Help on transitioing 3b hair!!

I never saw Aaliyah's natural hair texture b/c it was always straight... I like Alicia Keys' hair but I know mine won't look like that b/c she biracial and I'm Black. Anyways the texture of my hair is curly but it's not big ringlets, they're smaller and doesn't have that glisseny wet look unless it's wet or has some kind of curl wax/oil/activator in it. Really I'm not sure what it's gonna look like b/c my texture has changed since I was a child (when I had big ringlets that would poof when they dried) it's not fully grown out yet.

Question: How do I keep my curls curly--after my hair dries? B/c when it's wet I like the way it looks when when it dries it looks like a poofy afro.

cookiesnkream wrote:    actually,, i decided i cant really do a roller set,, i cant even get the damn metal clip in the right position lol,, last week i decided id just flat iron and it came out perfect with the fantasia spray,, im gonna quit the salon,, i just couldnt stand all that ripping and hair falling onto my cape,, when i do it myself im careful.....

LOL...I took cosmetology for two years and i can't set my hair so don't feel bad.  It's just too long but I might be able to do it if I really tried hard.....but I'm not tryin hard cuz i'm lazy.  My way is easier. 

I don't blame you about the salon.  Some of them are so careless.  I had this one lady that would trim like 2 or three inches off my hair and I wouldn't even ask.  I would just feel chunks of hair falling on my cape.  She didn't even trim it even either.  I will never sit back in her chair again.

I think I'm going to get a roller set next week if I can get an appt.  I might post the results if it looks good.  I'm a little nervous but i heard the lady is good.  It's just a rollerset so I don't guess there's too much that could go wrong<-----(me trying to reassure myself).

cookiesnkream wrote:    yeah,, ur right aaliyah did have some long and pretty hair and so does alicia keys!!, and i dont think she has a perm either cuz its really curly sometimes,, anyhoo yeah im gonna try to do my own roller set this week,, it'll be the first one i've ever done myself since i dont wan anyone touching my hair for a while,, i got it done mayeb twice at the salon and my hair cam out beautiful,, i hope i can pull that off myself

Good luck with the roller set.  I can't do my own because my hair is too long in the back and it's hard to reach.  I usually do my own version whick is put my hair up in a high ponytail on top of my head making sure the roots are smooth and then just roll the ponytail in about 10 or so rollers.  It comes out ok but you have to make sure the hair is very smooth on the roller.  Let me know how your set comes out.

cookiesnkream wrote:                  Thanx Pokahantas,, i am seriously considering just going back to my natural curls,, the moment i checked ur album i suddenly realized that it was possible to have my curls and wear my hair straight when i wanted to,, i just didnt feel ready to do it,, but now that i see myhair growing i just think i can do it... i have the Wigo Onyx(not onyx just ceramic though) and it does work very well but theres one flaw if ur not careful,, a couple of times when i ran it thru my hair quickly my hair snagged in it,, a problem i didnt have with my old babyliss,, i tend to be carless when i flat iron but with this one i have to pay attention becuz i dont want another snag ,, anyway my main issue now is BLOW DRYING,, i think the blowouts i get could be desytroyong my hair,, my hairdresser uses a brish that has platic bristles and as u have to be when blow drying straight , she is pretty rouugh,, this could be responsible for lots of my split ends,, i am really gonna try to do my own rollersets at home and stop gettign blowouts for the next maybe 3 months and see how my hair does, that way i'll know that its the blow drying thats causing damage at my ends.....

Your welcome.  I feel you on being ready to transition.  You have to make sure you are ready and it's what you really want.  I was determined to do it after I read so many hair magazines and people said they grew their perms out and looking at the pictures their hair was perfectly straight.  My inspiration to do it came from Aaliyah.  I adored her and her hair.  She was natural and her hair described by her stylist in the articals was very curly, thick and coarse.  Look how silky straight and healthy her hair was.  Alicia Keys is another example.  Sorry....I'm    rambling

Yeah, blow drying can be very hard on your hair....expecially blow drying and flat ironing.  I try to limit mine to just one.  That's a good idea to stop doing it for a few months to see how your hair likes it.

cookiesnkream wrote:       Wow,, i think i will really go for it now,, im sick of not being able to have the choice to wear it curly,, i was actually going to ask u what ur hair type was,, i could see in the curly pics that it looks very similar to mine,,i am already beginning to trim off and get rid of the ends with the harsher relaxer and color on it,, so i guess im on the right track,, the hair that i've relaxed myself is barely relaxed and actually reverts to curly hair when its wet,, i actually never comb thru my hair when its wet,, when i apply conditioner to it the tangles usually sort of fall out and hair that doesnt i finger comb ,, im wondering is it easier to maintain length in ur hair when u dont have a relaxer,, is ur hair longer now than when u did have one...?

Yeah it's way longer!  Relaxed hair can be healthy also if you're taking care of it right, which I probably wasn't when mine was relaxed.  The next time I straighten it out I will try to put up some more recent pics in my fotki.  I'm pretty sure it's below bra strap, possibly at my waistline but I haven't had it straight in months.  I'm trying to cut down on heat. 

You will love the option to be able to wear it curly or straight whenever you want and your hair will be so much stronger.  I'm sure you will be able to get it just as straight as a relaxer when you are natural.  I wish you luck on whatever your decision. And don't hesitate to ask questions, I will help you out however I can and you will get plenty of help from everyone else here.

Off Topic:  If I remember correctly, you have a Wigo?  Is that working good?  I need a new flat iron.  I'm looking at the FHI also.

Hey cookiesnkream.  You might already know but I have transitioned 3b/c hair very successfully.  I didn't do a bc or anything, I just gradually (and i mean very gradually) trimmed the relaxer off.  My hair is completely natural now and it wasn't hard to grow it out at all.  You may experience more breakage and shedding than usual (mostly when trying to comb thru it when it's wet).  I made sure I did a protein treatment or deep conditioning treatment every 2 weeks.  I kept my hair flat ironed so that the two textures were the same and there was less chance of breakage when I combed.  I don't like to use the blow dryer and the flat iron because it's too much heat for me so I either washed my hair, put it in a ponytail so my roots would be straight and sit under the hooded dryer and then flat ironed or did a roller set and then flat ironed. 

I usually wear my hair natural in the summer months because in the humid weather flat ironing is pointless for me because my hair never stays straight.  Since your two textures aren't that different I don't think you will have that much breakage if you be careful.  I can get my natural hair just as straight as a relaxer so I would never go back to relaxing.  I think you hair would be much healthier in the long run after growing out your relaxer.  HTH