Working with my natural hair?

**Stardreamer** · September 23rd, 2020, 08:52 PM

I have difficult to manage 3b/3c curly hair. I brush my curls out usually. I prefer it brushed out. Lately I've been trying different things. Using conditioner, flattening my hair with argan oil. I wish my hair was wavy, 2c texture or something. Well anyways today I'm letting my hair dry into my natural curls, something I do maybe twice a year. Curls make me feel younger, like a little girl. But I figured maybe I could pull my curls into a ponytail or something. My style with clothing is trippy and a bit hippie. That is, I like tie dye. I'm somewhat of a hippie but I'm not very girly and I want my hair to be a bit edgy. I'm not sure what to do. I want to dye my hair blue sometime, though. I have brown, mid-back length hair. I find brown to be a boring colour. And I think lockdown has made a few of us including me, fixate on our hair and become bored with it. I'm going to grow my hair long and then if I wanna cut it I will donate it. Do you have any suggestions for an edgy hairstyle? I wear glasses so I dislike buns now, I don't want to feel nerdy. A single dutch braid is too girly for me. I want to be a bit edgy, and I'm sort of past the phase of natural, long hippie hair. The buns I used to wear definitely didn't go with the tie dye I wear or my style. Suggestions?

I'm sorry if this post is a bit jumbled.

**Bat** · September 23rd, 2020, 11:32 PM

Unfortunately places that deal with hair donations like hair to be virgin and not dyed, maybe play around with braiding?there are tons of braiding styles

I understand the struggle with brown hair I find it boring on me myself and have gotten into a dying cycle I can't get out of, if you want Color maybe get some colored clip in extensions, I should do that myself lol

**Aerya** · September 24th, 2020, 03:24 AM

Colored streaks, maybe an undercut at the nape or even the side? The latter might make your hair more manageable too, and would make updos/ponytails look edgier as well. And I second Bat's suggestion to learn some braids! Braids are fun, look good and generally protective of the hair.

**Iyashikei** · September 24th, 2020, 07:02 AM

How about this? https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/5736460...c_v1=1b6u2Fqg7

It's just a loose pineapple bun. I know you don't want buns but I think it looks edgy enough.

**lapushka** · September 25th, 2020, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

I have difficult to manage 3b/3c curly hair. I brush my curls out usually. I prefer it brushed out. Lately I've been trying different things. Using conditioner, flattening my hair with argan oil. I wish my hair was wavy, 2c texture or something. Well anyways today I'm letting my hair dry into my natural curls, something I do maybe twice a year. Curls make me feel younger, like a little girl. But I figured maybe I could pull my curls into a ponytail or something. My style with clothing is trippy and a bit hippie. That is, I like tie dye. I'm somewhat of a hippie but I'm not very girly and I want my hair to be a bit edgy. I'm not sure what to do. I want to dye my hair blue sometime, though. I have brown, mid-back length hair. I find brown to be a boring colour. And I think lockdown has made a few of us including me, fixate on our hair and become bored with it. I'm going to grow my hair long and then if I wanna cut it I will donate it. Do you have any suggestions for an edgy hairstyle? I wear glasses so I dislike buns now, I don't want to feel nerdy. A single dutch braid is too girly for me. I want to be a bit edgy, and I'm sort of past the phase of natural, long hippie hair. The buns I used to wear definitely didn't go with the tie dye I wear or my style. Suggestions?

I'm sorry if this post is a bit jumbled.

Why not just focus on growing it long, since that's... what we do here. Right?

APL is still quite short, so just focusing your efforts on growing it out (and dappling in colorful conditioner-dyes) might be nice?

**Dark40** · September 25th, 2020, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Stardreamer

I have difficult to manage 3b/3c curly hair. I brush my curls out usually. I prefer it brushed out. Lately I've been trying different things. Using conditioner, flattening my hair with argan oil. I wish my hair was wavy, 2c texture or something. Well anyways today I'm letting my hair dry into my natural curls, something I do maybe twice a year. Curls make me feel younger, like a little girl. But I figured maybe I could pull my curls into a ponytail or something. My style with clothing is trippy and a bit hippie. That is, I like tie dye. I'm somewhat of a hippie but I'm not very girly and I want my hair to be a bit edgy. I'm not sure what to do. I want to dye my hair blue sometime, though. I have brown, mid-back length hair. I find brown to be a boring colour. And I think lockdown has made a few of us including me, fixate on our hair and become bored with it. I'm going to grow my hair long and then if I wanna cut it I will donate it. Do you have any suggestions for an edgy hairstyle? I wear glasses so I dislike buns now, I don't want to feel nerdy. A single dutch braid is too girly for me. I want to be a bit edgy, and I'm sort of past the phase of natural, long hippie hair. The buns I used to wear definitely didn't go with the tie dye I wear or my style. Suggestions?

I'm sorry if this post is a bit jumbled.

Hey, I'm also dealing with and working with my natural hair texture as well. Which is 2c/3a. Well, I'm trying to transition from relaxed to my wavy natural hair texture. I'm kind of in a toss and turn trying to decide if I really want to go back to relaxing it again. Or, do I just let my natural waves grow out very long?

**ynne** · September 25th, 2020, 11:09 AM

Why do curls make you feel younger? I don't think anything about them is related to age, to be honest. :) Have you not seen our older members with curls? But since you also don't like buns for looking "nerdy" (oonf, okay), I'm thinking the main issue here might not be your hair but confidence or giving into prejudices you were raised with. Making curls wavier is easy – after you wear it in an updo or braid it, they stretch out. On your photos they look like low 2s, so combing stretches them too. You can put it in braid(s) for night, if you don't want to wear braids outside, and then you'll have braid waves. It might take some trial and error, you might have to try one braid, more braids, rope braids etc., to see what gives you the result you want. I'd still recommend trying to comb it less or just not to comb it, it won't be as poofy then, it'll cooperate a lot more so it'll be easier to wear it in half-ups or loose.

If you are looking for "edgy" updos with interesting hairtoys, look at Tatsu (first person that came to mind; it doesn't get edgier than a pirate-style scarf and a sword hairstick on beautiful black hair). Half-ups are a nice compromise. You could do just a simple topknot bun, that's a more masc-leaning style.

With tie-dye clothes, loose curly/wavy hair, big ponytail or a messy high bun sound fitting to me.

It's hard to get more specific with advice, so I'd recommend you to look up visual inspiration, search through LHC picture threads or pinterest or something and figure out what you like c: Since personal preferences are, well, personal, you'll have to make the final call here. It also depends on how much effort you want to put into it, if you are up for making hairstyles or if some added color is a better, more long-term solution.

**lapushka** · September 25th, 2020, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by ynne

Why do curls make you feel younger? I don't think anything about them is related to age, to be honest.

Have you not seen our older members with curls? But since you also don't like buns for looking "nerdy" (oonf, okay), I'm thinking the main issue here might not be your hair but confidence or giving into prejudices you were raised with. Making curls wavier is easy – after you wear it in an updo or braid it, they stretch out. On your photos they look like low 2s, so combing stretches them too. You can put it in braid(s) for night, if you don't want to wear braids outside, and then you'll have braid waves. It might take some trial and error, you might have to try one braid, more braids, rope braids etc., to see what gives you the result you want. I'd still recommend trying to comb it less or just not to comb it, it won't be as poofy then, it'll cooperate a lot more so it'll be easier to wear it in half-ups or loose.

If you are looking for "edgy" updos with interesting hairtoys, look at Tatsu (first person that came to mind; it doesn't get edgier than a pirate-style scarf and a sword hairstick on beautiful black hair). Half-ups are a nice compromise. You could do just a simple topknot bun, that's a more masc-leaning style.

With tie-dye clothes, loose curly/wavy hair, big ponytail or a messy high bun sound fitting to me.

It's hard to get more specific with advice, so I'd recommend you to look up visual inspiration, search through LHC picture threads or pinterest or something and figure out what you like c: Since personal preferences are, well, personal, you'll have to make the final call here. It also depends on how much effort you want to put into it, if you are up for making hairstyles or if some added color is a better, more long-term solution.

Plus Tatsu (yes great example for edgier styles) has super long hair by now!

I think if you're still APL, OP... did you cut it? You must have. Now, I know that curls grow slower due to shrinkage, but you say you're brushing it out constantly... so... what gives. Can I ask? Not that you *have to* grow longer, but I thought that is what you wished for!