Nappy Hair

hey there, i have a buzzed hair cut, i am looking to grow it out alot, however the thing is… my hair is wierd… the front of my head has wavy-straight kinda hair, the back of my head has really straight hair, but both sides of my head has nappy hair. it feels like velcro or something. is there a way to get rid of this nappy hair before it starts to get long??? i am going to get my hair relaxed when its long enough but the nappyness doesnt look good when im in the process of growing it out lol. i am a 17 yr old white male.
thank you

comb it while blow drying and straighten it after

Short nappy hair…how do I turn it to wave hair…products, moiturizers, what…let me know…my homeboy is needin’ it.
Im on his computer askin this question…cuz the boy need it..my hair is straight but he’s a non-believer of grease…I tried..now its yall turn.

Honestly, you really shouldn’t try to change your hair. Those chemicals in those products do more harm than good.

I used baby oil and and hair detangler and nothing works that hair is screaming for some help and I dont know what to do and I dont want to cut I cut it before and came back to the same ol nappy hair.. I wonder if they have some kind of baby perm or some kind of hair softener?

Okay, first off, you need to put down the baby oil. Mineral oil and petrolatum/petroleum hair products are THE worst for "nappy" hair. Look at the label on the baby oil; I guarantee it says "mineral oil". Mineral oil and petrolatum coat the hair shaft and keep moisture from being absorbed. That’s right; even "nappy" hair needs moisture from the air around it. They’re used in so many Black hair products because it’s so much cheaper. Check your labels; if the first ingredient is "mineral oil" or "petrolatum", put it back down immediately.

Combing–NEVER comb "nappy" hair from the roots to the ends. Comb it from the ends up. BE GENTLE. Most ppl don’t know this, but "nappy" hair in its unprocessed state is THE most fragile of all the hair types–not the other way around. It needs tender, gentle care. Never comb your baby’s hair dry. ALWAYS use the widest-toothed comb you can find, and only use a brush as a finishing tool, if at all.

Put down the Johnson’s and Johnson’s baby shampoo. That mess was HELL on my kid’s hair, even mine and I have loosely curled hair. I’m convinced it’s really glorified dish soap.You can try washing the hair in conditioner like you would shampoo–it has enough cleansing ingredients to properly cleanse hair if you use your fingers to rub the scalp.

If you must use shampoo, find the most moisturizing type you can–then apply your conditioner after washing. When it’s time to rinse the conditioner out, try leaving a little conditioner in the hair instead of rinsing it all out. And don’t rub the hair dry with the towel, either gently towel-blot the hair OR use an old, soft tee shirt. All that towel rubbing after washing just roughs up the hair cuticles–think of a delicate mohair sweater and how you would launder it.

After washing and doing your "regular" conditioner, try a leave-in conditioner. Pure coconut oil and olive oil (yep, the ones you cook with) and jojoba oil are excellent to use on the ends. I’d personally part the hair into small sections, apply the leave-in and a little dab of coconut/olive/jojoba to each section, braid each section and let them air-dry.

You can also use leave-in conditioner when doing daily styling. It’ll help a lot with detangling. Be gentle with hair accessories–tight braids/cornrows and rubber bands ARE THE DEVIL on "nappy" hair. If there are little white bumps at the roots of the pigtails/cornrows/braids…..it’s too tight and it WILL break off.

A good daily detangler recipe–equal parts of water and VEGETABLE glycerin w/maybe a touch of conditioner and a little oil (any of the above-mentioned oils), mixed in a spray bottle. Kinky Curly products and Aubrey Organics products are said to be really good, as well.

Lastly, please try to keep a positive attitude about your baby’s hair. Trust me, a child will pick up on it, no matter how much you try to hide it. God created us in His image, and that includes "nappy" hair. I’m not sure if you’re White, but I hate nothing more than to see a White parent whose only effort at understanding/managing their mixed or Black child’s ‘nappy’ hair is to cut it all off. Particularly if the child’s a girl. Also, White folks’ version of "nappy" could well be a very loosely-curled texture–there are white folks who consider Sarah Jessica Parker’s curl texture "nappy".

Regardless, though, the curlier the hair, the more TLC it needs.

And for the love of God, don’t allow anybody, Black/White/ or Green, to talk you into a "perm" or relaxer.

Blackhairmedia.com and Naturallycurly.com are both excellent sources. You can find out baby’s exact hair type (most folks there will need to see a pic)…..and go straight to that particular discussion board for product and maintenance suggestions. Sorry this is so long, but hope this helps. "Nappy" hair is beautiful hair just like all the other types of textures; it just needs tender loving care and gentleness in handling.

P.S. I forgot Youtube! Excellent visuals and tutorials for braiding and styling, esp if your little one’s a girl. Please–NO CHEMICALS!!!

I DONT HAVE nappy hair! and they say i do. they say i wear a weave and all this stupid stuff! i just want them to stop .. like how can i without doing it phsiically or telling someone !!!

People bother you cus they know it bugs you
Like my lil brother and sister:
when if i hit my brother he’ll fight me back
*so i dont bother him*
when i hit my sister, she’ll cry and run to my dad
*and its funny*
Which is sad but true
also keep your hair neat, keep your head high, and ingore them
after a while crack joke on him
Yo momma is so poor, she eats corn flakes with a fork to save milk
HAHAHA

I have really bad hair….it’s very curly, but not kinky curly, and it’s just extremely nappy! I cannot go to the beach, not even near the beach with out it frizzing. Even lately, since we’ve been having hot and humid days, it gets frizzy, and more so towards the evening. I hate my hair with a passion. Is there something I can do with out paying way too much money…something I can buy and do at home? Please help me.
to ‘ohhhh and sixteensgrl’ , this is how i would like my hair to look…just as my avatars hair is. but it’s complete opposite!!
the thought of my hair looking fine for a split second was nice though…thanks.

yeah, I was gonna say your avatar doesn’t look nappy! lol that’s okay though!

I’m assuming your African American or mixed?? If so (well I guess it really doesn’t matter), my suggestion is wear braids during the summer months – you can braid your hair yourself by sectioning your hair into 1" squares and single braiding – holding the end with a rubber band (the kind that doesn’t break your hair off – 99 cents @ Wal-Mart or Target) – easy as pie and totally without the cost!!!! Plus you can keep it in for 2-3 weeks, take it down for a day (the curls are gorgeous) or two and then put it back up!

For other months: get a flat iron – when you flat iron your hair – you don’t have to use "grease" use a moisturizer or a light oil. My daughter (mixed) uses Pink Lotion (brand) and it’s not expensive. I just tried a new product – Oganic Root Stimulator / Olive Oil – very light and a nice smell. I found it at Target.

Don’t hate your hair, you gotta work with what you got!

i am a black male with nappy hair i just want to try something new for school…. how would i get my hair to be curly yet still in an afro…..

http://www.hair.com try a search here:

I’m Dominican and i have straight hair, how do i get my hair nappy like a black person?

well, most dominican’s have naturally curly hair or hair that is simular to black’s hair. However, if your hair is straight then a) you have good hair genes or b) you have some type of perm in it. However, I guess you can use curl activator to make your hair curly like some blacks have…you can let it go frizzy because some blacks have frizzy hair. You can tease it to death…but it’s really hard to get nappy hair. Nappy hair is a trademark on black people…like straight hair is for the chinese. You can get braids and weaves and etc like blacks, but it’s going to be fairly hard to get REAL nappy hair. Much love babe?

my hair is realy nappy and short. i don’t mind it being nappy, but i just wish it would grow. i wear it in braids now with out weave, but it is not growing. what should i do 2 make it grow?

You have to keep your hair moisturized. If you’re natural you can wet your hair everyday. My two favorite hair products are Shea Butter Softening Lotion and Nature’s Shine by Organic Root Stimulator. You can find it at Sally’s Beauty Supply.

Avoid products containing mineral oil and petrolatum because they actually lock out moisture. With summer approaching you’ll need to moisturize throughout the day to keep your hair from drying out. Also, tie it up at night with a silk or satin scarf or cap.

There are lots of other great tips and products to try at www.motowngirl.com

First of all, I ‘ve not used a perm/relaxer about 3 or 4 years. My hair has been twisted or braided when it shampoos and blows drying. It helps my hair grow. But sometimes i am worried when i decide to use a flat iron because it is not good for my hair or it gets damaged. That’s why i use it two or three times in a month. Every time I try to use a flat iron to straighten my hair but it gets frizzy or nappy in a few hours later or the next day. it doesnt work. it gets me frustrated. I need your help. how can my hair gets straight and silk last longer without getting a perm/relaxer? I just wonder if pressing hot comb can straighten my hair out and does it help my hair stay soft,silk and straight in a few days or a few weeks but i am scared for my hair if it gets breakable. do u have any ideas about giving me some advices or some tips?

Alright, firstly, make sure that you are using the right types of shampooing product for your hair. You could try using a product like Sunsilk (Local drugstores). Make sure that you are using the same type of shampoo AND conditioner if at all possible. If you can afford it, you shuld try buying a deep conditioner.

You could also try and use a hot oil treatment. They are very safe for your hair and they work very well. If you buy the Vo5, you are getting a good deal and a great working product. The instructions are on the box, so follow them carefully.

Next, you could even try drying your hair on a lower heat setting. Too much heat can cause the most damage to your hair. Make sure that when drying your hair, you hold the dryer about 8 inches away from your head if possible. You could try using a round barrel brush on your hair while drying it as well. Do this by taking a small section of your hair and placing the brush against where your hair meets your scalp and running the blowdryer along the other side of your brush (so that your hair is between the blowdryer and your brush).

Lastly, if you are willing to spend a lot of money, a new Paul Mitchell straightener is the best way to go if you want your hair to be pretty much perfectly straight. It is very costly. If you know anyone who has access to a salon store (ie. your hairdresser) who could maybe get the straightener for you at a discount price, try that first. This specific straightener is usually $150, but I got mine for about $90 since my mom is friends with a hair stylist running her own business.

If the Paul Mitchell straightener is too expensive for your taste, you could also try using a line of shampoos/creams/sprays for your hair called Matrix. It is the Sleek version of the shampoos in an orange bottle. This line of hair products is starting to be available in most stores, but it can be found at hair salons who sale hair care products. You will need to invest in the shampoo, conditioner, smoothing creme, and straightening spray. The instructions on how to use all of these are also on the bottles.

When using any kind of straightening spray, hold the bottle upright away from your sectioned piece of hair about 4 inches and spray a light mist. Set the bottle down and straighten the section of the hair from root to tip.

I HOPE SOME OF THIS HELPS! IT’S JUST A BUNCH OF RANDOM INFORMATION AND HAIRCARE PRODUCTS THAT I HAVE USED! :]

I am thinking about chopping my dreds, cause I am ready fro a short hairstyle. I am nervous about styling my short, strong nappy hair. Should I texturize? What hair products would you suggest?

I am of mixed heritage, having African American & Puerto Rican as my ethnicity, so I truly understand how it is to have kinky hair. However, we all have different levels of kink…so to speak.

I can recommend a few sites that may provide more information than I can, and I hope they assist. Before I do that, you must understand that kinky hair is simply:extremely tight curls. Curly hair needs moisture more than any hair type, since the oils from the scalp have a hard time rolling down the spirals of curls

So, I recommend using an olive oil based moisturizer (or use olive oil itself, I do!) that’s light. There are plenty of texturizers on the market, but if you don’t want it straight…just with a ‘nice wave to it’, I recommend using a children’s relaxer, such as Just for Me..or similar..but use the Mild kind.

Try this site…it should point you in the right direction:
http://blackmarketproducts.com/nn/
The link is a little wacky, but you’ll have to click on ‘home’ in the left navigation panel to access the site.

Desi