4b's and i mean true 4b's how do you stretch?!

[Precious_1]

I thought my hair was 4a and it is in the front. but the rest of my hair is 4b and i am wondering how you ladies stretch? I mean how do you do it, my newgrowth is snarly and fierce and i dont even have thick hair. I want to stretch, but dont know how to really get past the 5th week, without looking a mess so please chime in.

 

[SpiritJunkie]

if you call pass 5 weeks stretching then i can answer the question

I am on week 8 and i used bantu knots (with my curly instant weave) that helped alot (see my pic)

braid outs with curly pony pony...that's it

I am 8 weeks with alot of growth and need tips myself. I think i may touch the end of the week.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Protective styling, I stop fighting the newgrowth and now we get along. After 5 weeks cute is out the door and I am okay with that.

 

[cocoberry10]

I bunned for 14 weeks straight. Used NO HEAT eek: ). It was tough, but I think it worked. I will try to post a picture.

Our hair also needs constant moisture, more than any other hair types. I'm a 4a/4b combo, but mostly 4b. The whole top of my head is 4b. If I don't rinse my hair frequently, it gets really dry and tangled. Also, our hair is more pliable when wet, and the moisturizers you apply will be absorbed better on wet/moist hair.

 

[LiLi]

I thought my hair was 4a and it is in the front. but the rest of my hair is 4b and i am wondering how you ladies stretch? I mean how do you do it, my newgrowth is snarly and fierce and i dont even have thick hair. I want to stretch, but dont know how to really get past the 5th week, without looking a mess so please chime in.

The way I have managed (over 2 1/2 years since my last relaxer and not on purpose) is frequent washing and using products that make it feel soft (of course ... for me, it's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny System). Trust me, before I started doing this, my new growth felt dry and hard. Now it's soooo much more manageable.

In order to tame my hair, it's parted down the middle. There is just no way, with 4b hair, that I would be able to wear it back and it look decent.

I am looking for nice headband material that I can wear to liven up my look a little. If anyone has any suggestions (not to hijack) ... please let us know.

 

[SpiritJunkie]

The way I have managed (over 2 1/2 years since my last relaxer and not on purpose) is frequent washing .

when you say frequent washing how often? do you co-wash too?


TIA

SG

 

[Isis]

My nape is 4a and I don't even relax it anymore (maybe I will eventually) and it's growing wonderfully. Most of my hair is 4b and it's helped me tremendously to wash 2x each week (every 3 to 4 days). It's more time consuming but this helps to keep my hair moisturized as I stretch 13 or more weeks.

I rely heavily on my satin scarf to flatten my roots and wear mostly braidouts or braided buns in the last of the stretching weeks- it blends in with the poufiness.

Also, I use a good moisturizer, like Humectress and a good detangling leave-in like Headdress or Biolage Matrix Daily Leave-in (very detangling!).

 

[e$h]

I'm 14 weeks post (well Wednesday I will be). I feel like a tape recorder because every thread I enter I keep saying the same thing. ----------->getting to the point;
After every wash/cowash I put my hair in a ponytail under running water. Afterwards I apply s-curl (thanks tsmith for the tip!) and ntm silk touch and add jam to my edges. I baggy my ends after adding my oils and tie my silk scarf on my dome and when it's time to take it off...................BAM! Slick rick is what they call me. Just kidding. But my hair does look nice and slick with some wave action too.

Gotta give it up to all those that recommended s-curl. That's that ish right thurr!!!!!!

 

[nycutiepie]

I'm 14 weeks post (well Wednesday I will be). I feel like a tape recorder because every thread I enter I keep saying the same thing. ----------->getting to the point;
After every wash/cowash I put my hair in a ponytail under running water. Afterwards I apply s-curl (thanks tsmith for the tip!) and ntm silk touch and add jam to my edges. I baggy my ends after adding my oils and tie my silk scarf on my dome and when it's time to take it off...................BAM! Slick rick is what they call me. Just kidding. But my hair does look nice and slick with some wave action too.

Gotta give it up to all those that recommended s-curl. That's that ish right thurr!!!!!!

This post right here cracked me up but the s-curl be da bomb!

 

[Precious_1]

. I baggy my ends after adding my oils and tie my silk scarf on my dome and when it's time to take it off...................me.BAM! Slick rick is what they call me Just kidding. But my hair does look nice and slick with some wave action too.

Gotta give it up to all those that recommended s-curl. That's that ish right thurr!!!!!!

now that was funny... i wanna be slick rick! i will try this! I guess i need to get me some s-curl.

 

[e$h]

now that was funny... i wanna be slick rick! i will try this! I guess i need to get me some s-curl.

That's real talk. S-curl is one bandwagon yawl better jump on.

 

[LiLi]

when you say frequent washing how often? do you co-wash too?


TIA

SG

Well, for me, I have to wash at least every other day in order to keep the new growth soft and easy to comb. I usually try to wash every day but lately I have been lazy.

This really works for me and when I try to do something different ... I ALWAYS end up with a setback. The new growth didn't soften up overnight though. It took several months before I noticed a huge difference and that was with washing every single day. Don't get me wrong, I did notice a difference after a week of doing it but it just got better and better as the months went by.

This only applies when I have new growth. Of course, with a fresh relaxer, new growth isn't an issue.

Oops ... I forgot to answer your other question. When I first started my hair care journey, I was condition-washing every day. I had serious issues with knots at the demarcation line. Now that I know better, I know that it wasn't the condition-washing alone that was causing the problem, it was that I was fingercombing and using a shower comb; the shedded hair was not being completely removed. Another thing that I noticed was that I had a lot of buildup on my scalp. I just like shampooing. It's a gentle shampoo and softens my hair enough to where I can comb it before putting a conditioner on it (that has never happened to me in my life!!).

Just remember that what works for one may not work for others. I have tried sooooo many things and some worked (the frequent washing) and many didn't. But now I know what works and I can focus on retaining as much length and thickness as possible.

 

[jrae]

Wash or co-wash more often and then rollerset. If things get really rough, I'll flat iron.

 

[chenai]

The tips here are fantastic, I have always braided my hair at week 7 because it has been too painful to deal with my new growth after this point. I keep them in for about 6 weeks before relaxing again.

 

[chiprecious]

Not that I should be posting to this since I just relaxed at 6 weeks due to major underprocessing...

However I can say, our hair type needs major moisture. My new growth is sooo much more manageable when I add coconut oil to my new growth. I kinda go through and oil with scalp/new growth with it around the 5 weeks or whenever your new growth starts to bother you. Plus I have to just stop trying to comb it . The texture difference is too drastic and that creates breakage. Saying all that, I'm still only comfortable with stretching 8 weeks w/o much shedding.

 

[crlsweetie912]

For me frequent washing is the key. I wash at least twice a week. DC at least 10 minutes each time and I only wet style my hair. When I try to airdry...


Hard crunchy mess! YUCK. Airdrying loose did not work for me. I also try to keep combing my dry hair to a minimum. I am gonna invest in some of those seamless combs though, for the rare times when I wear my hair out.

I also have found my HOLY GRAIL! MOTIONS MOISTURE PLUS CONDITIONER. NOTHING beats it for slip and superior conditioning on my hair.

 

[Cholet112]

Honestly I have learned to stop combing. I wash my hair 2x a week and deep condition each time. I stopping fighting to comb it and I let the water from the shower do the detangling. I add my leave-in, moisture and seal. Then I bun it up and tie it down with my silk scarf and im good to go. This has helped tremendously. Its not that stylish but if you had some hot head bands, chopsticks etc to jazz it up you will be good to go. Just dont fight the new growth.

P.S. I will be 10 weeks post this friday.

 

[Precious_1]

The texture difference is too drastic and that creates breakage. Saying all that, I'm still only comfortable with stretching 8 weeks w/o much shedding.

This is exactly my point, the texture difference is crazy, and it causes my hair to break just trying to drag a comb through it. I was amazed when i first came to this board and saw people were stretching for 12 weeks and beyond! I know i cant really go any longer than 6 weeks. I have started washing it twice a week and conditioning really good and it is helping. But, like crls sweetie says "my hair is a crunchy mess at that point" girl that was so funny. Thats why i had to call all my 4b girls up for a meeting and see what was really going on!

 

[Nanyanika]

low manipulatipn: washing hair twice a month
moisture: applying s curl or jojoba oil to roots every few days
protective styles: wearing buns

 

[Wishin4BSL]

My miracle worker is Silk Elements Megasilk Conditioning Treatment for 15-20 minutes with or without dryer. It detangles my new growth and lays it down FLAT! It was so flat that three of my girlfriends asked me if I had gotten a relaxer the first time I used it! I comb my relaxed hair before I get in the shower and comb my newgrowth with the Silk Elements in my hair VERY CAREFULLY!

 

[mightyisis6874]

Gotta give it up to all those that recommended s-curl. That's that ish right thurr!!!!!!

I just had to co-sign on this one! I rediscovered S-Curl just a couple of days ago, and it has made a world of difference!!! I'm 10 weeks post and my hair was starting to get dry and tangled. My usual regimen of co-washing and deep conditioning wasn't giving the same results. I'd already decided to self-relax this coming Friday. Plus my 30th birthday is next week, and I'm trying to look cute!

But my hair feels so moisturized and GOOD now, though, I don't know!

That stuff is no JOKE!!! I sprayed it on last night and put on my satin scarf. When I put it in my quick bun this am, it was perfectly soft and still moist (not wet!). I even have a nice part in the front -- without using a comb!

Moral of the story: Do NOT sleep on the Jheri Curl Juice!!!

 

[Nanyanika]

My miracle worker is Silk Elements Megasilk Conditioning Treatment for 15-20 minutes with or without dryer. It detangles my new growth and lays it down FLAT! It was so flat that three of my girlfriends asked me if I had gotten a relaxer the first time I used it! I comb my relaxed hair before I get in the shower and comb my newgrowth with the Silk Elements in my hair VERY CAREFULLY!

hi Wishin4BSL, i wanted to ask you about the SE conditioner, does it soften the newgrowth really well? and have you noticed any crunchiness?

 

[Radianthealth]

I think everyone summed up any of my suggestions. I also like to change and wear a fall when my hair is about 10 weeks post. This time around I am relaxing at 14 weeks. Today marks my 14th week, but I will most likely relax tomorrow.

Oh yeah and I would like to give a Shout out to all my 4-B sistahs!!!!

 

[Wishin4BSL]

hi Wishin4BSL, i wanted to ask you about the SE conditioner, does it soften the newgrowth really well? and have you noticed any crunchiness?

YES, YES, YES! Softens new growth really well! There is a bit of crunchiness, but a bit of NTM leave-in and herbal oil quickly solves that problem! I put on both a little when wet and when dry, tie it down with a silk scarf and voila! It's AWESOME!

Actually, the very last picture in my fotki in the last album is after using my staples.

 

[Nanyanika]

YES, YES, YES! Softens new growth really well! There is a bit of crunchiness, but a bit of NTM leave-in and herbal oil quickly solves that problem! I put on both a little when wet and when dry, tie it down with a silk scarf and voila! It's AWESOME!

Actually, the very last picture in my fotki in the last album is after using my staples.

thank-you very much for replying...i may pick this up on my next trip to sallys. your hair looks awesome, it has grown so much. i'll be following your progress

 

[isioma85]

Going to ten weeks on the stretch now. I've stopped trying to smoothen out the naps in the front and make them look cute. That's too much of a war for me. Instead, I just wear a style that doesn't require me to smoothen them out all the way. (see siggy). With my 'comb-over' , I only have to worry about the right side of my crown. I use my mist bottle mixture of oil, water, S curl and condish, with a brush that I can't name (it's my cousin's and I stole it but it's got bristles like a toothbrush) and that makes it manageable.

 

[Ariana4000]

I'm 14 weeks post (well Wednesday I will be). I feel like a tape recorder because every thread I enter I keep saying the same thing. ----------->getting to the point;
After every wash/cowash I put my hair in a ponytail under running water. Afterwards I apply s-curl (thanks tsmith for the tip!) and ntm silk touch and add jam to my edges. I baggy my ends after adding my oils and tie my silk scarf on my dome and when it's time to take it off...................BAM! Slick rick is what they call me. Just kidding. But my hair does look nice and slick with some wave action too.

Gotta give it up to all those that recommended s-curl. That's that ish right thurr!!!!!!

This is exactly what I do and I wash twice a week too.

 

[Spidergul]

That's real talk. S-curl is one bandwagon yawl better jump on.

Is that the s-curl in the tube or spray bottle?

 

[tenderheaded]

I'm 11 wks 1 day Silk Elements MegaCholesterol (on sale $2.50 19 oz) reduces the bulk of my new growth. If I scarf the edges its like having a fresh relaxer! Ultra Sheen Duo Tex (4.49 for 33.8oz local bss) has a similar effect.

I've rediscovered the wonder of oils. I doused my hair with a mixture of Afica's Best Herabal oil (1.94 8oz WalMart) and Dabur Jasmine oil (1.99 6.76 oz local) My hair absorbed the oil overnight and feels unbelievably soft today. I plan to do this every other day until I relax 12/22.

 

[JazzyDez]

My miracle worker is Silk Elements Megasilk Conditioning Treatment for 15-20 minutes with or without dryer. It detangles my new growth and lays it down FLAT! It was so flat that three of my girlfriends asked me if I had gotten a relaxer the first time I used it! I comb my relaxed hair before I get in the shower and comb my newgrowth with the Silk Elements in my hair VERY CAREFULLY!

Girl.....now why you had to go and say that.....

I have enough things on my "to try" list!

WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!?