simple is a win win.

My wash n go consists of: Cowash with V05 Herbal free me freesia, apply olive oil, then apply Cantu Shea butter leave in conditioner cream. I play around with oil before cream/cream before oil but I can't decide which I like more.  I haven't found my holy grail leave-in yet so I buy something new whenever it catches my eye. I stick to creams though because I need something heavy.

I've been natural for 5 years and still can't figure out porosity and hair type. I just try different stuff that I read online. When my hair was as short as yours, I never combed or brushed it. Just finger combed and finger detangled in the shower.  Somebody here, I think Summer, posted about detangling under the shower head with a wide tooth comb. That changed my life and is freaking awesome. As your hair grows out, I highly suggest that technique.

[iammalcolmx]

How could I forget to mention CANTU!!!

[SusanBAnthony]

Can I iask a white person hair question? @jermys or others with kids.

Dd is white as can be and has super fine, super breakable hair. It basically doesn't grow- she is 3.5 and the front hits her nose, the back is chin length. I dont know if it truly doesnt grow, or if it breaks before it can get long. We co-wash maybe weekly if that, and no other products. It is a total rats nest after she sleeps so I wonder if I need a silk or satin pillowcase. Or some products. Or something. Any ideas?

eta:  I can delete and start a different thread if you all want.  

[meshaliuknits]

A satin pillow case or head scarf (assuming she'll wear it) would help. A satin cover on her car seat could help if she spends a lot of time in it.

NitaX had a good recomendation for kid sized head scares. It had Africa in the name I think?

Sent from my EVO

[SusanBAnthony]

Aug 5, 2013 21:40:14 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

A satin pillow case or head scarf (assuming she'll wear it) would help. A satin cover on her car seat could help if she spends a lot of time in it.

NitaX had a good recomendation for kid sized head scares. It had Africa in the name I think?

Sent from my EVO

We have some satin pillowcases from my great grandma.  I think she used them to help keep her once-a-week wash and set looking smart.  I will try that first.  Not in car seat too much, and less once school starts, but she will be on a bus then, and I can't do anything about that.  

Do you think I need some kind of product?  Since her hair is straight, I assume most of what you guys use wouldn't work.  Or is pillowcase and scarves more important?  

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 5, 2013 21:36:49 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Can I iask a white person hair question? @jermys or others with kids.

Dd is white as can be and has super fine, super breakable hair. It basically doesn't grow- she is 3.5 and the front hits her nose, the back is chin length. I dont know if it truly doesnt grow, or if it breaks before it can get long. We co-wash maybe weekly if that, and no other products. It is a total rats nest after she sleeps so I wonder if I need a silk or satin pillowcase. Or some products. Or something. Any ideas?

eta:  I can delete and start a different thread if you all want.  

Ditto the Satin cap, also condition the heck out of her hair. Scroll up and see the Triple Moisture Conditioner I mentioned. If her hair is breaking off, its too dry. Also if its a rats nest after she sleeps I imagine you combing it out already delicate hair is making it break off as well. I am not blaming you, dry hair is so very difficult to take care of hence all these Black hair posts. 

[SusanBAnthony]

Aug 5, 2013 21:56:03 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Aug 5, 2013 21:36:49 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Ditto the Satin cap, also condition the heck out of her hair. Scroll up and see the Triple Moisture Conditioner I mentioned. If her hair is breaking off, its too dry. Also if its a rats nest after she sleeps I imagine you combing it out already delicate hair is making it break off as well. I am not blaming you, dry hair is so very difficult to take care of hence all these Black hair posts. 

Do I need to go to Sally's or can I get it at target, etc?   Eta, just saw it is neutrogena so I assume I can get it anywhere.  


 statlerwaldorf where do you buy hair stuff for your dd?  

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 5, 2013 21:59:03 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Aug 5, 2013 21:56:03 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Ditto the Satin cap, also condition the heck out of her hair. Scroll up and see the Triple Moisture Conditioner I mentioned. If her hair is breaking off, its too dry. Also if its a rats nest after she sleeps I imagine you combing it out already delicate hair is making it break off as well. I am not blaming you, dry hair is so very difficult to take care of hence all these Black hair posts. 

Do I need to go to Sally's or can I get it at target, etc?


 statlerwaldorf where do you buy hair stuff for your dd?  

I think either or a Beauty Supply Store near a lot of black people.

[meshaliuknits]

Aug 5, 2013 21:53:50 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Aug 5, 2013 21:40:14 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

A satin pillow ca(assuming she'll wear it) would help. A satin cover on her car seat could help if she spends a lot of time in it.

NitaX had a good recomendation for kid sized head scares. It had Africa in the name I think?

Sent from my EVO

We have some satin pillowcases from my great grandma.  I think she used them to help keep her once-a-week wash and set looking smart.  I will try that first.  Not in car seat too much, and less once school starts, but she will be on a bus then, and I can't do anything about that.  

Do you think I need some kind of product?  Since her hair is straight, I assume most of what you guys use wouldn't work.  Or is pillowcase and scarves more important?  

The cases sound easy, so totally start with that. I agree with malcolm on conditioning the hell out of it. 

[BNL2]

Aug 5, 2013 21:59:03 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Aug 5, 2013 21:56:03 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Ditto the Satin cap, also condition the heck out of her hair. Scroll up and see the Triple Moisture Conditioner I mentioned. If her hair is breaking off, its too dry. Also if its a rats nest after she sleeps I imagine you combing it out already delicate hair is making it break off as well. I am not blaming you, dry hair is so very difficult to take care of hence all these Black hair posts. 

Do I need to go to Sally's or can I get it at target, etc?   Eta, just saw it is neutrogena so I assume I can get it anywhere.  


 statlerwaldorf where do you buy hair stuff for your dd?  

I get neutrogena triple moisture at Target. It's fairly easy to find. Ulta sales it as well and probably Walgreen's.

Have you tried putting your daughter's hair in a braid at night? My hair is not straight so I don't know if it will work, but a satin cap is not enough to keep my hair detangled if it's loose. A loose braid, with a satin cap, may be helpful in keeping her hair manageable.

[sushi]

I may be a pasty white person, but I now use the Neutrogena triple moisture shampoo and conditioner as well as kinky curly cream. My hair has never looked so good nor gotten so many compliments, even if it's now overgrown and raggedy.

I always thought I had greasy hair so shied away from products, but my good friends on gbcn of color taught me so much. I may look like the weirdo on the "ethnic" aisle at target, but my hair has never been happier

[cookiemdough]

Not natural but I agree about shampooing too much. I also agree that you are super cute nugget!

[SusanBAnthony]

Aug 5, 2013 23:12:11 GMT -5 BNL2 said:

I get neutrogena triple moisture at Target. It's fairly easy to find. Ulta sales it as well and probably Walgreen's.

Have you tried putting your daughter's hair in a braid at night? My hair is not straight so I don't know if it will work, but a satin cap is not enough to keep my hair detangled if it's loose. A loose braid, with a satin cap, may be helpful in keeping her hair manageable.

Her hair isn't long enough for a braid, and she also throws fits about getting it put up.  So no way will a braid work, although if it ever gets long enough I can probably bribe her to do it.  

If I threaten her with having to cut her hair off, she will run get me the scissors, lol.  Bribery ftw.

[statlerwaldorf]

Aug 5, 2013 21:59:03 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Aug 5, 2013 21:56:03 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Ditto the Satin cap, also condition the heck out of her hair. Scroll up and see the Triple Moisture Conditioner I mentioned. If her hair is breaking off, its too dry. Also if its a rats nest after she sleeps I imagine you combing it out already delicate hair is making it break off as well. I am not blaming you, dry hair is so very difficult to take care of hence all these Black hair posts. 

Do I need to go to Sally's or can I get it at target, etc?   Eta, just saw it is neutrogena so I assume I can get it anywhere.  


 statlerwaldorf where do you buy hair stuff for your dd?  

Are you still using baby shampoo like Johnsons and Johnsons?  They always made my DD's hair like straw.  Is her hair frizzy?  I went through half of my life thinking I had frizzy, straight hair.  Once I got enough moisture and left combing to detangling in the shower I found out I have curly hair.

I'm a bad curly mom, because I haven't found sulfate free products that I love.  Ollie's on 21st has silk pillowcases in the area with the sheets.  I think they are $3.  You can get satin wraps at Target or Walmart.  I swear by the Neutrogena Triple Moisture products for myself and you can find those anywhere.  I also like Aussie 3 minute miracle.  Shea Moisture didn't work well for my DD, but it's often recommended by the curly forums.  It's carried at Sally's and Target.  I'm not sure if it's just the area, but the Sally's out here doesn't carry a lot of ethnic products.  Target has been adding a lot of the popular products.  I also buy a lot from Drugstore.com.

The golden rule to prevent breakage is never comb or brush it when it's dry.  I always use a spray bottle in the morning and mix in a little leave in product.  I use a double sided boar brush with plastic bristles on the other side.  It's best to detangle with a wide tooth comb while she's in the bath with the conditioner still in her hair.  I always let the conditioner sit for at least 5 minutes first.  For baby fine hair, I like Just for Me Curl Cream since a lot of products are going to be too heavy.  I can usually find it at Walmart, but the one on 21st St. was sold out a couple of days ago when I checked.

[pixy0stix]

I have no advice, just wanted to say that NB is pretty. I'm glad I lurked on the thread.

[Deleted]

i'm so changing my kid's hair care routine RIGHT NOW. the front pieces of her blonde, mostly straight sorta wavy hair at age 3.5 barely hit her earlobes. clearly she's dying for moisture. thanks for the tips for ol' whiteys.


nugget, i saw your picture on ML and you are CUTE and the new cut looks great on you. good luck with the products .

[ringstrue]

Aug 5, 2013 21:53:50 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Aug 5, 2013 21:40:14 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

A satin pillow case or head scarf (assuming she'll wear it) would help. A satin cover on her car seat could help if she spends a lot of time in it.

NitaX had a good recomendation for kid sized head scares. It had Africa in the name I think?

Sent from my EVO

We have some satin pillowcases from my great grandma.  I think she used them to help keep her once-a-week wash and set looking smart.  I will try that first.  Not in car seat too much, and less once school starts, but she will be on a bus then, and I can't do anything about that.  

Do you think I need some kind of product?  Since her hair is straight, I assume most of what you guys use wouldn't work.  Or is pillowcase and scarves more important?  

dammit you made me come out of lurkerdome! 

DD's hair is a 1a or 1b like mine. Honestly, the only routine that works for us is slowly evolving more and more into a curly hair care routine. Minimal shampoo, lots of conditioner, finger comb when wet. I'm about ready to get her satin pillow cases because I am SO SICK of the daily rats nests. I don't even think the conditioner we use is doing much anymore. I am using the spray in detangler but the next day its bad again. 

I don't even know why I am using shampoo on her. It's usually not dirty from actual dirt or food (anymore, that is). It's not like it gets greasy. In the winter I use Head and Shoulders on her but its a 2 in 1. 

[barcelonagirl]

Right now I'm using Herbal Essences Hello Hydration mixed with water as a daily for Babyman and I? Should I add in some oil? His is ok but, I'm looking a bit parched. I get confused about when to seal in moisture???

[meshaliuknits]

Aug 6, 2013 10:32:44 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

I tried using my water and argan oil combo spray this morning and it didn't do jack, water just sits on my head unless I really work it into my hair. So I just dunked my head in the shower and put some oil on afterwards.

I also don't really like the Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie - I used KeraCare Defining Custard over the weekend and on Monday and I feel like it defined my curls way better.

How do I know when my hair is actually moisturized and isn't just loaded with product slip and oil? Like, my hair feels less dry today with the argan oil but how do I know it isn't just sitting on top of my hair?

The shea curl smoothie isnt my favorite either. It makes my hair feel sticky for days afterward.

I know my hair is moisturized b/c on the days I do jack to my hair (see yesterday) it still doesnt feel dry. If I go too long doing jack, it will get dry again, but skipping one day isnt a big deal.

[NitaX]

Aug 6, 2013 10:32:44 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

I tried using my water and argan oil combo spray this morning and it didn't do jack, water just sits on my head unless I really work it into my hair. So I just dunked my head in the shower and put some oil on afterwards.

I also don't really like the Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie - I used KeraCare Defining Custard over the weekend and on Monday and I feel like it defined my curls way better.

How do I know when my hair is actually moisturized and isn't just loaded with product slip and oil? Like, my hair feels less dry today with the argan oil but how do I know it isn't just sitting on top of my hair?

You don't have to use what everyone else uses, just find a combo that works well for you. For the oil combo, I think it works better with a mixture of oils. Add some olive oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, shea butter oil, etc. to your mix. Naptural85 has a video on how she mixes her oil. 

I know that my hair is actually moisturiezed because I don't have that dry, brittle feel to my hair. It stays soft hours later and even the next day it's still soft. Last night, I re-twisted my hair and I didn't have to use much product to twist it. That's how I know it was still moisturized. If the product is just sitting on your hair, your hair will feel heavy. 

Also, YouTube will be your bestest friend. Check out Naptural85, My Natural Sistas - those are my go-to sites for Vlogs on natural hair. 

Natural hair is really about patience. It takes a while to figure out what will work for you. What happens is that because the "Holy Grail" product for someone else didn't work on the newly natural's hair, they will get discouraged and go back to the creamy crack. Like, I tried Kinky Curly Curling Custard. Hated It. Eco Styler Gel? Hated It. Twisted Sista. Meh. It did nothing for my hair at.all.

So, it's all trial and error.  

[NitaX]

Aug 6, 2013 10:48:26 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

OH. And also, my scalp has been itching like a mother. Is this normal? I think it's because all of the water is getting trapped on my scalp and my hair is so thick it literally takes hours for the roots to dry. Can I just stick a blow dryer in there?

Yes. I was warned about this when I BC'd. I really found that co-washing every 3-4 days when I was in the TWA stage helped me with this. Not shampooing - co-washing - so use your coniditioner as a shampoo. 

[NitaX]

Aug 6, 2013 10:57:35 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Aug 6, 2013 10:55:20 GMT -5 pennypenny said:

 I think this may be from product overload. My hair takes forever to dry, but I don't really have issues with an itchy scalp.

I'm going to try leaving out the Daily Hair Repair stuff tomorrow then.

OH AND ANOTHER QUESTION. Hair bands.  I will probably be exclusively using them as long as I am in a wash and go style.  Is it "bad", like binders?  Will I have breakage at the spot or anything?  I can tell it compresses the hair there because I can feel the depression for a while after I take the band off but as long as it's not ruining my hair I don't care.

I think the Goody's Hair bands are pretty decent. They have that "ouchless" design so it woun't putt out your hair. Those are the only elastics I use on the girls' hair. Also, change it up. Wear the fro free one day and a band the next. I will say, I'm not a fan of the gels and pomades that slick back your hair. I fear I will look like this:



And that someone will do another PSA: