Just BC - But I have NO Definition

Hi, so i big chopped after transitioning for about 10 months. I have about 3 inches of hair when stretched. During my transition I really took the time to learn about styles and products. Unfortunately now that i've BC i get no definition with my styles.

Curly Nikki's Twist and Curl = a Fuzzy Ball
The Curly Fro = A Fuzzy Ball
The Twist Out = A Fuzzy Ball

I get no curl definition in any of these styles. What products am i using? Well I co-wash with yes to carrots, I spritz my hair with a mixture of rosemary water, vegetable glycerine, and coconut oil. I use coconut oil to seal in the moisture and then aloe vera gel to smooth out the hair and try to hold the styles.

I just big chopped last saturday and i don't regret it, but it's very disappointing not to be able to do any stretched curly styles. One explanation might be that my hair is too short, but I don't really believe that since I have seen women with hair my length acheive these styles.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do?

Hi there ... I'm not a natural, a relaxed head contemplating going natural and researching on it. From plenty albums that I've seen, when a lot of people big chop they don't exactly have much of a curl patter yet - type 4s at least. It's usually after they've been natural for a few months and after time has progressed do you see a curl pattern / defintion starting to form. I know if I go natural and chop early I'd be having the same concerns as you.

Hey Ivycurls,

When you initially do your bc you may not see curl definition at first. Its different for everyone. As for definition with styles you will need to use something with hold like a butter product or you could use a shea butter mixture. I don't think the aloe vera gel is strong enough to give you the hold and definiton you're looking for.

IvyCurls wrote:Hi, so i big chopped after transitioning for about 10 months. I have about 3 inches of hair when stretched. During my transition I really took the time to learn about styles and products. Unfortunately now that i've BC i get no definition with my styles.

Curly Nikki's Twist and Curl = a Fuzzy Ball
The Curly Fro = A Fuzzy Ball
The Twist Out = A Fuzzy Ball

I get no curl definition in any of these styles. What products am i using? Well I co-wash with yes to carrots, I spritz my hair with a mixture of rosemary water, vegetable glycerine, and coconut oil. I use coconut oil to seal in the moisture and then aloe vera gel to smooth out the hair and try to hold the styles.

I just big chopped last saturday and i don't regret it, but it's very disappointing not to be able to do any stretched curly styles. One explanation might be that my hair is too short, but I don't really believe that since I have seen women with hair my length acheive these styles.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do?

I didnt see where you used a conditioner as a leave in. Just co-wash and oils, maybe try using a conditioner as a leave-in that helps with curl definition.

krazy coils, quick question. on each strand on my head, i have natural hair, then some feathery /cottony stuff, then relaxed hair. do you mean that after i bc, the feathery section might turn into defined curls if i wait long enough? i wonder how long i should give it before i cut it off. it doesn't sound conducive to good wash and gos.

I agree with everyone else on the moisture. Also, I found that i had sections of my hair after I BCd that was just straight up kinks ...No lie. My friend then was Eco Styler gel and I literally finger coiled those areas to have a consistent "Wash and Go" if you will. But I made sure my hair was WELL moisturized and add a good leave-in like the ladies above said.
Now that same area is total coils, I guess it had to grow out to see the true definition and that may be what you experience. Make sure you concentrate on the HEALTH of your hair first and you will see your true texture as it grows strong. Feel free to post pictures too, that may help us see what is going on.

HappyCurly wrote:krazy coils, quick question. on each strand on my head, i have natural hair, then some feathery /cottony stuff, then relaxed hair. do you mean that after i bc, the feathery section might turn into defined curls if i wait long enough? i wonder how long i should give it before i cut it off. it doesn't sound conducive to good wash and gos.

There is no gurantee that the feathery section is going to be defined after your bc. From my own experience after my bc my hair was really frizzy/fuzzy and it does take time to get the moisture levels in your hair up. This is when you need to use really moisturizing products and deep condition your hair. You will notice how the texture of your hair will change over time as your hair grows. Wash n gos are a hit or miss (lol) sometimes they come out right and sometimes they don't.

Thanks everyone! Your comments have been very helpful.

I'm more than willing to give my curl pattern time to find itself, lol. But in the meantime what I was trying to get at was that I am not having very much luck acheiving stretched styles. Even when my hair is dry, once I take out the twists or rollers the style has no definition.

I don't believe this has anything to do with the length of my hair. Has anyone else had trouble achieving twistouts/braidouts/or other stretched styles?

Thanks again everyone!

I don't know if your avatar is after you BC'd or not but I can already see texture and definition. You definitely will need a leave in and make sure that your style dries completely before unraveling. Your hair looks fine so you'll more than likely need heavier products. You have moisture in your regimen but you need a styling product. Try something like Herbel Hessence Hello Hydration on wet hair. Don't get frustrated. You have lovely hair.