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

[ceecy29]

WHOA!!! your shrinkage is outta this world!! I go to DE too! I tought I was the only 4b who went there bc must of the people getting there hair done look @ me crazy when I take my cap off, lol.

Very pretty hair!!

Stepiphanie haha! the same thing happened to me when I went back in November. I had a braidout and I was finger detangling while I waited for my turn, I felt the stares but I thought I was just being paranoid. Good to know it's not just me. Have you been back there?

Hey fellow 4b ladies!!! So I have started to incorporate a little more heat in my regimen. I blow dry after every wash, I didn't do that this past weekend though due to time constraints. I have also tried oil rinses, as per recommendations from virtuenow, to help with moisture. I will report back on how these changes are working for me when I've done them consistently for a good amount of time.

Till then, keep growing ladies!

 

[faithVA]

Here are the ingredients if I remember correctly:
1/8 cup shampoo
½ cup hot water
¼ cup AVG
1 tbsp of oil

What is AVG? I probably should know but I can't seem to think of what this is.

 

[ceecy29]

What is AVG? I probably should know but I can't seem to think of what this is.

Aloe vera gel

 

[Stepiphanie]

What's your blow dry regimen ( products and tools used, do you use comb attachement)?


I blow out my hair a few weeks ago, and it was an absolute nightmare, I felt like my hair tangled up more somehow

 

[virtuenow]

Ceecy29, I hope that it is helping. I'm still enjoying the oil rinses and heat too. I want to start flat ironing more often now that i have a better regimen n technique...and maybe loosen my texture.

 

[ceecy29]

What's your blow dry regimen ( products and tools used, do you use comb attachement)?


I blow out my hair a few weeks ago, and it was an absolute nightmare, I felt like my hair tangled up more somehow

Stepiphanie

1. I wash (sulfate-free/ whatever looks good at TJmaxx but I'm thinking of getting the Chi shampoo since I'm using heat a little more frequently).
2. I then use a reconstructor either aphogee 2 min or some magnetic reconstructor that giovanni carries (gray bottle; red cap).
3. Then deep condition with lekair cholesterol mostly.
4. Then I moisturize with kinky curly knot today and layer some oyin handmade burnt sugar pomade on top.

My blow dryer is the babyliss pro ceramic 2800 I got it due to reviews on the board and I must say it does a good job. The first time I blow dried I didn't use a comb attachment cos the babyliss doesn't come with one and I hadn't bought one yet, I got great results. I used a conair brush with my wonky tension method (still perfecting it).

Then I bought a comb attachment and used it and I didn't like the results as much. Another thing I did differently this time was to skip the kinky curly knot today and oyin handmade burnt sugar pomade and just spray on heat protectant I used the one from the victoria secret straight and silky line and after the blow out I applied a serum again from Victoria secret. I love the smell of VS products but again I didn't like my blow out results this time. Although lots of people say not to use oils or anything on your hair prior to heat applications, I think it's evident that some textures could use the oil (I think it's Poohbear who swears by grease with her flat irons).

On both occasions the ends still tended to want to cling to each other but there were def fewer SSKs. I'm not really looking to loosen my texture, just keep SSKs at bay so I don't flat iron, just blow out and rock braid outs.

Sorry there was a lot of rambling but I was just putting down my thoughts in case it helps someone.

Ceecy29, I hope that it is helping. I'm still enjoying the oil rinses and heat too. I want to start flat ironing more often now that i have a better regimen n technique...and maybe loosen my texture.

Hey virtuenow, I def liked it as it gave my products a boost, so to speak. But I don't like to rave about something until I've tried it for a while in different ways. It's looking like this might be a keeper. I think I have to do an oil rinse as the last step, though.

 

[Stepiphanie]

Thanks ceecy29, I appreciated the detailed post. I'm also blow drying to keep ssk's at bay. I haven't done it often and I feel like it's such an undertaking when i do. I have a babybliss too, but it's like an 1875 wtts one, so I may try the one you mentioned. I guess I'll have to do it more often to work on my technique.

 

[Honi]

What is AVG? I probably should know but I can't seem to think of what this is.

Sorry. It was a typo. I meant aloe vera juice (not gel) but that is the correct acronym . I haven't used it yet on DD hair so I will report back with some updated measurements.

 

[Imani]

Yes, you're right about that, but that was the only way to even it out.

I went to my stylist yesterday, and he said my hair is in better shape than what he thought it would be. That's encouraging because I know I'm on the right track. :superbanana:

Barbara Doesn't it make u feel good to get a hair compliment? Lol. I used to be a regular salon go-er. I decided to try my hand at taking care of my own hair and protective styling for about 5 months. My stylist was floored and just in amazement with how healthy my hair was and how much it had grown. So even tho its boring and a bit tedious, I will stick with my current routine for the rest of this year and hopefully I can reach my goal.

 

[Platinum]

I read in an earlier post that you use the tangle teaser? Curly Nikki just did a post on this not too long ago. Basically some people say TT causes major breakage.

If you hadn't been experiencing breakage before and TT is the only knew thing you've added to your regimen, it might be the culprit.

Keep us posted.

hareluvah I'm not really sure if TT was the culprit, my hair had been in braids for about 5 months. I usually don't have breakage from braids but so I'm wondering if the lack of protein may have been the issue. I usually use a lot of protein (Surge 14 or Infusium 23 leave-ins) along with Curl Moisturizers in a modified Crown and Glory regimen. The last 5 months I cut back on the protein and went hard with moisture. I really hope the Tangle Teezer isn't the problem because it seems to work well for my hair.

 

[bride91501]

So WEEK 1 of my 4b "styling" experiment has begun lol....

Recently, I've seen more and more posts on the blogs, forums, & even here on LHCF, about what 4b hair can and can't do. Even though I've never been big on curl definition, I decided that the first style I'd try is a "curly fro", just to prove (to myself & others) the versatility of 4b hair.

Here's what I did to achieve the look:
-clarified with Sally Ions Clarifying Shampoo
-detangled with V05 & HE HH
-Henna'd
-DC'd overnight (actually for almost 14 hours...I was feeling lazy lol) with Lustrasilk Mango Shea Butter mixex with AVG, glycerin & castor oil
-Applied SheaMoisture Restorative Conditioner as a leave-in
-Mixed up some left over MJ Curly Meringue, Ecostyler gel and castor oil, and applied it to sopping wet hair in 6-8 sections from root to tip with my fingers
-Used my fake TT to "shingle"

And that's it. All in all, I like it, as it is very different than how I normally wear my hair, and that's what I wanted. The shrinkage is a BEAST, but I'm almost over my crazy shrinkage anyway, so that's ok. I'll probably wear my hair like this through the weekend, and try experiment #2 on Monday lol.

Happy growing ladies!

 

[bride91501]

Oh, and I forgot to add...For any "in-training" or "veteran" hair-typing police officers out there....

My hair looks NOTHING like this when wet with no product. NOTHING. It's a beautiful, fluffy cloud straight out the shower without any recognizable curl definition. I am a DEFINITE 4b (except for a little patch in the back), so I hope this demonstrates to anyone who cares that 4b hair can "curl" or "coil", if that's the look you're going for. All it takes is ALOT of moisture, and the right products and methods.

 

[faithVA]

Sorry. It was a typo. I meant aloe vera juice (not gel) but that is the correct acronym . I haven't used it yet on DD hair so I will report back with some updated measurements.

As I was laying down to go to sleep it came to me - duh. I knew it was something I should know. I am going to give this a try my next shampoo day either this weekend or next. I already dilute my shampoo but I want to try this recipe to see how it turns out. I wasn't sure of the ratios.

Thanks

 

[thetall1]

Taking notes...yep!!

 

[nappyeditor]

Newbie chiming in. I don't have many hair pics, actually.

This one is from two years ago, no product.

 

[Platinum]

I'm thinking about getting my hair braided this afternoon or tomorrow. Should I straighten my hair before I braid or just leave it in it's natural state? The last braider wanted me to straighten it, the one before didn't but was a little rough with the parting. I'm planning to go back to the African braid shop I used to go to when I was transitioning.

 

[transitioning?]

bride91501 what happened to wigging it? You're one of the people that convinced me to get back to wigging. I said to myself if she can wig it so can I. Lol

Sent from my PC36100 using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[bride91501]

bride91501 what happened to wigging it? You're one of the people that convinced me to get back to wigging. I said to myself if she can wig it so can I. Lol

Sent from my PC36100 using Long Hair Care Forum App

Hey transitioning? - was wondering where you've been

Still wigging it with the Lady P DMM; just taking a month off. My birthday's this month so these new styles are my gift to myself lol.

Will be back to wigging it come April when I take out the mini 2 strands I just put in. Pics to come soon!

 

[bride91501]

I'm thinking about getting my hair braided this afternoon or tomorrow. Should I straighten my hair before I braid or just leave it in it's natural state? The last braider wanted me to straighten it, the one before didn't but was a little rough with the parting. I'm planning to go back to the African braid shop I used to go to when I was transitioning.

Hey Platinum - I would wash, PT, DC, detangle REALLY well, and blow dry it out straight before going to the braider. Wouldn't give them any excuse to give you a set back.

I don't think straightening it is necessary, especially if you blow dry it really well.

 

[Honi]

As I was laying down to go to sleep it came to me - duh. I knew it was something I should know. I am going to give this a try my next shampoo day either this weekend or next. I already dilute my shampoo but I want to try this recipe to see how it turns out. I wasn't sure of the ratios.

Thanks

I tried this on DD hair this weekend. I used 50:50 ratio of Dr. Bronners and AV Juice no water added as of yet with about a tsp of EVOO.

I like it. Her hair was both clean and soft. I debated on the ACV rinse to use afterwards but skipped it for now.

The end product was a bit watery because Dr. B is thin anyway but I will keep this ratio for now.

 

[faithVA]

Hey @Platinum - I would wash, PT, DC, detangle REALLY well, and blow dry it out straight before going to the braider. Wouldn't give them any excuse to give you a set back.

I don't think straightening it is necessary, especially if you blow dry it really well.

I agree. If you do all of this yourself then you won't have any concerns about what they use to detangle and their being too rough on your hair.

 

[Etherealsmile]

Hey ladies!! Another 4B chiming in.

I somewhat began my journey in June of '09 half heartedly. At that time I was not firmly/fully committed to growing my hair long. The first pic is from June '09 when i had my buzz cut. I loved it

The second pic from November '09 is my true starting pic when I firmly committed to growing my hair from a TWA to MBL or possibly waist length.

My routine is fairly simple. I wash/DC once a week.
DC is usually a combo of silicon mix, oils and a shot of protein. After that I use a moisturizing DC to balance my hair. Moisturizing DC usually consists of honey, yogurt, conditioner and sometimes avocado depending on my mood.

When i'm feeling extremely lazy, i wash bi-weekly and blow dry on medium heat to reduce ssk's and tangles.

My hair is usually in a protective style: either flat twists or single twists, sometimes i'm bold enough to attempt braiding but often fail miserably.

My hair is usually under wigs (lace front wigs) I don't apply any glues nor use clip ins and my hair line has thrived as a result. Enough talking! Here are my pics

Can you ladies tell me if i can claim APL yet? I don't want to as i feel i'm not there yet. I need confirmation from y'all

 

[melissa-bee]

I avoided this thread for so long because I thought you were forming an army of ALREADY long haired 4b heads. lol
I wanna be a part of this army. I am collar bone length right now... well my nape is because my hair is in it's natural layers.
I'm trying this low manipulation thing where I wash once every two weeks, but I have just put on some hair butter for the 3rd time for the last wash and it looks like it's building up so I may have to wash tomorrow. When I have time I'll try and take some proper pics to monitor my length. I don't think my hair is photogenic.

 

[Foxglove]

Hey ladies!! Another 4B chiming in.

I somewhat began my journey in June of '09 half heartedly. At that time I was not firmly/fully committed to growing my hair long. The first pic is from June '09 when i had my buzz cut. I loved it

The second pic from November '09 is my true starting pic when I firmly committed to growing my hair from a TWA to MBL or possibly waist length.

My routine is fairly simple. I wash/DC once a week.
DC is usually a combo of silicon mix, oils and a shot of protein. After that I use a moisturizing DC to balance my hair. Moisturizing DC usually consists of honey, yogurt, conditioner and sometimes avocado depending on my mood.

When i'm feeling extremely lazy, i wash bi-weekly and blow dry on medium heat to reduce ssk's and tangles.

My hair is usually in a protective style: either flat twists or single twists, sometimes i'm bold enough to attempt braiding but often fail miserably.

My hair is usually under wigs (lace front wigs) I don't apply any glues nor use clip ins and my hair line has thrived as a result. Enough talking! Here are my pics

Can you ladies tell me if i can claim APL yet? I don't want to as i feel i'm not there yet. I need confirmation from y'all

Now that's some impressive shrinkage in that last pic

 

[Etherealsmile]

Tell me about it Foxy. I feel like Mdwezi and I are hair twins.

I keep thinking of the thread she posted where Reniece straightened her hair and it went from a small afro to MBL. Shrinkage kinda sucks sometimes


So...can I claim APL or not ladies?

 

[Foxglove]

Tell me about it Foxy. I feel like Mdwezi and I are hair twins.

I keep thinking of the thread she posted where Reniece straightened her hair and it went from a small afro to MBL. Shrinkage kinda sucks sometimes


So...can I claim APL or not ladies?

Sure, it looks like it passed the pit line
ETA is your hair dry or wet in the pic? Just out of curiousity. My hair isn't as long as yours but I think my shrinkage is comparable. I like to live vicariously through you guys to see what my hair will look like when it's longer lol

 

[Etherealsmile]

Sure, it looks like it passed the pit line
ETA is your hair dry or wet in the pic? Just out of curiousity. My hair isn't as long as yours but I think my shrinkage is comparable. I like to live vicariously through you guys to see what my hair will look like when it's longer lol

Thanks Foxy , that small section of hair was blow dried for my length check.

Pic was taken at 1 year 3 months as of This March

I will continue posting pics to inspire as I know the number of 4b naturals is not as many as there should be IMO

 

[bride91501]

Tell me about it Foxy. I feel like Mdwezi and I are hair twins.

I keep thinking of the thread she posted where Reniece straightened her hair and it went from a small afro to MBL. Shrinkage kinda sucks sometimes


So...can I claim APL or not ladies?

First of all....(let me catch my breath)....I am in AWE of your hair. I mean in AWE. It looks SO healthy, and the shrinkage?? I thought I knew a thing or two about shrinkage. No ma'am . You have me beat by a mile!

And girl- get outa here with that "can-I-claim-APL" craziness You can DEFINITELY claim it. And even with your so-called unhealthy practices, you've still hit APL before your 2 year mark. VERY impressive IMO- your retention skills are on point.

I officially have a new head of hair to follow... WELCOME!

 

[Etherealsmile]

First of all....(let me catch my breath)....I am in AWE of your hair. I mean in AWE. It looks SO healthy, and the shrinkage?? I thought I knew a thing or two about shrinkage. No ma'am . You have me beat by a mile!

And girl- get outa here with that "can-I-claim-APL" craziness You can DEFINITELY claim it. And even with your so-called unhealthy practices, you've still hit APL before your 2 year mark. VERY impressive IMO- your retention skills are on point.

I officially have a new head of hair to follow... WELCOME!

aww, thanks Bride

I'm forever second guessing myself when it comes to claiming lengths, i refused to create a new thread to ask that question simply because I was so unsure, I ain't wanna get roasted

y'all just made my day Thanks ladies!

 

[Anastaja11]

That shrinkage is craaazy, beautiful hair miss.

Hey ladies!! Another 4B chiming in.

I somewhat began my journey in June of '09 half heartedly. At that time I was not firmly/fully committed to growing my hair long. The first pic is from June '09 when i had my buzz cut. I loved it

The second pic from November '09 is my true starting pic when I firmly committed to growing my hair from a TWA to MBL or possibly waist length.

My routine is fairly simple. I wash/DC once a week.
DC is usually a combo of silicon mix, oils and a shot of protein. After that I use a moisturizing DC to balance my hair. Moisturizing DC usually consists of honey, yogurt, conditioner and sometimes avocado depending on my mood.

When i'm feeling extremely lazy, i wash bi-weekly and blow dry on medium heat to reduce ssk's and tangles.

My hair is usually in a protective style: either flat twists or single twists, sometimes i'm bold enough to attempt braiding but often fail miserably.

My hair is usually under wigs (lace front wigs) I don't apply any glues nor use clip ins and my hair line has thrived as a result. Enough talking! Here are my pics

Can you ladies tell me if i can claim APL yet? I don't want to as i feel i'm not there yet. I need confirmation from y'all