Wurly and Curly thread!!!

[trandafir]

Hi Ladies (and possible Gents),

I was wondering if I could get some advice from fellow wurly/curly people. I've always considered hair wavy/curly... it would air dry into ringlets and then relax here and there to a wave. Lately though it doesn't hold much of the curl at all, it still air drys into ringlets but the next day it has very little curl left. The only thing I can think of is that I'm currently growing out an asymmetrical hair cut and trimming it myself.

I'm 2c/3a, F/M, and ii, shoulder length and virgin.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. I really miss my curls.

[trandafir]

Hi Ladies (and possible Gents),

I was wondering if I could get some advice from fellow wurly/curly people. I've always considered hair wavy/curly... it would air dry into ringlets and then relax here and there to a wave. Lately though it doesn't hold much of the curl at all, it still air drys into ringlets but the next day it has very little curl left. The only thing I can think of is that I'm currently growing out an asymmetrical hair cut and trimming it myself.

I'm 2c/3a, F/M, and ii, shoulder length and virgin.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. I really miss my curls.

[ludwig20]

DO NOT DO LAYERS ... it will get even wider! Trust me on this one!

I'm always frustrated when I see people with long spirals going straight down their back... how do they do that? I think that "wide load" is just the way my hair wants to be. It's on the coarse side, which probably doesn't help the situation any, either.

Yeah, I'm avoiding layers at all cost. Last time I had shoulder-length hair with layers I didn't notice much of a difference in terms of my hair's width.

[ludwig20]

Ah yes, SL was especially bad for me too. I'm now at the point that when my hair is down, I can push it behind my shoulders and it stays pretty well so from the front, it doesn't look too triangle-y. Also, I see you have thick hair so that makes a big difference too. The old standby advice of "put it up and forget about it" helped me through that stage of growth.

I'm a bit self-conscious about wearing my hair up since I have such an uneven hairline. Otherwise, I would gladly tie it up. I don't know, I guess the best I can do for now is wait for it to grow out. My triangle-hair isn't so bad -- it's not nearly as wide as Rosanna Rosannadanna lol. But it's still 'out' there enough to bother me.

[silver curls]

Hi Ladies (and possible Gents),

I was wondering if I could get some advice from fellow wurly/curly people. I've always considered hair wavy/curly... it would air dry into ringlets and then relax here and there to a wave. Lately though it doesn't hold much of the curl at all, it still air drys into ringlets but the next day it has very little curl left. The only thing I can think of is that I'm currently growing out an asymmetrical hair cut and trimming it myself.

I'm 2c/3a, F/M, and ii, shoulder length and virgin.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. I really miss my curls.

Have you tried the CurlyGirl Method?

[trandafir]

Silver Curls, I haven't given it an honest try yet. There's no particular reason though. I'm not afraid of greasies or anything. I only wash my hair every 4 or 5 days so my hair manages oil pretty well. Maybe I should give it a try.

[leslissocool]

It can't be the sun. I've only been here a week! (I grew up here, remember, I KNOW to stay out of the sun.)

But doesn't the hard water only affect highly porous hair? Mine is really course to medium, mostly course. The pic in my sig. is from back in Feb. It looks nothing like that now.

Do you know what highly porous hair really is? It's usually damaged hair, it's very rare to have it as a natural property in coarse hair, on average the coarser the hair the lower the porosity. Now, if you have damage (chemical for example, or if you use heat) then coarse hair tends to become very porous.


If you have porous hair (Damaged, dry, brittle) , you want a lower PH in your products.

There is a "test" you can do, it's on the curly girl website:

Hair Analysis for Porosity:
You can check porosity on dry hair by taking a strand of several hairs from four different areas of the head (the front hairline, the temple, the crown, and the nape).

Hold the strand securely with one hand while sliding the thumb and forefinger of the other hand from the end of the scalp.

If the hair feels smooth and the cuticle is compact, dense, and hard, it is considered resistant.

If you can feel a slight roughness, it is considered porous.

If the hair feels very rough, dry, or breaks, it is considered overly porous.

So IMO (no, I'm no stylist nor medic nor anything FYI) you are going to want to go for a lower PH (not as acidic).

Here's a list of PH in shampoos, you want a 4. something. I would not attempt any acidic rinses, rather try an aloe vera rinse, PH 4.

ETA: Do you have a filter for the hard water? Yes, minerals could over time slash your hair and increase porosity by creating damage, but as far as I know, it would take a long time (like, more than a couple of months depending on how often you wash). You could try a chelating shampoo.

[silver curls]

Silver Curls, I haven't given it an honest try yet. There's no particular reason though. I'm not afraid of greasies or anything. I only wash my hair every 4 or 5 days so my hair manages oil pretty well. Maybe I should give it a try.

I don't know how much you know about the CurlyGirl Method but I would start with the book "The Curly Girl Method" by Lorraine Massey. There is so much info on the internet on curly hair but alot of it is confusing and I find it conflicting. Get the basics down from the book and then go from there and modify it to make it work for your hair type! Hope this Helps!

[Renaissance]

Hi curly girlies! New here!

I just wanted to reach out to CurlyCap with love. I've read through almost this whole thread and was loving her hair all the way through, and was so sad to read the recent posts that she is struggling with some hair loss and thinning.

This is such a tremendous bummer. I went through something similar over the last two years. I believe my thinning was related to my diagnosis of Celiac disease, where the lining of the intestine is damaged by an autoimmune response to specific foods (most commonly wheat) and the body cannot absorb sufficient nutrients.

I lost probably 60% of my hair overall and have come to this site for inspiration and support as I try to restore my hair to health and length.

So I'm with you, girl. I feel for you and know the anguish hair loss can cause. Keep letting us know what you're observing and how you're feeling. <3

[Firefox7275]

Hi Ladies (and possible Gents),

I was wondering if I could get some advice from fellow wurly/curly people. I've always considered hair wavy/curly... it would air dry into ringlets and then relax here and there to a wave. Lately though it doesn't hold much of the curl at all, it still air drys into ringlets but the next day it has very little curl left. The only thing I can think of is that I'm currently growing out an asymmetrical hair cut and trimming it myself.

I'm 2c/3a, F/M, and ii, shoulder length and virgin.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. I really miss my curls.

Do you have build up - hard water, products - have you clarified or chelated lately? Are you using too many 'moisturising' or conditioning products for your hair properties/ dew points/ humidity?

Ingredients that can help boost waves/ curls include hydrolysed protein, magnesium sulphate (epsom salts, but can be drying), coconut oil, honey - not all at once, select the ones that your hair needs. Excessive use of many humectants (water attracting) can make hair limp. Techniques can also make a huge difference, example scrunching products into dripping wet hair, plopping instead of towel turbanning, avoiding brushing and combing.