Fluffy 2a/f/ii

[silverthread]

Good morning LHCers. I would like some feedback on fluffy hair, particularly from those of you with fine, swavy hair. My regimen is no-poo/low-poo, no-heat, no color or henna. I stretch out my washes to every 4-6 days. My pony tail is 3", and my hair is 20" length, normal-low porosity, and a combination of 1c/2a/2b/2c. In the past, I've tried BS/ACV, WO, CWC, CO, and SO. I've scrunched, combed, BBB'd, and no matter what routine I use, my hair tends to be fluffy. I'm envious of the wavies whose waves look more polished, and which "swing" rather than "float". Frizzies aren't much of a problem because I use a homemade pomade that tames it fairly well. Any thoughts or recommendations?

[mzBANGBANG]

This happens to me depending on how I sleep on my hair or the humidity. I've found that a little bit of coconut oil acts as a wave definer for me, but too much weighs it down.

[silverthread]

Thanks, mzBANGBANG. From our profiles, it seems we have similar hair types, though mine is ii and yours is iii. Re: Humidity...I live in West Central Florida where it's humid most of the year. I sleep on a silk pillowcase with my hair in a loose bun. My pomade has lots of coconut oil in it, so I'll try applying a bit more than usual. (I'm nervous about applying too much due to buildup.)

[catasa]

I have hair that is quite similar to yours, though my hair is a little more coarse than fine I think (2b-3a, ii). I have always had trouble with my hair being poofy/"floating", but also dry and frizzy (I don´t think that you seem to have particularly dry hair?) Anyway, maybe what I have found to help me get more defined, held-together waves and more "swaying" hair can help you too! In short the recipe is mineral oil, cool blow-drying, and no conditioner shudder: I know it sounds counter-productive to stop using conditioner and to start to blow-dry, but it was only when I did this that my hair actually got better...

(I have written about my routine in several threads before, sorry to be repeating myself, but I am so happy to finally, finally have found something that actually enables me to wear my hair down most days (if I want) and I really hope that this may help someone else as well...)

So: the last several years I have been trying to find some method to add moisture to my hair which I thought was eternally and stubbornly dry, and always ending up with poofy/frizzy/coarse-feeling/dull hair. After lots of experimenting without finding anything that worked more than once or twice, I have now ended up with the routine below. This seems to work the best ever, even though results are not perfect:

* Shampoo with a dilution of non-SLS-shampoo and a dash of apple cider vinegar (this fixes the acidity of the solution since I use my regular rather hard shower water to dilute with, and also conditions a little and encourages waves/curls). Dilution strength according to cleansing need/level of dirtiness (maybe around 1-2 teaspoons shampoo, 1-2 teaspoons ACV, and 1 deciliter of water, I never measure it out...). Note that the ACV is essential at least for me to get shampoo dilutions in general to work!
* After wash, put about 6 drops of pure mineral oil through the lengths and very little on the canopy on dripping wet hair, and scrunch a little (if you have more fine hair you should probably try with less than 6 drops, start with maybe 2).
* "Fold up" in a t-shirt for about 5 minutes to soak up the worst wetness while at the same time as much as possible avoiding to create frizziness.
* Remove the t-shirt and blow dry on cool setting, always from above the head down along the lengths (this is important to avoid frizz!), keeping the dryer some distance away from the hair, until the hair is about half-dry. Touch/mess with the hair as little as possible while blow-drying, I just lift it gently at the roots a little.
* Air dry the rest of the way, avoiding touching the hair as much as possible (I do not have the time nor patience to blow-dry all the way, possibly the results would be even better if I did).

Note that the blow drying is a vital part of the routine that produces this nice result. It does not only make the hair look better which would maybe not be so strange, but it actually feels and behaves more moisturized and balanced, also in the long term (or at least as long as I have used the method, for some 3 months now). See this thread/post with some science explaining this: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...=1#post2349192

Also skipping the conditioner has been vital for me, I never found a conditioner that actually worked very well with my hair, and also the mineral oil never worked for me on top of conditioner (just turned out "icky" and coarse).

This leaves my hair soft, quite shiny, with the least frizz and the most "sway" I have ever experienced, with waves and some elongated spirals that actually keeps quite nice and well together left loose and down through a normal day! And it is also cheap and easy :)

[lapushka]

To style (the fluff), we use a leave-in about halfway down my hair. Then gel is added, and as a last resort to tame the fluff/frizz, a coney serum is added on the very ends of my hair. It helps, especially the serum, but you could use oil (a few drops of mineral oil) instead.

[Oksana]

My only tip is to leave your hair alone while it is drying. If I even finger comb while my hair is drying I end up with a massive fluffy mess. You could also try a low hold curl creme to give you more definition.

You may find that it all comes down to your climate, here in the UK i rarely have to deal with the humidity frizzies!

[Miss Maisie]

I feel your pain. I feel like my hair is both flat and fluffy. It's so strange.

I did get some layers cut into my hair about a week ago, and I love them. It sort of works with the floaty-ness. Most of the time :)

Today I put coconut oil in my hair, and it's still floating all over the place. I think I'm going to have to switch to olive oil here soon. I'd like some of the floaties to settle! Cold winter weather just does not inspire cooperation with my mop.

[coffinhert]

My hair is pretty fluffy. When it is drying, while it's damp, I use my hands to finger swirl and smooth sections of it with a little coconut oil on my fingers. Keep finger smoothing throughout the dampness until it's completely dry. This is pretty effective for me once I got the technique down.

[silverthread]

Thanks! These are all good suggestions. I'm going to have to try each of them and hopefully one will work.

[Annibelle]

I'm trying to make my hair MORE fluffy--- I looooove volume! But using a gel would probably help you-- and don't worry, it won't be crunchy when it's dry if you scrunch out the crunch! (Look it up! Or look up gel-casting! It gives me soft, defined waves and curls, but since I want biiiig hair, I'm looking for a new routine.)

[silverthread]

Update on fluffiness: I combined a couple of suggestions you all made. I used very diluted shampoo (Kiss my Face "Whenever"), squeezed out excess water and applied conditioner (Kiss My Face "Big Body"), let it sit for 3 minutes, rinsed, squeezed out excess water, and then worked a teensy-tiny bit (1/8 tsp?) of Beautiful Curls leave-in through my ends and lightly over canopy. By the way, I did this in the upright position, so my hair would die flat. No plopping this time. Draped a t-shirt over my hair for a while, then let it air dry. I blow-dried only my bangs on cool setting, letting the rest of my hair air dry. The result? No fluff, no frizz, and shiny too, but almost no wave except for underneath. One can't have it all, can one?

[Naiadryade]

Maybe try olive oil. My hair is 2a with a 4" pony, though it's also definitely M, not fine. Still, sometimes right after I wash my hair it gets disappointingly fluffy and floaty and light in a way that I'm not a fan of. I use olive oil to moisturize my hair on a regular basis, and a little of that helps calm down the fluffiness a lot for me. I apply it to dry hair. And, and this is my favorite part, it does help to enhance my waves--especially with repeated applications. I only wash my hair once a week at most, sometimes less, and I put a few drops of olive oil on it every 2-3 days. If I'm lucky and I don't brush it, 2 or 3 applications of olive oil (separated from each other by 2-3 days) bumps me up to 2b. It is very possible to overdo it and end up with greasy-looking heavy hair, though, so I only use 3 drops at a time on my BSL hair unless I'm washing the next day.

[strawberryfine]

I noticed that this is an older thread with no post since 2013. I'm hoping more people will see this and it will spark some interest.
I'm really excited since I have 2a/f/ii hair. At least that's how it was typed on LHCF a "few" (ahem) years ago. I started questioning it and I've tried being 1b but that didn't go well. I tried to blow my hair out straight this morning and my hair was having non of that.
After washing, not combing, I no longer doubt that my hair is 2a/f/ii.
All that said, I'd love to hear from all you lovelies about EVERYTHING to do with your hair... especially problems and solutions.
I'll go first!
I have problems with hair that's flat on top and that frizzes. The ends of my growing-out layers are dry. Too much product and my hair's unhappy.
I'm considering trying misting with water, a few drops of EO for fragrance.
Later, maybe add a touch of aloe? Not sure. The oils I have on hand are grapeseed and jojoba. Oh! Very little handling while drying helps.
Sorry this is so long.
I'll be watching this thread for your replies.
Thanks ladies and gents!

[Lorelai27]

I noticed that this is an older thread with no post since 2013. I'm hoping more people will see this and it will spark some interest.
I'm really excited since I have 2a/f/ii hair. At least that's how it was typed on LHCF a "few" (ahem) years ago. I started questioning it and I've tried being 1b but that didn't go well. I tried to blow my hair out straight this morning and my hair was having non of that.
After washing, not combing, I no longer doubt that my hair is 2a/f/ii.
All that said, I'd love to hear from all you lovelies about EVERYTHING to do with your hair... especially problems and solutions.
I'll go first!
I have problems with hair that's flat on top and that frizzes. The ends of my growing-out layers are dry. Too much product and my hair's unhappy.
I'm considering trying misting with water, a few drops of EO for fragrance.
Later, maybe add a touch of aloe? Not sure. The oils I have on hand are grapeseed and jojoba. Oh! Very little handling while drying helps.
Sorry this is so long.
I'll be watching this thread for your replies.
Thanks ladies and gents!

I fall within this general range of hair. I've been trying some wavy girl methods to help... I think what's made the biggest difference for me is a) adding olaplex 3 to help combat damage from highlights, b) switching to a wide tooth wood comb/ wood brush, and c) homemade flaxseed gel emulsified with pomegranate oil (I have it on hand for skin care) on wet/damp hair. I use a generous dollop of gel plus one pump of pomegranate oil per half of my hair (BSL) and this seems to work for me without overdoing it. I let it hair dry as long as I can (usually I use a small claw octopus clip to create some body at my roots) and then I use my comb to detangle and French braid it. Adding the oil has been a game changer honestly, my hair comes out of the braid much better now. I've found that a little oil emulsified with water or flaxseed gel on non wash days helps tame the fluff as well!

[strawberryfine]

Lorelai,
Thanks for posting on this thread and for all your great suggestions 😊 I'm saving them to try one at a time.
Thanks again!
Oh! BTW, how do you make your homemade flaxseed gel?

[Lorelai27]

Lorelai,
Thanks for posting on this thread and for all your great suggestions �� I'm saving them to try one at a time.
Thanks again!
Oh! BTW, how do you make your homemade flaxseed gel?

I make a small amount at a time because it's so perishable. I use 1 cup distilled water to 1/8 cup whole flaxseeds, bring water to a boil and then add the flaxseeds, simmering for about 5 minutes or until the gel starts to solidify (I stir with a spoon). I strain it while it's still hot through a mesh sieve or I use a French press, and pour it into a squeeze bottle as fast as possible (it's harder the more solid it gets and is much easier to dispense this way). Hope this helps! There's some pretty good YouTube videos on how to make it, and one or two that are also really funny to watch.

[Lorelai27]

Oh, and I store it in the fridge to extend the shelf life!

[rosenester]

I make a small amount at a time because it's so perishable. I use 1 cup distilled water to 1/8 cup whole flaxseeds, bring water to a boil and then add the flaxseeds, simmering for about 5 minutes or until the gel starts to solidify (I stir with a spoon). I strain it while it's still hot through a mesh sieve or I use a French press, and pour it into a squeeze bottle as fast as possible (it's harder the more solid it gets and is much easier to dispense this way). Hope this helps! There's some pretty good YouTube videos on how to make it, and one or two that are also really funny to watch.

I like your idea of a squeeze bottle, I usually store in a jar and dip my hands into it, and I don’t particularly like that method. I also add a tablespoon of jojoba oil, aloe gel, and a few drops of essential oil for scent to mine. Once I made a big batch, and I froze it in in silicone muffin cups to defrost one at a time. Still worked great when defrosted.

[shelomit]

My hair tends to be fluffy when it's first dried. If I give it a few days without getting it wet, then detangle it again, it will tend to settle down (depending on how much the weather cooperates!). Obviously, that may or may not work depending on what your life/wash schedule is like and wouldn't reduce the floof every day.

[Lorelai27]

I like your idea of a squeeze bottle, I usually store in a jar and dip my hands into it, and I don’t particularly like that method. I also add a tablespoon of jojoba oil, aloe gel, and a few drops of essential oil for scent to mine. Once I made a big batch, and I froze it in in silicone muffin cups to defrost one at a time. Still worked great when defrosted.

I tried freezing mine once but found the consistency when defrosted was separated and a little strange... However I have noticed that the shelf life is much improved if you use distilled water, the squeeze bottle, and store in the fridge. I tried the jar method and found it went bad fast, probably because using the fingers to dip into the jar adds in things that contribute to spoilage.