applying product/distributing evenly

[mamaherrera]

I, as a wavy/curly, struggle so much with distributing product evenly. I try and try and I always end up with some clumps "poofed"=no product, and some super tight/gelled down. I don't like to put too much gel because the next day my hair is a tangled/glued up mess, yuck, trying to separate hairs that are gelled together. so I just want a light hold, but distributed evenly. . . . . How do you all do it?? I've tried sectioning my hair, and running product down the length between my hands and then scrunching. I've tried the supersoak method, but I just don't get it. ANd then how do you all prevent breakage/tangles/ after applying gel (especially those of you who do LOC) how do you keep from not breaking, if you want to put second/third day hair up and you have these clumps glued together?? The other day I tried to change my part ( I had my hair with product) and it was like breaking apart hair with gum in it, I'm sure I broke a few. I want to like and control LOC method, especially the C/gel part, but I'm struggling. And I see all these other curlies, every single clump with it's "wet"look of gel and no "poofy" ones and "gelled ones" like mine. Thanks:violin:

[Aurum]

Have you tried combing or brushing it through? A BBB (boar bristle brush) is great for distributing sebum, so I'd imagine it would apply to product as well.

[TheBlondieDream]

As Aurum said, try with a wide tooth comb, to evenly spread out your products.
As you have surely already detangled hair, at that point of your routine, it shoud be as easy as breathing. I had the same problem and this helped a lot

[lapushka]

Just taking a 2 eurocoin's worth of Eco Styler (spread over palms) then scrunched in from tips to ear seems to work fine in my case.

[Catatafish]

You could try putting whatever product you want to use in a spray bottle. If it is too strong, dilute it with some water. It might not mix with water if it is oil based, but you can just give it a shake before you use it. Some spray bottles are better than others though. I bought one on ebay, but is just sends out a stream of water rather than a fine mist, so I just use an old leave-in conditioner bottle.

That way you can lift up chunks of your hair and spray the under layers without disturbing your hair too much. I find that if I want to wear it wavy the more I try to manipulate it by getting products in it, the weirder it gets, but sprays work ok.

[mamaherrera]

that I haven't tried, if you have a link for that spray bottle I would appreciate it, but I guess with gel, I would definitely have to dilute it, and cream stuff---too, right?


You could try putting whatever product you want to use in a spray bottle. If it is too strong, dilute it with some water. It might not mix with water if it is oil based, but you can just give it a shake before you use it. Some spray bottles are better than others though. I bought one on ebay, but is just sends out a stream of water rather than a fine mist, so I just use an old leave-in conditioner bottle.

That way you can lift up chunks of your hair and spray the under layers without disturbing your hair too much. I find that if I want to wear it wavy the more I try to manipulate it by getting products in it, the weirder it gets, but sprays work ok.

[Catatafish]

Well, the one that I bought is terrible, so I won't recommend that to you. I'm using an old bottle from this leave-in at the moment. I think it is the same one, but I bought it in a pound shop/dollar store, and the description is in Latvian/Lithuanian/Estonian/Polish, so I'm not entirely sure. The bottle looks the same though.
http://www.pantene.co.uk/hair-care-collections/normal-thick-hair/repair-&-protect/overnight-repair-spray

You can use any spray bottle really. You might have some lying around from hair products. You can buy them on ebay (but the one I bought off of ebay wasn't any good, so maybe try a real shop). They sell them in some pharmacies, beauty stores, pound shops and even groceries here. You can even use an old spray bottle from a cleaning product if you are really stuck. Just make sure to wash it out REALLY well. I mean far more times than you think you need too. Also, if you go that route, make sure each time you wash it, you stick the tube into the bottle and squirt it loads of times. The squirty mechanism bit (I don't know what it is called) is the most difficult bit to clean. You want to make extra sure that there isn't any of the household cleaner left if you are going to use it to spray stuff on your hair.

Let me know how you get on. I hope it works for you. :)

[Catatafish]

Oh yeah, and about the gel or cream, I guess you'll have to just experiment and see what works, because every product will be different. Also, you can buy styling products that already come in spray bottles. There are quite a few on the market, so just keep an eye out for them the next time you are shopping. That way you don't have to bother diluting things if you don't want to. I own this one.
http://www.boots.ie/en/Aussie-Dual-Personality-Styling-Texturising-Conditioning-Gel-Spray-150ml_981378/
I have only used it so far for taming fly-aways.

If you buy a product that comes in a spray bottle, and it turns out that you don't like it, you can always empty it and then use the bottle.

[jeanniet]

I'm confused as to what you mean by "glued together." Gel shouldn't do that. It will form a cast while drying, but if you scrunch that once your hair is dried, you shouldn't have anything glued together. When I use gel, it helps to form the clumps while my hair is drying, but after I scrunch the individual hairs can be easily separated (I don't do it, but they could). I'm not sure if you're using the wrong product, not scrunching once your hair is dry, or what. How much gel are you using? It's easier to distribute product in soaking wet hair, rather than damp toweling and then using product, so you might try that.

[spidermom]

Rub gel between WET hands, make sure you get it distributed between the fingers too. Then finger comb through your hair; you will be applying gel at the same time. Last, rub palms down over the surface to tame surface fluffies. If your hair is extra-super-duper thick, you might want to divide it into two sections. Do one section, then repeat entire process for second section.

[lapushka]

I have Eco Styler gel, but my mom is barely a 2 (1c'ish) and she can't use straight up gel, so she has something called spray-gel. The brand that she uses is L'oreal, but it's quite an old product that she has.

[mamaherrera]

I have done scrunching to get the crunch out, but I get impatient and probably don't do an even "scrunch the crunch" but like the next day I tried to fix my part, and my rat tail comb got caught in the tangles from the gel. But yeeah, it shouldn't cause "glued together hair" because I've seen some curlies who, after the gel, go in and separate their clumps to give them more volume, and I can't see me doing that. Also, for those of you who brush every night, like Lapushka, how do you do that with gel left in the hair?? That's what I can't picture. but yes, it's sticky and my clumps are glued together.

[lapushka]

Also, for those of you who brush every night, like Lapushka, how do you do that with gel left in the hair?? That's what I can't picture. but yes, it's sticky and my clumps are glued together.

Sorry no brushing/combing for a week for me. You must have me mixed up with someone else. :)