Why is my hair waviest on day 3 or 4?

[jane_marie]

I have 1c/2a hair. Recently, I have been thinking that I am loosing my waves.

After some observation I have realized that isn't entirely true. After washing my hair is very straight then it becomes increasingly more wavy the further I get from wash day.

Here's a couple of photos the left is my day one hair and the right is on day 3.
https://i.imgur.com/djgJHiy.jpg

Does anyone have any insight as to why that is happening?

[lapushka]

Usually when I was in the 1s (1b/c), sleeping on it did that for me.

[jane_marie]

Usually when I was in the 1s (1b/c), sleeping on it did that for me.

So you think my sleep styles might be altering the wave pattern or are you saying it might be happening because I am wearing it down when I sleep? I've had this thought and it seems to do this whether or not I wear my hair up to bed.

[jane_marie]

This may sound silly but I have been thinking that maybe the straightness after washing could be due to my heavy cone usage. Like maybe it's weighing my hair down but as wash day gets further away more and more of the cones "rub off" allowing my hair to have it's texture again.

I don't know. That's probably a silly thought.

[Hexen]

I thought that even certain atmospheric conditions could basically do the same thing.

[jane_marie]

I thought that even certain atmospheric conditions could basically do the same thing.

Well, that's certainly true. Humidity can make my hair type "Frizzy poof".

[Hexen]

Well, that's certainly true. Humidity can make my hair type "Frizzy poof".

"Frizzy poof". That's a new one to me. I'll have to remember that one :D
But yeah it happens to me. My hair is really straight right after I wash it too.
Allowing it to dry while pulled back in a fairly tight ponytail, and brushing it several times during the process. probably at least temporarily, has something to do with that as well though. But even so, when in the midst of a humd stretch of weather, I notice that certain places of my hair become noticeably wavier. And my ends begin to spiral up more.

[MusicalSpoons]

This may sound silly but I have been thinking that maybe the straightness after washing could be due to my heavy cone usage. Like maybe it's weighing my hair down but as wash day gets further away more and more of the cones "rub off" allowing my hair to have it's texture again.

I don't know. That's probably a silly thought.

Nono, not at all silly! It's very common for silicones to weigh down texture - and actually, reading your initial post my first thought was that it could possibly be due to being weighed down by products.

[EdG]

The day 3 hair has sebum in it. Sebum's waxiness causes the strands to clump together.
Ed

[jane_marie]

Nono, not at all silly! It's very common for silicones to weigh down texture - and actually, reading your initial post my first thought was that it could possibly be due to being weighed down by products.

Do you think silicones "rub off" though? I guess a good way to test it might be to try a new shampoo/conditioner. I'll be honest though, my previous explorations of silicone free products does not leave me very excited about the idea.


The day 3 hair has sebum in it. Sebum's waxiness causes the strands to clump together.
Ed

hmm... I prefer the clumping. So, do you think that using a less harsh shampoo that doesn't remove so much sebum might help?

[EdG]

hmm... I prefer the clumping. So, do you think that using a less harsh shampoo that doesn't remove so much sebum might help?Diluting the shampoo will help to retain sebum.
Ed

[jane_marie]

Diluting the shampoo will help to retain sebum.
Ed

Great! Thank you!

[ExpectoPatronum]

I know our hair types are so not the same, but do you "refresh" your hair at all between washes? Because my hair tends to be more curly after refreshing than when it's freshly washed. Still haven't figured that one out :hmm:

[jane_marie]

I know our hair types are so not the same, but do you "refresh" your hair at all between washes? Because my hair tends to be more curly after refreshing than when it's freshly washed. Still haven't figured that one out :hmm:

I don't... or at least I think I don't.

What is a refresh?

[Feral_]

The day 3 hair has sebum in it. Sebum's waxiness causes the strands to clump together.
Ed

I was about to post this too. My guess would be sebum.

Jane_marie my hair got wavier when I stopped using products - when you say cones - is that short for silicones?

[jane_marie]

I was about to post this too. My guess would be sebum.

Jane_marie my hair got wavier when I stopped using products - when you say cones - is that short for silicones?

I do mean silicones. I don't use much in the way of products except shampoo, conditioner and a frizz control product on super humid days.

[MusicalSpoons]

Do you think silicones "rub off" though? I guess a good way to test it might be to try a new shampoo/conditioner. I'll be honest though, my previous explorations of silicone free products does not leave me very excited about the idea.


I don't know for certain but generally it seems that products can/do wear off - it would presumably depend on how much manipulation your hair gets, what it's exposed to in the elements, etc. So I can't categorically state yes with scientific backing, but gut feeling tells me most likely, especially without heavy product usage (like leave-ins, multiple styling products, etc.).

[jane_marie]

I don't know for certain but generally it seems that products can/do wear off - it would presumably depend on how much manipulation your hair gets, what it's exposed to in the elements, etc. So I can't categorically state yes with scientific backing, but gut feeling tells me most likely, especially without heavy product usage (like leave-ins, multiple styling products, etc.).

*sigh*

hmm... I guess it might be time I retry silicone-free products. That's upsetting. :lol:

I am so terrible at deciphering the good and bad ingredients in products. :rolleyes:

[MusicalSpoons]

*sigh*

hmm... I guess it might be time I retry silicone-free products. That's upsetting. :lol:

I am so terrible at deciphering the good and bad ingredients in products. :rolleyes:

Well ... do the products contain other 'heavy' ingredients? Waxes, butters, etc.?

Edit: just to clarify, my initial thought was that the cones would most likely be responsible, but sometimes it can be a combination of things

[jane_marie]

Well ... do the products contain other 'heavy' ingredients? Waxes, butters, etc.?

Edit: just to clarify, my initial thought was that the cones would most likely be responsible, but sometimes it can be a combination of things

Yeah, I'm pretty sure my all of my shampoos and conditioners are generally heavy. I use OGX and Tressemme almost exclusively. They have always worked well for m y hair before but now that I'm having this texture problem...

I think it will probably be best for me to just start experimenting with other brands.

On the plus side, if I need my hair super sleek for a specific updo I'll have the heavy stuff which seems to make my hair more or less straight. :D

Thank you for all of your help Spoons. :)

[redfrau]

My hair is kind of similar. More that it's too fine and doesn't have much grip on day 1, then as that goes along it gets more grippy. Hard to explain, but I know lots of people prefer day 2 or day 3 for that kind of reason, and maybe your wave experience is due to something similar. Do you like it better straighter or wavier, jane_marie?

[jane_marie]

My hair is kind of similar. More that it's too fine and doesn't have much grip on day 1, then as that goes along it gets more grippy. Hard to explain, but I know lots of people prefer day 2 or day 3 for that kind of reason, and maybe your wave experience is due to something similar. Do you like it better straighter or wavier, jane_marie?

My individual hairs are really thick (so thick that I can hold up a pair of scissors with a single strand without breaking the hair. So, I don't know that that's my problem exactly but I do think that because my hair is coarse and the individual hairs are heavier than average it might be that much easier to weight it down with heavy shampoos/conditioners. I dunno though.

I definitely prefer my hair wavy.

[lapushka]

So you think my sleep styles might be altering the wave pattern or are you saying it might be happening because I am wearing it down when I sleep? I've had this thought and it seems to do this whether or not I wear my hair up to bed.

I have no idea what you do for your hair at night. I used to leave it down, and I pretty much got the same thing as the days went on. Also getting rained on and such during the day, that would also do it. Back then that could still happen without my hair turning into one giant frizzball. Oh well. :shrug:

[jane_marie]

I have no idea what you do for your hair at night. I used to leave it down, and I pretty much got the same thing as the days went on. Also getting rained on and such during the day, that would also do it. Back then that could still happen without my hair turning into one giant frizzball. Oh well. :shrug:

lol. Don't you love how just a bit of humidity can make your hair look like you're a cartoon character that has been electrocuted? That's my favorite look :rolleyes:

[lapushka]

lol. Don't you love how just a bit of humidity can make your hair look like you're a cartoon character that has been electrocuted? That's my favorite look :rolleyes:

:lol: Oh gosh, a laugh is so much fun sometimes, isn't it?

I migrated from 1b/c hair to up in the 2s during puberty. Ooooh so much fun. :lol:

[ynne]

My first thought was that you comb the wave clumps out, so they need time to show up again, but that wouldn't explain it fully if you continue thoroughly combing them the days after washing.

When I wasn't styling my hair as curly, it always got curlier the further from washday I got, I think due to a combination of factors. I agree with the possibility of sebum distribution, and because I was separating and disturbing the natural patterns (I slept with it loose and wore it loose or in a simple ponytail so it could do what it wanted to do, but wash day meant thorough detangling and other manipulation which ruined all clumping). I didn't use any leave-in products back then, so I don't know how much they contribute.

Either way, it looks like you have a fun range of textures to work with! :)

[jane_marie]

Hello! I wanted to thank everyone that responded. :)

I took a smattering of advice from here and the 1c/2a thread while washing my hair last night. I also did some curly girl method stuff (squish to condish, plooping). I'm happy to report that my waves are much more pronounced today then they were on day one of last week .

Here is a comparison photo!

https://i.imgur.com/IrhWjBi.jpg

Since I have so much shampoo and conditioner with silicones in them and refuse to waste them I decided to hold off on trying my two cone free shampoos and just dilute my open silicone shampoo and conditioners. It worked well. I'm actually a bit surprised that my hair feels is as clean soft and shiny as it is right now considering that by the time I was done diluting the shampoo and conditioner were both more water than product.

Thanks again!

[EdG]

I keep a large plastic food container in the shower for diluting shampoo. I put a small amount of shampoo in the bottom, fill it with water, stir, and use all at once. The dilution factor is maybe 50x.

Sebum is thick and takes multiple shampoo/rinse cycles to remove. It is easy to control how much sebum remains by the number of shampoo/rinse cycles.
Ed

[MusicalSpoons]

Oh that's really cool jane_marie!

[jane_marie]

I keep a large plastic food container in the shower for diluting shampoo. I put a small amount of shampoo in the bottom, fill it with water, stir, and use all at once. The dilution factor is maybe 50x.

Sebum is thick and takes multiple shampoo/rinse cycles to remove. It is easy to control how much sebum remains by the number of shampoo/rinse cycles.
Ed

Nice tip! I'll keep that in mind when I move on to a fuller bottle. Thanks!


Oh that's really cool jane_marie!

It was a bit wavier last night before I put it up for bed but I'm still really happy with the increase in waves. Thank you so much for explaining your drying technique on the 1a/2b thread. I think that helped a lot!

[elfynity]

Thank you for all of your help Spoons. :)

Oh I love this nickname for you Musicalspoons!

jane_marie, I didn't know I even had curly hair until I stopped using sulphates and silicones. I thought I was a 1b and turns out I'm 2b and even 2c in places. I always dilute my shampoo (and it's even organic!) now, it is just too harsh not to for me. I do choose to brush my curls out while drying and land up with big curls instead, which I love. I am sure that you will figure this out! Also, hey no need to 'use up all the sulphates today', why not use that for clarifying your hair once a month and use the non-sulphates the rest of the time?

[TinaRider]

My 2c hair's got the most curl on day 3. It even looks like 3a. Maybe it doesn't curl as well when it's too clean?