The only afro in the village?

[Keletubbie]

I was wondering if there were any other MNs with natural afro hair?

I have only spent a bazillion pounds on products, so clearly need more. Recommendations please.

And I need sympathy about the fact I'm at work with a not quite dry twist out in progress.

Hi, I have natural Afro hair. I've recently gone natural after many many years of relaxing and the like. I've found that aside from using hair creams (I use Profectiv anti breakage cream. I don't like hair 'oils') a good deep condition and regular moisture treatments at the hair dressers are vital, or my hair just breaks really easily. I use Moroccan oil products, the shampoo and conditioner are brilliant and leave my hair feeling very soft.

At the moment I am wearing my hair in a weave just to give it a bit of a rest

not quite dry twist out

Gulp! Mega sympathy from me.

I was having a bad hair life (allergic to relaxer, no less, Jheri curls had become socially unacceptable and weaves frighten me) so I went natural. Since the children came along I've kept it short. No twists even, just a No.3 with a fade. I've got lots and lots of fine, dry, 4C hair.

I use Philip Kingsley Dry Scalp Shampoo and 'toner' (can't remember the actual name, it is a post-shampoo treatment liquid). My hair has never been so soft. They do a range for Afro hair that must be worth a look. (I buy mine in M&S' cosmetics dept). Then I use a Bumble & Bumble hair pomade.

Mixed Chicks is also excellent for shampoo, conditioner and leave-in conditioner and I use that on DD.

My all-time favourite products were by Lazartigue but they've discontinued them, except for the leave-in cream which is Vita Cream with Shea butter. It is fab and smells lovely.

I just left the twists in and went to work and endured the odd looks.

I have very very thick 4C hair - the kind that makes 95% of hairdressers shake their heads and reach for the relaxer. I shaved my head for charity last year, which meant bye bye to my bra strap length mane... I can almost tie it up again now :(

I loved being totally bald, but the last few months have been ridiculous. :(

Well, you are not alone. I literally shed tears while combing mine and I have sworn of relaxers. I still have to meat some one who is very good at weaving- even with closure- I never seem to have it done right. My natural hair is up to my shoulders and yet sometimes I feel like shaving it all off. ( It's forever in braids).

have to meet

Samy hair products are fab for Afro or very curly hair
Sadly since Superdrug stopped selling them, there doesn't seem to be anywhere in UK that sells them
I have resorted to buying in bulk on Amazon

I will probably return to braids over thye festive season, as my hair is still a little too short to do anything nice or fancy with :(

I have had 3 relaxers in my life - all 3 of them resulted in a fair amount of damage. Not to mention that my hair is so thick that when it was straightened, I just looked like I was wearing a bad wig.

I've never had a proper weave, although when I was bald, I wore alot of stupid wigs...

I'm natural and mainly follow the curly girl hair system. There are different recommendations for each hair type up to 4c. Essentially you remove most sulphates and non water soluble silicones from your hair routine which drastially changes how dry your hair is. Sulphates "strip" your hair and silicones simply coat without really nourishing the hair.

From growing up being told to only wash hair once a week, I can now wash daily/every other day using a no/low silicone conditioner as a cleanser and my hair loves it!

There is lots about this online for each hair type with product recommendations. I use Treseamme Naturals quite a bit, Garneir avocado oil and shea butter conditioner and Shea moisture products (Shea Moisture can be a little expensive). Palmers have also just bought out a new range for natural hair. The conditioner is left on your hair as a moisturiser with your chosen styling product on top. I use a cheap water soluble gel like eco styler.

I've just bought some shea stuff. I've got mixed race curls down to my bra strap. I did laugh at the relaxing = bad wig comment. When I had mine done as a 'treat' when I was 15 I looked like a whiteish James Brown.

Lucky you randall. I spent my teens looking like Steadman from 5Star.

Totally get what you mean about the bad wig look