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View Full Version : Texture issues--What's going on?



Entangled
January 7th, 2015, 08:09 PM
I finally managed to get a hair typing photo with minimal manipulation-no combing or finger combing. Since my hair takes a while to dry that way, it's was a feat for me. I was excited anticipating finally seeing whether or not I'm a wavy. What is going on?
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12083&attachmentid=15075

Nope. I see waves but no pattern. I have worms on my head. I know my hair isn't pin straight, for I've had the puffy-straight effect with wet combed hair that I've heard wavies and curlies complain about from before they knew. I keep hoping I'll have some sort of Cinderella experience where I join the leagues of people with beautiful, recognizable textures. Instead, I find irregular waves and random straight patches that looks as strange as my puffy, combed straight hair with flipping ends (seen elsewhere in that album).

I'm not distraught, but I do have some level of frustration with my texture. Am I doing something wrong? I comb when I just want my hair to dry faster and don't care about the texture. I finger comb some days, and other days I use my tangle teezer. I've done cone free and super cone. I've tried co-washing and WCC and CWC and am starting a sulfate free shampoo. None of those things really seem to make a noticeable difference in texture. Does anyone else experience this? At least if I can't fix this I can commiserate, them toast to updos. I just want confidence to wear my hair down, for braidwaves fall flat and curls are pretty but tangly and labor-intensive.

meteor
January 7th, 2015, 08:22 PM
I think you have a really nice, mildly wavy texture and really beautiful hair! :D
I bet your natural texture is really manageable and beautiful to work with: as in, if you want, you can get it pin-straight and if you want, you can get it wavy/wurly with a bit of heat-free styling. ;)
What helps me with texture issues is damp-setting it overnight. If I want nice waves, I just braid slightly damp hair in specific ways: for example, smaller, tighter braids near my face and 1-2 bigger braids in the back, or 2 braids side by side. Alternatively, double cinnabuns create really nice, loose, effortless waves.

Check out beautyklove on Youtube: she has a ton of heatless waves/curls tutorials. ;)

molljo
January 7th, 2015, 10:40 PM
It looks like a pretty clear 2a to me! Keep in mind that waves tend to stretch out the longer hair gets. I think you could get a lot more definition with wavy/curly styling routine, like LOC + scrunching or plopping, at least on days where you feel like wearing it down, of course.

purplevickie
January 8th, 2015, 02:01 AM
I think your hair looks lovely as it is! It's just a bit wavy, that's all - not straight but not strange or unwearable.

arr
January 8th, 2015, 07:39 AM
Your hair texture is almost exactly like mine, kind of straight, kind of wavy. I always braid my hair after washing when it is still slightly damp and also braid every night because it gives my hair a wave pattern and eliminates the puffiness. After a while my braid waves fall a little flat too, but it doesnt look bad, just straighter. i get the best waves doing a dutch braid, by the way. A french braid or english braid just seem to get too loose.

Entangled
January 8th, 2015, 06:37 PM
Thank you for the compliments. With wearing my hair down, I'm not very confident. Most of the girls here straighten their hair very straight or at least blowdry if they have any mild texture, so I feel unkempt by comparison. I don't feel the urge to straighten (and the few times I did, I didn't notice much difference pre-LHC), but my hair looks frizzy or just kind of wild and lusterless even though it's soft because of the random texture. Plus, my underhairs are very wiry and straight. So while LHC had helped me stop hating my hair and taught me the skills to style it (braids and updos) I still don't really know how to style it (gels and blowdryers). I do get some results from damp braiding that last a little longer, but it takes a long time to dry when braided wet(24+ hours). I'm going to have to research leave-ins.

ETA: Molljo, I wear my hair down once a week to church. That's when my mom sees my hair, and any messiness is a sign that I need to at least use a blowdryer. She's low maintenance as far as hair, but conventional styling is good enough for her and she thinks I'm being a little silly by avoiding the occasional heat style and trying out things like vinegar rinses. I know my hair is much healthier than it's ever been, but I want it to show.