Struggling with your natural hair? Come in here.....

[Poohbear]

It's been a while since I've been in this thread. I have decided to try the Curly Girl Method again by co-washing with silicone free conditioner and doing wash and go styles. I got tired of twisting and untwisting my hair. Plus, I think my hair is in need of some moisture. I think that's why it's had stagnant growth. My hair has been APL forever and I want my hair to be waist length one day! So now, I'm just letting my hair do what it wants to do for the most part now.

Back in June, I said I was doing the Curly Girl Method...no longer doing this. I got too many single strand knots from it which I HATE!!!

So I have decided to just blowdry my hair after washing and conditioning, and then styling it into a protective updo style to leave my hair alone. I won't be flat ironing my hair nor doing repetitive twistouts. I'm just gonna try to leave my hair alone so I can retain more length.

 

[BraunSugar]

@The Princess Jenn's concern w/ CW is the scalp not the hair. I didn't interpret her advice as CW being bad but that my scalp needs to be cleansed and CW does not clean the scalp properly. I believe that's why she recommended that I restrict my low pow wash to my scalp/roots (which is difficult considering I have a TWA). But I'll try.

Cruzankink You can apply your shampoo to your scalp using an applicator bottle. I did this when I had a TWA.

 

[The Princess]

Thanks you all for clearing that up. I was like Nooooooooooooo.

I like CoWashing, my hair really benefits from it. The scalp does get the itches, around 10 days.

 

[faithVA]

I washed with the Terressentials Lavender. When my hair was longer it didn't work well because my hair would tangle. But at 2" there's no tangling. Then I conditioned with the Deva Care One and when I rinsed my hair was so soft and smooth That is unusual. After I rinsed it was still nice and soft.Very unusual.

Oiled my scalp with my oil mix. I am supposed to do this weekly but I think its been a while. Now sitting under my heat cap with the Shea Moisture Purification Masque. I have used this twice before with no telling results. This will be the last attempt before I give it away. I may give it away anyway.

When the Vitamin Shoppe sends me another discount coupon, I will pick up another bottle of Blue Chamomile.

 

[Cruzankink]

UPDATE: As promised, I cut about 1-1.5 ins. off my hair this weekend. (When you have a TWA that's alot of hair). My ends feel so much better. I am not going to cut/trim again at least until I receive my KHA follow up in 3 mos. if its recommended. I tweaked my reggie this weekend to incorporate the suggested low poo wash. I mixed half/half ratio of low poo and con. However, the mix was still too strong. It lathered and my hair felt dry. I'm planning to add more con to this mixture to minimize the lather and dryness. I will also buy an application bottle as suggested by BraunSugar to limit the low poo wash to my scalp.

NEW REGGIE: During the week: I'll CW/water rinse 1-3x as needed, then protective style. Weekend: prepoo w/ coconut oil, low poo wash, DC w/ quinoa protein, then protective style.

GOALS: For the next 3 mo, I'm gonna baby my hair even more than I'm doing now. During this time I'm going to be on Viviscal challenge. I'll also follow Jenn's/Komaza motto: keep it simple. As part of this motto, since I'm noticing I'm becoming pj, I will not buy hair products unless one of my staples runs out . I know what works for my hair and I know what doesn't so this should be easy.

 

[faithVA]

I think I am getting a lot of breakage because it's really tough trying to work with my hair at this length. I have to moisturize my hair at least daily. Once I moisturize it, its impossible to keep it from shrinking. To stretch it out some I have to comb it. Don't see any way around it at this point. It is too short and too tight to finger comb. And its still too short to twist up at night without it taking forever.

I will try to minimize the breakage but I need another 1" to 2" of hair to be able to do something with it.

 

[HanaKuroi]

I think I am getting a lot of breakage because it's really tough trying to work with my hair at this length. I have to moisturize my hair at least daily. Once I moisturize it, its impossible to keep it from shrinking. To stretch it out some I have to comb it. Don't see any way around it at this point. It is too short and too tight to finger comb. And its still too short to twist up at night without it taking forever.

I will try to minimize the breakage but I need another 1" to 2" of hair to be able to do something with it.

None of the QB products work for you? The ctdg and the amla one are especially moisturizing. Seal with the aethiopika twist something.

I am nervous about those brushes and your breakage. You said comb. Are you using one if the good combs? faithVA

 

[faithVA]

HanaKuroi[/USER];16709003]None of the QB products work for you? The ctdg and the amla one are especially moisturizing. Seal with the aethiopika twist something.

I am nervous about those brushes and your breakage. You said comb. Are you using one if the good combs? @faithVA

I haven't bought any of the QB products yet. I am going to try them. I just have a feeling that they are going to be too heavy. So unfortunately I'm not excited about trying anything. Things that work for normal porosity hair is just going to make my hair feel greasy.

Yes I have seamless combs. My hair is tight, tight, tight, water or no water, moisturizer or no moisturizer. As the day goes on, my hair shrinks closer and closer to my head. So by the time I wake up in the morning its really tight. It's probably 1/2".

 

[HanaKuroi]

The lighter products are the brbc and the mtdg I think. I really like their products. They have a nice cleansing tea too. These are my staple products. I may try other products but I always, always use QB.

 

[faithVA]

The lighter products are the brbc and the mtdg I think. I really like their products. They have a nice cleansing tea too. These are my staple products. I may try other products but I always, always use QB.

I do appreciate the recommendation. I apologize if I am skeptical. I have been on this board so long and have tried so many recommendations it just takes me a while before I try some things. I just end up with a cabinet full of stuff I can't use. I do see where they sell it locally, so when I get a chance I will hit the store and see if they have any sample sizes.

Honestly, I just don't think there is a moisturizer that is going to keep my hair from shrinking down tight to my head at this point But if I every find one, I will be the first to admit that I'm wrong

 

[HanaKuroi]

I do appreciate the recommendation. I apologize if I am skeptical. I have been on this board so long and have tried so many recommendations it just takes me a while before I try some things. I just end up with a cabinet full of stuff I can't use. I do see where they sell it locally, so when I get a chance I will hit the store and see if they have any sample sizes.

Honestly, I just don't think there is a moisturizer that is going to keep my hair from shrinking down tight to my head at this point But if I every find one, I will be the first to admit that I'm wrong

If they don't have any samples pm me and I will send you some. Totally for free of course.

 

[Nonie]

@faithVA... I don't know how long your hair is, but I think if you used S Curl on wash day only and then braided your hair and baggied for the night and then DID NOT APPLY ANYMORE AGAIN the next day but just undid your plaits and combed it, you'd find your hair would be fluffy and soft. Yes, there's be some shrinkage but not too much. And every night just braid then baggy. No more product application!

Here's my hair when it was under 3 inches long if I didn't braid it for the night and baggy. Shrinkage was to a max that my puff looked like the way bald babies look when you put a ribbon on their heads just so folks know it's a girl:

This was the same hair the next day after braiding it for the night with S Curl and baggying. In the morning the hair was a little more stretched and formed a fluffy beautiful puff:

I think too that if you DC'd your hair well so it had INTERNAL moisture then applied an oil like coconut oil and braided then baggied, you hair would be a little more stretched when you combed it out in the morning.

Here's the puff I would get a year later when I used S Curl and braided then baggied:

Here's the puff I would get when I used coconut oil on the same hair:

The only thing with short hair is if it is stretched and you have fine strands, they look see through and the afro isn't so cute. I loved how S Curl would give me a fluffy afro if I braided my hair with it.

The strands were not straight; but they were not compactly packed into a pancake either. The fact that the strands were not straight meant the 'fro looked full but also cloud soft.

 

[natural2008]

@Nonie - You and the S-Curl teehehehee . I use a pump here and there. Thank you for turning me onto to the S-Curl.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA... I don't know how long your hair is, but I think if you used S Curl on wash day only and then braided your hair and baggied for the night and then DID NOT APPLY ANYMORE AGAIN the next day but just undid your plaits and combed it, you'd find your hair would be fluffy and soft. Yes, there's be some shrinkage but not too much. And every night just braid then baggy. No more product application!

Here's my hair when it was under 3 inches long if I didn't braid it for the night and baggy. Shrinkage was to a max that my puff looked like the way bald babies look when you put a ribbon on their heads just so folks know it's a girl:



This was the same hair the next day after braiding it for the night with S Curl and baggying. In the morning the hair was a little more stretched and formed a fluffy beautiful puff:



I think too that if you DC'd your hair well so it had INTERNAL moisture then applied an oil like coconut oil and braided then baggied, you hair would be a little more stretched when you combed it out in the morning.

Here's the puff I would get a year later when I used S Curl and braided then baggied:



Here's the puff I would get when I used coconut oil on the same hair:



The only thing with short hair is if it is stretched and you have fine strands, they look see through and the afro isn't so cute. I loved how S Curl would give me a fluffy afro if I braided my hair with it.

The strands were not straight; but they were not compactly packed into a pancake either. The fact that the strands were not straight meant the 'fro looked full but also cloud soft.

Thanks Nonie. My hair is still too short to braid or twist, especially every night. Maybe when it grows another inch. I currently don't have 45 minutes at night to twist my hair. I will try the S-Curl again but it usually just makes my hair sticky. It will be soft but it will just be sticky.

And I DC every week, even several times a week. I have been DCing every week non-stop for 2.5 years. I just don't get the internal moisture you get. My cuticles lay very flat and they only let in what they let in I've DCd with heat, baggied, overnight, steamed, etc.

I will try the S-Curl again but I may just have to tough out the next 2 months until I have more length.

 

[faithVA]

If they don't have any samples pm me and I will send you some. Totally for free of course.

Thanks! I will let you know.

 

[Nonie]

Thanks @Nonie. My hair is still too short to braid or twist, especially every night. Maybe when it grows another inch. I currently don't have 45 minutes at night to twist my hair. I will try the S-Curl again but it usually just makes my hair sticky. It will be soft but it will just be sticky.

And I DC every week, even several times a week. I have been DCing every week non-stop for 2.5 years. I just don't get the internal moisture you get. My cuticles lay very flat and they only let in what they let in I've DCd with heat, baggied, overnight, steamed, etc.

I will try the S-Curl again but I may just have to tough out the next 2 months until I have more length.

Are you using S Curl with anything else faithVA? Coz the ONLY reason I use S Curl SPRAY and nothing else is precisely because it is more watery than sticky. I can't stand any creams or butters or oils coz of the icky gooey stickiness they seem to have. Now S Curl GEL is sticky so I hope that's not what you're using.

But if you're fully rinsing off conditioner and even doing an ACV rinse, then your hair should be squeaky clean and what S Curl brings to the table is slip and moisture. You should not seal or add anything else!!!!

Now I've never been one to apply moisturizer every single day (coz to me that means whatever you're doing isn't working of your hair is always thirsty) so I don't know how that goes, but if you do as I say and apply it after the wash...and then later that day when your hair is dry (ie when there is no more dampness from water coz usually it may feel hard when the water from your wash dries)...you apply just enough to soften...not like you're trying to do a Soul Glo splash, and then you baggy and just comb out in the morning, and then DO NOT APPLY again, you'll find your hair soft and moist but not sticky. In fact, if there's one thing I can say about S Curl, it is the only moisturizer (well Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 is another) that does not make me afraid to lean on furniture or furnishing because it isn't sticky and doesn't leave marks. I can touch my hair and touch paper immediately and have no marks on it. Yet my hair stays so soft.

I honestly think y'all do something wrong when you use S Curl, coz everyone whose head has been put in my hands and I've used S Curl the way I recommend has fallen in love with it and with their hair and been amazed at how easy it is to maintain.

If your hair is too short to plait at night, then I'd not be worrying about shrinkage. I mean if it is that short, you're probably the only one aware it's shrinking. Besides, isn't it more exciting to not have to worry about a style getting messed up coz hair stays as it is from day to night since it's not stretched? And isn't it more exciting when you get some length to actually show it off instead of forcing matters and over manipulating your hair to "pretend" it's long when you'll get there soon enough?

In fact, if your hair is that short, this is the one time you can just baggy at night and comb in the morning and pat it low and have it looking good all day. Low mani, means less damage and better retention. Since you can't PS at that length, why are you going to keep trying to "prove" length that isn't there yet and in the process overmanipulate it and start tearing it up when you haven't got enough length to be trimming off inches?

 

[Arian]

Does anyone know how long one would have to use protein in order to see some moisture retention? I'm being told, based on my hair analysis, that I will not see a difference because my hair needs protein.

Right now, nothing seems to penetrate my strands. Products sit on top and my hair feels waxy. I miss the days when my hair would be soft and actually feel moisturized. This was before the bleaching, coloring, etc.

I've been exploring the idea of not using any product after a wash. I don't know what I need to do anymore.

 

[faithVA]

Are you using S Curl with anything else @faithVA? Coz the ONLY reason I use S Curl SPRAY and nothing else is precisely because it is more watery than sticky. I can't stand any creams or butters or oils coz of the icky gooey stickiness they seem to have. Now S Curl GEL is sticky so I hope that's not what you're using.

But if you're fully rinsing off conditioner and even doing an ACV rinse, then your hair should be squeaky clean and what S Curl brings to the table is slip and moisture. You should not seal or add anything else!!!!

Now I've never been one to apply moisturizer every single day (coz to me that means whatever you're doing isn't working of your hair is always thirsty) so I don't know how that goes, but if you do as I say and apply it after the wash...and then later that day when your hair is dry (ie when there is no more dampness from water coz usually it may feel hard when the water from your wash dries)...you apply just enough to soften...not like you're trying to do a Soul Glo splash, and then you baggy and just comb out in the morning, and then DO NOT APPLY again, you'll find your hair soft and moist but not sticky. In fact, if there's one thing I can say about S Curl, it is the only moisturizer (well Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 is another) that does not make me afraid to lean on furniture or furnishing because it isn't sticky and doesn't leave marks. I can touch my hair and touch paper immediately and have no marks on it. Yet my hair stays so soft.

I honestly think y'all do something wrong when you use S Curl, coz everyone whose head has been put in my hands and I've used S Curl the way I recommend has fallen in love with it and with their hair and been amazed at how easy it is to maintain.

If your hair is too short to plait at night, then I'd not be worrying about shrinkage. I mean if it is that short, you're probably the only one aware it's shrinking. Besides, isn't it more exciting to not have to worry about a style getting messed up coz hair stays as it is from day to night since it's not stretched? And isn't it more exciting when you get some length to actually show it off instead of forcing matters and over manipulating your hair to "pretend" it's long when you'll get there soon enough?

In fact, if your hair is that short, this is the one time you can just baggy at night and comb in the morning and pat it low and have it looking good all day. Low mani, means less damage and better retention. Since you can't PS at that length, why are you going to keep trying to "prove" length that isn't there yet and in the process overmanipulate it and start tearing it up when you haven't got enough length to be trimming off inches?

No I'm not using anything else with it. And I have the one in the bottle you are always showing. But there are things I can't do that you. I can't baggy overnight. My scalp being wet all night kills me

I know you think we are doing something wrong but I think a few of us just don't have the same characteristics of hair like others. Hair ain't hair

I don't like my hair shrunk down to my head like that To me there is a difference in the look between 1/2" shrunk and 1.25" shrunk. I'm sorry. I just don't like it. I just don't No it's not more exciting

Like I said I will try the S-Curl again. It will be what it will be.

 

[Nonie]

@faithVA, could you wig it then till you have some length? Maybe baggy with no product? My worry is in an effort to stretch your hair to show length, using tools instead of a gentle method like braiding, you'll start causing tears in your strands while it's short...and find your hair having splits or breaking just when you were getting to a length that you could enjoy. I honestly think that when hair is short or very long, that's when it's easiest to do less with it and therefore give it a chance to grow. The in-between length is the hardest because you can't leave alone without getting tangles and you can't put it up and away with a few strokes like you can long hair. I wish you could enjoy the length you have. It's making me sad to see you "struggling" when that's one of the easiest lengths to deal with, maintenance-wise that is.

If length is the issue, I think you'd do well to hide it until later. Wigging, wrapping, hats... can help you get through this time.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA, could you wig it then till you have some length? Maybe baggy with no product? My worry is in an effort to stretch your hair to show length, using tools instead of a gentle method like braiding, you'll start causing tears in your strands while it's short...and find your hair having splits or breaking just when you were getting to a length that you could enjoy. I honestly think that when hair is short or very long, that's when it's easiest to do less with it and therefore give it a chance to grow. The in-between length is the hardest because you can't leave alone without getting tangles and you can't put it up and away with a few strokes like you can long hair. I wish you could enjoy the length you have. It's making me sad to see you "struggling" when that's one of the easiest lengths to deal with, maintenance-wise that is.

If length is the issue, I think you'd do well to hide it until later. Wigging, wrapping, hats... can help you get through this time.

You are probably right. I probably will have to deal with the splits and the tears in the future. Honestly, my second time around I'm just going to have to suffer through it until my hair is long enough to put some extensions in. I'm just not willing to do all I did the first time around with the wigs, etc.

I don't enjoy my hair this length even though I know I "should". I just don't. I don't mind being absolutely bald but I don't like the 2" to 3" length. I know you are trying to help me. I just am not in a mental state to do the hair hiding or the letting it shrink thing for 2 more months.

I'm just going to keep my mouth closed and deal with it for the next 2 to 4 months and hopefully I will survive it enough to have some hair left to deal with.

 

[Nonie]

@faithVA, how long is your hair? If you stretch it? And you don't have to keep your mouth shut silly! Vent all you want. Maybe someone will say something that will make your journey bearable.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA, how long is your hair? If you stretch it? And you don't have to keep your mouth shut silly! Vent all you want. Maybe someone will say something that will make your journey bearable.

I probably am just venting. It's still my first 30 days and its a Monday It's probably more that its Monday.

My hair is 2" stretched. I know I'm a bit hard to help. I hate wigs. I hate anything on my head. When my scalp is wet, it itches. Has nothing to do with product. It just hates being wet.

I'm probably just going to vent. I'm just not willing to do all that I did the first time around. It was tiring and unsuccessful.

 

[Nonie]

((((@faithVA))))

I know what you mean. I used to braid my hair when it was about an inch coz I like hair that combs easily. Back then I didn't know about "slip" or that grease wasn't the only thing one could use on hair...so for my hair to be easy to comb, the coils had to be opened up and yes, I'd put all those tiny braids in while watching TV or when in boarding school, while chatting with my dorm-mates. And yes it took forever. But braiding my hair at night w/o fail is second nature to me and a habit of a lifetime so while I didn't enjoy it, I couldn't NOT do it.

When I discovered Paltas Treatment (smells like menthol and tingles on your scalp but boy did it make my hair soft), all my problems with hair softness were solved. I still braided my hair at night but combing in the morning and the shine was out of this world a breeze. And just as now I only used Paltas on wash day.

I can admit short hair is more work since if you're anal like me, then braiding takes forever and undoing the many braids in the morning takes forever. So I do get part of your frustration. This too shall pass.

 

[faithVA]

((((@faithVA))))

I know what you mean. I used to braid my hair when it was about an inch coz I like hair that combs easily. Back then I didn't know about "slip" or that grease wasn't the only thing one could use on hair...so for my hair to be easy to comb, the coils had to be opened up and yes, I'd put all those tiny braids in while watching TV or when in boarding school, while chatting with my dorm-mates. And yes it took forever. But braiding my hair at night w/o fail is second nature to me and a habit of a lifetime so while I didn't enjoy it, I couldn't NOT do it.

When I discovered Paltas Treatment (smells like menthol and tingles on your scalp but boy did it make my hair soft), all my problems with hair softness were solved. I still braided my hair at night but combing in the morning and the shine was out of this world a breeze. And just as now I only used Paltas on wash day.

I can admit short hair is more work since if you're anal like me, then braiding takes forever and undoing the many braids in the morning takes forever. So I do get part of your frustration. This too shall pass.

Aw, that was sweet. Thank You.

Monday is over. So I think I'm over my crabbiness

I cowashed my hair with Deva Care One and then let the excess water dry up. Then I used the S-Curl. I tried to twist it And I'm doing a modified baggy: bonnet, plastic cap, bonnet. If I start sweating during the night though, all of these things are gone.

I will see how it turns out in the morning.

 

[Nonie]

Aw, that was sweet. Thank You.

Monday is over. So I think I'm over my crabbiness

I cowashed my hair with Deva Care One and then let the excess water dry up. Then I used the S-Curl. I tried to twist it And I'm doing a modified baggy: bonnet, plastic cap, bonnet. If I start sweating during the night though, all of these things are gone.

I will see how it turns out in the morning.

faithVA.... How about a modified baggy, where you use Saran wrap but wrap it around like a cylinder leaving the top open. Because it'll stick up like a tower, it'll collapse and provide some moisture trapping, but coz it's not closed shut, it'll let your head breath some. oke: Girl I want you to experience baggying. It's like a love relationship you've never had before.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA.... How about a modified baggy, where you use Saran wrap but wrap it around like a cylinder leaving the top open. Because it'll stick up like a tower, it'll collapse and provide some moisture trapping, but coz it's not closed shut, it'll let your head breath some. oke: Girl I want you to experience baggying. It's like a love relationship you've never had before.

Girl, I have experienced baggying, its a hate relationship over here

Now you know I'm too lazy to go get Saran Wrap everynight and wrap it around my head. You do know that don't you

Ok, I did the bonnet, baggy, bonnet which is much better than having the baggy right on my head. My head didn't itch all night. But of course my hair was still wet in the morning. I thought you said to put the S-Curl on dry hair but my hair was still wet. So I just through the S-Curl on my damp hair because I had to get to work. My hair's still wet so I can't tell you how it turned out. It's going to be about 3 hours before it dries.

And I realized what I don't like about my hair. I have an oval face and a round shaped fro I don't like that look. So when I texturize it, it gives it more of an oval shape which I can deal with. So I still ended up texturizing it this morning.

 

[Poohbear]

faithVA - when my hair was 2 inches short, I would use S-Curl like Nonie too. Instead of braids, I would twist my hair all over and do a twist out. There was a few times when I let my mother cornrow my hair and then I would do a cornrow-out. But when I was twisting my short hair, I did not re-twist every night, I did not re-apply S-Curl every day, and I did not baggy my hair. I would wear a bonnet over my hair at night, wake up in the morning, fluff and go.

Here's a pic of my twa from 2005:

I agree with Nonie as well about using tools to stretch out your hair at that length could cause tears and splits. I'm a living witness to that. I did a lot of manipulation to my hair when it was shorter, and when it got longer, I would see my ends with tears and splits.

Here's a pic from 2006 of my picked out afro, my hair was longer than 2 inches though:

I have more pics in my fotki album from years ago.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA - when my hair was 2 inches short, I would use S-Curl like @Nonie too. Instead of braids, I would twist my hair all over and do a twist out. There was a few times when I let my mother cornrow my hair and then I would do a cornrow-out. But when I was twisting my short hair, I did not re-twist every night, I did not re-apply S-Curl every day, and I did not baggy my hair. I would wear a bonnet over my hair at night, wake up in the morning, fluff and go.

Here's a pic of my twa from 2005:


I agree with Nonie as well about using tools to stretch out your hair at that length could cause tears and splits. I'm a living witness to that. I did a lot of manipulation to my hair when it was shorter, and when it got longer, I would see my ends with tears and splits.

Here's a pic from 2006 of my picked out afro, my hair was longer than 2 inches though:


I have more pics in my fotki album from years ago.

Thanks Poohbear. I am trying the S-Curl. I do wear a bonnet to bed. But in the morning there is no fluffing of my hair. And I think that is what my main issue is. There is no amount of trying to lift my hair with my fingers that will lift it from my head

I do understand that I am incurring breakage. I just can't do the packed to my head thing Maybe over the weekend I will take a picture.

I put the S-Curl on last night and will not reapply tonight. And I will put on my bonnet and do the layering of the bonnet, baggy, bonnet and see if that helps any.

 

[Poohbear]

Thanks Poohbear. I am trying the S-Curl. I do wear a bonnet to bed. But in the morning there is no fluffing of my hair. And I think that is what my main issue is. There is no amount of trying to lift my hair with my fingers that will lift it from my head

I do understand that I am incurring breakage. I just can't do the packed to my head thing Maybe over the weekend I will take a picture.

I put the S-Curl on last night and will not reapply tonight. And I will put on my bonnet and do the layering of the bonnet, baggy, bonnet and see if that helps any.

You're welcome. The "packed to my head thing" maybe something you have to deal with when it comes to short kinky, tightly coiled hair. It's sometimes inevitable. You don't have to necessarily leave it packed down or smushed, you just have to form it into shape so-to-speak.

Here's my "packed down" coily fro when it was about 2 inches in length:

When I would wear my hair like this, I would simply wash and go and let the coils do their thing.

 

[charmtreese]

Checking in from the sidelines....I have yet to really deal with my twa, because I've been in a phony afro puff, braids, or weaved up. But this is really helpful information, Poohbear & noni have me all excited for when I take my weave down.