Clumping: my next obsession

[CostaRita]

Hi! I just heard about clumping. My curls are pretty "stringy-looking" in comparison to my ideal head of hair, which is this:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XdB5U-evDKIL5zdAX52Vn6KRLps_emKORNNXqQFOZkY/pub

My hair is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/56397417@N02/with/15857869180/

I realize that her curls are pin-curled (and take a lot more work than mine) and mine are natural, but her curls are what I emulate. How could I get my curl pattern to look more like hers?

Any tips from washing to styling? I currently use these products:
DevaCare low-poo
Palmer's Olive Oil co-wash (as leave-in conditioner)
SheaMoisture Curl and Style Milk

[Anje]

I tend to think that the natural size of clumps tends to be based on the size of the waves or curls in the hair. Smaller, tighter curls lead to tiny clumps. To a point, you can't fight what your hair feels like doing, and there's only so much you can expect your hair to look like hair in a movie... but you already know that.

I'm speaking from very little experience, but how are you handling your hair after a wash? I imagine that bigger clumps would start there, detangling in the shower, rinsing a bit to reclump the hair, and then stepping out with just a really light finger combing to break hair into large chunks. Work your products through carefully, working on each chunk separately and squeezing the stand together to help define it.

If that doesn't do it... What if you twist your hair together in just a few big sausage curls and let them dry in that form? I know if a few curlies who like the even texture they get from that, and it might help define clumps more.

Anyway, hope none of those suggestions are awful. I'm not a curly, so I'm going by observation of what I see others doing. :)

[molljo]

I'm a wavy, so take this with a grain of salt (hopefully some curlies can come in and let you know if this doesn't apply to your texture).

I find that technique is more important than products to achieving fat clumps. I don't comb my hair at all after the shower, not even fingercombing. I scrunch in all my products on soaking wet hair while still in the shower after the water is turned off so i don't get water on my floor, and when I scrunch, I don't do it once, let go, move on to more hair. When you draw your hand up to scrunch, make a fist like you normally would, but relax and grip several times with hair in your hands (8-10 is good), making an audible squishing sound before letting go and moving on to the next clumps of hair. This way your hair is getting scrunched but the clumps are not being mechanically broken up by being grabbed and let go over and over. Does this make sense?

[CostaRita]

Thanks! When I get out of the shower at night, I use a wide-toothed comb and the co-wash stuff. Then I just fluff it out a bit with my hands and let air dry, then I sleep on it.

I might try pin curls if they're not too time-consuming....

[spidermom]

When my hair was more curly, it looked its best if I used a bit of gel or style creme and twirled strands around my fingers as they dried. Alternatively, I could make a ponytail on the very top of my head before bed, then spritz the hair with water and roll the ends on large sponge curlers. That was really pretty. I should find my curlers and try that again.

[jeanniet]

Apply everything to soaking wet hair and don't comb out of the shower. See if that helps. But also I think some hair clumps more than others, so there may be a limit to what you can do.