Black / African Hair Tips

[Alfie78]

Hi! Long time lurker first time poster! The reason why I decided to post is because I have a question about black woman's hairstyles. I absolutely love it when a black woman has her hair straightened! I know, I know, I should appreciate the natural kinkiness of the hair, but I love how shiny it is! I will include pictures so some people can get an idea what I'm referring to. But any who, I hate seeing Oprah on tv, for example, because I wish my hair was that shiny. It is not oily shiny, but just shiny. Sometimes a black woman's hair can look like silk to me. I was wondering if anyone knew how I could achieve that look. I'm half black myself, and I have kinky and curly hair. But whenever I straighten my hair with a flat iron, it doesn't look as shiny. I have tried putting Oil Sheen in my hair, but it makes my hair oily.



Now, to my question-Is it true that the Hot Comb that many black woman use to straighten their hair actually makes it that shinny and how can I achieve that look myself?




Pictures-

copy and past into the adress (sorry!)

 

[Theory]

Well the women you have posted have relaxers, (there's no lye, lye ones)...a process by which you chemically straighten your hair by breaking the bonds down that give it the usual kinky (natural) hair that many black people have (but not all). I can assure you that you will find that most black women in the public eye are relaxing (taming) their hair.....and no, I don't think that all blk women who do relax are enslaved...

Post your question here and browse some of the threads at these forums...a wealth of excellent info is there...

http://forum.blackhairmedia.com
http://naturallycurly2.com/home/index.php

 

[sbbbjm]

my best friend is black and when she wears it straight its beautiful! the thing is that she doesn't relax it, so its not dry or limp.

when she straightens it she uses a little bit of kiehl's with silk groom on it while its damp. she blow dries it, then flatirons it, then she uses the blow dryer again to break it up so it looks more natural and full (eh, i hate when you see those girls and you KNOW they overuse a flatiron cuz its super flat, piecey looking and chunked up).

and this is no short process. i went over to her place to hangout and it was like 'let's sit around and watch danielle straighten her hair day'

of course she can only wear it like that for 3 or 4 days max but i've never seen a black woman with her straight hair being as nice as that without them being a celeb or it being weaves. it really is pretty, and as she says its the only way she can get the 'white girl bounce' and the 'white girl shine'

 

[eloes]

This is kind of random, but I think that the 'typical' black hair that you described (the kinky curls, etc) is gorgeous. I'm a white girl with very straight hair with no hope of natural-looking curls, so of course I love what I can't have. Straighted hair is pretty, too (and I know what you mean about the shine), but it's a different look.

And I feel very silly for saying this, but do you know it actually hadn't occurred to me that Oprah straightens her hair? I guess I hadn't paid that much attention to hers because I've never ever seen it unstraightened. It seems silly now that I didn't think of it, though. Gah, I'm so oblivious.

 

[Alfie78]

Thanks Theory for posting the link! I have looked all over the internet for "black" messageboards. I checked it out and these boards are wonderful and a lot of help. Thanks for informing me about Lye vs. No Lye. I'm going to Sally's tommorrow to get myself Lyed!

Elos-"'typical' black hair that you described (the kinky curls, etc) is gorgeous. I'm a white girl with very straight hair with no hope of natural-looking curls"
I would say that you are the luckiest girl in the world! You don't know what I would give to have striaght hair. No more tangles, relaxing, flatironing, and major damage to my hair. You can just wake up and have straight hair! I have to get up 3 hours before I go to school every over day and work my hair. But you are right, we want what we can't have.

 

[fash ho']

Thanks, I'm going to try that technique. I am mixed race with curly hair which i enjoy, but sometimes it nice to have sleek hair.

my best friend is black and when she wears it straight its beautiful! the thing is that she doesn't relax it, so its not dry or limp.

when she straightens it she uses a little bit of kiehl's with silk groom on it while its damp. she blow dries it, then flatirons it, then she uses the blow dryer again to break it up so it looks more natural and full (eh, i hate when you see those girls and you KNOW they overuse a flatiron cuz its super flat, piecey looking and chunked up).

and this is no short process. i went over to her place to hangout and it was like 'let's sit around and watch danielle straighten her hair day'

of course she can only wear it like that for 3 or 4 days max but i've never seen a black woman with her straight hair being as nice as that without them being a celeb or it being weaves. it really is pretty, and as she says its the only way she can get the 'white girl bounce' and the 'white girl shine'

 

[sasseestefanie]

My best friend wears wigs
They're quite lovely and real looking too
You could get your hair cut really short and put some real humanhair extentions in....

 

[esiders]

Alot of black celebrity women wear weaves to achieve that shiny super straight look (many weaves are made of straight Asian hair).

Instead of perming your hair...try to find a good black hair salon that deals with "natural" hair. A good hair stylist can straighten curly hair without putting a perm in it. Perming (relaxing) black hair inflicts a lot of damage to hair shaft and requires maintenance. That's why so many black women with permed hair go to the salon every 2 weeks. So sure you can pay $10 for a package on relaxer at Sally's...but to have your hair look great consistantly, you will need to spend money. Good luck!

 

[Alfie78]

Thanks-

sasseestefanie-Thanks for responding. Putting extensions in is way to expensive! Besides, I have like nightmares about extensions. I'm afraid that I will put extensions in my hair, and then on a very very windy day, they will fly out! I know that will never happen but it could!



esiders-I understand what you are saying but going to a black salon every week is way too expensive! I'm just a poor student! I use to go to a black hair salon every two weeks when I was younger. It would cost about 50 per each session-that's 100 a month. Plus tips, plus cutting, dying, gas money, and money for food-one year my mom and I calculated it and it came out to about $2000! $2000 for hair! That money could have been used for college! Sure, I looked like a super model but still. I bought the box of relaxer from sally's-hated the results. I'm just going to end up buying a high end flat iron (I have been browsing the flat iron thread!) and straighten my own hair.

 

[HBoogie]

Oprah has mentioned many times on her show that she wears wigs.

 

[esiders]

esiders-I understand what you are saying but going to a black salon every week is way too expensive! I'm just a poor student! I use to go to a black hair salon every two weeks when I was younger. It would cost about 50 per each session-that's 100 a month. Plus tips, plus cutting, dying, gas money, and money for food-one year my mom and I calculated it and it came out to about $2000! $2000 for hair! That money could have been used for college! Sure, I looked like a super model but still. I bought the box of relaxer from sally's-hated the results. I'm just going to end up buying a high end flat iron (I have been browsing the flat iron thread!) and straighten my own hair.

I guess that was the point I was trying to make...once you start perming/relaxing your hair it takes money to keep it looking nice. At least if you went to a natural hair salaon, you can learn the non-perming techniques they use to get your har straight and you can do them at home!

Another option may be to "wrap" your hair. Wash and condition your hair and while its wet, put a ton of gel or mousse in your hair. Put a small part in your hair above your left eye, get a good brush and start brushing your hair FLAT clockwise around your head. Tie your hair down with a bandana and let it air dry all night. In the morning your hair should be flat on your head. Just brush your hair out of the flat style....and go. That's how Aaliyah and Alicia Keys get their hair so straight and flat.

 

[skyred]

Wow I never knew Oprah wore wigs. Well, I knew that I'm tired of having my hair releaxed. It looks nice and everything, but whenever I get a relaxer, my hair becomes thin and flat. Also, like most of you said, it becomes expensive over the years. I'm going to college in about a year and I knew I won't give my releaxed hair the attention it needs, so does anyone know what would happen to my hair if I stop releaxing it and does anyone know of any good products for breaking hair? Many Thanxx

 

[LadyIllusion]

You dont have to have relaxed hair to achieve the look that you are after. I am mixed with Indian, so have long curly 'european' hair. I dont go to a salon religiously,because im afraid of over blowdrying/flat ironing my hair. I do visit the salon if i have somewhere or something important to got to. I have in the past relaxed my hair, but as no one could see any difference i stopped doing it. I also realised when i have my hair washed, blow-dried and then flat ironed i achieve the same look as if my hair was relaxed. (which can last up to 3 weeks, then i have to use some gel just at the front to paste down the little hairs that tend to stick up! i hope im making sense to someone). The point is the shinyness comes from the product that is used on the hair before or during flat ironing. I dont think its an oil based product, as you know oil smokes a heck of alot. What you could do is take a picture of someone with the style you want and ask your salon to do your hair the same. The only thing i hate about having my hair done, is the burning smell thats left after you leave the salon, as though you fried your hair.

 

[LadyIllusion]

Wow I never knew Oprah wore wigs. Well, I knew that I'm tired of having my hair releaxed. It looks nice and everything, but whenever I get a relaxer, my hair becomes thin and flat. Also, like most of you said, it becomes expensive over the years. I'm going to college in about a year and I knew I won't give my releaxed hair the attention it needs, so does anyone know what would happen to my hair if I stop releaxing it and does anyone know of any good products for breaking hair? Many Thanxx

I know in the Uk there is a professional product that is used in salons for treating breaking hair. I dont know if i've got the spelling right, but it sounds like 'efergee'. Maybe you could ask in a salon, they should know what you are talking about. When you go to college, you should trim your hair and put it in either extensions or have it cornrowed with extension, that will give it a break and cause it to grow.

 

[acester]

Don't they use those relaxer things? I heard they work really well.

 

[ebyokuri]

I am also a student on that horrible student budget. But I FINALLY learnt that if your hair looks crazy people tend to look at you crazy. So what if your clothes look good and stuff but your hair is dry and crazy looking. So, I readjusted my budget and now I have a weave in my hair. (ciara is wearing a weave, beyonce, etc....they don't have good hair, they have the money to buy good hair) the best weaving hair is not typical asian hair but Indian hair. you'll find a lot of good info about weaves on the forum I just posted. Oprah currently is sporting a weave with just her own hair left out at the hairline (if you watched her recent weight loss episode, you would have seen evidence of it when she was doing her pilates routine).

Another thing I learnt about my own hair (which is VERY kinky, I am from Uganda, East Africa) is that doing your own relaxers is bad in the long run. Eventually, your hair ends up breaking. The only relaxer I will use is the phyto relaxer. it is expensive but the women on the forums listed swear by them. you can get it online at sephora.

For my hair products, I actually don't purchase them from the black beauty supply anymore. They don't work as good as mainstream products. Try this conditioner by Abba called the Two Minute Moisturizer, or hydrating shampoo and hydrating conditioner by Halo or the hydrating conditioner by Pureology. Get a ceramic flat iron if you don't already have one. If it's too expensive get a ceramic plated one. Hot tools makes a good one and you can find it at ulta.

Finally, what you put in your mouth shows up a lot in you hair. Eat healthy, drink lots of water, exercise and take some vitamins if necessary.

 

[Alfie78]

Thanks....

Using the relaxer has done a lot of damage to my hair. You should heard what the hairstylist said before he cut it. It wasn't purrty! I have just decided that I spend the time and flat iron my hair my self. I hate it but it is something I HAVE TO DO.

I don't know how to quote so bear with me!

"But I FINALLY learnt that if your hair looks crazy people tend to look at you crazy."

ebyokuri-so true. I hate that. A person could have holes in their clothes but as long as their hair is lookin good than it is fine. I really wish it was the other way around.

"I actually don't purchase them from the black beauty supply anymore. They don't work as good as mainstream products. Try this conditioner by Abba called the Two Minute Moisturizer, or hydrating shampoo and hydrating conditioner by Halo or the hydrating conditioner by Pureology."

Thanks for the advice...next time I go to the store I'll look it up!

"The point is the shinyness comes from the product that is used on the hair before or during flat ironing. I dont think its an oil based product, as you know oil smokes a heck of alot. What you could do is take a picture of someone with the style you want and ask your salon to do your hair the same. The only thing i hate about having my hair done, is the burning smell thats left after you leave the salon, as though you fried your hair."

LadyIllusion...you are so right. I started putting this heat protecting stuff on my hair and it actually comes out shinyer. Oh...call me weird but I actually love that smell! Hair done smell....loves it!

"went over to her place to hangout and it was like 'let's sit around and watch danielle straighten her hair day'"

sbbbjm-Haha! I know how that is! I was talking to my friend about her straighting her hair and she said it only takes her 30 minutes to blow dry and straighten her hair. I was like ! It almost takes 2 hours for me! But I will try your advice because I do want my hair to be bouncy and shiny instead of bone straight.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ms.jade]

Actually I'm just half black, but got the really messy frizzy little locks...
I do chemical treatments since I was 13. I had it short from 19 till 23 and I'm letting it grow since then (hard work though!!!).

What do you do to your black afro hair?
Do you wear it naturally, braided, relaxed, short???

 

[soho101]

I'm mixed black and hispanic but definitely have a fro, i just started relaxing my hair again after like 3 years of wearing braids, that definitely ruined my hair and made it super thin and sad. So I cut it into a faux-hawk in August and relaxed it. I also bought Viviscal in October and since i've been using it my hair has grown about 2 inches which is pretty awesome, it has also improved the texture of my hair and made it a lot healthier which is great because relaxing is the most damaging process you can do to your hair.

 

[ms.jade]

I also bought Viviscal in October and since i've been using it my hair has grown about 2 inches which is pretty awesome

What's that "Viviscal". I've never heard about that. Maybe I can't get it in germany, but probably via internet? 2 inches in 2 months definitely is awsome! My Hair does look much healthier since I relax it. I'm not the "makeup" type, I don't like spending hours in the bathroom doing my hair. Relaxing it was an easy way to look good. I had braids for quite a long time. But that really ruined my hair, so I had to cut it short - just the way you had to do!

I put rollers on overnight to get waves some times (as you can see in my avatar). My hair is about shoulder lenght right now - I'm very proud about that .