the longer it gets, the more styling it needs

14 September 2009 ~ 32 Comments

the longer it gets, the more styling it needs

So, instead of profiling an icon today I wanted to give an update on my own hair. You might have noticed that we started a new series encouraging BGLH readers to write in with their tutorials. I have to admit that it’s a bit selfishly motivated, because the longer my hair gets the more help I need with styling.

This was me in December 2006.

And this is me in an impromptu ‘bathroom photoshoot’ a few days ago…

Though I love that I’m getting more length, here are some of the new challenges I’m facing.

1. STYLING! I have more hair so I know I have more options. But my skill level is pretty low :( I have a renewed interest in learning easy, attractive styles.
2. Breakage. The older my ends get the more vulnerable they are to breakage. I’ve upped my deep conditioning to once every two weeks to help strengthen my hair.
3. DETANGLING! Aagghh! It’s a jungle up there! My hair has always been really fine, so I never had a detangling regimen. But those days are over. I’m currently trying to figure out the detangling routine that works best for me.

What about you guys. What challenges are you facing as your hair evolves?

32 Responses to “the longer it gets, the more styling it needs”

jenteel 14 September 2009 at 6:05 am Permalink

goodness!
great progress lei! :)

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yours truly 14 September 2009 at 10:18 am Permalink

congrats on the progress.

my major problem is styling options. still feel like i'm working with limited options.

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Miss Z 14 September 2009 at 11:46 am Permalink

great progress! For the detangling, maybe you could try finger combing with conditioner in your hair under the shower.

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Black girl with long hair 14 September 2009 at 12:05 pm Permalink

@ J… LOL at the "goodness!" LOL!!!! thanks tho ;)

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?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

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?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
?reciä 14 September 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink

Thats amazing progress.
Its my 2 yr anniversary today and since i've colored it till it dries out I cut most of the color off.. my major problem is keeping it from locing by wearing two strand twist protective style for a whole month. Yet things will work out. :)

Detangling might be easier if you put your hair in sections when you wash. with lots of water on a section n loads of conditioner separate with your hands until ur hands make its way through it then u can go through it with a wide tooth comb.

Reply
Kadiane 14 September 2009 at 12:55 pm Permalink

About the post about not being able to do a fro due to you fine hair. My hair is fine too and i finally found a way. after you stretch your hair with a twist or braid, you do your afro as if you wanted you hair to fall all around you head, from the middle of the head. It prevents having hair that you can see trough standing on top of the head when the hair is thin. But try not to make the middle point too obvious by lifting the hair on the top,so that your side pictures do not look flat on the top of the head. Almost like this : http://www.hji.co.uk/image/1986-men-curls-qhs1316.html

Since it is a kinky hair, it will never huge the face like it does in the picture hence the afro effect almost like this : http://www.thatblackgirlsite.com/?p=788

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Milan 14 September 2009 at 1:38 pm Permalink

Great progress!

A challenge I'm having with my hair is it tangling on itself and creating those "fairy" knots. So I had to stop doing wash n go's earlier this summer b/c it seemed like when I did those, the problem got even worse. Now I try to wear styles that stretch out my hair, like braid outs and flat twist outs, so it doesn't tangle as much.

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Breath of Light 14 September 2009 at 1:39 pm Permalink

This post is right on time. I'm noticing I'm more prone to frustration now that my hair is getting longer. Detangling has proven to be pretty easy for me. I know how to do that safely. However my desire for big hair does NOT mesh well with my desire for strong, healthy hair. I've noticed breakage in my fro and I'm not happy about it. Hence the braids that I'm currently rocking. I know this is away for me to play around with daily styles without yanking through my dry hair to achieve something "cute, fly, or different". It just seemed much easier when my hair was 5 or less inches long to maintain day to day styles without breakage. I certainly have to be more aware of how I handle my hair every single day. I don't want to stress or obsess about my hair, but I still want to grow it longer.

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Liza 14 September 2009 at 2:20 pm Permalink

As my hair gets longer, I have the following challenges:

1. dry ends
2. split ends
3. single strand knots (those pesky little knots that somehow form at the ends)
4. styling

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Jc 14 September 2009 at 2:39 pm Permalink

Great progress. Here are my tips

1. Styling is easy. Try buns (vary the position – side buns, low buns and vary the parting in the front – no part, side part, mid part). Buy accessories – like a bun thingy (don't ask me what it is called). It is a donut thing that you use to create a large bun. I'm sure someone knows the technical name lol. I also think you can never have too many headbands, scrunchies or hair clips. Remember the more styling you do, the less growth you will see, if your goal is longer hair (which I think it is) then stick to buns and leave the knot outs/twist outs for special occassions.

2. Breakage comes with the territory as does knotting. The longer the hair, the more the knots. I can say from experience, the length you are currently at was the least troublesome for me. IT will only get worse (cue – sound of doom). The good part is you have more experience now and with time you will become scissor happy- trust me cutting knots out of hair is pure bliss. I would also recommend a prepoo with coconut oil to stop the hair shaft swelling when exposed to water which can lead to breakage.

3. Detangling – By now you must have learned the key technique – patience. The second key is sectioning. I do everything in sections (washing and styling is everything.) I personally do not wash my hair loose. I think with very curly hair, loose washing leads to more tangling. If you are not already, try washing your hair in 8-10 loose braids

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Kadiane 14 September 2009 at 2:49 pm Permalink

@ trecia

I can not keep a twist in for more than 2 weeks or i should say 2 washes, before it start locking. un ravelling them breaks the hair. I recently started unraveling from the tip of the twist instead of the root. I is way better but if any of you have a method to keep twists in for 1 mths,pls let me know.

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Lily 14 September 2009 at 3:20 pm Permalink

My challenge comes with still having a TWA >_>
I don't like to wear it picked out everyday, as I like the curls that come through when I use thick conditioners. However, there's no way to preserve this style, i can't pin, bun, or twist because it's too short for that. So I have to do this deep condition thing everyday, which may be good on my hair but not on my wallet! (which is empty) Despite my hair being so short, it's thicker than i thought it would be, and needs a lot more conditioner than i thought.

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littlegoldenlamb 14 September 2009 at 4:17 pm Permalink

I can't wait for your issues, m'dear! ^_~

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Da Jadedpoet 14 September 2009 at 4:24 pm Permalink

My problems are…Styling and oddly enough the color of my hair haha. I know sounds odd but I can't lighten the hair I dyed black 2 years ago so I feel i'm more handicapped with my styling options since I don't really like my hair color (black) against my skin LOL.
To me hair color is like an accessory. :-) I do have some styles in mind but I am not to good at styling. "Werking" on it. :-)
*on a side not since it is much longer i'm almost afraid to color >_> *

(for my breakage) I have been using two different protein conditioners a month and I wash every two weeks. Mane and tail(light protein) and mix it with coconut oil and the one Jenteel recommended on here. Jherri Rhedding 100% natural protein its so good IMO and 3.99 from amazon.com. *girl you better listen to her LOL* I used to dye my hair like crazy, I should be BALD HAHA.

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NaturalAshli 14 September 2009 at 6:07 pm Permalink

The problem that I am having now being natural is that the middle of my head gets the most tangled instead of the "kitchen" when my hair was relaxed! lol

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Lina40 14 September 2009 at 6:18 pm Permalink

Great progress Leila!

I did a lot of pinned up and curly twists at your length.. maybe that would help…

totally agreeing with Jc – when I started washing my hair in loose plaited sections, my detangling issues reduced greatly. I am starting to get single-strand knots at the ends (at least with my extended set of minibraids..

So I am upping my deep conditioning and henna-ing to counteract the dry ends which are very prone to breakage nowadays..

My other problem is just tired arms… I like putting in styles, but they are taking too much time and arm strength for me right now..

I am pretty much wearing my hair in a low pony bun (with a bun "donut" — i think thats the word someone was lookin for..? and airdrying in large twists after a wash..

I now piggyback all protein treatments with a deep conditioner or alternate treatments weekly.
I also recently started using Roux porosity corrector/conditioner post-henna, and that seems to be doing some good for me..

Careful JadedPoet – excessive protein breaks off the hair too.

Blessings!

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Da Jadedpoet 14 September 2009 at 8:47 pm Permalink

@Lina40. *for the excess use of protein* I know LOL. I counter all of the protein with my shea butter mix. You could say my hair nearly stays saturated in it*moisture* but the combo seems to have done wonders for the strength of my hair especially my old colored ends. LOL. Thanks for the heads up. :-)

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c. janae 15 September 2009 at 3:16 am Permalink

I'm at the stage now where it's too long to be a cute twa, but not long enought to pull back in a bun or puff so I always have it in two strand twists or a twist out.

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SistaOpinion 15 September 2009 at 4:39 am Permalink

The big thing for me is that it's taking my hair longer to air-dry and I find I don't always want to go to bed with wet hair. So recently I've returned to blow-drying BUT I do it using the tension method: I take a section of hair, pull it taut, and blow-dry the length. This gets my hair dry faster and has the added benefit of letting me enjoy more of my actual length and thickness (since I have insane shrinkage). I'm not trying to get my hair straight…I just want to get it drier faster.

I have a cheapie $10 dryer but am thinking of getting an ionic dryer just to see if it'll make a difference in terms of time.

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queenuseless 15 September 2009 at 5:48 pm Permalink

You growth is wonderful!!

At four years natural, my complaint is the time it takes to style my hair, and the amount of product it takes to stay healthy.

I will say that I am loving the fact that my hair is the longest it's ever been, and I have my edges back!!

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Ayomide 15 September 2009 at 5:59 pm Permalink

longer the hair increased problems in

1. split ends- (not a lot but they are there(
2. Knots, knots and more knot on my ends
3. shine – (I can't get my hair to shine for anything.)

I do finally have de-tangling, moisturizing and styling down.

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The Fashionstar 15 September 2009 at 7:00 pm Permalink

I totally agree with JC about not washing the hair loose. For about a month now I have started to braid my hair into about 6-8 big jacked up braids (most of the time I just detangle w/ my fingers but if it's really tangled I'll spray it with water first and then detangle with a comb) before I hop in the shower, then I just shampoo my scalp and run the conditioner over the braids.

If my hair has a lot of build-up I will take down one braid at a time gently shampoo it, and then re-braid the section before cleansing the others.

I have found that this has helped me to detangle so much faster, and it prevents a ton of shrinkage from happening.

I haven't experienced a lot of breakage, but I'd recommend either Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter or her Black Vanilla Leave-in both products are the bomb and help prevent my hair from becoming too dry.

My main complaint are those knots though! I get them all the time now I just cut them out as soon as I feel one.

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Breath of Light 15 September 2009 at 9:19 pm Permalink

JC I enjoyed buns for a few weeks when I had bad shoulder and neck injuries. It was simple and quick and not so painful. However my edges have suffered from my buns and puffs this summer. Personally that area is a weak spot for me anyway so I blame myself for using a brush to "lay my edges" down. When I was really just brushing them out. lol.

I just saw the post on maintaining twistouts and it neer occured to me to invest in a bonnet. I've been a scarf lady for so long. I will try that once these braids are out.

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PoliBohoGlam 16 September 2009 at 12:38 am Permalink

My big challenge is dry styling beyond "the puff". Even with my puff, if I don't condition and detangle every 3 days or so, I get tons of lost strands when I finally get to it.

The wet sets are fine, and are good for a good number of styles, but I'm about to have my first cold winter since going natural again (I've been living in Miami and just moved further north) and a wet head in December just won't do.

I've no idea how I should do my hair when it's dry and how to maintain a dry style for 4 or more days.

Suggestions?

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Kadiane 21 September 2009 at 12:01 am Permalink

@JC
''stick to buns and leave the knot outs/twist outs for special occassions.''

To do the buns in the morning, you still have to braid out so what is the difference ?

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