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View Full Version : My braid waves stay in longer?



nytquill
October 23rd, 2010, 10:50 AM
For most of my life it has simply been a fact that my hair did not "take" a curl. Curls from rollers or a curling iron fell out within an hour or so, same for crimping (braid waves). The only thing that really stayed in was curls from hot rollers or of course a permanent. I have even explained this to hairstylers who wanted to use a curling iron on me, only to have them say a little bit later "Oh, you really weren't kidding, were you? It's falling out already!"

Well fast forward to now. I braided my hair for work two days ago. Since then I have been at home so I have left my hair down, and I can still see the braidwaves. This has become the new normal for me - I don't heat style my hair but any kind of braid waves or bun waves will still be visible from when I take my hair down after work to when I get up the next morning, and sometimes longer.

I imagine this has to do with me no longer using cones. The cones were probably what kept my stick-straight hair bouncing back to it's natural shape and resisting any kind of bending or crimping...right?

But I am wondering if any of you have experienced this or if it is a sign of something I need to do for my hair. Does this mean I should go back to cones, for example, or that I lack protein? My hair is in pretty good condition (100% virgin, likes a lot of moisture and I oblige as much as possible!) and I've never really considered it to be "too soft" or weak so I don't really fuss too much over protein, this just makes me wonder.

pepperminttea
October 23rd, 2010, 11:24 AM
I don't know if it's a bad thing necessarily, but I get the same thing happening, and I'm cone-free too. Braidwaves happily stay in my hair now for over a day, when a few years ago (when I was still using cones) curling irons might as well have laughed at me.

Sagi1982
October 23rd, 2010, 11:27 AM
I have a braid perm, too. :-/

Harriet
October 23rd, 2010, 11:51 AM
Same here!!

When I was using cones I spent hours curling my hair on several occasions using different methods only to have it fall out by the time I arrived at wherever I was going.

Since stopping using cones, my hair has started being more wavy if I leave it to try untouched, and and braid or bun I put in gives me waves that last for ages.
I can get really nice spirally ends now if I put my hair in a cinnabun overnight :)

nytquill
October 23rd, 2010, 12:45 PM
Thanks for the quick responses! Glad to know this is pretty normal for cone-free, and I'm not alone!

I do sometimes miss my shiny coney hair. People used to ask me how I got it so shiny. And it's not even the cones that are the problem - I'm trying to minimize my use of sulfates, so the cones are collateral damage, so that I don't have to constantly shampoo them out of my hair. But at least when properly moisturized my hair still FEELS soft and pretty!

I read an article about going product-free that mentioned that if nobody wore makeup we would all think natural faces were beautiful. In other words the prevalence of makeup has defined our idea of a beautiful face to the point that (for many people) no makeup looks unfinished or wrong. The same is true for hair! If nobody used cones we would all think cone-free hair was normal and looked great, but we're so used to seeing that shine and silkiness that natural healthy hair actually looks UNhealthy to most people! I mean we basically as a culture have no idea what "natural" hair is REALLY supposed to look like (or what our own natural hair really looks like underneath all of that stuff) anymore and we think we should all have shampoo-commercial hair.

Perception is a funny thing :)

Chiara
October 24th, 2010, 07:23 PM
If you want to experience a cone-like effect temporarily, you could try adding some coconut oil to a cone free shampoo (I've added 1 teaspoon of oil to around 7 teaspoons of shampoo and its not too much for my fine, straight hair). I find that, for the first day or so, I have that cone effect of not holding a wave, and being straight. Then after day 2, it seems start holding waves again. I find the oil in the shampoo also does nice things in terms of shine and softness. Have a look at this thread for further discussions http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=57025

bumblebums
October 24th, 2010, 07:31 PM
If you miss your shiny hair, you can use a vinegar rinse, rinse with cold water, or use coconut oil--like Chiara said.

The waves being more permanent could have something to do with the way your hair interacts with moisture now that it's 'cone-free. Your hair has to be able to suck in and retain moisture in order to be wavy/curly--maybe it has an easier time of it now that you are using gentler cleansing methods. Heavier conditioners also weigh hair down and conceal its true nature--perhaps your texture is not really 1a? Anyway, enjoy your newly found braid waves!

nytquill
October 26th, 2010, 10:41 AM
Ooh, I hadn't considered putting coconut oil in my shampoo! I do have some and I put a little in before bed (when I remember, lol) and on the "tails" of my braids for a little extra protection for the exposed ends. I will have to try that next wash! I already do cold rinses when I have the nerve for it, but I should start doing vinegar rinses again too. I'm still working out what works best for my life and my hair but I'm having fun trying new things over the past year.

My hair is definitely 1a...my avatar pic was taken after something like 8 months cone-free and my hair has looked like that my whole life too! But I can definitely see how someone with just a bit of curl could go their whole lives and not know it, what with all the heavy product and heat styling most people use without a second thought!

I like my straight hair, but I'm also fine with the braid waves and DH thinks they're "cool". I just found it a little odd that my hair used to be famous for NOT holding any kind of curl or crimp and now it's staying in for days! Interesting thought about the moisture. That was another thing my hairdressers all commented on when I was younger, how even after being squeezed out, water would just be dripping off my hair after a wash, and how long it took for my hair to fully dry. They told me it was a sign of healthy hair, because damaged hair would be "thirsty" and hold the water in. But the more I think about it now I think it was just the cones blocking water out of the hair. My hair still doesn't "hold on" to water but I think it is able to absorb more of it now, which seems to me like a good thing.

Intransigentia
October 26th, 2010, 11:32 AM
I had noticed that my braidwaves have been more obvious since I've been COing, but not given it much thought. Thanks for an interesting idea! (And maybe one day I'll try not spritzing them and combing them until they flatten, just to see what I get.)