Calling all LHC Curlies

[abritta3]

Hi all. I have a few curly hair questions which I have often wondered about but never asked.

1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water. (In the summer I do and I don't mind but winter is a different story ;))

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?

Thanks!!

[misstwist]

You might try looking in the curly and whurly threads if you haven't seen those already.

[Belisarius]

but that thread is really long. But just one reply, why would you want to straighten your hair? I have learned to live with my curls.

[Presto]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water. (In the summer I do and I don't mind but winter is a different story ;))
Hot water makes me shed more, but I don't torture myself with cold water either. I just turn down the temp to a pleasant warm when I do my hair.
2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
One? I think a lot of us use more than one at a time, or in rotation too. I always leave conditioner from the shower, like not rinsed fully out. Then add a generous dab of GVP conditioning balm, and then a palmful of LA Sport Gel.
3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I measure damp, so I can see how long it really is. Shrinkage is annoying.
4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
I've only straightened on purpose once in my life. To try out rach's "guilt free straightening" method.
5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
After scrunching in all my leave ins I pillow plop at night. Brrrr!! I'm not happy about winter coming, I may have to pull out the hair dryer for my roots or spend a little time in front of the pellet stove before bed.

[missmagoo]

I use warm water on my hair, I rinse out upsidown so the water is really only on my hair, not so much on my body

I always use a little leave-in from my ears down. Once I rinse out my conditioner upsidown, I squish my hair to get some clumps going, then I take about a dime-size amount of conditioner and squish it through to set the clumps, then I flip my hair up and finish showering. ETA: right now I use nature's gate lemon verbena and chamomile as a leave in- I pretty much use whatever the lightest conditioner in my rotation is as my leave-in

I don't really straighten it anymore, but sometimes I'll still blowout my bangs/front layers depending on how I'm feeling.

I diffuse my hair on the lowest heat setting (it's barely warm, feels totally fine on my face) until it's barely damp. It takes my hair forever to air dry and I don't like going to work with sopping wet hair.

[Heidi_234]

1) Very VERY hot water is not really great on hair, but I suppose warm or slightly hot water won't kill it.

2) As a leave in after washing I use a very thick lovely conditioner, and on everyday basis I use either just coconut oil or 50/50 mix of coconut oil and AVG to tame frizzies.

3) I measure my hair dry, but I stretch it, so it's much like measuring it wet. I don't get my hair wet too often (;)), so I don't want to wait for that just to measure lol. Measuring it dry/naturally curly will give incossitent results, because it really depends how the curls form, how tight or droopy they are.

4) This:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=22459

5) I air dry, first I plop it for a while, then I just let it hang down and dry.

[ZenBird07]

[quote=abritta3;841131]Hi all. I have a few curly hair questions which I have often wondered about but never asked.

1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water. (In the summer I do and I don't mind but winter is a different story ;))
Yes. Heat in general is damaging to hair. I use tempid water on my hair during most of the wash and then go as low as I can stand it for the last rinse to assist in closing the hair shaft...:)

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
No. I don't use a leave in condish (I do CO or CWC most of the time) however I oil at my own discretion. Ylang Ylang Monoi de Tahiti...:D

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
Do you mean for length? Honestly I have yet to take a tape measure to my head for measuring length but I love to feel it in the shower when it's saturated with the water and absolutely flooded with moisture. But in general the drying process is long and fuzzy. When it's dry I like to feel it tickle my elbows when it's down, makes me feel pretty, I don't know why...;):D

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
Yes. Lots of manipulation through the air drying process. Smoothing with the hands. Braid it then take braid out. Twist it then take out twist. Repeat. There are other measures I take but those are the basics...:)

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
Yes. First I may turban my towel for a minute while I dry the rest of myself with the door (yeah...that sounds wrong but it's indeed what I do). Take hair out of turban then gently squeeze and blot water out without rubbing. Then I have about a day and a half of wet head ahead of me.:)

Thanks!!

Then -when finally dry- style or updo as desired!;)

[Merewen]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water. (In the summer I do and I don't mind but winter is a different story ;))
Hot water isn't good for hair in general, although I see no reason you need to deal with ice-cold water. I'll admit I'm not very diligent about this one but I do try to tone it down a little.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
I've been using my regular condish as a leave-in. I think I need to find one with less protein though.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I measure dry because I'm lazy. :D If I wanted to know exactly how much my hair was growing I'd measure wet. Actually, I've decided to not measure at all for a while so that I can be pleasantly surprised when I do.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
Not really. I tried wrapping my hair around my head once, but it straightened it just enough to make it less interesting and not enough to be all nice and sleek. Oh well. I kind of prefer curly anyway.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
I do air dry. I plop my hair overnight and let it loose to finish drying in the morning. (Plopping is basically wearing a t-shirt on your head with your hair all scrunched underneath it to enhance your curl. There are instructions around. I think you can find some on youtube.)

[liseling]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water. (In the summer I do and I don't mind but winter is a different story )
I dont like really hot water anyways, so I guess this has never been an issue for me, but if I did I'd be reluctant to use very very hot water. But I think you can get away with pretty warm before actual damage starts to occur. Are you one of those scalding hot shower people?

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
I do if I want my hair to look presentable that day! I mix up a palmful of conditioner (just regular old conditioner that I'd use in the shower) with LA looks gel and get my hair good and saturated with it, then I plop for a while and then squeeze out the excess moisture.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I hardly ever measure - last time was probably a year ago. But I guess measuring wet would work best, unless you have someone to help you pull down the part you're measuring.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
I've only ever straightened once (or rather, allowed my hair to be straightened) and that was to satisfy the curiosity of my friends. So I cant really help you with this question! :)

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
I always air dry. Once I've plopped (question 2) and squeezed out excess moisture I leave my hair loose until it dries and try not to mess with it for those 3 or 4 hours.

[Bianca]

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
Yes. Lots of manipulation through the air drying process. Smoothing with the hands. Braid it then take braid out. Twist it then take out twist. Repeat. There are other measures I take but those are the basics...:)

I do this too :p

[Jorchet]

I can't stand hot water myself, so it's always warm for me. Cold water doesn't seem to work for me, my hair feels in shock after rinsing with cold water for some reason.

I use a pantene leave-in for curls and on top of it a gel. I apply upside-down on dripping wet hair. First smooth leave-in, rake, scrunch. Add gel and scrunch it in. Still upside-down, I use a paddle brush to create clumps; it creates one big clumb at the bottom half of my hair and then I separate the big curl with a comb and then a quick scrunch.

I put all my hair - still upside-down - on the top of my head and put on a microfiber turban. I leave it for 30 mins to soak up most of the water and then I air dry. I don't touch my hair at all till is dry. I may clip front curls just to keep them off my face.

I've nerver measured my hair. I guess I'm just lazy! :o

I never strightened...not interested.

At bedtime I pull my hair up in a pineapple: upside-down, I grab my hair in a really high ponytail, this way I don't sleep on my hair.

I hope any of this helps! :)

[pilateschick7]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls?
I think hot water makes my hair frizz and shed more.
If it is very cold out I use luke warm water to rinse.
2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
I use either Kinky Curly Knot Today or Curl Junkie Daily Leave In (both cone free) KCKT is available at Whole Foods.

I also use Ojon Restorative Treatment oil or Vitaka Coconut Oil on the ends

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I go by land marks now bra strap or waist and measure up from the goal to my hair.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
I never straighten. It never seems to work.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
I always air dry. I have not used a diffuser or blow dryer for 5 years.
I air dry using one of 2 methods
-I let it air dry as long as I can and then damp bun.
-I plop overnight in a silk sleep cap with flax seed gelee or Kinky Curly Curling Custard in my hair.
Option #2 results in less frizz preserving and encouraging curls

There are a ton of you tube videos on plunking/ploping
Hope that helps:)

[Bene]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls?
I think really hot water is damaging to hair in general. I can't (for medical reasons) be in cold water, so in the shower, I turn the water to a comfortable cool temperature to rinse after I shampoo and condition. I don't think freezing water is necessary.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
I don't use a leave-in. I lightly oil my hair when it's almost dry.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I measure my hair dry. I just tug my hair down along the tape measure. I don't know why, maybe because it seems like a hassle to get the tape measure wet.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free?
I don't "straighten" my hair, but my drying technique tends to loosen my curl a bit and leave my crown area smoother than if I air dried my hair. If I want my hair straight straight, I'll reach for the blow dryer and flat iron.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
For me, air drying means just leaving it down while wet and doing nothing to it. I can't get away with this because I'd end up with a big frizzy mess. I put my hair up in a towel until it's damp, then comb, oil, and damp bun. I take it down every so often to let some air get in, then bun it again.

[Wanderer09]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls?
Heat is damaging to hair in general. I don't take scalding hot showers and so far I haven't noticed any damage from hot water...as long as you don't scald your hair in hot water for hours, it's probably okay.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
When I want to wear it down and curly I use aloe vera gel, or a tiny bit of regular conditioner. Sometimes I mix some conditioner and aloe gel with water in a spray bottle and use it like that. I put olive oil on the ends too.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
When it's dry and the curls have been smoothed out a bit, usually. I measure when I feel like it and don't wait for my hair to be a certain way, which I suppose is bad because the measurements are all over the place. :p

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free?
Not really. There's the "guilt-free" straightening method that involves wrapping your hair around your head though, there's a thread on it somewhere. You could try that. :)

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
Most of the time I just braid my hair when it's wet and leave it like that. If I want nicer curls I leave it down and don't touch it at all until it dries.

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water.
I don't wash in cold water, I will sometimes do a cold water rinse but not always and I haven't noticed much of a difference on my hair between hot/warm and cold water to make it a permanent change in my routine.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
I try to always use an oil of some kind but some days I just wash and go. I like oil & aloe for a leave in, sometimes I am using ojon and nightshade's hair salve.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I measure dry but pulled straight. I don't usually call a goal until I am reaching that length curly though.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free?
I like to put my wet hair in a loose cinnamon bun and let it air dry naturally.. then let down and put some oil and go. It won't make it perfectly straight but it will be much straighter than it naturally is.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
I air dry after every wash. I towel dry, comb, and then just let it air dry.. I usually let it dry down and then pin up when its dry enough.

[curls2grow]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls?
I don't know the official answer to this, but IMO, as long as it's not scalding, my hair is fine. In summer I do a cold water final rinse, but in winter I am too cold for that. My hair is fine without it too.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
I do. I need it for detangling and extra moisturizing. BWC, John Masters Citrus & Neroli are HG. Starting to experiment with Living Proof No Frizz Leave-in.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why? I don't measure

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion). I don't straighten.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry? Yes. I apply my products by rakign them through my hair, then I use a wide-tooth comb, scrunch and air-dry. For 2 hours.

[PhillyGirl1978@]

[QUOTE=abritta3;841131]Hi all. I have a few curly hair questions which I have often wondered about but never asked.


1) Is hot water damaging to curls? Winter is coming and the LAST thing I want to do is put my head under a faucet of cold water. (In the summer I do and I don't mind but winter is a different story ;))

I guess it probably is drying but I can't use cold water either so I try not to use terribly hot water.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?

I always use leave in...it be a big poof without it! I am using Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition and sometimes I also use a little Aussie Moist on my canopy

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?

I measure when wet and dry, I record the stats for both so I know how many inches I have left to grow...where it will be by what date...blah blah blah!lol

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).

I used to relax, a long time ago. Since I stopped relaxing and got all that stuff cut off, I haven't straightened since. I have tried a few times unsuccessfully to relax my curls a bit the natural way but never had any luck. It was just awkward looking.lol

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?

I do air dry, plop in a t-shirt and leave that on for like an hour...I'm still quite damp when I take it down, but not dripping. In the course of the night if gets to only damp...then I just pineapple at night to sleep...it looks pretty good in the morning.

[mitabird]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls?
Not sure, but I use warm water.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
Yes. If I'm not using any styling products, I use Komaza Califa Leave-in (which is my fav at the moment). I've also used Jessicurl's Too Shea, even though it's not marketed as a leave-in. When I'm using styling products, I just don't rinse out all of my conditioner.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I measured wet.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free? (I use big sponge rollers on occassion).
I don't straighten.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
I air-dry if I am not using any product. I just scrunch out excess water with a t-shirt.

[Dars]

1) Is hot water damaging to curls?
Probably and not just to curly hair. That doesn't mean you have to use cold water. Warm water and lukewarm are fine.

2) Do you curlies always use a leave-in? Which one?
Nope never, I dislike products.

3) Do you measure your hair when it's wet or dry? Why?
I "measure" with my eyes when my hair is dry. Even though it's longer when it's wet, it's "real" length is when it's dry since I wear it dry most of the time it only feels true to go by the dry length.

4) Do you have any "straightening" methods that are heat and damage free?
Not really. But when I wear my hair up it comes down straighter.

5) Do you air dry? How do you air dry?
Yes always. After I rinse off the conditioner I don't touch my hair until it's fully dry. I drip dry with no towels whatsoever. I do a few shakes to get rid of excess water.

[23_seconds]

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[bushytailed]

I only wash in warm water; very gently and I condition every time I wash my hair.

I only "wide tooth" comb my hair, while in the shower while rinsing the conditioner out. I never comb my hair again until I shower again.

I oil/deep condition my hair once a week. And once a month get a deep conditioner, under a hair dryer at the salon (20 minutes; 10 dollars)

I never use a hair dryer to dry my hair; always air dry. I never try to straighten my hair, because it would take hours and it's not worth it to me since my hair looks better curly.

I have never measured my hair.

My husband skims my ends every once in a while to keep them healthy and I just got 4 inches cut off because of tangling issues. Now my hair is tip top.