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...

Gnala, you need to try the LOC method and also embrace the frizz...I also agree YouTube is an amazing place for black naturalistas so use it to the fullest, I have been natural for a while now (years) and my hair is 3c/4a-ish ..owning the natural hair that grows out of your head is important come chat in PM

You don’t know what my hair looks like @Ghanagirl

What I can tell you is I don’t hate myself or my hair but I’m within my right to treat it however I like so it looks the way I want it to.

You’re the one looking for hate in innocuous posts/

*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’.*
Yes me too plus helping my daughter to embrace her natural hair, really why OP
Seems to think her natural hair is a problem...

Get yourself one of these they work wonders, they don't snap, break or pull your hair.
If I'm in a rush I have a spray bottle mixed with water and conditioner for a quick moisture fix, throw on my headband and off I go.

@Merryoldgoat
Okay then

I'm Caucasian so don't know if I can help really but I do love seeing natural afro hair. It's beautiful! A friend of mine also has a million hair pieces (or wigs, sorry I'm not sure which) and she always looks amazing too.

I watched endless little clips on natural hair on Instagram for help with styling DD’s hair. I don’t like using much product in it apart from a little Moroccan oil to keep her curls glossy, but there is such a variety on there for all sorts of quick styles between braiding or any other type of protective styling.

Your natural hair is gorgeous from the look of that reference photo! If you can get to a Lush store tomorrow they do cute wraps for 4 quid uk.lush.com/products/knot-wraps

Seems to think her natural hair is a problem...

I don’t see why that’s posted as a dig tbh, a lot of people don’t like their personal natural attributes. My cellulite is all natural... I try to minimisevut for aesthetics though. My small boobs are natural... still try and boost them with padding though 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don’t think the op is saying natural Afro hair is bad in general, but just that she isn’t entirely comfortable with it. She’s allowed to have that opinion, I don’t see how you can be offended by what a woman thinks of her own hair?

Black natural hair takes time to appreciate...

You know like relationships, Art, good food, nature, information...

@NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking natural afro hair frizzes in certain weather conditions. You can spend your life fighting it with chemical processes which means your hair isn't natural or not. As the entire point of this thread is that the OP hair is natural, the suggestion to use a chemical process on it is pointless.

@BlueBug45

I haven’t suggested any chemical treatments....?

I have really thick hair and I saw an ad on Facebook for Hygge bands but one get three free. They are stretchy material that you can wear as a band, a wrap, a bandana etc. They have instructions for different ways to wear them. My niece who has a mane of really tight curls loves hers as she can just put it on to keep her hair off her face. I love mine as I found it kept my ponytail off the back of my neck which was amazing in the heat. Now my hair is shorter I wear it when running to stop my hair getting too wet with sweat!!! I have no links with this company but I loved the product!

I love my natural hair...with product and left to air dry. Without product to encourage my curls, no I wouldn't feel confident about it.

OP was asking about how to manage her natural hair without her usual product.

That's not 'self hate', but whatever.

I have frizzy curls and on days when I can’t face dealing with them I go for a 40s style scarf - like this - m.youtube.com/watch?v=tDOU044QPoU

I'd try to wet it and pull it back into a top knot. I honestly don't think anyone will notice. I'm always surprised people compliment me more for my hair when I just leave it be.

@gnala we have similar hair!

Not sure if you’re mixed race or not (I am) but have you tried Mixed Chicks? Decent for day to day, quick on the go. Not miracle, but decent. Curling creme rather than gel is your friend.

I also find avocado oil (or coconut oil) is helpful - restores moisture and shine - hair like this can get very dry, almost ‘crispy’ if that makes sense and needs moisture locked in. In fact most oils (jojoba etc) and a weekly deep condition will help. I’ve been known to spray my hair with water mid day as even a little moisture helps restore the curl. I also never brush my hair (basic, sorry!) - just put in a ton of conditioner and comb through with fingers. Never dry with heat.

That said my solution was a deep undercut - left with a manageable amount of hair!

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

Well there won't be if you tell any that post that they should bugger off and post somewhere else!

Oh if your hair is porus - oil (avacado or coconut) then seal it with a butter like coco or shea. Locks the moisture in. Literally saved my hair.

I've seen posters assume automatically that every one is white and I'm a bit but when they get pulled up quite often they say they are from the country and literally don't know anyone who isn't white.

The country side blows my mind

“but when they get pulled up quite often they say they are from the country and literally don't know anyone who isn't white.”

I cackled, I know people like this who insist on referring to people as “my black friend” or “my Indian friend”, with no further reference which would need their ethnicity to be disclosed in order for me to to make any sense of their anecdote concerning said person.

they usually mean acquaintance!

Somebody said google had some good ideas and shock, horror... race issue figures

So jealous would love super tight curls. I've got more loose style curls and swear by cantu products. Can you corn row your hair in between?

@moominfan hair of that texture will corn row but not for too much time - in my experience only.

A box braid with an extension might last longer but it’s a significant time commitment to put in (and to take out).