Stretched hair

**growing** · 03-16-2010, 10:52 PM

Hey Yall,

How many sistas are rockin the "stretched look"?

Have you developed any breakage from wearing your hair stretched?

Do you find your hair easier to maintain when its stretched?

How are you stretching your hair?

Thanks in advance for your response....

**GeorgiaApple** · 03-16-2010, 11:05 PM

Hey growing,
I do occaisonally wear my hair stretched and don't get as much breakage when having it unstretched and loose.

I would say its easier to maintain when compared to a shrunken fro but a bun or regular twists are the easiest of all.

Of all the methods I've tried (banding, twisting and braiding) I find braiding to give the best results.

Good luck to you.

**LBellatrix** · 03-16-2010, 11:20 PM

How many sistas are rockin the "stretched look"?

With the exception of a few traumatic experiments, I kept my hair in a more-or-less continuously stretched state for the last two years. It ended this weekend when I chopped down to 4". After a certain length (see below) I didn't wear it out too much; I kept it in puffs and updos.

Have you developed any breakage from wearing your hair stretched?

The reason why I had to chop was because I had a patch of hair that was 2-3" shorter than the rest of my head. I now believe these may be the finest, most fragile strands on my head...which is weird because they weren't always that way. I'm guessing I noticed the breakage about 6 months before I did this latest cut. At that point I was having to plait or twist every single night to maintain my stretch, and then take those plaits or twists down in the morning to have a style. That's a lot of manipulation that I probably could have reduced or avoided.

Do you find your hair easier to maintain when its stretched?

IMHO you cannot maintain fine-stranded super-shrinky (80%+) hair past a certain length WITHOUT stretching it in some way. Now that may mean just keeping it in twists or braids (which is what I should have done, never mind how bad they would have looked) but I honestly don't know how anybody with MY hair type could wear shrunken loose styles past a certain length without it turning into one huge loc (not that there's anything wrong with that; I was locked as well!).

How are you stretching your hair?

Plaits, twists, sometimes plaits AND twists...occasionally I would band but not very often.

**JazzWife** · 03-17-2010, 12:20 AM

After I shampoo my hair, I usually (okay, okay every time, all the time) wear my hair pulled back . . . at first. It's the style I use to air dry my hair. It is not pulled back tightly but I find this to be the most effective way to stretch my hair. After that, I'll create any number of styles. I might braid it to "set it" for a braid out. I might two-strand twist it to wear it in a chignon. (I've not worn my twists down yet because I'm still transitioning and I really don't like how "thin" my natural ends appear compared to the fluffy thickness of my natural hair.) I might shift the bun from the nape of my neck to the top of my head. Etc, etc, etc . . . but I start by stretching it for the best styling options . . . for me.

**kyamiina** · 03-17-2010, 12:51 AM

spring has come to nyc area so the fro is out. i am rocking a very cute braid out (if i say so myself). after washing/dc i just put in large plaits.

my cornrow protective styles were easier but i miss the fro and since the cold is gone i am not having my moisture issues. my hair is getting longer so i have plait up at night or i get lots of tangles when slept on loose. doesn't take too long but it's extra work.

**growing** · 03-17-2010, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by kyamiina

spring has come to nyc area so the fro is out. i am rocking a very cute braid out (if i say so myself). after washing/dc i just put in large plaits.

my cornrow protective styles were easier but i miss the fro and since the cold is gone i am not having my moisture issues. my hair is getting longer so i have plait up at night or i get lots of tangles when slept on loose. doesn't take too long but it's extra work.

Thanks for your response and yes Spring has finally arrived in the Big Apple, after many blizzards.....lol

**growing** · 03-17-2010, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by GeorgiaApple

Hey growing,
I do occaisonally wear my hair stretched and don't get as much breakage when having it unstretched and loose.

I would say its easier to maintain when compared to a shrunken fro but a bun or regular twists are the easiest of all.

Of all the methods I've tried (banding, twisting and braiding) I find braiding to give the best results.

Good luck to you.

Thanks for your response and your hair is poppin and sooo healthy lookin...hopefully one day I will be rocking that BAA

**growing** · 03-17-2010, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by LBellatrix

How many sistas are rockin the "stretched look"?

With the exception of a few traumatic experiments, I kept my hair in a more-or-less continuously stretched state for the last two years. It ended this weekend when I chopped down to 4". After a certain length (see below) I didn't wear it out too much; I kept it in puffs and updos.

Have you developed any breakage from wearing your hair stretched?

The reason why I had to chop was because I had a patch of hair that was 2-3" shorter than the rest of my head. I now believe these may be the finest, most fragile strands on my head...which is weird because they weren't always that way. I'm guessing I noticed the breakage about 6 months before I did this latest cut. At that point I was having to plait or twist every single night to maintain my stretch, and then take those plaits or twists down in the morning to have a style. That's a lot of manipulation that I probably could have reduced or avoided.

Do you find your hair easier to maintain when its stretched?

IMHO you cannot maintain fine-stranded super-shrinky (80%+) hair past a certain length WITHOUT stretching it in some way. Now that may mean just keeping it in twists or braids (which is what I should have done, never mind how bad they would have looked) but I honestly don't know how anybody with MY hair type could wear shrunken loose styles past a certain length without it turning into one huge loc (not that there's anything wrong with that; I was locked as well!).

@ U

How are you stretching your hair?

Plaits, twists, sometimes plaits AND twists...occasionally I would band but not very often.

@ U, LBellatrix....thanks so much for your detailed response its appreciated...)

**growing** · 03-17-2010, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by JazzWife

After I shampoo my hair, I usually (okay, okay every time, all the time) wear my hair pulled back . . . at first. It's the style I use to air dry my hair. It is not pulled back tightly but I find this to be the most effective way to stretch my hair. After that, I'll create any number of styles. I might braid it to "set it" for a braid out. I might two-strand twist it to wear it in a chignon. (I've not worn my twists down yet because I'm still transitioning and I really don't like how "thin" my natural ends appear compared to the fluffy thickness of my natural hair.) I might shift the bun from the nape of my neck to the top of my head. Etc, etc, etc . . . but I start by stretching it for the best styling options . . . for me.

Hey JazzWife, thanks for your response. I had the same problem w/thin ends when I was transitioning and I came to the conclusion that if I wanted that thickness, to just chop those se-thru ends off. I was only hanging on to those se-thru ends for length anyway....)

**JaDazzle** · 03-17-2010, 10:16 PM

I wear mt hair stretched 5/7 days of the week. After I wash my hair I do about ten large braids and let dry, take out in the morning, and re-braid each night. I get less breakage because my hair is so thick and coily that if I wear it shrunken my hair strands will wind around eachother and knot really easily.

And yes, it's easier to maintain for me because I can just let it be throughout the day and it doesn't dry out as quickly as my shrunken hair.