thislionsmane asked:
not sure if you’ve answered something like this question before, I’m new to your blog, but what is your take on mixed natural hair? I’m Black, Irish, and Native American and typically wear my hair in it’s kinky curly unruly form…BUT it’s hardly a breeze in that state, I have to wash (condition at least) or wet it everyday to get the curl back and after 2 days it’s so dry and tangled…(it turns to a frizzy cotton ball poof when I sleep even if I wrap it) my hair is very fine. When I blow dry and flat iron it out it’s straight like a white girls hair, oily roots and all! I guess what I’m wondering is; is there a ‘natural’ middle ground for mixed hair??
hello, you lion maned wonder!
i wish i had an easy answer full of good news for you, but unfortunately, i don’t. i don’t have BAD news for you, but when we have hair problems, we all want to know that there’s a magic wand we can wave that will bippity boppity boo all our woes away. unfortunately that’s not the case, for you or any other naturals. sorry 
to start, there’s no such thing as “mixed girl hair.” i hope i’m not insulting your intelligence, because i get what you’re saying and asking.. but just as a PSA to those reading. i think we may all picture the same general image when we try to affix a picture with that phrase–so chances are i and everyone reading knows what you mean–but in truth, mixed folks have all types of hair. long and silky like mariah, bouncy and curly like tracee ellis ross, big and kinky like little jadagrace berry, or righteously afro’d lenny kravitz. “mixed” isn’t a hair type (which is why the product brand “mixed chicks” makes a lot of people uncomfortable), so unfortunately, there’s not a set routine for mixed hair that will cut down on heartache and woe.
your hair, like you, is a highly unique individual, and what works for one natural may leave another looking like a troll doll (which is fine, if that’s what you’re in to. no hate, no shade). natural hair is a great exercise in accepting things you can’t change (a lesson that will serve us well in every area of our lives). it could be that in order to wear your hair the way you want, you’ll just have to wet/condition/wash it everyday to keep it healthy and looking its best. you know?
that being said, one of the awesome things about natural hair is that there are TONS of options. there are lots of sets, styles, products, methods and routines out there. the hurdle there is finding what does work for you and what gives you the results and ease you’re after. that requires trying lots of things and getting regularly pissed off when something doesn’t work. but when you find something that *does* work?! GIRL. the angels start singing and your soul starts dancing and everything feels completely right with the world. the trial and error is totally worth it! here are some ideas i had for you while reading your message:
-increase your hair repertoire. it sounds like your go-to styles are naturally loose (wash it & let it do what it does in its natural state) and straight. this was my life for my first couple of years of being natural–trying new styles was intimidating for me, but incorporating other styles can bring some relief when your go-tos stress you out. how to braids and twists work for you? ever do braid outs and twist outs? a bantu knot out maybe? try some, and then maybe you could work out a little style schedule? wash and wear naturally on monday, wear twists on tuesday, rock a twist-out on wednesday, throw it in a puff/ponytail on thursday, then wash and wear again on friday? that would cut down on having to wash/wet/condition it everyday to wear it in its natural state. try experimenting–if you need and tips, let me know! i’ll help all i can!
-learn to minimize frizz. again, there’s no set recipe i can give you for this, because each person’s head is different, but the types of products you use, whether or not you deep condition, how often you detangle, the method you use to dry your hair–all that can either add to frizz, or decrease it. do some research and see if you can find what works for you. here are 5 tips on minimizing frizz from Curly Nikki.
-try a dry shampoo. as far as your hair being oily when straight, maybe try a dry shampoo? i don’t know much about them or how they work, but they’re supposed to reduce oil and refresh straightened hair between washings. they’re also good for freshening up dreadlocks from what i understand. for more information/brands, check out this and this.
i hope that helped some!
My hair is a mixture of corkscrews and boticelli curls, and I have had similar problems to the ones described in the original post. I was able to alleviate those problems and stretch out my “wash and goes” by switching products. I used to use Deva Curl, which worked for a day, but made my hair really big and one great big heap of curls. However, when I switched to Oyin Handmade’s products, my hair was far for pliable and the legnth showed better. That meant I could finally move it into the coveted “pineapple ponytail” and preserve the curls for another 3-4 days. My advice would be to investigate THICK leave-in conditioners. Oyin’s is great, but you might find another that works for you. There are some conditioners that you can leave in all day, but having a good designated leave-in can make all the difference.
Also, bantu knots are like rollers for natural hair—the texture will look a little different, but it can save you from having to do another rinse or condition. I hope that helps a little.