Hairstyle help for a curly, please!

[windyballoons]

The problem is that my hair always ends up looking like this: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=11522&attachmentid=8472


I have to tie my hair back for work. Unfortunately I have a weird hairline that recedes right above my forehead and makes me look like I'm balding. Plus I'm a curly.

Usually I damp-brush my hair in the morning, put a little conditioner and/or mineral oil, and braid it. By the time I get to work, (10 minute walk), it looks like this. I have tried taming it with pins/clips, but it doesn't work that well- and it's still not very flattering even when the fizz is tame! Suggestions?

[windyballoons]

Also I can't seem to link the photo, but it's the only one in my album.

[Marbid]

Hello. My hair is very curly too. I experimented a lot to find a way to make my hair look nice and neat in an updo. So what works for me and you may want to try.....

I damp bun my hair on the top of my head. I make sure the hair is as smoothed out in the bun as i can get it. I let it finish drying like this. While i am at home. The wind will ruin my attempts at softening my curls. After wards, my hair will be very poofy if i brush it. And i most certainly cant wear it down ( i don't want to any way) but it makes it easier to make neater buns and braids this way. Even if its poofy, its not full on curl, and i can brush it. Also, i don't have short hairs at the front of my head, so it all gets pulled in my bun. And if i am bothered about baby hairs at my hairline, i corn braid them as a mini crown braid.

Well this is what i do with my curly hair and how i style it.

eta: by damp bunning i mean, bun my hair while it is only slightly damp. Otherwise my hair will take two days to dry.

[Fairlight63]

You could try combing back your hair & putting on a head band - then kind of push it forward some toward your face to give your hair some puff around your face. Or put side combs into the sides of your hair, that also will give some puff around your face so you don't look bald. Then take the rest of your hair & put it in a braid then bun it.

[Wisé]

Hey,
I can't see your pictures, because I'm still to new, but from what you said I have a tip for the hairline issue (I suppose you don't have bangs, or else they would hide it):
You can fake bangs for updos, which will then hide your hairline. (There used to be a tutorial by fox on long hair loom, but I can't seem to find it)
Take a few strands of hair you want to pose as bangs from the front and separate them from the rest. bring them flat down on your forehead and sweep them to the side (Brush or fingercomb to make them look smoother). Clip the strand in place right above your ear and let the length of it go into your updo or hide it out of sight.

I am a curly too (but only a weak 3a) and for me it works wonders. It helps my short breakage hairs at the hairline to cozily hide in the bangs. I use this technique basically every time I do an updo.

[night owl]

I assume you're not normally a headband person, or you might have tried them already. I don't normally like them, but I need them sometimes to control my baby hairs in the wind. The only kind I like are the soft, flexible jelly kind. For some reason, they're not too tight, they stay where I put them, and the teeth grip my hair without scratching my scalp. I can usually find them at the dollar store.

Here's an example: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFdBjilyusk/UM4aOn49SYI/AAAAAAAAHYs/Eom88G0jtOA/s1600/P1040234.JPG

[Mya]

In my experience, damping curly hair and then braiding (or bunning) it will always result in frizzy braids (or buns). If you want to moisturize your hair, it's better to use a leave-in/cream (it is rich in water anyway) on dry hair, instead of damping hair. I find oils highly ineffective for taming frizz.

[lapushka]

Plus I'm a curly.

Usually I damp-brush my hair in the morning, put a little conditioner and/or mineral oil, and braid it. By the time I get to work, (10 minute walk), it looks like this. I have tried taming it with pins/clips, but it doesn't work that well- and it's still not very flattering even when the fizz is tame! Suggestions?

I'd not brush period. You *are* a curly, and that means brushing is out of the question, even on damp hair. You'll end up (and did end up) with major frizz. To avoid a frizz-fest, try a wide tooth comb, or just finger detangle.

Have you heard of the curly girl method?

[queenieheather]

I agree with lapushka, stop brushing period and comb it only when soaking wet and with conditioner(plus a few drops of oil) in your hair. Then maybe some gel on top of the conditioner The more you touch it, comb it, mess with it damp or dry the frizzier it's going to get. I have the receding hairline thing going a little with a widow's peak and lots of baby hairs. I can't wear my hair all the way pulled back with nothing on my face/hairline. So I pull out a couple 1/4th inch or so pieces of length around my face out of my updo.

[windyballoons]

You all are amazing!

The day after I posted this, I washed my hair in the morning, co-rinsed, then globbed a bunch of conditioner in. Then I finger-combed it and wrapped it up to dry while I did my morning stuff.

Once it was almost time to go, I gently finger-combed the crown back and braided it with some "fake bangs" across one side of my forehead. I didn't braid it as tightly as I normally do.

It dried into unbelievable, perfect curly bangs with practically no frizz! One girl looked at me, stopped dead and said "oh my god, your hair looks awesome! Did you just curl it with a curling iron?" I told her that this was what my hair does when I don't straighten it. She said "you should never straighten it then"! Made my day :)

That night I put it in two braids and when I took it out this morning, I had perfect braid waves! I've NEVER seen my hair look like that. I didn't have time to wet & dry it so I just smoothed out the worst tangles (very few since I braided it as far down as I could the night before) and smoothed it into two milkmaid braids and tied them in the back, smoothing a tiny bit of gel over the top. Again, almost no frizz all day and still looked great when I got home, not poufy and weird.

Anything that gives me a good hair day two days in a row I'm calling "success"! Thanks for your help!!! :)

[lapushka]

I'm so happy you found a routine that works, windyballoons! :D

[Wisé]

Wow, that sounds awesome!
Congratulations!