**Silkener**

Yes, I agree with cmesweet that a "silkener" is their version of a texturizer (or you could even say it is a relaxer since it relaxes the curl).  I am all for people using whatever products they feel are necessary, natural or otherwise, to achieve their hair goals.  From the photos, it appears that they know how to achieve beautiful curls for those who desire that look.  I was also impressed with their haircuts and color which were beautiful & flattering.  When going from curly to straight, a good cut will make all the difference in the world.   

Cutiepi, a few years ago, when Curve was just starting to 'establish its name' on haircare boards, there was a lot of talk on naturallycurly.com about their techniques and products. From what I read at that time, I know that they use Affirm Fiberguard relaxer in Mild to do the silkener. They don't leave it on for very long, and they also ensure not to comb/smooth the hair too much while the product is on it - this is in order not to take out too much of the natural texture. I personally think that they just have really good technique which most of us could duplicate on our own heads (whether it be texturizing or just simply styling) with enough practice. Plus, we would save all that money . Good luck.

What is "shingling"?  Just curious.

Hi Pokahontas. 

Check out http://www.curve-salon.com/shingling101.htm.  It shows the entire Shingling Process.  After washing and conditioning, they apply Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding while the hair is wet and in sections, then dry under a hair dryer.  Then they apply more heat at the roots to stretch the hair a bit more.  Looks interesting, very labor intensive and they use a lot of product (I have no idea what the ingredients are in the curly pudding).  I like the results though.  Bet this could be duplicated at home using other products.

They show others before and after who have had Shingling done in other sections of the website. 

Hi Pokahontas. 

Check out http://www.curve-salon.com/shingling101.htm.  It shows the entire Shingling Process.  After washing and conditioning, they apply Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding while the hair is wet and in sections, then dry under a hair dryer.  Then they apply more heat at the roots to stretch the hair a bit more.  Looks interesting, very labor intensive and they use a lot of product (I have no idea what the ingredients are in the curly pudding).  I like the results though.  Bet this could be duplicated at home using other products.

They show others before and after who have had Shingling done in other sections of the website. 

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Hey afrolatina, thanks for the info and the website.  I'm getting ready to check it out now.  It does sound interesting and I'm with you,  I bet it could be duplicated at home.

[QUOTE=cutiepi]Thanks for the info Miss Brown!!  How long have you been napptural???[/QUOTE]

You're welcome . My last relaxer was almost 5 years ago although I grew my relaxer out slowly and trimmed it off as my natural hair grew in.

Also, if you're looking for a more "defined" look that will show more length without a texturizer, you could also try doing a twist-out. The twists don't even have to be neatly done to get a good twist-out. To get  defined, tight waves, I would recommend doing 50 - 60 twists and then the *key* to getting the most visible length is to band the finished twists (banding explained: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=15553& amp; amp;hl=banding ) and keep them in the elastics for a few hours. This works really well for me. I just have to make sure I don't do the twists too big because when I do they just stretch the hair into unnatural looking HUGE bumpy-waves (which is what I have in my head right now ).

Great thread cutipi. I was just on their site a couple of days ago and I saw the "silkner" and wondered the same thing. 

I did the BC and I don't want to go back to the chemicals.  It is a chemical right?  I saw that this one client used it for 5-9 minutes on her hair.

Well, I had to bring up this old thread. I am considering getting the silkener at the renamed Miss Jessie's Salon. Has anyone on the boards had this done? I like the fact that you can go from curly to straight and back again with no problems. And they seem to be reputable and professional so I would trust them before I let a hairdresser around the way texturize me. I hear such terrific things from my friends about thier products.

So someone please tell me they have had it done and what the results were.