hello everyone, I hope your summer is going well so far. This year is my healthy hair year so I’ve committed to better hair practices and routines. To go along with the above, I also made sure to upgrade my hair products. I am now looking for brands that have well formulated, well researched ingredients & products suitable for MY hair type, density & texture. These are the brands I have the products I absolutely love and have made a huge positive impact to my hair.
My hair is 4c low to medium density with very fine strands. I have low to medium porosity. I also have a texture release in( since May 2024). I will be listing the products I have been using from the brands. I purchased everything
Olapex- I tried Olapex last year when my shedding/breaking was out of control and I haven’t looked back! I mainly use this before & after my braids. It’s great for prepping hair for long term braids. Olapex works for natural hair that is extremely dry, damaged and excessively breaking/shedding. I love the No0 & 3 as well as No5- conditioner. Full review on Olapex here
Keracare- Keracare is serious brand for natural hair. This year I learnt the importance of ph balanced hair products which made me appreciate the brand even more. The cleansing cream and butter cream is amazing for natural hair! Although as I have a texture release in, the buttercream feels slightly heavy & oily now but prior to the TR it was absolutely fine.
AffirmCare- this brand is from the same parent company as Keracare so Im not really surprised I love this too. I think Affirm is their professional line as I have mostly seen this available in hair salons. I love the light hairdress cream and the Hair Repair Masque. These have been a great addition to my hair since my TR
Briogeo- So everyone knows about the don’t despair repair deep conditioner which is 100% worth the hype by the way but I want to mention 2 other products, the don’t despair repair leave in conditioner and the matching shampoo.
These have been my go to brands this year. some of these products are pricey so do look for discounts when you can. I will be doing full reviews on all the products I have been using but I have linked reviews where Ive done them already.
hey hey, I hope all is well! Today’s my 6 month healthy hair check in. Technically I’m a little past the 6 months mark lol but I still wanted to share my thoughts on my hair so far.
So, a quick summary, this year is my healthy hair year and I committed to improve the condition of my hair from last year. I had really dry, excessive breakage & shedding 4c hair. I also wanted to wear my hair out more and try new things. I also started my journey to waist length hair. I’ve written all about it here
Before we get to this check in, my last check in was at 3 months, you can read that here. So 8 months in, what’s the condition of my hair? I have to mention I had a texture release back in June. Read my thoughts on that here its now 2 months since my TR.
So honestly, how has it been?
Well, 4 weeks after my TR, I decided to get braids. 1 because I had some trips and wanted freedom from daily styling & maintenance and 2 because I wanted to see if human hair extensions would be safer/gentler on my hair. Whilst I loved how lightweight my hair felt with the human hair, it wasn’t really any gentler on my hairline! my hairline is already fragile and I’m desperately trying to regrow it. I was so saddened by this because I feel like its a huge set back on the progress made using the ordinary peptide serum :(. but now I know for sure my hairline just cant take braids-human or synthetic and its just not worth it anymore now
I had my hair in for exactly 5 weeks 5 days. My moisturing routine whilst I had them in was non existent I wont lie lool so the shedding/breakage that I got when I took them out was ALOT. Again I was saddened by this because I worked so hard to get my shedding/breakage down this year! Just compare these pictures from March to now :(.
its now been more than 2 weeks since I took out the braids and I’ve had a 2nd wash day, my shedding/breakage is back to the my usual amount but it just made me think, any growth I had whilst I had the braids in probably wasn’t retained with that amount of shedding/breakage
So is protective styling , in particular braids, is it really worth it for me?
I have super fine hair and weak temples and they seem to get thinner every time after braids, no matter how careful I am. my braider doesn’t braid them too tight either. I also now keep them in the same hairstyle/position to prevent excessive pulling and tugging. It always takes me a few months for them to recover which is why I don’t leave my braids in too long and cant do them back to back. But if I’m on a growth journey I need to try to retain as much growth as I can so having this much shedding just isn’t on par. Wigs are much safer as I don’t glue them on but I don’t want to depend on them either.
Final thoughts
Guys, I just have to leave braids alone for a long time. My initial idea was that I do them twice a year at least 5 months apart however I dont even think I should do that. My hair simply cant take it. It’s like taking 5 steps forward then 3 back. I’ve bought a few hair pieces- half up & downs & ponytails to help me wear my hair out more and experiment. I just want to be able to enjoy my own hair more.
So 8 months down the line, my hair feels great, the condition is better than last year, shedding/breakage back to my usual amount and the TR has softened my hair. On the other hand, progress on re growing my hairline has taken a few steps back. I really wanted to wear my own hair out more this year and I have tbh so Im very happy with that. I just need to learn more hairstyles lol.
I need to do an official length check and I will be right back with that.
I will be sharing my fav hair products so far- in addition to new techniques, the products I now use have made such a big difference.
Comments Off on Texture Release on Fine 4c Natural hair
hihi everyone, I hope all is well! It’s now more than 1 month after my texture release and so now is a great time to share my thoughts on it! I have played around with my hair and had a few wash days too and I have a lot of thoughts to share!
My hair- I have very fine, low to medium density 4c hair. I’ve been natural for 13 years. This texture release would be the 1st time in 13 years I have ever done a chemical service and also the first time I have straightened my hair, done a silk press.
I got my TR done at Maison Style, full review here. One of the main reasons why I did the TR was that I wanted to try something different with my hair this year because I wanted to wear it out more. I wanted to be a heat trained/straight natural so that I can do that easily. After getting the TR and talking with Andree, I have decided not to go down this route. Why?
Because I have very fine hair, my hair is more prone to heat damage. I actually didn’t know this until Andree said at my app. Fine hair has fewer layers compared to coarse hair making it more fragile. I think I have some heat damage in the top area of my hair after the service because its straight and limp as compared to the rest of my hair. And this is with lots of heat protectant and a good routine prior to the TR. Whilst I don’t really wear my hair in its curly state, I still want healthier hair so becoming a straight natural and having lots of silk presses will cause a lot of damage even with a good moisture/protein balance routine.
I have low to medium density hair and this is disguised very well when my hair is in its natural coily state. It feels fuller and thicker. I prefer thicker hair so I was very surprised to see my hair on the lower density side after it was straightened. To be totally honest I did not like that. There’s nothing wrong with having this density, density is genetic however because I prefer a fuller head, I just didn’t like it. I made some clip ins to add extra body but I don’t want to rely on this every time I get my hair straightened. No clip ins in the pic.
My blowdried hair still appears fuller so if anything I can go down the route of a blow dried natural instead of getting silk presses. Blow drying is not nearly as damaging as a silk press in terms of heat damage. Still I would have to be careful on my very fine hair
In terms of the condition of my hair, my hair feels so soft and the curls are more elongated. I don’t have as much shrinkage as before so it makes washing my hair just a little bit quicker. I do like the TR for this.
If you have fine low density 4c hair just manage your expectations of a TR, especially if you haven’t seen your hair silky straight before. I say this because almost 98% of the videos I watched were on 4c coarse high density hair so of course my image of what I thought my hair would look like was a bit skewed especially since I had also never seen my hair straight after I went natural. What about my relaxed days? Well there was only ever 1 time I was able to get my hair proper silky straight because this person actually knew what they were doing lol, all other times my hair was still slightly puffy and honestly my hair was more in braids than relaxed and out. My silky straight relaxed hair was also on the thinner side infact my silky straight natural hair is actually a bit ‘thicker’.
Will I get a texture release again? No. Because the main reason why I wanted one was to aid my straight natural journey and since my hair cant tolerate that much heat frequently, there’s no need for it. Whilst I’m loving the relaxed curl pattern and the condition of my hair, its just not enough to justify the service. Will I change my mind later? who knows
Will I recommend it? YES. If you have coarse high density hair, you will probably love it and benefit from it more
I don’t regret getting the TR, I’m so happy I’m finally trying something different with my hair and taking much better care of it! I will have my 1 month wash day post TR up soon! I’m ending my hair challenge of no braids or wigs as I’m planning to get braids soon for the summer as an actual protective style lol. I’ve had my hair out for the last 6 months and need a mini break. Over the last 6 months too, I have worn wigs for a total of 1 week spread over many days. I’m really proud of myself for it! I don’t remember a time I’ve had my own hair out for this long! and taking proper care of it too.
I really hope you find this post helpful. If you are thinking of getting a TR, make sure you read up on it as much as possible whilst watching as many videos as you can. Try and watch vids of people with the same density & texture as yours, it will help you manage expectations. If you have hair like mine, there isnt that many videos for us fortunately lol so hopefully my posts on TR help
Hihi everyone, I hope all is well. Today’s post will be on my 1st wash day after my texture release! I have a lot to say, so lets get started
I washed my hair 8 days after my TR. I had planned to keep my ‘silk press’ for at least 2 weeks but my scalp was itchy and flaky from the keracare wax stick so I just had to give in and wash it. For the first wash day, I used the same products I had been using prior to the TR. My main goal was to see if my hair would revert back and if I got heat damage.
Prepoo-African pride aloe & coconut water detangling prepoo (review)
Shampoo- Function of beauty coily hair shampoo (review)
Deep conditioner- TGIN honey miracle ( review coming soon)
Pre poo– since my hair was straight, it was quicker & easier to apply the prepoo to it, I covered the hair for about 20 -30 mins with a plastic cap. My hair started to revert! I was so happy to see the curls coming back and I noticed the elongation and looser curl pattern too! This is not due to heat damage but due to the TR’s ability to cause curl elongation( one of the benefits of TR)
Washing & deep conditioner– the hair was easy to wash, the looser curl pattern meant less shrinkage so it was just ‘easier’ to handle and quicker too. Applying the DC was a breeze too. more curls came through after deep conditioning and my hair felt great afterwards
Thoughts
In terms of shedding and breaking, I feel like it was the usual amount I get and I was expecting a lot more because my hair had just been through this chemical & heat intensive service. On the right are pics of a few wash days prior to TR and I feel like it is the same-ish amount? I had less shedding/breaking prepooing & shampooing after the TR but that was because my hair was straight. It would be interesting to see at the next wash day the amount I get since my hair has not been straightened
My curl pattern is much looser. I opted for the versatile finish meaning I can wear my hair straight or curly. Looking at the pics of my hair on wash day before and after the TR, it is obvious my hair is much looser and because of that, itshrinks less. I enjoyed this whilst I wash washing my hair for sure
Overall, my hair feels so much softer than before. I don’t describe my 4c hair as difficult to manage or dry anymore because I have a good moisture/protein routine in place, and I manage my hair in smaller sections BUT after the TR the ease of which I could handle my hair increased! Still handled in sections but I definitely think less shrinkage has made it easier!. It feels different but in a good way. I was advised not to use olapex/protein on my hair for at least 6 weeks because the TR itself is amino acid based. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein so that makes sense. I will modify my wash days for now: my previous routine was to alternate moisture only & moisture & strengthening deep conditioners every 10 days but I’m now going to do 2 to 1, ie, 2 moisture only DCs to 1 moisture & strengthening DC for the next 6-8 weeks, see how my hair is coping before switching back to alternate washdays
Did I get heat damage?– NO. my hair fully reverted but my curl pattern is much looser with some strands even looking wavy. the looser pattern is the TR release causing curl elongation. I have my usual amount of shedding/breaking and my hair feels soft and conditioned. I don’t feel any roughness along my hair strands and it doesn’t look limp and lifeless
Verdict- The 1st wash day after TR was a success and I’m very happy with it so far. I plan on doing another wash day post at 3 and 6 months post TR.
I’m still working on a post about my thoughts on TRs on fine 4c hair, I just need more time to get to know my hair and and play around with it, its only been 2 weeks post TR
I hope you found this helpful, especially if you have 4c fine natural hair!
Catch you later
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hihi everyone, I hope all is well. Today I am talking about my experience at Maison style. Lets begin
I decided to get a texture release( lets call it TR from now onwards) back in Dec 23 but because my hair wasn’t in good condition, I gave myself till April to it. I wanted to get it done at Maison Style specifically by Andree because I felt like she had the most knowledge on it from my research. I finally went on the 16th for it!
Pic from AllinLondon
Salon & My experience
Maison Style is based in Tulse Hill South London and led by Andree and her team. They are all about healthy hair care and work both on natural & relaxed hair. I had a 48hr email reminder which was good because I totally forgot I had to do a patch test lol. I called and went in for a patch test which was super quick, it went well so I could proceed with my TR.
I arrived a bit early for my app, and it was busy by the time I got there. There’s parking available on nearby roads but those parking prices man kmt lol. After a few mins wait I had a quick chat with Andree about my TR and she gave me some details about it too. She was able to take one look at my hair and say it was super fine and I don’t know why I found that amazing because sis didn’t even touch my hair lol and it was in 2 large flat twists loool. The chat was eye opening for me and because of this I am changing a few plans I had for my hair this year ( more on this in another post)
Texture Release
The service begun with a shampoo. She (not but Andree and I didnt get her name) clarified then used the TR shampoo. She explained that the TR shampoo needs to be left on for about 5 mins before its washed out. My hair was detangled I cant remember with what though. I asked about conditioning and she explained for TRs they don’t usually do conditioning unless the hair was really dry as the shampoo has a treatment in it( that’s why its left on for 5 mins) and since my hair felt very hydrated (yay me!) and was in good condition, she wouldn’t do this step. It makes sense that the shampoo has a treatment in it because in all the videos I watched on YT, none of them did any conditioning and I always wondered why. I also asked if she could tell me what my porosity was( I already know this) but she said that wasn’t something they really look at in the salon so she didn’t tell me- I thought it a bit strange because I mean if you’re washing my hair you can pretty much just tell me what it is. anywayss…..
After shampoo, the dilator was put on, then it was under the dryer for 15 mins with a cap then without a cap for another 15, then the releasing lotion is put on(on top of the dilator) then 30mins under the dryer. My hair was washed again before the final blow dry and finish
For the finish, I didn’t know the exact style I wanted so Andree advised to just have a simple finish instead of forcing myself to get a style/cut and regret later. So after a dusting( because my hair was in good condition and didn’t have a lot of split ends yay me), she lightly bumped the ends for volume and I was done! Because my hair is fine, she only did 2 to 3 passes of the straightener and hot comb on my roots in the front. I was happy with this and super happy when she told me to close my eyes when she was doing the front lol because God knows my heart was beating FAST and I felt that heat! She was generous with the heat protectant which made my heart SING
Thoughts
In total I was there for about 4.30 hours, I arrived at 1.40 and left at 6.20. Whilst the TR service has a lot of steps and waiting I think that the salon been so so busy when I went contributed to the long wait. I think if it wasn’t so busy, the whole TR service would be about 2-2.30hrs. The salon is smaller than expected and because she’s popular it was so busy on a Thursday afternoon at 2pm lol, I went in with no breakfast/lunch and less sleep so I was so exhausted afterwards sigh. Andree was really sweet though because she gave me a £5 discount because of the wait. I felt for them tho because there were 2 stylists on the day and they had back to back clients. damn
Do I recommend the salon? Absolutely Andree’s expertise is top notch, I’ve been following her on insta for a while and I love her Tuesday Q&As. I’ve also learnt a lot on TR from her YT videos. I love that her whole vibe is healthy hair practices. She answered all my questions I had on the day. She also sends a video on how to maintain the TR with product recommendations. In terms of how she handled my hair, she was quick but gentle and explained what she was going to do before doing it
Because its small I reckon it will be busy at most times so go prepared- snacks, sleep, parking charges(loool)
How do I feel about my texture release? I CAN RUN MY FINGERS THROUGH MY HAIR. I don’t remember the last time I did that without any resistance loool. I haven’t seen my hair straightened in SO LONG. Time will tell if I keep liking it, I definitely have some thoughts.. all good
I’m going to have to do another post on my TR and the chat I had with Andree that is making me tweak my hair plans for the year. I have so many thoughts…
I hope you guys have a blessed day
Check out my review on Elite hair lounge I’m trying to visit a few salons this year so keep your eyes peeled for more salon reviews
