How Long Does Synth Last?

I had this nice response all typed up and then my network connection went to hell...

Anyhow straight synth(PH) like I think you said you wanted can last up to maybe three installs properly taken care of.  Curly doesn't hold up quite as well.  Because you need to blow out the ends from time to time and hot water in the shower lossens things up you lose the curl and have to reset it.  the more you mess with it the faster it dies.

I haven't been playing with long enough or heard enough about thermo to really claim to know how long it lasts. 

In some respects HH seems likea  crap shoot but I don't use it so maybe someone else can chime in.

Wow Fina. It's been 8 weeks? At what point do you think it was at the end of its useful lifespan? 5 weeks? 6? Also, have you used a steamer on it at all, or blown out your hair with a blowdryer? I know you wash and style it a lot, so it seems like 8 weeks is pretty darn good. I've had plenty of hh that never made it that far.

Oh, yeah, and that's another thing--I wouldn't recommend washing the PH daily. If you can, keep the freqent washing to the top of the hair (the part without extensions), and only wash the length once or twice a week. :)

You know, really, the back is in pretty darn good shape. I wash it a lot but don't do *anything* else to it. The sides are another story. I'm going to steam it tomorrow for grins and see what happens. . .at this point it's ALL the great big experiment.

I don't think washing/blowdrying affects synth like human hair.  It does not have a cuticle or hold water like human hair, therefore it doesn't have the capacity to "dry out" like hh.  Even if you washed and blowdried with a dryer on low heat every day, it wouldn't make a difference.

The main culprit I've noticed for synth to start getting frizzy is from friction.  This can occur from brushing (don't just drag a brush through tangles, very carefullly comb or finger apart) and from rubbing against certain fabrics in your clothing.  The only way to remedy this is in my experience is steaming.

OK, regarding the steaming. I am STUMPED. . .

I did steam it this morning with a regular ol' ConAir clothes steamer, and I must admit, it does wonders. But am I doing this right? I simply run the steamer kind of slowly over the hair. . .til it's slightly damp. . .am I supposed to brush it or anything else?

After that I went over the ends with the blow dryer smoothing technique. WOW what a difference it made!!  My hair actually looks presentable again. (Will post pics)

Jenny: YES the bodywave WaWa curls withstand ALL of that. In fact I washed just the top of my head (which got some of my wawa wet, doesn't that sound obscene) and the WaWa curls remained COMPLETELY intact.

Sara (of PH) hasn't said anything about steaming, has she??

Fina

Heck, I'm thrilled with getting new hair every 10 weeks. . .ESPECIALLY with the relatively low price of synth (I used to get new HH every 10 weeks which is why I don't have any money anymore) and yes Mer you're right, I've *trashed it* on this "learning curve".

FinaFina wrote: OK, regarding the steaming. I am STUMPED. . . I did steam it this morning with a regular ol' ConAir clothes steamer, and I must admit, it does wonders. But am I doing this right? I simply run the steamer kind of slowly over the hair. . .til it's slightly damp. . .am I supposed to brush it or anything else? After that I went over the ends with the blow dryer smoothing technique. WOW what a difference it made!!  My hair actually looks presentable again. Sara (of PH) hasn't said anything about steaming, has she??

Well, you should be able to use the steamer in place of the blow-dryer. In other words, you can just "steam it straight" with the brush. A steamer, of course, is more unweildy than a blowdryer. When Isaac steamed by hair, he held the brush in one hand and the steamer head in the other and "blew it out," so to speak. This makes the hair totally straight but silky smooth and then, of course, you can curl it again. I can't do the same technique with the steamer 'cause it's just too much to hold it in my hand and run the brush through with the other, so I leave the steamer stationary and run the brush through (as shown in the Doc's tutorial). So you should be able to use the steamer or the blow-dryer, rather than using both.

As far as Sara's directions, I believe she says steaming/blow-drying can be helpful with the straight hair, but doesn't recommend it for the wavy textures (which makes sense, since the steaming/blow-drying will make it straight). That said, once the curl/wave drops, if the ends are getting frizzy, I figure you might as well steam and/or blow-dry it to make it smooth before you curl it again.

:)

Well, when was the hair installed? In general, it's really easy to straighten synth--just take a hot shower, and the curl will loosen considerably. To remove the wave completely (but the hair will be pin-straight), just blow-dry it (keep the dryer moving, though) or steam it straight, using a brush. There is a tutorial on Doc Locks that shows you how to blow-dry or steam synth straight, and I would recommend reading that before you attempt it on your own.

Good luck! :)

Thanks Ladies....... Honestly, I've been trying nothing, in general, cept rolling in JUMBO ROLLERS, as my real hair is ARROW STRAIGHT.....

 

I've been a little spoiled, maybe, as I've been using SEW IN WEFTS for nearly 15 yrs.... I do it myself..... corn row, weft and thread... etc..... Watch a rented video 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. and I'm done.... However, my SIDES... due to cosmetic surgery are WEAK... and she put in a few 10 - 15 strands.... on each side... bout 3 weeks ago... This synthetic hair has always curled up (Mary Tyler Moore) since the beginning..... Sooooo, I'll try to use the giant roller brush and blow dryer..... Me... hate fiddling with my hair, and you girls all sound so ambitious and expert in this area... Appeciate you taking the time to respond and offer your experience..

Blessings

Genie