Lots of Questions!

[AJNinami]

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is having a good Saturday. :)

I've amassed several questions about hair and I figured I would gather them all here where hopefully someone can help me with my hair woes.

1. My hair is naturally a 1b - 1c, but today I was looking at my new growth (not bleach-induced roots) and most, if not all of them look 2c - 3a! I've never noticed this before, but I'm wondering if anyone else with my hair type has this curly of regrowth? Half of my immediate family has Low 2s to upper 3 curls, and the other half has my texture. Could I be turning curly? Or am I just seeing crumpled hairs from a night of tossing and turning?

2. I was looking idly through my hair the other day and noticed several splits that were much higher than my hemline, in my upper layers. I'm not going to lie to myself, I know I have millions of split ends all through my hair, but I have no idea how to trim them! After years of getting different types of layers cut, and these recent bleach layers, I don't think using the compact layer cut method would work to trim them. They're all at different lengths, and so far I've just been letting them grow out with my bleach and cutting all of my growth off every month hoping I'll start to catch the layers soon. (I decided to stop trimming over the summer though since my ends are looking much nicer and my hair would be easier to protect if I could put it up easily.) I would S&D to solve the problem, but that would take hours and hours of work for several days and I don't have that kind of time. Does anyone have any suggestions?

3. What are good silicone-free conditioners that could be obtained from Walmart/Target/Supersaver? (I'm not too picky about ingredients)

4. Will braiding my hair over my left shoulder every day eventually cause left-side breakage? Hair sticks aren't allowed in my high school, and I have too many layers to be able to do a much with hair pins. On the same note, what is the least-damaging way to tie off a braid? I want to try the no-crease hair ties, but my hair tends to slip out of things very easily and I don't think that would be a good fit.

I'd really appreciate if anyone could help me! :blossom:

[Nique1202]

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is having a good Saturday. :)

I've amassed several questions about hair and I figured I would gather them all here where hopefully someone can help me with my hair woes.

1. My hair is naturally a 1b - 1c, but today I was looking at my new growth (not bleach-induced roots) and most, if not all of them look 2c - 3a! I've never noticed this before, but I'm wondering if anyone else with my hair type has this curly of regrowth? Half of my immediate family has Low 2s to upper 3 curls, and the other half has my texture. Could I be turning curly? Or am I just seeing crumpled hairs from a night of tossing and turning?

2. I was looking idly through my hair the other day and noticed several splits that were much higher than my hemline, in my upper layers. I'm not going to lie to myself, I know I have millions of split ends all through my hair, but I have no idea how to trim them! After years of getting different types of layers cut, and these recent bleach layers, I don't think using the compact layer cut method would work to trim them. They're all at different lengths, and so far I've just been letting them grow out with my bleach and cutting all of my growth off every month hoping I'll start to catch the layers soon. (I decided to stop trimming over the summer though since my ends are looking much nicer and my hair would be easier to protect if I could put it up easily.) I would S&D to solve the problem, but that would take hours and hours of work for several days and I don't have that kind of time. Does anyone have any suggestions?

3. What are good silicone-free conditioners that could be obtained from Walmart/Target/Supersaver? (I'm not too picky about ingredients)

4. Will braiding my hair over my left shoulder every day eventually cause left-side breakage? Hair sticks aren't allowed in my high school, and I have too many layers to be able to do a much with hair pins. On the same note, what is the least-damaging way to tie off a braid? I want to try the no-crease hair ties, but my hair tends to slip out of things very easily and I don't think that would be a good fit.

I'd really appreciate if anyone could help me! :blossom:

1- It's very normal for straight hair to have curly-looking new growth. It's why so many straight haired folks think they have "frizz", the new growth sticks out at all angles and curls up at the ends and all that. Once those strands grow out, you'll probably find that they stay as straight as the rest of your un-treated hair.

2 - You may have to get a trim from a professional you trust not to take the length off, or split your hair into a bunch of sections from front to back and trim a certain amount off each section the way a hairstylist would if you feel up to it or if you have someone who you trust to do it for you.

3 - I've got nothing because I only use 'coney conditioners

4 - Spin pins are GREAT for layers. You can get a cheap set of like 10 on Amazon or eBay, make sure the tips are covered (you can dip them in nail polish or varnish of some sort if they're sharp when you get them) and use 3 at a time like the sides of a triangle inside your bun, if you can. If you're not sure you can fit 3 full-sized ones inside your bun, Goody sells a set of 3 shorter ones that should work just as well. As for tying off braids, I find that the tiny latex elastics are the grippiest on my slippery-as-an-eel hair, and if they get tangled on a hair they're cheap enough to break off so the hair doesn't get damaged, but I usually get 3-4 braids out of a single elastic.

[meteor]

Lots of great questions. I'll answer # 1 and # 4, if that's OK.

1) Yes, you could be turning curlier naturally (it sometimes happens on its own, e.g. when hormones change dramatically at different ages...). Alternatively, it's possible that you've already had naturally textured hair that you either treated like it's straight (e.g. blowing out straight, combing out, straightening, etc..) or possibly that the bleach damage made your hair lose the curl, while the virgin roots preserve the natural curl.
The thing is, bleach is damaging to hair protein, and losing hair protein can result in impaired structure, so the curl doesn't look as strong, defined and bouncy and may just hang there - it's pretty normal.
We have a curly member raemarthe with a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHiXJCX-0XVEr3DY9x4zO3Q?nohtml5=False) where she shows her hair growth and recovery journey and many photos of hair that didn't have that great curl in the past (due to past damage) that it has now. You can often see this pattern with growing out other chemical damage (e.g. relaxing, perming, keratin Brazilian/Japanese straightening) or heat damage (e.g. from straightening), as well.

By the way, if you need help with curl definition along the way, try wet setting techniques and more intense conditioning, oiling (penetrating oils like coconut), and hydrolyzed protein treatments for structure (e.g. DIY gelatin mask, Joico K-Pak Reconstruct, Aphogee 2-Step - though it's a very strong one, so I'd only recommend it if you see breakage), lots of moisture treatments (e.g. the SMT).

4) The most delicate way of tying off braids that I know of is adding a silky ribbon or a narrow scarf to the braid as you are braiding it (kind of like a paranda) and tying it off at the end.
I can't find any videos for this, but here's how you do it:
- Fold the ribbon/narrow scarf in two;
- As you are coming close to the end of the braid, add the ribbon so that one half joins one strand of the 3-strand braid and the second half joins the opposite strand of the braid;
- Keep on braiding as before, as if the ribbon is part of your hair;
- At the tassel, wrap the two halves of the ribbon around the end and tie a knot/bow.

[AJNinami]

Thank you both for your answers! I will definitely be trying the ribbon tie and the spin-pins, and maybe look at the section-to-cut method.

meteor, I guess I should clarify that my hair was 1b-1c before I bleached, and didn't have the kind of frizz that yet-to-be curlies talk about.

Here is a photo from the year before I bleached it: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21556&d=1455555391

I certainly would love to be curly, though! Thank you for explaining some curly hair treatment, my SO has curly hair and has recently been asking me about how to make it look and feel nicer. :)

[meteor]

^ :D In that case, maybe your hair is getting more textured/wavier/curlier now. ;) By the way, many people do notice a change in texture in their teens - early twenties. It's pretty normal. :)
Alternatively, you could be noticing hairs taking that shape from sleeping on the pillow, like you mentioned in the OP, but then... shouldn't it have always happened the same way in the past, unless your pillows or your sleeping position changed or something? :hmm:


Thank you for explaining some curly hair treatment, my SO has curly hair and has recently been asking me about how to make it look and feel nicer. :)

Cool! :D I don't want to go off-topic too much, but you may want to mention the "Curly Girl" routine and the "Tightly Curly" method to the SO. ;) They are worth looking into for curlies. Many curlies create their own modified version of one of these (a lot depends on the exact type and behavior of the curl), but basically curly methods usually tend to involve lots of conditioning (sometimes CO-washing), often pretty intense use of oils, detangling with lots of conditioner in the shower, LOC or some way of "sealing" moisture post-wash, scrunching, plopping with conditioner or gel or other product for hold, drying with cotton T-shirt/microfiber towel, sleeping on silk/satin, and (usually, but not always) no brushing for avoiding frizz. The SO might need to experiment to see what works best! ;)

[MeganJoan]

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is having a good Saturday. :)

1. My hair is naturally a 1b - 1c, but today I was looking at my new growth (not bleach-induced roots) and most, if not all of them look 2c - 3a! I've never noticed this before, but I'm wondering if anyone else with my hair type has this curly of regrowth? Half of my immediate family has Low 2s to upper 3 curls, and the other half has my texture. Could I be turning curly? Or am I just seeing crumpled hairs from a night of tossing and turning?


It's not uncommon for highly bleached hair to lose it's curl. If you had wavy hair before, and now you have straight hair with a slight wave, it's possible that the bleach damage caused it. I have a friend with hair bleached light blonde from her med/dark blonde natural colour who also straightens her hair every day. I've seen her hair after a fresh wash and it shocked me when she said her hair was naturally wavy without all the processing. In fact, she likes how her damaged hair sits more straight.

Of course that's nothing but anecdotal evidence, but I just mean to say that it is possible that's what's happening here. Of course, there are lots of things that could be causing it. I think the only way to see what your natural hair texture is like now is to just grow it out.

I won't answer any of your other questions, cause I'm new here and not super knowledgeable, but just wanted to put that out there :)

[Frankenstein]

3. What are good silicone-free conditioners that could be obtained from Walmart/Target/Supersaver? (I'm not too picky about ingredients)

I personally like Suave Naturals but they may be too light if your hair needs a lot of moisture. If that's the case, Shea Moisture conditioners are really good as well.

[pailin]

Regarding your side braid, I always do mine over my left shoulder too (goes better with a right-side part) and my worry is about damage on the right, actually. The braid protects my hair from tangling pretty well, except at my nape on the right side. It always seems to get tangles there (I'm also wearing helmets which definitely don't help). So, I don't have any solutions really, just more questions.

[meteor]

Regarding your side braid, I always do mine over my left shoulder too (goes better with a right-side part) and my worry is about damage on the right, actually. The braid protects my hair from tangling pretty well, except at my nape on the right side. It always seems to get tangles there (I'm also wearing helmets which definitely don't help). So, I don't have any solutions really, just more questions.

You could try bunning that braid when it doesn't have to be worn down, and then take it down again for the helmet to fit over it or for other reasons. I find that the nape area is the one that tangles the most when the braid is worn down (from nape area hairs rubbing on collars and other things). But putting the braid up (at least temporarily or when it's windy) really helps minimize this problem and minimizes the braid shredding/frizz, IMO. :flower:

[AJNinami]

It's not uncommon for highly bleached hair to lose it's curl. If you had wavy hair before, and now you have straight hair with a slight wave, it's possible that the bleach damage caused it. I have a friend with hair bleached light blonde from her med/dark blonde natural colour who also straightens her hair every day. I've seen her hair after a fresh wash and it shocked me when she said her hair was naturally wavy without all the processing. In fact, she likes how her damaged hair sits more straight.

Of course that's nothing but anecdotal evidence, but I just mean to say that it is possible that's what's happening here. Of course, there are lots of things that could be causing it. I think the only way to see what your natural hair texture is like now is to just grow it out.

I won't answer any of your other questions, cause I'm new here and not super knowledgeable, but just wanted to put that out there :)

My hair actually ended up curlier after bleaching! But yes I think the general reaction is that hair gets straighter and loses wave. Thank you for throwing in your voice, though. And welcome to the forum! :flower:


I personally like Suave Naturals but they may be too light if your hair needs a lot of moisture. If that's the case, Shea Moisture conditioners are really good as well.

I didn't realize that the Suave Naturals were cone-free, that's very good to know!


Regarding your side braid, I always do mine over my left shoulder too (goes better with a right-side part) and my worry is about damage on the right, actually. The braid protects my hair from tangling pretty well, except at my nape on the right side. It always seems to get tangles there (I'm also wearing helmets which definitely don't help). So, I don't have any solutions really, just more questions.

My concern was that the braid is always rubbing against clothing on that one side. My nape hairs don't seem to tangle easily, but I think I'm one of the lucky few. Does it tangle below our helmet or inside?

[pailin]

My concern was that the braid is always rubbing against clothing on that one side. My nape hairs don't seem to tangle easily, but I think I'm one of the lucky few. Does it tangle below our helmet or inside?

I think my tangling is at the bottom of the helmet- where the edge is.

I hadn't thought too much about friction from clothes, but definitely my braids shred more on the side against my clothing so it would make sense.
Mostly I just try to condition well where I know it tends to tangle, and oil before braiding to try to protect it a little. I'm stuck with doing mostly braids as long as I continue to ride a motorbike most days. My non-motorbike days are my only updo days. (ETA: this is why I'm working on more interesting braids than just the simple English braid. Need to keep things interesting so I stay happy growing.)

But for the most part I do think side braids or pigtails are best since it keeps the hair away from chairbacks and straps. That might change of course as it gets longer.

[restless]

Im sorry for the thread hijack, but Im really curious about this:


Hair sticks aren't allowed in my high school...

Im (obviously) not from Nebraska and this really surprised me. I hope you dont mind me asking: why are they not allowed? Is it a common rule in your area?

[AJNinami]

I think my tangling is at the bottom of the helmet- where the edge is.

I hadn't thought too much about friction from clothes, but definitely my braids shred more on the side against my clothing so it would make sense.
Mostly I just try to condition well where I know it tends to tangle, and oil before braiding to try to protect it a little. I'm stuck with doing mostly braids as long as I continue to ride a motorbike most days. My non-motorbike days are my only updo days. (ETA: this is why I'm working on more interesting braids than just the simple English braid. Need to keep things interesting so I stay happy growing.)

But for the most part I do think side braids or pigtails are best since it keeps the hair away from chairbacks and straps. That might change of course as it gets longer.

Oh, I see. I was thinking that maybe you could line your helmet with silk or satin if it was inside, but on the edge I'm not so sure... As for braids, it's a good thing there's so many! Lots of things to try :)


Im sorry for the thread hijack, but Im really curious about this:

Im (obviously) not from Nebraska and this really surprised me. I hope you dont mind me asking: why are they not allowed? Is it a common rule in your area?

If I went to a school out in Western Nebraska (really small, kids bring their guns to school for show and tell) I'm sure it'd be fine. But at my school they are considered as possible weapons. I only have a TT and two matching metal sticks, and I won't wear the TT to school (that one might pass).

[restless]

I see. Thanks a lot for the reply, AJNinami :)