Achieving curlier hair naturally

[delitebrite]

I'm a 1c/2a right now but I really want curlier hair...like a 3b (maybe I'm getting my hopes up too much, idk). I've tried wet rolling but I don't get the results I want, plus they don't last and require a lot of work. Curling my hair with heat styling tools takes fooooorever. Are there any tips or products (like poo/co, I'm not really fond of using much else) that coax hair into being curlier? Right now, I "scrunch" my hair as it air dries which usually puts me at a 2b, but like I said, I'm wanting curls not waves.

TIA.

[jeanniet]

You're really not going to get 3b without a perm, which of course isn't good for your hair. You can use curling tools, but from what I understand, you're trying to get that level of curl without too much effort, right? It's just not going to happen, because it's a level that's so far beyond your actual texture. Put it this way, I'm a 3a with some areas of 3b, and I don't think I could get all 3b without way too much work. It's just better if you embrace your natural texture. That being said, braiding can give you some really pretty waves, but they won't be 3b curls.

[CurlyCap]

Rag curls on smaaaalllll sections with a light holding product (or starting with damp hair). It works. It takes forever to put in. You'll have to sleep on it. But it works for even fine straight hair.

If your hair isn't too long, you could also do pin curls. It's a skill to learn how to put them in, but they are pretty indestructible (as are proper mini roller sets with end papers and setting lotion). Sadly, both skill sets are dying so you might have to learn from some youtube gurus....but I've gotten the straightest hair curly with a good granny style roller set.

The key is tiny sections curled as close to the root as possible, on dampish hair that has to set/dry until completely dry. However, tiny sections can drive you mad because the install tends to be intricate and take forever. But that's curly hair. My clumps are about 1/2 cm square on my skull at MOST. And that's hard to replicate with big sections. It ends up looking like most "curly "styles where the hair is straight at the roots and curly at the ends only.

If you just want to try some vertical hair, there's the hair pin method. It's always looked a bit odd to me because it copies the volume of Type 4 hair, but the zags are much bigger than anything seen in Type 4. And the ends are always oddly straight. Again, a LONG install.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_juQRQlB4tI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnZZoE_6gXM


If you discover a technique that works, please share! Pictures are fun!

[veryhairyfairy]

Ahhhh, as a teenager I tried for so long to achieve tight ringlets, but alas, both jeanniet and CurlyCap are spot on;
tight curls are going to take time, effort, and/or some damage from heat (or perming solution, but I've had too many of those go bad to recommend a perm).

The least effort way I found to get some curls was a bunch of small cinnabuns (bantu knots) all over my head, done on damp hair and left overnight. If you try this, make sure to twist alternating cinnabuns in opposite directions (except the ones on your hairline should always twist away from the face).

Good luck! :flowers:

[lapushka]

Try looking at this girl's channel for enough items to achieve curly hair with:
https://www.youtube.com/user/beautyklove

Jeanniet is absolutely right. Naturally? Not gonna happen. Just *not*. And CurlyCap is right about the methods to achieve it. Put some kind of curlers in on damp (80-90% dry) hair. Sleep on it. Tadaa.

[KittyBird]

I get nice curls if I do rag curls or cocoon curls overnight on damp hair (not wet!! Just mist your hair a bit with water). I also get horrifying tangles, which is why I don't curl my hair anymore. Last time I curled my hair, I wore it down for a few hours, and almost all the hair in the back matted together and formed a gigantic tangle (this doesn't happen with my natural wavy texture). It took many hours, a ton of conditioner and quite a few tears to get it out. Just be aware that heat-free curling methods can be quite damaging to your hair if you're not careful. :)

[Hootenanny]

As a number of folks here are saying, you can't get 2a hair to go 3b without manipulating it in some way, either by wet-sets or heat styling.

BUT, you can naturally maximize your waves by making sure your hair is very moisturized with a cone-free leave-in, and then adding a gel (some wavies report that leave-ins and gels with aloe as a main ingredient maximize their waves), then scrunching it thoroughly, and then plopping your hair (http://www.wikihow.com/Plop-Your-Hair) until it has dried somewhat. You can also use a diffuser on low-heat to dry your hair, scrunching while it dries. Make sure that you do not comb your waves at all after you have applied the gel.

If you really want curls, though, then I would second CurlyCap's and Veryhairyfairy's advice. Youtube has tons of tutorials for heatless curls! Bantu knots are a reasonably easy way to get big curls, although they might be more 3a-ish.