PH problems :(

Rae: I'm wondering about the ends, too--meaning the very ends--the last 1/16th of an inch or so. Even if you handle the hair carefully, will the very ends get wonky anyway (unless you steam or blow-dry)? I'm asking primarily because I've noticed that the entire length of my hair will look very healthy, except for that very end, and I'm wondering if when you cut the hair, it sort of "unravels" over time because it's fiber. I know the ends get crappy on human hair, too--but it seems different to me, like it's not just limited to that very, very end part, it's more split ends and crappiness for like 1/2 inch or so, wheras this is a very specific friziness that's limited to that small area.

Hopefully this makes some sense. :) 

Excellent news, Jenn. I can't wait to see your pics.

Since you'll be test-driving them side-by-side, please keep us posted on how the WaWa performs compared to the PH. I haven't gotten to try the WaWa yet (unfortunately, they don't carry it in my color), but I've been hearing nothing but rave reviews (and of course, the beautiful photos). I'm not exactly sure what the differences are between WaWa and PH (beyond a higher melting temperature, of course), but I'm dying to learn more. I'd love to see if Sara could offer a therm option, like WaWa, but with her color and selection.....

:)

Well, I put the roller under the roots, and wrap the hair over and then under it, so the ends would ultimately going under, rather than flipped up. Does that make sense? I know it's confusing the way I'm explaining it. (I actually haven't tried it the other way.) The ends stay on the roller because of the clips, although you're right--the ends get less curl than the rest that way. If the end up looking a little too straight, when I remove the rollers, I use a few more, just to roll the ends under (I keep the whole roller set on that entire time).

I'm not the greatest at styling hair by any means, so you could probably customize this in a million way for different results. But I did start rolling "in reverse" because rolling the traditional way (from the bottom up) was just too curly for me (although it'd be great for people who want those kinds of curls).

What I'd really like to get--and I have no idea if it would work well or not--is a superbig, jumbo-style flocked waving iron. I know Conair sells one, but in the picture on the cover of the product, the waves look kind of tight and more "crimped." But yeah--that's my dream, lol--to find a waving iron that re-creates the 50mm wave perfectly. Maybe one day....

:) 

Oh, I mean rolling the hair starting at the roots and continuing to wrap the hair around the roller until you reach the end. The roller will remain at the root the entire time. Does that make sense? :)

Yup--the very ends (like the last 1/16 of an inch or so) can get a little frazzled. Blow-drying or steaming helps, but I also think it's a must to cut this hair with a razor (even more so than with human).

When you get the rollers, keep in mind that you'll get big, bouncy curls rolling from the bottom of the hair up (you only have to leave them in for like 5 minutes this way). But you'll get a looser, more even wave rolling from the top to the bottom (these you should leave in longer, like 15 minutes). :)

lol well it looks pretty retarded right now... my hair is very short so its sticking up where the extensions arent in yet. i do like these microlinks though, its very easy to brush my own hair so that it covers them and blends right in. Im using a mix of pechschwarz, burgund rot, trimco's burgundy (which is a more plum color than ph's) and a little of ph aubergine, a dark smoky purple - its been discontinued and i got the last pack. When my kirschrot gets here Im going to add a few accent streaks, just for fun.

anyway  I just blew it out with the paddle, then used a big round brush when it was almost dry and managed to get a little wave and the ends to turn under. it looks  MUCH better, its actually soft again. i do miss the body that more curl gave it.... cant wait til those rollers get here!

~Jenn, off to install more hair

You're all set then--it's really just a matter of playing around with the hair and figuring out how to best handle it, imo. Sounds like you're moving in the right direction anyway. Can't wait to see your pics. :)

wow some great suggestions Jenny... I'll try some of what you said.

just took a warm bath, used some of the kids detangler (which surprising helped alot) and a paddle brush to brush it all out. its no longer tangling near as much. the warm water did take alot of curl out, but thats ok. its still looking a bit natty on the ends, i will have to trim when i get the rest of the hair in anyway to shape it. its still damp now, Im about to spray on the diluted fabric softener and smooth on some silicone (which is just some generic stuff i got at sallys) and see what happens. i may end up blowing it out straight and then using some hot rollers, i ordered some on enay the other day anyway so hopefully they will be here soon.

I'll post pics when its all installed.

~Jenn~

Well, you could do that, Jenn. But here's my take on the situation:

I don't use Kerasilk or any conditioners on my synth (I don't think synth really responds much to rinse-out conditioners, but I think they can be helpful as leave-ins mixed with water), but I do use Biosilk, which is a silicone serum. You can get it at the drugstore (a small bottle costs about $12), and Sally's apparently has a generic version that's a lot cheaper. Failing that, Citre Shine spray, Dome Care, and Wig Spray might all be options, but as you said, you already have a silicone product. I've found the Brandywine Wig spray (which is quite inexpensive) "tames" the hair well. All of this stuff should be used in moderation, though; it’s easy to OD on it, I think.

To tell you the truth, I don't think using any of these products is as important as treating the hair the way it "wants to be treated" (and sometimes, it takes a little trial and error to figure that out--it certainly did for me). For example, trying to straighten the hair with a hot metal curling iron when it's first applied is the last thing you want to do. I've used a curling iron on my PH to curl it, true, but only on low heat, when the hair was wet and protected in a piece of paper towel. If your hair's already frizzy, that curling iron might have a lot to do with it. It doesn't mean you've trashed the hair exactly, but you may need to (carefully) blow-dry or steam it to get it smooth again. Fina's had great success with the 28mm, but then again, she did very little to it. I don't think she did a lot of brushing--just finger-combing--and she didn't apply heat too early on or attempt to loosen the wave via brushing.

In fact, in Sara's care instructions, it says not to brush the curly/wavy textures at all--just to finger comb them. Of course, this is kind of hard for most of us, especially if the hair is long, so I think Mocha, Cheryl, and Mer's suggestions are all good ones. A wide-tooth comb or paddle brush, used carefully, would probably be your best detangling option. I was using a boar's hair brush on the hair at first, which was useless. It may be good for final fluffing or smoothing, but you really need a good, strong paddle brush, and Mer's suggestion of how to brush it is great too.

Anyway, don't get discouraged. I thought I'd ruined this hair in the first week, but you'd be surprised: It comes back to life quite easily with a little TLC. If you've really fried the ends, you may want to re-trim them when you apply the rest of the hair, but you'll figure it out. It just takes a little time. If you want loose waves, I would also recommend getting some big (as big as they come, so like 1 3/4-inch) hot rollers; I got mine from eBay. I think they're the quickest, most effective way to add wave without damage; braiding is good, too, but it creates a different look, so it just depends on what you want.

If it makes you feel any better, it took me weeks—almost a month, in fact—to really figure out how to handle this hair. It was especially challenging for me because I'd never even used synth before, but I'm so glad I made the switch now. We talk a lot about products and tools with this hair, but we haven't really talked much about brushing, and I think that's a really important aspect, too.

Good luck :)

hmmm sorry to hear that jenn...
well if you want the hair wavy and smooth
go for the 50mm next time!
i guess thats more what you wanted.
the bad thing about curls is, if you brushed them too much
already there isnt really a way to get them more soft again.
just cutting it a bit..maybe
but maybe really try that kerasilk mer wrote about

sara