Question for the Curlies please!

[whiteisle]

What product(s) do you use to enhance and show-off your curls? My DD, almost 3, has loosely curly hair and I'm beginning to think I might have more wave in mine that I have dared to admit.

When we air-dry our hair, it comes out in a combo of frizzy and wavy (for me) and frizzy and curly (for her). How do I emphasize the curls and waves and downplay the frizz?

What should I avoid also?

Thank you!

[windswept]

I use Fruit of the Earth aloe vera gel (the clear one, NOT the green one ;) ) - just put a squish in your hand, dilute with water until you get a runny consistency, then scrunch it through. It provides good definition but also brushes out easily.

[Speckla]

Suave conditioners or Aussie Shampoos and conditioners are great for curly hair. My hair looks like a frizzy poodle-brillo pad without them. My hair hangs down in shiney ringlets when I use them - note the avatar. Happy curls!

[Honey39]

No shampooing, no brushing, lots of conditioner, leave-in conditioner and water! My hair looks its best when I do this:

Put on some leave-in (cone-free) conditioner
Soak the bottom half of my hair under the tap (even if freshly washed)
Scrunch dry upside down with paper towels
Arrange my hair as I want it to dry (eg parting etc), without touching curls
LEAVE IT ALONE! No touching, no fiddling, nothing, until my hair is dry

I get fabulous, frizz-free curls with this method! If I do have a bit of frizz, I use aloe vera gel on the very top of my head to smooth them down.

[darkwaves]

If you can find the Curly Girl book, you might find it helpful. It recommends using conditioner, not shampoo, which is drying for curly hair. Also, as little handling as possible.

[Roseate]

The products that work for you will vary, but as others have said, the big keys are to keep your hair well moisturized and to handle it very little while drying. My hair, when brushed, is bumpy and frizzy:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3382/3414226899_641d55acf7_m.jpg

Not brushed or combed, airdried after a CO with leave-in, nice and wurly:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3408648306_de2ebfb8bc_m.jpg

[Angharad]

No shampoo (use herbalpowders to wash your hair or use dr. Hauschka apricot shampoo because it is extreme gentle for your hair), air-dry only, mist your hair with demineralised water, use a leave-in like jojoba- or coconutoil. Wear your (slightly wet) hair in a braid when you got to bed so your hair will be flat in the morning.

What I consider the most important to get your curls in shape: do not brush, but comb your hair or get yourself the Tangle Teezer if you do not like to comb your hair. I like the tangle teezer for detangling my curly hair, because it has the same effect as combing and your hair will be detangled in a painfree way.

[aries]

I use JessiCurl products on my hair but my 15 yo daughter uses conditioner only on hers and just lets it drip dry. I make her clarify about once a month, more if she washes more frequently, then do a deep conditioning but her routine is super simple.

Neither of us brush, we use wide tooth seemless combs and I use leave in conditioner and a little oil on my ends, my daughter likes to use g2b, puchased in any store I think, mousse on her hair.

[Speckla]

I have only combed my hair twice this year. I find finger detangling much better.

[Just_Isabel]

I can shampoo (as long as I also use conditioner). :shrug:

Something that I haven't seen mentioned yet is to not towel dry. I try to keep my hair from touching the towel as much as possible - well, except for the bottom part that rests on it on my shoulders.
To remove excess water from her hair, scrunch it for a bit to squeeze the water out.

A good leave in makes a big difference for my hair. You may have have to try a couple different ones before you find one that works well, but when you do find one that is the perfect combination of curl definition and softness (some make your hair feel dry and crunchy), it is great. :D

Good luck!

[MotherConfessor]

The great thing about curly hair is that its actually rather low maintenance in its own way. The hard part is just leaving it alone and letting it do what it does. Make sure it has plenty of moisture, add a styling aid and leave it alone.

[whiteisle]

Wow! What a treasure trove of information! Thank you all so much! I'm definitely going to start using these tips to try to get mine and DD's hair looking better. I went today to get some aloe gel and also picked up a can of Suave mousse to see if either of these make a difference for us.

Today is the first day I have washed my hair and NOT put a comb through it or blown it dry. I put a tiny squirt of Eqyss Avocado Mist leave in conditioner through it with just my fingers and kinda scrunched it upside down with my hands. The front and immediate sides dried kinda wurly and the back dried straighter. I think I'll try the aloe or mousse tomorrow and see what happens.

Thank you, again, everybody! Gosh, I love this site!!