Afro/black hair help!

[Gnala]

Evening all.

Not sure how many people on here can help me but here goes!

I have very thick, very frizzy Afro hair. When I put a tonne of gel or product in it it turns in to ringlets, but without, it's a mess. A mess that I shouldn't be, but am embarrassed by.

I have my hair braided 90% of the time and usually get it done on a weekend. Problem is, my braided can only do Thursday night, and I will have to go straight from work. This means no gel in my hair. This means frizz galore. This means a whole day of feeling horrid and self conscious.

AIBU to ask if anyone knows any styles I can use that are suitable for Afro hair, that will hide the frizz, and allow me to have only very light product in it?

So self conscious and worried about what I look like...

I thing look at YouTube - loads of tutorials on wrapping your head - it looks amazing.

I think though, if your hair is like the pic it looks fab.

@Merryoldgoat problem is it looks like that for 5 minutes and looks like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards by the end of the day

You should either look at YouTube or post on specific site for Afro hair as on Mumsnet you’re going to get practible help

My hair sounds similar to yours OP.

A go to style of mine when I don't do a wash and go (with leave in conditioner and a ton of gel) is to spritz my hair liberally all over with water and use a tangle tweezer and hard brush to slick it back into a high bun, and then use a satin scarf to tie my edges down. The longer I leave the scarf on the better the set and it lasts well for the day.

I use Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner, which I find provides a light hold bit without the residue of gel.

Hope that's helpful :)

I hear you! I’m mixed race but have more European type hair (people think I’m Greek or Spanish usually) but had a Brazil keratin treatment and it’s amazing - got rid of the frizz but the waves and body remain. Would that work for your hair?

Why not a bun / high puff just to keep it out of the way until you put your braids in? Shouldn't need lots of product in that way, especially if it's long...?

@Ghanagirl eh?

Thanks @PleaseLetItBeNapTime I'm going to try and tie it down tonight once I've taken it down!

Going to work with minimal product and no gel is the stuff of nightmares! If I had to do it I would slick it back with leave-in conditioner and put it in a tight bun. Maybe with a bandana type head band over front?

Like this

I think I've had some pretty good advice on here. Very closed minded considering that mn has thousands of members to think that I'm not going to get good advice. I didn't realise only white folks could benefit from this forum. I wear a lot of protective styles and would gladly give advice to someone who asked. Even if I was the only person to comment, it's still advice and I'm very knowledgeable on the topic. We should be encouraging women of all colours and with all hair types to comment.

@TeaForTiger absolutely stuff of nightmares! Problem is I need to buy it by tomorrow... I'll look in some high street stores!

auntjackiescurlsandcoils.com/product/knotonmywatch/

My neighbour raves about this stuff. She says it’s in Superdrug

@mishfish I love AJs! But not sure I would use this product before I had my hair braided. As I said I will only put oil in my hair before it's braided as anything else just builds up and ends up clogging my scalp. I am really particular about what I use so it's not a dig at anyone else when I say no re a product suggestion! It's more styles I'm after thanks though!

Gnala, nobody said only white folks can benefit from Mumsnet, or anything to that effect, but I thought that if you want to have lots of ideas, lots of realistic ideas rather than well-meaning but pretty unhelpful ones, you shouldn't just focus on Mumsnet. Frankly, a lot of things I have read on Mumsnet have lead me to conclude that the number of black women on Mumsnet is low. There are many threads I just don't engage in anymore, or even read, as I find them just too dispiriting.

@charlestonchaplin so the answer is to tell me to ask somewhere else? Why not just embrace that I am asking here, and suggest that I ALSO comment on a different website. How are things ever going to change if every issue related only to black or mixed race people are essentially answered with 'not many black people here, comment somewhere else?'

That is honestly how it feels.

Well I did give a suggestion (scarves) as well as suggest Google, where you will see lots of pictures. I was trying to be helpful.

Youtube!!! Mo knows hair, naptural, jalessa moses, bianca renee. The list is endless of hairdos, products and advice xx

Just for one day I'd do a wide head band/wrap for the front and huge bun at the back. There are some really pretty ones on ebay.(which doesn't help for tomorrow I know).

@Gnala
You asked for advice regarding Afro hair and seem annoyed with reply’s from women with “Afro hair” bit strange but I’m definitely not going to engage as I’m fed up with this type of post.

@charlestonchaplin
Yes!
I’m bowing out as I’ve realised Mumsnet is not the place to ask about black womens issues

Don't have your type of hair but mine fizzez really easily and curls nicely with product in too. I would really reccomend rosehip oil. It is the best thing I have ever used and withstands humidity/rain and even a fill on shampoo wash if you use a lot. Other oils like coconut or argan don't even come close.

Go short! I have just spent a few lovely minutes looking through short Afro hairstyles and they are amazing.

I have been slightly obsessed with black hair since my bf asked me to wash her hair when we were young teenagers. It is so different to my own awful thin white hair.

@Merryoldgoat
“Got rid of the frizz”
So much self hate!
What’s wrong with natural Afro hair?

I love the look of a natural Afro! Would it really be so bad to frizz out for a day?

Can’t help with any styling though, as I can’t actually do anything with my own boring white hair. My styles are ‘up’ or ‘down’.