Elastic hair

Shrink•age / ‘ SHriNGkij/

Noun
The process or amount of shrinking or reducing in size

Many people don’t really know or probably have never heard of hair shrinkage.
Only people with kinky/coily natural hair, usually type 4a-4c , truly understand the meaning of shrinkage of hair. I will write about types of natural hair at some point later on because hair typing is a whole other discussion in the natural hair world.

Shrinkage occurs when hair is wet or absorbs moisture from humidity in the air. It reduces the hair to about a third of it’s true length. Each hair strand becomes tightly coiled (looks like a pen spring). The hair becomes so tightly coiled that your bouncy ‘fro turns into a TWA(Well mine does). Shrinkage usually happens during Summer or Spring when there’s rain and the air is humid, but when your hair is always thirsty for water like mine (Kalahari head), shrinkage happens every time your hair is not tied or pulled somehow, in any season and during any type of weather.

My curly, coily single strand

I personally loathe shrinkage because of how much work it creates for me! My hair tangles up when it shrinks and detangling takes decades (Okay, that’s dramatic,it only takes 2 hours). Normal detangling would take me half the time and effort and this is if I finger detangle and not use a comb,which is even faster.
My hair needs to remain tangle free otherwise it would grow into one ball or one thick dread lock(gulp, sheesh) unless that is the look you are going for (which I’m not) hair needs to remain detangled to be able to style it in any way. Tangle free hair also prevents the ends of the hair, the most dry part, from breaking, retaining the length which is what I aim to achieve.

The amount of shrinkage I experience makes me not be able to wear wash and goes, which I think look really amazing on people who have them . A wash and go is exactly like the name, you wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner or with just conditioner, put on what ever products you use and let it dry on its own without stretching it, while you are on the go. Your natural hair curl pattern is displayed to the max in a wash and go.

Wash and go-Naptural85- American blogger.

The days when I decide to do a wash and go and face the consequences when they come(Cause I’m a thug) I have a really bad time at the end of the day. Because my hair is extremely coily, it shrinks to a point where it looks like I have cut it, in fact I have been questioned as to why I had cut it before, when it was just wet (Awkward much). Even after using my leave in conditioner, oil and Shea butter, the hair shrinks. The butter makes it nice and soft to the touch and defines my curls to the extreme, which looks nice,so there’s a plus. Basically shrinkage and I have a love hate relationship.

There are several methods of stretching hair. I normally use hair bands to tie my hair in four or six sections and let it air dry like that or I let it air dry halfway without stretching, then tie it into two pompoms for the rest of they drying time, which is often overnight. when I have a bit of time on my hands I twist the hair up into about twelve chunky twists and leave them overnight. In the morning I have awesomely stretched hair 🙂 when I’m just not in the mood to deal wit hair I tie it into one pompom/pony at the back my head and be done with it, my hair retaliates though so I don’t get much stretch from this.

For more than a decade my hair has been plaited with extensions at the end of every month.I still love having my hair covered with extensions because of how little time it takes to get ready in the morning, I however have not had extensions in my hair for a few months now in an effort to see how it reacts to that. I have still had protective styles though because I don’t have time to give my hair the attention it needs when it is out. I’ve also been trying to find products that will reduce the amount of shrinkage I experience when I’m not in protective styles, with not luck 😦 I have heard of some products which I cannot find in South Africa, I have looked at every place I could think of that stocks hair products but they have never even heard of what I am looking for.

Cornrows and twists as protective styling-no extension

What I really love about having my hair type is the diversity it allows me to have in terms of hair dos. I can rock my ‘fro up, have a defined curl look with a twist or braid out, have it up in a pompom, have it short with defined curls to the max, wrap it up in a scarf with a bit showing or have it braided with extensions, I can have a different look literally very a single day! I love the fact that I have super elastic hair that allows versatility:D

Fro out-November 2013

Defined twistout bang-Head scarf

A failed twistout which I still rocked–Thug life–

Do you have elastic hair or experience shrinkage? How do you feel about it?