Coarse Hair Support

[Sparklylady82]

I searched for a Coarse hair thread but could not find one. If there already is one I am sorry and please delete this if needed.

I had a hair analysis done some time ago and the verdict was that I have mostly coarse hair mixed in with some random fine and medium strands. I thought it'd be nice to have a coarse hair support thread where we could share photo's, haircare advice, product advice and anything really!

I'd really love to find a hair twin as well and maybe we all can!!!

Lets start with a questionarre (I'll answer with mine and you all can just cut and paste, delete my answers, then put yours):

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2b/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
-25.25 inches (almost bsl)

3. What is your hair care routine?
- I keep changing it around but right now I CWC. Sometimes I do a deep conditioner before or after. I've been using mainly cone free products but if I am wearing down I add a shine serum with cones. I have a lot of products to use up so I haven't really determined any "cone" or "cone-free" regimine.

4. Favorite products?
- Tresseme Naturals conditioner, Trader Joe's Tea tree tingle shampoo, Kenra shine drops, aragon oil

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- I feel that it is very strong and full. It holds styles very well like If I were to put rollers in my hair the curl would last for a long time until washed.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- I feel like it gets "crunchy" easily and can be frizzy. That may just be my waviness though.

Feel free to add anything else and I look foward to getting to know other coarse haired gals! It seems that there are very few in this catagory from what I've seen :-)

**sparkly

[rowie]

Yay finally a thread that applies to me. Hope to learn a lot from this thread. :blossom:

1. What is your complete hair type?

This one is subjective for my own hair. I could never stick to a classification since I have multi textured hair that range from 1c, 2a and some ringlets at the nape of my neck. Although I find my hair texture to change significantly for each new milestone I reach.

2. How long is your hair?

BCL = Butt crack length. :rollin: I'm 5 feet 11 and so each milestone takes me a long time to reach.

3. What is your hair care routine?

I have what I call a multi personality kind of hair. If my hair is behaving more straight I'll use the no cone routine, when my hair is more wavy in hot humid summers I'll switch back to cones because I find taking care of my multi textures a challenge since they all can't live in harmony during humid weather. Humidity is my worst enemy!!!!! I also have different moods. I love my hair straight from using the bbb brush but sometimes my hair will feel thinner when it's straight and so I long to get back my crazy poofy texture for volume. It's an ongoing battle that I just learn to love and accept!!!!

4. Favorite products?

No cones: VO5 Kiwi clarifying shampoo and conditioner

Cones: Pantene Ice shine

BBB, goody 100% boar bristle brush from the late 80s. I found one that comes close to the brush fellow member Madora swears by.

Oils:

Currently: Sweet almond oil or mineral oil depending on how my hair is behaving.

I also love organic aloe Vera gel to smooth up the top of my head after I complete my updo because i don't have bangs and I love the smooth look for updos.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

Absolutely the strength! More pliable for my hair meaning I can achieve straight or curly hair easily.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

Unpredictable behavior due to humidity!!!! It's definitely harder to tame and for me it takes 3 or four days of not washing my hair before I feel like it starts to look good.

[Sparklylady82]

Hi Rowie! Thankyou for joining the thread :-) I can completely relate to your #6!!! I feel my hair looks best the longer its been from a wash. Mine is so smooth by day 3 but my roots are horrible and greasy...just can't win LOL ;) I've been experimenting with scalp washes for this reason but have yet to master it.

[Sharysa]

1. What is your complete hair type?

2. How long is your hair?

3. What is your hair care routine?

4. Favorite products?

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

1. 1c/2a/coarse/3-4 inches.

2. Hip-length, somewhere around 32 inches. Yay for being five feet tall!

3. Wash twice a week, trim split ends and reshape hemline once a month.

4. Dr. Bronner's Unscented soap, Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner, and Heather Loraine Sweet-Almond oil.

5. Toughness. I love wearing my hair down, and unlike many people, I don't get a lot of damage from the tangles!

6. Toughness. I have that coarse-hair problem where since my hair doesn't break easily, I have to cut out a LOT of tangles if I get unexpectedly caught in wind. Also, my hair is thick, which means my awkward stage lasted from shoulder-length to NEARLY WAIST-LENGTH.

[yogagirl]

Hi felow coarsies! I always thought I had coarse hair, but I put M/C in my profile because my hair dresser doesn't think it's that coarse. I have the same issues though, first and second day hair looks crazy, frizzies and generally messy. Third day perfect, third evening: oily!! Haha!

I'm on my phone, so I won't fill out the questionnaire right now. I wanted to post though, because I recently found a product than worked soooo well. My hair actually looked great even directly after washing, a miracle! It's Joico Moisture Recovery, conditioner for dry hair. It does have cones, so I might alternate with a lighter conditioner.

Other things that help me a lot is wet bunning for 1 hour, then putting in leave in. Also final rinse with distille water (because we have hard water here).

[Ambrielle]

hey sparklylady82, i am one of your hair twins or pretty close :waving:

1. What is your complete hair type?

2c for the most part with 2b layers, texture is coarse (96 per cent, the remaining 4 per cent medium), iii thickness (5.25 excluding shortest layers/bangs, 5.75 - 6 including those)

2. How long is your hair?

36,5 inches which is solid hip on me (i am 5'10)

3. What is your hair care routine?

i wash it with shampoo (alternate between sulphate and sulphate free) every 7 to 10 days, co wash once or twice a week depending. I don't have a set routine, i go by what my hair feels like at the time. I use both cone and cone free products, i do a deep conditioning or oiling treatment weekly or every two weeks. I air dry, haven't used a blowdrier since i was 11. I am an addept of the LOC method.

4. Favorite products?

herbal essences hello hydration conditioner, shea moisture coconut & hibiscus conditioner, camellia japonica oil.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

the strength of it, i have a love and hate relationship with the thickness though.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

not sure if it applies to every coarse haired individual but i don't like the weight of mine, the longer it gets the heavier it is and since i am tall achieving my goal length presents this challenge. I also don't like that my hair gets overdosed by the tinniest amount of protein (hydrolized).

[two_wheels]

I have coarse canopy & medium underneath, so I think tips from here will be useful!

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2a/M/C/ii

2. How long is your hair?
almost BSL

3. What is your hair care routine?
Shampoo, conditioner, LOC every few days. Cassia every few weeks.

4. Favorite products?
- Pantene Ice Shine shampoo, which I can no longer find here, sniff!
- Tresemme Naturals conditioner
- Neals Yard hair treatment which is coconut oil with nice smelling EOs
- Kinky Curly Curling Custard gel
- Nightblooming Devas cassia blend

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
It doesn't floop out of braids and generally holds itself up pretty well thus making updos much easier!
It also looks thicker than it is. I don't have a lot of hair and if it were fine, I would have major scalp cleavage.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
It will never be baby soft or silky. And it has a mind of its own and likes to break hair sticks. And the new growth sticking up shudder:

If I had the choice, I think I'd stay coarse to be honest. I love being able to braid it or put it up and for it just to stay there. LOC has made it feel soft for the first time ever, too, so that's good.

[Hele]

yay, i get to be in a thread with rowie!

1. What is your complete hair type? 2a iii. Sometimes my hair will randomly get wavier for a few weeks and then just as randomly get straighter for awhile. I'd say 2a is the average! I thought it was getting straighter as it got longer but after a recent bout of extra waviness that doesn't seem to be the case.

2. How long is your hair? Classic length, or a tiny bit past it. I'm 5'6 and crap at measuring the actual length!

3. What is your hair care routine? My hair seems to thrive on lack of care so my routine is a bit bare boned. My scalp decided this summer that it hates all shampoo but also conditioner only, so right now i use a tiny drop of Suave shampoo shaken in an applicator bottle of water and applied to the roots only, then copious amounts of Tresemme Naturals conditioner. I have to wash it every 2-3 days due to angry scalp issues, i'd love to be able to just wash it once a week! I tried cones for the first time in years a couple months ago and my hair loved it for a few weeks, then turned into straw. My hair also used to like being oiled (except for coconut oil...yikes!) but now it doesn't. It also doesn't like protein. I've lately gotten good results with a commercial kukui oil/anti frizz product, it helps with my winter tangles and i can't seem to overdo the amount in my hair (though to be honest it's been over a week since i used it, despite my hair seeming to love it). I don't use brushes, only combs, because brushing makes my hair extra huge. I do use a blow dryer (on hot!) on the roots only, otherwise my hair takes a day or two to dry there.

4. Favorite products? Whoops, i think i covered that in the above!

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair? It seems to be indestructible! Back when i bleached and heat styled it daily it was in every bit as good of shape as it is now. I also like that if i make a cinnabun it will stay in place without the use of any hair toy and that i don't have to use hair ties on my braids.

6. What do you like least about having coarse hair? It's heavy, and it seems to enjoy killing innocent hair sticks, ties, forks, pins, etc *....* And occasionally i get hair splinters from it. I don't know if this is a coarse hair thing or a thick hair thing or a sinister combination of the two but i can't make a lot of buns, i'll watch the video made by someone with longer hair and i just can't do it. (For example i couldn't make a cinnabun until i hit tbl, i just had one giant fat coil that couldn't be secured.

so a question for anyone with coarse hair that uses a boar bristle brush....should i try it? Am i missing out on something awesome? I'm paranoid about brushes because they make my hair a static filled giant monster but i'm kinda fascinated with trying one : /

[lapushka]

I was wondering where the coarser folks where. Nice to see you guys come out of the woodwork. :D

[Sparklylady82]

hey sparklylady82, i am one of your hair twins or pretty close :waving:

1. What is your complete hair type?

2c for the most part with 2b layers, texture is coarse (96 per cent, the remaining 4 per cent medium), iii thickness (5.25 excluding shortest layers/bangs, 5.75 - 6 including those)

2. How long is your hair?

36,5 inches which is solid hip on me (i am 5'10)

3. What is your hair care routine?

i wash it with shampoo (alternate between sulphate and sulphate free) every 7 to 10 days, co wash once or twice a week depending. I don't have a set routine, i go by what my hair feels like at the time. I use both cone and cone free products, i do a deep conditioning or oiling treatment weekly or every two weeks. I air dry, haven't used a blowdrier since i was 11. I am an addept of the LOC method.

4. Favorite products?

herbal essences hello hydration conditioner, shea moisture coconut & hibiscus conditioner, camellia japonica oil.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

the strength of it, i have a love and hate relationship with the thickness though.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

not sure if it applies to every coarse haired individual but i don't like the weight of mine, the longer it gets the heavier it is and since i am tall achieving my goal length presents this challenge. I also don't like that my hair gets overdosed by the tinniest amount of protein (hydrolized).

OOOOH HI!!! :applause We are pretty close twins! I am 83% coarse, 9% medium, 8% fine! I have mostly 2b waves with a couple random ropey spirals underneath :-)

One question, do you get frizz? If so how do you combat it. What do you LOC with?


I was wondering where the coarser folks where. Nice to see you guys come out of the woodwork. :D


I was thinking the same thing and so this thread was born :happydance:


Hi felow coarsies! I always thought I had coarse hair, but I put M/C in my profile because my hair dresser doesn't think it's that coarse. I have the same issues though, first and second day hair looks crazy, frizzies and generally messy. Third day perfect, third evening: oily!! Haha!

I'm on my phone, so I won't fill out the questionnaire right now. I wanted to post though, because I recently found a product than worked soooo well. My hair actually looked great even directly after washing, a miracle! It's Joico Moisture Recovery, conditioner for dry hair. It does have cones, so I might alternate with a lighter conditioner.

Other things that help me a lot is wet bunning for 1 hour, then putting in leave in. Also final rinse with distille water (because we have hard water here).

You probably do have some M mixed in with your coarser hairs...I do! I find I like my hair the best when I damp bun for an hour as well. Unless I put a gel in it or something, which I hate that feel in my hair, it is pretty crazy especially around my hair line. I am hoping the longer it gets the more the craziness will be weighed down. We will see!

Thank you for the Joico recomendation! I will give it a try, thank you :-)


1. 1c/2a/coarse/3-4 inches.

2. Hip-length, somewhere around 32 inches. Yay for being five feet tall!

3. Wash twice a week, trim split ends and reshape hemline once a month.

4. Dr. Bronner's Unscented soap, Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner, and Heather Loraine Sweet-Almond oil.

5. Toughness. I love wearing my hair down, and unlike many people, I don't get a lot of damage from the tangles!

6. Toughness. I have that coarse-hair problem where since my hair doesn't break easily, I have to cut out a LOT of tangles if I get unexpectedly caught in wind. Also, my hair is thick, which means my awkward stage lasted from shoulder-length to NEARLY WAIST-LENGTH.

I completely know what you mean by the awkward stage. I am almost bsl with thick hair...so you telling me it's gonna be awkward all the way to waist?!? :patrol: hee hee only kidding :flower:


I have coarse canopy & medium underneath, so I think tips from here will be useful!

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2a/M/C/ii

2. How long is your hair?
almost BSL

3. What is your hair care routine?
Shampoo, conditioner, LOC every few days. Cassia every few weeks.

4. Favorite products?
- Pantene Ice Shine shampoo, which I can no longer find here, sniff!
- Tresemme Naturals conditioner
- Neals Yard hair treatment which is coconut oil with nice smelling EOs
- Kinky Curly Curling Custard gel
- Nightblooming Devas cassia blend

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
It doesn't floop out of braids and generally holds itself up pretty well thus making updos much easier!
It also looks thicker than it is. I don't have a lot of hair and if it were fine, I would have major scalp cleavage.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
It will never be baby soft or silky. And it has a mind of its own and likes to break hair sticks. And the new growth sticking up shudder:

If I had the choice, I think I'd stay coarse to be honest. I love being able to braid it or put it up and for it just to stay there. LOC has made it feel soft for the first time ever, too, so that's good.

the new growth...ugh :steam

I agree the LOC helps a lot :-)


yay, i get to be in a thread with rowie!

1. What is your complete hair type? 2a iii. Sometimes my hair will randomly get wavier for a few weeks and then just as randomly get straighter for awhile. I'd say 2a is the average! I thought it was getting straighter as it got longer but after a recent bout of extra waviness that doesn't seem to be the case.

2. How long is your hair? Classic length, or a tiny bit past it. I'm 5'6 and crap at measuring the actual length!

3. What is your hair care routine? My hair seems to thrive on lack of care so my routine is a bit bare boned. My scalp decided this summer that it hates all shampoo but also conditioner only, so right now i use a tiny drop of Suave shampoo shaken in an applicator bottle of water and applied to the roots only, then copious amounts of Tresemme Naturals conditioner. I have to wash it every 2-3 days due to angry scalp issues, i'd love to be able to just wash it once a week! I tried cones for the first time in years a couple months ago and my hair loved it for a few weeks, then turned into straw. My hair also used to like being oiled (except for coconut oil...yikes!) but now it doesn't. It also doesn't like protein. I've lately gotten good results with a commercial kukui oil/anti frizz product, it helps with my winter tangles and i can't seem to overdo the amount in my hair (though to be honest it's been over a week since i used it, despite my hair seeming to love it). I don't use brushes, only combs, because brushing makes my hair extra huge. I do use a blow dryer (on hot!) on the roots only, otherwise my hair takes a day or two to dry there.

4. Favorite products? Whoops, i think i covered that in the above!

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair? It seems to be indestructible! Back when i bleached and heat styled it daily it was in every bit as good of shape as it is now. I also like that if i make a cinnabun it will stay in place without the use of any hair toy and that i don't have to use hair ties on my braids.

6. What do you like least about having coarse hair? It's heavy, and it seems to enjoy killing innocent hair sticks, ties, forks, pins, etc *....* And occasionally i get hair splinters from it. I don't know if this is a coarse hair thing or a thick hair thing or a sinister combination of the two but i can't make a lot of buns, i'll watch the video made by someone with longer hair and i just can't do it. (For example i couldn't make a cinnabun until i hit tbl, i just had one giant fat coil that couldn't be secured.

so a question for anyone with coarse hair that uses a boar bristle brush....should i try it? Am i missing out on something awesome? I'm paranoid about brushes because they make my hair a static filled giant monster but i'm kinda fascinated with trying one : /

I want to know about the BBB too, I am too scared to try...paging Rowie? :popcorn:

I've noticed that most of the coarse hairs have at least ii to iii thickness! Interesting

[two_wheels]

I'll let Rowie chime in too (as his hair is so epic he must be doing it right!), but I really like my BBB. These days I have proper wavy hair on day 1 after washing & leaving it to dry without touching (or, um, going to bed & waking up to a crazy mess if it's a work day). But on days 2 & 3 it's fuzzy anyway so I hit it with the BBB until it's almost-not-fuzzy and nearly straight (like in my sig pic). Key thing for me was learning how much pressure to apply on scalp - not too much or you get an oil slick, eww.

This is what works for me:
- detangle first with a comb
- just a little bit of pressure on scalp, stop before it gets oily and gross
- from now on, be extra gentle
- from ears down brush the canopy and smooth it over with your hand after each stroke (thanks Madora!). Then brush the underside.

If it looks too floofy after that, the tiniest amount of panacea tends to fix it.

[chen bao jun]

1. What is your complete hair type?

3c C iii

I may have some 3b hairs in there up on top, but its hard to tell as I mostly braid it all after washing which prevents tangling, but also makes it look looser :(

2. How long is your hair?

Depends. Hyper curly, so I have shrinkage. It's longer than APL, unstretched but how much longer varies according to weather, how recently I washed, etc. etc.. Stretches to mid back area, but I haven't straightened in some time which is the only way to really tell exactly where it is. However, I find I no longer really care.
When it is just washed, it's shoulder length. Barely.

3. What is your hair care routine?
Right now washing every two weeks. Co wash. Leave in. I sort of do Terry Laflesh tightly curly method, a bit modified where you use regular condish as a leave in. I don't do all that twirling and defining though. Luckily I have pretty well defined curls naturally, but even if I didn't I wouldn't. Too much work.
I was trying to wash every 3 to 4 days, because that keeps my hair curlier and softer, but with winter, gave it up, its too cold to always have wet hair. My hair takes so long to dry that washing that frequently means a permanent wet head and its not worth it.

4. Favorite products?
I wash with Shea moistureshampoo on scalp, vo5 conditioner on length, leave in tresemme smooth and silky most often, sometimes Garnier Fructis triple nutrition. I do lots of smts, pretty much before each time I wash. I use oils both on scalp and on ends (both are dry). I use a mixture of JBCO and burdock root oil with EOs added in, I seal with it on ends--basically I spritz them with rosewater every night, then put the oil on the ends to seal moisture in, my ends lose moisture so fast. And my scalp never has it. Apparently, I don't make sebum.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
Well, it's not indestructible but it's close. This is a plus, when you have hyper curly hair because this hair type tends to be more fragile, as there's a weaker spot at each bend. However mine is so coarse that that the coarseness overrides the curl, which is great.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
It doesn't ever feel soft. It can feel very nice, when it is properly moisturized, springy and alive and definitely not harsh to the touch, but it can never be described as soft hair. I'm a hairtoy breaker, though this may also be a high density thing. This has become much less of a problem since I've been on LHC though. Two years ago my major complaint would have been that it was out of control hair, always wild and triangling and prone to crazy frizz. Now I don't have any of those problems. Good care has cured the frizz and length has taken care of the crazy look as its more weighted down, if you know what I mean. In fact sometimes I look in the mirror and think, has my hair got thinner, because it looks so much more civilized...When I hold it and put it up though, I can feel its still all there. Which is good. I used to wish my hair was thinner because it was so crazy but with LHC I get to still have have thick hair and have it look nice, too.

Great thread.

[mamaherrera]

I have coarse canopy & medium underneath, so I think tips from here will be useful!

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2a/M/C/ii

2. How long is your hair?
almost BSL

3. What is your hair care routine?
Shampoo, conditioner, LOC every few days. Cassia every few weeks.

4. Favorite products?
- Pantene Ice Shine shampoo, which I can no longer find here, sniff!
- Tresemme Naturals conditioner
- Neals Yard hair treatment which is coconut oil with nice smelling EOs
- Kinky Curly Curling Custard gel
- Nightblooming Devas cassia blend

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
It doesn't floop out of braids and generally holds itself up pretty well thus making updos much easier!
It also looks thicker than it is. I don't have a lot of hair and if it were fine, I would have major scalp cleavage.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
It will never be baby soft or silky. And it has a mind of its own and likes to break hair sticks. And the new growth sticking up shudder:

If I had the choice, I think I'd stay coarse to be honest. I love being able to braid it or put it up and for it just to stay there. LOC has made it feel soft for the first time ever, too, so that's good.

This is my thought exactly, especially number 5. My hair can look as big as my daughters, but she has way more hairs than I do Mine is not dense, it's just thick, and even so I have scalp cleavage, so I don't even want to imagine myself with fine hair!

[chen bao jun]

Oh, I just read what two_wheels wrote and I want to chime in agreeing with her, like mamaherrera. Only the part I like is what she wrote in #5. Being that I have all this hair, its nice that it holds it upself quite well. I need less in the way of hairtoys because of this, which is good, because of the density which makes it hard to fit it all into things like barrettes that aren't flexi 8s and normal sized anything for hair (i.e., what you find in the drugstore).
I do think mine also looks thicker than it is. there are people with fine hair, who have massive amounts like I do, and I look thicker than they are, which can be a good or bad thing. They tend to have the problem of looking crazy less! From my grass is greener point of view. But although I admire the look of fine hair, I don't want it. I wouldn't know what to do with it and how to stop it from breaking, since that's not something I've ever had to worry about.

[Sparklylady82]

I'll let Rowie chime in too (as his hair is so epic he must be doing it right!), but I really like my BBB. These days I have proper wavy hair on day 1 after washing & leaving it to dry without touching (or, um, going to bed & waking up to a crazy mess if it's a work day). But on days 2 & 3 it's fuzzy anyway so I hit it with the BBB until it's almost-not-fuzzy and nearly straight (like in my sig pic). Key thing for me was learning how much pressure to apply on scalp - not too much or you get an oil slick, eww.

This is what works for me:
- detangle first with a comb
- just a little bit of pressure on scalp, stop before it gets oily and gross
- from now on, be extra gentle
- from ears down brush the canopy and smooth it over with your hand after each stroke (thanks Madora!). Then brush the underside.

If it looks too floofy after that, the tiniest amount of panacea tends to fix it.

Hi Two_wheels! Thank you for the BBB advice. I really want to try it out but I was afraid of pouf. Using the hand to smooth makes sense. I might have to invest in a BBB!

[hennalonghair]

1/ .what is your complete hair type?
2b to 3a course with some medium mixed in, iii (5.25 with bangs closer to 5.75 - 6)

2/. How long is it? 30 inches - MBL (tall)

3/.What is your haircare routine?
It changes depending on the weather and how my hair is feeling and behaving.
Washday: I usually wet it first, add conditioner on length, wash scalp only, rinse, condition again often with a deep conditioner- leave on for 5 minutes , rinse. Then ACV rinse. Plop with t-shirt and add shea butter mixed with coconut oil with a tad of Be Curly from Aveda. Air dry for the day cause it takes forever!
Comb out either that night or next day and style with my MP bbb. ( my favourite brush) I have wooden bbb's also that I occasionally use.
I never braid or bun my hair wet because it just doesn't dry!

4/. Favourite products?*
Jason's , Mill Creek, Herbal Glo, Aveda Be Curly, Carol's Daughter , shampoos and conditioners , Maiga Shea Butter, Andalou argon stem cell scalp serum. Aloe gel.
Oils: unrefined coconut oil and sweet almond oil.
I don't really have an everyday favourite since my routine changes
.*
5/.What do you like most about it? Like Hele and Rowie my texture changes depending on weather, products used, or how far it is from wash day.
Like Rowie , I have multi textured hair so I love the versatility of being about to wear it either super wavy/curly , or wavy / straight. It holds a style very well, its thick and full, I can hide behind it if its down, its warm in the winter,( can use it as a scarf) it brushes out easily, it doesn't get greasy , it picks up colour well, it absorbs moisture well, it holds in scent nicely, its thick and heavy.
Its strong and resilient. Barely any split ends.
Can create thick blunt hemline*

6/.What do I like least about it?
Its thick and heavy. Lol!, its very very hot in the summer, it can frizz easily in humid weather, little pieces stick out when I French braid it, it gets knotted badly at the back of my neck, it takes forever to dry, its a massive bug catcher in summer months while I'm drying it outside.
when I take my dogs for a walk while drying my hair, I actually get bugs caught in my hair. I hear them and usually get them out right away but there have been times when all I hear is buzzzzz . It drives me nuts.... Lol! Is a big difficult to self trim due to thickness.
Cow licks!!! I have a few of them.


Andriella... Are you measuring your hair by LHC standards because I think your hair is longer than 36 inches. Just sayin'


Hele - bbb are awesome but a mason pearson brush is simply the best IMO. Its a dream brush! ( doesn't frizz my hair like other brushes)

And for scalp issues.... or thinning hair (mamaherrera ) check this scalp serum out. Its amazing!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128912

[two_wheels]

My BBB is mason pearson too hennalonghair, you're right, they are the best!! I do like me a tangle teezer and a denman too though.

Chen, I totally agree about the breakage thing. I'm clumsy and it's nice not to have to take huge levels of care not to break it.

I forgot to say, lots of people here recommend BBB inverted. But if I do that, no matter how careful I am, even if I hold my hair in my hands and put it back down carefully afterwards, boom! TANGLES. Very bad tangles. :confused: and mad hair that sticks out sideways :silly: Rowie? Anyone?

[Platzhalter]

Joining the club of the "horse-haired people" ;)

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 1c/2a, M/C (with a few strands of M only), ii/iii (thanks to seasonal shedding)

2. How long is your hair?
- 26" the last time I was measuring

3. What is your hair care routine?
- WCC and LOC, plain and boring... but it seems to work for me

4. Favorite products?
- don't really have one... there are products I like and prefer, but no real favourites that really do long-term magic ;)

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- The fact there's no need to worry about damage all the time.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- Having crunchy hair unless it gets wet or "greasy".

[two_wheels]

This is my thought exactly, especially number 5. My hair can look as big as my daughters, but she has way more hairs than I do Mine is not dense, it's just thick, and even so I have scalp cleavage, so I don't even want to imagine myself with fine hair!
When I feel insecure about this when my hair is up, I use a BBB on that bit of my hair. It breaks up the clumps and gets all the hair lying in the same direction and then it looks much better. My (and I suspect, your) issue is at least partly the way it naturally grows in different directions. Density is an issue for me too (genetic, nothing I can do) but fixing the different directions really helps.

So moving on from my little cowlick-obsession, I found a new thing last wash and thought I'd share! I do LOC before getting out of the shower (yay for more time under hot water!) and I was a bit snoozy still yesterday. I did the conditioner and the coconut oil and then started rinsing out the coconut oil... durr... so I finished rinsing it out and then put more coconut oil on and then gel as usual. It's really soft and slippy today!

[hennalonghair]

My BBB is mason pearson too hennalonghair, you're right, they are the best!! I do like me a tangle teezer and a denman too though.

Chen, I totally agree about the breakage thing. I'm clumsy and it's nice not to have to take huge levels of care not to break it.

I forgot to say, lots of people here recommend BBB inverted. But if I do that, no matter how careful I am, even if I hold my hair in my hands and put it back down carefully afterwards, boom! TANGLES. Very bad tangles. :confused: and mad hair that sticks out sideways :silly: Rowie? Anyone?
Hey Two wheels. I can't brush my hair that way either. The 3a tender tresses I have underneath don't like it at all. They will snap and break plus I end up looking like Phyllis Dyler :silly:. What I do is still flip my head upside down but spend a few minutes massaging my scalp to get the blood circulating , finger through my hair, flip it the correct way, then use my mp bbb to brush my hair one section at a time. If my hair is very knotted I will use a wide tooth comb first but usually I don't have to. What I usually always have to do after I brush is apply a small amount of either shea butter / coconut oil or leave in conditioner with wet hands to just my bottom part or any frizz I get. My hair then bounces back to being curly wavy again.
Ive also got a tangle teaser that I use on wet hair only because I have to comb in any conditioners when I wash.

This is a great thread. Its nice to meet the members who have similar hair texture to our own. I can honestly relate to every post here.:thumbsup:

[Ambrielle]

[QUOTE=Sparklylady82;2915602]OOOOH HI!!! :applause We are pretty close twins! I am 83% coarse, 9% medium, 8% fine! I have mostly 2b waves with a couple random ropey spirals underneath :-)

One question, do you get frizz? If so how do you combat it. What do you LOC with?


yep, we're pretty close :o

i do get frizz, oh yes but i don't mind it as much as i used to. When it is out of control, what i do is i wet my hair and apply a few drops of camellia oil on the lengths (concentrating on the frizz prone areas) and let it dry. Other times i'll run a few drops of mineral oil on dry hair instead (i can apply this one on wet, damp or dry hair).

The Loc method, i still haven't found the *perfect* combo :cool: my hair is very unpredictable so i have to adjust my routine from time to time. The one thing that i know works best regardless is i have to apply the oil before the leave in cream, oil or butter (shea) have to come first. i know for some it works best the other way around but my hair does not like it. I apply an oil first thing after shower (also it works best is my hair is soaking wet), then i wait 5-10 minutes and apply a leave in cream and that's it. Sometimes i can get away with a bit of mineral oil only and skip the cream but this wouldn't be the LOC method anymore i guess ;)

[Ambrielle]

1/ .what is your complete hair type?
2b to 3a course with some medium mixed in, iii (5.25 with bangs closer to 5.75 - 6)

2/. How long is it? 30 inches - MBL (tall)

3/.What is your haircare routine?
It changes depending on the weather and how my hair is feeling and behaving.
Washday: I usually wet it first, add conditioner on length, wash scalp only, rinse, condition again often with a deep conditioner- leave on for 5 minutes , rinse. Then ACV rinse. Plop with t-shirt and add shea butter mixed with coconut oil with a tad of Be Curly from Aveda. Air dry for the day cause it takes forever!
Comb out either that night or next day and style with my MP bbb. ( my favourite brush) I have wooden bbb's also that I occasionally use.
I never braid or bun my hair wet because it just doesn't dry!

4/. Favourite products?*
Jason's , Mill Creek, Herbal Glo, Aveda Be Curly, Carol's Daughter , shampoos and conditioners , Maiga Shea Butter, Andalou argon stem cell scalp serum. Aloe gel.
Oils: unrefined coconut oil and sweet almond oil.
I don't really have an everyday favourite since my routine changes
.*
5/.What do you like most about it? Like Hele and Rowie my texture changes depending on weather, products used, or how far it is from wash day.
Like Rowie , I have multi textured hair so I love the versatility of being about to wear it either super wavy/curly , or wavy / straight. It holds a style very well, its thick and full, I can hide behind it if its down, its warm in the winter,( can use it as a scarf) it brushes out easily, it doesn't get greasy , it picks up colour well, it absorbs moisture well, it holds in scent nicely, its thick and heavy.
Its strong and resilient. Barely any split ends.
Can create thick blunt hemline*

6/.What do I like least about it?
Its thick and heavy. Lol!, its very very hot in the summer, it can frizz easily in humid weather, little pieces stick out when I French braid it, it gets knotted badly at the back of my neck, it takes forever to dry, its a massive bug catcher in summer months while I'm drying it outside.
when I take my dogs for a walk while drying my hair, I actually get bugs caught in my hair. I hear them and usually get them out right away but there have been times when all I hear is buzzzzz . It drives me nuts.... Lol! Is a big difficult to self trim due to thickness.
Cow licks!!! I have a few of them.


Andriella... Are you measuring your hair by LHC standards because I think your hair is longer than 36 inches. Just sayin'


Hele - bbb are awesome but a mason pearson brush is simply the best IMO. Its a dream brush! ( doesn't frizz my hair like other brushes)

And for scalp issues.... Check this scalp serum out. Its amazing!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128912

hey hennalonghair :waving:

i don't how long my hair is anymore to be honest. The waves give me unpredictable measuring results but when i took the measurements my hair was unstretched (i think), stretched i'm probably close to 40 if not a bit more. Being tall sucks right now, my partner says it won't take me long to reach classic once i reach tailbone, according to him i have a cute, slim backside so it should be fairly easy. oh well, at least i got a compliment out of this :lol:. I measured from the top of my crown btw, i wasn't sure if i should have started at the hairline instead? i have to borrow a measuring tape sometime soon.

[JadedByEntropy]

1. I'm 4.5"=iii, 2b with mismatched waves which is just enough curly to always look like brushed curls

2. Had to measure again, but its 37" BCL in back 4" longer TBL in the front.

3. Haha. A general lack of care. I wait until the it turns oily on the sides before i wash,[6-9days] and only finger comb in the shower. I leave it down most of the time because it breaks everything i put in it, like so many people here. :patrol:

4. I was just introduced to the yellow Garnier Fructis Shampoo: Triple Nutrition which is cone free i just noticed, and the oils in that are great! I still use my old conditioner Aveeno Pure Renewal: Sulfate free which i rinse out, but re-apply as a leave in on the bottom third. Bonus: Just learned too that conditioner makes a great moose without being crusty or abusive!

5. It makes my few hairs actually look like a lot of them. :cheer:
It stays put exactly how it dries. :afro:
Hairstyles hold for as long as the sticks do. :violin: [lets take a moment to remember the collections of mangled utensils ...:rip: ]
My hair didn't tangle until it reached BCL, and only in the last two inches when i have splits. :eyebrows:
I can go swimming and the inside of my hairdo comes out dry-sparing me the hours it takes to dry it. :Happydance:

6. Two_Wheels said it best: "the new growth sticking up :shudder: " :agree: Its like permanent bangs i didn't want and can't get rid of. :steam:
also it will never be soft and cuddly. :wannabe:

[hennalonghair]

hey hennalonghair :waving: i don't how long my hair is anymore to be honest. The waves give me unpredictable measuring results but when i took the measurements my hair was unstretched (i think), stretched i'm probably close to 40 if not a bit more. Being tall sucks right now, my partner says it won't take me long to reach classic once i reach tailbone, according to him i have a cute, slim backside so it should be fairly easy. oh well, at least i got a compliment out of this :lol:. I measured from the top of my crown btw, i wasn't sure if i should have started at the hairline instead? i have to borrow a measuring tape sometime soon.Hey Ambriella. :waving:Yes I'd say you are closer to 40 inches When I first joined here I had my hair at 18 inches because I was measuring from the top of my head. Then I discovered that LHC standards are measured from the front of your hairline. In other words, the top of the forehead where your hair begins. If you are 5'10" and your hair is at hip then its gotta be longer than 36.You're a tall woman for sure.:D

[curlylocks85]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 3a-3b/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
- Almost APL

3. What is your hair care routine?
- I wash every 1-2 weeks, 3 at the most. I finger comb and use a wide tooth bath comb in the shower. I mostly use conditioner. I only use shampoo when I have buildup that conditioner cannot get rid of - 1-3 times per year. I let my hair air dry and then put it in some sort of braided style for protection, until I am ready to wear it down or another way.

4. Favorite products?
- Better Body Foods Organic Coconut Extra Virgin Oil Unrefined
- Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal
- Nexus Hemectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner
- Nexus ProMend Split End Binding Conditioner
- Nexus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Conditioner
- Nexus Frizz Defy Conditioner
- Nexus Hydra-Light Weightless Moisture Conditioner

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- I love the strength and fullness. Great for updos. Hard to damage.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- My hair can frizz in high humidity or severe cold. Takes a while to dry. Things get caught in my hair, sometimes without me knowing, like bugs. I usually know when I hear something or touch my hair and there it is. My hair can sometimes feel crunchy and dry without proper moisture depending on the weather and sometimes other factors. Takes more length to accomplish styles which others can achieve at shorter lengths. My hair breaks most hair toys.

Great thread idea! :)

[sumidha]

1. What is your complete hair type?

2b/C/iii as it comes out of my head, but I have such a gnarly taper I put ii/iii for thickness. :(

2. How long is your hair?

I'm not really sure right now... 40something inches? The sad wispy ends are somewhere between tailbone and classic, which is where I want to hang out until I have a thicker hemline.

3. What is your hair care routine?

I wash around every week, week and a half. After wetting everything thoroughly I put condish or SMT on the length and then use a shampoo bar on my scalp. Then I rinse everything out with an acidic rinse, because of the shampoo bar and incredibly hard water. Once it's dry I detangle with a wide toothed comb, or a TT if it's really really tangled. If my hair is up (which it is pretty much all the time) I'll detangle every three days to try and preserve the waves and avoid massive poofiness.

I use coconut oil and occasionally grapeseed oil as needed, on wet or dry hair, it doesn't seem to make a difference for me.

4. Favorite products?

Chagrin valley for shampoo bars, though my all time favorite bar for my hair and scalp is a goat's milk bar that my sister in law makes. I use Suave, honey and coconut oil for SMT's, and gelatin for protein treatments, which I think makes me a little weird, it seems like most coarse hair doesn't really like protein that much, but mine loves it. Then again, my hair is fairly damaged by life. :\

I don't use 'cones regularly, because they seem to wear off my hair after about three days, leaving it more rough and splitty looking than if I had just used 'cone free conditioner. I'd love to find a longer lasting cone-y product though...

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

Heh, I don't particularly love it (sorry, hair!) but I've learned to accept it for what it is and be happy with it. I guess there are certain styles that are easier with coarse, thick hair. And, when it's at it's best, it has a sort of glossiness that I don't think you find with thinner hair types.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

Freshly cut ends aren't softer, they're sharp and bristly. I really dislike laying in bed and being irritated by my braid tassle because it's so rough and stabby, lol. Also, and this seems to be pretty unique to me, I still seem prone to split ends... My ultimate goal is to have all of my hair the same length (no more taper) so that I can regularly microtrim the hem and battle the splits without having to S&D, which takes forever and seems depressingly pointless for me.

So, coarse hairs, is there anyone out there with the same 'cone issues as me, and has anyone found a miracle 'cone product that will actually last on hair for a full week (or can be re-applied without build up)? I've tried 'cone conditioner, and then coconut oil once it starts to wear off, 'cone conditioner and then 'cone leave in once it starts to wear off, and re-wetting and reconditioning with 'cones without shampooing, but all of these result in build up that looks and feels funky by day four or five...

[Wosie]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2a/M/C/ii.

2. How long is your hair?
- 27.6 inches the last time I measured (January 1st). It's right on the middle of my bra strap. :)

3. What is your hair care routine?
- Always CWC, but the products vary a tad.

4. Favorite products?
- I like Dr. Organic's coconut conditioner (protein) and Garnier Respons avocado oil & shea butter conditioner (moisturising). I also like to rinse with an ACV rinse once a week or so, I can quickly tell something's missing when I haven't done one for a while!
When it comes to oils I love coconut oil and argan oil is nice too. When I need something stronger I use some castor oil and mix it with argan- or coconut oil.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- It's hard to break it. :hmm: It makes the circumference and thus--the buns--bigger. :D

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- The frizz, OMG, the frizz. I think frizz on peeps with F hair looks nice and sweet, but some days when I look in the mirror and have a particular bad case of wiry threads sticking out here, there and everywhere, I just want to heavily oil it and put it away as fast as possible. D:

[yogagirl]

1. What is your complete hair type?
1c/M-C/ii

2. How long is your hair?
26 inches (almost BSL)

3. What is your hair care routine?
Pretty variable... I wash every 2-5 days, depending on how often I work out. When I wash, I wash and condition. If I just washed it the previous day, but I've worked out again and got my scalp sweaty, I do CO. My hair loves cones, but I have been using no-cone conditioner as well.

After washing, I damp bun for 1-3 hours. Then apply leave-in. Then air dry lower half while upper half is help up with claw thingy. Then I let the upper half down to air dry.

I barely ever brush my hair, because it doesn't tangle much. And because I'm lazy ;)


4. Favorite products?
I love all things Joico, at least the products I have tried so far. Bought at Ulta during their sales, the price is not too bad.

Recently tried for the first time: Joice Moisture Recovery conditioner for dry hair, which was AMAZING! Not sure how it will work in the long run.
After damp bunning I use as a leave-in: Joice K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil. Love the stuff on damp hair, even though I have virgin hair.
Shampoo: I use anything and everything, and once in a while I will shampoo once, then H&S to help with my (suspected) SD.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
Doesn't tangle! Is super strong. Looks fuller than it is.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
Gosh, the frizzzz ugh! And the irregular wave pattern I have and how the waves fall out no matter what I do. Though I'm not sure that's common to coarsies. (Sparkly, your waves look PHENOMENAL in your signature pic!! I wish mine were like that!)

[Sharysa]

Sparklylady: My awkward stage probably lasted so long because I'm short, so proportional length doesn't always mean my hair's actually long. Apparently 32 inches is waist length on average-height people, not hip-length like on me. :)

[Sparklylady82]

[QUOTE=Sparklylady82;2915602]OOOOH HI!!! :applause We are pretty close twins! I am 83% coarse, 9% medium, 8% fine! I have mostly 2b waves with a couple random ropey spirals underneath :-)

One question, do you get frizz? If so how do you combat it. What do you LOC with?


yep, we're pretty close :o

i do get frizz, oh yes but i don't mind it as much as i used to. When it is out of control, what i do is i wet my hair and apply a few drops of camellia oil on the lengths (concentrating on the frizz prone areas) and let it dry. Other times i'll run a few drops of mineral oil on dry hair instead (i can apply this one on wet, damp or dry hair).

The Loc method, i still haven't found the *perfect* combo :cool: my hair is very unpredictable so i have to adjust my routine from time to time. The one thing that i know works best regardless is i have to apply the oil before the leave in cream, oil or butter (shea) have to come first. i know for some it works best the other way around but my hair does not like it. I apply an oil first thing after shower (also it works best is my hair is soaking wet), then i wait 5-10 minutes and apply a leave in cream and that's it. Sometimes i can get away with a bit of mineral oil only and skip the cream but this wouldn't be the LOC method anymore i guess ;)

I will have to try the oil first! I usually use leave in first, then oil and sometimes a gel (I get too many tangles with gel now so usually not). So excited to have a hair twin!


1. What is your complete hair type?
1c/M-C/ii

2. How long is your hair?
26 inches (almost BSL)

3. What is your hair care routine?
Pretty variable... I wash every 2-5 days, depending on how often I work out. When I wash, I wash and condition. If I just washed it the previous day, but I've worked out again and got my scalp sweaty, I do CO. My hair loves cones, but I have been using no-cone conditioner as well.

After washing, I damp bun for 1-3 hours. Then apply leave-in. Then air dry lower half while upper half is help up with claw thingy. Then I let the upper half down to air dry.

I barely ever brush my hair, because it doesn't tangle much. And because I'm lazy ;)


4. Favorite products?
I love all things Joico, at least the products I have tried so far. Bought at Ulta during their sales, the price is not too bad.

Recently tried for the first time: Joice Moisture Recovery conditioner for dry hair, which was AMAZING! Not sure how it will work in the long run.
After damp bunning I use as a leave-in: Joice K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil. Love the stuff on damp hair, even though I have virgin hair.
Shampoo: I use anything and everything, and once in a while I will shampoo once, then H&S to help with my (suspected) SD.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
Doesn't tangle! Is super strong. Looks fuller than it is.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
Gosh, the frizzzz ugh! And the irregular wave pattern I have and how the waves fall out no matter what I do. Though I'm not sure that's common to coarsies. (Sparkly, your waves look PHENOMENAL in your signature pic!! I wish mine were like that!)

Thank you for the compliment! They only look like that if I have a proper wavy routine right after washing. My waves fall out pretty easy. I like to damp bun as well when I want my hair straighter looking. I have some crazy new growth and little hairs around my face that NEVER grow and If I don't damp bun or use a gel they are just frizzy and sticking out all crazy.


Sparklylady: My awkward stage probably lasted so long because I'm short, so proportional length doesn't always mean my hair's actually long. Apparently 32 inches is waist length on average-height people, not hip-length like on me. :)

Ah I see! I am short waisted so from BSL to Waist is pretty close! Lucky me!!! Unfortunately there is a lot of space to cover in my bum area so hip to classic will be a chore!

[thirstylocks]

1. What is your complete hair type?
1c/c/ii

2. How long is your hair?
bsl

3. What is your hair care routine?
wash twice a week with sulfate free shampoo and deep conditioner. always use leave - in.

4. Favorite products?
loreal sufate free line

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
i'm still learning to love and accept my hair

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
when they get super dry, my ends can literally stab someone they feel so sharp. also - frizz =/

[thirstylocks]

@sumidha - i'm also a course hair with strangely splitty ends. we seem to be working towards the same goal. i also want a straight hemline that is at my goal length (waist/tailbone) that i can eventually just keep trimming to get rid of the splits. glad to see theres another person with similar hair :)

[mamaherrera]

Here's another one: when your own coarse ends (like my bangs) flip and stick me in the eye, omg, that hurt for like three days, seriously!:tmi:

[Ambrielle]

Here's another one: when your own coarse ends (like my bangs) flip and stick me in the eye, omg, that hurt for like three days, seriously!:tmi:

yep :agree:
and i am starting to realize how prickly my ends are especially right after a trim. seriously they feel like tinny needles against my skin. I often joke about using my strands as cotton thread, i bet some of us could actually do this :rollin: i felt my friend's roomate's hair today and was jealous, silky, silky soft :bluebiggr:

[Monkshood]

Here's another one: when your own coarse ends (like my bangs) flip and stick me in the eye, omg, that hurt for like three days, seriously!:tmi:

Haha, oh dear... That was one of my reasons for growing out my straight across bangs. That and the forehead moustache, but the latter is more of a texture thing than a coarse hair thing.

I started filling out the questionnaire but then realized I didn't have anything to say, really. My hair was a pain at short to medium lengths, but at this point (slightly past TBL), it's pretty easy to deal with and I have no complaint. I shampoo (no SLS, no cones) and condition it once a week, and I'm good to go. It can get frizzy, but who cares? Not me!

[mamaherrera]

I don't know if it's a coarse thing, but my braids are never plump and thick, just wide and flat, is this is a coarse thing or no?

[JadedByEntropy]

Haha, oh dear... That was one of my reasons for growing out my straight across bangs. That and the forehead moustache, but the latter is more of a texture thing than a coarse hair thing.

I started filling out the questionnaire but then realized I didn't have anything to say, really. My hair was a pain at short to medium lengths, but at this point (slightly past TBL), it's pretty easy to deal with and I have no complaint. I shampoo (no SLS, no cones) and condition it once a week, and I'm good to go. It can get frizzy, but who cares? Not me!

is a forehead mustache bangs that flip out on the sides? That would be funny.


yep :agree:
and i am starting to realize how prickly my ends are especially right after a trim. seriously they feel like tinny needles against my skin. I often joke about using my strands as cotton thread, i bet some of us could actually do this :rollin: i felt my friend's roomate's hair today and was jealous, silky, silky soft :bluebiggr:

ooooh i love the prickles! when i used to compact cut mine i would leave it banded for a long time afterwards and play with the pointy ends. Felt just like a paintbrush. I miss that haircut just because of that.

[two_wheels]

Arrgh yes I remember having a fringe (British for 'bangs') and getting poked in the forehead. Ouchies! And the splinters when you get a haircut. Yet another reason not to bother with the hairdresser.

[yogagirl]

I don't know if it's a coarse thing, but my braids are never plump and thick, just wide and flat, is this is a coarse thing or no?
I have noticed that my hair does NOT want to bend. Any style that requires bending like buns and braids are really hard because the hair just springs apart to try and straighten out again. It makes braids kind of... long and skinny looking. And forget about "tucking ends under" in buns, ain't happenin! Is that what you mean?

[Monkshood]

is a forehead mustache bangs that flip out on the sides? That would be funny.

Yep! I think it was member KittyBird's descriptor. So, so accurate. Cracks me up every time.

[mamaherrera]

I have noticed that my hair does NOT want to bend. Any style that requires bending like buns and braids are really hard because the hair just springs apart to try and straighten out again. It makes braids kind of... long and skinny looking. And forget about "tucking ends under" in buns, ain't happenin! Is that what you mean?

Yeah, sounds like what you describe, like my braids are long and skinny, but my daughter, who has a good mix of f/m/c her braids are plumper, like the bumps are shorter/fatter, and mine are long/and not plump. I mean, granted, she has more hair than I do, but no matter how tight, I try and do them, they just don't ever look plump. And they never stay tight, like my hairs always want to be separted, (that's why they poof) because they just don't like to stay together. So my braids never feel "heavy" either, like they just "poof" out as much as they can, so they look wide, but they never feel "heavy." it does sound like it has to do with our texture.

[two_wheels]

I think the poofy updos are to be celebrated. Lots of people have to backcomb for that. We just have to gather our hair and... poof! :D

[JadedByEntropy]

Haha I love this thread!


Arrgh yes I remember having a fringe (British for 'bangs') and getting poked in the forehead. Ouchies! And the splinters when you get a haircut. Yet another reason not to bother with the hairdresser.

aaagh the splinters! :patrol: They hide in clothing and stab you when you think you finally got rid of the last of them. ugh!


I have noticed that my hair does NOT want to bend. Any style that requires bending like buns and braids are really hard because the hair just springs apart to try and straighten out again. It makes braids kind of... long and skinny looking. And forget about "tucking ends under" in buns, ain't happenin! Is that what you mean?

Bolded= my thoughts exactly! How that is supposed to fix anything, let alone work, is beyond me

[yogagirl]

I think the poofy updos are to be celebrated. Lots of people have to backcomb for that. We just have to gather our hair and... poof! :D
Oh I absolutely love the volume and messy updos, totally my style. Poof! It's magic! :D

[yogagirl]

I have to assume some people's hair actually stays when you tuck it under... :confused:
Mine only laughs at me and jumps back out. It'll even slowly find its way of a bobby pin :rolleyes:

[JadedByEntropy]

Mine are pretty well behaved with a bobby pin. Until i look away.

[two_wheels]

I always get obnoxious fluffy bits at the top of a lazy wrap bun
here (http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb359/wheels_two/20150108_zpsdcba60fb.jpg) is example (clicky rather than embedding because I photospam this forum quite enough)

[JadedByEntropy]

I always get obnoxious fluffy bits at the top of a lazy wrap bun
here (http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb359/wheels_two/20150108_zpsdcba60fb.jpg) is example (clicky rather than embedding because I photospam this forum quite enough)

:spitting: thats not even that bad though. Just a little poof, nothing coming alive.

You can probably even see in my new avatar that my naturally occurring neck-bangs are more like a cape and even when a proper length- cannot be held down. This is also with use of bobby pins. xD

[chen bao jun]

I think the poofy updos are to be celebrated. Lots of people have to backcomb for that. We just have to gather our hair and... poof! :D

Yes, I first started to realize my hair had benefits watching non LHC videos on YouTube and seeing how the women dry shampooed and hair sprayed and back combed and teased and curling ironed their hair before they even started the actual hairstyles, especially updoes.I was like, I don't have to do any of that nor do I have to bumpit or use pads or fake hair. I started to feel appreciative then.

It's not just being coarse, it's having texture. When I lived in Taiwan, they so admired my hair. I would make up does and they went crazy admiring how my hair stays up. The hair dressers were excited to work with it and would ju s t play with it doing different things. They all also had coarse hair, but theirs is slippery. They were admiring that mine is so black in color, they all wanted that and not all of them had it and also kept saying, how easy it is to work with, and I couldn't understand because I was always trying to get mine to lay flat and smooth and of course it doesn't do that.

[yogagirl]

Thank you for the compliment! They only look like that if I have a proper wavy routine right after washing. My waves fall out pretty easy. I like to damp bun as well when I want my hair straighter looking. I have some crazy new growth and little hairs around my face that NEVER grow and If I don't damp bun or use a gel they are just frizzy and sticking out all crazy.

Sparkly, may I ask what your wave routine is. I wonder if it would help with my waves too even though mine are much looser. I actually think damp bunning helps my waves -- or creates new looser ones maybe....? I haven't air dried without manipulating in a while.

[arelrios]

I think I belong here. I got some of the things you mentioned: paint brush ends, crunchy not soft ends, FRIZZ... mayor FRIZZ!, new growth sticking out like antennas ( specially my gray hairs), poofiness... etc.

It has been so out of control lately that I even considered getting a pixie...

[yogagirl]

I think I belong here. I got some of the things you mentioned: paint brush ends, crunchy not soft ends, FRIZZ... mayor FRIZZ!, new growth sticking out like antennas ( specially my gray hairs), poofiness... etc.

It has been so out of control lately that I even considered getting a pixie...
Do you use cones? I find my hair responds really well to them. The conditioner I mentioned above, Joico Moisture Recovery for dry hair, made a HUGE difference to me, no frizz even when freshly washed. Might be worth a try if you're frustrated enough you're considering a huge chop! Unless you really want short hair, of course :)

[arelrios]

Do you use cones? I find my hair responds really well to them. The conditioner I mentioned above, Joico Moisture Recovery for dry hair, made a HUGE difference to me, no frizz even when freshly washed. Might be worth a try if you're frustrated enough you're considering a huge chop! Unless you really want short hair, of course :)

Thanks for your comment, yogagirl! I am actually beginning to use cones because I want to see if I can 'save' my hair lol.... I might try the Joico line. I've heard good things. It seems like my hair likes protein so I might even try their protein items.

[Sharysa]

I don't know if it's a coarse thing, but my braids are never plump and thick, just wide and flat, is this is a coarse thing or no?

My braids are pretty plump thanks to my hair being thick as well as coarse. They are REALLY REALLY REALLY heavy, though. When newly braided, they look fantastic and smooth, but then the texture (1c/2a waves) kicks in after a few hours and I get caterpillar braids.

And paintbrush ends: NIGHTMARES. I love my fairy-tale ends and my deep u-hem, because I get nice wispy braid tassels like in a painting. Paintbrush ends are fine for other people but on myself it makes me remember my awkward stage, when my hair wouldn't stay in a braid because it was just too short.

[Sparklylady82]

I always get obnoxious fluffy bits at the top of a lazy wrap bun
here (http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb359/wheels_two/20150108_zpsdcba60fb.jpg) is example (clicky rather than embedding because I photospam this forum quite enough)

Off topic but I wish I knew how to link a pic using a word like that!!!

[two_wheels]

Off topic but I wish I knew how to link a pic using a word like that!!!
Just highlight the word, use the "insert link" button (world with a chain in front in the editor) and paste the direct image link in the box :) or reply to my message with quote to see the BB code

[JadedByEntropy]

Just highlight the word, use the "insert link" button (world with a chain in front in the editor) and paste the direct image link in the box :) or reply to my message with quote to see the BB code

cool. thats very useful, thanks :)

[DMARTINEZ]

Coarse cone head here! I have recently tried no cone again and NO WAY. Shea Moisture Hibiscus line to be exact. NO go for me,,felt like a brillo pad.
I can use oils,but that's on top or mixed in my coney serums! ;) I use Tresseme stuff,,it works!

[mamaherrera]

Maybe mine isn't coarse, but more medium, plus I have way lower density, but here's a pic of my long/skinny braid, so you get the idea!! http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12006&attachmentid=15239 I would love the PlUMP!!

[Aaroo]

Coarse haired checking in!

What I love about course hair is that breakage, split ends and such happen rarely so growing it is fairly easy.
What I don't like is that it never behaves and what I hate is my silliness in cutting bangs :((( They have grown a lot but still do not get into buns and as they have their own mind they are flying around all the time.

[meteor]

My BBB is mason pearson too hennalonghair, you're right, they are the best!! I do like me a tangle teezer and a denman too though.

Chen, I totally agree about the breakage thing. I'm clumsy and it's nice not to have to take huge levels of care not to break it.

I forgot to say, lots of people here recommend BBB inverted. But if I do that, no matter how careful I am, even if I hold my hair in my hands and put it back down carefully afterwards, boom! TANGLES. Very bad tangles. :confused: and mad hair that sticks out sideways :silly: Rowie? Anyone?

two_wheels, have you seen this way of brushing hair inverted, presented by LauraLongLocks? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKpcpmeNJ48
I think it really prevents extra tangles.
There is a discussion on this method on the Dr. George Michael Philosophy thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=61646&page=38):

I don't get the lowercase r effect you describe now that I am doing it this way, but before I learned this method, I always had the problem you describe. What you need to do after brushing with the BBB is to comb it again before trying to stand upright. Somehow the brushing makes the hair sort of stick together, so you need to comb afterwards. Comb it with a wide tooth comb, then split it from nape to forehead and hold half of your hair in each hand. Stand upright but don't let go. Lean to the left at your waist, let your left hand free, and fingercomb it out with your free left hand. Meanwhile, you hold onto the right side of your hair and do not let go of it. Once you have fingercombed it a bit, you can stand upright and place the hair behind your shoulder, or in front, it doesn't really matter. I am finding that at this point I like to have the hair placed in front of my shoulder because then it doesn't mix with the hair from the right side when I lean to the right and let go to fingercomb. Okay, so once you have the left side of your hair fingercombed and placed gently where you want it, then lean to the right at the waist and let go of your right hand. Fingercomb the right side while still leaning to the right. Continue fingercombing as you gradually stand erect. Now both halves of your hair should be detangled, but just to check, run a comb through it. Using a wide tooth comb, start at the bottom and work your way gradually up until you reach the scalp.

[Sparklylady82]

Just highlight the word, use the "insert link" button (world with a chain in front in the editor) and paste the direct image link in the box :) or reply to my message with quote to see the BB code

I'm really dumb...still don't get it but that's ok! One of these days the light will come on...:hmm:


Coarse cone head here! I have recently tried no cone again and NO WAY. Shea Moisture Hibiscus line to be exact. NO go for me,,felt like a brillo pad.
I can use oils,but that's on top or mixed in my coney serums! ;) I use Tresseme stuff,,it works!

I kinda feel like coney conditioners and cremes dull out my natural shine though<--- Gonna have to do more experimenting! I do like a coney serum though.


Maybe mine isn't coarse, but more medium, plus I have way lower density, but here's a pic of my long/skinny braid, so you get the idea!! http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12006&attachmentid=15239 I would love the PlUMP!!

I think it looks nice!


Coarse haired checking in!

What I love about course hair is that breakage, split ends and such happen rarely so growing it is fairly easy.
What I don't like is that it never behaves and what I hate is my silliness in cutting bangs :((( They have grown a lot but still do not get into buns and as they have their own mind they are flying around all the time.

Well I still get a lot of breakage BUT I just stopped highlighting my hair 9 months ago and I was REALLY BAAAAAD to my hair before so considering...it's held up really well :-D

[mamaherrera]

Thanks Sparkly lady. I don't like cones myself, as I then have to worry about clarifying!! But I have found since I do a good conditioner soak with Tresemme, every time I wash, my hair behaves fairly well, but ten I also live in New Mexico, so no humidity!!

[Sparklylady82]

Thanks Sparkly lady. I don't like cones myself, as I then have to worry about clarifying!! But I have found since I do a good conditioner soak with Tresemme, every time I wash, my hair behaves fairly well, but ten I also live in New Mexico, so no humidity!!

Not a lot of humidity where I live as well! Maybe that is the key.

[mamaherrera]

Maybe because I have often thought I lost half my hair density from when I was young, because it's a lot more tamed now, not as huge as it was as a teenager. But then my husband reminds me, 1) you take much better care of it, 2) you don't brush any more 3) you no longer live in WI.. it has to have an effect!! I don't know how much, but if people need different products when they travel to different places, obviously it's significant!

[yogagirl]

Maybe because I have often thought I lost half my hair density from when I was young, because it's a lot more tamed now, not as huge as it was as a teenager. But then my husband reminds me, 1) you take much better care of it, 2) you don't brush any more 3) you no longer live in WI.. it has to have an effect!! I don't know how much, but if people need different products when they travel to different places, obviously it's significant!
I'm pretty sure I also lost half of my hair compared to when I was a child/teenager. It depresses the heck out of me. I used to always have hair dressers commenting on my masses of hair and they would thin it for me. Now... not so much. I'm just worried that I will continue to lose more each year :-/

At least it's not that obvious with coarse hair :D

[going gray]

Hello ladies, this thread is exactly where I belong. My avatar photo was taken in Colorado, where it is extremely dry, I still use jumbo 3" mesh rollers to get that smooth look. My problem is we visit Florida a lot & my hair goes haywire just stepping out of the airport terminal.

Tried A LOT of products, read tons of articles, lots of great advice. The only thing that works is a hat!

Also need to add I have lost over a third of my volume, used to complain about it being so thick. But menopause took care of that, now I am left with a great deal of hair missing, a huge bald spot, right below my crown, so lucky my hair covers it!

Thank you all for this wonderful thread,
Linda

[meteor]

I am 83% coarse, 9% medium, 8% fine!
I'm curious, how do you guys figure out your type with such precision? Is there a DIY test? I've never had my hair analyzed under microscope, like what Komaza Hair Analysis (http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC0QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.komazahaircare.com%2Fproduct% 2Fcategory%2Fhair-analysis&ei=vOa3VM_5KYWzyATov4HoAg&usg=AFQjCNFoC6Tz_G4aF_gRH6h4ApG_g2s43g&bvm=bv.83640239,d.aWw) or Goosefootprints (https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoosefootPrints/about)does.

I'm not entirely sure I'm a solid coarsie (I've seen some hair that's like wires), and I do have some fine hair around the temples, but I relate to practically all the problems mentioned here, especially the humorous bits about bugs being stuck in hair and paintbrush ends.


1. What is your complete hair type?
1c/2a - M/C - iii - my hair grows dense and mildly wavy (straightens out under its own weight). I'm really not sure about my texture as it changes quite a bit, depending on length, relative humidity / dew-points, products and many other factors.

2. How long is your hair?
44'' (TBL+)

3. What is your hair care routine?

Nothing fixed. S&C, to which I sometimes add pre-poo oil treatments and leave-ins (oils and cremes), so S&C can sometimes turn into CWC+LOC or OSCO (pre-poo oil - S&C - sealing oil), when it's dry.

I think that coarse hair is hard to overwhelm with oils/cone serums. I use 10 times as much conditioner as shampoo and love oils and silicones, and I can get silky hair with these products, if I use enough.

4. Favorite products?

Oils and cones.
I tend to use lots of coconut oil and shea butter, but lighter oils like grapeseed or mineral are great, too.
I like hydrolyzed proteins on my ends from time to time, but that's probably due to old damage from highlights there.

I feel that products that say that they are made to "tame rebellious hair" or "fight frizz" are often marketing code for coarse.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

Strength and resilience, absolutely. :agree:
I really think that people with coarse hair have an easier time growing it long, because retaining length is easier, as breakage/splits and other damage are simply not a big issue.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that even when we stop trimming, we don't seem to get serious taper, if we don't damage hair or cut in layers.

I abused my hair massively in the past, and it was still relatively OK.
If I don't abuse it, I simply don't get any split ends, breakage, frizz... or any other hair problems.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

I think my hair needs to be weighed down and contained (by lots of product and/or wet-setting in braids/buns), otherwise it can stick out and tangle and it is hard to tame, so I can use a lot of product before it starts making any difference. So if I want to get silky hair, I really need oils and cones and rich conditioners by palmfuls. My understanding is that fine hair doesn't need any of that to be silky.

Also, if it's windy or if I walk fast or run or dance with my hair down, my hair doesn't seem to fly everywhere and bounce around easily, like I see it on other people. It's heavy and moves like a blanket or a slow fat tail. :lol: Is that a coarse thing? :hmm:

[going gray]

Sorry for the duplicate post, tried to delete it.

[going gray]

Hello ladies, this thread is exactly where I belong. My avatar photo was taken in Colorado, where it is extremely dry, I still use jumbo 3" mesh rollers to get that smooth look. My problem is we visit Florida a lot & my hair goes haywire just stepping out of the airport terminal.

Tried A LOT of products, read tons of articles, lots of great advice. The only thing that works is a hat!

I have also lost a third of my volume due to menopause, used to curse my thick hair, what an idiot. It also left me with a huge bald spot below my crown, you can see part of it in my avatar. Still I am very grateful for my hair.


Thank you all for this wonderful thread,
Linda

[Sparklylady82]

I'm curious, how do you guys figure out your type with such precision? Is there a DIY test? I've never had my hair analyzed under microscope, like what Komaza Hair Analysis (http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC0QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.komazahaircare.com%2Fproduct% 2Fcategory%2Fhair-analysis&ei=vOa3VM_5KYWzyATov4HoAg&usg=AFQjCNFoC6Tz_G4aF_gRH6h4ApG_g2s43g&bvm=bv.83640239,d.aWw) or Goosefootprints (https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoosefootPrints/about)does.

I'm not entirely sure I'm a solid coarsie (I've seen some hair that's like wires), and I do have some fine hair around the temples, but I relate to practically all the problems mentioned here, especially the humorous bits about bugs being stuck in hair and paintbrush ends.


1. What is your complete hair type?
1c/2a - M/C - iii - my hair grows dense and mildly wavy (straightens out under its own weight). I'm really not sure about my texture as it changes quite a bit, depending on length, relative humidity / dew-points, products and many other factors.

2. How long is your hair?
44'' (TBL+)

3. What is your hair care routine?

Nothing fixed. S&C, to which I sometimes add pre-poo oil treatments and leave-ins (oils and cremes), so S&C can sometimes turn into CWC+LOC or OSCO (pre-poo oil - S&C - sealing oil), when it's dry.

I think that coarse hair is hard to overwhelm with oils/cone serums. I use 10 times as much conditioner as shampoo and love oils and silicones, and I can get silky hair with these products, if I use enough.

4. Favorite products?

Oils and cones.
I tend to use lots of coconut oil and shea butter, but lighter oils like grapeseed or mineral are great, too.
I like hydrolyzed proteins on my ends from time to time, but that's probably due to old damage from highlights there.

I feel that products that say that they are made to "tame rebellious hair" or "fight frizz" are often marketing code for coarse.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

Strength and resilience, absolutely. :agree:
I really think that people with coarse hair have an easier time growing it long, because retaining length is easier, as breakage/splits and other damage are simply not a big issue.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that even when we stop trimming, we don't seem to get serious taper, if we don't damage hair or cut in layers.

I abused my hair massively in the past, and it was still relatively OK.
If I don't abuse it, I simply don't get any split ends, breakage, frizz... or any other hair problems.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

I think my hair needs to be weighed down and contained (by lots of product and/or wet-setting in braids/buns), otherwise it can stick out and tangle and it is hard to tame, so I can use a lot of product before it starts making any difference. So if I want to get silky hair, I really need oils and cones and rich conditioners by palmfuls. My understanding is that fine hair doesn't need any of that to be silky.

Also, if it's windy or if I walk fast or run or dance with my hair down, my hair doesn't seem to fly everywhere and bounce around easily, like I see it on other people. It's heavy and moves like a blanket or a slow fat tail. :lol: Is that a coarse thing? :hmm:

Hi Meteor! Yes I used Goosefootprints for a hair analysis. It was well worth it and she was a pleasure to work with! I think you must have similiar hair to mine. I have a lot of fine hair around my hairline. It's crazy because when I am doing S&D I can tell which are coarse and fine. I can feel the snip with my coarse hairs and the fine look thing and they make no "noise" when snipped. The hairs around my face break much easier and are also wavier than the coarse hairs <-- which is annoying to me! I love all your product advice! Do you have any specific coney product recomendations. I am wanting to try them again since I am growing out bleach damage and am noticing breakage :-(


Hello ladies, this thread is exactly where I belong. My avatar photo was taken in Colorado, where it is extremely dry, I still use jumbo 3" mesh rollers to get that smooth look. My problem is we visit Florida a lot & my hair goes haywire just stepping out of the airport terminal.

Tried A LOT of products, read tons of articles, lots of great advice. The only thing that works is a hat!

Thank you all for this wonderful thread,
Linda

Welcome! There is a lot of great advice here :-)


Sparkly, may I ask what your wave routine is. I wonder if it would help with my waves too even though mine are much looser. I actually think damp bunning helps my waves -- or creates new looser ones maybe....? I haven't air dried without manipulating in a while.

Hi Yogagirl! I must have overlooked your question, sorry! I usually use the LOC method. There is a thread on it and I will add link later :-) So a leave-in, oil is applied to soaking wet hair and I scrunch those products in! I air-dry and once it starts to dry around the canopy I scrunch in a creme like Loeral Sulfate free creme or garnier pure and clean pomade. Any finishing product that is kinda creamy will do! This works very well but beware applying products to soaking wet hair takes a LONG time to dry. Takes all day usually.


Hello ladies, this thread is exactly where I belong. My avatar photo was taken in Colorado, where it is extremely dry, I still use jumbo 3" mesh rollers to get that smooth look. My problem is we visit Florida a lot & my hair goes haywire just stepping out of the airport terminal.

Tried A LOT of products, read tons of articles, lots of great advice. The only thing that works is a hat!

I have also lost a third of my volume due to menopause, used to curse my thick hair, what an idiot. It also left me with a huge bald spot below my crown, you can see part of it in my avatar. Still I am very grateful for my hair.


Thank you all for this wonderful thread,
Linda

Hi! may I ask how you set your hair? Do you use a hooded dryer or just air dry?

[meteor]

Hi Meteor! Yes I used Goosefootprints for a hair analysis. It was well worth it and she was a pleasure to work with! I think you must have similiar hair to mine. I have a lot of fine hair around my hairline. It's crazy because when I am doing S&D I can tell which are coarse and fine. I can feel the snip with my coarse hairs and the fine look thing and they make no "noise" when snipped. The hairs around my face break much easier and are also wavier than the coarse hairs <-- which is annoying to me! I love all your product advice! Do you have any specific coney product recomendations. I am wanting to try them again since I am growing out bleach damage and am noticing breakage :-(

:) Yes, that does sound exactly like what I experience. It's as if the fine and light-colored hairs in the front don't belong on the same head as the super-coarse and dark hairs in the nape area. Their diameter and texture are visibly very different.
As for coney products, I have success with almost anything I try. I am a big fan of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum (http://www.garnierusa.com/products/haircare/sleek-and-shine/treatment/sleek-shine-anti-frizz-serum-5-1oz.aspx) and the leave-in from the same line works well, too. I also like their GF Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil (http://www.garnierusa.com/products/haircare/triple-nutrition/treatment/triple-nutrition-miracle-dry-oil-5oz.aspx) and I've had excellent results with MoroccanOil Treatment (http://www.moroccanoil.com/usa/h_us_en/moroccanoil-treatment), but I don't recommend it because of obscene pricing, as one can get the same results with a countless number of other coney serums out there for a fraction of the price! I think extra slip from silicones is extremely helpful on long hair with texture and/or high porosity.

Also, since you are growing out bleach damage, too, maybe you'll like hydrolyzed proteins on your ends? Joico K-Pak Reconstructor (http://www.joico.com/products/k-pak-reconstructor/) is great, and so is Aphogee 2-step (http://aphogee.com/two-step-protein-treatment-for-professional-use/) (it's intense though!) or even dissolved gelatin (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html)in hot water and conditioner! ;) I find that my bleached ends require significantly more intense treatment than my virgin hair and they also absorb oils more readily. I like putting coconut oil on bleached ends, for example Vatika enriched coconut oil (http://www.dabur.com/Products-Personal%20Care-Vatika%20Hair%20Oil).

[arelrios]

Same mix of hairs here too... very fine in the hairline (even lighter) and dark, rough, thick elsewhere.

I had no idea about that "extra slip from silicones is extremely helpful on long hair with texture and/or high porosity"... I've been trying to avoid cones since I joined ... silly me ...

I do believe I have high porosity because my hair loves gelatin. I am able to do a full pack of Knox and I don't need to moisturize after...

Perhaps I need to try the 'pre-made' protein treatments.

Completely off topic... I have a friend that has TBL hair and never had colored it. ... she mentioned the other day that once you color it, the hair changes forever and basically you cannot call it virgin again... Is this true?

Sorry for the topic derailment...

[going gray]

Hello,

I use only 6 mesh rollers, & let it air dry. My hair has so much porosity it drys in about 4 hours. I have also stopped coloring after 28 years, decided to embrace my silvers, just as long as I never do anything idiotic & cut it short again!

[going gray]

Sparkling Lady, the above was meant for you, I am using a iPad & screwing this up badly!

[mamaherrera]

speaking of those super fine and light colored hairs. I'd rather have them where you all have them. I find them anywhere throughout my head growing, I don't know if they are dyeing follicles or what. But I lose like three of those super thin hairs that only grow 3-4 inches long. And they don't come from the hairline, they are dispersed throughout! They are finer than my infant child's hairs.

[JadedByEntropy]

Completely off topic... I have a friend that has TBL hair and never had colored it. ... she mentioned the other day that once you color it, the hair changes forever and basically you cannot call it virgin again... Is this true?

Sorry for the topic derailment...

no? Yes, the hairs themselves are fried and cannot be virgin again. BUT the new growth is virgin hair, even of the same strands. Putting those chemicals on your head doesn't change the productive pore any. The new hair is virgin until you dye it again. Thus the never ending touchups...

[arelrios]

no? Yes, the hairs themselves are fried and cannot be virgin again. BUT the new growth is virgin hair, even of the same strands. Putting those chemicals on your head doesn't change the productive pore any. The new hair is virgin until you dye it again. Thus the never ending touchups...

This is what I thought... thanks so much for confirming :)

[meteor]

I had no idea about that "extra slip from silicones is extremely helpful on long hair with texture and/or high porosity"... I've been trying to avoid cones since I joined ... silly me ...

Some people avoid silicones because they straighten out their wave/curl, weighing down hair, or because their skin reacts to them or because they know that silicones mask damage and they don't want that. But the upside of cones is that the slip they provide helps detangle hair easier and prevent tangles, therefore preventing some mechanical damage, not to mention the shine they provide.
They are generally very safe on both skin and hair. However, see what your hair and scalp prefers (cone-y or cone-free) and go with that. :D


I do believe I have high porosity because my hair loves gelatin. I am able to do a full pack of Knox and I don't need to moisturize after...

Perhaps I need to try the 'pre-made' protein treatments.

Since your hair loves gelatin, I'd just keep doing it! ;) The commercial products I mentioned (Joico and Aphogee) are famous for their strength and target specifically damaged/porous hair. Gotta be careful not to overdo it, or else hair can turn dry and brittle.



Completely off topic... I have a friend that has TBL hair and never had colored it. ... she mentioned the other day that once you color it, the hair changes forever and basically you cannot call it virgin again... Is this true?

Sorry for the topic derailment...

I really agree with JadedByEntropy. :) Any new growth is going to be virgin. Just make sure you don't put any of those bleach/dye chemicals on your skin/scalp (and use Vaseline or something to protect skin), as it can be pretty damaging.
My understanding is that virgin hair is any hair that hasn't been permanently changed from its natural structure.
So relaxed, permed, rebonded, bleached, permanently dyed, henna-ed hair is non-virgin hair, and so is hair that's gone through brazilian/japanese straightenings, heat damage, etc.

[arelrios]

Thanks for the detailed post, meteor... and trust me, I am not putting any color/bleach on my hair.... ever again! ... I made that mistake once and learned my lesson...

My mom suggested this weekend that perhaps I should try henna (I was explaining to her the little I know about it) to cover my grays and I simply answered "no way" ... I am not coloring my hair ... not even with natural/temporary dyes ...

[meteor]

Hi Meteor! Yes I used Goosefootprints for a hair analysis.

Oh, Sparklylady82, I totally forgot to ask: Did Goosefootprints report recommend any products or ingredients or hair care tips for your hair type? I would imagine those recommendations could apply to many coarsies. :)

[Sparklylady82]

:) Yes, that does sound exactly like what I experience. It's as if the fine and light-colored hairs in the front don't belong on the same head as the super-coarse and dark hairs in the nape area. Their diameter and texture are visibly very different.
As for coney products, I have success with almost anything I try. I am a big fan of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum (http://www.garnierusa.com/products/haircare/sleek-and-shine/treatment/sleek-shine-anti-frizz-serum-5-1oz.aspx) and the leave-in from the same line works well, too. I also like their GF Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil (http://www.garnierusa.com/products/haircare/triple-nutrition/treatment/triple-nutrition-miracle-dry-oil-5oz.aspx) and I've had excellent results with MoroccanOil Treatment (http://www.moroccanoil.com/usa/h_us_en/moroccanoil-treatment), but I don't recommend it because of obscene pricing, as one can get the same results with a countless number of other coney serums out there for a fraction of the price! I think extra slip from silicones is extremely helpful on long hair with texture and/or high porosity.

Also, since you are growing out bleach damage, too, maybe you'll like hydrolyzed proteins on your ends? Joico K-Pak Reconstructor (http://www.joico.com/products/k-pak-reconstructor/) is great, and so is Aphogee 2-step (http://aphogee.com/two-step-protein-treatment-for-professional-use/) (it's intense though!) or even dissolved gelatin (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html)in hot water and conditioner! ;) I find that my bleached ends require significantly more intense treatment than my virgin hair and they also absorb oils more readily. I like putting coconut oil on bleached ends, for example Vatika enriched coconut oil (http://www.dabur.com/Products-Personal%20Care-Vatika%20Hair%20Oil).

Thank you for the recomendations!


Hello,

I use only 6 mesh rollers, & let it air dry. My hair has so much porosity it drys in about 4 hours. I have also stopped coloring after 28 years, decided to embrace my silvers, just as long as I never do anything idiotic & cut it short again!

Thank you for the answer. I have a low to medium porosity so rollers take 8+ hours on me...you are so lucky!


Sparkling Lady, the above was meant for you, I am using a iPad & screwing this up badly!

<3


Oh, Sparklylady82, I totally forgot to ask: Did Goosefootprints report recommend any products or ingredients or hair care tips for your hair type? I would imagine those recommendations could apply to many coarsies. :)

I'd be happy to share! Just for reference I have coarse hair with low-medium porosity and very high on my ends from past damage. I think once I grow out damage I will be of low-normal porosity.

Anyway, here are some coarse hair rec's:
-Coarse hair usually DOES NOT benefit from protein UNLESS damage is there than it may benefit (smaller-medium hydrologized proteins are best)
-Conditioners that increase "slip" including silicone-based ingredients. (CG's generally stay away from cones but not all have really long hair so I think that is subjective to the ultimate goal)
- Oils can help seal the moisture into hair which coarse hair needs since it is not as flexible.

I'll leave you with a quote from my hand out from Goosefootprints "Coarse hair may feel slippery and silky or it may feel more rigid. It is not uncommon for people with slippery, silky, coarse hair to have been told it is fine hair. The difference is that fine hair is never heavy. Fine hair does not have a lot of weight."

I think this is great to know if one is not sure weather they have coarse hair or not! I always thought I just had medium hair. One other thing to note is that she said that there is a wide range of coarse hairs. Coarse hairs are greater than 80 microns in width so: 80-95 microns= slightly coarse hair, 95-110 microns= moderately coarse & 110 and higher= very coarse hair

My hair personally is 95 microns so it could be considered slightly-moderately coarse :-)

HTH!!!
-
-

[mamaherrera]

Mine must be slightly coarse becuase it's not heavy, in fact it's heavy-ier when it's wet. When it drys, it poofs and it's light as a feather, unlike my daughter who has F/M/C hair, and her hair is heavy, but part of it is the difference in texture, and curl. Hers is probably 2A at best, and it's heavy and mine weighs nothing, so does that mean it's probably not coarse at all then?? I"m confused, as I'm pretty sure it's coarse, or maybe it's medium but with a rigid texture, because you can feel the texture. or is it light because it's lower density?? Curious!

[mamaherrera]

I have another question. I had a hair analysis done a few years ago, by another person, I forget the name, but supposedly they are not doing it any longer. They said my hair was medium texture, but how can one be sure. My husband says that my hairs are thicker than all my children's and they have texture, like if you run your finger down them, they are not smooth. Can you have medium thick strands but with texture?? Not all are like that, but many of them. Just curious, because maybe I don't have coarse hair.

[going gray]

Hi Sparkly Lady,
The only reason it dries so fast is because of the gray in my hair, that & I've lost so much volume. At your age it took all day to dry! I never used a blow dryer either, everything was a disaster, stuck in the "dark ages" with my mesh rollers.

Love this thread......

[Ambrielle]

Thank you for the recomendations!



Thank you for the answer. I have a low to medium porosity so rollers take 8+ hours on me...you are so lucky!



<3



I'd be happy to share! Just for reference I have coarse hair with low-medium porosity and very high on my ends from past damage. I think once I grow out damage I will be of low-normal porosity.

Anyway, here are some coarse hair rec's:
-Coarse hair usually DOES NOT benefit from protein UNLESS damage is there than it may benefit (smaller-medium hydrologized proteins are best)
-Conditioners that increase "slip" including silicone-based ingredients. (CG's generally stay away from cones but not all have really long hair so I think that is subjective to the ultimate goal)
- Oils can help seal the moisture into hair which coarse hair needs since it is not as flexible.

I'll leave you with a quote from my hand out from Goosefootprints "Coarse hair may feel slippery and silky or it may feel more rigid. It is not uncommon for people with slippery, silky, coarse hair to have been told it is fine hair. The difference is that fine hair is never heavy. Fine hair does not have a lot of weight."

I think this is great to know if one is not sure weather they have coarse hair or not! I always thought I just had medium hair. One other thing to note is that she said that there is a wide range of coarse hairs. Coarse hairs are greater than 80 microns in width so: 80-95 microns= slightly coarse hair, 95-110 microns= moderately coarse & 110 and higher= very coarse hair

My hair personally is 95 microns so it could be considered slightly-moderately coarse :-)

HTH!!!
-
-

thank you for sharing Sparklylady82, i can honestly say the advice fits what works and doesn't for my coarse heavy hair and like yourself i also have a mix of medium and high porosity . My hair can feel very, very soft when properly moisturized but never silky smooth. I can barely use any protein except for very small amounts of hydrolyzed ones (i do best with those light and mild ones), say once every month or every two months, the reason why i include these in my routine is because i did overdose on moisture once to my disbelief at first :lol:. I also do very well with cones and oils to seal in moisture but jojoba oil acts like protein on my hair. Henna and coconut oil condition my hair. I mention this because i am aware these act like protein treatments on some manes too.

[Sparklylady82]

Mine must be slightly coarse becuase it's not heavy, in fact it's heavy-ier when it's wet. When it drys, it poofs and it's light as a feather, unlike my daughter who has F/M/C hair, and her hair is heavy, but part of it is the difference in texture, and curl. Hers is probably 2A at best, and it's heavy and mine weighs nothing, so does that mean it's probably not coarse at all then?? I"m confused, as I'm pretty sure it's coarse, or maybe it's medium but with a rigid texture, because you can feel the texture. or is it light because it's lower density?? Curious!


I have another question. I had a hair analysis done a few years ago, by another person, I forget the name, but supposedly they are not doing it any longer. They said my hair was medium texture, but how can one be sure. My husband says that my hairs are thicker than all my children's and they have texture, like if you run your finger down them, they are not smooth. Can you have medium thick strands but with texture?? Not all are like that, but many of them. Just curious, because maybe I don't have coarse hair.

The texture you speak of may be what is called "kinking". I am no expert but from what I've read from the analysis is that kinks may be preent on any hairtype and are "a sudden narrowing in a hair shaft, as though it had been pinched tightly, or a widened area. It can be a directional change" ~goosefoot prints document

Another thing the documents states about kinking is that the "hairs do not line up with their neighbors easily, have a tendendy to feel dry and may break easily".

* she recomends low doses of protein during cleansing and applying a mix of coconut oil and cocoa butter to damp or dry hair

Do you have a picture of your hair? Maybe we can help!

[Sparklylady82]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By-NyYneQWIiNUZUemI3LW84MlhpODViMzJ2WUlqS3BjeGZR/view?usp=sharing

This may be helpful. A document from goosefootprints just describing what to look for in products for different hair types. **Not sure If it's allowed to share a link to a doc but if not mods can delete

[meteor]

Thanks a lot for sharing, Sparklylady82! :D
This advice makes a lot of sense, and I've always read that, generally speaking, hydrolyzed proteins are for fineys and oils and cones are for coarsies: proteins give volume and structure to fine hair, while cones and oils smooth/weigh down and tame coarse hair. (And damaged hair needs all of the above. :) )
By the way, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe GoosefootPrints hair analysis is done by the same lady who writes the awesome Science-y Hair Blog (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/managing-elasticity-and-porosity-in-hair.html)? That blog covers lots of great information on porosity, elasticity, texture...

[mamaherrera]

Thansk, I will add a link to my hairs, you have some interesting info that's for sure. I thought that when you have coarse hair, you have "texture" to the hair, so this is all new for me. It's not even kinkys I feel, it's just more like my daughter, who has fine hair, her hairs are just so slipppery, and mine, you feel a slight "roughness" to them as they go through my two fingers. Or maybe it is a directional change, as my hair is wavy, who knows!! Let me know what you all think, compared to your hairs, and maybe mine aren't coarse, but just medium, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12006&attachmentid=15283
My analysis was from "live curly, live free" if I recall correctly. . . . so I don't know if any of you know how accurate they are. I guess the reason I don't want to send hairs in for goosefootprints is because I don't want to risk hearing I have damage from my weekly henna root treatments!!!
How long does your hair take to try if it's just loose, not in rollers, and with gel???

[Sparklylady82]

Thanks a lot for sharing, Sparklylady82! :D
This advice makes a lot of sense, and I've always read that, generally speaking, hydrolyzed proteins are for fineys and oils and cones are for coarsies: proteins give volume and structure to fine hair, while cones and oils smooth/weigh down and tame coarse hair. (And damaged hair needs all of the above. :) )
By the way, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe GoosefootPrints hair analysis is done by the same lady who writes the awesome Science-y Hair Blog (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/managing-elasticity-and-porosity-in-hair.html)? That blog covers lots of great information on porosity, elasticity, texture...


Thansk, I will add a link to my hairs, you have some interesting info that's for sure. I thought that when you have coarse hair, you have "texture" to the hair, so this is all new for me. It's not even kinkys I feel, it's just more like my daughter, who has fine hair, her hairs are just so slipppery, and mine, you feel a slight "roughness" to them as they go through my two fingers. Or maybe it is a directional change, as my hair is wavy, who knows!! Let me know what you all think, compared to your hairs, and maybe mine aren't coarse, but just medium, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12006&attachmentid=15283
My analysis was from "live curly, live free" if I recall correctly. . . . so I don't know if any of you know how accurate they are. I guess the reason I don't want to send hairs in for goosefootprints is because I don't want to risk hearing I have damage from my weekly henna root treatments!!!
How long does your hair take to try if it's just loose, not in rollers, and with gel???

My hair takes about 3-4 hours to dry if loose. I really don't use gel that often but it takes a lot longer like 6 hours then.

[Sparklylady82]

whoopsie double post..

[Sparklylady82]

Thanks a lot for sharing, Sparklylady82! :D
This advice makes a lot of sense, and I've always read that, generally speaking, hydrolyzed proteins are for fineys and oils and cones are for coarsies: proteins give volume and structure to fine hair, while cones and oils smooth/weigh down and tame coarse hair. (And damaged hair needs all of the above. :) )
By the way, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe GoosefootPrints hair analysis is done by the same lady who writes the awesome Science-y Hair Blog (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/managing-elasticity-and-porosity-in-hair.html)? That blog covers lots of great information on porosity, elasticity, texture...

Yes I believe you are right!


Thansk, I will add a link to my hairs, you have some interesting info that's for sure. I thought that when you have coarse hair, you have "texture" to the hair, so this is all new for me. It's not even kinkys I feel, it's just more like my daughter, who has fine hair, her hairs are just so slipppery, and mine, you feel a slight "roughness" to them as they go through my two fingers. Or maybe it is a directional change, as my hair is wavy, who knows!! Let me know what you all think, compared to your hairs, and maybe mine aren't coarse, but just medium, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12006&attachmentid=15283
My analysis was from "live curly, live free" if I recall correctly. . . . so I don't know if any of you know how accurate they are. I guess the reason I don't want to send hairs in for goosefootprints is because I don't want to risk hearing I have damage from my weekly henna root treatments!!!
How long does your hair take to try if it's just loose, not in rollers, and with gel???

My hair takes about 3-4 hours to dry if loose. I really don't use gel that often but it takes a lot longer like 6 hours then.

[yogagirl]

Wow, so much information here! Thank you Sparkly!




Thansk, I will add a link to my hairs, you have some interesting info that's for sure. I thought that when you have coarse hair, you have "texture" to the hair, so this is all new for me. It's not even kinkys I feel, it's just more like my daughter, who has fine hair, her hairs are just so slipppery, and mine, you feel a slight "roughness" to them as they go through my two fingers. Or maybe it is a directional change, as my hair is wavy, who knows!! Let me know what you all think, compared to your hairs, and maybe mine aren't coarse, but just medium, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=12006&attachmentid=15283
My analysis was from "live curly, live free" if I recall correctly. . . . so I don't know if any of you know how accurate they are. I guess the reason I don't want to send hairs in for goosefootprints is because I don't want to risk hearing I have damage from my weekly henna root treatments!!!
How long does your hair take to try if it's just loose, not in rollers, and with gel???
I think I know what you mean. I always call mine horse hair, because that's what I think a horse's mane would feel like. Most of my hairs look like yours in the photo: not curly, but definitely not straight, a sort of irregular waviness.

And there are definitely some that are kinky. Once in a while I find an incredibly kinky one and it does break VERY easily. Does anybody know, are these very kinky and prone to breaking hairs damaged or were they always this way? When I find them, I am always amazed that they got so long before crumbling to pieces.

[Sparklylady82]

Thanks a lot for sharing, Sparklylady82! :D
This advice makes a lot of sense, and I've always read that, generally speaking, hydrolyzed proteins are for fineys and oils and cones are for coarsies: proteins give volume and structure to fine hair, while cones and oils smooth/weigh down and tame coarse hair. (And damaged hair needs all of the above. :) )
By the way, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe GoosefootPrints hair analysis is done by the same lady who writes the awesome Science-y Hair Blog (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/managing-elasticity-and-porosity-in-hair.html)? That blog covers lots of great information on porosity, elasticity, texture...


Wow, so much information here! Thank you Sparkly!




I think I know what you mean. I always call mine horse hair, because that's what I think a horse's mane would feel like. Most of my hairs look like yours in the photo: not curly, but definitely not straight, a sort of irregular waviness.

And there are definitely some that are kinky. Once in a while I find an incredibly kinky one and it does break VERY easily. Does anybody know, are these very kinky and prone to breaking hairs damaged or were they always this way? When I find them, I am always amazed that they got so long before crumbling to pieces.

You are welcome :hifive: Yes, kinking hairs are more prone to breakage definately! They are not damaged but because of the "turns and twists etc." it makes them more fragile. I don't have any kinking hairs but this is what the hand out says about that :-D

[arelrios]

So, yesterday I spent a few hours with gelatin on my hair... After I washed it, my hair feels really nice... as soft as coarse hair can get lol....

My ends are not that rough anymore... :applause:cheese:

[meteor]

So, yesterday I spent a few hours with gelatin on my hair... After I washed it, my hair feels really nice... as soft as coarse hair can get lol....

My ends are not that rough anymore... :applause:cheese:

Sounds awesome! Congratulations! :applause
Could you share the ratios/recipe please? I really love gelatin for hair myself! ;)

[arelrios]

Thanks meteor! ... Well, the ratios I am not sure... It is more a test/error when it comes to quantities... For sure I do: 1 packet of knox gelatin, a tablespoon of: honey & conditioner and a splash of ACV... all mixed in a little bit of water (just enough to cover my full head - maybe 1 or 2 ounces)

Yesterday I left it for a few hours, just because I was busy cleaning around, but I don't think it is really necessary to leave it that long. After I cowashed as usual

[meteor]

^ Thank you so very much for the info, arelrios! :D Sounds great!
I tend to use the same ingredients, and it's good to know gelatin treatments can be left in hair for longer. :)

[Sparklylady82]

Thanks meteor! ... Well, the ratios I am not sure... It is more a test/error when it comes to quantities... For sure I do: 1 packet of knox gelatin, a tablespoon of: honey & conditioner and a splash of ACV... all mixed in a little bit of water (just enough to cover my full head - maybe 1 or 2 ounces)

Yesterday I left it for a few hours, just because I was busy cleaning around, but I don't think it is really necessary to leave it that long. After I cowashed as usual

I really need to try this!

[arelrios]

It was really a revelation the first time I tried it... when I was washing my hair, I could feel it softer, more slippery... oh, and I forgot to mentioned that my 'waves' were better shaped after I took my hair down from the turbie type thing that I usually dry with....

Today, my hair is definitely "calmer" ;)

[two_wheels]

Haiku for my comrades-in-coarsery:

Pulled stick out of bun
Hoping for mini-bun-drop
Hair stayed where it was

[maggiealisa]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2a/2b/M/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
-Blegh, pixie cut. I recently had all of the dye cut out so I could start anew. The top toward the front is the longest part, at 4 inches. The sides and back are all between 1.5-2 inches.

3. What is your hair care routine?
- I am a daily washer! I've tried so many times to stretch the amount of time between washings, but I just can't do it, not because my hair is oily or anything, but because I love to start my day with a shower and hair wash. I use Acure Organics shampoo and conditioner. As a leave in, I use coconut oil with a bit of castor oil, and any random doTerra essential oil. My favorites are rosemary, lavender, and peppermint. I also do a scalp massage with castor or olive oil and rosemary essential oil every night. I don't use any heat or dye.

4. Favorite products?
- Acure Organics! I love their mint shampoo and conditioner.
- Out of Africa vanilla shea butter.
- Coconut oil! I would be lost without it.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- It isn't easily damaged. It isn't flat or limp, and doesn't get greasy.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- Frizz, and the random patch of super coarse, wiry hair I have at my crown.

My coarseness was definitely exacerbated by hair dye. Since I cut out the rest of the dye, my coarse hair doesn't seem quite as coarse.

[arelrios]

Haiku for my comrades-in-coarsery:

Pulled stick out of bun
Hoping for mini-bun-drop
Hair stayed where it was

:rollin::rollin::rollin::rollin: I know the feeling....

Does it happen to you, ladies, that the longer hair hasn't been washed the nicer it behaves ?... but the greasiness and stinkiness on the scalp is out of control???? :(

[Madora]

:rollin::rollin::rollin::rollin: I know the feeling....

Does it happen to you, ladies, that the longer hair hasn't been washed the nicer it behaves ?... but the greasiness and stinkiness on the scalp is out of control???? :(

Yes, to your first question. It is easier to handle after a week or two. I've never had any problems with greasiness or odor because I brush my hair with a clean boar bristle brush every day. But eventually the greasiness/smell does catch up with you.

[arelrios]

Thanks Madora.... right now I am CO washing every 4 or 5 days... but since I workout, the greasiness/smell gets to me a bit faster :)

[curlylocks85]

I have a new favorite product. :)

I recently tried Suave Moroccan Oil and I love it. It makes my hair shiny, soft and smell good. :)

[JadedByEntropy]

Haiku for my comrades-in-coarsery:

Pulled stick out of bun
Hoping for mini-bun-drop
Hair stayed where it was

:rollin::rollin: I was JUST thinking that! If it can stay- it will stay.
There are no bun drops without headbanging :shake: ...:ponder: ...:rockerdud:

[Sparklylady82]

Haiku for my comrades-in-coarsery:

Pulled stick out of bun
Hoping for mini-bun-drop
Hair stayed where it was

Haha! I think mine does that too sometimes ;-)


1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2a/2b/M/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
-Blegh, pixie cut. I recently had all of the dye cut out so I could start anew. The top toward the front is the longest part, at 4 inches. The sides and back are all between 1.5-2 inches.

3. What is your hair care routine?
- I am a daily washer! I've tried so many times to stretch the amount of time between washings, but I just can't do it, not because my hair is oily or anything, but because I love to start my day with a shower and hair wash. I use Acure Organics shampoo and conditioner. As a leave in, I use coconut oil with a bit of castor oil, and any random doTerra essential oil. My favorites are rosemary, lavender, and peppermint. I also do a scalp massage with castor or olive oil and rosemary essential oil every night. I don't use any heat or dye.

4. Favorite products?
- Acure Organics! I love their mint shampoo and conditioner.
- Out of Africa vanilla shea butter.
- Coconut oil! I would be lost without it.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- It isn't easily damaged. It isn't flat or limp, and doesn't get greasy.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- Frizz, and the random patch of super coarse, wiry hair I have at my crown.

My coarseness was definitely exacerbated by hair dye. Since I cut out the rest of the dye, my coarse hair doesn't seem quite as coarse.

Welcome to the thread! I am growing out bleach and dye so that is encouraging to know!


:rollin::rollin::rollin::rollin: I know the feeling....

Does it happen to you, ladies, that the longer hair hasn't been washed the nicer it behaves ?... but the greasiness and stinkiness on the scalp is out of control???? :(

Yes! Day 1 I have frizz and 2b waves, day 2 is silky soft waves 2a/2b and by day 3 It is really silky and more like 1c texture. I was trying to figure out a way to scalp wash just to keep the day 3 texture BUT I failed so if I can master that I'd rarely ever wash the length if I could get away with it.


I have a new favorite product. :)

I recently tried Suave Moroccan Oil and I love it. It makes my hair shiny, soft and smell good. :)

Wonderful! I always love to try a new product. I just ordered some Chargrin Valley shampoo bars so we will see how that goes...

[Sparklylady82]

Yes, to your first question. It is easier to handle after a week or two. I've never had any problems with greasiness or odor because I brush my hair with a clean boar bristle brush every day. But eventually the greasiness/smell does catch up with you.


Wow does this really help with the greasiness? I thought it would just make the rest of the hair greasy. I ought to try that :-D I think "clean BBB" was the key word

[Madora]

Wow does this really help with the greasiness? I thought it would just make the rest of the hair greasy. I ought to try that :-D I think "clean BBB" was the key word

A few added comments: my scalp is very dry and I don't put anything on my hair that would weigh it down so it gets greasy very slowly. I emphasize a clean bbb because if you want to stretch your washes, it is better to use a clean brush on your hair, than one that is dirty, even if that brush has only been used once.

Also, if you haven't been brushing regularly, then starting to brush now MIGHT cause an increase in oiliness in your scalp because the follicles are being stimulated and need to accustom themselves to the brushing. Give your scalp two weeks to recover from that, if you find that problem when starting to brush.

[thirstylocks]

Wow, so much information here! Thank you Sparkly!




I think I know what you mean. I always call mine horse hair, because that's what I think a horse's mane would feel like. Most of my hairs look like yours in the photo: not curly, but definitely not straight, a sort of irregular waviness.

And there are definitely some that are kinky. Once in a while I find an incredibly kinky one and it does break VERY easily. Does anybody know, are these very kinky and prone to breaking hairs damaged or were they always this way? When I find them, I am always amazed that they got so long before crumbling to pieces.


Ah yes, I too am familiar with the random kinky hairs in my 1c hair. It is bizarre! I can't help but pick at them until they break :(

[meteor]

I have a question: how do we figure out if hair is M or C ?
I have some wiry hairs that are clearly C, but what about thick-feeling strands that are not wiry: is that M or C? Does anybody have any links on this issue? :flower:

[Sharysa]

Depends on what you mean by wiry--if you mean "hard and unbending," then most coarse hair is actually pretty soft. Just not the near-silky kind of softness that fine hair has.

Generally, if you rub a bunch of coarse hair together, it'll make a tiny Velcro-ish noise even if well-moisturized.

[Wosie]

How I know my hair's coarse:

A friend said I had horse hair when I was ~14. My younger sister got 'stung' and yelped "ow!!" when she was sitting on the floor and accidentally sat down right next to a big pile of hair I had cut off (:laugh: I cut off all of my black coloured hair one day and had a few inches of lightbrown hair left on my head). Lots of my hairs (especially the ones on my canopy) look like threads and I'm pretty sure I could sew with them and they'd be strong enough not to break. I can see them clearly against all backgrounds. Most of them are quite hard to break!

I do have some fine hairs, and whenever I find a shed one I can't help but waving it around in the air, to see it float serenely (something I'm really not used to seeing). x)

[meteor]

Oh, OK, I get it now. :) Thank you so much! :flower: I used to think that substantial hair strands that can be used like thread to sew things qualified as "medium"...

[Sharysa]

Where do you live that hair you could sew with is considered medium, Meteor? :D

[meteor]

Where do you live that hair you could sew with is considered medium, Meteor? :D

Well, you know how silk is made of those mulberry silkworm fibres: they are individually super-fine, but the resulting fabric is very, very strong.
Check out a silk cocoon picture, for example here (http://achilleamarini.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/silkworm.jpg) (very spider-like and super-fine)
Despite that individual fineness, silk is one of the strongest natural fibers. (In fact, it's so strong that silk was the most preserved material found from a wreck of 1782 of HMS Royal George (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_George_%281756%29). Linking it here, coz it's an interesting story, but sorry for the OT :oops:)

Yet, I bet if they made fabric from human hair it would be even stronger than silk. ;)
Silk fibers from the Bombyx mori silkworm have a triangular cross section with rounded corners, 5–10 μm wide. Silkworm fibers are naturally extruded from two silkworm glands as a pair of primary filaments (brin), which are stuck together, with sericin proteins that act like glue, to form a bave. Bave diameters for tussah silk can reach 65 μm. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk#Physical_properties).
While 100 µm is the average diameter of a strand of human hair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_micrometres#cite_note-Physics_Factbook-1).

And let's not forget how Goosefootprints defined coarse hairs as being "greater than 80 microns (µm) in width so: 80-95 microns= slightly coarse hair, 95-110 microns= moderately coarse & 110 and higher= very coarse hair" in Sparklylady82's informative post here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128902&p=2919724&viewfull=1#post2919724).

And here are more numbers on diameter of human hair: http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/BrianLey.shtml
So to me this stuff suggests that even medium-thickness hair strands are thicker in diameter than silk so can be easily used to sew with. :)

[mamaherrera]

I too, wonder what my hairs are: M oR C

[hydrationseeker]

1. What is your complete hair type?

3c/4a coarse hair with some medium/fine strands and dense like iii

2. Howmng is your hair?

growing out a buzz at med ear level

3. What is your hair care routine?

Until a year ago I thought my hair was just hard n audibly crunchy. Ahh what a difference LHC makes??

no protein and no coconut oil

Pre cleanse light oil treatment over night
Miracle Water (thank you desdemona)
CO
Flaxseed gel
Shea/Aloe mix to seal.

Marshmallow root water with panthenol to freshen up twists in between washes. Sunflower/Grapeseed/Jojoba oil mix to seal.

Henna mixed with marshmallow root water and a little oil, to jazz up the greys.

That is it.


4.products?

Ummm any no cone, no protein condtioner but I veer towards cheap healthfood shop finds. Like Yes to Carrots as my 2nd Conditioner.

Aloe vera gel from Dr Organic in Holland n Barret. Not totally organic but doesn't have alcohol in it.

Everything else are single ingredients.


5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

when holding moisture, it feels strong and holds a style really well.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

the crunch. The 'crazy' frizz. The A-line hair when growing out. The assumption that I am doing something with 'chemicals' when my hair is styled and out from under my protective scarfs.

Hi everyone.

[Sparklylady82]

Well, you know how silk is made of those mulberry silkworm fibres: they are individually super-fine, but the resulting fabric is very, very strong.
Check out a silk cocoon picture, for example here (http://achilleamarini.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/silkworm.jpg) (very spider-like and super-fine)
Despite that individual fineness, silk is one of the strongest natural fibers. (In fact, it's so strong that silk was the most preserved material found from a wreck of 1782 of HMS Royal George (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_George_%281756%29). Linking it here, coz it's an interesting story, but sorry for the OT :oops:)

Yet, I bet if they made fabric from human hair it would be even stronger than silk. ;)
Silk fibers from the Bombyx mori silkworm have a triangular cross section with rounded corners, 5–10 μm wide. Silkworm fibers are naturally extruded from two silkworm glands as a pair of primary filaments (brin), which are stuck together, with sericin proteins that act like glue, to form a bave. Bave diameters for tussah silk can reach 65 μm. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk#Physical_properties).
While 100 µm is the average diameter of a strand of human hair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_micrometres#cite_note-Physics_Factbook-1).

And let's not forget how Goosefootprints defined coarse hairs as being "greater than 80 microns (µm) in width so: 80-95 microns= slightly coarse hair, 95-110 microns= moderately coarse & 110 and higher= very coarse hair" in Sparklylady82's informative post here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128902&p=2919724&viewfull=1#post2919724).

And here are more numbers on diameter of human hair: http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/BrianLey.shtml
So to me this stuff suggests that even medium-thickness hair strands are thicker in diameter than silk so can be easily used to sew with. :)

Wow this is so interesting. I am going to read up on the Wreck of 1782 after I post this :o I can totally see how you would think a medium strand would be sufficient to sew with. When I first was trying to figure out my hair type I did the whole "look at your hair, can you feel it when you roll it between your fingers, could you sew with it?" I was really stumped because some hair I could feel, some I couldn't and some I could feel somewhat but I wasn't sure. I think some of my hairs that are only slightly coarse could be mistaken for medium. I also wondered about the color of hair and the article from hypertextbook.com clarified that. My darker hairs are usually most coarse and the light hairs around my hairline are much finer.

Another discrepency with the "sewing" analogy is that not all coarse hair is strong. One can have kinking hairs and those are supposedly wearker because of the darastic bends that naturally occur in the hair.

Anyway, I never would have thought of silk worm fibers. You are one smart cookie Meteor :-D

[meteor]

Sparklylady82, I'm happy that you found it interesting, and you are way too kind about my babbling! :flower:

And I'm sure you are right about the kinks weakening the overall structure in points of kinks, probably due to the torsion twist, where the hair twists and turns around itself. Natural Haven Bloom shows it well here (http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2011/05/curly-vs-kinky-what-is-difference.html).

And yes, I experience the exact same thing that you describe with finer hair being significantly blonder than coarser, darker underlayer. Does anybody else also experience this?

I do think that it looks like the melanin in the hair and the diameter of hair strands could be somehow related. Apparently, blonde hair is on average smaller in diameter than brunette (http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/BrianLey.shtml) but grows in much denser (I read that it's about 120-150 thousand for blondes, 100 for brunettes, and 80-90 for redheads, but I have no idea how this was calculated... :oops:).
Many of us who had much lighter, blonder hair when we were kids remember that the hair was finer, too.
Also, bleaching hair removes some melanin resulting in thinner individual hair strands (despite raised, ruffled cuticles), and prolonged malnutrition and protein deficiency in the diet (Kwashiorkor) can induce reduction of pigment production/incorporation into hair fiber, when dark brown hair becomes a rusty red and light hair becomes blonde and that hair gets finer, too. (http://www.keratin.com/as/as011.shtml)

I wish I understood how this stuff works, but my wild guess would be that melanin stored inside the cortex could make hair shaft a bit wider? But then, how does this explain white hair being often very strong, coarse and wiry? :hmm: This is all confusing to me, as there isn't much research into this yet... But fun hair things to ponder on a lazy Saturday morning, nonetheless... :lol:

[two_wheels]

Sparklylady82, I'm happy that you found it interesting, and you are way too kind about my babbling! :flower:
I enjoy it too, carry on!


And yes, I experience the exact same thing that you describe with finer hair being significantly blonder than coarser, darker underlayer. Does anybody else also experience this?
Absolutely!

[meteor]

^ Great! And two_wheels, you are super-nice! :D


I also wonder: do you guys experience dryness or oiliness more? I heard that finer hair is more prone to oiliness and needing frequent washes (because it's easier for a bit of sebum to coat it), while coarse hair tends to dryness (wider diameter for the same amount of sebum to cover). This definitely applies to me, and I can oil and stretch washes relatively easily, but I don't know if other coarsies notice anything like this?


So back to the definition of coarseness, I notice that micron standards for F-M-C hair can be vastly different in different sources.
While Ley, Brian (1999) stated that 100 microns is the average (with ranges from 17 to 181 µm) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_micrometres#cite_note-Physics_Factbook-1), Hair Science website by L'Oreal states that hair diameter is 58 to 100 microns (http://www.hair-science.com/_int/_en/topic/topic_sousrub.aspx?tc=ROOT-HAIR-SCIENCE^PORTRAIT-OF-AN-UNKNOWN-ELEMENT^WHAT-WE-DO-SEE&cur=WHAT-WE-DO-SEE) and Philip Kingsley states that it's under 40 microns for fine, 70 µm for medium and 110+ µm for coarse (http://www.philipkingsley.co.za/hair-types). :hmm:
I guess this variation is understandable since hair is organic dead matter. Maybe it's one of those things that can only be judged by comparison? Like, what would be considered coarse hair in Europe might be considered fine/medium in Asia, assuming Asian hair tends to have bigger diameter?

More fun hair stuff to ponder :cheese: :
100 grams is the weight a single hair can withstand. A strand of 100 hairs would therefore be able to resist a weight of 10 kilos. And if the scalp were sufficiently resilient, an entire head of hair could support 12 tonnes!* :shocked:
And I bet that number is even higher for very coarse hair! ;)

* from L'Oreal Hair-Science.com (http://www.hair-science.com/_int/_en/topic/topic_sousrub.aspx?tc=ROOT-HAIR-SCIENCE^PORTRAIT-OF-AN-UNKNOWN-ELEMENT^WHAT-WE-DO-SEE&cur=WHAT-WE-DO-SEE), and they have lots of other fascinating fun hair facts there!

[two_wheels]

^ Great! And two_wheels, you are super-nice! :D


I also wonder: do you guys experience dryness or oiliness more? I heard that finer hair is more prone to oiliness and needing frequent washes (because it's easier for a bit of sebum to coat it), while coarse hair tends to dryness (wider diameter for the same amount of sebum to cover). This definitely applies to me, and I can oil and stretch washes relatively easily, but I don't know if other coarsies notice anything like this?

Anecdotally, my hair has always been dry. I never understood what overmoisturising was until last month, I finally managed it :happydance: it wasn't good but I was proud anyway, you know?

[Sharysa]

Dry. Definitely dry. A pre-wash oiling usually takes around half an hour on most hair, but it's more like ten or fifteen minutes on my hair. But I can't really stretch washes more than three or four days because my sebum is really waxy/flaky. It's only good when it's warmed up and moist from a shower, so my scalp gets oily fast while my length gets really dry.

[JadedByEntropy]

Dry. Definitely dry. A pre-wash oiling usually takes around half an hour on most hair, but it's more like ten or fifteen minutes on my hair. But I can't really stretch washes more than three or four days because my sebum is really waxy/flaky. It's only good when it's warmed up and moist from a shower, so my scalp gets oily fast while my length gets really dry.

Same!
What do you use for a pre-wash oil. I've finally learned the joy and ease of using a conditioner before i even start on my hair and that just seems like an even better idea

[yogagirl]

Dry for sure! Though my hair dresser doesn't think my hair is dry and that it's just the coarse texture that is making it feel dry.

I do get oily scalp, but only after 3-4 days.

[Sharysa]

JadedByEntropy: I use almond oil on damp hair (mixed with some sweetgrass essential oil for scent). My Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner helps a lot, but I do still get dry ends by the time it's wash day.

[Wosie]

My scalp gets quite oily, but mainly around the fringe area... Probably has a lot to do with the creams I have to apply daily (atopic eczema).

I love oilin'! :D Right now I'm wearing twin braids that've been oiled with a mix of coconut- and castor oil as a pre-shampoo treatment. I normally put it on before night-time and leave it on all throughout the next day until I shower (in the evening). Once I've showered I apply a couple of drops of coconut oil on my ends (~5" of ends) as a moisture sealant.

[Sparklylady82]

I have an oily scalp. I never really paid attention until LHC but it seems to have been getting oily quicker this winter. Usually I could wash every 4-5 days and now I am dying to wash every other day :-(

[meteor]

I have an oily scalp. I never really paid attention until LHC but it seems to have been getting oily quicker this winter. Usually I could wash every 4-5 days and now I am dying to wash every other day :-(

Hmm, I don't really know why that is happening, without knowing your routine, but could it be that you use a shampoo/cleanser that is too mild for you? For example, I have this problem when I wash with mild sulfate-free shampoos twice in a row... The oiliness just kind of builds up, if the cleanser is too mild or too conditioning.
If you are worried about drying out the length with a harsher shampoo, pre-poo oiling and/or CWC, scalp-only washes can be of help. :flower:

[Khristopher]

I'm joining!! :rockerdud
I've read the entire thread and I belong here too. :couch:
1. What is your complete hair type?
- It bounces from 1b to 1c, and I just measured 4.5" ponytail thickness (wow! my hair got thicker?? I need to change my profile) that would be iii. And of course, coarse! I have maybe 10% medium strands and the rest is pretty coarse.

2. How long is your hair?
- 40", that's solid classic on me.

3. What is your hair care routine?
-I wash with diluted SLS shampoo, do a coffee-chammomile-horsetail-nettle rinse, cone free conditioner for 20 minutes and finish with ACV rinse and a few drops of EVOO to seal the ends. That's once a week. I use EVOO or grapeseed oil on my ends when needed.

4. Favorite products?
- I use what I have on hand, but there's a Suave conditioner I'm really liking that has honey and almond oil in it, so it's very moisturizing. I use lots of EVOO as I said earlier.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- The big buns! And the thinkness, even when I have low density of hair (that seems to be normal of this tipe of hair from what I've read here!)

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- It frizzes and tangles easily and it's a pain when I want to wear it down. It doesn't look like the healthy, strong hair it is, it looks ratty, dry and just nasty. I'm considering adding cones to make it look better but I just wished it would look fine without it... :-(

[Sparklylady82]

Welcome to the thread! I am curious about your coffee rinse? Do you mind sharing how it works?

[carrielynn]

I'm going to jump in here too, though I'm technically a "medium" by my Goosefootprints analysis (5% fine, 59% medium, 36% coarse - average thickness 79 microns with coarse being considered anything above 80). I was actually very surprised by this, as I have been told for YEARS that I have fine hair - just a lot of it - by both hairdressers and my mom. But now I understand why recommendations for fine-ys never worked for me. :)

1. What is your complete hair type?
2b/2c in summer, 1c/2a in winter, M/C, ii, normal to low porosity, lots of micro kinking present (something else helpful I learned from my analysis)

2. How long is your hair?
Waist length

3. What is your hair care routine?
Typically shampoo (either SLS or low-poo) and conditioner (sometimes cones, sometimes not) and leave-in and either gel or curl cream, twice a week. But I am such an experimenter, I'll sometimes do WCC or LOC or no gel etc just to see what happens. I'm constantly on the search for the perfect products and perfect routine because I'm most often not happy with the results I get.

4. Favorite products?
If I don't feel like experimenting, I'll most often go with HE Hello Hydration S&C and a flax seed gel. I actually just got Nightblooming's panacea sample trio, and am hoping one of those will become a favorite too!

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
It will hold style. Getting my hair done for weddings and such I've always gotten huge compliments about how well my hair would hold a curl, stay up, look voluminous, etc. with very little effort.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
Not sure if it's the coarseness or the kinking, but I always always always have errant strands of hair and can never get perfectly smooth waves that clump together and look nice (my hairs just don't seem to like each other!). Also, this is the longest my hair has been since grade school and the weight of it has pulled out my curl and wave. I can coax it into 2b/c waves on day 1 with lots of product, but by day 3 it's totally flat.

[mira-chan]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 2b/C/ii/iii

2. How long is your hair?
-Classic or so. Maintaining here.

3. What is your hair care routine?
- Wash once a week. Scalp oil 2 hours+ before wash most times. Unless pressed for time or too tired, let conditioner sit for 20 -30 min. Rinse off, follow with an acidic rinse for scalp and leave in on dripping wet hair. No cones, no sulfates. Oil hair and scalp as needed.

4. Favorite products?
- Sulfate free shampoo from Bulk apothecary, though I think they don't have it anymore. I not too picky about conditioners. Shea moisture curl souffle as leave in.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- Mine is not very tangly and no splits till past classic. Strength.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
-Frizzy witch hair is a good descriptor for mine when it's loose and it's been a little while post wash. Also new growth standing straight out. Especially those extra coarse hairs that Dianyla has graciously and aptly named "pube hairs." I don't care for styling, heat especially, as it seems bothersome so the only way to wear it is updos or braids so it doesn't eat people.

ETA: My hair and scalp are dry. I have dry sebum that doesn't move down the hair.

[HappyHair87]

1. What is your complete hair type?
I have a mix of curls from front to back it's 3b to 4a. But mainly 3c. My strands are coarse, all except the nape which is a mix of 3c/4a is medium. I have a thickness of iii when curly and about ii when straightened.

2. How long is your hair?
23.5 inches measuring from the crown of my head down (not sure how everyone is measuring)...but for me that's a little past waist length and very close to hip length. Hip length is 26 inches for me.

3. What is your hair care routine?
I cowash every 1 to 2 days. I use a rinse out conditioner or a cleansing conditioner...let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes, detangle my hair with a paddle brush and then rinse it out. Then I apply my oil, leave in conditioner and styler. Absorb water for 5 to 10 min with a t shirt and then allow it to air-dry.

I use shampoo when I feel like I need it.

Deep condition every week.

4. Favorite products?
Right now I am LOVING the Pantene Curl Perfection conditioner and shampoo, I also really love the l'oreal evercurl line...the entire line and I LOVE Mixed Chicks products!! ♡♡♡♡

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
My hair grows very fast due to the strength and sturdiness of it. I'm 5'8 and it took me 2.5 years to get to waist length from above collarbone.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
My hair never looks "sleek" . It very rarely looks "polished". My hairline lays down for nobody! No matter how much gel or pomade I put on my edges, they never "slick" down. :(

[Sparklylady82]

1. What is your complete hair type?
I have a mix of curls from front to back it's 3b to 4a. But mainly 3c. My strands are coarse, all except the nape which is a mix of 3c/4a is medium. I have a thickness of iii when curly and about ii when straightened.

2. How long is your hair?
23.5 inches measuring from the crown of my head down (not sure how everyone is measuring)...but for me that's a little past waist length and very close to hip length. Hip length is 26 inches for me.

3. What is your hair care routine?
I cowash every 1 to 2 days. I use a rinse out conditioner or a cleansing conditioner...let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes, detangle my hair with a paddle brush and then rinse it out. Then I apply my oil, leave in conditioner and styler. Absorb water for 5 to 10 min with a t shirt and then allow it to air-dry.

I use shampoo when I feel like I need it.

Deep condition every week.

4. Favorite products?
Right now I am LOVING the Pantene Curl Perfection conditioner and shampoo, I also really love the l'oreal evercurl line...the entire line and I LOVE Mixed Chicks products!! ♡♡♡♡

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
My hair grows very fast due to the strength and sturdiness of it. I'm 5'8 and it took me 2.5 years to get to waist length from above collarbone.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
My hair never looks "sleek" . It very rarely looks "polished". My hairline lays down for nobody! No matter how much gel or pomade I put on my edges, they never "slick" down. :(

Welcome! This thread has been a little quiet (my fault for not keeping up on it) so I am glad!

[Sparklylady82]

Does anyone notice this: If I don't let my hair air-dry into its natural state; if I bun it after a wash and let it dry or even bun it when slightly damp, it gets really wonky! That seems uncharacteristic of coarse hair?

[JadedByEntropy]

Does anyone notice this: If I don't let my hair air-dry into its natural state; if I bun it after a wash and let it dry or even bun it when slightly damp, it gets really wonky! That seems uncharacteristic of coarse hair?

Not mine. It stays where it dries, no matter what that ends up looking like.
Plus side: i can curl it and it stays in curls until it gets wet again....
down side: until it gets wet, it'll stay in the shape of whatever mess i've made of it hahahaha

[arelrios]

Does anyone notice this: If I don't let my hair air-dry into its natural state; if I bun it after a wash and let it dry or even bun it when slightly damp, it gets really wonky! That seems uncharacteristic of coarse hair?

Yup, mine gets wonky... To take advantage of this, I put it up on sock buns and try to mask then wonkiness woth bun waves... :D

Trying to find out what was that wonkiness is what brought me to the forum lol

[Scarlet_Celt]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 1c/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
- Almost classic length (around 42 inches)

3. What is your hair care routine?
- Pre-poo with almond oil, wash hair in English braids, use mild shampoo, condition liberally with coney conditioner, and afterwards seal with mineral oil.

4. Favorite products?
- Mineral oil and Hello Hydration conditioner make my hair feel so soft.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- It doesn't break or get damaged easily, and it holds styles well.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- My hair takes forever to dry, and can also be very difficult to properly wash. Also, nape tangles are the bane of my existence.

[pili]

1. What is your complete hair type?
2b/3a/C/iii - Though, I just read the directions on how to properly hair type, and I've never done it that way. I've always had product in it. Also, I have really weird hair with clumps of everything from 1c to 3b and they are really random. I've learned to always dry cut my hair or it looks completely uneven.

2. How long is your hair?
Dry I am just inching past APL, but stretched I am two inches below BSL. It also varies depending on when I washed it. Wash day is when I have the most shrinkage, by the end of the week, updos have stretched it out.

3. What is your hair care routine?
I was a modified Curly Girl method user for twelve years, then it stopped working. Hair got dry, frizzy and I also got sick of wetting it daily. It takes 6-8 hours to dry. I ended up switching to LCO after seeing her hair (https://instagram.com/alyssa_redenti_/) on IG. It took a bit of experimentation to get the sequence (LOC or LCO) right, but it was worth the effort. With CG I shed a lot every day, and I didn't realized just how much I had thinned out until I switched to LCO and started getting a ton of new growth. I also clarify with a cheleating shampoo about once a month due to living in a hard water area. Usually I do a full detangling session with fingers and wood comb and then a treatment for a few hours before washing my hair and doing LCO. I pineapple for sleeping and can usually wear my hair curly for a few days before the curls start getting crazy. If needed, I will spritz with Just Water and then refresh the ends and temple area with some butter. Mid-week my hair needs to go up, so I will spritz, seal the ends with butter and use my fingers to smooth out kinks and lumps, then I get it up anyway I can. I am still learning updos for my length.

4. Favorite products?
Ever since last July I have been using Au Rebelle (http://www.anunaturals.com/Products.html). I have tried other brands and several of her products, but personally I use the Macadamia Hot Oil Treatment, Murumuru Leave In, Carrot Co-Wash, Mint Butter, Carrot Sealing Oil and Just Water.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
This took a long time coming. I love the shine, thickness and craziness. My hair is curly, so it has never lain down, and that was the thing I hated most about my hair. It just would not lay down like other people's. Now I love making my hair crazy big! The bigger the better.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
How my hair is not soft and how it fights updos. It takes 10,000 pins to hold it in place (sporting a "curly" cut right now.) Of course, without the layers, there is no way I could bun or braid it at this length. I can't wait until it is past waist and most of the layers are gone so I can have an even hemline and it will actually wrap around itself. The softness it not something I can do much about.

[HappyHair87]

Welcome! This thread has been a little quiet (my fault for not keeping up on it) so I am glad!

Thanks! :D


Does anyone notice this: If I don't let my hair air-dry into its natural state; if I bun it after a wash and let it dry or even bun it when slightly damp, it gets really wonky! That seems uncharacteristic of coarse hair?

Mine stays wherever i put it for the most part. Some of my hair does not especially towards the front but everywhere else, my hair defies the laws of both gravity AND physics :lol:

[pili]

Thanks! :D



Mine stays wherever i put it for the most part. Some of my hair does not especially towards the front but everywhere else, my hair defies the laws of both gravity AND physics :lol:

TRUTH!

I once got the backhanded compliment (insult?) from a friend after watching me deal with my hair in our dorm, "Your hair is great to look at, but not to have."

[mamaherrera]

If I have it dry in a bun, I lose half my volume and it just stays like lifeless twists.
Even my ponytail cirum measurement goes down. so I always let it dry it's it natural state so i can make the most of my volume, but remember I'm a m/c ii

[JadedByEntropy]

TRUTH!

I once got the backhanded compliment (insult?) from a friend after watching me deal with my hair in our dorm, "Your hair is great to look at, but not to have."

I love that!!!!! I always think of curly in exactly that way. Its not an insult actually, its total admiration that you work so hard to keep it long through the detangling sessions and all that. <3 so much dedication and worthwhile. gorgeous.

[Alex Lou]

I don't feel like I need any support for having coarse hair. Coarse hair is strong hair, it takes quite a bit of abuse and will never split or break for no reason. I might complain about it being resistant to texture changes (straightening or curling) but others in this thread say their hair does that well, so must not be the coarseness that is the problem.

Well, maybe this is true: instead of mechanical damage breaking the hair, it will stretch it, resulting in damage that is a texture change for the damaged strand.. end result is frizzies.

[Arctic]

I have quite a few coarse hairs: they are wiry and kinky, and I think they actually are my weakest hairs. The kinks are weak spots.

(I've been reading along this thread, though not participating because I have a mixed hairtype, anyway threads like this were very important for me when I was getting used to my changed hairtype with it's crop of wiry, coarse hairs.)

[meteor]

Hi guys! :D Looking at how different people classify different hair, I'm never 100% sure about the F/M/C classification for my hair, so I have a small question that's been bothering me for a while: "coarse" hairs are often expected to be equal to "wiry" hairs, hairs with rebellious, or kinky, "volume-building" texture, not silky... But that's not what I'm experiencing. :confused: For some reason, on me, the hairs that are technically thicker (wider diameter) are almost always silkier, smoother, softer to touch and much more compliant, aligned (they are mostly concentrated in my underlayers) than my smaller-diameter, finer hair (on my canopy)... Is that normal? Does anybody else experience this, too? Or does it mean that I simply classified those hairs as "coarse" incorrectly? They just don't feel coarse to touch... :confused: Basically, does the texture have anything to do with it, or is it all about diameter only?
TIA! :flower:

[Arctic]

Diameter only. I've read of other with coarse (wide diameter), yet (or should I say and) smooth, silky hair :)

[meteor]

^ Oh, thanks a lot for clarifying, Arctic! :) I got confused because I've just read over at the "Fine and Thick" thread folks discussing that fine hair is about texture, so I thought maybe the same concept applies to coarse hair. To be honest, it's my finer (smaller diameter) hairs that can sometimes feel coarser (but spiderweb-like) to touch. So strange! :lol:

[Arctic]

I agree the tems used are not the clearest, and also seem a bit biased, you know, as if fine would be better than coarse. I have always wondered why people use the word texture when taking about hair shaft width too, and have chalcked it up to my non-native English speaking skills. To me texture would imply for example silkyness or roughness or wiryness, which might or might not have anything to do with the thickness of individual hairs. I have lot of wiry hairs myself, and some of them are fine, and some are coarse and some in between.

[meteor]

^ Oh yes, I agree absolutely! :agree:
I get really confused by this language issue leading to conflation of concepts. (This conflation doesn't happen - or, rather, it happens somewhat differently in some other languages.) Texture should be driven by the curl/wave pattern to some degree, not so much by diameter, I would think. :hmm:

[yogagirl]

I agree, the terms are confusing. AFAIK though, coarse only talked about diameter. The rough texture would be called kinky, I believe.

See also here: http://blackgirllonghair.com/2011/08/curly-vs-kinky-whats-the-difference/

My hair is (unfortunately) coarse, almost straight, and kinky. I guess any combination of these attributes is possible :shrug:

[meteor]

^ Thanks a lot, yogagirl!
By the way, kinky or not, your hair looks very silky! :D
I love how kinky hair gives that nice structure, grip, volume... - I have a few of those, but I certainly wish I had way more.

[Robi-Bird]

I have thick, coarse and kinky hair. I think, it's probably more wavy than straight though I've always called it straight but it's always been shorter so, what do I know. Dad, is your classic Highlander, dark olive skin and black, wurly, wiry hair (white now). I inherited Mom's colour but Dad's texture. It doesn't really knot but sometimes it really doesn't want to let go of it's neighbour, making braiding really frustrating. I shouldn't bash it, it's hardy and grows like a triffid so I'm pretty happy with it.

[yogagirl]

Thank you for the kind words, meteor :o

Although I have to disappoint you, my hair is kinky AND at the same time super slippery haha! Not too long ago I had a similar conversation with a curly haired lady here. I always assumed curly hair would be inherently non-slippery due to the texture... well that is apparently also false as she informed me!

It almost seems like there is no rhyme or reason to any of this :confused: :D


ETA: Robi, your hair sounds a little similar to mine. Mine also barely tangles and is not prone to damage or splits at all. That's a pretty nice characteristic to have if you want long hair!

[Ava Ruu]

I have been confused with this, too. The hairtyping guide here on LHC speaks of both the thickness and the feel of the hair strands. I've typed mine as coarse mainly because they all are rather wiry and visible so that neither of the other categories match. The thickness of the individual strands varies quite a bit.



Second classifier - Individual strand thickness

Many people have a mixture of fine, medium and coarse hair, just pick the classifier which applies to most of the strands.


F - Fine: Thin strands that sometimes are almost translucent when held up to the light. Shed strands can be hard to see even against a contrasting background. When rolling a strand between your thumb and index finger, fine hair is difficult to feel or it feels like an ultra-fine strand of silk
M - Medium: Strands are neither fine nor coarse. When rolling a strand between your thumb and index finger, medium hair feels like a cotton thread. You can feel it, but it isn't stiff or rough.
C - Coarse: Thick strands that where shed strands usually are easily identified against most backgrounds. When rolling a strand between your thumb and index finger, coarse hair feels hard and wiry. As you roll it back and forth, you may actually hear it.

[meteor]

Wow, that's super interesting, yogagirl! :bigeyes: And you are so right: sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason! :lol:

[meteor]

Ava Ruu, I agree! :agree:

Robi-Bird, my coarse hairs don't tangle either. :) But the fine ones are like a spider-web somehow. :lol:

[Arctic]

I think one of the issue is, that we (humans/hair forum members) are trying to box something that isn't really neatly boxable (is that a word?).

BTW my hairs, which I call wiry, are actually kinky (that characterictic turning around itself). I usually say wiry, but sometimes wonder if kinky and wiry are two different things, or can they be used interchangeably.

[Robi-Bird]

Agreed, yogagirl! The identifiers are a little bit random.

[Ava Ruu]

My hairs are not kinky nor rough. They feel just smooth if I run my fingers along one. Yet, if I rotate one between my fingers I can hear the sound and the strand feels hard, more like a wire than thread. They are slippery, too, and do not tangle that much. This is how I would describe my hair - it is always a bit difficult to compare with words. How can I know how many tangles are considered tangle prone? How thick is a thin or a thick hair strand?

[Arctic]

As for what is fine, what coarse hairs, there are actual diameter measurements, though as one can't measure those at home without special equipments, we need to go by other routes.

[arelrios]

I have been confused with this, too. The hairtyping guide here on LHC speaks of both the thickness and the feel of the hair strands. I've typed mine as coarse mainly because they all are rather wiry and visible so that neither of the other categories match. The thickness of the individual strands varies quite a bit.

Me right there in bold ... lol... but also claw clips and even ponytails have a difficult time staying put... so does this means my hair is slippery? all of my strands are thick lol... except for the wispies on my hairline lol

[yogagirl]

Ava Ruu, yes! How thick is thick? I've always asked myself that. But I know compared to others' hair strands(esp. blond haired people), mine are definitely much thicker. Although I also have a lot of varying thicknesses. That's why I put mine as M/C. I've also noticed that my very coarse strands are darker brown than the thinner ones. Anybody esle notice that?

--

Oh and to add further confusion I will throw another term in the mix. I will call it "springiness" though I'm not 100% percent happy with that term, so feel free to suggest another word. What I mean is my hair does not like to bend. I believe this has to do with the coarseness/diameter of the individual strands, so I wonder if others have the same issue. When I bun, my hair just does not like to stay in tight bends, so I have many issues with exploding buns. I was unable to make buns hold at lengths where others on here with similar circumference could easily make them hold. My braids always looks loose and pulled flat lengthwise, no nice tight bumps possible, no matter how tight I braid. I might have to upload pictures, it's hard to put into words. Anybody else have this springiness issue?

[Robi-Bird]

Meteor, my hair is cooperative enough to not be combination-y. My sister's hair is similar to yours.

Ava Ruu, I have lane one of my hairs next to one of my mother's and mine is visibly thicker, it's massive next to one of my nieces. I think if you have tangles throughout your head of hair, it is probably tangle prone but if it's only a few tangles, I'd say it's pretty normal.

[Arctic]

I have the springiness thing too. For example I hate hate hate peacock twists, because the hairs just stick up. My buns also are explosive easily, and braids often make my hair appear much thicker than it is.

[alexis917]

I have the springiness thing too. For example I hate hate hate peacock twists, because the hairs just stick up. My buns also are explosive easily, and braids often make my hair appear much thicker than it is.

That was the worst part of my old pixie cut- if I slept the wrong way, it would stick straight up. My hair is definitely coarse in the sense that I can hear the hairs when I roll them, and you can definitely see the hairs without even trying. That said, it's also on the slippery side, even without silicones, at least when its healthy. My ponytails slide their way down easily, and I had to readjust buns often. Now that my hair is too short for any of that....I'm just doing my best, haha.

[meteor]

I think one of the issue is, that we (humans/hair forum members) are trying to box something that isn't really neatly boxable (is that a word?).

BTW my hairs, which I call wiry, are actually kinky (that characterictic turning around itself). I usually say wiry, but sometimes wonder if kinky and wiry are two different things, or can they be used interchangeably.

I agree about the difficulty of pinning down those terms! :agree:
About your question, I would think that "kinky" can often be equal to "wiry", but not always. For example, many people who have very kinky-curly hair texture actually have very fine individual hair strands. I'm not sure if "wiry" would be a perfect descriptor for "fine & kinky" strands. But "wiry" seems like a good word for "kinky + coarse (i.e. thick)" strands. But I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm not sure... Wiry seems to imply thickness of strands, but I don't know if it necessarily implies kinkiness?
Can wiry hair be straight? :hmm:
If so, then "wiry" = "coarse", regardless of the texture.


Ava Ruu, yes! How thick is thick? I've always asked myself that. But I know compared to others' hair strands(esp. blond haired people), mine are definitely much thicker. Although I also have a lot of varying thicknesses. That's why I put mine as M/C.

I've always had the same question. :) If I hadn't seen very fine strands, I would probably be unsure if my coarsies are really coarse - it's all about comparison, I guess?

Wendy from Goosefootprints (and Science-y Hair Blog) defined coarse hairs as being "greater than 80 microns (µm) in width so: 80-95 microns= slightly coarse hair, 95-110 microns= moderately coarse & 110 and higher= very coarse hair" in Sparklylady82's informative post here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128902&p=2919724&viewfull=1#post2919724).

And this source (http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/BrianLey.shtml) claims: "Flaxen hair is the finest, from 1/1500 to 1/500 of an inch (17–50 µm) in diameter … and black hair is the coarsest, from 1/450 to 1/140 of an inch (56–181 µm)" or "Diameter of a human hair in inches: 0.001; centimeters: 0.00254 (25.4 µm)"


The numbers seem to be all over the place. :lol:
But since hair is organic matter, the variations can be pretty serious. I mean, even throughout the length of the same hair strand, the diameter can vary quite a bit. :)



I've also noticed that my very coarse strands are darker brown than the thinner ones. Anybody esle notice that?

Yes, absolutely. My darkest hair is my thickest. My lightest hair is my finest and it's floaty. But I have a friend with very fine hair that is almost black... I think there is some correlation with hair melanin, possibly. I see it mentioned sometimes that lighter-colored hair is usually finest (http://www.rausch.ch/en/consulting/all-about-skin-and-hair/the-structure-of-hair.html), but no scientific support and no stats. Maybe more pigment molecules (of darker hair) take up more space inside the cortex, which is where melanin granules are located (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair#Description)? :hmm: I really don't know.


Oh and to add further confusion I will throw another term in the mix. I will call it "springiness" though I'm not 100% percent happy with that term, so feel free to suggest another word. What I mean is my hair does not like to bend. I believe this has to do with the coarseness/diameter of the individual strands, so I wonder if others have the same issue. When I bun, my hair just does not like to stay in tight bends, so I have many issues with exploding buns. I was unable to make buns hold at lengths where others on here with similar circumference could easily make them hold. My braids always looks loose and pulled flat lengthwise, no nice tight bumps possible, no matter how tight I braid. I might have to upload pictures, it's hard to put into words. Anybody else have this springiness issue?

Yes, same here. :agree: I have springy, not easily bendable coarsies. And I think that's very normal for thicker strands. Buns/braids are particularly explode-y when my hair is either layered or freshly cut in some blunt shape. They don't take shape of curls/waves for long, even with strong-hold styling products. They seem to always look the same, no matter what I do (or don't do!)...

I was also confused about frizz... I've seen many people report that usually coarse hair frizzes up a lot. But I experience the exact opposite: only my fine or medium hair ever gets frizz. The coarsies would probably need to be backcombed aggressively to create any frizz - and their appearance doesn't change, whatever the humidity either.


I have another question:
- I remember a thread about hair strands "cutting" (like a paper cut) skin. My hair never does that, but I know a couple of people with super fine (and textured) hair who actually experience this. So is cutting skin with hair possible only with very fine individual strands? Or is it even something related to the F/M/C marker or something completely different?


( :lol:Goodness, sorry for such a long post, guys! :oops: If my post doesn't qualify as "splitting hairs" then I don't know what does! :rollin: )

[JadedByEntropy]

I didn't know that fine hair isn't audible when rolled. hmm something new. mine don't have the springiness, but they are less flexible unless they get those curled kinks and shoot out at weird angles. (and i have mildly wavy hair!)

[Ackvelina]

Am I the only one that has this problem with coarse hair but low density?
I just don't have too many individual strands. Since each strand is coarse it quickly adds up in thickness, my hair is just above average ii, but i have most of the problems with thin hair and some more. I easily ends up with scalp cleavage and and messy lumps when I put my hair up, and my braids usually ends up thin and stiff. My theory is, speaking from no experience whatsoever, that people with fine hair have more individual strands even if their hair isn't that thick, and they can "fluff up" a lose braid or bun and make it look thicker. For me it's impossible and messy is never the same as cute. Also, It doesn't take much of a shed for me to think i'm going bald.

Oh, about rolling your hair between your fingers, I have a hard time doing that. I think my strands are a bit flat, like ribbons, I just can't move them.

[Arctic]

Am I the only one that has this problem with coarse hair but low density?
I just don't have too many individual strands. Since each strand is coarse it quickly adds up in thickness, my hair is just above average ii, but i have most of the problems with thin hair and some more. I easily ends up with scalp cleavage and and messy lumps when I put my hair up, and my braids usually ends up thin and stiff. My theory is, speaking from no experience whatsoever, that people with fine hair have more individual strands even if their hair isn't that thick, and they can "fluff up" a lose braid or bun and make it look thicker. For me it's impossible and messy is never the same as cute. Also, It doesn't take much of a shed for me to think i'm going bald.

Oh, about rolling your hair between your fingers, I have a hard time doing that. I think my strands are a bit flat, like ribbons, I just can't move them.

My hair is multi-texture but I have a fair share of coarsies as well. And yes, I have quite sparse hair. It was sparse when the hairtype was fine and it is sparse now. I don't consider it a problem, really, but it does have it's own challenges.

I already touched this, but fine hair is not necessarily dense either.

I have often said that there are 2 kinds of thicknesses. The overall thickness and the denseness. A thin but dense hair can seems much thicker than hair is same thinnes which has sparse strand growth. Thinner, fine and dense hair is the classic case of "fine but lots of it", a description one hears often (both in LHC and in real life).

[summergame]

I come here to get some advice :) Today I've got my hairanalyse back from Goosefootprints and I have 78% coarse hair and 22% normal hair. Very strange because everybody incl my hairdresser told me that I have fine hair! :)
My roots are low porosity, the middle of my hair is normal porosity and the ends are very porous! It is not easy to find products now that will work for me. If I use conditioners they are to light or on the other side to heavy and my hair is at some point straighter than on the other sides. Goosefootprints recommend to do deep treatments and oil treatments too. I find it hard to search for conditioners with the ingredients she's mentioning in the document. She does not recomment me to use shampoobars anymore because they let my hair 'swell' She did a test with a CV shampoobar on my strands of hair. So I am a bit confused what to use now. Would like to try sulfatefree shampoo but I don't know if it's a good idea because my scalp is getting greasy after two days of washing.

[mermaid lullaby]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 1b/1c/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
-bcl

3. What is your hair care routine?
- I start with 2 drops of coconut oil as my pre-wash from jawline down, braid, and wait 2 hours before showering.
-I tend to do better with sulfate shampoos so I use enough to clean my scalp and let it set for 2 minutes. I keep my braid over my shoulder. Rinse without getting shampoo on length.
-1/4 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp coconut oil, and 1 tbls conditioner warmed in microwave for 1 minute and mix well. Apply this on length for 30 minutes. Rinse well afterwards.
- 2 drops of sweet almond oil
-2 drops of serum for slip.

4. Favorite products?
- Sauve daily clarifying conditioner, Garniar Fructis sleek and shine serum, and honey/oil/conditioner recipe

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- Less split ends, and more length.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- Trying to find what works. Most of the time, products dont have any effect because its too light, my hair needs something that is an intense deep conditioner and no protein.

[likelikepenny]

1. What is your complete hair type?
- 1b/1c/C/iii

2. How long is your hair?
-bcl

3. What is your hair care routine?
- I start with 2 drops of coconut oil as my pre-wash from jawline down, braid, and wait 2 hours before showering.
-I tend to do better with sulfate shampoos so I use enough to clean my scalp and let it set for 2 minutes. I keep my braid over my shoulder. Rinse without getting shampoo on length.
-1/4 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp coconut oil, and 1 tbls conditioner warmed in microwave for 1 minute and mix well. Apply this on length for 30 minutes. Rinse well afterwards.
- 2 drops of sweet almond oil
-2 drops of serum for slip.

4. Favorite products?
- Sauve daily clarifying conditioner, Garniar Fructis sleek and shine serum, and honey/oil/conditioner recipe

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
- Less split ends, and more length.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
- Trying to find what works. Most of the time, products dont have any effect because its too light, my hair needs something that is an intense deep conditioner and no protein.

What is your porosity?

[mermaid lullaby]

What is your porosity?

I think its normal porous from sl- bsl, and highly porous from bsl-tailbone because the ends are aged to be five years old. It responds well to treatments but by the fourth day it feels dry again so, moisture doesnt hold well in my hair.


Oh! I forgot to mention, I like to apply leave-in conditioner in between washings because of this!
If my hair feels dry, like on the fourth day. I like to use Neutrogenia triple moisture silk cream or Mix Chicks leave-in. I'm not using it at the moment, because the honey/oil/conditioner is doing well for me at the moment and it lasts better(cheaper too), but I will use leave in when I need it in a pinch. A thing to remember is that leave-ins can be sticky if you use too much so I use about 1/8 tsp. I spritz a little bit of water until hair is damp, then apply the leave-in conditioner all over length.

[likelikepenny]

I think its normal porous from sl- bsl, and highly porous from bsl-tailbone because the ends are aged to be five years old. It responds well to treatments but by the fourth day it feels dry again so, moisture doesnt hold well in my hair.


Oh! I forgot to mention, I like to apply leave-in conditioner in between washings because of this!
If my hair feels dry, like on the fourth day. I like to use Neutrogenia triple moisture silk cream or Mix Chicks leave-in. I'm not using it at the moment, because the honey/oil/conditioner is doing well for me at the moment and it lasts better(cheaper too), but I will use leave in when I need it in a pinch. A thing to remember is that leave-ins can be sticky if you use too much so I use about 1/8 tsp. I spritz a little bit of water until hair is damp, then apply the leave-in conditioner all over length.

I ask because I have very course hair but with low porosity. I want heavy leave in's to tame my course hair but not too heavy that I get build up because of my porosity. It's a struggle lol.

I also use a spray bottle to apply conditioner/leave in conditioner to my hair. Saves money, very easy, and works best for my hair. :)

[lithostoic]

I love coarse hair <3 My "mother in law" has beautiful coarse hair that I sometimes braid.

[hayheadsbird]

1. What is your complete hair type?

1c/m/c/iii

The wave varies, so 1c is about the average
I'm just into iii at 11cm (just over 4inches)

I think my porosity is low to normal, despite the henna through the length.


2. How long is your hair?

About 69cm if I measure stretched with the wave, 66/67 unstretched. (26 to 27 inches) it's currently BSL+ and just an inch or so to go to waist. I'm almost 5ft (152cm) so markers are fairly close together!

3. What is your hair care routine?

Cwc every 3-5 days depending on how dirty it gets. My length is normally lovely and soft by then, but scalp is getting greasy. I've tried scalp only washes once but didn't have enough length at that point!
Currently experimenting with oiling pre wash on the ends.


4. Favorite products?

Faith in nature conditioner and mistry shampoo. I've had build up issues with cones in the past, and sls shampoo tends to over strip my scalp. ATM this is working well to keep it clean and conditioner without sls and cones.


5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

the strength! I don't get many splits if I look after it nicely, so no trimming is easier.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

Not sure about this one. TBH pretty happy with it, as much as I admire other hair types I wouldn't swap!

[Tinyponies]

Hi there,
I’m new to the hair knowledge world so please excuse my lack of correct terminology.
My mum had very (she called it frizzy) wiry coarse hair - now it is white and I don’t know if she has it straightened but it looks fine like mine. I saw pictures of her pre children and it looked smoother, as well.
So most of her life her hairs were like this. No uniformity to the angular looking hairs - not regular like a zig zag and I never saw it clump or curl. I remember that the feel of the hairs was lumpy and a single hair could be force- stretched and it would come out straighter.

She really struggled and never understood why her hair was like it was and had some serious confidence lows. She kept it at chin length. She was always beautiful to me and my whole world growing up. We aren’t super close now so I can’t go ask further questions but my question to you is -

Do any of you good people know any more descriptor words for hair like hers? Or any suggestions on what might have been going on, so I can go off and google search?

Also I would absolutely love to see a photo of hair like this that’s happy and healthy. Really I think she spent a lot of time feeling cursed with it.

Hope I’m posting in the right place and thanks for any thoughts you might have.

[Tinyponies]

ETA: think I have found the answer to this. It could have been a condition called pili torti where each hair is textured and bumpy along its length and makes irregular and up to right angled turns along the way.

[gin]

Fellow mainly coarse hair here! Has anyone had any luck with softening their coarse hair to make stuff like ponytail buns possible and braids less unruly? Because I have a lot of new growth, my braids have a ton of prickly ends just sticking out everywhere no matter what I try. I've tried braiding while damp, spraying water, using oils, etc. When I was washing less I still had this problem on Day 7-8 hair.

As far as the ponytail buns, I really want to do the pinwheel bun that torrinpaige does at the end here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZvXrEOfJ4w. But when I tried this, the hairs coming out of the ponytail are just too stiff to manage so the wrapping around and pinning wasn't happening. Plus I have thick and heavy hair and it was just too hard to hold up. I figured if my hair would just "bend" more easily it would maybe be more manageable...

[tuanyiji]

Coarse Hair Support
1. What is your complete hair type?

1b/C/10.5cm

I guess I can say I’m a iii now that I had a little growth spurt in September and October, my high ponytail circumference is 10.5cm (+0.5) and my low pony is 9.6cm (+0.6) but I won’t knock it yet as the coldest months are around the corner. I wish I can reclaim my iii status when my low pony reaches at least 10cm. It’s possible for me to get a 12cm+ pony if my genes allow me the regrowth from my big shed.

I think my porosity is just normal, never oily.


2. How long is your hair?

It's currently 97cm/TBL, I haven’t trimmed my hair for 3-4 years so the thickest part is around my waist, from there down is a long ass fairytail.

3. What is your hair care routine?

Very minimalist in my opinion because I do weekly water only rinse and shampoo once a month. More details here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/entry.php?b=148760

4. Favorite products?

My silk bonnet/pillowcases, my octopus head massager, my iRestore LLLT helmet, and my DIY henna/garlic/sublime sulfur-infused hair oil.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?

The unthinkable power! I don’t have any split ends since I bun/braid 99% of the time. So no S&D either. I once got a bruise from my braid’s accidental whiplash lol. It rarely tangles, easy to manage with fingercomb only. If I tie a knot with my hair, it naturally uncoils, so my bundrops can be pretty amazing lol. My hair broke two hairsticks this month alone. Savage.

For me coarse hair, if I try to wrap a hair around my fingers tightly, it will cut off my circulation before I can even break it.

I have two gold rings around each of my middle fingers, one of them is a circle and the other can be open because there is a gap, my hair often gets caught by this openable ring and sometimes when I attempt to get away, the hair literally lifts the gap like a thread and distorts the ring.

Yesterday I noticed a hair end protruding from a book on the shelf, naturally I tried to pull it out, however, I ended up pulling three books out because the hair was sitting beneath them in some coiling manner.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
Naturally straight and coarse hair means you can never style it in a certain way if you’re following a fine curly hair’s style instruction. And I have naturally black coarse iii hair that is too slippery (coarse is not the opposite of slippery, trust me) so I can only do most of the buns after I reach tbl, even if my hair can do a style, it doesn’t look as good as the ones with a lighter color and high lights. I need to use 5 lamps for my photo shoot, or it will just a be boring black blur. But with good lighting, my stiffy flyaways literally stand out around my hairdo and hairline, kinda hilarious. The braid shed is shooting out like knives, can’t be tamed. Knot buns or twist buns are harder for me because my hair tends to explode and unravel if I try to compress it too much. I prefer wrap buns.

[lapis_lazuli]

My hair grows in a mix of M/C at my roots, but considering the individual hair strand also tapers with length, much of my hair doesn't qualify as coarse. But this thread is still very relatable :)

[mermaid lullaby]

I hope nobody minds if I post in this thread, again! :o

1. My hairtype is...
1C/C/iii

2. I have hip length hair

3.My hair care routine is...
Wash hair two or three times a week. In the shower, I use 1 pump of shampoo on the top of my head, massage it in with shampoo brushes. Next, I flip my hair over and bend at the waist. I take 1 pump of shampoo and massage it in using the shampoo brushes. I use 1 pump of shampoo and another pump of shampoo because that's the amount I need. You may just need 1 pump of shampoo. Rinse everything. Condition length. Rinse.
I air dry until it's damp then, I use a hairdryer on warm settings with protectant spray until it's dry. I use only my fingers to detangle when it's drying.
On other days I use leave in conditioner and a detangling brush.

Products I use...
Pantene miracle moisture boost (pink bottle) shampoo
Herbal Essence rose hips conditioner
Shampoo brushes from Ulta
Aussie Gloss Over leave in conditioner
Aussie total miracle heat protectant
Goody detangling brush (when it's dry, otherwise it's just finger detangling)

What I love about coarse hair is that it's easy to do updoes and braids because it doesn't slip.

[Bat]

1. What is your complete hair type?
Still don't know my texture type or density stats but mine is coarse/medium

2. How long is your hair?
Cockatoo ( pix)

3. What is your hair care routine?
CWC or CO

4. Favorite products?
- Keune vital nutrition
Joico clarifying shampoo
Olaplex 4P shampoo when I have blond hair
Toni&Guy StrengthPlex Mask
Redkin Frizz Dismiss conditioner

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
It's strong so I can bleach 2-3 times with no problem
It has good shine when I let it grow long enough

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

it doesn't feel soft often So can feel damaged

[cookies]

1. What is your complete hair type?
Now that I've had my self-typing corrected, it's 2b, for the other two markers I'm at the border - 10.5cm pony and 10 strands = 10mm.

2. How long is your hair?
60cm/23.5in/APL

3. What is your hair care routine?
It's evolving, but what's been stable for awhile:
- I wash it every 4-6 days;
- CWC;
- Weekly hour-long mask for the past 3 months;
- Leave-in conditioner and hair oil on damp hair;
- Zero heat for years now;
- Henna every 3-5 months;
- Trims every 3 months (by a hairdresser, this is recent because I want to grow it healthy and evenly :lol: ; before I self trimmed occasionally for two years and before that two haircuts a year);

4. Favorite products?
I have sensitive skin so products are tough for me. For shampooing I use ultra-sensitive, fragrance free shampoos (which are usually also cone- and other things -free), otherwise my scalp and my back are not happy. For the rest I'm less picky, but I wouldn't say I have any favorites yet.

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
The thickness! Even when I succeed in taming the frizz, my hair still looks full.

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?
It does feel crunchy without thorough conditioning (long masks, leave-ins, oils) and it can suck up a LOT of product. The waves and bleach leftovers aren't making it easier. Oh, and the shed is... impressive.

[cookies]

4. Favorite products?
- Keune vital nutrition



OMG, I used to loooove KEUNE products years ago, but then I moved to another country and totally forgot about them! I'm going to look them up right now, thanks for the reminder :D

[tuanyiji]

1. What is your complete hair type?
Still don't know my texture type or density stats but mine is coarse/medium

2. How long is your hair?
Cockatoo ( pix)

3. What is your hair care routine?
CWC or CO

4. Favorite products?
- Keune vital nutrition
Joico clarifying shampoo
Olaplex 4P shampoo when I have blond hair
Toni&Guy StrengthPlex Mask
Redkin Frizz Dismiss conditioner

5. What do you love most about having coarse hair?
It's strong so I can bleach 2-3 times with no problem
It has good shine when I let it grow long enough

6. What do you least like about having coarse hair?

it doesn't feel soft often So can feel damaged

I googled Cockatoo and I have to say, that crown looks exactly like yours right now!

[Bat]

[


OMG, I used to loooove KEUNE products years ago, but then I moved to another country and totally forgot about them! I'm going to look them up right now, thanks for the reminder :D

It's so good! It makes my hair feel soft like butter

[Bat]

I googled Cockatoo and I have to say, that crown looks exactly like yours right now!

XD I can't wait til it sits flat