Natural Hair Thread 2.0

[orangeblossom]

Sept 1, 2016 12:27:21 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

I'll also recommend Qhemet Biologics Amla and Olive Cream. It's heavy but I think it's helped my girls hair thicken up.

I love both of lolli's recommendations, especially the Qhemet heavy cream

[05heel]

I love JBCO. Every time I try to leave it alone, I end up crawling back with my frizzy head hanging in shame.

[borinquen57]

Qhemet is by far my favorite hair product line! They're so rich and smell great. I'm using Mielle Organics right now but I'm just meh about them. Once I finish I may try Mane Choice (any opinions?) or go back to Qhemet.

[NitaX]

summer - I'm tagging you because we JUST had this conversation!

[NitaX]

@kirkette , I'm also five years natural this fall. What I really need tho is for my father to stop saying ignit (yes, IGNIT, not ignorant) ish like "You're letting your hair grow out; are you going to get it straight?" Or looking at my old wedding photos (on my photo wall at home) and asking if I miss my old hair because it was so pretty.

MOFO I DONE TOLD YO' RAGGEDY ASS ...




Like, why are we still having these conversations? Asking my husband if he minds my hair. Dude. Really? My H is like "Bless his heart. He's such a Mad Men throwback."

[andwhat]

Sept 1, 2016 14:21:43 GMT -5 @stilljustash said:

on that same note of postpartum hair struggles, my curl pattern. is that ever going to revert back? or am I just going to suffer through two drastically different patterns until I cut the old stuff off? my roots are pretty freakin straight, it makes me sad.

I'm going to have to try JBCO on my edges. I'm completely bald at my temples. kids are the worst.

I have talked about my hair plight postpartum. In my experience, you will just have to suffer through different patterns. My edges are finally growing back (they are bang length now) and I am about to get a few (several) really thin inches cut off. I definitely recommend the JBCO.

One positive about my new assignment is I don't have to wear a hat anymore so I can go back to getting fly styles.

[thejackpot]

Another vote for JBCO, it seemed to help fill in some bald spots at my temple. Now I am not sure what to do with the rest of the bottle.

[Queen Mamadala]

What it looks like today. I haven't had a relaxer in about 2.5 years. I ended up getting it cut super short last spring, and have kept it short for a while, but am trying to grow it out now.

I've noticed my texture has changed. I used to have tighter curls.



I've done the BC a few times over the years. I got regular relaxers and wash and press from age 6 until the first time I did the BC in '05. Right after my first BC. What happened to my curls!? They don't look like this anymore. I wonder if it was hormone/pregnancy related.



'06

[aqualuv]

I'm 3.5 years natural now. I'm hoping once grad school is over this fall I can focus on my hair. I did the BC and I'm happy with the retention of my growth but I want to see if I can get it longer. Right now I only prefer stretched styles since my shrinkage is ridiculous. 

I was planning to get box braids before I went to Tampa but I chickened out and got mini twists instead. I was so scared for my edges. I haven't had braids with extensions in 15 years. This is nearly 2 weeks of them. I love the break from having to do my hair. Especially with working out and the humidity. 

[kicks]

Guys, I think I'm actually going to do my hair tonight!

I got inspired waiting for my train to New York. So I went and bought my conditioner, oil, eco gel, comb and some bobbi pins.

I'm gonna do a twist out while relaxing in my hotel tonight. I spent $30 buying all that shit that I have at home so I better use it dammit!

It's seriously been a long minute since I've done anything except a wash and go. I hope I'm not disappointed in the results, but it is supposed to rain on Sunday so hello afro by Sunday.

[kicks]

Sept 1, 2016 14:27:54 GMT -5 NitaX said:

@kirkette , I'm also five years natural this fall. What I really need tho is for my father to stop saying ignit (yes, IGNIT, not ignorant) ish like "You're letting your hair grow out; are you going to get it straight?" Or looking at my old wedding photos (on my photo wall at home) and asking if I miss my old hair because it was so pretty.

MOFO I DONE TOLD YO' RAGGEDY ASS ...




Like, why are we still having these conversations? Asking my husband if he minds my hair. Dude. Really? My H is like "Bless his heart. He's such a Mad Men throwback."

About 2 years ago after I had been natural for around 4 years I think, my dad asked me if I washed my hair. I was like what? How is this a question? Dads, man.

But it is funny to think that he's so used to us women getting our hair done at the salon the thought of me or my mom washing our own hair at home did not register with him.

[nsuhomer]

Yes to the JBCO! It has saved my edges three times now. As to the different textures/curl patterns, mine keep getting worse each pregnancy. My front half barely has a wave to it, and the back is still kinky curly. Frustrating.

I watched a video on doing basically a Dominican roller set and 'doobie' wrap to achieve a straightened or stretched look. I'm going to give it a go tomorrow since these buns have me depressed as hell.

[sfy]

10 years relaxer free, I will never get a relaxer again in life. It's one of the few things I feel comfortable saying I'll never do. I have never BCed and my natural hair has never been shorter than APL. I think it might be time to change one or both of those. I'm very hair restless right now.

The only people I know who probably would have side eyed my natural hair were my grandmothers, but they've both been deceased since my transition. My mother is natural (although she wears her straight also) and my sister was, even locking hers at one point, but she went back to relaxing and Dominican salons.

[meshaliuknits]

The last relaxer I got was before I got married because I wanted my hair predictable for the wedding but I had decided before that I was through. One too many scalp burns. Every stylist I went to before I found my current one thought I was crazy.

I regret not doing the BC because my hair took FOREVER to switch over. But knowing my baby sister's scalp is as wrinkled as a sharpei scared me off of having really short hair.

[sfy]

Sept 3, 2016 10:40:50 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

The last relaxer I got was before I got married because I wanted my hair predictable for the wedding but I had decided before that I was through. One too many scalp burns. Every stylist I went to before I found my current one thought I was crazy.

I regret not doing the BC because my hair took FOREVER to switch over. But knowing my baby sister's scalp is as wrinkled as a sharpei scared me off of having really short hair.

Your post reminds me of the actual day I decided to stop relaxing. A. I was in a Dominican salon B. I was getting a relaxer and blow out. C. My scalp was burning. D. I got rinsed out and after, the woman in the bowl next to me made a comment I can no longer recall, but it was some sort of empathy about the burning or even something about the the stylists taking too long to rinse people. I just had a very visceral reaction to a salon full of AA women having these chemicals applied to our head by a group of non-AA women who invariably made comments like, "Mami, you NEED relaxer." It was too much for me. And even the idea of going back to AA salon for a relaxer only made it sit slightly better with me. Fuck relaxers.

[kicks]

Oh, so I did end up doing my hair, yay.

I used the eco styling gel and I think my twists came out pretty well. They seem pretty defined. I should've bantu knotted them because I didn't like how straight they were the next day.

And now I have a stretched out fro, which I like, less tangling which is good. So I think I need to get back in to the habit of twisting at least once a week. I start swim lessons on Sun so will obviously need to wash my hair, so maybe that'll be my standing twist day.

[andwhat]

@246baje I do this with DD but in the tub. We still use a kids tub and it has a part where she can lay her head back like in a shampoo bowl. It is so much easier to detangle that way. When we move we are getting a detachable shower head in her bathroom. It will really be like a salon LOL. DD is extremely tender headed though.

[thejackpot]

Good job! I have just started doing a method where I make four parts and spray it with water/conditioner combo and detangled before shampooing and then I shampoo the sections. I saw it on a girl I follow on IG. It has made things so much better.
This was my first time really trying to do a hairstyle. I am working on my parting ability
@246baje dd just asked who your dd was and said she's pretty!

[orangeblossom]

thejackpot I love it. Good job! I knew she had a lot of hair in those cute afro puffs of hers, but didn't know it was all of that hair. You've got your hands full.

[orangeblossom]

@246baje so cute. Great job!

[thejackpot]

Sept 5, 2016 20:08:26 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

thejackpot I love it. Good job! I knew she had a lot of hair in those cute afro puffs of hers, but didn't know it was all of that hair. You've got your hands full.

Haha and hair is not my strong suit. Sometimes The baby sitter is sweet enough to do it for me and I am so grateful!!

[redwino]

Sept 5, 2016 22:43:57 GMT -5 socratic said:

Man you guys are lucky mamas with those sweet girls!

Great hairstyles!

Baje I have the best memories of getting my hair washed laying on the counter!

I hated wash day because of the detangling and it taking forever but I loved cliblmbing up on the counter to lay my head into the sink. I was so sad when I got to big. @246baje your daughtee iaso beautiful. That picture of her laying on your counter made my night.

andwhat I feel like an idiot because we still use an infant tub with the slope but I've been putting dd on the other side and fighting her to wash her hair. I never would have thought to use the other side. Thank you!

[andwhat]

redwino I just thought of this a few weeks ago after months of struggling. So I am not much better. DD's hair is so thick and stretched it is almost waist length (she has some serious shrinkage).

Here is the rare occasion I let her wear her hair out.

[thejackpot]

andwhat So much hair!!i know she loved having it out.
DD loves when she has hair like Dorothy from the Wiz.

[sfy]

Sept 5, 2016 19:39:54 GMT -5 @246baje said:

DS aka her biggest fan said "you look like a different girl! I like this hair too!"
(He had high praise for the fro as well)

This is making me melt <3. They're so adorable!

Love their hair, thejackpot and andwhat!

[sfy]

I got my highlights colored over. I'm mochachocolatte right now! I told my colorist that I was probably going to chop soon anyway because she started, but I love the color so much that I might not! She said that was her plan lolol.

I tried to get some good light, but it didn't work. These are crap, so I will describe--the color is dark brown but the highlights still come through as a little lighter brown. It looks particularly good in the daylight, she walked me outside with a mirror and I was thrilled.

*poof*
Save

[thejackpot]

sfy, love it!! What a wonderful color. Maybe your itch will be satisfied

[redwino]

sfy you have beautiful hair! It always looks so good.

[andwhat]

I had to pull out my phone so I could see. I love it. I swear by the end of the month I am going to get my hair fixed

[sfy]

From your lips, thejackpot ! Thanks, you guys !