3b/3c Hair Dilemma from MSM

[Hairgasm]

I recently met a LHCF member who said she thinks my hair type is a 3b/3c.

I've been taking MSM capsules (various brands and varying amounts) since about 2000. I don't take it with any regularity now, but I took it full-force until last year. I'm also a huge vitamin consumer, all kinds.

So here's my dilemma...

My hair type as a child was a curly-Q 3b. Then it progressed to being 3c as a teen, then to 4a like Diana Ross' weave in my 20s. I started taking MSM, then my hair texture massively changed to 3c. Now it's a 3b/3c mix.

The hair on the top half of my head is 3b and just poker straight. It won't curl. The mid-scalp and below hair is 3c and frizzy/fuzzy like a teddy bear. It looks crazy!

I thought taking MSM would give me an even hair texture pattern, but instead, it looks like I am wearing two heads of hair on one head! I usually just co-wash my hair and wear it in a bun and only blowdry/iron it once or twice a month. Even with clarifying my hair and trying every technique under the sun, the two drastically different textures remain.

When I wear it straight, I have to spend twice as much time ironing my hair in the back to be as straight as the top half. And when humidity hits, the top half of my hair stays completely straight, but the back looks like .

I have to twist the back hair and clip it up so it doesn't look like such a contrast in hair textures, lest someone call me wearing a weave.

No one prepared me for this before taking MSM, now I don't know what to do. How can I get all my hair to be the same texture??? Why in the world would this happen?

 

[jtsupanova]

Try ploping and fantaisia ic gel, you could finger coil the looser sections, do a braid/ twist out (for a uniformed curly look), wear a frizzy fuffy fro and play up the textures

I took MSM (for a short period of time) I noticed that it changed the texture of my new growth and I stoped taking it, luckily it was only an inch or two so it did not change the overall apperance of my hair
when I stoped taking MSM my hair texture went back to normal
Hair texture becoming softer and straighter for some (heck maybe even most)is a good thing but it was not for me my hair is already soft (too soft) and I heart my coils
If there that much of a difference in texture I really think you should try a twis/braid out

 

[Hairgasm]

Try ploping and fantaisia ic gel, you could finger coil the looser sections, do a braid/ twist out (for a uniformed curly look), wear a frizzy fuffy fro and play up the textures

I took MSM (for a short period of time) I noticed that it changed the texture of my new growth and I stoped taking it, luckily it was only an inch or two so it did not change the overall apperance of my hair
when I stoped taking MSM my hair texture went back to normal
Hair texture becoming softer and straighter for some (heck maybe even most)is a good thing but it was not for me my hair is already soft (too soft) and I heart my coils
If there that much of a difference in texture I really think you should try a twis/braid out

Hey thanks for your reply, jtsupanova!

While I was awaiting a reply to my S.O.S., I decided to take matters into my own hands, and the result is nothing short of miraculous!

To show you how drastic my two textures are, I don't have my pic, but I found a similar dilemma on Long Hair Community's board. Look at the girl's pic in the second post, where the hair to the left is shiny and straight, and the rest of her hair is wavy with less sheen.

That's how drastic my textures are, though I am NOT in the 1 or 2 hair type range, but a type 3 range:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=47805

I was sitting here looking at how ridiculous my hair looks and I was like dammit, I'ma fix this ish.

Today I bought a whole bunch of cheap conditioners (without cones or protein) for co-washing my hair. I clipped up my straight hair and left out a section of the kinky fuzz in the back.

I figured, maybe the fuzz in the back has less inherent sulfur content than the top half and that's what the difference is.

In a glass bowl, I combined a capsule of MSM with 2 tsps. of VO5 Tea Therapy Calming Chamomile Tea Nourishing Conditioner, applied it to my DRY hair, combed it smooth, and waited a good 10 minutes before rinsing it out with cold water.

I wanted to see what regular conditioner would do to a test section of my hair if applied directly.

The curl pattern loosened halfway after air-drying, and it is much shinier and softer than it was before. It looks less like a nest, but still not anywhere near the poker-straight hair on top.

I have already tried teasing, twisting, and manipulating my straight hair to be kinky like the bottom hair, but my straight hair just laughs at me and falls limp. IT WILL NOT CURL.

So tonight I am going to clip up my straight hair and sleep with my MSM conditioner mixture on my fuzzy hair to see what I get by morning.

Something's got to give, because I can't be walking around lookin' part-Beyonce and part India Arie!

 

[Hairgasm]

61 daggone views of my thread and barely a response. That's alright, my behind is supposed to be wrapping Christmas gifts, too...or sleeping!

In thinking of all the verbal torture, near wars fought over people relaxing their hair, the trillions of dollars we have spent in relaxing our hair over the decades, and what if it's as simple as staying away from shampoo and smoothing a no-cone/no-protein MSM conditioner on our hair while it's dry? This would turn the beauty industry on its head, so to speak.

But just remember, y'all heard it here first.

 

[Hairgasm]

Years ago (after a series of brastrap-length & subsequent BC's ago), my hair thrived solely on wash-and-go's, using only regular conditioner as my styling product. My hair loves it!

For me, regular conditioner (without cones or protein, of course) is the perfect product to nourish my hair and weigh it down. So I'm not a newbie to conditioner styling. I should also mention that I believe my wash-and-go conditioner-styling regimen is what had enabled me to get to brastrap length several times effortlessly. My hair length is currently past chin-length now.

This is, though, my first time with adding MSM to my conditioner and applying it to my dry hair.

 

[FlowerHair]

Are you saying that the hair that grows out of your scalp is 3b and the "old" hair is 3c (further down)? If it's poker straight I don't think it's 3b...
I wouldn't mess with pills, but that's just me. I'm fine with my daily vitamin.

 

[Hairgasm]

Are you saying that the hair that grows out of your scalp is 3b and the "old" hair is 3c (further down)? If it's poker straight I don't think it's 3b...
I wouldn't mess with pills, but that's just me. I'm fine with my daily vitamin.

No.

What I am saying is, if you were to look at me from the front, you would see that the hair on top of my head and the sides is soft and straight. But if you are still facing me and observing the length of my hair in the back, it's fuzzed out and puffy. I get bi-yearly trims and barely use heat, so it has nothing to do with split ends. Doing the no-poo routine helps it calm down.

Straight hair on top. Ronald McDonald on the bottom.

 

[tld723]

Could it be that the length of your hair is pulling the top straight? Sometimed If you have very thick hair this will happen. Oh and Merry Christmas

 

[Hairgasm]

Could it be that the length of your hair is pulling the top straight? Sometimed If you have very thick hair this will happen. Oh and Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you too, sugar.

Well, the top is no longer than the rest of my hair. Even my bangs are silky straight. The back, which is longer, looks like a dandelion.

I know someone, somewhere is cracking up. But this is serious, y'all. I'm all perplexed about this.

I'll report back when I wake up to give you my results. Stay tuned...

 

[MissFallon]

Do u use heat? It sounds more to me like you permanently straightened it with heat. (this might be a dumb question but) Are u relaxed or natural?

 

[EMJazzy]

During my summer regimen I used to put MSM in my conditioner mix, my hair was definitely softer and shiny but it was also WET which is fine in the summertime but a in the winter. Sorry Sis but you're not the first on here to do that. I hope you find a answer to your dilemma. HHG

 

[LocksOfLuV]

How long have you been taking MSM?

The only thing you can do as of now, is grow the straight hair out, and cut the ends off or stop taking the msm. I would love to see these type of results from MSM lol. Anywas good luck and Merry Christmas.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Years ago (after a series of brastrap-length & subsequent BC's ago), my hair thrived solely on wash-and-go's, using only regular conditioner as my styling product. My hair loves it!

For me, regular conditioner (without cones or protein, of course) is the perfect product to nourish my hair and weigh it down. So I'm not a newbie to conditioner styling. I should also mention that I believe my wash-and-go conditioner-styling regimen is what had enabled me to get to brastrap length several times effortlessly. My hair length is currently past chin-length now.

This is, though, my first time with adding MSM to my conditioner and applying it to my dry hair.

So are you saying you mix the MSM powder in conditioner, put it on dry hair and then just leave it, or do you rinse it out?

 

[alibi]

Your problem may be caused by bunning your hair every day. My texture is also a lot looser in the top than in the back, and when I was transitioning, I had terribly straight hair in the front b/c I would CO wash is daily and pull it back into a bun, which I didn't realize was actually training my hair to be straighter in the top than it already was. It wasn't until I started wearing my hair out and training it to curl that it actually got back a nice curl pattern, which is still more wavy than anything. I don't know how comfortable you are with wearing your natural hair out, but you should consider not pulling it back so much and coaxing the curl with a curling product such as Noodlehead or Curly Pudding and a diffuser. Anyways, Merry Christmas, and HTH.

 

[Ms.Allyse]

WOW. ALl of this hair jargon!!! 3b/3c hair?? What does all this mean??LOL is there anywhere you all have definitions of these things?? OR do i kinda hve to just stick around and pick it up lol??

 

[LocksOfLuV]

WOW. ALl of this hair jargon!!! 3b/3c hair?? What does all this mean??LOL is there anywhere you all have definitions of these things?? OR do i kinda hve to just stick around and pick it up lol??

I suggest you start here, if it isn't one thread in the world, I think this is THE best one stop search for information:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...ad.php?t=50291

 

[Hairgasm]

Do u use heat? It sounds more to me like you permanently straightened it with heat. (this might be a dumb question but) Are u relaxed or natural?

Like I said, I use heat only occasionally, like 25% of the time. But why would only the top straighten permanently but not the bottom?

Oh, and I am relaxed. Twice a year, the guy who does my hair puts a mild lye relaxer in my hair to reduce the volume. I have big hair and my hair in the back grows out and up, which the hair on top grows downward.

Since this thread only got two stars, I'mma shutup about my results from last night's conditioner experiment, since don't none of y'all want to hear it.

 

[Hairgasm]

Your problem may be caused by bunning your hair every day. My texture is also a lot looser in the top than in the back, and when I was transitioning, I had terribly straight hair in the front b/c I would CO wash is daily and pull it back into a bun, which I didn't realize was actually training my hair to be straighter in the top than it already was. It wasn't until I started wearing my hair out and training it to curl that it actually got back a nice curl pattern, which is still more wavy than anything. I don't know how comfortable you are with wearing your natural hair out, but you should consider not pulling it back so much and coaxing the curl with a curling product such as Noodlehead or Curly Pudding and a diffuser. Anyways, Merry Christmas, and HTH.

Ayanapooh, in looking at your avatar pic, you have my dream hair. I soooo wish my hair would have perfect curl definition like yours.

I think YOU ARE SO ON THE MONEY about what's going on with my crazy hair! It's the damn bunning I've been doing!

Girl, I'm scared to wear my hair all out as a wash-and-go now, because it looks a hot mess. It doesn't look anywhere near as uniform as yours, but in time (using your suggestions) maybe it will. Definitely some food for thought. I have some Aveda Be Curly that I love but never use, so maybe I'll start there.

Thanks!

 

[Hairgasm]

I suggest you start here, if it isn't one thread in the world, I think this is THE best one stop search for information:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/for...ad.php?t=50291

Thank you!!! Information is golden.

 

[Hairgasm]

So are you saying you mix the MSM powder in conditioner, put it on dry hair and then just leave it, or do you rinse it out?

Yes, that's what I do. Only I have the MSM capsules, pull them apart to get the powder out, and just toss the gelatin capsule. I'm not rinsing the conditioner out until the next day.

Nothing works to flatten my hair like regular cone-free and protein-free conditioner. My hair defies oils, gels, and everything else. It still wants to fly.

I have to mildly relax my hair because I don't have the time or patience to deal with the volume on a daily basis. Sorry-*** excuse, but hey. I have the kind of hair that needs to be cut in layers, otherwise I'll have the dreaded pyramid head or look like Sideshow Bob.

I will say though, that living in California has been better for my hair because there's hardly any humidity, so my hair doesn't expand like it does in humid cities. I'm thankful for that.

So far so good with my experiment, though!

 

[Hairgasm]

How long have you been taking MSM?

The only thing you can do as of now, is grow the straight hair out, and cut the ends off or stop taking the msm. I would love to see these type of results from MSM lol. Anywas good luck and Merry Christmas.

I've been taking MSM pills since around 2000-2001.

I'm laughing at the above-bolded part. Yeah, crazy results like this - LOL! Merry Christmas to you, too!

 

[jtsupanova]

Like I said, I use heat only occasionally, like 25% of the time. But why would only the top straighten permanently but not the bottom?

Oh, and I am relaxed. Twice a year, the guy who does my hair puts a mild lye relaxer in my hair to reduce the volume. I have big hair and my hair in the back grows out and up, which the hair on top grows downward.

Since this thread only got two stars, I'mma shutup about my results from last night's conditioner experiment, since don't none of y'all want to hear it.

OH I asummed you were natural
You could just get a corrective relaxer to fix the texture problem

 

[Hairgasm]

OH I asummed you were natural
You could just get a corrective relaxer to fix the texture problem

My hairdresser tried to do a corrective on the bottom half, but it's been insistent.

But what's weird is even before I got it relaxed and way before I started bunning (when it was 2" long in January of this year), it was still two varying textures.

 

[Britt]

Hairgasm, what brand of MSM are taking and how much of it ?

 

[Hairgasm]

Hairgasm, what brand of MSM are taking and how much of it ?

The one I take now is Natrol MSM 1000 mg. capsules. I don't take it that often anymore, maybe once a week with food and my vitamins.

The Natrol MSM is what I've been putting in my conditioner. My hair feels and looks like silk today, and the wild "cotton" in the back is blending in more with the other hair so it's not such a stark contrast.

I have my hair in an updo today.

 

[Britt]

It's amazing the affect MSM has some people... since I've joined this board, I've heard so many stories of MSM loosening people's curl pattern. I'm glad your hair is blending better .