My Friends 4b Hair

[Gleek]

One of my good friends removed her twists extensions (with added hair) and she lost a lot of hair. There are huge patches with hair missing down to the scalp. She is clueless about hair ( I am just learning) and I wanted to help her.

Her hair was VERY dry and matted. I washed it and deep coditioned her under the dryer. That helped loosened the curl some and i have determined she is a 4b.

Please tell me what we can do to help her. She needs a regimen and products. She is very upset.

Thank you.

 

[Gleek]

Bump.

Please help.

 

[Nonie]

Have you detangled her hair completely? I think you're not getting responses because we don't know what it is you are at a loss about. Could you ask specific questions? Is her hair dry and breaking? After you DC'd what were the results? Are you just concerned about the bald spots? How is she wearing her hair or planning to wear it? How long is it?

I am not asking this because I have the answers (I personally use no products on my hair) and I am 4B but not many people are as crazy as I am so I'd not recommend my regimen to anyone. I can recommend S Curl as a moisturizer and I can recommend baggying. But without people knowing what state her hair is (even photos would help), as would your description after you'd helped her a bit (Like is it better moisturized? Still dry as straw? What products did you use? What regimen was she on before? How long did she have her hair braided?)

I think you will get better answers if you provide more info and ask specific questions. And don't just ask, "What is a good conditioner?" since every product may be good for one thing and not so good if your hair needs another thing. Maybe a better question would be "What's a good conditioner when hair is hard and breaking?"

 

[coolsista-paris]

as Nonie said above we need more info. Im a 4b but don't really braid my hair. as my hair is now natural when i braid i make sure i keep it moisturized. I sprit my mixture every day or night. massage my head sometimes. when i take the braids out after like a month my hair is not dry at all (because of the spraying).

try to get more info from your friend if you can. see ya soon ;-)

 

[mscocoface]

Sounds like your friend did nothing to her hair to keep it moisturzied while in braids.

It sounds like you are wanting to take care of her hair but is she willing to put in the time and effort.

Are you wanting to know if there is anything she can do to help the bald spots grow?
What regimine to recommend to her?
What is she trying to accomplish?
Is she going back in braids?

We will offer advice just need a little more understanding.

 

[Nasdaq_Diva]

Sounds like your friend did nothing to her hair to keep it moisturzied while in braids.

It sounds like you are wanting to take care of her hair but is she willing to put in the time and effort.

QUOTE] Exactly what I was thinking. One thing you didnt' mention was how long has she kept these braids in for? When you decided to shampoo her hair, was it already detangled? Or did you shampoo on top of matted hair?

I also agree w/ mscoco. Is your friend willing to put in the time and effort to get her hair back strong and healthy. You sound like a great friend. Sad to say, folks say they want "good hair" (I say that as a means of healthy long hair) but they aren't willing to put in the time.

 

[loulou82]

What products did she use and how often did she use them while in twist extensions? How long did she have the extensions in? Is she relaxed or natural? What is her regimen while not in extensions?

 

[Gleek]

Ok, She left the braids in for several months. She washed it twice and she didn't condition. She had some braid spray.

After I DC'd I was able to detangle it all the way while it was wet. I told her she should just cut it all off and start from scratch so she can start working with a healthy head of hair. It isn't very long (maybe 2-4 inches in some places).

The D'Cd heled but when she called today she said it was really dry again( I dc'd last night).

I wanted to know what moisturizer works best for hair in this condition. And if you had any other recommendations. I could try to get pictures of it tonight (if she would let me).

She is all natural now, she was relaxed then she had it cut and put the braids in. She does not know much about her hair.

 

[AfroKink]

You should give her the link to this website. She would be able to do her own search for what she needs. Plus it would be quicker and easier for her to get information.

What is the current state of her hair? Is it just out in an afro?

To increase her moisture level I would recommend baggying at night. To do this she would spray with a moisturizing leave-in like S-curl, Hawaiian Silky 14-1, African Royale Braid Spray, then cover her hair with a plastic shower cap.

 

[mscocoface]

Okay, so does she have a braid spray or can you make a spray for her? Or better yet teach her how to make one? Also a lot of ladies are having good success with Care Free Curl Activator Gel keeping their hair moist. Rosewater and glycerin with a little oil may be just as beneficial.

There are a lot of braid spray recipes on this board. I don't know what her hair will take or not take and what she will like or not but some suggestions are.

If she is seeing breakage right now she may need a protein treatment besides the deep conditioning.


Cowash instead of using shampoo. I would recommend doing this at the very least 2-3 times a month.
If she goes back to braids at least get them damp under the shower or put braid spray on them in the morning and night. Doesn't have to be soaking wet just enough for it to feel damp.
She should take the touch up the braids around her edges every 2-3 weeks and take out all the braids around the 8-9 week mark to give her scalp a rest for a week, do some conditioning and/or hot oil treatments.
She can try an oil for her scalp like Olive, Jojoba, Sunflower, Almond or Coconut. She can also use these right on the ends of her hair when she is in braids or not.

Start with basic information. You don't want to overload her. Do you think she would become a member or this site so she can read this information and help you with her hair?

Others will chime in. Private message me if you have any questions.

 

[julzinha]

growafrohairlong.com is a great site for anyone who has had or plans to wear braid extensions. It has helped me tons!

 

[belldandy]

I thought you were supposed to detangle your hair after a takedown before you wash and dc?

Anyway, I think I would reccomend baggying too. If her hair is extremely dry and in bad shape.

All in all, I think it would be a better idea if she comes to this website. Another great one is black hair media. com She is going to have to learn to care for her hair so she can continue healthy techniques when you are not around to tell her what to do.

 

[lucea]

Hey OP, I am 4B and just tried Oyin Handmade's Hemp conditioner tonight. I thought it was very moisturizing. The Jane Carter Nutrient Replenshing DC is good as well, though I'm not thrilled about the recent ingredient change.

Also, your friend can add EVOO, EVCO or other oils to any moisturizing DC and use that. A light protein treatment may be in order as well. Personally, I use the sour cream and lemon treatment on dry hair, and find less shed hair in the shower when I wash. It seems to strengthen the hair and makes it easier to detangle. HTH.

 

[Snuckles]

I thought you were supposed to detangle your hair after a takedown before you wash and dc?

You are. And I'm wondering if she did. Granted you need to keep your hair moisturized while in braids but I learned the HARD way that you want to detangle and comb out as much of the shed hair before washing, ESPECIALLY when coming out of braids.

There's a recent thread here that talks about staple products for natural 4a/b: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=405580