Natural wavy/curly?

[HollyG]

Basically I have always had a very slight wave to my hair with poof/frizz, i was googling around a little and saw about the curly girl method (ordered the book - thought i may as well give it a go). This is my natural hair (greasy though so the frizz doesn't show and it's a little flat - the kink by my ears if from a bobble)...
Sorry to those on that post i didn't reply to - i asked for emails when i got replies and never got any so didn't realise
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff140/grinyer224/IMAG0121.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/user/grinyer224/media/IMAG0121.jpg.html)

I know this one isn't very clear but that's my 100% natural hair (maybe slightly damp from rain as it does look a little flat)
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff140/grinyer224/Untitled6.png (http://s243.photobucket.com/user/grinyer224/media/Untitled6.png.html)

This is just after dying my hair (not doing that anymore but it's only been about 2 months or so)
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff140/grinyer224/Untitled.png (http://s243.photobucket.com/user/grinyer224/media/Untitled.png.html)

The last two pictures were also taken when i used to use my hair dryer on warm/hot settings. I've used a dryer once in 5 weeks and haven't missed it at all so think i'm going to try and not use it as minus the wave my hair seems healthier.
My hair does also go wavy if i spritz with water (doing once or twice a day now trying to get moisture back) but not if it's soaking, and it also goes wavy if i use coconut oil which is the main thing that made me think i may be a wavy.

Both my parents and 3 or my grandparents also have tight curls whereas my other one has very thin stringy hair (i evidently don't)

Are the root stimulator range any good for curly girl method? I can't find an ingredient list. Last night i used Naked but it has made my hair go horrible hence why i haven't put new pictures up, i have began to CO wash with herbal essences tousle me softly which my hair seems to like but it definately prefer Alberto Balsam tea tree tingle (conditioner doesn't have sulfates in - to my knowledge although it's riddled with cones which i don't have a problem with.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on a lot haha, has anyone got any tips to try and bring out the best of my hair? I'm sure this isn't it as i've spent many years using a blow dryer on hot, dying it for 8 years and curling it like mad in my early teens without heat protectant.

Thank you!!! :D

p.s. in the first pic, my hair dryer is on the box as that's where i usually keep it - my sister also uses it a lot so it's handy just to leave it out especially as my room is so small (hence the mess!)

[Firefox7275]

What did you do to get picture one and two, did you use a silicone conditioner, towel turban, brush or comb, tie your hair back? If so that is not your natural hair, that is your natural hair styled to encourage straighter hair. You may not see your natural waves and curls until you have been Curly Girl for a while, my hair takes up to three washes to recover after wearing it straight, longer when it was dry and damaged.

You cannot continue to use regular silicones if you conditioner only wash, silicones can pull out the waves and will build up without shampoo. They can also block beneficial ingredients from hydrating and 'nourishing' the hair. Spritzing your hair with water just increases the risk of hygral fatigue or UV damage, water alone does not hydrate you need emollients, humectants and oils to moisturise your hair. Beneficial ingredients for dry or damaged hair include hydrolysed proteins, coconut oil, honey and ceramides.

Come over and join the Naturally Curly Curl Talk forums and/ or the Facebook Wavy Hair Community. No point in 'reinventing the wheel' when it comes to product selection, loads of other wavies/ curlies have read the ingredients and tested the products. Most important thing is to know your hair properties - porosity particularly - before you choose products and ingredients. Well done for quitting the heat styling!

[HollyG]

Thanks for replying, in the first one i think i was using Alberto balsam as that's the most recent one (the shampoo does have silicones in) and i had it tied up as well as it being greasy. In the second picture i'm not too sure but i'm pretty sure it would have been normal tresemme with a hair dryer but i do remember it raining that day so i would have brushed it before that was taken.
The third one was blow dried after dyeing.

I co'd it earlier with alberto and scrunched and plunked and my hair has gone nice and wavy and oddly enough has stayed in place and i've been outside in the wind a little (it's not too bad but i thought it would have gone flat).

I will pop onto curly talk now as i'm sure my hair has more to it, especially considering the damage i caused in the past.

I thought heat styling would have been harder as my hair usually takes 4 or 5 hours to dry but if i scrunch it, it's dry in around 2.
Thanks again :-)

[Annibelle]

Based on these photos, I would say you're still in the 1s (straight). But I think the only way to know if you're wavy is to experiment with wavy hair care techniques. :)

[lapushka]

Based on these photos, I would say you're still in the 1s (straight). But I think the only way to know if you're wavy is to experiment with wavy hair care techniques. :)

Yeah, definitely in the 1s. Doesn't mean that curly/wavy hair care is bad for you. It might be beneficial to your hair, who knows!